This is a half-size replica of the 1971 KENBAK-1 computer, which the Boston Computer Museum and Computer History Museum have called \"The First Personal Computer\". It was originally made by John Blankenbaker as an educational demonstration of a stored program, automatically sequencing computing device.
I sell these in kit form on my website, but I occasionally build them, sometimes to test new components, and sometimes just as a relaxing pastime.
The case was designed using the 58-year-old engineering drawings provided by Bud Industries (the creator of the original “Grand Prix” case used by the original KENBAK-1). It is made of steel, with a brushed aluminum faceplate, and CNC formed aluminum ends.
It is powered by an ATMEGA328p processor and faithfully emulates the functionality of the original. It has a few added features, such as the ability to upload/download stored programs via a USB connection, as well as a real time clock module so you can display this as a clock with three modes: BCD clock, counting clock, and binary clock. This makes it a functional and interesting conversation piece for your desk or workspace.
You will receive an assembled and tested unit, a brief operation/history booklet, and USB cable.