RIP: Jerry Lawson, the inventor of the modern gaming cartridge

[thewayne]

"As an engineer at Fairchild Semiconductor, Lawson designed the electronics of the Fairchild Video Entertainment System, later renamed the Channel F, in 1976.

Predating the release of Atari’s Video Computer System by a year, the Channel F was the first videogame machine that used interchangeable game cartridges, which Fairchild sold separately. Previous game machines like Atari’s Pong and the Magnavox Odyssey had all their games built into the hardware. Lawson’s pioneering design set the standard for the game consoles of today."

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/04/jerry-lawson-dies/

Comments

[silveradept]

I hope he gets a 21 waveform salute. Without him, we wouldn't be wasting our time nearly as beautifully as we are today.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

8-bit taps? ;-) He certainly brought a lot of fun to a lot of people. I don't remember the Fairchild machine, but I sold a tonne of Atari 2600's back in the late 70's/early 80's.

[silveradept]

I played a tonne of them in the 90s, so all is good.

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

All shall be well, and all shall be well.

So mote it be.