25 Random Facts About Old Computers:

oldcomputers.net ^

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Apple Lisa (1983) was the first successful computer with a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse. It cost $10,000.

• The GRiD 1101 is the grand-daddy of all modern-day laptops. It cost over $8000 in 1982.
  
  
• Their new VIC-20 (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 (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.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[skeeter]

Apple IIC bump.

[domenad]

I love the fact that the phone I carry in my pocket has far more computing power than desk-sized workstation I learned on as a kid.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I have seen those.

[Windcatcher]

TI-99/4-A FTW

[skeeter]

Good ol’ days. The disk drive sounded like an impact printer.

[PrincessB]

I remember the Commodore 20. It used a cassette tape to record programming.

[DManA]

I hate the fact that I’m so old that when I was a kid state of the art offices had adding machines with crank handles.

[ShadowAce]

[VA_Gentleman]

The computer chip in my cell phone is more powerful than the computers used to launch the first rockets into space.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I was just reading a review of the Droid2 which has a Texas Instrument processor that is a SoC of 1 Mhz.

I'll drop the link here just in case anyone cares:

Motorola Droid 2 Review: Rebooting the Droid

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I used an Apple ][e for 25 years and programmed it in assembler as well as BASIC.

[TheCipher]

TI-99/4-A FTW

I had one of those. Just tossed it out a couple of years ago.

[freedumb2003]

>>I love the fact that the phone I carry in my pocket has far more computing power than desk-sized workstation I learned on as a kid.<<

The phone I carry has more computing power and storage than the mainframe I worked on that filled a LARGE ROOM. We spoke in K and Megs — Gigabytes were for “big shops” like banks, oil companies and the IRS (still probably owner of one of the biggest databases in the world).

[RetroSexual]

Cool site! Here's the first computer I used, a Kaypro II with CP/M. Thought it was epic.

[Political Junkie Too]

I had a TI, too. Eventually got an Apple //e, before finally getting a a 386 PC. Still have the Apple, but not the TI.

-PJ

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I still have my tapes :-)

[stefanbatory]

I see that John Titor’s IBM 5100 made the list...

[Doogle]

I just threw a Commodore out.....