Heathkit H8 Digital Computer Kits: Stylish CP/M Microcomputing

[Image from oldcomputers.net] The Heath Company became incredibly well known in the 1960s and 1970s for their array of build-it-yourself radio and amplifier kits. The company leaped into the electronics kit market by purchasing surplus electronic components after WWII. Their first product was a $50 oscilloscope, introduced in 1947. The company flourished during the early transistor era, because it was possible for hobbyists to build kits at a substantial saving compared to fully manufactured devices. The emergence of microelectronics and offshore manufacturing began to erode the advantages of kit building in the 1970s, so they looked to the next frontier: microcomputers.

The Heathkit H8 computer was introduced in 1978, at a time when the idea of a kit-built computer seemed perfectly reasonable. The machine sold well and attracted the attention of Zenith, who offered fully assembled versions of Heath machines starting in 1979. The machine featured an Intel 8080 processor running at 2MHz. The front panel offered a 4K RAM, a 16 button keypad and a cryptic 9 digit LED display. A basic kit could be had for as little as $375, but most users added external serial terminals, up to 64K of memory, and floppy disk drives. there were up to ten expansion slots inside the machine, allowing you to add 3 parallel ports ($150), a cassette interface ($110), and even a fancy $675 floppy drive which required upgrading to 16K of RAM ($375).

All About the Heathkit H8 Computer (includes some more great pics)