When computers were sexy: Hilarious vintage ads from the early days of the PC (LOTS of graphics)

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | April 1, 2012

[Bikkuri]

Lol... same here.. I got my TRaSh 80 in 1980 as well :p along with that darn cassette recorder.. and a whopping 300Bd modem (cradle) :/

[superloser]

3D-printing technology

Try the open-source version: RepRap.

The Prusa Mendel is fairly simple to build and if you're creative you can get the cost down under $350.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Oh yes, I had to have several boot disks in order to configure expanded and extended memory in just the right way to satisfy certain programs. I liked DOS, actually. You could configure your own settings, but it took a little effort. Then along came windows, which did everything for you instead. It’s like being replaced by a computer or something.

[rdl6989]

That is VERY interesting.

[cynwoody]

[ssaftler]

I still say the absolute funniest computer ad EVER was Hal Pawluk’s “dBASE vs. the Bilge Pumps” that came out in the 80’s. Wish I had a JPG of it to publish here, but if you follow the link below, you can see it from InfoWorld in 1981.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wD0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq=dbase+bilge+pumps&source=bl&ots=3KSdAj41Zq&sig=Nsicqkcxgi01_lPveZ-9w2utvgw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lYR4T9jzN_PJiQKwndmnDg&ved=0CF4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=dbase%20bilge%20pumps&f=false

[IronJack]

The 6502 was MOS Technology. But the architecture was similar to the Motorola 6800

The IIc used a 65C02 Motorola chip. The Apple II used the 6502. And the Mac used a 68000 Motorola. I used to have the microprogramming specs for the 68000, although I never had a Mac. And I still have the machine language book for the 65C02. Even wrote a few ML programs for that IIc.

[whinecountry]

My Dad did the Cromemco ad. I got my feet wet in hi-tech by writing/editing copy for Cromemco, Wiltron, etc. way back when.

[Oatka]

Good old DAK (he’s still around). Loved his ads, which were loaded with hyperbole. The one that sticks in my mind was an one for a computer that ran with “a BLAZING 12 Megahertz!!!”

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks for starting this thread! The first computer I used was a company machine that my mom’s company issued to her. The machine had a giant tape drive (about the size of a video cassette). After that, my school introduced some Tandy machines in the library. Gads, I remember making ASCII drawings of fighter jets and helicopters on a Commodore 64.

[GeronL]

Awesome stuff.

Isaac Asimov!??

“What the heck is electronic mail?” - lol

That was one BIG modem on the first ad. What speed was it, 1200 baud?

[Army Air Corps]

I remember seeing those early E-mail adverts in business magazines like Forbes and Fortune.

[tomkat]

Mine too !

(and we're still da bomb ;-)lol

[GeronL]

They beat the IPAD to the market by a long shot. lol.

[abb]

Babbage's "Difference Engine"

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

[GeronL]

I was very late to the party.

My FIRST computer, bought on layaway at a pawn shop, was a TANDY 386 with Windows 3.11. I was so excited it had a CD-ROM, lol. Of course, everyone else was upgrading 486’s to pentiums around that time. This thing had a 25 mhz processor and about 100 MG harddrive. (kept getting bad sectors all the time though)

That thing wouldn’t do anything until I added more ram (to 28MB?), a new modem (33.6 kpbs) and a new sound card. I remember signing up for a $100 a year internet service, they had to mail me a floppy with a browser (I had none), it was Netscape (1.12?), one of the first ones I think, lol)

I knew I was behind but I didn’t care.

I loved games. I had to delete a game to play another one, lol. Tank! and Gunship 2000 (off of 2 floppies) were my favorite, they were 3-d... of a sort.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Those aren't as useless as you might think. For example,

these were used by the ancient Egyptians, around the time of the Pharaohs. But the red led numbers would get dim and burn out over time. And you only got about a half hour of use after every recharging. So they invented the abacus instead, which lasted longer.

