#intel 8080

VCF West XVIII

Microprocessors from Motorola and Intel ride in harmony (although the Intel 8080 was more associated with the "S-100 bus" than the Motorola 6800, and anyway both of them were beginning to be displaced in the attention of many by the Zilog Z80 and MOS 6502) on the cover of this issue. Ted Nelson's column looked at "the computer screen," mentioning the certain capabilities of the Commodore PET, Radio Shack TRS-80, S-100 boards, and Compucolor, but not the Apple II. An article offering "A look at what's coming" in home computers described the PET, TRS-80, and Ohio Scientific Challenger, but not the Apple II. However, those who make a big point of the Apple II starting out very small might yet have to consider an article about computer graphics that did mention "the Apple machine," even if the author hadn't "had a chance to look at it that carefully."

Christopher A. Titus, David G. Larsen and Jonathan A. Titus, 8080/8085 Software Design, Book 2 (Howard W. Sams & Co., 1979).

Proper machine code programmers don't need no assemblers, they translate their code by hand.

This issue included more design notes for Tiny BASIC and a look at the official Altair BASIC from MITS (programmed by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff). It acknowledged the appearance of BYTE, but was a bit suspicious of Wayne Green's magazine relying on money from advertisers ("a strong incentive not to knock an advertiser's product.") There were also looks at a film about the construction of a geodesic dome and an "Energy Primer."

I've made 8080 posts.