Keyboard Builders' Digest
Save 5% at Lume Keebs! Code: KBDNEWS
Keyboard Builders' Digest / Keyboard Spotting

Entertainment Computer System

A rare find posted by Dubis7.

KBD.news
Published June 26, 2021
Creators! Feel free to tip me off about your keyboard related projects to bring them to 150K readers.

The Entertainment Computer System (ECS) has a remarkable origin story.

It was an add-on peripheral for the Intellivision by Mattel Electronics, a device to upgrade the Intellivision into a home computer.

It was rushed into production to appease the Federal Trade Commission after they began fining Mattel for false advertising following consumer complaints about the repeated delays in releasing the originally planned Intellivision Keyboard Component add-on.

It was a conciliatory gesture to end FTC fines for false advertising, but quickly discontinued and Mattel repurchased nearly all the units they had sold.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Computer_System

Picture of a working system: https://imgur.com/gallery/fglaH2k

Some tidbits: http://papaintellivision.com/pdfs/CCF10232011_00020.pdf

Do you like this post? Share, donate, subscribe, tip me off!

Published on Sat 26th Jun 2021. Featured in KBD #32 (source).

Related

Abekas A72

An Abekas A72 digital character generator spotted by u/drake9800.

History of symbols - a lauchpad

A launchpad by breck to the history of different symbols used on a keyboard (source).

IBM Model F Portable

IBM Model F Portable by NOVA_780.

NEC M-System

The NEC M-System was a Japanese input method and a series of word processor keyboards introduced in 1983. Posted by wj-zhe.

5-year anniversary for Keebio

Keebio turned 5 this month, and Danny put together a timeline with all their keyboard releases.

Keyboard of a Soviet ICBM silo

The mechanical launch button of a Soviet ICBM silo over 100 feet below the surface. Posted by MaximumBasis9326.
×
top