This may be interesting: Bernardo Kastrup (The Byte Attic) has found a new project, reverse engineering the Q1, a very early microcomputer, which was originally released in 1972 as a 8008 based machine and later revised to use the Z80 as its MPU. Apparently, there are only two known survivors, one of them Bernardo’s machine (which he plans to donate to a Dutch computer museum) and another at the Dalby Datormuseum (apparently, this one is even to have). However, Bernardo may change this, as he planning to release a modern replica version of the Q1, based on the reverse engineering he’s going to do. (If anyone knows anything about this machine or even has any documentation, I guess, Bernardo would be happy to hear from you.)
Can’t wait to see this plasma display glow again…
Related links:
- The Byte Attic project page: The Byte Attic™: Q1™
- Github repository dedicated to this project (look this up for any materials): GitHub - TheByteAttic/Q1: Reverse-engineering documentation about the Q1 microcomputers, the world's first true microcomputers (1972) with integrated microprocessors.
- Q1 at the Dalby Datormuseum: http://www.datormuseum.se/available.html
- Q1 sales brochure at bitsavers (about the only known original Q1 related material): http://bitsavers.org/pdf/q1/Q1_Sales_Brochure.pdf
- Q1 at Old Computers: OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum