Awesome video. Different, but in the end I love the analogy to the cars and emphasizing that these computers are no obsolete and they continue to do exactly what they were designed to do and quickly help you solve problems or do some fun things. But best of all you focused on it being a computer used as a computer and not just to play games.
Thanks! I appreciate the 'different' label, since I'm trying to look at these topics through a different lens. If you think about it, its odd how we think something has less value just because something newer is out (not better, just newer) - so its worth looking back at these things. Cheers!
I used to trash pick "old" computers in the 90s. Because I was broke. I had more fun cleaning up this stuff for "free" than anything bought. Now the things I used to find, IBM M keyboards, C64s, 8088s, even a DEC Rainbow, go for hundreds and more. It's weird seeing the behavior my wife and mother used to make fun of me for become a major hobby.
The last time I used assembly was college, except for some minor work a decade back. I plan to use this to play with 6502. Agree - this little computer has a pretty sweet display IMO.
Its a true story - I kept looking at it and talking to her about it and she asked "Why don't you get one?" and I said something like "It'll take up too much room, it wont work and would still be disappointing because its just an old computer" - a few weeks later when we get back from vacation there's a box waiting for me. She really is that cool - I was wrong - it wasn't disappointing, but now also responsible for whatever I get next since she guided me to this rabbit hole :)
I fear the "retro" community is about to take a nose dive in popularity. As we move into the mid 2020'a the nostalgia for "retro" computers will fall into the mid 1990's - which had the most boring machines. Everything was beige, boxy, and MSDos / Windows '95. There's not a lot of variation. Sure, there are a handful of oddball computers from that era. But for the most part, the interesting era of computing was the 1980s. Standards were not set and competition generated innovation. It was hard to do BASIC things (no pun nintended) like Hi-Res graphics, audio, hi-density storage, and inter-computer communications (not to mention networking). As the mid nineties emerged, so did standards and computers became appliances. It wouldn't be until the early 2000s that Steve Jobs would return to Apple and cool things would happen. But for the rest of the world, it was beige, boxy, standardized DOS/Windows machines. Very boring for nostalgia.
I'm not as sure about that - the reason is that when look at /r/retrocomputing/ I see an aweful lot of beige boxes. Even if they aren't as interesting to us, it seems that people that grew up with them are nostalgic about them too. I am pretty nostalgic for that time too - not because of the hardware per-say, but that was the time period when Linux was rising and I have a lot of affinity for the software of that era - which brings it to 'well, it would run more authentically on native hardware' Consider the car example - cars from that era are not classics in my mind, but people who had them when they were young are still fixing them up and taking them to car shows. Remember: the year 2000 is as far from now as the year 1960 was from 1984.
I also want to agree with you on almost all of your points - particularly this statement: "Standards were not set and competition generated innovation. It was hard to do BASIC things (no pun nintended) like Hi-Res graphics, audio, hi-density storage, and inter-computer communications (not to mention networking). " One of the things I've noted is how seldom anything changes anymore - especially in software development. Everyone uses React for the front-end and has for years. Everyone uses node.js or python for the back-end and has for years. There are some advancements here and there, but mostly its the same tools we had 10 years ago.
Well, PS3 and GBA seem to have fans. Dreamcast is nice. PS3 runs Linux and has USB. Everyone skips 1995 - 2001 . Windows NT on DEC alpha . All those dream workstations are so fat! SGI, DEC or sparkStation or arcades. Hercules, Mac , and ST appeared 1984 and ran in hires monochrome.
@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt good points - it does seem to me like there are plenty of things in that era to be nostalgic about. I mentioned that I got into computing in my mid-twenties - which happened during the mid 90s. So, the first computer I owned was a beige IBM Aptiva - if I can find the same model with original OS, I will buy it.
@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt - there were also some amazing SPARC machines running Solaris and IBM Power line running AIX from back in that timeframe. I wouldn't mind having a Sun workstation to remind me of college days :)
Gotta love the computing rabbit hole :D thanks for the video.
If I had seen it coming, I would have moved out of the way :) Cheers!
Awesome video. Different, but in the end I love the analogy to the cars and emphasizing that these computers are no obsolete and they continue to do exactly what they were designed to do and quickly help you solve problems or do some fun things. But best of all you focused on it being a computer used as a computer and not just to play games.
Thanks! I appreciate the 'different' label, since I'm trying to look at these topics through a different lens. If you think about it, its odd how we think something has less value just because something newer is out (not better, just newer) - so its worth looking back at these things. Cheers!
