Interact Home Computer
Late-model Interact Model One with mechanical keyboard (U.S. government asset tag applied)
Also known asThe Interact Family Computer, Interact Model One Home Computer
DeveloperInteract Electronics Inc.
TypeHome computer
Release date1978 (1978)
Introductory price$449.99
Units soldThousands sold
MediaBuilt-in cassette recorder (1200 Bps)
Operating systemMicrosoft BASIC V4.7 or EDU-BASIC (loaded from tape)
CPUIntel I8080 @ 2.0 MHz
Memory8 KB RAM
Display17 x 12 text in eight colors, 112 x 78 graphics in four colors
SoundSN76477 (one voice, four octaves)
InputKeyboard

The Interact Home Computer (also called The Interact Family Computer[1][2]) is a 1978 American home computer made by Interact Electronics, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan.[3][4][5] It sold under the name "Interact Model One Home Computer".[6] The original Interact Model One computer was designed by Rick Barnich and Tim Anderson at 204 E. Washington in Ann Arbor, then moving to the Georgetown Mall on Packard St. in Ann Arbor.

Interact Electronics Inc was a privately held company that was funded by Hongiman, Miller, Swartz and Cohn, a law firm out of Detroit. The President/Founder of Interact Electronics Inc was Ken Lochner, who was one of the original developers of the BASIC language based out of Dartmouth College. Ken had started Interact Electronics Inc after founding the successful computer time-sharing company Cyphernetics in Ann Arbor, which was purchased by ADP in 1975.

The Interact Model One Home Computer debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago in June 1978, at a price of US$499 (equivalent to $2,200 in 2022). Only a few thousand Interacts were sold before the company went bankrupt in late 1979.[6] Most were sold by the liquidator Protecto Enterprizes of Barrington, Illinois, through mail order sales. It was also sold at Highland Appliance in the Detroit area, Newman Computer Exchange in Ann Arbor, and Montgomery Wards in the Houston, TX, area.

The computer didn't come with any operating system, but Microsoft BASIC V4.7 or EDU-BASIC (supplied with the computer) could be loaded from tape.[4][7][8][6]

Probably the most successful application available for the Interact was a program called "Message Center".[9] With it, a store could program a scrolling message which appeared on a TV screen (such as advertisements, or a welcome message to guests).

Although it was mostly a game machine (with games such as Showdown, Blackjack and Chess),[10][11] users could also create their own programs using the BASIC computer language. Customers began hooking up the Interact to control everything from lights in their house, doors, windows, smoke detectors, to a Chevrolet Corvette.

Later on the design was sold to a French company, Lambda Systems, and re-branded as the "Victor Lambda" for the French market.[12][13]

Technical specifications

References

  1. ↑ "The Interact Family Computer". archive.wikiwix.com.
  2. ↑ "DAVES OLD COMPUTERS - Interact Family Computer". dunfield.classiccmp.org. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  3. ↑ "Interact Home Computer System". Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Home Computer System Interact". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  5. ↑ "Interact Family Computer 1". www.system-cfg.com. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  6. 1 2 3 "Interact Model One computer". oldcomputers.net. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  7. ↑ Games, Roms. "Microsoft Basic V4.7 (1978)(Microsoft) - Interact Family Computer () | Download ROMs". Roms Games. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  8. ↑ "Edu-Basic (19xx)(Interact Electronics Inc) - Interact Family Computer ROM Download". retromania.gg. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  9. ↑ "Interact Family Computer TOSEC".
  10. ↑ Games, Roms. "Interact Family Computer ( ) Games". Roms Games. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  11. ↑ "Interact Family Computer ROMs. Free Download". retromania.gg. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  12. ↑ "INTERACT > Home Computer System". archive.wikiwix.com.
  13. ↑ "MICRONIQUE > Victor Lambda". www.old-computers.com.
  14. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.


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