Don Lancaster
American author, inventor, and microcomputer pioneer.
Don Lancaster wore many hats: author, inventor, and a pioneer in the early days of microcomputers. He grew up in Pennsylvania, graduating from North Allegheny High School, then earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Lafayette College in 1961 and a master’s from Arizona State University six years later. While at ASU, he also started a master’s in anthropology but never finished it. Professionally, he worked as an engineer at Goodyear Aerospace in Phoenix, Arizona, but his real mark came from writing. During the 1970s, his articles appeared in magazines like *Popular Electronics*, *Radio-Electronics*, *Dr. Dobb’s Journal*, *73 Magazine*, and *Byte*. He also wrote books on electronics, computing, and entrepreneurship, some through traditional publishers and others he put out himself.
One of his standout early projects was the “TV Typewriter” serial terminal. It caught on with early microcomputer users because it turned an ordinary television into a display and cost around $200 in parts to build—at a time when commercial terminals like the ADM-3A sold for over $1,000. Lancaster also pushed what we now call print-on-demand technology. To self-publish his books, he repurposed the game port of an Apple II to send PostScript code directly to a laser printer, bypassing the need for a Macintosh running PageMaker. This let him produce books continuously on a cheap Apple II instead of tying up an expensive Mac for the whole print run. He held a ham radio license (K3BYG) and lived in Thatcher, Arizona, for 44 years before passing away on June 7, 2023, at age 83.
His published works include a series of “cookbook” titles: *RTL Cookbook* (1969), *TTL Cookbook* (1974), *CMOS Cookbook* (1977), *Active Filter Cookbook* (1975), *TV Typewriter Cookbook* (1976), *Cheap Video Cookbook* (1978), *Son of Cheap Video* (1980), and *Assembly Cookbook for Apple II/IIe* (1984). He also wrote *Enhancing Your Apple II - Volume 1* (1985), *Enhancing Your Apple II and IIe - Volume 2* (1985), *Applewriter Cookbook* (1986), *The Hexadecimal Chronicles* (1981), *Don Lancaster's Micro Cookbook* (1982), *The Incredible Secret Money Machine* (1978), *The Incredible Secret Money Machine II* (1978), *Book-On-Demand Resource Kit*, and *The Case Against Patents* (1996).
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Donald E. Lancaster
- Birth Date
- 1939/1940
- Death Date
- 2023-06-07 (aged 83)
- Death Place
- Mesa, Arizona, US
- Known For
- Author
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lancaster graduated from North Allegheny High School in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and earned a BSEE from Lafayette College in 1961 and an MSEE from Arizona State University in 1967. While at Arizona State University, he began a master's degree in anthropology but never completed it. He worked as an engineer at Goodyear Aerospace in Phoenix, Arizona. One of his early projects was the TV Typewriter serial terminal, which used an ordinary television set for display and could be built for around US$200 in parts, at a time when commercial terminals like the ADM-3A cost over $1,000. This design was adopted by early microcomputer users. Lancaster was an early advocate and developer of what is now known as print-on-demand technology. He self-published books by repurposing the game port of an Apple II to transfer PostScript code directly to a laser printer, rather than using a Macintosh running PageMaker. This allowed continuous book production using an inexpensive Apple II instead of tying up an expensive Macintosh until the print run was complete. He formerly held a ham radio license (K3BYG). He died on June 7, 2023, at age 83, having lived for 44 years in Thatcher, Arizona.
Reader's Guide
Don Lancaster's significance lies in his contributions to early microcomputing and self-publishing. His TV Typewriter serial terminal made computer display affordable for hobbyists, as it used a standard television and cost about US$200 in parts, compared to commercial terminals selling for over $1,000. This project was widely adopted by early microcomputer users. He was also an early pioneer of print-on-demand technology, developing a method to produce self-published books using an Apple II computer to send PostScript code directly to a laser printer, bypassing the need for a more expensive Macintosh. His many books, including the RTL Cookbook, TTL Cookbook, CMOS Cookbook, and Active Filter Cookbook, became standard references for electronics hobbyists and engineers. His writings appeared in major electronics magazines of the 1970s, and he authored works on entrepreneurship such as The Incredible Secret Money Machine. His legacy includes advancing accessible technology for hobbyists and demonstrating innovative approaches to publishing.
Did You Know?
- Lancaster's TV Typewriter serial terminal could be built for around US$200 in parts, while commercial terminals like the ADM-3A cost over $1,000.
- He self-published books by using an Apple II's game port to transfer PostScript code directly to a laser printer.
- He formerly held the ham radio call sign K3BYG.
- He lived in Thatcher, Arizona, for 44 years before his death in 2023.
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