[cynwoody]

In any case in the spirit of the thread there used to be a website that brought back real memories especially from the UofP and the PDP-10... www.asciigirls.com or.net or .org. It seems to be gone now, it's not even on the Wayback site.

Here's one I just made, in a few seconds, from a photo of a high-school basketball star that appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, 1984:

~~~~~~:~~~~~::~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~:::::::~~~~~~~========+++++?????
~~~~~~~~~~~~:::::::::::::,,::,:::::::,:::::::::::~:::~::~~~~~~~~===~===++++?????
~::~~~:~~::::::::::,:,::,,,::::I7$$=~:::,::,::::::::::::::~~~~~~~===~===+++??+++
~~~:~~::::::::::,,,,,,,,:,::==$?ZOOOO==::,:::::::,:::::::::::::~~=~~~===++++???+
~::::::::::,,:,,,,,,,,:=:::$~+7$D$NMNZ=~:~::,:+7I~,,,,::::::::~~~~~~~===++?+????
::::::,,,,:,,,,,,,,,,,,~=MND7O7DM??DMDI==~~~+IIZZD+~~~:,,:::::::~~~~~~~~==+++???
:::::,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ODN8ON8MN8D+8OMN?$?$+8DNM7~N8+?I?~,,,::::::::~~~~~~=++++??
::::,,,::,,,,,,,,,,.:=8NNMDNMNNNDNDONNOO$ZNDD7ODN8O$O+87:,,:,:,,::::::~~==++++??
::,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.:IONDNNNMMMMMMMNNNMMMNDNNM8NMM88NNMIZ?~,,,,,,,::::::~==++++++
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,$NDNNDNNMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMNMMMMMNDDNMMNMI~,,,,,::::::~==+++++
,,,,,,,..,.....,.,8M8NMMNMNMNMNNMMNMMMMMMMMMMMN8DMMMDNNNMMN7+:,,,:::::::~===++++
,,,.,,....,,..,~$78NNNDMMMMMMNMNMMMMMMMMMMNDMNMMMMMMNDMNM88N~,,,,,,,:::::~==+++?
.,............ZDN8DNNNDDNMNNNMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMNNMMNMMMMMMM:,,,,,,,,:::~~==++??
,...........,,7+?OMNNNDNMMD8NDMDMMMMMNMDMMMMMMMM8MMMMMMNNDMMZ:.,,,,,,,:::~~=++??
,...........~DNMMNNNNNMNMN8MNNMMDNMNMNNDNMNNNNNNNNMMMNNMM8MMMNZ,.,,,,,,,::~++++?
...........:MNNMMNNNNNN88NNNNNMMNMNMNMMMMNMMDNNDNDMDMMMNNMMMMMM7:.,.,,,,,~~==+++
......  ...=NMMNNNNNNDNNNMMMMNNNMMMMMMMMMMNMMNNNNNNNMMNNNMNMMMMM8+.,,,,,,:~~====
...........OMMMMMMNMND8DNNMNNDNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMNDDDNNNMMNMMMMM8~..,,,,,::~===
.. .......,NMMMMMMMMNMNMMMMMNN8NNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNMNNDNNNNNNMNDDNND7,:,.,,,,::~=
..........,MMMMMMNMMMMMMMNNN888DNMMMNOZZNMNNDDNMNMNNDDDNMMMMNDD8DMMD8:,,,,,,,,:~
..  ..... DMMNMNNMMMMNNNMN8Z7$$Z8ZZ$I?++?ZNNDOD8DMMN8NNNMMMNNDDDNNMMNN,,.,,,,,,:
