Storied Windows developer Raymond Chen has shared some insight only he could, into the development of data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft” data-auto-tag-linker=”true” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/microsoft”>Microsoft’s first hardware product, circa 1980. Around 45 years ago, Microsoft released its Z-80 SoftCard product for Apple II users. Its purpose was to give users of Apple’s popular data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/bill-gates-48-year-old-microsoft-6502-basic-goes-open-source” target=”_blank” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/software/bill-gates-48-year-old-microsoft-6502-basic-goes-open-source”>MOS Technology 6502-powered computer access to the CP/M software library, which was important during this era. However, to work its magic, Microsoft’s expansion card was fitted with a data-analytics-id=”inline-link” href=”https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/dev-hopes-to-save-legendary-z80-chip-with-open-source-clone-resurrects-iconic-zilog-chip-with-drop-in-z80-replacement” data-before-rewrite-localise=”https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/dev-hopes-to-save-legendary-z80-chip-with-open-source-clone-resurrects-iconic-zilog-chip-with-drop-in-z80-replacement”>Zilog Z80, plus some…
