Jack Smyth, The Learning Company and Add-On
Software
Jack Smyth was the first CEO of The Learning Company, the
educational software publisher best known for Reader Rabbit and
Rocky's Boots. He was also involved with Add-On Software, a company
that sold CP/M software for several computer platforms, including
the Atari 8-bit line. The company built a hardware card, for use
with the Atari 1090XL peripheral expansion box, that would have
added CP/M functionality to Atari computers. That device was never
sold, or at least was not widely available.
This interview took place on March 8, 2018. After the
interview, Jack sent me anl Add-On Software CP/M catalog (primarily
focused on the Apple II) which I have scanned and uploaded to
Internet Archive.
Teaser quote: "I took my 5-year-old daughter with me to see
how my daughter liked the software. ... Well my daughter loved it,
and so I bought the company."