A history of the microcomputer industry in 300 adverts

Britain's first complete computer kit - Sinclair ZX80

The ZX80, designed by Jim Westwood and launched on January 29th 1980, was Sinclair's first real computer and was the machine that helped really start the UK's home computer indust...

Intel delivers SDK-85. It's the quickest way to sink your teeth into 8085 design

Back in the 1970s, almost every time a new CPU came out it would most likely possess an entirely new instruction set. Even within the same range of computers, often code would h...

The first complete, low-cost microcomputer system for business, home or education - TRS-80

Technically, it wasn't - the Commodore PET was launched several months before the TRS-80 at the January Consumer Electronics Show and as such was the first of the "1997 Trinity" (...

Introducing Apple II - You've just run out of excuses for not owning a personal computer

The Apple II was one of the "1977 Trinity" - along with the Commodore PET and the Radio Shack TRS-80 - which were the first three true personal computers to be launched. The PET ...

Horizon - The complete computer. Look to the North Star Horizon

The North Star Horizon might be filed under the "who or what?" category of computers, however judging by the regularity of the company's adverts in magazines of the day it was ar...

Cromemco Z-1: This is the industry's most powerful microcomputer

This advert is for a Z80-based machine on an S-100 bus, similar in form to many of the computers of the time such as the Intel-based IMSAI 8080, which is not surprising as it was ...

Experience the excitement of owning the finest personal computer - IMSAI 8080

This is another advert for the IMSAI 8080, as used by Matthew Broderick's character David Lightman in the classic nerd-film "War Games". At least when this advert came out the mac...

Now $2750 - America's lowest-priced personal computer system with color graphics

The Compucolor 8001 was an Intel 8080-based personal computer which upped the ante compared to other machines like the Cromemco and the IMSAI 8080 by having a real keyboard, 34 I/...

Commodore VIC-20 - Let Commodore expand your horizons

Even though the Commodore 64 had been launched the year before, the VIC-20 was still shifting units - it would end up selling over 2.5 million before it was discontinued in 1985, ...

New TRS-80 Model 4 - from Tandy

Proving that sometimes the same model can live on seemingly for ever, at least in name, is this advert for the TRS-80 Model 4. The original TRS-80, one of the "1977 Trinity", had...

With Aquarius you won't get left behind

Very much an also-ran in the home/personal computer race comes this advert for a Mattel Aquarius - a Z80-based unit with a chiclet keyboard built for Mattel by Far East-based Rado...

Oric-1 16K and 48K Micros

The Oric was aimed at the Sinclair Spectrum market - the models and prices were similar, and even the graphics in the advert alluded to the Spectrum's product design. It's nearly...

Unique in concept - the home computer that grows as you do!

The Acorn Atom was a 6502-based 8-bit computer that in its basic version managed to pack even less RAM than the VIC-20: 2K compared to 3.5K. However, it was very modular and so ...

Why the Sinclair ZX80 is Britain's best selling computer

Just before the release of the ZX81 comes this advert for the ZX80, available in kit form for only £80, or £500 in 2025. Somewhat amusingly it claims to be "a really powerful, f...

Discover the full professional power of Hewlett-Packard's personal computer

Hewlett-Packard, which like Commodore, TI and Tandy also had a line in calculators, had launched its HP-85 micro at the beginning of 1980, with the machine even originating from t...