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Small black box of computing desire

As usual, I found the comments far more illuminating than the article itself!

But the picture is nice, though. Sinclair usually got the aesthetics right, I reckon; and especially so in the case of the ZX81.

Here's another nice link if (or when) you have a half-hour to spare.

Hope that this link works
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/TECH/g...dore.64.net.jpg

Yes. It's a C=64 with the LED glowing.

Does yours still work, Neil?

Never had one, the first computer that I bought was a Toshiba laptop, about 5 years ago. Tried not to have a computer in the house, but the wife needed one. Now we own 3 laptops and an imac and I have just bought an HP laptop for my mother.

Geoff, try this
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/09/commodore.64.reborn/index.html

This is the full story

Thanks for that link, Neil. I'll take a closer look later.

As I have probably already mentioned (?) the first "computer" I bought was a ZX-80 back in 1980. Followed by BBC Micro's and Masters once I had more of a clue about it all.

Then on to IBM-clones (pre-286) in Saudi in the late eighties and early nineties. They used to cost a month's salary, as I recall. Happy Days!

I bought my own first laptop for SR 6,000 from the Shula Centre in Khobar seventeen years ago. A 486 Bondwell (from Hong Kong) with a bluish "monochrome" screen. That one went AWOL seven months later (if only to dispel the myth that "there is no Ali-Baba in Saudi Arabia")!

The second one was more of the same, but with a colour display, and 8 MB of RAM. SR 7,000 that time!

Anyone else remember the "Khobar" virus?

Toshiba laptops always used to be highly regarded. I bought a few in job-lot off eBay a few years ago, and they were still in good shape. Even had the carrying cases and manuals. I gave one away to Colin (my son) and sold the others later as part of one of my own "job-lots"!

My boy had a C=64 back in his youth. Good for games (and PEEKing and POKEing if you were into that sort of thing - which I was) but inferior to the BBC Micro is almost every way (in my opinion).

I wonder if we'll be seeing much more of this sort of thing? You know, for other "classics" such as the BBC Micro*, Tatung Einstein, Dragon, etc., etc.

Interesting though that folk reckon there is a market for born again retros. Maybe there is, but somehow I have my doubts.

If you want a proper retro machine, you can pick one up off eBay for a lot less than the amount mentioned. Or if you just want emulation, you can buy a decent PC for the same money. Or, better yet, why not enjoy the best of both worlds and get a nice PC and a real C=64 (whatever)?

A guy posting at one of the "retro" forums has this to say:-


Perhaps he's right.

My own take is that whilst there may be great fun to be had in building your own "retro machine" (or simply enhancing an original), buying a new one is a bit, err ... naff. A bit like buying a new "Mini" in fact.

OK ... now I'm standing by to be flamed by all those proud owners of those hideous (large, at least) "Minis". But, on the other hand, should we expect anyone to come on here and actually admit to having one of those things?

* Already done, of course.

What's next ... retro Rigels?

I reckon that even I shouldn't have two much trouble squeezing a 288 into one of my old 233 carcasses!

Meanwhile, here's a link to a forum that may be of interest to some folk.

Here's a bit more. Clever stuff, in my opinion. And I'm constantly amazed (humbled, even) by the quality of work that some guys produce for what is really a Labour of Love. It's also nice to be reminded that for some good folk, it's not all just about money, money and ... err, money!