1 10 106 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/799b3d889e9d66edfee9c752434f24bb.jpg 8650aae07d84bf4724123fbc3514f4b0 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/056a1ad2a2d817137bee4d0f9eb853d9.jpg fbb87648b4cdc24139248f5d97de5681 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wang 320SE calculator at York University Subject The topic of the resource hardware: electronic calcuator Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) The commercialization of the transistor in the first half of the 1950s had a dramatic impact on the decade-old computer industry. The all-transistor computers were offered as early as 1953 and, by the end of the 1950s, all major computer manufacturers were building transistorized machines. Similar shift to solid-state technology was made across consumer electronics industry (for example, in the mid-1950s, all-transistor radios quickly began to replace large and bulky vacuum tubes-based radio sets). Despite clear advantages that solid-state electronics had to offer to calculator manufacturers (if built, transistor-based  calculators would be smaller, quieter, more versatile, and virtually maintenance free when compared with the traditional desktop electro-mechanical calculators), the calculator industry was much slower in adopting the new technology. Calculator manufacturers were quite reluctant to venture into electronics when no competitors, even those with electronics divisions (such as Olivetti, Burroughs, Sony, and Canon), were putting any electronic calculators on the market. They were simply unwilling to go against their main core products that still delivered corporate wealth and prestige, they had no desire to invest substantial resources into concurrent divisions of electronic calculators that would internally compete with their best-performing divisions of electro-mechanical calculators. It was not until the early 1960s that the first solid-state calculators appeared on the consumer market and almost instantly gained consumer acceptance. While most of the early electronic calculators supported only rudimentary arithmetic operations with, in some cases, one or two memory registers for storing intermediate results, several firms introduced calculators with functionality that went far beyond that. The execution of short sequences of instructions (programs) was the most notable of these new features. Programs for such calculators could be keyed-in by an operator or read from an external storage media (such as punch cards) and, then executed as many times as desired by a single press of a key. In 1964, Massachusetts-based companies Mathatronics Inc. and Wang Laboratories Inc. introduced their first programmable calculators: the Mathatron and the LOCI-2, respectively. The following year, an Italian manufacturer of office equipment Olivetti introduced its Programma 101. All these programmable calculators were positioned to bridge the gap between ordinary desk-top calculators that offered instantaneous, personal, and easy to use operations but no substantial information processing capabilities, and the large and complex mainframe computers that required high-degree of training and long waiting times to perform users' computational tasks. Some of these calculators could be interfaced with a range of peripherals including printers, plotters, and external storage. Libraries of ready to run programs were also offered. Wang announced its new 300 Series programmable calculator in 1967. The calculator's more advanced models in the 300 series were offered in 1968. In their basic configuration, all these systems consisted of the central processing unit (CPU, referred to as "electronic package" in Wang's literature) and of up to four keyboard consoles remotely connected to the CPU. Using a standard keyboard console (model "K") a user could execute programs composed in terms of rudimentary arithmetic operations as well as square root, logarithmic and exponential functions. Programs of up to 80 steps were stored on dedicated punch cards and could be executed by reading them using an optional CP-1 Card Programmer interfaced with the calculator. Using a trigonometric keyboard unit (model "KT") a user could include trigonometric functions in programs. The calculator also offered random access storage (in up to four random access registers) and automatic summation of products, multipliers, and/or entries. Wang published a library of applications programs in areas ranging from engineering to finance. Wang 320SE at York University In the mid-1960s, York was rapidly growing and establishing new key departments. In 1965, Ralph W. Nicholls joined York University from the University of Western Ontario to form a new Department of Physics. In the same year, he became founding director of York's Centre for Research in Experimental Space Science (CRESS, later renamed the Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science) that quickly gained prominence in North America. Unfortunately, York's first computer--the IBM System/360 Model 30--was only installed in November 1966 and, until then, CRESS members had to rely on calculators and computer resources offered by the University of Toronto. In 1968, the Department of Physics moved into a newly constructed Petrie Science Building by which time a new IBM System/360 Model 40 was operational. In order to reduce the access to the new shared computer in cases that did not require full computational power of a mainframe computer, CRESS installed a Wong 320SE system in Petrie building. The 320SE system simulatneously supported four keyboard terminals. The calculator's CPU was located in one of the utility rooms. Each of the four terminal keyboards was placed in the hall of each floor. The calculator was decommissioned in the early 1990s. Museum's holdings Hardware: <ul> <li>Wang 320SE central processing unit,</li> <li>Wang 320K conventional keyboard terminals (3 units),</li> <li>Wang 320KT trigonometric keyboard terminal.</li> </ul> Manuals and promotional literature: <ul> <li>300 Series WANG Electronic Calculators -- Instruction Manual, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1967,</li> <li>300 Series Program Library, vol. 1, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1967,</li> <li>300 Series electronic calculator -- instruction manual, vol. 1, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1968,</li> <li>370 Series Programmable Calculating System, promotional brochure, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1968,</li> <li>370 System Reference Manual, vol. 1, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1968,</li> <li>370 Calculating System Program Library, vol. 1, Wang Laboratories Inc., 1968.</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wang Laboratories Inc. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1968 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant York University, 1968-199? calculator https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/1c43615c42ff9d10d7698bbfc91936b3.jpg 6524dba11a7164cae5043f1c4ae60b28 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Volker-Craig/NABU 4404 Video Display Terminal Subject The topic of the resource computer hardware: video display terminal Description An account of the resource Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video display terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. In 1982, Volker-Craig introduced the VC4404 display terminal -- the Chat. It was a low cost stand-alone, ASCII, serial asynchronous computer peripheral that could be connected to any computer equipped with an RSC232C interface. The terminal offered comptibilty with the company's popular VC404 and the Lear Siegler ADM-3A -- an influential early video display terminal. VC4404 technical specifications: <ul> <li>CPU: Zilog Z80A</li> <li>display: 12" anti-glare, 24 lines, 80 characters per line, normal or revers video, character highlighting</li> <li>keyboard: detachable, QWERTY, upper/lower case characters, 10 program function keys, 8 switches to control the screen display</li> <li>ports: EIA RS232C communications interface</li> <li>data rates: from 110 up to 19200 baud</li> <li>options: serial and parallel interfaces, numeric key-pad and function keys, APL character set, ccoloured anti-glare display screen (amber or green)</li> </ul> NABU 4404 documentation: <ul> <li>VOLKER-CRAIG User's Manual, VC4404 The CHAT Video Display Terminal, Volker-Craig/NABU, Rev. 3, March 1982,</li> <li>VC4404 Video Display Terminal, Service Manual, Volker-Craig, 1982,</li> <li>VOLKER-CRAIG VC4602 User Manual, Volker-Craig, 1982</li> </ul> The museum has a VC4404 terminal and the above mentioned documentation. