The Q1, launched in 1972, paved the way for computing as we know it today

Two of the world’s first desktop computers have been discovered during a house clearance. The Q1, which was launched in 1972, changed the way we use computers today.

These two models, which are among only three known surviving examples worldwide, were found hidden under boxes during a house clearance in London by waste firm Just Clear. The staff at Just Clear, who aim to salvage and reuse as many items as possible, didn’t know what they had stumbled upon but decided to set them aside until they could find out more.

  • wjrii
    3•5 months ago

    Those arrow keys are confusing, but I can see why the first thought was to place them like that

    I’ve seen worse. The Commodore 64 used two arrow keys and Shift. Many 8-bit computers split them onto completely different sides of the keyboard, and nobody agreed on what the layout should be, even if the group was similar. Finally, DEC and then IBM standardized the inverted T, and all was right with the world.