Great video! I also love my Commodore Plus4, my first computer! Dedicated almost my channel to it. have fun with your new family member.
Well, you got a fresh subscriber and new fan! Cheers!
@@wrongdog_reckons Thank you, i also gave you a subscription! Keep up the good work!
This channel is awesome !
I appreciate that! Cheers!
I used to trash pick "old" computers in the 90s. Because I was broke. I had more fun cleaning up this stuff for "free" than anything bought. Now the things I used to find, IBM M keyboards, C64s, 8088s, even a DEC Rainbow, go for hundreds and more. It's weird seeing the behavior my wife and mother used to make fun of me for become a major hobby.
I suffer from the 'Who would want this old junk' - so I threw out stuff that I now find myself wanting... it makes no sense :)
Jam in new low profile ceramic caps.
Right? The travel distance on these keys is CRAZY long. On the upside, I never have to go 'where did I put the keyboard for this thing?'
if you know 6502 assembly.....you will find the plus4 is a gift....it displays better than a c64...the Ted chip wernt crap 320x496 interlaced
The last time I used assembly was college, except for some minor work a decade back. I plan to use this to play with 6502. Agree - this little computer has a pretty sweet display IMO.
TED has smaller side borders. Kernal on plus4 includes TEDmon. Reset key actually works (unlike RunStop-what is it even ? Maskable interrupt?)
there were keys that you kept pressed that would reset the machine but keep the program in memory u would recall it with a sys number
there is NO WAY your wife is that cool to surprise buy you a Plus/4. LOL
Its a true story - I kept looking at it and talking to her about it and she asked "Why don't you get one?" and I said something like "It'll take up too much room, it wont work and would still be disappointing because its just an old computer" - a few weeks later when we get back from vacation there's a box waiting for me. She really is that cool - I was wrong - it wasn't disappointing, but now also responsible for whatever I get next since she guided me to this rabbit hole :)
I fear the "retro" community is about to take a nose dive in popularity. As we move into the mid 2020'a the nostalgia for "retro" computers will fall into the mid 1990's - which had the most boring machines. Everything was beige, boxy, and MSDos / Windows '95. There's not a lot of variation. Sure, there are a handful of oddball computers from that era. But for the most part, the interesting era of computing was the 1980s. Standards were not set and competition generated innovation. It was hard to do BASIC things (no pun nintended) like Hi-Res graphics, audio, hi-density storage, and inter-computer communications (not to mention networking). As the mid nineties emerged, so did standards and computers became appliances. It wouldn't be until the early 2000s that Steve Jobs would return to Apple and cool things would happen. But for the rest of the world, it was beige, boxy, standardized DOS/Windows machines. Very boring for nostalgia.
I'm not as sure about that - the reason is that when look at /r/retrocomputing/ I see an aweful lot of beige boxes. Even if they aren't as interesting to us, it seems that people that grew up with them are nostalgic about them too. I am pretty nostalgic for that time too - not because of the hardware per-say, but that was the time period when Linux was rising and I have a lot of affinity for the software of that era - which brings it to 'well, it would run more authentically on native hardware'
Consider the car example - cars from that era are not classics in my mind, but people who had them when they were young are still fixing them up and taking them to car shows. Remember: the year 2000 is as far from now as the year 1960 was from 1984.
I also want to agree with you on almost all of your points - particularly this statement: "Standards were not set and competition generated innovation. It was hard to do BASIC things (no pun nintended) like Hi-Res graphics, audio, hi-density storage, and inter-computer communications (not to mention networking). "
One of the things I've noted is how seldom anything changes anymore - especially in software development. Everyone uses React for the front-end and has for years. Everyone uses node.js or python for the back-end and has for years. There are some advancements here and there, but mostly its the same tools we had 10 years ago.
Well, PS3 and GBA seem to have fans. Dreamcast is nice. PS3 runs Linux and has USB. Everyone skips 1995 - 2001 .
Windows NT on DEC alpha .
All those dream workstations are so fat! SGI, DEC or sparkStation or arcades.
Hercules, Mac , and ST appeared 1984 and ran in hires monochrome.
@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt good points - it does seem to me like there are plenty of things in that era to be nostalgic about. I mentioned that I got into computing in my mid-twenties - which happened during the mid 90s. So, the first computer I owned was a beige IBM Aptiva - if I can find the same model with original OS, I will buy it.
@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt - there were also some amazing SPARC machines running Solaris and IBM Power line running AIX from back in that timeframe. I wouldn't mind having a Sun workstation to remind me of college days :)