Why buy a new computer?
If you switch, switch to one of these. They will look perfect on your desk.IBM 5100 :
A versatile machine. Considered the first portable computer (a “laptop” in the true meaning of the term), it only weighs 55 Pounds. Extra large screen for this time. A must have for true geeks.
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Sol 20 (Processor Technology) :
“THE Terminal Computer” (it’s written on it). In advance of its time, you could already plug in your TV to turn it into a Multimedia Experience. A definitive contribution to Computer design.
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Rockwell AIM 65
Clearly a breakthrough model : minimalist design, maxi functionalities (check out the embedded printer).
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Apple II.
This reminds me of the first nerds at school (early 80’s). They all knew Apple II was the best. They probably made a career.
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Commodore PET (Personal Electronic Transactor) :
Some believe this “gizmo” is the ancestor of the Tamagochi..
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Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I :
Designed for hardcore gamers. Comes with wireless tape recorder.
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Heathkit H8 (1977) :
A no-nonsense home computer. No compromise on performance. Top-class ergonomics (for 1977).
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Heathkit H89 :
All in one. A revolution in miniaturization. Probably inspired by France’s Minitel.
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Atari 400 (1978) :
Before being a T-shirt brand, they were in computers.
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Texas Instrument TI-99/4:
If you don’t like the desktop background, that’s too bad for you.
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And on popular request, here is “the Osborne 1″. A jewel…
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For real information about these computers, check out Tech Republic : Dinosaur Sightings, Computers from the 1970s.
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May 6th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
No, the TRS-80 did not come with a “wireless tape recorder,” it used wires just like every other computer.
BTW, you surprised me with this collection, as I’ve used every single computer here except the IBM. I still have my old Sol-20, it still runs but the keyboard is dead.
May 6th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Nice one! Like something out of Napoleon Dynamite!
May 6th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I : Comes with wireless tape recorder.
Nope, it had wires.
May 6th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
Thanks guys.. about the wireless tape recorder.
My mistake!
May 7th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I
It definatly has a wireless tape recorder. i still have mine, i play halo 6 on it all the time.
May 7th, 2007 at 1:31 am
Where is the Sinclair?
May 7th, 2007 at 3:07 am
Classic Digg material!
May 7th, 2007 at 3:12 am
Dear Posters,
Let me guess…trainspotters as well?
Dene
May 7th, 2007 at 3:25 am
[...] read more [...]
May 7th, 2007 at 4:31 am
[...] [...]
May 7th, 2007 at 6:58 am
I just found 3 Texas Instrument TI-99 computers in my mother-in-laws attic…cant wait to type out some text based D&D games…that abit too geeky?
May 7th, 2007 at 7:28 am
While technically the Rockwell Aim 65 WAS a computer, it wasn’t for general purpose like most of these others; it was a technology trainer. It was used mostly for teaching assembly language.
May 7th, 2007 at 7:41 am
I had a texas instruments TI-99. I friggin loved that damn thing. Between that and my atari 2600, I stayed good and busy until the NES was released back in the day. I never did understand the concept of using a tape recorder to save my data… I knew like, 2 commands for the prompt. I just loaded cartridges and played games. My favorite was probably the game where you were like a doctor and had to identify diseases and physical ailments in the body, and administer the proper drugs/treatment. That game was HARD man. But fun, somehow… I played mostly hangman. I was a very bored child.
May 7th, 2007 at 8:00 am
umm i thought that the wireless bit was an amusing joke, you know one of those funny things that aren’t literal
May 7th, 2007 at 8:09 am
The TI-99 was great , I had this one …
It comes with Tape and cartridge as well , also optional modem that you had to hook into the phone (very weird one!)
May 7th, 2007 at 8:24 am
dood. look at the picture. it’s clearly wireless. n00bs.
great collection of early and innovative boxes.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Where is my beloved ZX81?
It was my first comp, back in 1981 (I was 8).
It has the astounishing 1Ko of RAM!!! Later I bought a memory extension of …16Ko!
It comes with is own BASIC language and everything was about programming like:
10 print “OMGWTF!!11″
20 cls
30 goto 10
and you got a blinky OMGWTF!!11
Just amazing! Almost freakin’! Was it alive? I didn’t knew so in case I give my computer the affectuous name of “Bip” (french for beep), written in white vinyl letters glued on it.
And since, each of my computers always got his own name. The last one is TheIceMachine.
Ah, nostalgia!…
in memory of beloved Bip… ;-)
May 7th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I loved my TI-99/4A….I learned basic on that bad boy. Good stuff!
May 7th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
How about the TRS-80 model 100. 32 MB of NV ram and a 4 line display with optional Acoustic coupled 300bd modem. The first true laptop. I still have on that works.
May 9th, 2007 at 2:00 am
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May 13th, 2007 at 2:37 am
You misssed one of the real heavy-duty leaders — the Wang “Programmable Calculators”, specifically the Model 720C. A nice little BCD machine. I remember attaching it to a 2315 disk drive and a host of other peripherals, including Tektronix terminals and printers, Centronix printers and more. When you couldn’t purchase a “computer” in the government these were allowed. VERY powerful.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
That Heathkit H89 sure looks a lot like the Radio Shack Model 3 and 4. Ahhhh nostalgia.. I remember writing a 1800 line basic program way back when.. Took like forever too. We sure have come a long ways. Whatever happened to Zilog who made the the Z80 and Z8000 processor? I think I still have the CTR-80 tape recorder in my attic someplace too. CLOAD forever!!! :)
May 14th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
IBM 5100 - sweet in their day. HP in that era was known for top notch engineering. This was a serious lab computer/controller.
Heathkit H89 - these were available built-up as Zenith H89s. Functional monochrome MS-DOS variant. All in one was not new - the IBM 5100 precedes the Heathkit H89, as did lab computers from other vendors; but all in one was a new offering on the small business and home market.
Atari 400 (1978) - the Atari 400 & 800 were also game consoles (cartridge). The 800 had a real keyboard; the 400 had only a membrane keyboard. Both were overbuilt with a thick cast RF shield.
May 14th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
What about that great “portable”, the Osborne? Too hi-tech?
May 14th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Thanks Yowser.. Just added ! A pure beauty (but not from the seventies : 1981)
June 5th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Sol20 - said to be the first to start without toggling! Charles, what is your keyboard problem? Perhaps can fix or replace for you. Have a full set of documentation and repair parts including for the Persei 8 inch drives. (Also every edition of Personal Computing - through, I think, 3 publishers from September 1977….
June 5th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Timex Sinclair 1000. The size of a calulator, but programable. I loved that system.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
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March 28th, 2008 at 3:17 am
the last one is interesting. thanks
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 am
Have you guys ever been to the computer museum in San Francisco? They have almost EVERY kind of computers like these
Hmm…im gonna try and ebay the 2nd one LOL
June 10th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
“the Osborne 1? more portable, but if you still use that computer, i think you should prepare to buy a new one lol
June 13th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
[...] pop, veinte años son suficientes para elevar una canción o peinado a míticos. Cualquiera de los viejos ordenadores de esta web tiene hoy un valor interesante en eBay (¡un Osborne 1 por menos de quinientos pavos!), valor que [...]