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It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
http://x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3265		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:53 am ]
Post subject:  It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
There were hundreds - all different formats, all of varying quality. However, given the rather enjoyable programme Mirco Men I thought I’d see what you would buy.

Remember - it’s 1983 - the prices quoted are 1983 prices. You are probably earning around £500 a month, if not less.

I am omitting the BBC Micro Model A as it was not really up to much - I think most people upgraded theirs to a B anyway.

I can’t find the price of a Dragon 32. I think they were around £200 - but that’s a guess.
Author:  HeatherKay [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
Wasn't it about then that the MSX standard appeared?

That used a subset - iirc - of Microsoft's version of BASIC. It meant that many different manufacturers could make a machine, using the same chipsets and some standard gubbins, and they were all compatible with each other and their peripherals.

My Dad worked for Canon UK at the time, and I managed to acquire the Canon MSX machine. Like the ZX81, I never mastered it, but there were some cool games available.

So, I vote Pie. I'm waiting to see what Apple are going to do with their Lisa project...

... and then see if the bank will lend me about £10k to buy it.

8-)
Author:  bobbdobbs [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
48K Spectrum.. rubber keys FTW!! :D Colour clash to give you migraines but the amount of games that just made you go :shock: :o :D plus all that programming fun as well.

peek/poke gimme those infinite lives :geek:
Chuckie egg, Trashman, Sabrewulf, Rebelstar aahh into full reminisce mode :ugeek:
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
The MSX range seemed to be mostly comprised of Japanese hardware. Yamaha did one which interfaced with their synthesiser keyboards, Sony’s HitBit was another.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX

I deliberately chose British hardware. So, buy a BBC B, wait a couple of years, and AMX will come up with a mouse and ROM-based software which makes your BBC very Mac-Like, at a fraction of the cost.
http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/8bit_Upgrad ... Mouse.html
Author:  big_D [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
I had a Memotech MTX500 - brushed black anodised aluminium case, Spectrum like BASIC, C64 sprites, built-in Assembler like the BBC... 256KB & 512KB SSD drives were an option, as were 5.25" and 3.5" floppies and a Winchester disk expansion.

I lusted after the Sirius 1 and the original ACT Apricot - the ACT Apricot was launched as a Sirius 1 compatible MS-DOS computer
Author:  HeatherKay [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
Best Beloved had a Dragon 32.

He's always telling me about it. I try not to look bored.

:D
Author:  Geiseric [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
bobbdobbs wrote:
48K Spectrum.. rubber keys FTW!! :D Colour clash to give you migraines but the amount of games that just made you go :shock: :o :D plus all that programming fun as well.

peek/poke gimme those infinite lives :geek:
Chuckie egg, Trashman, Sabrewulf, Rebelstar aahh into full reminisce mode :ugeek:


+1

I upgraded to the solid keyboard at some point in its life.

I was 13 in 1983 and got a spectrum 48K for xmas and spent the whole day trying to land the plane in flight simulator. In the end I worked out that if I flew the plane off the map it would reappear on the opposite side in line for a perfect approach.


youtube clip of Psion Flight Simulation.....memories :lol:

I can remember having loads of C90 tapes stacked with games on them..... early days of piracy I believe. My parents had no idea :o
Author:  Paul1965 [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
I'd buy a Commodore 64 I think, £399, and starve.

Of the above list I'd get the BBC Micro.
Author:  tombolt [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
I had a Spectrum 48k and as a kid, I'd buy one again. However, as an adult, making the same choice today, I'd go for a BBC Micro as it wouldn't be all about the games.
Author:  james016 [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
We had a Dragon32 then a BBC Micro in the early 80s. I would get the BBC Micro.
Author:  Geiseric [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
Paul1965 wrote:
I'd buy a Commodore 64 I think, £399, and starve.

Of the above list I'd get the BBC Micro.


Yes, wasn't the VIC 20 the poor man's version of the Commodore 64?

A friend had the C64 and when Ghostbusters came out his version looked so much better than the spectrum version, I was very jealous.
Author:  big_D [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
Geiseric wrote:
Paul1965 wrote:
I'd buy a Commodore 64 I think, £399, and starve.

