Editing Mindset (computer) (section)

===Design===
In most computer systems of the era, the [[central processing unit|CPU]] is used to create graphics by drawing bit patterns directly into memory. Separate hardware then reads these patterns and produces the actual video signal for the display. The Mindset added a new custom-designed [[Very Large Scale Integration|VLSI]] [[vector processor]] to handle many common drawing tasks, like lines or filling areas. Instead of the CPU doing all of this work by changing memory directly, in the Mindset the CPU sets up those instructions and then hands off the actual [[bit fiddling]] to the separate processor.

Badertscher compared the chipset to the [[Intel 8087]] [[floating-point processor]],<ref name="infoworld"/> running alongside the [[Intel 80186]] on which the machine is based. There are a number of parallels between the Mindset and the [[Amiga 1000]], another computer designed by ex-Atari engineers that offered advanced graphics.{{sfn|Anderson|1985|p=50}}

The Mindset's look was designed by [[Robert Brunner]] who would go on to provide design and direction for all Apple product lines from 1989-1997. His distinctive case for the Mindset is included by the [[Museum of Modern Art]], [[New York City|New York]], in its permanent collection.{{sfn|Anderson|1985|p=50}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=2209|title=MOMA The Collection Robert Brunner, Mindset Personal Computer, 1983}}</ref>

As development continued and it became clear that the machine would be ready before the [[MS-DOS]]-based Microsoft [[Windows 1.0]] was, [[Bill Gates]] became personally involved in the project to assist Mindset in [[Emulator|emulating]] [[Code page 437|IBM character graphics]] without losing performance. Once Mindset officials determined that most of the desirable software was compatible, development was frozen and the OS burned to [[Read-only memory|ROM]] in late 1983. The ROM does not run about 20% of the PC software base, including [[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]. [[WordStar]] is one of the PC applications reported to run, and Mindset publicized a list of 60 applications that run unmodified. The software base was expected to increase dramatically once a final version of Windows was released.<ref name="infoworld"/>

Before its release, in early 1984 [[Jack Tramiel]] is rumored to have tried to buy Mindset's technology.{{sfn|Anderson|1985|p=50}}<ref>{{cite journal |first=Kathy |last=Chin |title=Atari Awash In Product Rumors |journal=InfoWorld |date=14 January 1985 |page=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-i4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 }}</ref> before ultimately buying Atari and designing a new machine from off-the-shelf parts, the [[Atari ST]].