IMSAI project

[Chuckt]

You might have seen the IMSAI computer in the 1983 MGM movie "Wargames".

IMSAI computer.jpg (36.49 KiB) Viewed 9127 times

Latest News Update (8-1-2012) - IMSAI to be tentatively be sold

Vince Briel of Briel Computers (http://www.brielcomputers.com) and Thomas "Todd" Fischer of Fischer-Freitas Company have arrived at a tentative agreement to transfer ownership of the brand, trademarks, rights, inventory, and IP to Briel Computers. The hardware and software platforms that Briel Computers has developed and integrated into their existing line of "Retro Computers" is an ideal fit to integrate into the IMSAI Series Two hardware platform developed by Fischer and Harte back in 2002. The project had stalled, but now has promise of revived and improved capabilities with Briel's newest platforms.

The IMSAI 8080 is perhaps most recognizable by it's appearance as Matthew Broderick's bedroom co-star in the 1983 MGM film "WarGames". The IMSAI Series Two carries on the classic appearance, as identifiable in appearance to the computing community as the Rolls Royce grill is to the automobile community. A new spark of hope is alive to carry on the IMSAI heritage and name as the oldest continually existing "personal computer manufacturer in the world", with bright prospects for continued respect and recognition as "The standard of excellence in microcomputers since 1975".

This new change of ownership will retain Fischer as consultant and advisor to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership and representation, and will provide such guidance and advice as needed to make this milestone event successful and fulfilling for all parties involved. It is with great hope and anticipation that IMSAI will transcend into an even greater legend in the personal computing field.

Briel Computers will be initiating a kickstart.com effort to raise capital for additional engineering and production efforts required to make the transition a reality.

Replacement parts for legacy IMSAI products should remain available on a limited basis, and upgrades to bring older legacy products up to present day capabilities should remain a goal to be preserved.

August 4, 2012

-Thomas "Todd" Fischer

http://www.imsai.net/

It makes a nice "vanity" computer for those interested in retro 8080 computers.

http://www.imsai.net/products/imsai_ser ... roject.htm

I love computers with blinky lights.

[brad]

War Games is a great movie!

Didn't they also have the whopper or woppa or something like that?

[Chuckt]

We thought it was a way for Burger King to get their advertising into a movie:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whopper

WOPR (pronounced "Whopper") is a fictional military supercomputer featured in the movie WarGames and its sequel. It is an acronym for War Operation Plan Response. Director John Badham invented the name "WOPR" when he thought the NORAD SIOP (Single Integrated Operational Plan) was "boring, and told you nothing".[1] "WOPR" according to the director plays off of the Whopper hamburger and a fuzzy image of something going whop.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WOPR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WarGames

[brad]

I thought it was an interesting name for a super computer!

Great movie though. I love watching films that have 80's technology in it

[Chuckt]

I thought it was an interesting name for a super computer!

Burger King is a restaurant with 1/2 pound beef patties. I guess flipping the burger gives a "whop" sound when it hits a hot grill. They made an analogy with a computer register doing flops (floating point operations a second). I guess this is why vanity computers are better at doing flops.