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.

[dangerdoc]

Zork rules!

[SeeSac]

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.

When I was a kid, the 'computer' on my 'workstation' was a slide-rule.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Never heard of REXXON...Wikipedia:

Rexon Business Machines, later Rexon, Inc.,

***********************************EXCERPT************************************

Rexon Business Machines, later Rexon, Inc., , was a manufacturer of small business computer systems founded by Ben C. Wang in 1978 in Culver City, California. It also became a major manufacturer of tape drives and related products. At its height, it played a significant role in the development and sale of magnetic tape data storage products. It traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol REXN until it filed for bankruptcy in 1995 [1] and was acquired by Legacy Storage Systems, a Canadian company. [2] It was last headquartered in Longmont, Colorado.

[Oztrich Boy]

Got my first computer about 1997. An IBM PC with windows95. It cost 1600 bucks, on sale, and the hard drive had about 2GB of space. Top of the line back then, almost junk now. It still works though.

About 1999 that was my Seventh computer (bought used, with 3GB disk)

1. 1981 System 80 16K RAM It had everything (keyboard, cassette tape drive), just plug it into a TV and you were good for computing (provided you knew BASIC)

2. mid 80s Amstrad 6128 128K RAM 16 colour screen. 360K 3" Flippy diskdrive (to get the second 180K you had to eject the disk and rotate 180°) The disks cost $4 Each

3. late 80s Anstrad PPC640 a portable laptop (if you were The Incredible Hulk) but a PCx86 chip MSDOS3 twin 720K DD disk drives and a really bad liquid crystal two colour screen - but you could use a 16 color CGA monitor (aktough that kioda defeated the idea of semi-portability)

4. 1990 Olivetti86 specs about the same as (3.)(I had twin disc drives) but 256 color VGA and a mouse! (Truely we lived in wonderfil times)

5. early 90s Olivetti286 - appearance as (4.) but HD floppy drive and 40MegB hard disk drive (which was already more than MSDOS3 created in the days of the 10MegB drives could address - so it was set up as two virtual drives 32Mg and 8 Md)

6. mid 90s Olivetti PCS42 MORE POWER 640Meg hard drive, MSDOS6 and Windows3 - Never thought I'd need anything more.

[domenad]

You know I come from the generation of engineers just after the slide-rule, and all I ever heard about was the slide-rule, the slide-rule, the slide-rule from my professors. We were the most spoiled engineers in the history of engineering, by their account.

[Oztrich Boy]

3. image for PPC640 (the first P is "portable")

[esquirette]

I started on DOS 1.2 which I loaded onto an IBM clone with an amber screen, a 10 meg hard drive and a 5.25 floppy drive.

[SeeSac]

You know I come from the generation of engineers just after the slide-rule, and all I ever heard about was the slide-rule, the slide-rule, the slide-rule from my professors. We were the most spoiled engineers in the history of engineering, by their account.

I took a 'break' in my college from 1969 to 1974. In 1968 I was using a slide rule, in 1975 I was using a calculator. It was like day and night. Each 'generation' of students becomes the 'most spoiled' with new technology. Enjoy it and appreciate it.

[dangerdoc]

I had the same computer, with a 300 baud modem. I could run education modules at home instead of wading through the snow to get to the computer lab. I was in tech heaven.

[dangerdoc]

When I was a kid, may dad made me practive for hours learning how to crank out calculations on a slide rule. He told me that I would never get anywhere in life without good slide rule skills.

[ctdonath2]

I had one of the first. Didn’t even have floppies.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Adding the floppies was a major advance.....marketing highlighted it heavily!

[esquirette]

Well, you were rich. You could afford the 300 baud modem! LOL.

[CTOCS]

My dad worked for IBM during the moon landing days. IBM made the IU (Instrument Unit) stage for the Saturn V. He told me that the astronauts on the moon landing mission each carried 6 HP-41C’s in pockets throughout their suits. Each one performed a different function. Today, a Timex watch has more computing power.

[antiRepublicrat]

I’d say the Epson HX-20 was the first laptop in 1981. The Tandy Model 100 was the first affordable, usable laptop in 1983. The Model 100 is still popular today for field work due to its ruggedness.

[CodeToad]

I still have a Model 100. It is is perfect shape.

[The Cajun]

First computer worked on:
2 DEC PDP 1134 in beefed up "Box" weighting 50 pounds.
Program drive- reel to reel weighing 70 pounds
Data drive- reel to reel weighing 70 pounds
Keyboard- NCR dot matrix
Monitor- Tektronix weighing in at 60 pounds 12" X 12"
Cooling for computer "rack"- two room air conditioner size squirrel cage blowers.
Peripheral units- general electronics unit, system power unit, optical electronics unit, optical power unit, tool interface unit, 2 optical recording units. Total weight of these units probably 500 to 600 pounds.

This was one of our "Mobile" units, the rack was the size of 3 refrigerators ;^)

[Monkey Face]

My late husband worked at Houston Control, fixing computers during the monitoring of the space flights. Looking at some of the old documentaries, the computers were behemoths. And SLOW!!!

And each was for a different instrument aboard the spacecraft.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Is this it:

TRS-80 model 100

TRS-80 model 100

Announced:	March 1983
Price:	US $599 w/ 8K RAM
Weight:	3.8 lbs.
CPU:	80C85, 2.4MHz
RAM:	8K, 32K max.
Ports:	RS-232, parallel ports
	bar code reader, 300 baud modem
Display:	40 X 8 character LCD display
Power:	4 'AA' batteries
	runs for 16 hours on battery power
	external 9vdc power supply
Storage:	audio cassette in/out
OS:	Microsoft BASIC v1.1 in ROM

[COBOL2Java]

I had one of these!