The Malboro-Computer
When I started studying, the first 8-bit microprocessors already existed. The 8080 and 6800 were the first. So, as a student, I urgently needed a kit like this to get to know the technology. That was in 1978.
MEK6800D2 6800 Development Kit
The bytes to be stored in the computer were entered individually and in hexadecimal form. The address and the current byte were displayed via LEDs. There was no assembly language programming. Debuggers were also not available. The program either worked or it didn't.
Cassette recorder
It was a little annoying that the data was lost after the power was turned off. So I quickly got myself an external storage device.
To keep costs down, a standard cassette recorder was used as data storage. What a luxury.
If you are interested, you can find the manual for this development kit here:
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/components/motorola/6800/MEK6800D2_Manual_2ed_1977.pdf
Single-Chip-Microcomputer 8051
When I started developing devices at Endress+Hauser in 1982 as a newly qualified engineer, the first single-chip microcomputers (8051, 68HC05) already existed.
However, the electronics in a measuring device required at least a circuit board of 100 mm x 160 mm (Eurocard). At that point I decided to develop a computer the size of a cigarette packet.
And since I smoked Marlboro, I called this the Marlboro-Computer.
Microcomputer in size of a postage stamp
Of course, that's all water under the bridge now, as there are 32-bit microcomputers in size of a postage stamp.
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