Before diving into the rich history of the Sphere 1, let‘s briefly discuss what makes it so important. Developed in 1974 and released in 1975, the Sphere 1 broke new ground as one of the earliest fully-assembled personal computers with a user-friendly design. So what did this pioneering machine offer?
Key Sphere 1 Computer Specifications:
- 8-bit Motorola 6800 microprocessor
- 4 KB RAM
- 16 KB ROM storage
- Color cathode ray tube display
- Integrated keyboard with numeric keypad
- Two built-in floppy disk drives
- Multiple expansion ports
- Upgradable to 32 KB RAM total
As you can see, the Sphere 1 came well-equipped for its era! Combined with an interactive software interface, it brought concepts like easily restarting your computer via a keyboard shortcut to reality before most people realized home computing was possible.
Now, let‘s get into the remarkable history behind this system a decade before the PC revolution…
Birth of a Visionary PC
The Sphere 1 traces its roots back to 1974 in Bountiful, Utah. This peaceful small town might seem an unlikely place for pioneering a tech breakthrough – except for one thing. It was home to inventor Michael Donald "Mike" Wise.
Wise already had several computer companies under his belt by his mid-20s. A lifelong tinkerer, he dreamed of creating a small, affordable computer for individual owners. To bring this idea to life, he collaborated with electrical engineer Monroe Tyler who shared his ambitions.
I love this quote from Wise on why the timing was perfect for the personal computing concept:
"In the early 1970s, microprocessors had finally become affordable and powerful enough to form the brains of a useful desktop machine."
Let‘s pause to put this into context…
| Year | Computer | Processor | RAM | Storage | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Sphere 1 | 8-bit | 4 KB | ~16 KB | $650-$1400 |
| 1975 | MITS Altair 8800 | 8-bit | 256 Bytes | 0 | $439 |
| 1977 | Apple II | 8-bit | 48 KB | Cassette | $1298 |
| 1981 | IBM Personal PC | 16-bit | 64 KB | Cassette | $1565 |
As you can see, the Sphere 1 compared favorably against early rivals, while costing a fraction of what later 70s systems would price at!
Unveiling the First True Personal Computer
When prototypes were completed in 1975, Wise and Tyler had created something unprecedented. The Sphere 1 was no hobby gadget – it provided the complete experience modern users expect from a consumer PC.
You could plug its display and peripherals into a wall outlet, turn on the power and be using applications within minutes! It loaded programs from quick-access floppy disks rather than tedious paper tapes or punch cards. Output appeared instantly on its built-in screen instead of clunky printers.
And while rivals utilized confusing numbered commands, applications on the Sphere 1 used conversational language like BASIC. This let novice users comfortably dip their toes into coding. Its integrated keyboard enabled typing notes or inputting data rather than flickering switches.
All of these landmarks promped Wise to describe the Sphere 1 as "the first real personal computer". And he wasn‘t exaggerating…it made interacting with a computer intimate and accessible as never before!
Let‘s take a quick visual tour of some key components that made this possible:
Sphere 1 shown with floppy disk storage system
Note built-in reset keys and numeric keypad
Pioneering the Keyboard Reset Concept
As a writer who relies on computers being accessible, one innovation that truly impressed me was the Sphere 1‘s resets keys. Wise and Tyler built two red keys marked "Reset" into the upper right and lower left corners of the keyboard.
By pressing these keys simultaneously, users could instantly reboot the system without having to flick switches or unplug anything. It gave them precise control. While minor today, this was an unprecedented convenience at the time!
Fun fact – over in Seattle in 1981, a developer named David Bradley created a special keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-Alt-Del) to reboot IBM‘s new personal computer…does that sound familiar? The seed for this idea appears to have been planted by the Sphere 1 in 1975!
So What Went Wrong?
With so much revolutionary tech, it be natural to expect the Sphere 1 to take the early PC market by storm right?
Well…not quite.
You see, while Mike Wise had incredible engineering talents, he lacked experience on the business management side. As hype grew around their new computer in 1976, Sphere found themselves overwhelmed by over 1000 pre-orders from enthusiasts.
Scrambling to ramp up manufacturing with limited funding and staff, they soon faced severe shipment delays. Overwhelmed customer service representatives struggled to respond to frustrated buyers.
Despite outstanding products, by 1977 the cash-strapped company collapsed under all these pressures before fully delivering sold units. They simply hadn‘t planned the logistics to transition from a passion project to national supplier.
While the Sphere 1 didn‘t last long commercially, it left an undeniable legacy…
Blueprint for the Future of Computing
The Sphere 1 proved that affordable, interactive personal computers were technologically viable for average consumers. And while Sphere Corporation didn‘t last past 1977, their DNA lived on.
Other vendors like Apple took cues from the Sphere 1‘s all-in-one system design and emphasis on user experience. Compare photos of the original Apple II from 1977 against Sphere‘s machine – notice any similarities?
Once chips and memory became cheaper by the early 80s, streamlined versions of the Sphere‘s vision reached mainstream success. Everything from keyboard shortcuts to floppy disks is still found on modern machines, tracing their roots to this trailblazer!
So while this pioneering PC never shipped millions of units itself, it undeniably accelerated personal computing into the mainstream consciousness. Pretty good impact for a passion project from Utah!
I don‘t know about you, but learning about the Sphere 1 gave me renewed appreciation for the computers we often take for granted today. If you enjoyed this glimpse back in time, let me know what other tech history topics you would like covered!
