Q1 Corporation was an American computer company founded in 1969 by Daniel Alroy.[2] Its main focus was the manufacturing and sale of early microcomputers.
| Industry | Microcomputer manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Daniel Alroy |
| Defunct | 1974 |
| Fate | Acquired by Nixdorf Computer AG[1] |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, USA |
Products
editQ1 and Q1/c (First generation)
editThe first generation Q1 computer was first available in 1972. It was based on the Intel 8008 microprocessor and had a memory of 16 kilobytes, user-expandable up to 64K. The Q1 also had an IBM 3740-compatible floppy disk drive. The CPU, memory, and floppy drives fit into a desk unit, while a one-line 80-character display, printer, and alphanumeric keyboard were integrated into a separate desktop console. The desk unit could support up to 6 desktop consoles.[3]
The first Q1 microcomputer was delivered on December 11th, 1972, to the Litcom Division of Litton Industries.[2]
The Q1 was also sold as the Q1/c in Asian markets, including Taiwan and Hong Kong.[3]
Q1/Lite (Second generation)
editThe second generation Q1/Lite was based on the Intel 8080 processor and was available starting in 1974. The Q1/Lite combined the separate desk computer unit and tabletop console of the first generation Q1 into a single desktop unit, which included a printer, two floppy drives, an alphanumeric keyboard, and a multi-line flat-panel plasma display.[4]
The first pre-production Q1/Lite was delivered to the Israeli Air Force in April 1974, the same month that the Intel 8080 was introduced. In June 1974, several more Q1/Lite systems were ordered; the original pre-production Q1/Lite was returned to Q1, and the first production units were shipped in August 1974.[2]
Second generation Q1/Lites were also installed at all eleven NASA bases between 1977 and 1979.[5][6]
Q1/Lite (Third generation)
editThe third generation Q1/Lite was available by 1977. It was based on the then-unreleased Intel 8800 processor, which would go on to become Intel's iAPX 432. Like the second generation Q1/Lite, it combined memory, a CPU, printer, keyboard, and plasma display into a desktop console, but like the first generation Q1, also included a separate desk unit, with its own CPU, memory, and floppy drives, which could drive several workstations. "Independent" workstations were also available, which would only contain the keyboard and display and act as dumb terminals.[7]
Q1 and Q1/Lite (Fourth generation)
editThe fourth generation Q1/Lite was available sometime after 1976. It was based on the Zilog Z80 processor. Much like the previous generation, the main computer and floppy drives were contained in a desk unit, but each "independent" workstation now had its own CPU as well, therefore being able to be used entirely independently of the main computer. The printer was separated into an external enclosure, not part of either the desk unit nor the workstation.[8]
At one point, a different design for the fourth generation Q1/Lite workstation was introduced, being very similar to the design of the second generation Q1/Lite. This design had two variants, one with a printer (marketed as the Q1) and one without (marketed as the Q1/Lite).[9] The printer variant of this later design was also marketed as the Q1 MicroLite.[10]
Other products
editQ1 offered several peripherals for their computers, including external hard drives, tape drives, and printers.[8]
A Q1 "Basic Office Machine" was also designed and prototyped, although it never reached commercial production.[11][12]
The Q1/LMC was first sold in September 1973, and 100 had been installed in the U.S. by March 1975.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Q1 Corp - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ a b c Alroy, Daniel. "The Advent of the Microcomputer Era: An Eyewitness Account". Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 2024-10-16.[dead link]
- ^ a b "First Q1 system brochure" (PDF). GitHub. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Q1 Lite 8080 Illustration" (PDF). GitHub. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "NASA letter to Daniel Alroy". November 29, 1977. Archived from the original on 2005-01-07. Retrieved 2024-10-16.[dead link]
- ^ "The work request system of a NASA Q1 package". NASA Technical Reports. November 15, 1979.
- ^ "The Q1/Lite Microcomputer System" (PDF). GitHub. October 1977. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ a b Q1 Sales Brochure (PDF). Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Magazine, Smithsonian; Boorstein, Aaron. "Cleaning Crew Discovers One of the World's Oldest Surviving Desktop Computers". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Q1 MicroLite Ad" (PDF). GitHub. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "The Q1 Basic Office Machine" (PDF). GitHub. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ "Q1/History/README.md at main · TheByteAttic/Q1". GitHub. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ All About Small Business Computers (PDF). Datapro Research Corp. March 1975. p. 38.
