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owl [soylentnews.org] writes:

Some years ago I wrote about programming a KIM-1 in 1985. By that time the KIM-1 was old, and definitely not state of the art. After all, it was released in 1976.

But it's a machine I enjoyed programming (which required punching in code via the hex keypad, or, if you were lucky, connecting a terminal (via a 20mA current loop designed to talk to an actual Teletype) to it and using the very basic monitor program). The KIM-1 could also interface to a paper-tape reader/punch and a cassette for storing and loading programs.

I have a tiny collection of machines that matter in my personal computing history: a Sharp MZ-80K, a Research Machines 380Z, a Research Machines 480Z, my original BBC Micro and a KIM-1 (that's a picture of my machine above). The (fully working) KIM-1 was made in 1976 and is serial number 2,793. It's still sitting in its original packaging:

Original Submission