Note that prices came down over time, especially due to decreases in RAM prices. Video Disk unit (B/W monitor + 2 floppy drives): $3000 (includes slots for 3 optional 16K RAM cartridges) ($300 Expansion Interface required to add more than 16K memory)īasic unit with 16K RAM, Level II, Expansion Interface, monitor: $1300ĥ.25" disk drive (requires 16K, Level II, Expansion Interface): $500 You should look at for this info.īasic unit with 4K RAM and B/W video monitor: $600īasic unit with 16K RAM and Level II basic, monitor: $1000 I'm sure all you your heroes had a few more pedestrian accomplishments along the way too. But even the best designer needs to crank out a 55x-esque circuit sometimes. That's engineering wizardry (to me anyhow, as a lowly engineer). He also layed out the controller circuit board to minimize the feedthroughs to help improve the reliability and manufacturability, basically a soup-to-nuts holistic designer. Basically, Woz didn't have any background in floppy disc controller theory, he read some data sheets and figured it out and beat out the best in the industry at the time. In several interviews with Mr Jobs and other Apple and (some disbelieving) Shugart contemporaries, they credit this floppy disc controller design by Woz as the major growth driver at Apple and probably more important than the computer itself in launching the Apple IPO. Basically he single handedly designed a amazingly cheap floppy disc controller (40 chips vs 5 chips) that not only was more advanced in storage capacity and access speed than any other in the industry at the time.īy doing so allowed Apple to sell a disc drive for under $500 with a BOM of $150 (eventually reduced to $80) enabling Apple to practically mint money with this product. Is it literally too hard for you to let people have their own heros instead foisting yours upon others? Something to think about Mr/Ms AC.īut to answer your question (if it was directed to me and not the other poster), what Woz did with the 55x timer is very vanilla and probably could be copied out of a fairchild or national app-note, but what Woz did with the disc controller was something that pretty much was wizardry. However, sometimes the best role models for people are not the ones that are so beyond us that we can never aspire to be them (scientists or researchers that create a new paradigm), but maybe for some of us lowly engineers, someone that we hope we can hold a candle to on a good day and thus more relateable and a bar that we might be able to reach some day if the stars align. Of course Mr Woz isn't god (despite what some OTHER posters may have gushed about), be he seems to have been a damn good engineer. Or are you (Mr/Ms AC) just so filled with Woz hate that you have to attack everyone that says anything even remotely positive about Mr Woz with a hair trigger post? Are you're pissed that he wasn't eliminated before your favorite Dancing with the stars celebrity? Fan of Holly Madison, or a GoGo's fan maybe? Is that why you are posting AC? ^) ^) I can't speak for anyone else, but my first statement of my post was "The 555 stuff isn't really that amazing" and I finished with "Sure it isn't rocket science."ĭo you have some issue with these statements? Perhaps you are refering to another poster? ? Mr/Ms AC, I didn't change any examples, that was my first post.
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