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Few Yugoslavs had access to computers in the early 1980s. Computers were primarily the property of large institutions and businesses. Importing home computers like the Commodore 64 was not only expensive but also legally impossible thanks to laws restricting the importation of individual goods worth more than 50 Deutsche Marks by the general public. (The Commodore 64 cost more than 1,000 marks at the time of its release). Even if someone in Yugoslavia could afford a modern home computer, he would have to resort to smuggling.
In 1983, engineer Vojislav “Voja” Antonić was growing frustrated with Yugoslavia’s nonsensical import laws. “We held public forums with politicians,” he says. “We tried to convince them that they should be allowed. [more expensive items]Because it’s progress.” However, Antonich et al.’s efforts were fruitless, and the limit of 50 Deutsche Marks remained. But perhaps there was a way around it.
Antonić was thinking about this while vacationing with his wife in Risan, Montenegro in 1983. “I was wondering how I could make a computer that was as simple and inexpensive as possible,” says Antonich. “As a way to enjoy my free time. And that’s it. People think it’s funny, but really I was just bored!” I wondered if it was possible to build a computer without it.
Voja Antonić speaking on Zoom, February 2022. Photo: Voja Antonić/Lewis Packwood
Computers and consoles typically have a video controller/graphics chip that generates the images displayed on the screen, as well as a CPU that forms the “brain” of the machine and performs all calculations. For example, in the Atari 2600 console, the CPU is a MOS Technology 6507 chip and the video controller is a TIA (Television Interface Adapter) chip.
Instead of having a separate graphics chip, Antonich thought he could use part of the CPU to generate the video signal and use software to replicate some of the other video functionality. Although this would mean sacrificing processing power, it is possible in principle and the cost of the computer would be significantly lower.
“I couldn’t wait to test it,” Antonich says. He assembled a prototype as soon as he returned from vacation. And lo and behold, it really worked. Thinking outside the box paid off.
His next thought was that perhaps other people would also want to build their own versions of computers. However, he could not have predicted how far that idea would take him. “Everything that happened after that was not my fault, but the fault of smart journalists who knew how to write a good story,” he says.
Source: www.theguardian.com
