Editing Data General Nova (section)

===Legacy===
The Nova influenced the design of both the [[Xerox Alto]] (1973)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/memos_1974/Alto_A_Personal_Computer_Dec74.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606164257/http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/alto/memos_1974/Alto_A_Personal_Computer_Dec74.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-06 |url-status=live |title=Alto: A Personal Computer System |author1=Charles P. Thacker |author2=Edward M. McCreight |page=13 |date=December 1974}}</ref> and [[Apple I]] (1976)<ref>{{cite book |title=Apple I Replica Creation: Back to the Garage |author=Tom Owad |page=xxi |isbn=1-931836-40-X |date=2005}}</ref> computers, and its architecture was the basis for the [[Computervision]] CGP (Computervision Graphics Processor) series. Its external design has been reported to be the direct inspiration for the front panel of the [[Altair 8800|MITS Altair]] (1975) microcomputer.

Data General followed up on the success of the original Nova with a series of faster designs. The Eclipse family of systems was later introduced with an extended upwardly compatible instruction set, and the MV-series further extended the Eclipse into a 32-bit architecture to compete with the DEC [[VAX]]. The development of the MV-series was documented in [[Tracy Kidder]]'s popular 1981 book, ''[[The Soul of a New Machine]]''. Data General itself would later evolve into a vendor of Intel processor-based servers and storage arrays, eventually being purchased by [[Dell EMC|EMC]].

There is a diverse but ardent group of people worldwide who restore and preserve original 16-bit Data General systems.<ref>{{cite web |title=Data General Restoration |url=https://www.datageneral.uk/ |access-date=2021-08-20 |website=Data General Nova, Eclipse, MV and AV |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Big & Beautiful Data General Minicomputers |url=http://www.chookfest.net/nova3/ |access-date=2021-08-20 |website=www.chookfest.net}}</ref>