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Volker-Craig Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980s Relation A related resource NABU Collection https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/9bcb23ea745d459b6d41a0be25ad056e.jpg 1c52213e1e8861ddf85f01f8dcfa8c64 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Volker-Craig VC404 Video Display Terminal Subject The topic of the resource hardware: video display terminal Description An account of the resource Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video display terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. In 1978, Volker-Craig introduced its VC404 line of video display terminals including the VC404 standard terminal, the VC414 Editor -- a microprocessor-based display terminal, and the VC424 terminal that, in addition to all the standard features of the VC404 and VC414, offered an independent printer port and pooling capability. The VC404 technical specifications: <ul> <li>display: 12" anti-glare, 24 lines, 80 characters per line, normal or revers video, character highlighting</li> <li>keyboard: detachable, QWERTY, upper/lower case characters, 16-key numeric key-pad and 6 function keys</li> <li>ports: serial EIA RS232C</li> <li>data rates: from 110 up to 19200 baud</li> <li>options: a bidirectional serial interface controlled from the remote computer or keyboard, parallel input port for bar code readers and other peripherals, APL and other character sets (French, German, and Swedish).</li> </ul> The museum has a VC404 terminal (model number KB 05101 G1, serial number 01745-159) without documentation. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Volker-Craig Ltd., Waterloo, Canada Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1978 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context H.17 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant World, 1978-- Contribution Form The set of elements containing metadata from the Contribution form. Online Submission Indicates whether or not this Item has been contributed from a front-end contribution form. No terminal Volker-Craig https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/59c8bca8dca795e9e9c5fb2cc259ba45.jpg 12eb1d49013e65707386b627e1ebedaa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Volker-Craig VC204 Video Display Terminal Subject The topic of the resource computer hardware: video display terminal Description An account of the resource Historical Context: In the 1950s, the operators of mainframe computers used dedicated consoles, hardcopy terminals (such as teletypes and modified electric typewriters), and a variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to run and control data processing tasks. Computer consoles typically featured rows of switches and associated lights that allowed operators to run and control the execution of programs, analyze data stored in memory, and to control other hardware interfaced with computers. Hardcopy terminals were used to print on roles of paper information such as operator's commands, computer responses, and other console messages. Finally, CRTs were used to displaying information (e.g. memory contents) in a rudimentary graphical form. The "glass teletype" that appeared in the mid-1960s was the first attempt at providing a single device allowing computer operators to run their systems having all the essential control and data processing information displayed on a screen. However, it was not until the early 1970s, when the first "dumb" video display terminals, featuring limited editing capabilities, were introduced (one of the earliest such terminals was the 7700A Interactive Display Terminal introduced by Lear Siegler Inc. in 1973). All these terminals shared the same basic keyboard-display-interface design: each featured a keyboard, a CRT screen that could display full sets of alphanumeric characters, and each had the capability to send and receive data via communication lines to a remote host computer. By the mid-1970s, video terminals became the most effective human-computer interface devices and they remain so until the mid-1980s, when they were displaced by microcomputers that could be interfaced with mainframes and minicomputers to perform terminal jobs in addition to microcomputing tasks, when PC monitors had become a common occurrence worldwide. In Canada, the design and manufacturing of computer display terminals began in the early 1970s. Comterm Inc. (Montreal), Cybernex Ltd. (Ottawa), Electrohome (Kitchener), Lektromedia (Pointe Claire), NORPAK (Kanata), TIL Systems Ltd (Toronto), and Volker-Craig (Waterloo) were some of the pioneering companies. Volker-Craig Ltd. was a Canadian manufacturer of video terminals, founded in 1973 by Michael C. Volker and Ronald G. Craig, both graduates from University of Waterloo. The company's early objective was to manufacture inexpensive video terminals. In a 2020 interview by Steven Forth for Ibbaka market blog, Volker recollects that "In those days... video displays were very, very expensive and being a student, I thought, this [video terminal manufacturing] needs to be done in a way that is economical for students." Volker's fourth-year engineering project to design an electronic circuitry for a video terminal that would allow the presentation of characters on the screen of a rudimentary television set was an entrepreneurial trigger. By the end of the 1970s, Volker-Craig was selling its terminals around the world through its offices and distributors in, among other countries, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. In January 1982, Volker-Craig merged with five other companies to form NABU Manufacturing Ltd. with headquarters in Ottawa, and continued to develop video terminals including the popular VC4404. In 1984, as a result of NABU's restructuring, Volker-Craig became once again a fully independent company renamed as Volker-Craig Technologies Ltd. The VC204 video display terminal was one of the earliest products offered by Volker-Craig. It was an alphanumeric terminal designed to operate with an external monitor. It was implemented using TTL technology and offered both ASCII and APL language character sets. Technical specifications: not available The museum has a VC204 video display terminal without documentation. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Volker-Craig Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource mid-1970s Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VC204 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada, 1970s https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/14bc93b89a91efd79936a0718bdafd1e.jpg 151d5b2a36069d9c79db3236e6c52ccc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource University of Toronto M6809 computer Subject The topic of the resource single board microcomputer Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In April 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, CA, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor, the 8008. Shortly after, the company introduced the 8008-powered SIM8-01 single-board computer designed as a trainer and a software development system for the 8008-based applications. The introduction of this novel hardware marked more than just a leap in microprogrammable controller technology. Within months, prototypes of the first general-purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were operational on-site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. The SIM8-01 board generated the first wave of computer hobby activities in North America. It also became an educational tool that enabled electrical engineering students to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of this new microprocessor technology. In 1973, the SIM8-01 board became the primary hardware at the newly established digital design labs at the University of Maryland and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. These