For additional details about Don, Dontronics, Australia's First Personal Computer, what Don is up to today, and some of the background on this story, click the links below.
The adventures of Don McKenzie ATL-TAB Stories Is this Australia's First PC?It's important to emphasize that these pages have been created entirely using HTML code and images. This decision ensures that the content can be effortlessly duplicated on any server by simply extracting the files from a zip archive. By adopting this approach, we've ensured that the content is not limited to any particular theme or platform, providing greater flexibility and compatibility across various web environments.
The top cover image evokes fond memories for me. My father was a bomber pilot during WWII, and when he returned home, he introduced me to this magazine. It ignited my early interest in electronics, eventually leading to a career in computers and the internet. Interestingly, it's dated the month before I was born. A little story on my father
It revealed to me the vast potential that lay within a humble home Personal Computer. It was a transformative experience, showing me the incredible feats I could accomplish with just a small machine at my fingertips.
By late 1977, two U.S. Magazines, Byte, and Kilobaud, were reporting on three new personal computers, aimed squarely at the home market. These were the Commodore Pet, Steve Wozniak & Steve Jobs Apple II, and Tandy's TRS-80 Model One. These three are now known as the 1977 trinity machines. I had never heard of this term until Riley, the curator of the ACMS (Australian Computer Museum Society), told me. The earlier Apple I was supplied only as a main PCB, and you were required to build up the rest yourself.
It appears production quantities of the Pet and Apple were several months in advance of the Tandy PC, however I was unable to mail order any of the three in 1977. I clearly remember Commodore quoting that they were unable to send me one, as they weren't geared up for 50Hz and 240V, even though I said it was my problem, not theirs. Apple mail order re-sellers said they couldn't keep up with local orders, and weren't interested in selling outside the U.S., but Tandy told me that they would be selling the TRS-80 in Australia very soon, and to put an order in, and I should be one of the first on the list to receive one.
When I placed my order for the TRS-80, my job title was "Totalisator Mechanic." My days were spent immersed in ink and grease, frequently necessitating hand washing anywhere from 10 to 20 times daily. As a blue-collar worker, this purchase marked the closest I would come to acquiring a Personal Computer for my own use, to be run from the comfort of my home. Despite the demanding hours I put in at ATL, the income it generated afforded me the opportunity to pursue my dream, and I didn't hesitate to seize it.
So arguably, I had the first PC in Australia, if not, certainly one of the very first. Mine arrived in Australia in March 1978.
Catalog Number 26-1001D This indicates that it was originally a 4K Rom, and 4K Ram machine.
Windows 3.1 was available to manufacturing on April 6, 1992. I gained access to the product sometime thereafter. What struck me profoundly was the ability to showcase a product photograph on the internet, a revelation that hit me with immense impact.
It was time to venture into internet sales. After years of managing a sideline business, it became evident that future sales would predominantly occur online.
I stumbled upon a publicly available shopping cart coded in JavaScript, which I then adapted into a Shopping cart. Despite being time-consuming and not entirely meeting my requirements, I persisted with it for several months.
I believe I was among the pioneering few in Australia, particularly in the realm of "Electronics Kits," to undertake this endeavour. However, my friend Peter Crowcroft, formerly from Tasmania, always claimed to have his system operational a month prior to mine. He operated under the name "DIY Electronics" (kitsrus.com) in Hong Kong. At the time, I took his word for it, seeing no reason to question his assertion. Sadly Peter passed away on 13th Jun 2005.
Thus, I embarked on registering the domain, securing the business name, establishing an effective functioning shopping cart system, and implementing an online real-time credit card system.
Following the domain registration, I opted for a simpler approach, constructing the entire system using basic HTML code. The screenshot below depicts my HTML shopping cart from 1999.
20-Apr-2024 Another magic moment:
I managed to recreate the Dontronics Website shopping cart from 1999. This allows users to experience what the shopping cart looked like during that period. Many links and images aren't working. If you click on the large B&W Logo, it will take you to Dontronics.com, which will give you a destination selection.
Click on the image to go to the 1999 Shopping Cart.
You can have a look at all of my old ads right here: Don's old ads
I've received some nice feedback recently and wanted to highlight one particular message. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. I truly appreciate it.
Don...
29-May-2024 Geoff Watts
On 29/05/2024 7:26 pm, Geoff Watts wrote: Don,
I watched Dave's video today, and it reminded me that years ago (maybe very early 00s) I invested in a Simmstick or two, and was able to figure out how to build a pretty basic motorsport race timing system which I managed to sell to a Perth motorsport venue - which was a mixed blessing as they were always suspicious when I finished with a good time!
EEVblog 1619 - Video Mailbag: Featuring Don McKenzie ▶That sparked something (entrepreneurship, tech, a combination of the two), and soon after I moved to London to co-found a software business with my wife, which was quite successful.
I also recall reading a lot of projects you designed in Silicon Chip.
Thank you for pushing technology forward in Australia, which I wish was more of a focus here than digging things out of the ground, and for inspiring me in my career.
Regards, Geoff Watts
