Re: DEC retail stores in the 1980s

From: David Powell (ddotpowell_at_icuknet.co.uk)
Date: 11/24/04


Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 19:05:14 +0000

In article <d0e744c9.0411231910.3ddb521@posting.google.com>,
 leeroth@my-deja.com (Lee Roth) in comp.sys.dec wrote:

>Speaking of retail... in the pre-PC era...
>
>Anyone remember the DEC retail stores? A few of these
>stores appeared about the time that the "Super Trio" of
>systems all appeared in the same form-factor boxes:
>
> The Rainbow (8088/Z80) - http://tinyurl.com/6hc4f
> The Professional (PDP11-based) - http://tinyurl.com/4ftfn
> DECmate II (PDP8-on-a-chip based) - http://tinyurl.com/6eksz
>

They did a trial run somewhat earlier. Clipped from Doug Jones's PDP8
model list, re PDP8-S :-

"Reason for introduction: This machine was developed as a successful
    exercise in minimizing the cost of the machine, in response to
    a complaint by Ken Olson that the company hadn't gotten the
    price of the PDP-8 down any further, and the vision that someday,
    people ought to be able to buy a desktop PDP-8 for under $10,000.
     <snip>
    By 1967, DEC took the then unusual
    step of offering this machine for off the shelf delivery, with
    one machine stocked in each field office available for retail
    sale."

Regards,

David P.



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