labs broadened the digital system design curriculum, introducing students to microprocessor technology recognized as a crucial component in computer engineering education. Other universities opted for various microprocessor development and demonstration systems, such as the Motorola MEK6800 single-board computer introduced in 1975, or developed and constructed their own hardware to support their microprocessor laboratories. The University of Toronto M6809 computer In the late 1970s, the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto developed and built the M6809 single-board microcomputer for its microprocessor lab. "Peter Pereira [a Senior Technologist at the University of Toronto] and I developed the hardware and Robert MacKay [a Ph.D. student] developed a Monitor Program that made it easy to use the board," recollected Zvonko Vranesic, a University of Toronto professor. "At that time I was teaching courses on Logic Design and Computer Organization in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Computer technology was developing rapidly, boosted by the emergence of powerful microprocessor chips. I was in charge of organizing a new Microprocessor Laboratory. Since commercially available equipment was expensive, we decided to develop our own board using the 6809 microprocessor. Our new laboratory was a huge success." The computer was introduced alongside comprehensive lab materials that included the computer's technical specifications, software descriptions, and a series of laboratory exercises. The M6809 board was manufactured by Exceltronix Components and Computers — one of the largest and popular electronics stores of the 1980s in Toronto. Until 1984, the computer, initially developed as a lab tool for instructing microprocessor technology to electrical engineering students, was also commercially sold by Exceltronix to commercial customers and computer hobbyists. "It turned out that the board was quite powerful and easy to use," Vranesic added. "We gave the Exceltronix company a licence to sell the board to commercial customers, which included industrial companies and several other universities. The board found uses that would otherwise have required a PDP-11 minicomputer (at a much higher cost)." Between 1984 and 1985, Peter Bubonia, a research associate in the University of Toronto's Department of Electrical Engineering, revamped the M6809 computer. His new computer, the SBC6809 Lab-mate, supported experimentation with microprocessor technology at, among other institutions, the University of Toronto and Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. M6809 hardware specifications <ul> <li> CPU: Motorola MC6809, 8-bit,</li> <li> RAM: 16, 32, or 48Kbytes,</li> <li> ROM: slots for three TMS-2532 EPROMs,</li> <li> display chip: Intel DL1416, 64 characetr display,</li> <li> ports: two RS-232 compatible serial ports (used to communicate with a terminal and auxiliary devices such as printers, modems, and computers); two VIA 6522 chips providing two parallel ports each (for audio cassette recorder, keyboard, parallel printer, etc.); 16-bit I/O connector providing access to data, address, control lines and signals;</li> <li>switches: RESET switch, to reset hardware and enter the monitor software, and NMI switch to interrupt a program and enter the monitor software,</li> <li>power supply: +5V, +12V and -12V.</li> </ul> M6809 software The M6809 software package TEACH  included: <ul> <li>monitor — allowed the user to test the memory, dump blocks of memory, examine and modify single memory locations, read and write from the cassette port, set and examine the breakpoints, single sterp or/and execute machine language programs, and set the examine the processor registers,</li> <li>editor/assembler — allowed the user to develop programs in the M6809 assembler (full screen),</li> <li>wire mode  — allowed the user to up and download text files to or from remote computer as well as to download machine code in Motorola's S-record format.</li> </ul> Museum holdings <ul> <li>M6809 computer with hand written code "UT0180" and a sticker "2/13/87 BN",</li> <li>Robert MacKay, Peter Pereira, and Zvonko Vranesic, University of Toronto M6809 MIcroprocessor Laboratory Notes and Experiments, v. 1.1, University of Toronto, 1982,</li> <li>SBC6809 Lab-mate computer.</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource University of Toronto Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived donated by Arlen Michaels Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada, 1979 to mid 1980s 6809 University of Toronto https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/68d48fb17e5450671621c290ca3f7370.jpeg eb588c61d90bd4ebe430283b9174d28d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource TRACE Archive Description An account of the resource The microcomputer hobby movement in Canada had begun soon after the first computer clubs and groups were formed in the U.S. It was a part of the global North American computer hobby activities, going through similar phases of the microcomputing's development while retaining its separate regional character. TRACE was formed on January 23, 1976 by employees of the Canadian Development Division of Control Data Corporation located in Mississauga, Ontario. In the following months the membership was growing rapidly crossing the one hundred member mark by the end of 1976. The club played a significant role on the Canadian computer hobbyists' scene contributing to the development and popularization of personal computing. Several TRACE members became prominent entrepreneurs and promoters of personal computing. Throughout its decade-long existence, the club published the TRACE Newsletter, was a member of Midwest Affiliation of Computer Clubs (MACC), and organized and participated in popular events such as MACC's Computerfests (in 1983, the Computerfest took place in Toronto and was organized by TRACE). TRACE NEWSLETTER <ul> <li>TRACE Newsletter; holdings: no. 1, March 15, 1976 to 68, March-April 1984; February 1985</li> <li>Gifford Toole, TRACE it is (manuscript, 1976), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 3, pp. 1 and 4 (1976).</li> <li>Harold Melanson, Altair add-on power supply (manuscript, 1976), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 6, pp. 3--4 (1976).</li> <li>Phil Olynyk, Impressions of Atlantic City and the Personal Computing Convention'76 (manuscript, 1976), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 7, p. 6 (1976).</li> <li>Dave Baird, An Open Letter to Trace (manuscript, 1976), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 8 (1976), pp. 4-5.</li> <li>Bill Kindree, Highlights of the APL 76 Conference (manuscript, 1976), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 9 (1976), pp. 1-2.</li> <li>Terry O'Brien, Build your own computer system or How I learned to love the bits (and pieces); (manuscript, 1976), published as How I learned to love the bits (and pieces) in TRACE Newsletter, no. 9 (1976), pp. 2-3.</li> <li>Phil Olynyk, Choosing a Micro Computer (manuscript, 1977), published in TRACE Newsletter, no. 12, p. 4 (1977).</li> <li>Stan Witkowski, Free Help (manuscript, April 15, 1977).</li> <li>Where can I get BASIC for the 8008, (manuscript, 1976?).</li> </ul> TRACE DOCUMENTS <ul> <li>Minutes of the May 14, 1976 TRACE meeting.</li> <li>Minutes of the October 1, 1976 TRACE executive meeting.</li> <li>Minutes of the October 15, 1976 TRACE meeting.</li> <li>Minutes of the October 31, 1976 TRACE executive meeting.</li> <li>Topics of Interest survey (197?).</li> <li>TRACE membership list (197?).</li> <li>TRACE computer industry questionnaire 197? (possibly taken during the Personal Computing Convention'76); responses from: AID Microsystems, IL., Pioneer Standard (WA), Motorola SPD, National Multiplex Corp. (NJ), Hal Communications Corp. (IL), Texas Instruments (TX), Innovex Corp. (MA), Mini Micro Mart (NY).</li> <li>TRACE questionnaire and Newsletter subscription form (197?).</li> <li>An early TRACE questionnaire form (1976?).</li> <li>Letter to TRACE members from Ross Cooling, November 13, 1979.</li> <li>TRACE executive list, 197?</li> <li>Early list of TRACE members, 1976.</li> <li>Sketched maps of TRACE meeting locations, 197?</li> <li>Information on Bill Pettit's presentation of a MOD8 microcomputer boards, April 1976.</li> </ul> MIDWEST AFFILIATION OF COMPUTER CLUBS <ul> <li>A letter from Gary Coleman, President of the Midwest Affiliation of Computer Clubs to TRACE, September 1982.</li> <li>Minutes of the December 1980(?) MACC meeting.</li> <li>Minutes of the January 17, 1981 MACC meeting.</li> <li>Minutes of the February 21, 1981 MACC meeting.</li> <li>List of MACC officers, trustees, and representatives (19??).</li> <li>Information on the MACC Computerfest in Cleveland, Ohio, June 11-13, 1976, for TRACE members.</li> </ul> COMPUTERFEST'83, TORONTO <ul> <li>Computerfest'83 Poster, Toronto, July 8-10, 1983.</li> <li>Eight five photographs taken during the Computerfest'83 event in Toronto, July 8-10, 1983 (photographer unknown).</li> </ul> OTHER DOCUMENTS <ul> <li>Letter from Gifford Toole, president of TRACE, to Walter Banks, 1 October 1976</li> </ul> Subject The topic of the resource <img src="http://museum1.eecs.yorku.ca/www_decorations/trace_logo.jpeg" alt="MCM_logo" width="30%" height="30%" border="0" /> The Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts (TRACE) Archive documents the activities of one of the earliest and most influential Canadian microcomputer hobby clubs. Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource TRACE Newsletter Subject The topic of the resource computer publication Description An account of the resource TRACE Newsletter was an official publication of the Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts. It was published monthly or semimonthly between March 1976 and February 1985. Holdings: nr. 1 (March 1976) — nr. 68 (March-April 1984), and nr. ? (February 1985). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Toronto Region Association of Computer Enthusiasts Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1976-1985 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/bb2f8affdf5304abfa4161750c3f2911.jpg 485110937ebe12af1e46b28a28cc9120 Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource TPUG Magazine Description An account of the resource TPUG Magazine was an official publication of the Toronto PET Users Group. It was published monthly or semimonthly between February 1984 and and September 1986. Holdings: February—May, October (1984); January—Mrach, May, June, August—December (1985); No. 21—24 (1986). https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/00cef3d05da2d151e6d158ecfdf79359.JPG f69e37864c5bbd3d1d810dc389067f82 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The PRO-80 Computer Subject The topic of the resource Hardware: single-board computer Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) PROTEC Microsystems Inc. (or PROTEC) was founded 1981 and incorporated in January 1982 in Point Clair, Quebec. The company's first products were single-board microcomputer kits. The PRO-80 kit was offered in 1981, the PRO-83 in 1984, and the Multi-Lab in 1984. All these computers were designed for the educational and computer hobby markets. In 1986, PROTEC switched its focus from single board computers to smart sharers -- devices that allowed computers to share peripherals. In the 2nd half of the 1990s, the company addressed the growing popularity of local area networks and the Internet by introducing its new generation of intelligent device sharers, including the WebShare, SOHOLink, and WebBeetle, to provide a shared access to these services. An extensive distribution networks in North America and Europe positioned PROTEC as a provider of choice for such devices. The WebShare was launched in 1996 at COMDEX/Fall in Las Vegas. It allowed two or three PCs to simultaneously access the Internet using a single modem, a single telephone line, and a single Internet account. The second version of this sherer, more compact and with optional integrated modem was announced during the PC Expo trade show in New York in June 1997. The SOHOLink was designed to meet the connectivity needs of a small business or a home office operating with multiple computing platforms. It integrated all the features of the WebShare but offered Ethernet ports for networking of up to six computers. Finally, the WebBeetle was developed to address the demand for Internet and fax access in a local network environment were the demand for such access was high across the network. The sherer was launch during COMDEX/Fall held in Las Vegas in 1998 PRO-80 Microcomputer The PRO-80 single-board computer kit was PROTEC's first product. Offered in 1981, it was distributed by, among other companies General Electronics of Willowdale, Ontario. According to the PRO-80 assembly manual, the computer was designed to be    a truly economical and educational system that meets the needs of students, teachers,  experiments or anyone who wishes to know   or evaluate at a reasonable price the performance of the wonderful machine, the Z-80 [microprocessor].   [from The PRO-80 Assembly and Operations Manual] The computer was designed around the popular Zilog Z80 microprocessor and the S-100 bus that allowed the user to expand the system with a variety of S-100 boards available on the market. Hardware specification <ul> <li>CPU: Zilog Z80A,</li> <li>RAM: 1Kb expandable to 2 Kb,</li> <li>EPROM: 1Kb containing the monitor software,</li> <li>ports/interfaces: 2 parallel I/O ports, audio cassette interface,</li> <li>keyboard: 16-key Hex with 8 additional keys,</li> <li>display: 6-position Hex.</li> </ul> PROTEC also offered the PRO-VIDEO expansion card for the PRO-80 that provided: <ul> <li>video controller for a standard color or B/W TV,</li> <li>Eprom programmer,</li> <li>up to 22 Kb of RAM.</li> </ul> The card was supported with an 8 Kb editor/assembler. In April 1983, the computer was priced at $169 while its expansion card at $249. Software and documentation <ul> <li>The PRO-80 Assembly and Operations Manual, PROTEC, 1981,</li> <li>monitor (1Kb),</li> <li>editor/assembler (8Kb).</li> </ul> Museum holdings <ul> <li>PRO-80 single board computer,</li> <li>The PRO-80 Assembly and Operations Manual, PROTEC, 1981.</li> </ul> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Protec Microsystems Inc. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Canada, early 1980s microcomputer https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/83c853599a52eafdabb4c6b454b8fb11.jpg 1fc5d7dfb51503f2522ca9e2b4eacb77 https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/6018931f5c446e5a32f214646413c3c1.png 31b1cc37706917016f5801a35775457b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Micro Computer Machines Collection Description An account of the resource <div>In April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor — the 8008. In just a few months, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines (MCM) with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. These firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computing systems. However, it was MCM which built and, later, manufactured the first microprocessor-based computer designed specifically for personal use — the first PC. MCM's first computer—the MCM/70—was designed in the period between 1972 and 73 and announced on September 25, 1973, in Toronto. The computer was unveiled in New York on September 27th and, the following day, in Boston. One of its early prototypes was demonstrated in May of 1973 during the Fifth International APL Users' Conference in Toronto. The MCM/70 computers were purchased in North America and Europe by acedemic institutions as well as large organizations and companies including Chevron Oil Research Company, Firestone, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, and U.S. Army. The MCM/70 was followed by the MCM/700 (1975), /800 (1976), /900 (1977), the Power (1980) computers.</div> <div> Acquisition: The objects in the collection have been donated by E.M. Edwards Estate, A. Arpen, R. Bernecky, R. Elliott, L. Gladstone, M. Kutt, J. Laraya, G. Ramer, R. Rea, G. Seeds, M. Smyth, Z. Stachniak, and J. Woods. HARDWARE <ul> <li>Early MCM/70 prototype (based on Intel SIM8-01) (1972)</li> <li>Memory board from the rack-mounted MCM/70 prototype (1972)</li> <li>MCM/70 Executive (1973)</li> <li>early MCM/70 ROM board (1973?)</li> <li>MCM/70 Model 708 computer (1974)</li> <li>MCM/70 power supply (1974?)