Mark-8

Mark -8 is a microcomputer design from 1974, based on the Intel 8008 -based. Mark -8 was designed by the graduates Jonathan Titus and was presented as a kit for self-assembly in the July issue of Radio Electronics.

In this case, a booklet for $ 5 was offered in which the circuit board layouts, instructions and descriptions were documented for construction. Titus acted with a company in New Jersey from a range with which the reader for $ 50 could order the needed boards. A few thousand brochures and several hundred boards were sold. Budding designers of the Mark -8 had the various electronic components but organize themselves.

Mark -8 was introduced in RE as " Your Personal Minicomputer ". The choice of the word " mini-computer " instead of " microcomputer " must be understood so that the revolution of the microcomputer only should not happen; the word " microcomputer " was not in common usage.

Although not commercially very successful, Mark - 8, brought the editors of Popular Electronics to consider a similar but more accessible microcomputer project for publication. In January of the following year finally they carried out this plan, and introduced the famous Altair 8800.