This Tektronix 465 oscilloscope was used to design Pong and the Apple II - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2023, 08:38:15 pm
content: This video just showed up in my YouTube feed.This particular Tektronix 465 oscilloscope was used by Al Alcorn at Atari to design Pong, and by Steve Wozniak to design the Apple II.YouTube VideoThis oscilloscope made history! Used to design both Pong and the Apple IIFor sale at Manhattan Rare Book Company; Price: $135,000.Tektronix 465 Oscilloscope“Used to design Pong and lent to Woz to design Apple II” –Al Alcorn, written on this oscilloscopehttps://www.manhattanrarebooks.com/pages/books/2732/computer-history-apple-atari-steve-jobs-al-alcorn-steve-wozniak/tektronix-465-oscilloscopeRead the letter of provenance at 2:20 in the video, and in the sale description.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2023, 08:59:55 pm
content: I would have thought the sale price would be even higher than this.I personally find interesting to know what type of oscilloscope and otherwise gear was used to design these iconic products, but I'm not a fetishist, so I see no point in obsessing (and shelling out that much cash) on a specific item. But that's just my opinion of course.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 07:38:55 am
content: Does it come with a warranty?

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2023, 10:19:14 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on July 13, 2023, 07:38:55 amI suspect that people buying that kind of item will not even try powering it on.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2023, 12:53:31 am
content: You could probably swab the corners of the graticule to retrieve Al and WozDNA - just imagine what you could do with that !Along with 50 years of cockroaches, glass cleaner and dust.

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2023, 05:24:55 am
content: Darn, I gave away my 465B to a friend. Since it was the B version, should I have gotten double that...

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2023, 07:30:54 am
content: Strange. The TekWiki states that the 465 scope was introduced to the market in November of 1972, and the TekScope journal (fall 1972 edition) supports that. Atari's PONG was already up and running at that time, with a first test unit installed in a bar in August and full market launch in November.So the 465 can't have played a role in "inventing" or "designing" PONG. Maybe it was used in ironing out some final glitch, or in developing later spin-off versions of the game?Al Acorn's letter states that the scope was introduced in 1970, but his memory does not seem to be correct in that respect. The letter also states that the scope was bought "so I could design video gameslike Pong". I wonder whether he chose that wording deliberately, since he didnotuse the scope on Pong itself, but on later games only?https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/465https://w140.com/tekwiki/images/7/7a/Tekscope_1972_V4_N5_Sep_1972.pdf

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2023, 02:57:17 pm
content: Maybe he used it on development of the home pong ASIC? That's at least possible.Seems it sold for less last time.https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/346154006445002-allan-alcorn-and-steve-wozniak-tektronix-465-oscilloscope-used-to-design-the-pong-video-game-and-the-apple-ii-computer

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2023, 04:40:57 pm
content: Quote from: BrokenYugo on July 15, 2023, 02:57:17 pmRight, the timing would work nicely for that one. By the way, there is a nice account by Al Alcorn on the early days at Atari. Among other things, it describes how Atari had the lead in designing the custom chip for Home Pong, and tried to use "universal design rules" so they had flexibility in chosing the manufacturing partner:https://ethw.org/First-Hand:The_Development_of_Pong:_Early_Days_of_Atari_and_the_Video_Game_Industry

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 17, 2023, 04:52:10 am
content: That scope looks suspiciously clean for what it wentthrough.