Editing Mark-8

{{Short description|Computer}}
[[Image:Radio Electronics Cover July 1974.jpg|thumb|The July 1974 issue of ''Radio-Electronics'': "Build The Mark-8: Your Personal Minicomputer".<ref name="RE-1974-07-J"/><ref name="RE-1974-07-PDF"/>]]

The '''Mark-8''' is a [[microcomputer]] design from 1974, based on the [[Intel 8008]] [[central processing unit|CPU]] (which was the world's first [[8-bit]] microprocessor). The Mark-8 was designed by Jonathan Titus, a [[Virginia Tech]] graduate student in chemistry. After building the machine, Titus decided to share its design with the community and reached out to ''[[Radio-Electronics]]'' and ''[[Popular Electronics]]''. He was turned down by ''Popular Electronics'', but ''Radio-Electronics'' was interested and announced the Mark-8 as a 'loose kit' in the July 1974 issue of ''Radio-Electronics'' magazine.<ref name="RE-1974-07-J">{{cite journal |last = Titus |first = Jonathan |title = Build the Mark 8 Computer |journal = Radio Electronics |volume = 45 |issue = 7 |pages =29–33 |date = July 1974}}</ref><ref name="RE-1974-07-PDF">[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Electronics/70s/1974/Radio-Electronics-1974-07.pdf Radio-Electronics; July 1974 issue.]</ref>

== Project kit ==
{{stack|[[Image:KL_Intel_C8008-1.jpg|thumb|Intel 8008 CPU.]]}}
The Mark-8 was introduced as a 'build it yourself' project in ''Radio-Electronics'''s July 1974 cover article, offering a US$5 ({{Inflation|US|5|1974|fmt=eq|r=-1}}) booklet containing [[circuit board]] layouts and [[do it yourself|DIY]] construction project descriptions, with Titus himself arranging for US$50 ({{Inflation|US|50|1974|fmt=eq|r=-2}}) circuit board sets to be made by a [[New Jersey]] company for delivery to hobbyists. Prospective Mark-8 builders had to gather the various electronics parts themselves from various sources.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bytecollector.com/mark_8.htm |title=Mark-8 Minicomputer |work=Bryan's Old Computers |accessdate=2009-02-11 }}</ref> A couple of thousand booklets and some one hundred circuit board sets were eventually sold.{{fact|date=April 2024}}

The Mark-8 was introduced in Radio-Electronics as "Your Personal [[Minicomputer]]" as the word 'microcomputer' was still far from being commonly used for microprocessor-based computers. In their announcement of their computer kit, the editors placed the Mark-8 in the same category as the era's other 'minisize' computers.  As quoted by an Intel official publication: "The Mark-8 is known as one of the first computers for the home."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/core2duo/pdf/microprocessor_timeline.pdf |title=Intel Microprocessor Timeline }}</ref>

== Influences ==
Although not very successful commercially, the Mark-8 prompted the editors of ''[[Popular Electronics]]'' magazine to consider publishing a similar but more easily accessible microcomputer project, and just six months later, in January 1975, they went through with their plans announcing the [[Altair 8800]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.forrestmims.org/biography.html |title=About Forrest M. Mims III |first=Harry L. |last=Helms |accessdate=2009-02-24 }}</ref>

According to a 1998 Virginia Tech University article, Titus' Mark-8 microcomputer now resides in the Smithsonian Institution's "Information Age" display <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archive.vtmag.vt.edu/sum98/feature2.html |title=Pioneers in microprocessor technology |work=Virginia Tech. Magazine |date=1998 |first=Su |last=Clauson-Wicker }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Microcomputer]]
* [[Minicomputer]]
*[[SCELBI]]
*[[MCM/70]]
*[[Micral]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190102191715/http://www.bytecollector.com/mark_8.htm Mark-8 Minicomputer] &ndash; an original Mark-8, restored to working condition
* [http://www.ciphersbyritter.com/MARK8/MARK8.HTM A Mark-8 Experience] &ndash; Terry Ritter's detailed memoir of building and running a Mark-8 in 1974.
* [http://www.oldcomputermuseum.com/ Collection of old analog and digital computers at www.oldcomputermuseum.com]
* [http://chc61.fgcu.edu/ Jonathan A. Titus, Microcomputer Pioneer]
* [http://bugbookmuseum.blogspot.com/2014/04/vintage-computers-mark-8-computer-most.html A look at 5 very different MARK-8 computers]
* [http://ds-wordpress.haverford.edu/bitbybit/bit-by-bit-contents/chapter-9/9-6-titus-and-the-mark-8/ Titus and the Mark-8, Bit-by-Bit, a Haverford College Publication]

[[Category:Early microcomputers]]
[[Category:8-bit computers]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1974]]