</li> <li>MCM printer, Model MCP 132 N (1975)</li> <li>DDS-1000 Diskette Subsystem (1975)</li> <li>MPD-1000 Diskette Subsystem (1975)</li> <li>A prototype of an MCM/700 variant designed by E.E. Edwards (1975?)</li> <li>MCM/800 Model 808 computer (1976)</li> <li>A prototype of an MCM/800 variant designed by E.E. Edwards (1977?)</li> <li>MCM/900 Model 924 computer (1978)</li> <li>MCM Micro Power Model 524 computer (1981)</li> </ul>  SOFTWARE  <ul> <li>MCM/70 Mathematics Library, May 7, 1974</li> <li>MCM/70 Statistics Library, May 7, 1974</li> <li>MCM/70 Finance Library, May 7, 1974</li> <li>MCM/70 Electricity and Electrical Engineering Library, May 7, 1974</li> <li>MCM/70 Fun and Games Library, May 7, 1974</li> <li>APL A* code listings, June 4, 1980</li> </ul>  MANUALS and GUIDES   <ul> <li>MCM/70 Introductory Manual, Micro Computer Machines (1973)</li> <li>J. Morgan Smyth, MCM/70 User's Guide, Micro Computer Machines (1974) (spiral bounded preprint)</li> <li>J. Morgan Smyth, MCM/70 User's Guide , Micro Computer Machines, Toronto and Kingston (1974)</li> <li>MCM/70 Installation Guide, MCM (1974?)</li> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer, Distributor Service Manual, Preliminary issue, Micro Computer Machines (September 1974)</li> <li>MCP-132 (HyType) Printer Operating Guide, MCM (July 1975)</li> <li>MCM/APL Reference Cards, MCM (1976 and May 1981)</li> <li>SCI-1200 Communications Sub-System, Installation Instructions and Reference Manual, MCM (1976?)</li> <li>MCP-132 Printer User's Guide, rev. 1 (June 1, 1977)</li> <li>DDS-500 Dual Disk System User Guide [preliminary], Micro Computer Machines (June 8, 1977)</li> <li>MCM System/800 Utilities Manual, rev. AA, MCM (August 1977)</li> <li>MCM Computers System 800: Using The MCM Computer as a Terminal and Transferring Data to and from APL Plus, manual nr. 018 033, rev. AA, MCM (January 1978)</li> <li>VDU-9620 Reference Manual, MCM (August 1978)</li> <li>DDS-1000 Diskette Drive User's Manual, MCM Computers Ltd., rev. AA (October 1978)</li> <li>TEXT/900 Word Processing System, MCM Computers Ltd., rev. AC (November 1978)</li> <li>MCM/900 User's Manual, rev. AB, MCM (December 1978)</li> <li>MCM LIB/8 System Documentation [describes a collection of APL functions which facilitate the creation and maintenance of a library of user application packages for the MCM/800], Micro Computer Machines (197?)</li> <li>FAS: Financial Accounting System User's Manual, MCM Computers Ltd. (197?)</li> <li>Fast Functions on the MCM/900, MCM Computers Ltd. (197?)</li> <li>FAS: Financial MCM System/900 Utilities Manual, MCM Computers Ltd., rev. AA (February 1979)</li> <li>MCM System/900 Utilities Manual, rev. AA, MCM (February 1979)</li> <li>Communications Subsystem Reference Manual, rev. AB, MCM Computers Ltd. (March 1979)</li> <li>MCM/900 User's Manual, MCM Computers Ltd., rev. AC (May 1979)</li> <li>TEXT/900 With Data Files, Supplementary Documentation, MCM Computers Ltd., rev. AA (July 1979)</li> <li>CAS-900 Client Accounting System, MCM Computers Ltd. (September 19, 1979)</li> <li>DCS: Data Communication System User's Guide, version 3, MCM Computers Ltd. (April 1980)</li> <li>Small Business System: Programmer's Reference Manual, version 1, MCM Computers Ltd. (August 1980)</li> <li>MCM/APL User's Guide, preliminary release, MCM Computers Ltd. (September 1980)</li> <li>Client Accounting System, General Ledger, Accounting Reports, MCM Computers Ltd. (February 1981)</li> <li>Client Accounting System, Time and Charges, MCM Computers Ltd. (February 1981)</li> <li>924/1024 System Technical Manual [preliminary], MCM (February 27, 1981)</li> <li>[]ZZ System Functions User's Guide, preliminary release, MCM Computers Ltd. (March 31, 1981)</li> <li>A Fast []FNT Type Numeric Formatter, MCM Computers Ltd., 7 pages (1 May, 1981)</li> <li>Power Mail: Message Processing Facility, MCM (May 1981)</li> <li>POWER Utilities User's Guide, preliminary release, MCM Computers Ltd. (June 1981)</li> <li>Distributor Announcement, No. 44, MCM (May 11, 1982)</li> </ul>  CORPORATE DOCUMENTS      1971  <ul> <li>Hypothecation of Shares and Purchase of Shares Agreements Between Gordon Ramer and Merslau Kutt (December 28, 1971)</li> <li>Kutt Systems, Inc., Micro Computer Machines Inc., and MCM Computers Ltd. corporate data, Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, Toronto, file number 251340 (copy on micro-fish)</li> <li>Intel's Invoice for: SIM4-01, MP7-01, and MCS-4 chip set to be sent to Mers Kutt, December 28, 1971</li> <li>Intel's Form of Invoice for: SIM4-01, MP7-01, and MCS-4 chip set to be sent to Mers Kutt, signed by Hank Smith, December 28, 1971</li> </ul>       1972 <ul> <li>Intel, Shipping Request for SIM4-01, SIM8-01, MP7-02, to be delivered to Mers Kutt, May 12, 1972</li> <li>Intel, Packing Slip for SIM4-01, SIM8-01, MP7-02, to be delivered to Mers Kutt, May 12, 1972</li> <li>Intel's Form of Invoice for: SIM4-01, SIM8-01, MP7-02, to be sent to Kutt Systems Inc., May 12, 1972</li> <li>Intel's Form of Invoice for: SIM8-01 to be sent to Kutt Systems Inc., May 23, 1972</li> <li>Minutes of the Special General Meeting of the Shareholders of KUTT SYSTEMS INC., Saturday, November 11, 1972, 1 page</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., 1972 Financial Statements (draft), 7 pages</li> <li>Letter from Hal Fenney (Intel) to Mers Kutt, October 4, 1972 [re SIM8-01 board], 1 page</li> <li>Note from Hank Smith (Intel) to Mers Kutt, October 4, 1972 [re SIM8-01 board], 1 page</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., 1972 Financial Statements, 7 pages</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Company Certificate from the Registry Office for the Registry Division of Toronto (April 17, 1972)</l i></li> </ul>        1973 <ul> <li>Collection of design documents of two MCM/70 prototypes (April-July, 1973)</li> <li>Agreement to Purchase and Transfer Stock (March 7, 1973?)</li> <li>Receipt for MCM shares purchase (April 5, 1973)</li> <li>Portfolio of MCM Shareholder Documents (May 7 and May 14, 1973)</li> <li>Agreement between G. Ramer and M. Kutt, 4 pages (May 16, 1973) Letter to MCM shareholders, signed Mers Kutt, President, 2 pages (August 24, 1973)</li> <li>Letter from Micro Computer Machines to Canadian Consulates, signed Mers Kutt, President, 2 pages (November 1, 1973)</li> <li>Letter to MCM shareholders, signed Mers Kutt, President, 1 page (November 1973)</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., 1973 Interim Financial Statements (unedited), 6 pages</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., 1973 Financial Statements, 6 pages</li> <li>Collection of MCM corporate information documents (1973)</li> <li>Collection of Kutt Systems Inc. and MCM Inc. Corporate Documents (1973)</li> </ul>        1974 <ul> <li>MCM corporate information, 31 pages, 1974</li> <li>Letter to potential users of MCM products, February 1974, signed by Peter J. Wolfe, Manager, Business Systems, 1 page.</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Purchase Order no 10199 [for Intel's MCS8s], March 1, 1974, 1 page</li> <li>Data Device Corporation price list for MCM products, May 13, 1974, 1 page</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, May 17, 1974, signed ?, Secretary</li> <li>Data Device Corporation quotation for an MCM/70 system, May 21, 1974, signed Ted Berg, Vice President, 1 page</li> <li>Letter to shareholders of Micro Computer Machines Inc,. May 28, 1974, signed Mers Kutt, President, 2 pages</li> <li>"To the members of the Board of Directors of Micro Computer Machines Inc.", a memorandum signed by 21 MCM empolyees, August 1, 1974, 3 pages</li> <li>Letter from Micro Computer Machines Inc. to APL'ers, 1974(?), signed Ted Berg, President, 1 page</li> </ul>        1975 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Jun 13, 1975</li> <li>Letter to potential users of MCM products, 1975(?) [re the announcement of the IBM 5100], signed Ted Berg, President, 1 page</li> <li>Letter from Ted Berg to Sales Representatives "Notice of Upcoming Product Features", November 27, 1975, signed T.M. Berg, 1 page</li> <li>MCM employment documents for E. Edwards</li> </ul>        1976 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Jun 21, 1976</li> <li>Letter from Borden and Elliot to Gordon Ramer, November 26, 1976, 2 pages</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Common Shares, issued in 1976</li> <li>MCM/700 Configuration, technical specification, May 7, 1976</li> </ul>        1977 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Jun 24, 1977</li> <li>Letter from Borden and Elliot to Gordon Ramer, March 9, 1977, 2 pages</li> <li>Agreement to Purchase and Transfer Ownership of Stock, October 29, 1977</li> </ul>        1978 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Jun 8, 1978</li> <li>Powerful New Business Computer System Introduced by MCM, MCM Computers Ltd. press release, 1978, 1 page</li> <li>MCM Computers Ltd., 1978 Auditors' Report. 