Hewlett-Packard 9100A

The HP - 9100A from Hewlett -Packard was a computer that has been designated in an advertisement for the first time in the literature as a personal computer ( PC) in 1968, although he has not much in common with today's understanding of a PC.

Nevertheless, he turned to a time when access to computing power only indirectly (through transfer of punched cards to operators in a data center ) was possible, the dawn of a new era is ( indicator text: 9100A puts answers just a touch away ), in which Apple I and Apple II, TRS -80, PET, and IBM PC, based on the present understanding of the PC that were only possible.

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, said in April 1995 in an interview with Daniel Morrow: " I saw my first desktop computer at Hewlett -Packard Which was called the 9100A. It was the first desktop in the world. "

The HP - 9100A had:

  • Permanent magnetic core memory for up to 196 program lines and sixteen variables ( 1 .10 ) (a.. F)
  • Three -level stack
  • UPN ( Reverse Polish Notation) as a computational notation
  • Complexes, trigonometric and hyperbolic functions
  • Calculation range: 10-98 to 1099
  • Screen for the display of three lines (X, Y, and Z registers)
  • Integrated magnetic card memory for recording programs
  • Control structures (branches, flags, GOTO statement )
  • Printers, plotters, extended memory etc. as options

The price for the basic unit was 1968 4.900 U.S. dollars or 19,600 DM, and approximately twice the average gross annual salary at that time. At present levels of annual average income ( 29 569 euros ) corresponds to a price of about 59,000 euros.

It is noteworthy that these services have been rendered without the use of integrated circuits. A few years later brought HP 1972 first scientific calculator HP -35 out, which was described by William Hewlett as "HP- 9100A pocket-size". It cost 395 dollars and was a great commercial success, In 1974 the world's first programmable calculator HP- 65th

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