This means the hardwares on this photo (and many similar photos) are just empty cases? About when the first real Enterprise is ready? We know 100 machines (which is not the final version) sent to software developers at Nov/Dec 1984. (Marked NOT FOR RESALE)

Quite possibly, and the disk drive and expansion boxes almost certainly ! I'm really hazy on dates (well it was 30 years ago) but wikipedia says it was "launched to the press" in September 1983 and the photo in Your Computer was in the Jan 1984 issue, so any photos around that time will definitely use a dummy unit. I think the 100 machines were the first off the production line and would have been sent out as soon as they had been tested, so any photos before then are definitely suspicious! I think there were only 2 wire-wrapped prototypes (they built 3 but one couldn't be made to work if I recall correctly) and one, possibly both, were in full-time use for BASIC and EXOS development. They were rather delicate and would not have been moved around all over the place, apart from to the "launch" which was only just down the road.

These are fully functioning machines or limited capabilities for example less graphics or sound?
Or just the opposite, the final machine has less ability because insufficient space in the custom chips?

They were the same - they were really prototypes of Nick and Dave to prove the design before being committed to silicon. They had problems though due to the signal path lengths and were difficult to get working, but they did their job - the Nick and Dave chips both worked and we were able to get on with the sw while the chips were being made. At some point there must have been a great moment where "ok" first appeared using a real Nick and Dave, but I don't remember it maybe I'd given the hw guys an EPROM and I wasn't actually there.

Bruce,
What do you do in the present? Have you worked on other machines too (beside EP and TVC)?

Bruce,
What do you do in the present? Have you worked on other machines too (beside EP and TVC)?

After Enterprise Computers went bankrupt, taking Intelligent Software with them, five of us started a new company called Madge Networks. The five were Robert Madge (former Technical Director at IS), me, Martin Lea (EXOS), Mark Richer (who wrote Enterprise LISP and is bottom left in the Your Computer photo) and Rob Stubbs a hw engineer. IBM had just announced their networking for the original IBM PC and it used a technology called Token Ring, which was technically superior and more robust than Ethernet. So we developed a range of compatible network adapters for the IBM PC and the later IBM AT. Over the next 10 years we were quite successful and grew the company to over 2000 employees worldwide. I left at it's peak - ethernet took over, specially once 100mbps was available (token ring could only go upto 16mbps), and token ring gradually declined along with Madge Networks.

These days I do something very different indeed - working for a wildlife hospital that rescues and releases injured wildlife. I still do the occasional bit of programming just for my own interest but with a 4 year old daughter too I don't have time to do a lot 

And IBM used token ring till 2004

Thank you, I didn't know that! Banks and other large financial organisations always liked token ring because it was more reliable. Part of that reliability came from "star wiring" where each computer goes to a central hub where a faulty connection can be removed from the network, sometimes automatically. These days Ethernet is always done like that anyway thus removing one of the key advantages of TR. Ethernet cabling is smaller and cheaper, the hardware in the computer is cheaper and of course it works at 100mbps so I'm surprised TR lasted that long!

Ethernet cabling is smaller and cheaper, the hardware in the computer is cheaper and of course it works at 100mbps so I'm surprised TR lasted that long!

At least in our building Sorry for the off

"launched to the press" in September 1983

There is the exact date:
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You wrote: in the launch party one of the wire-wrapped prototypes worked under the desk. This means at this time the sw parts is usable and (near) ready to release? Only waiting for the real Nick and Dave chips? If the chip manufacturing problems not coming then the Enterprise is in the shops at the 1983 Christmas?