▁costs . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁the ▁Int ell iv ision ▁Key board ▁Component , ▁in ▁bread board ▁form , ▁was ▁successfully ▁entered ▁into ▁the ▁S ears ▁Market ▁Research ▁Program . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁Matt el ▁had ▁production ▁design ▁working ▁units ▁but ▁decided ▁on ▁a ▁significant ▁internal ▁design ▁change ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁circuit ▁bo ards . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁it ▁was ▁test ▁market ed ▁in ▁F res no , ▁California ▁but ▁without ▁software , ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁B AS IC ▁programming ▁cart ridge . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁design ▁changes ▁were ▁finally ▁implemented ▁and ▁the ▁Key board ▁Component ▁was ▁released ▁at ▁$ 6 0 0 ▁in ▁Seattle ▁and ▁New ▁Orleans ▁only . ▁ ▁Those ▁that ▁compla ined ▁in ▁writing ▁could ▁buy ▁a ▁Key board ▁Component ▁directly ▁from ▁Matt el . ▁ ▁The ▁printer , ▁a ▁re bad ged ▁Al pha com ▁Spr inter ▁ 4 0 , ▁was ▁only ▁available ▁by ▁mail ▁order . ▁ ▁The ▁keyboard ▁component ' s ▁repeated ▁del ays ▁became ▁so ▁not orious ▁around ▁Matt el ▁headquarters ▁that ▁com ed ian ▁Jay ▁L eno , ▁when ▁performing ▁at ▁Matt el ' s ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁Christmas ▁party , ▁got ▁his ▁biggest ▁tit ter ▁of ▁the ▁evening ▁with ▁the ▁line : ▁" You ▁know ▁what ▁the ▁three ▁big ▁lies ▁are , ▁don ' t ▁you ? ▁' The ▁check ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁mail ,' ▁' I '