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Rockwell AIM-65

Rockwell AIM-65 with a built-in keyboard and a 20-character display, released in 1978.

KBD.news
Published March 4, 2022
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Released in 1978, the Rockwell AIM-65 was a relatively cheap development computer available for $375.

"easy, inexpensive [computer] … for learning, designing, work or just fun"

It featured a 20 character LED display, an integrated thermal printer, and a built-in QWERTY keyboard.

In Spain, they were distributed by Comelta, and a photo of a model identical to the one above has a caption: "Comelta Drac-1".

I'm not sure about this because the Comelta Drac-1, at least at first sight, is something totally different, and also why would they keep the Rockwell branding?

The Wikimedia Commons page only adds to the confusion: the filename is "Rockwell AIM-65" but the description states in Spanish: "Comelta Drac-1 prototype, based on the Rockwell AIM-65".

Possibly, the AIM-65 was the name of the barebone machine, the intestine parts, and it came in different cases or – as it was common in those days – hobbyists built their own computers based on the provided parts/kit.

Regardless, this is an interesting piece of history.

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Published on Fri 4th Mar 2022. Featured in KBD #68 (source).


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