A recent (2014) and intriguing concept for making a small computer that feels like it was made in the past is the PDP-11/Hack, which only uses a DEC J-11 microprocessor, some RAM, and a common UART.
This being the PDP-11, even if you don't have any RAM, I'm sure the registers are mapped into memory somewhere contiguous where you can still run code from them :)
I got mine for just below $40, from what I believe (though one can never be certain) a reliable seller. Still haven't decided how I will proceed, I want to use it for a real project and not just as a decoration.
Really enjoyed this writeup. I'd come across Don Tarbell’s name before, but didn’t realize how influential he was in the pre-Altair era—and even in setting the stage for the Apple I. Fascinating stuff.
I also wasn’t aware of this site—some really well-researched essays on early computing. Great work, and thanks for putting this together!
I remembered Don Tarbell's name, but it took me a few minutes to remember why. I didn't read forward until I remembered it was the tape controller. But I didn't think he was so influential to be leading the article.
Brings back memories. My first computer was a Heathkit-branded PDP-11 kit my dad assembled, with a dumb terminal, paper-type I/O, and no operating system. Later we had dual 8" floppies and a version of DEC's RT-11 OS, which was similar to CP/M. Read Byte magazine, and grew familiar with the names Altair, MITS, SWTPC, Imsai, etc., etc. Good times.
What an exciting time for the industry. Most of the companies are run by 20 or 30 somethings. Nobody has a plan for success. Everything is poised to explode once someone, anyone, figures out how to deliver product at scale. This also makes it clear how the software guys got so big so fast: making new copies of software is trivial compared to hardware manufacturing.
“In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
I've always been fascinated by the history and technology of microcomputers. It's similar to how enthusiasts feel about classic muscle cars. With microcomputers, you can understand every aspect of the technology, from the transistors and gates on the silicon to the components on the board, and all the way up to computer languages and the user interface. It feels like I could work on any part of it with just a bit of time.
My daily driver is an M4, and I find any new trend in computing worth exploring. However, my retro computers always keep me company.