 .  ...  $NMNN8DNNMNMNDNND7$777I+?????=~++?$$88NNMNDO8DMNMMMNNDDDDNMMNO.,,.,,,::
. .   ..:NNMMMMMNNMNNMNMO$77II+++==++?====+++OO8DDMNDNMDMMMN8NDN8DDNDD8,..,,,,,,
..   .. 8NNDDMDMMNNNNNNO$$7I?++=~=~=++?++=+?I$Z88DND8DNNNNMNDDNN8NN8DDDI,..,,,,,
..  ...~8MNNMDDMNDNMNN8OZ$I??+=~~~~===++?+++=?7$ODNDDDDMMDMNNND8DMDNND8Z,....,,,
    ..?IDNNNNNMNNNMMNDOO$7I??+=:~~~~~~~~~~~~==?7ZODMMMNDNNNND8NNNM8NNDD8,.....,,
    .,8NMMNNMNMMNDNNN8OO$II?+=~~~~~~~::~~~~~~=?7ZO88NNDNDNMNMNDNNNDNNDD=.......,
    ..$DNNNNNNDNNNDM88O$7$7?+=====~~~~~~==+IZ8OOO$O8DNONMMMMMNNMNNDNNO?:,......,
    ..NDDDDDDNDNNNNN8OODZ7ZZ8DDO$?=====+?$ZOZI?++I7ZZO$ONMMMMMMMNNDDNO?.........
     .ONDNNNNNNMMMM8OO8OO$77OOZZ$7?=~~+?I$$Z7DMNM8NOZ$77OMMMMMMMMMNMOD~=, ......
       ZDO8NNNMMMNM8ZZ88DNZ7NNZO$Z$?=~=I7I+O,8M8~Z88$??7ZMMMMMDO8DNDDZ=, . .....
     .. ?ZO7DDNMMDD8Z$$8N8+?8D?~I7$7===II?=?$7ZZ8O7I???IZNNDNMNMDM8D=7= ........
         ~?, $8NNND8O$777$Z$$7I+??77+==?I?+===~+~~+++?I7OD$ODDDNDNM??=~.........
       ... =~NN8NNDDO$7III+??++??I$7===???+=+=+==++++?I7OO$D8$ZONO8NM87:........
         .,+ZM?DDMDDOZ77II??++++?I77+~~+?++==~====+++?I$O$DMNOIN8=$ZDOZ=,.. ....
           N=?DDMNNOOO$7I??+===++I7?+~~+?+++=~~~~~=+?I7$ONMMNDDNI==OO~+. .. ....
         ..NN?~,7ODMOOZ7I?+=~+=??II?=~:=+??+?===~==+?I7ZZ.MMMMDD8?ZN+~.       ..
          ..DN8Z7ZDM~OZ$I?++++??I$7$?=+IZ$++?7?++++??7$Z$DMMMMMDZ$7$+.        ..
          . , 7O8DNNMOZ$7II????I?I77777?+==+=?$I???II$$$OMMMMMZ?, ..,?,         
         .. . .?=DZNMZZZ$77IIIIIII7?+=====+=+??Z$7I77$$$MMMIMNI7~~,,...         
          ..77II$=MMMNZZ$$77$Z$7$Z$$77$$$$$ZO8Z+7I?II77ZMMNNNO$=?.,+.:      ..  
         ...+:$OO7?Z78ZZ$7?+?I7NZII++:,,,,?$7?=+++?II77NMMNNMZ:$,~,:~,.         
         ...?8O$,,.78$Z$$7I?=+??7$$7$+7=I77$?===++II77ZMMNNNM7ZI=,..            
           .. .~,:7~=.:7Z$$7????IIZ7II$7$7I?+=++?III7ZMOMMNNMNOO..              
              .  :?~:+7I$ZZ$7III?I7I??????++?+??I777$DDMDNMMD=:. .              
                 .??Z+,$,.ZO$$7I??+++=====++++?I77$Z$ZMMNNMD8.                  
                  +.. ~$,=,IOZ$7I?+?=~~~~==++?I7$ZZ$$ZODO77,...                 
                 .....$+?$..OOOZ$7??=~~~=++??$ZO8Z7$$7ZO.....                   
                    ..~8D.,,7OOOOZ7IIIII?I7$ZDDOZ7777777$ ...                   
                    ..  ,.::~OZOOOOOOOZOO8NN8$$$IIIIIIII$$~ .                   