Of the above list I'd get the BBC Micro.


Yes, wasn't the VIC 20 the poor man's version of the Commodore 64?

A friend had the C64 and when Ghostbusters came out his version looked so much better than the spectrum version, I was very jealous.

No, the VIC 20 was the rich man's ZX81... It preceded the Commodore 64 by about 3 years. The 64 replaced it, when it was released.

We used Commodore PETs at school, 2000 and 4000 series. The newer PETs that were launched around the time of the C64, and the Commodore 700 were lovely, much nicer than the C64, but they were too expensive for home use. :(

We also had PETs at college for the first year.


The order of my computers was:
Sinclair ZX81 (Kayde Keyboard and 16KB BugByte RAM Pack)
Commodore VIC20 (I got the 32KB RAM pack)
Memotech MTX500
Amstrad CPC6128
Commodore Amiga 500 (expanded to 1MB RAM and 20MB HD)
ACT Apricot Xi (2nd hand, 10MB HD, with GUI, Office suite, Pascal, C, C++ and BASIC compilers plus documents and still 5MB spare)
Commodore Amiga 1200 (40MB HD model)
Gateway 2000 P90 (with 16MB EDO RAM and 100MB hard drive & 17" Trinitron monitor)
Self-built Cyrix 686 133Mhz with Matrox Mystique graphics
Evesham Pentium II 400, 64MB RAM
Advent Pentium III 1Ghz notebook
Evesham Athlon XP2200+ (upgraded to 2GB RAM and 1st gen 17" TFT - 2002)
Medion Athlon XP2000+ (upgraded to 2GB RAM, Linux test rig, later windows test rig when Athlon64 became main Linux workstation)
Self-built Athlon 64 3200+ (2GB RAM, SATA drives in swappable drive bays - 1 drive for Windows, 1 for Linux, 2004)
Acer Aspire 6100WMLi
Apple iMac 24"
FJS Scaleo P C2Q

The Memotech is still sitting in a shop window in Stadthagen!
Author:  veato [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
I had a ZX (or more my dad did I suppose and I used it) - I've got a photo of me on it somewhere in my funky 80's kids clothes - so I have to pick that. Dailey Thompsons Decathlon on rubber keys FTW.

nmnmnmnmnmnmnmnm SPACE nmnmnmnmnmnmnmnmnmnm SPACE

....or something like that (110m hurdles)!
Author:  paulzolo [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
The computers I had were:
ZX-81 - with a wobbly 16K RAM Pack. Contrary to popular belief, the RAM PAck connectors were OK - but the inner workings were nit - any movement would cause the two circuit boards to touch and cause a short. The fix: a bit of plastic between them :-)

Followed by an Acorn Electron - I saved for ages for this. I was going to get a Spectrum, but I just hated the keyboard, the fact that INK took 5 key presses to type, and the limitations of only 2 colours per 8x8 pixel unit. The Electron did not last long - it had a crappy keyboard and a duff speaker, and it was being mended more than used. I got my money back.

BBC Model B - this was THE machine to have. It had colour, did Teletext graphics, and had loads of ports,. Most of them got filled, and the machine was added to over the years - floppy disk drive, speech chip, Music 500, mouse, sideways ROM/RAM board and so on.

Z88 - yes - I have one of those, and I am happy to say that it still works. Good old Clive made a winner here.

Acorn Archimedes - an original A305, pre ordered. That machine ended up with 2MB RAM, hard drive, and a few other bits (scanner and video digitising)

In my current old computer collection I have a ZX81 I bought from a shop in Yorkshire last year (in it box, BTW), an Acorn Electron donated to me by someone at Uni, a RISC PC I bought from someone for a few quid. Not to mention the Psion Series II, my first PDA (which was a PDA before the term had been invented). I must gather and photograph this collection some time.

Everything I’ve had computer wise for regular use since 1996 has come from Cupertino.
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: It’s 1983 -what computer would YOU buy?
1983? It would have to be a Cray, but god knows how I would pay for it. :D
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