In 1976, a 6×7 inch breadboard from AP was about $50. Meanwhile, back in 1974, [Cooper] wanted to put together circuits easily. His solution? A wooden board, some copper pipe, rubber bands ...

cheap breadboards often have trouble making a reliable contact at each and every pin, while the length of the ground path and lack of shielding cause trouble for high-speed circuits. [c0pperdragon ...