25 Random Facts About Old Computers:
booie
The Apple Lisa (1983) http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Apple_Lisa1_CompleteSyst_s1.jpg
was the first successful computer with a graphical user interface
(GUI) and a mouse. It cost $10,000.
The GRiD 1101 http://danielrodriguezlopez.info/images/grid-compass-1101.jpg
is the grand-daddy of all modern-day laptops. It cost over $8000 in
1982.
Their new VIC-20 http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/collection/vic-20-de-yellowed.jpg
(1980) was so embarrassing to parent company Commodore, that they
considered giving them away. Instead, it sold over 1,000,000 units
within just a few years, making Commodore hundreds of millions of
dollars.
The first portable Macintosh computer, the Macintosh Portable
http://laptopanda.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mac_portable.jpg
(1989) weighs 16 pounds and had a 16MHz processor.
The first-ever handheld/palmtop MS-DOS "PC" was the Portfolio, sold by
--- Atari, in 1989.
The first "IBM" computer to run on batteries was the IBM Convertible
PC from 1986. http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ibm5140-small.jpg
The Timex Sinclair 1000 was the most successful computer ever, that
cost less than $100, that is. http://www.spacious-mind.com/assets/images/timex_sinclair_1000.jpg
The Commodore 64 (1982) retains the record as the most successful
single computer model ever, selling over 10 million units.
http://oldcomputers.net/pics/C64combo.jpg
The portable version of the Commodore 64 is the SX-64 (1984). It
weighs 23 pounds, and has a built-in 5-inch color CRT screen.
http://www.vintage-computer.com/images/c64sx.jpg
The Coleco Adam (1983) will not run without the printer attached and
plugged-in. The computer's power supply is in the printer.
http://www.maniacworld.com/game_console_history/Coleco_ADAM.jpg
The Jupiter Ace (1983) was advertised as "Probably the fastest
microcomputer in the universe!".
http://jscustom.theoldcomputer.com/images/manufacturers_systems/Jupiter-Cantab/Jupiter-Ace/886554Jupiter_Ace.jpg
Apple Computers sued the maker of the Franklin ACE 100 (1982) for
copyright infringement. The Franklin company copied the Apple II
operating system, changed a few words, and sold it as their own.
http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ace1200-right.jpg
In 1981, prior to the famous PC, IBM sold a desktop computer called
the Datamaster. http://www.thepcmuseum.net/comp_images/photo_IBM5332.JPG
The Osborne 1 (1981) is considered to be the first practical and
useful "portable" computer. It weighs 25 pounds.
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/osborn1_1.jpg
The first great flop for "Apple Computers" was the Apple III in 1981.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Apple3.jpg/250px-Apple3.jpg
The Radio Shack Pocket Computer from 1980 was the first programmable
computer to fit in a shirt pocket. http://oldcomputers.net/pics/trs80pc2.jpg
Possibly the heaviest desktop computer ever may have been the IBM 5120
from 1980 - it weighed 105 pounds, not including the 130 pound
external floppy drive. http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc/images/02106.jpg
The custom CPU (central processor) of the HP-85 from 1980 runs at
0.6MHz. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f5/HP85B.jpg/300px-HP85B.jpg
When fully expanded, the "Texas Instruments" In 1979, Apple licensed
the Bell & Howell to sell to public schools. The beige case was
painted black.
NorthStar, which built and sold computer in the late 1970's, was
originally called "Kentucky Fried Computers".
(1977)
The Commodore PET-2001 has the worst keyboards of any full-size
computer.
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/commodore_pet2001_clavier-merdique.jpg
The portable desk-top sized IBM 5100 from 1975 could cost up to
$20,000, depending on options included.
http://www.oldcomputermuseum.com/ibm-5100/ibm-5100.jpg
The Zenith MiniSport (1989) was the only computer to ever use a 2-inch
floppy drive.
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/zenith-minisport/CIMG2685.JPG
The Apple Macintosh and Commodore Amiga 1000 have the developer's
signatures cast into the inside of their case.
http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/zenith-minisport/CIMG2685.JPG
we have come a long way baby.
I forgot what year I jumped on the WebTV bandwagon?
I remember seeing news ads with laptops for sale for 2500.00.
The laptop had way low ram and hardrive,
Even older computer ads
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1990+laptop+price+ads&um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=vn2zJfGIYwye3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.jasondunn.com/date/2007/05/page/2&docid=Qm-JthnfIGfzYM&w=500&h=366&ei=pJEyTvvBF4jQgAejyI2UDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=587&vpy=105&dur=78&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=178&ty=71&page=7&tbnh=134&tbnw=183&start=57&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:57&biw=1093&bih=470
Were we getting ripped off or what?
booie....................
band beyond description
> I forgot what year I jumped on the WebTV bandwagon?
>
> Were we getting ripped off or what?
>
>
> booie....................
Sweetbac to the white courtesy phone...
--
Peace, Steve
Brad Greer
<ba_ba...@webtv.net> wrote:
>Apple Computers sued the maker of the Franklin ACE 100 (1982) for
>copyright infringement. The Franklin company copied the Apple II
>operating system, changed a few words, and sold it as their own.
>http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ace1200-right.jpg
We had one of those, it ran everything the Apple did and cost less.
>The Osborne 1 (1981) is considered to be the first practical and
>useful "portable" computer. It weighs 25 pounds.
>http://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/osborn1_1.jpg
My father had one of these for his job. The thing was a beast and
needed to be plugged in.
>we have come a long way baby.
>I forgot what year I jumped on the WebTV bandwagon?
There was never a WebTV bandwagon. I think you and four other people
signed up for it :)
>I remember seeing news ads with laptops for sale for 2500.00.
>The laptop had way low ram and hardrive,
>Even older computer ads
>http://www.google.com/imgres?q=1990+laptop+price+ads&um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=vn2zJfGIYwye3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.jasondunn.com/date/2007/05/page/2&docid=Qm-JthnfIGfzYM&w=500&h=366&ei=pJEyTvvBF4jQgAejyI2UDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=587&vpy=105&dur=78&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=178&ty=71&page=7&tbnh=134&tbnw=183&start=57&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:57&biw=1093&bih=470
>
>Were we getting ripped off or what?
>
No, we weren't getting ripped off. Moore's Law impacts the cost of
computers very strongly (among many other factors).
Ray O'Hara
>"booie" <ba_ba...@webtv.net> wrote in message
>news:0d5c8650-fae5-42f8-9d8a-The Commodore 64 (1982) retains the record as
> >the most successful
.>single computer model ever, selling over 10 million units.
>http://oldcomputers.net/pics/C64combo.jpg
I still have the remains of my old C-64 lying around.
it really was the Model T of the computer world.
a mass produced and cheap machine that everybody could afford and learn to
operate.
Brad Greer
<everybody's.d...@that.rag.com> wrote:
>On 2011-07-29 06:58:06 -0400, booie <ba_ba...@webtv.net> said:
>
>> The Radio Shack Pocket Computer from 1980 was the first programmable
>> computer to fit in a shirt pocket. http://oldcomputers.net/pics/trs80pc2.jp
>> g
>
>
>it was fondly dubbed the "Trash-80" at my office in the 80s...it also
>printed what you word-processed on a strip of paper resembling a
>cash-register receipt...
The Trash-80 name applied to all computers produced by Radio Shack,
not just the pocket one.