Alto I CPU with monitor, mouse, keyboard and 5-key chording keyset

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  • Details
  • Description
Date Introduced
1973
Photographer
Richards, Mark
Dimensions
22 x 20 x 28 in.
Manufacturer
Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center)
Copyright Owner
© Mark Richards
Location
United States
Keywords
Graphical User Interface (GUI); Graphical; GUI; Personal
Object ID
102626737, 102656238, X1741.99C, X1741.99D, X124.82C
Speed
0.3 MIPS
Memory Type
Semiconductor (Si-gate NMOS)
Memory Size
64K - 256K
Memory Width
16-bit
Cost
$40,000

The revolutionary Alto would have been an expensive personal computer if put on sale commercially. Lead engineer Charles Thacker noted that the first one cost Xerox $12,000. As a product, the price tag might have been $40,000.