8 pages</li> <li>Distributor Price List, September 27, 1978, 1 page</li> <li>Interactive Computer Systems, Inc., Price List, November 1, 1978, 2 pages</li> <li>System 800/900 Actuarial/Insurance Users, November 1978, 1 page</li> <li>Distributorship Agreement, 1978, 12 pages</li> </ul>        1979 <ul> <li>1978 Auditors' Report, February 13, 1979, 8 pages</li> <li>Canadian Price List, MCM, March 1, 1979, 2 pages</li> <li>Distributor Price List, MCM, March 1, 1979, 1 page</li> <li>Letter to shareholders of MCM Computers Ltd, May 24, 1979, 2 pages, signed C.M. Williams, President</li> <li>Notice of Correction, letter to shareholders of MCM Computers Ltd, June 4, 1979, signed B.C. Wallace, Chairman, 1 page</li> <li>MCM Computers Ltd., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, May 25, 1979, signed by W.S. Robertson, Secretary, 1 page</li> <li>MCM Computers Ltd., Proxy, May 1979, 1 page</li> <li>Representative System 800/900 Installations, May 1979, 3 pages</li> <li>Canadian Price List, MCM, July 1, 1979, 2 pages</li> <li>Distributor Price List, MCM, July 1, 1979, 2 pages</li> <li>TAS-900 Pricing, November 26, 1979, 1 page</li> <li>Cost Justification for the DMS/FAS on the System 900, MCM, 1979(?), 2 pages</li> </ul>        1980 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Jun 11, 1980</li> </ul>        1982 <ul> <li>Micro Computer Machines Inc., Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, May 25, 1982, 1980</li> </ul>   MARKETING MATERIALS        1973 <ul> <li>Media/Press Release, September 28, 1973, 4 pages [the announcement of the MCM/70]</li> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer, Preannouncement, Confidential Information [promotional brochure with an MCM/70 prototype on the first page], 2 double-sided pages, August 1973</li> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer [promotional brochure with an MCM/70 prototype on the first page], 1 double-sided page, 1973</li> <li>The MCM/70T Intelligent Terminal [promotional brochure], 1 page, November(?) 1973</li> <li>A Sample of Quotations from Letters Received, November 1973, 2 pages [quotations from letters received by MCM re the MCM/70]</li> <li>Collage of articles on the MCM/70 prepared by MCM for shareholders, 1973, 6 pages</li> <li>Inquiries & Responses Received After Trip [to Europe with the MCM/70 prototype], 2 pages</li> </ul>        1974 <ul> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer [promotional brochure with the production model of the MCM/70 on the front page], 4 double-sided pages [includes information on the MCM/70 hardware, preliminary specifications of the MCM/APL interpreter, information on the MCM/70 in science, business, and education], February 1974</li> <li>The MCM/70 in education [promotional brochure], 2 double-sided pages, 1974?</li> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer [promotional brochure with the production model of the MCM/70 on the front page], 5 double-sided pages [includes information on the MCM/70 hardware, preliminary specifications of the MCM/APL interpreter, information on MCM as well as on the MCM/70 in science, business, and education], 1974</li> <li>MCM/70 Desk Top Computer, MCM/APL [promotional brochure with the production model of the MCM/70 on the front page], 5 double-sided pages [includes information on the MCM/70 hardware, preliminary specifications of the MCM/APL interpreter, information on MCM as well as on the MCM/70 in science, business, and education], 1974</li> </ul>        1975 <ul> <li>Introducing The Smallest, Least Expensive, Stand-Alone APL Desktop Computer MCM/700 [promotional brochure], 6 pages</li> <li>MCM Sales Reference, 21 pages, 1975?</li> <li>SDS-250/DDS-500 Diskette Subsystems [promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1975?</li> <li>PMR-400 Card Reader [promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1975?</li> <li>MCP-132 Printer/Plotter [promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1975?</li> <li>Application Libraries [list of software for the /700 system], 4 pages</li> <li>Promotional letter from Peter J. Wolfe, Marketing Manager, to potential MCM clients, 2 pages.</li> <li>MCM price list, 1 page.</li> </ul>       1976 <ul> <li>MCM News, Newsletter, vol 1(?) [most likely published in the early 1976], 8 pages</li> <li>Micro Computer Machines, Inc., Distributor Information Kit, Micro Computer Machines, 1976</li> <li>System 800, [MCM Computers promotional brochure for the MCM/800 system], 6 pages</li> <li>System Software" [information on software for the MCM/800], 2 pages</li> <li>Applications Library Summary [information on software libraries for the] MCM/800, 4 pages</li> <li>PVAS A new concept for Performing Pension Actuarial Valuations and Pension Plan Administration [promotional brochure for the /800 system], 6 pages</li> <li>TEXT 800, Word Processing with System 800 [promotional brochure for the /800 system], 3 pages</li> <li>TEXT 800, Word Processing with System 800 [promotional brochure for the /800 system], 2 pages</li> <li>VDU-9620 Video Display For System 800 [promotional brochure], 5 pages</li> <li>< VDU-9620 Video Display For System 800 [promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>MCP-132 Printer/Plotter [promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>DDS-500 Diskette System [promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>Here's what other Actuaries say about the MCM/800 system [promotional brochure], 6 pages</li> <li>MCM's System 800: the combination of data processing and word processing [promotional brochure], 1 page</li> <li>The MCM/800 System Software, 2 pages</li> </ul> 1977 <ul> <li>MCM FI-PLAN [the MCM/800 promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>System 800 Demonstration Package, Rev. AA, October 1977, 9 pages</li> <li>O. Zimmerman, MCM/800 and APL Gain Acceptance in Insurance Applications at Crown Life, 9 pages</li> </ul> 1978 <ul> <li>MCM FI-PLAN: Sample Projection , 6 pages</li> <li>MCM 800 vs Timesharing , 6 pages</li> <li>If you spend more[...] [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>APL and Virtual Memory [...] [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 2 pages</li> <li>MCM 800 vs IBM 5110, 2 pages</li> <li>Introducing.... [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 4 pages</li> <li>MCM Computers: System 900 [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 4 pages</li> <li>Businesses today are faced with a maze of problems [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1978?</li> <li>APL and Virtual Memory -- two main reasons why... [the MCM/900 promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1978?</li> </ul> 1979 <ul> <li>DCS/900 Data Communications with System/900 [promotional brochure], 1 page, 1979?</li> <li>AID/900 Utilities and Libraries for System/900 [promotional brochure], 1 page, 1979?</li> <li>LIB/900 Program Development with System/900 [promotional brochure], 1 page, 1979?</li> <li>PLOT/900 Plotting Software for System/900 [promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1979?</li> <li>MCM Computers System/900 [promotional brochure], 4 pages, 1979?</li> <li>System 900: The Affordable Solution [promotional brochure], 2 pages, 1979?</li> <li> CAS-900 Client Accounting System [promotional brochure], 4 pages, 1979?</li> <li>TEXT/900 Word Processing with System/900 [promotional brochure for the /800 system], 3 pages, 1979?</li> <li>TEXT/900 Word Processing with System/900 [promotional brochure for the /800 system], 1 page, 1979?</li> <li>MCM Price Lists, 1975-79.</li> </ul>       1980 <ul> <li>Power [MCM Power promotional brochure], 4 pages, 1980?</li> <li>Product Data Sheet and Hardware Tech Spec[brochures for the MCM Power], 2 pages, 1980?</li> <li>MCM User Support Notes, May 15, 1980 -- March 20, 1981.