Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
Fatman: Shiny Valve Amplifiers From the UK
By James Grahame
Fatman is most famous for their £299 vacuum-tube iPod amplifier. But the company is much more than a one-trick pony; they manufacture professional audio gear and also offer us consumer-types several slightly more powerful "valve amps" that would be right at home in an audiophile's living room.
This particular model is the iTube 182. Its 7 tube design puts out 18W x 2, weighs a mighty 11 kg and and will cheerfully drive 4 or 8 ohm speakers. The only controls are a 3-position "Source" selector and the volume knob. I love the mirror finish and graphics, but I'm not impressed with their inclusion of an evil little blue LED power indicator. I wonder if they'd make me one with soothing green or yellow instead?
