Micral

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A Micral

According to the Computer History Museum, the Micral was the earliest commercial, non-kit personal computer based on a micro-processor, the Intel 8008.

Thi Truong (EFREI degree, Paris), a French immigrant from Vietnam developed the computer and Philippe Kahn was involved with the software. Truong, founder and president of the French company R2E, created the Micral as a cost-effective replacement for minicomputers which augured the era of the PC. In that respect, consummate businessman Truong and young mathematician Philippe Kahn may be the very first to have opened up a new vision. Selling for $1,750, the Micral never penetrated the U.S. market. In 1979, Truong sold Micral to French company Bull and continued his relationship with Kahn throughout the following years. Kahn received no financial benefit from the sale of Micral to Bull.

Truong's R2E sold about two thousand units of the Micral that were mostly used in vertical applications such as highway toll booths.

The Computer History Museum at http://staging.computerhistory.org/timeline/timeline.php?timeline_year=1973 places the Micral in its historical context.

Some say that litigation happened after Truong started claiming that he invented the first personal computer. The courts didn't find in favor of Truong, who was declared "the businessman, bit not the inventor" giving him the sole claim as inventor of the first personal computer to Kahn and the R2E engineering team. However Kahn maintains that he and Andre were always good friends and partners and that there never was any litigation or misunderstandings between them. In all circumstances Philippe Kahn had nothing but praise for Truong and his whole team, saying that his personal involvement was mostly due to being in the right place at the right time^[1]. This attitude has been common in Kahn's comments throughout the years which makes him very different from high tech personalities such as Gates, Ellison and others. The Micral is clearly the first ever commercial non-kit personal computer.

Kahn went on to found several silicon valley technology companies companies: Borland Software, Starfish Software, LightSurf Technologies, and is currently founder and ceo of Fullpower Technologies^[2].