Floppy Days 168 - Interview with Harry Garland, Cromemco, Part 1

Harry Garland, co-founder of the pioneering microcomputer company Chromemco, shares insights into the early days of personal computing in a recent interview. Established in 1974 by Garland and Roger Mellon, Chromemco was instrumental in developing key technologies such as the Cyclops, the first all-digital microcomputer camera, and the Dazzler, a groundbreaking color graphics interface card for the S100 bus. Garland emphasizes the company's commitment to quality, inspired by the reliability of brands like Hewlett Packard and Tektronix, which set a high standard for their products.

Garland recounts his journey from a young enthusiast in electronics to a significant player in the tech industry. He discusses his early experiences with ham radio and how they shaped his understanding of electronics. The conversation touches on the influence of Popular Electronics magazine, where Garland and Mellon published articles that contributed to the burgeoning personal computer revolution. Their collaboration with Ed Roberts, the creator of the Altair computer, marked a pivotal moment, leading to the development of Chromemco's own computer systems.

The interview also highlights Garland's recent activities, including attending vintage computing shows and acquiring various collectibles. He reflects on the community aspect of vintage computing and the importance of preserving the history of these early technologies. The discussion serves as a reminder of the foundational work done by pioneers like Garland in shaping the personal computing landscape we know today.

Floppy Days 168 - Interview with Harry Garland, Cromemco - Part 1 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics - https://www.8bitclassics.com/?ref=Floppydays

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Hello, and welcome to episode 168 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for October, 2026. My name is Randy Kindig and I'm the host of this homage to the home computer stars of yesteryear. This month is an interview-only show, coming to you with a gentleman who, through the company he cofounded, helped define personal computers in the mid-70's and beyond, when they were just becoming a thing and the Altair 8800 was at its heyday. That gentleman is computer pioneer Harry Garland and the company was Cromemco. Cromemco was a pioneer American microcomputer company founded in 1974 by Stanford University graduate students Harry Garland and Roger Melen. Cromemco pioneered many incredible technological advances: Cyclops: Released in 1975, it was the first commercially marketed all-digital microcomputer camera.

Dazzler: Released in 1976, it was the first color graphics interface card for the S-100 bus.

S-100 Computers: Known for rock-solid industrial build quality, systems included the Z-1, Z-2 series (certified for use aboard U.S. Navy ships and submarines), and the multi-user System 3.

Software: Developed CDOS (a CP/M-compatible operating system) and CROMIX, a multi-user, Unix-like operating system.

Harry will bring you stories about all these things; and a lot more! Cromemco has been mentioned by some, along with Apple Inc., as the two main Silicon Valley companies that created the personal computer industry. Because Harry did have so many stories, the interview went on for a fairly long period of time - long enough that I decided to break it into 2 parts. So, you'll get to hear the first part this month and part 2 next month. Upcoming Shows VCF Montreal - November 7-8, 2026 - Champlain College Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, QC - https://cvcfed.org/vcf-montreal-2-0/

Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 20-21, 2027 - OC Fair & Events Center, Costa Mesa, CA - vcfsocal.com

Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-21, 2027 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/

VCF East - April 2-4, 2027 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/

Midwest Gaming Classic - April 23-25, 2027 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/

VCF Southwest - June 25-27, 2027 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/

Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 16-18, 2027 - Atlanta - https://gameatl.com/

Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@hgarland

Harry Garland at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Garland

Cromemco at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromemco

Cromemco Cyclops Camera - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromemco_Cyclops

Dazzler - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cromemco_Dazzler