</li> </ul>   1982 <ul> <li>CAS Price List, The Intergroup Partnership (May 1, 1982)</li> <li>Distributor Announcement No. 44, MCM Computers (May 11, 1982)</li> </ul>   PHOTOGRAPHS <ul> <li>Photograph of the MCM/70 wide-case prototype, b/w original (1973)</li> <li>Photograph of E.E. Edwards with the MCM/70 Executive, b/w original. Photograph for Politiken (1973)</li> <li>Photograph of the MCM/70, b/w original, (1973?)</li> <li>The announcement of the MCM/70, Toronto, Sep. 25, 1973 -- b/w original (Sep. 25, 1973)</li> <li>Photograph of the MCM/800 with CRT -- b/w original (1976?)</li> <li>Photograph of the MCM/900 business system -- b/w original (1978?)</li> <li>Photograph of the MCM/900 computer -- b/w original (1978?).</li> <li>The MCM/700 production line, MCM's manufacturing facility in Kingston. Photograph by Jose Laraya(?) (1975?)</li> <li>DDS-500, photograph by Jose Laraya(?) (1975?)</li> <li>3 photographs of the MCM/800 by Jose Laraya(?) (1976?)</li> <li>6 photographs of MCM team at York University (photographs of Andre Arpin, Don Genner, Mers Kutt, Morgan Smyth, Gord Ramer). Photograph by Z. Stachniak (November 2001)</li> </ul> MCM DIGITAL LIBRARY <ul> <li>Andre Arpin speaking at York University, Toronto, March 28, 2003 (audio)</li> <li>Andre Arpin, MCM/70 -- The First Portable Microcomputer presentation, York University, Toronto, March 28, 2003 (PowerPoint)</li> <li>interview with Andre Arpin, Kingston, April 10, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Don Genner, Guelph, August 31, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Mers Kutt, Toronto, March 1, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Mers Kutt, Toronto, March 6, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>Mers Kutt speaking at York University, Toronto, October 24, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Mers Kutt, Toronto, November 11, 2002 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Jose Laraya, Toronto, September 13, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Jose Laraya, Toronto, September 28, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Gordon Ramer, Toronto, March 27, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>nterview with Reg Rea, Stoney Creek, October 20, 2005 (audio)</li> <li>interview with Morgan Smyth, Toronto, July 25, 2001 (audio)</li> <li>interview with John Woods, Milton, October 22, 2008 (audio)</li> <li>e-mail communications with former users of MCM hardware</li> </ul> BOOKS, RESEARCH PAPERS, ARTICLES <ul> <li>A. Arpin, External Allocation System (EASY) / A Virtual System (AVS). In Proc. of the APL 75 Congress, Pisa, Italy (1975)</li> <li>R.F. Bauer, Implementation of APL on Small Computers. In Proc. of the APL 79 Conference, Rochester N.Y. (1979)</li> <li>B.J. Bleackley and J. LaPrairie, Entering the Computer Age. The Computer Industry in Canada: The First Thirty Years, The Book Society of Canada Ltd, 1982</li> <li>J. Chevreau, The Third Coming of Mers Kutt, Report on Business Magazine, November 1985, pp. 111--118</li> <li>M. Kutt, microcomputer development notes, (1972), 36 pages</li> <li>J. Morgan Smyth, York APL, Ryerson Polytechnic Institute, Toronto (1972)</li> <li>J. Morgan Smyth, EASY and AVS: The Two Auxiliary Storage Subsystems of the MCM/70. In Proc. of the APL 75 Congress, Pisa, Italy (1975), pp. 313--319</li> <li>G. Ramer(?) York APL Users Guide, APL Systems, November 15, 1971</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. Learning from Prototypes, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 42, no. 2 (2020), pp. 63-71.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. Software Recovery and Beyond: The MCM/70 Case, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing vol. 41, nr. 4 (2019), pp. 110-118.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. MCM on Personal Software, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 39, no. 1 (2017), pp. 29--51.</li> <li>Z. Stachniak, The Making of the MCM/70 Microcomputer, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 25, issue 2 (April-June 2003), pp. 62--75.</li> <li>Z. Stachniak, The MCM/70 Microcomputer, Core 4.1, The Computer History Museum (September 2003), pp. 6--12</li> <li>A. Wahl, Kutt's last stand, Canadian Business (October 11--24, 2006), pp. 56--64.</li> <li>Kutt takes wraps off new minicomputer, Canadian Datasystems, October 1973, p. 49.</li> <li>A file with various articles related to MCM, 1973-2003.</li> </ul>   OTHER <ul> <li>M. Kutt Archive, 1973-74</li> <li>G. Ramer Archive, 1972-75</li> <li>R. Elliott Archive, 1975-1982</li> <li>Collection of documents concerning EE.Edwards' participation in the 1973 International APL Conference in Denmark. The collection includes an invitation from the Danish Computing Society (Jun 8, 19073), an English translation of the "Computer in a briefcase" article that appeared in Politiken on August 23, 1973, and a photograph of E.E. Edwards with the MCM/70 Executive.</li> <li>Several MCM digital cassettes</li> <li>I love APL, MCM sticker</li> <li>Pavement Management System, manual, MCM/POWER, 83 pages (198?)</li> <li>Lecture notes from an MCM seminar taken by Russell Elliott on June 9--10, 1977</li> <li>Seven files of various software printouts</li> <li>Intel 4004 uComputer; the first single board computer received by MCM from Intel in 1972</li> <li>MCM's ten-th anniversary coffee mug.</li> <li>Letter from the Chancellery of Honours Directorate, Government of Canada, concerning possible appointment of Mers Kutt to the Order of Canada, January 12, 2004.</li> </ul> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Zbigniew Stachniak Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2003-2021 Subject The topic of the resource <img src="http://museum1.eecs.yorku.ca/www_decorations/MCM_logo.jpg" alt="MCM_logo" width="5%" height="5%" border="0" /> The MCM Collection documents computer development activities at Micro Computer Machines (MCM). hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The MCM/70 Computer Subject The topic of the resource computer hardware: personal computer Description An account of the resource Historical context (by Z. Stachniak) In April, 1972, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, California, announced its first 8-bit microprocessor — the 8008. In just a few months, the prototypes of the first general purpose computers powered by the 8008 chip were already working on site at the French company Réalisations et Études Électroniques located in the suburbs of Paris and at Micro Computer Machines (MCM) with headquarters situated on the outskirts of Toronto. These firms fully recognized, articulated, and acted upon the immense potential of the budding microprocessor technology for the development of a new generation of cost effective computing systems. However, it was MCM which built the first microprocessor-based computer designed specifically for personal use — the MCM/70, the first PC. The MCM/70 was designed in the period between 1972 and 73. From the hardware and software engineering point of view it didn't have much in common with early hobby computers, such as the iconic MITS Altair 8800 or Apple I, except that all these computers were microprocessor based. By the time the Altair 8800 kit was offered to hobbyists in the early 1975, with its minuscule 256 bytes of RAM memory and without any high-level programming language to program it, the MCM microcomputers were providing software support for practical applications ranging from engineering design, modeling and simulation to investment analysis and education. By the time the Apple 1 board was offered for sale in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak—co-founders of Apple Computers—the MCM machines were utilized by Chevron Oil Research Company, Firestone, Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, and U.S. Army, just to name some of the installations of the MCM hardware in North America. The official announcement of the MCM/70 came on September 25, 1973, in Toronto. The computer was unveiled in New York on September 27th and, the following day, in Boston. One of its early prototypes was demonstrated in May of 1973 during the Fifth International APL Users' Conference in Toronto. The company maintained that the MCM/70 was "of a size, price and