Tom Del Rosso wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
m

Microsoft started under a different business name, building
electronic vehicle counters that were used to audit the traffic on a
road. Then they wrote one of the first BASIC interpeters for the early
kit computers under their new Microsoft name.

The first MS product I used was the Z80 card for the Apple II. I wonder who
their hardware engineer was. None of the founders who got rich seem to have
that kind of hardware knowledge. He must have designed the traffic counter
too.


Who knows? It may have been done out of house and done by a
consultant, or engineering firm. Most electronics with the microsoft
name can be identified as outside designs.


The controller was designed by the founders. It was a very niche
market at the time, since most highway departments still used the rubber
tube & mechanical counters for each lane. It was still not much more
than a hobby level business.


--
http://improve-usenet.org/index.html

aioe.org, Goggle Groups, and Web TV users must request to be white
listed, or I will not see your messages.

If you have broadband, your ISP may have a NNTP news server included in
your account: http://www.usenettools.net/ISP.htm


There are two kinds of people on this earth:
The crazy, and the insane.
The first sign of insanity is denying that you're crazy.