                             $OZZZZZOOZZZZ$7I77I7I??????I7OD.                   
    .                      .. OOZOOOOOOZ$77777III??+?+???I7ZZI.. .              
                   ....... :7ZOOOOOO88OZ$7777III??+++???II7I$ZO~,               
            .. ....OD88888888O8ZZOOOOOOZ$$$III?+?++++?IIII7$ZZZOZ ..            
            ....D8D88OOOO8888DDZZZZOO8Z$$77I???=+++??777$ZZZZOOZZZ7 ...         
          ..,:DD8888OOOOD888D8D$777ZOO$7777IIII77$$Z$$$$$ZZOOOZZ$$Z$I ..        
         ...DD8888OOOOO8DO8888DII?7OZ7$77II77ZZ7I+??II7ZOOOOZ7$7$$7$ZZZ... .    
        . .D8888OOOOZZO88888D88??IZ$Z$777II7I7I+==+?$$O8OOZ$Z7$7I777$$ZZI .     
        .:D88O8OOOZZZOO888DOO8$I7$$$$$7II???+++==+IZ8OOZZ$7$IIIII?77$$7ZO8 .    
        .88888OOZZZZZO88DDOOOO$$$77III???I+??+++?IO88ZZZ$77II?+??+?II7$$Z8D.    
       .~88888OOOOOZO888DD8OZ$$$777I??II???+++++?O8OOOO$7II???+++++??I7$ZO8D..  
      . 8888OOOOOOOOOO888D8OZ$7777III??7??+++++I$88OOOZ$7I??+++==~~=??I7ZZO88.  
      . 8D8D88OOOOOOO8D8D88O$$$7IIIII?+?I++++??$Z88OOOZ$7I++++==~~~~=?I7$ZZ8D:  
       .888888OOOOOO8888D8OZ$$7I7III??++++++??7Z88O8OOZ$$I?+=====~==+?II7ZZO8D..
      .=D88888OOOOO8D88DDOOZ$$77III??+???++??7$O88OO8OOZ$I?+===~====+?II$$ZO88:.
      .8D888D8OOOOO888D88OZZZ$7III?????++???I$$O8OOOOOO$77??++====+++?I77$ZO88N.
      .O888D88OOOO88888D8OOZ$$7IIIII???II?II7$ZZOOO8OOZ$$7I?++++==+++?II7$ZO888,
      .DDDDD88OO88888888OOOZ$7$IIIII??II?II7I$ZZZZOOOZZZ$7II?++++=++???I77$ZO8DO
    . .D88DD8OO88888888OOOZ$$$7777IIII7IIII77$ZZ$ZOOZOZZ$7II?+++++?++?II77$$O88D
     .:D888D888888OOO88OZOZZ$$7$777IIIIII777$$$$ZZZO8Z$$$7II??+++++++?III77$ZO8D
     .+88888DD8O8O8OO8OO8OZZZZ$7$7$7I777II7$$$$$Z$ZOOZZ$$77II???++++??II7I$$ZOO8
     .ZD8OOD8888OOOOOZO888OZZ$$$$777I7777777777$$$ZZOZZ$$777I??++?++??II77$$ZZO8
     .888OOD88OOOZO$ZZOO88OOZ$Z77$7$7IIII77I77$7$7Z8OZZ$777I??++??++??II7$$$ZZO8

http://www.glassgiant.com/ascii/

[Army Air Corps]

I recall a friend of mine from junior high who had an Amiga and my other geek friends marveled at his graphics! I recall the times when another friend and I would spend time on our local BBS. There was a guy in my junior high school who was proud of the fact that he could gain access to nudie pics via modem; he was thrilled that it took only half an hour receive and print a centerfold on his B&W dot matrix printer.

[martin_fierro]

TEH HAWT