Editing SWTPC (section)

== History ==
In the 1960s, many hobbyist electronics magazines such as ''[[Popular Electronics]]'' and ''[[Radio-Electronics]]'' published construction articles, for many of which the author would arrange for a company to provide a kit of parts to build the project. [[Daniel Meyer (engineer)|Daniel Meyer]] published several popular projects and successfully sold parts kits. He soon started selling kits for other authors such as [[Don Lancaster]] and Louis Garner. Between 1967 and 1971, SWTPC sold kits for over 50 ''Popular Electronics'' articles. Most of these kits were intended for audio use, such as [[High fidelity|hi-fi]], utility [[amplifier]]s, and test equipment such as a [[function generator]] based on the [[Intersil]] [[Intersil ICL8038|ICL8038]].

Many of these early kits used [[analog electronics]] technology, since digital technology was not yet affordable for most hobbyists. Some of the kits took advantage of new [[integrated circuit]]s to allow low-cost construction of projects. For example, the new [[Signetics]] NE565 [[phase-locked loop]] chip was the core of a [[subsidiary communications authority]] (SCA) decoder board, which could be built and added to an FM radio to demodulate special programming (often, [[background music]]) not previously available to the general public. FCC regulations did not ban reception or decoding of radio transmissions, but SCA demodulation had previously required complex and expensive circuitry. Another popular new integrated circuit was the Signetics [[NE555]], a versatile and low-cost timing oscillator chip, which was used in signal generators and simple timers. In 1972, SWTPC had a large enough collection of kits to justify printing a 32-page catalog.

In January 1975, SWTPC introduced a computer terminal kit, the "[[TV Typewriter]]", or [[CT-1024]]. By November 1975, they were delivering complete computer kits based on [[Motorola]] microprocessors. They were very successful for the next 5 or so years and grew to over 100 employees. 

As the new market evolved rapidly, most of the companies that were selling a computer kit in 1975 were out of business by 1978. Around 1987, SWTPC moved to selling [[point of sale]] computer systems, eventually changing its name to Point Systems. This new company lasted only a few years.