Panem Et Circenses

The first issue ever published of Byte Magazine, visible and available on the Internet Archive at the time of this publication, features a bold claim on the cover: “Computers–the World’s Greatest Toy!” Said issue also dealt with the more mundane issues of choosing the best microprocessor for your home kit, building your own assembler, or using a surplus keyboard. But the core idea behind home computing was definitely hedonistic from day one.