- VideoBrain Family Computer
The VideoBrain Family Computer (model 101) is an
8-bit home computer manufactured by the VideoBrain Computer Company, starting in 1977. It is based on theFairchild Semiconductor F8 CPU and is notable for being the first fully programmable cartridge-based home computer. It was not a large commercial success and was discontinued from the market less than three years after its initial release.History
The VideoBrain Family Computer was designed and produced by the VideoBrain Computer Company of
California in1977 . It was not widely available, althoughMacy's department store briefly carried the computer on its shelves. It was sold in various configurations, and the price ranged from 500 to 1100 dollars depending on the accessories chosen. New software for the VideoBrain was available on cartridge, which was a first for home computer systems. (Later price reductions brought costs down to $300 for the computer by itself, and $350-900 for the packaged deals)cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=VideoBrain | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/vidbrain/ | work =Obsolete Computer Museum | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] .Available software ranged in price from $20-40 for video games and
educational software , and $70-150 forproductivity tools.Design
The VideoBrain Family Computer was built around the F8 processor from
Fairchild Semiconductor , and featured 1KiB of RAM and a 4KiB ROM. It was able to output 16-colorgraphics and sound to a connectedtelevision set through anRF connector . By far its most striking feature was the 36-key keyboard - though the keyboard of the VideoBrain was poorly designed and difficult to use, keyboards were not available on any of the more common video game consoles of the timecite news | first=Bill | last=Loguidice | coauthors= | title=Photo of the Week - Know your History! (03 - VideoBrain Family Computer Model 101 (1977)) | date=2007-07-20 | publisher= | url =http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/1458 | work =Armchair Arcade | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] . The system also features fourjoystick ports, a cartridge connector, and an expansion port.The system includes four built-in software titles, available if the unit is powered on without a cartridge inserted - a simple
text editor , aclock , a countdowntimer , and a Color Bar generator.Two additional hardware modules were marketed that would extend the capabilities of the VideoBrain. The Expander 1 was an interface to various I/O devices. It allowed users to connect a cassette
tape recorder for saving or loading data, and included twoRS-232 ports for attaching a printer and the Expander 2. The Expander 2 was a 300baud acousticmodem used by a single program (Timeshare) that allowed the VideoBrain to act as a terminal when dialed in to a compatiblemainframe computer cite news | first=Matt | last=Reichert | coauthors= | title=AtariProtos.com - VideoBrain | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.atariprotos.com/othersystems/videobrain/videobrain.htm | work =AtariProtos.com | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] .Additional software was sold on cartridges measuring approximately the size of a
Betamax tape. The cartridge interface was unique: unlike most video game systems, VideoBrain cartridges have an exposed strip of conductive traces that simply lie flush against a set of pins on the computer itself. Cartridges could contain up to 12KiB ofdata cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=VideoBrain | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/vidbrain/ | work =Obsolete Computer Museum | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] .Software
Because the VideoBrain computer was discontinued so quickly, fewer than 25 software titles were ever marketed for the system. The library comprises a handful of games, educational titles, and productivity softwarecite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=VideoBrain | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/vidbrain/ | work =Obsolete Computer Museum | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] . Notable titles include:
* Financier - this cartridge shipped with the VideoBrain, and could be used to solvefinancial equations.
* APL/S - the onlyprogramming language available for the VideoBrain. The tape connections of the Expander 1 could be used to load and save programs.
* Timeshare - the only program to use the Expander 2. This would transform the VideoBrain into a timeshare terminal.
* Demonstration - this cartridge was intended for store displays as a way to show off the VideoBrain's capabilities.Reception
Unfortunately, the VideoBrain largely failed to achieve commercial viability for a number of reasons. Poor design decisions hindered user acceptance; for example, the VideoBrain's confusing and user-unfriendly keyboard made even simple text entry a tedious process. Moreover, the computer did not offer the then-popular
programming language BASIC , forcing users to instead to adopt APL/S - a far more obscure and difficult programming language. Finally, the VideoBrain software library had trouble reaching a key audience. Most available software was aimed at productivity or educational markets, and lacked any variety of entertainment titles.Perhaps the largest contributor to the VideoBrain's failure was simply a lack of proper
marketing and hardware availability. Public understanding of computers in1977 was significantly lower than it is today, and many potentialconsumers simply did not understand the benefits of owning a home computer. Additionally, the VideoBrain was mainly sold throughmail-order outfits, and only made a brief retail showing atMacy's Department Stores. (By contrast,video game consoles at the time were easily available in a number of department and toy chains, allowing them to far outsell the VideoBrain Computer System)cite news | first=Matt | last=Reichert | coauthors= | title=AtariProtos.com - VideoBrain | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.atariprotos.com/othersystems/videobrain/videobrain.htm | work =AtariProtos.com | pages = | accessdate = 2007-11-30 | language = ] .References and footnotes
ee also
*
Fairchild Channel F , avideo game console built on the same F8 CPU as the VideoBrain.
*Exidy Sorcerer , a competinghome computer system at the time
*Interact Home Computer System , another competinghome computer system
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