Skyles Electric Works
Encyclopedia
Skyles Electric Works was founded in California
by Bob Skyles, a former Commodore
engineer, to produce hardware add-ons for the Commodore PET
. Like Apple Computer
it began in a garage in Cupertino, but for most of the company's existence it was based in Mountain View.
The first products from Skyles Electric Works were memory expansions and keyboards (the first PETs had calculator-style keys which were unsuited to touch-typing).
The earliest software products were firmware
, including the Command-O and Disk-O-Pro, which enhanced the BASIC
language of the PET.
However the company also published cassette and disk-based software including Busicalc, the first spreadsheet program for the Commodore 64
, and which was licensed from Supersoft
in England. Busicalc and the follow-up products Busicalc 2 and Busicalc 3 were highly successful in the US market during 1983-84, and encouraged Skyles Electric Works to source other similar products which were rebranded to form part of the Busi series, notably Busidata and Busiwrite.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by Bob Skyles, a former Commodore
Commodore International
Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore Business Machines , the U.S.-based home computer manufacturer and electronics manufacturer headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which also housed Commodore's corporate parent company, Commodore International Limited...
engineer, to produce hardware add-ons for the Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
. Like Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
it began in a garage in Cupertino, but for most of the company's existence it was based in Mountain View.
The first products from Skyles Electric Works were memory expansions and keyboards (the first PETs had calculator-style keys which were unsuited to touch-typing).
The earliest software products were firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
, including the Command-O and Disk-O-Pro, which enhanced the BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
language of the PET.
However the company also published cassette and disk-based software including Busicalc, the first spreadsheet program for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, and which was licensed from Supersoft
Supersoft
Supersoft is a software and computer game developer and publisher founded in England in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET.-Hardware:...
in England. Busicalc and the follow-up products Busicalc 2 and Busicalc 3 were highly successful in the US market during 1983-84, and encouraged Skyles Electric Works to source other similar products which were rebranded to form part of the Busi series, notably Busidata and Busiwrite.