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| This Tektronix 465 oscilloscope was used to design Pong and the Apple II |
| << < (2/2) |
| BrianHG:
Darn, I gave away my 465B to a friend. Since it was the B version, should I have gotten double that... |
| ebastler:
Strange. The TekWiki states that the 465 scope was introduced to the market in November of 1972, and the TekScope journal (fall 1972 edition) supports that. Atari's PONG was already up and running at that time, with a first test unit installed in a bar in August and full market launch in November. So the 465 can't have played a role in "inventing" or "designing" PONG. Maybe it was used in ironing out some final glitch, or in developing later spin-off versions of the game? Al Acorn's letter states that the scope was introduced in 1970, but his memory does not seem to be correct in that respect. The letter also states that the scope was bought "so I could design video games like Pong". I wonder whether he chose that wording deliberately, since he did not use the scope on Pong itself, but on later games only? https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/465 https://w140.com/tekwiki/images/7/7a/Tekscope_1972_V4_N5_Sep_1972.pdf |
| BrokenYugo:
Maybe he used it on development of the home pong ASIC? That's at least possible. Seems it sold for less last time. https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/346154006445002-allan-alcorn-and-steve-wozniak-tektronix-465-oscilloscope-used-to-design-the-pong-video-game-and-the-apple-ii-computer |
| ebastler:
--- Quote from: BrokenYugo on July 15, 2023, 02:57:17 pm ---Maybe he used it on development of the home pong ASIC? That's at least possible. --- End quote --- Right, the timing would work nicely for that one. By the way, there is a nice account by Al Alcorn on the early days at Atari. Among other things, it describes how Atari had the lead in designing the custom chip for Home Pong, and tried to use "universal design rules" so they had flexibility in chosing the manufacturing partner: https://ethw.org/First-Hand:The_Development_of_Pong:_Early_Days_of_Atari_and_the_Video_Game_Industry |
| Bud:
That scope looks suspiciously clean for what it went :-// through. |
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