Interact Home Computer
The Interact Home Computer (also called The Interact Family Computer) is a 1978 American home computer made by Interact Electronics, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan. It sold under the name "Interact Model One Home Computer". The original Interact Model One computer was designed by Rick Barnich and Tim Anderson at 204 E. Washington in Ann Arbor, then moving to the Georgetown Mall on Packard St. in Ann Arbor. Interact Electronics Inc was a privately held company that was funded by Hongiman, Miller, Swartz and Cohn, a law firm out of Detroit. The President/Founder of Interact Electronics Inc was Ken Lochner, who was one of the original developers of the BASIC language based out of Dartmouth College. Ken had started Interact Electronics Inc after founding the successful computer time-sharing company Cyphernetics in Ann Arbor, which was purchased by ADP in 1975. The Interact Model One Home Computer debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago in June 1978, at a price of US$499 (equivalent to $2,500 in 2025). Only a few thousand Interacts were sold before the company went bankrupt in late 1979. Most were sold by the liquidator Protecto Enterprizes of Barrington, Illinois, through mail order sales. It was also sold at Highland Appliance in the Detroit area, Newman Computer Exchange in Ann Arbor, and Montgomery Ward in the Houston, Texas, area. The computer didn't come with any operating system, but Microsoft BASIC V4.7 or EDU-BASIC (supplied with the computer) could be loaded from tape. Probably the most successful application available for the Interact was a program called "Message Center". With it, a store could program a scrolling message which appeared on a TV screen (such as advertisements, or a welcome message to guests). Although it was mostly a game machine (with games such as Showdown, Blackjack and Chess), users could also create their own programs using the BASIC computer language. Customers began hooking up the Interact to control everything from lights in their house, doors, windows, smoke detectors, to a Chevrolet Corvette. Later on the design was sold to a French company, Lambda Systems, and re-branded as the "Victor Lambda" for the French market.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
 Late-model Interact Model One with mechanical keyboard (U.S. government asset tag applied) | |
| Also known as | The Interact Family Computer, Interact Model One Home Computer |
|---|---|
| Developer | Interact Electronics Inc. |
| Type | Home computer |
| Released | 1978 |
| Introductory price | $449.99 |
| Units sold | Thousands sold |
| Media | Built-in cassette recorder (1200 Bps) |
| Operating system | Microsoft BASIC V4.7 or EDU-BASIC (loaded from tape) |
| CPU | Intel I8080 @ 2.0 MHz |
| Memory | 8 KB RAM |
| Display | 17 x 12 text in eight colors, 112 x 78 graphics in four colors |
| Sound | SN76477 (one voice, four octaves) |
| Input | Keyboard |
The Interact Home Computer (also called The Interact Family Computer[1][2]) is a 1978 American home computer made by Interact Electronics, Inc., of Ann Arbor, Michigan.[3][4][5] It sold under the name "Interact Model One Home Computer".[6] The original Interact Model One computer was designed by Rick Barnich and Tim Anderson at 204 E. Washington in Ann Arbor, then moving to the Georgetown Mall on Packard St. in Ann Arbor.
Interact Electronics Inc was a privately held company that was funded by Hongiman, Miller, Swartz and Cohn, a law firm out of Detroit. The President/Founder of Interact Electronics Inc was Ken Lochner, who was one of the original developers of the BASIC language based out of Dartmouth College. Ken had started Interact Electronics Inc after founding the successful computer time-sharing company Cyphernetics in Ann Arbor, which was purchased by ADP in 1975.
The Interact Model One Home Computer debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago in June 1978, at a price of US$499 (equivalent to $2,500 in 2025). Only a few thousand Interacts were sold before the company went bankrupt in late 1979.[6] Most were sold by the liquidator Protecto Enterprizes of Barrington, Illinois, through mail order sales. It was also sold at Highland Appliance in the Detroit area, Newman Computer Exchange in Ann Arbor, and Montgomery Ward in the Houston, Texas, area.
The computer didn't come with any operating system, but Microsoft BASIC V4.7 or EDU-BASIC (supplied with the computer) could be loaded from tape.[4][7][8][6]
Probably the most successful application available for the Interact was a program called "Message Center".[9] With it, a store could program a scrolling message which appeared on a TV screen (such as advertisements, or a welcome message to guests).
Although it was mostly a game machine (with games such as Showdown, Blackjack and Chess),[10] users could also create their own programs using the BASIC computer language. Customers began hooking up the Interact to control everything from lights in their house, doors, windows, smoke detectors, to a Chevrolet Corvette.[citation needed]
Later on the design was sold to a French company, Lambda Systems, and re-branded as the "Victor Lambda" for the French market.[11][12]
Technical specifications
[edit]- CPU: Intel i8080, 2.0 MHz
- Memory: 8K RAM, expandable to 16K or 32K RAM
- ROM: 2K ROM plus one empty socket for an additional 2K ROM
- Keyboard: 53-key chiclet
- Display: 17 x 12 text; eight colors, 112 x 78 graphics, four colors
- Sound: SN76477 (One voice, four octaves)
- Ports: Television, two joysticks
- Built-in cassette recorder (1200 Bps)
- PSU: External AC transformer
- 1980 price: US$300 (equivalent to $1,200 in 2025)[13]
Software
[edit]There are 20 known games for the Interact Home Computer[14]
| Name | Publisher | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Add ’Em Up | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Backgammon | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Blackjack | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Breakthrough | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Compute-A-Color | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Computer Maze | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Concentration | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Dogfight | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Earth Outpost I | Micro Video | 1980 |
| Hangman | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Knockdown | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Microchess | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Regatta | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Reversi | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Showdown | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Star Track | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Touchdown | Micro Video | unknown |
| Trailblazers | Interact Electronics | 1978 |
| Video Chess | Interact Electronics | unknown |
| Volleyball | Interact Electronics | 1979 |
References
[edit]- ^ "The Interact Family Computer". ujb's Homepage.
- ^ Dunfield, Dave (2005). "Interact Family Computer". DAVES OLD COMPUTERS. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "Interact Home Computer System". Old Computer Museum. 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
- ^ a b "Home Computer System Interact". old-computers.com. Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "Interact Family Computer 1". System.cfg - Collection d ordinateurs anciens et de consoles de jeux. 2018. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ a b c Stengel, Steven (2016). "Interact Model One computer". Steve's Computer Collection. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "Microsoft Basic V4.7". Roms Games. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "Edu-Basic". retromania.gg. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "Interact Family Computer TOSEC".
- ^ "Interact Family Computer". Roms Games. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "INTERACT > Home Computer System". old-computers.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ "MICRONIQUE > Victor Lambda". old-computers.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-25.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Arcade-History
External links
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