Rainbow Computing
Encyclopedia
Rainbow Computing was an Apple II
retailer and software publisher
that was established in 1976 in Los Angeles
, USA by Gene Sprouse and Glenn Dollar. The original store was located in Granada Hills, CA; it eventually relocated to Northridge, CA and another location in Woodland Hills where it operated for nine years until sale of the company to Pathfinder Computer Centers.
It is notable for having sold personal computers to the founders of some of the first video game publishers before they started their businesses.
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
retailer and software publisher
Software publisher
A software publisher is a publishing company in the software industry between the developer and the distributor. In some companies, two or all three of these roles may be combined ....
that was established in 1976 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, USA by Gene Sprouse and Glenn Dollar. The original store was located in Granada Hills, CA; it eventually relocated to Northridge, CA and another location in Woodland Hills where it operated for nine years until sale of the company to Pathfinder Computer Centers.
It is notable for having sold personal computers to the founders of some of the first video game publishers before they started their businesses.
Notable employees and customers
- David GordonDavid GordonDavid Gordon is an American author and trainer and early contributor to the development of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.Gordon has helped create and shape the field of NLP since some decades yet. Gordon's main areas of contribution have been the use of therapeutic metaphors, inspired by his work...
(customer): founder of Programma InternationalProgramma InternationalProgramma International was one of the first personal computer software publishers. Established in the late 1970s by David Gordon, it published a line of approximately 300 game, programming utility, and office productivity products for the Apple II, Commodore PET, TRS-80 and other personal computer...
and DataMostDatamostDatamost was a software design company founded by David Gordon and based in Chatsworth, California. Datamost operated in the early 1980s producing games and other software mainly for the Apple II, Commodore 64 and Atari platforms, with some for the IBM PC... - Robert C. McNally (customer): classic game programmerGame programmerA game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
; founder of The Dreamers GuildThe Dreamers GuildThe Dreamers Guild was a publisher and developer of computer and video games that operated from 1991 until 1997. It was founded on the idea that employees would have a say in the company's progression... - David MullichDavid MullichDavid Mullich is an American game producer and designer best known for creating the cult classic 1980 adventure game The Prisoner, producing the 1995 adaptation I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, and developing many games in the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise...
(employee): game programmerGame programmerA game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
and designer at Edu-WareEdu-WareEdu-Ware Services, Inc. was an educational and entertainment software publisher established in 1979 by Sherwin Steffin and Steven Pederson It was known for its adventure games, role-playing video games, and flight simulators for the Apple II family of computers.-History:Edu-Ware founders Sherwin... - Gary Shannon (employee): classic game programmerGame programmerA game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
- Sherwin Steffin (customer): founder of Edu-WareEdu-WareEdu-Ware Services, Inc. was an educational and entertainment software publisher established in 1979 by Sherwin Steffin and Steven Pederson It was known for its adventure games, role-playing video games, and flight simulators for the Apple II family of computers.-History:Edu-Ware founders Sherwin...
- Ken WilliamsKen Williams (gaming)Ken Williams is an American game programmer and co-founded On-Line Systems, which later became Sierra On-Line, together with his wife Roberta Williams. Roberta and Ken married at the age of 19 and have two children...
(customer): founder of Sierra On-Line