ease-of-use as to bring personal computer ownership to business, education, and scientific users previously unserved by the computer industry.'' The manufacturing of the MCM/70 started in mid 1974. The computer used the Intel 8008 microprocessor as the CPU and featured both resident and virtual memory. The computer was equipped with built-in plasma display, APL keyboard, and up to two cassette drives. The cassettes were used for storage and retrieval of data and applications software, as well as for the implementation of virtual memory which provided the user with up to 200 Kbytes of memory. The computer's ROM contained an operating system and an APL interpreter. In 1974 and 1975, the computer could be purchased for between $4,700 and $9,800 depending on the hardware configuration. Three models of the MCM/70 were offered: 702 (2KB of RAM and no cassette drives), 704 (4KB of RAM and a single cassette drive), and 708 (8KB of RAM and two cassette drives). The MCM/70 hardware specification: <ul> <li>CPU - Intel 8008, 8-bit,</li> <li>RAM - 2-8KB,</li> <li>ROM - 14-32KB,</li> <li>external storage - up to two cassette drives (100KB each), one to implement the MCM/70's virtual memory,</li> <li>display - Boroughs SelfScan plasma display (1 line 85 characters),</li> <li>peripherals: printer/plotter (e.g. the MCM MCP-132), punch card reader, communications subsystem,</li> <li>ports - Omniport interface with the computer's communication bus,</li> <li>power supply - switching, with power-fail protection, internal batteries.</li> </ul> Software: <ul> <li>operating system - EASY (External Allocation System) and AVS (A Virtual System) in ROM,</li> <li>MCM/APL - APL interpreter in ROM,</li> <li>MCM/70 LIB/70 - applications libraries containing APL codes for games as well as for computer aided instructions, finance, statistics, mathematics, and engineering applications (packaged software),</li> <li>TEXT/700 word processor.</li> </ul> The museum has an MCM/70 model 708 as well as two of its prototypes and an MCP-132 printer/plotter. Further readings: <ol> <li>Stachniak, Z. Learning from Prototypes, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 42, no. 2 (2020), pp. 63-71.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. Software Recovery and Beyond: The MCM/70 Case, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 41, nr. 4 (2019), pp. 110-118.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. MCM on Personal Software, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 39, no. 1 (2017), pp. 29--51.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. Inventing the PC: the MCM/70 Story, McGill-Queen's University Press, 2011.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. The Making of the MCM/70 Microcomputer, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 25, nr. 2, (2003), pp. 62--75.</li> <li>Stachniak, Z. The MCM/70 Computer, CORE, the Computer History Museum (Fall 2003).</li> </ol> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Micro Computer Machines Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1973-1975 Relation A related resource Micro Computer Machines collection Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 1970s https://museum.eecs.yorku.ca/files/original/681cab0d05371a32e65a5aaee93d8cde.jpg 22f3d9cd028426acc53e84cd832ef1c1 hardware A computer (or a calculator), its components and peripherals (displays, printers, pointing devices, modems, external storage devices, etc). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Blackberry 7200-series smartphones Subject The topic of the resource hardware: smartphone Description An account of the resource Between 1996 and 2004, Research in Motion (RIM, Waterloo, Ontario) released several generations of wireless communications devices: the Inter@ctive 800, 900, 850, and 950 two-way pagers, the RIM Wireless Handsets 857 and 957 as well as the BlackBerry 5000- and 6000-series smartphones. By 2004, RIM was a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. By the end of that year, the Blackberry wireless platform (the Blackberry Enterprise Solution that featured integrated hardware, software, and service) was adopted by thousands of corporations and the company reported over two million subscribers worldwide. The continuously intensifying competition in the smartphone market (from companies such as HP, Nokia, Palm, Samsung, and Sony-Ericcson) resulted in RIM's new lines of smartphones that incorporated more technically sophisticated solutions and offered more attractive industrial designs. Within a short period of time, starting from the mild-2003, RIM introduced the 7200-series and the 7100-series of smartphones, the latter featuring new sleek and stylish designs matching the ones offered by RIM's competitors. The 7200-series of smartphones was initiated by the introduction of the Blackberry 7210 in the mid-2003. It delivered the same popular communications experience as the previous 6200 models with the added benefit of a high resolution color display. The 7210 was followed by the 7230, 7280, and 7290 smartphones. From the hardware and software point of view, they were mostly identical, but supported different connectivity bands (see Supported GSM/GPRS Networks and Coverage table below). While the 7210 was supporting only two frequencies and single markets, the 7230 and 7280 were tri-band handhelds, and the 7290 was a quad-band phone designed for business customers who want to stay connected while travelling internationally enabling both domestic and international roaming in the majority of GSM markets worldwide. Finally, in 2005, the 7200 family was further expanded with the introduction of the Blackberry 7250 for dual-band 800/1900 MHz CDMA2000 1X and cdmaOne networks, and the Blackberry 7270 for secure enterprise communication over a wireless local area network (WLAN). Technical Specifications for the Blackberry 7210, 7230, 7280, and 7290: <ul> <li>processor: ARM 9EJ-S Core, 32 bit</li> <li>memory: 16 MB flash and 2MB SRAM (32MB flash and 4MB SRAM in model 7290)</li> <li>display: high-resolution full-color display, 240x160 pixels, 65,000 colors</li> <li>keyboard and controls: 33-key QWERTY-style (backlit), mouse-type scroll wheel</li> <li>ports: USB</li> <li>SIM interface: support for 3V SIM cards</li> <li>modem: embedded RIM modem</li> <li>networks: see table below</li> <li>battery: lithium ion, removable, rechargeable</li> </ul> External Design: <ul> <li>housing: palm-held, plastic</li> <li>size: 11.3cm(L)x7.4cm(W)x2cm(D)</li> <li>weight: 136g (139g for the 7290 model)</li> </ul> Main Features: <ul> <li>phone, email, SMS, browser, attachment viewer, and organizer applications</li> <li>email account compatibility: integration with existing enterprise email account or up to 10 personal/business email accounts</li> <li>designed to work with BlackBerry Enterprise Server supported by: v. 2.1 or higher for Microsoft Exchange, and  v. 2.0 with Service Pack 2 or higher from IBM Lotus Domino</li> <li>user interface: icon and menu driven</li> <li>notifications: tone, vibrate, on-screen, or LED indicator (user-configured)</li> <li>configurable options</li> <li>handheld security: password protection and keyboard lock</li> </ul> Software: <ul> <li>RIM BlackBerry OS, v. 4.0</li> <li>RIM Blackberry Desktop Software 3.6 or higher</li> <li>The BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE)</li> </ul> Supported GSM/GPRS Networks and Coverage: <table> <tbody> <tr> <th></th> <th>7210</th> <th>7230</th> <th>7280</th> <th>7290</th> </tr> <tr> <td>850 MHz, Canada and US</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> </tr> <tr> <td>900 MHz, Europe\Asia Pacific</td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> <td></td> <td>X</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1800 MHz, Europe\Asia Pacific</td> <td></td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1900 MHz, Canada and US</td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> <td>X</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> The museum has a Blackberry 7230 and 7290 with manuals and Desktop Software. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Research in Motion Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2003--2005 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant world, 2003- blackberry RIM smartphone