I loved this thing. Kind of wish I still had mine. I would take it everywhere, even on vacation. It was given to me by one of my mom's friends. Her kids had outgrown it.
Just found the 1986 Whiz Kid. Mom wanted to throw it out, "It can't work!" Find batteries, put them in, bam, it worked. That is tough tech right there!
I don't know why I had the urge to look this up but I did. I had one of these when I was a kid. The sounds bring back so many memories. They were a running joke between me and my dad. Especially when it said ear..we used to purposely make it glitch out and repeat ear ear ear lmao.
Oh man that was such a big part of my childhood for a few reasons! Mainly because I was the kid in the commercial for it! They gave me one and my mom made me use it every day for years afterwards. Love seeing that so many others remember that tune all these years later! doo doo doo-doo, dododododo doo doo--inSERT CAR-duh! (thanks MissShaina)
@@jasonmetcalfe4695 yes! I think there were a few hundred of them at least. It was so long ago that my memory is foggy. I recently came across it going through my old stuff in storage but I think the cards were missing. I'll try to find it and post a picture soon.
@@jessesnyder1276 I was always curious as to whether there was more to it as a young boy, I grew bored of the original 50 cards very quickly, only half of mine remain now I think (I remember my younger brother cut some of them up)
Wow. As soon as I heard the computer's voice I remember this. I had a different version which used a more hard cartridge type expansion but still similar style. Great memories, thanks for sharing.
Sweet nostalgia!!! "Insert card, insert card.. try again, try again" My favorite cards were all bent up from me shoving them in 😄 I always pretended I was going to "work" carrying it by that handle. What I wouldn't give for a day to go back to that childhood freedom.
The music that plays when you turn it on randomly popped into my head this morning, so I looked for a video that shows it and found this. Crazy how a little chip tune jingle I haven’t heard since I was a little kid in the late 80’s can just show up in the brain 30+ years later. This thing was my childhood.
36 years later I still remember the "Yes, you are right!" I think kids these days should all have one of these to learn basic math and spelling, which is locked down so it doesn't allow for distractions such as non-educational games and dangerous things.
I specifically searched for a video on this toy! I had one in '88...my mom had to get it on layaway at K-MART for my birthday! I brought it to show & tell so for one day I was the coolest kid in class. When we spent a weekend at my aunts, I didn't realize until we got back that I had left it in my front yard where it had rained for 2 nights!!! Man my ma was FURIOUS, she actually cried (which was the worst thing ever at that age) I promised & promised to fix it but she wanted to throw it away...I fished it out've the garbage, found the hair dryer, dried it out & the next day the damn thing worked! thanks for the memories man!!!
Dude, this is so rad! I was reading comics and randomly whistled the tune that plays when you turn the power on and came on here to find a vid. I had this when I was a kid. Looking at this video and seeing it now, I remember the whole machine being so much bigger when I was a little kid, lol!
This is great! I use to have one when i was a kid. That "insert card" over and over again because it couldn't read the code, so you would shove it in harder 🤣. Oh the memories. Thanks for sharing
OMG YES I had one of these! I used to tote it all around using that handle! The sounds...wow that brings back memories. I randomly remember the way it said "oven" like "OH-ven". I hope mom still has it stashed in a box somewhere.
I had a Talking Lesson One and also a Pre Computer 1000 Junior when I was younger, they had the exact same voice as this toy. I like these kinds of toys, they're cool. Where was this toy made? It's interesting to note that the Talking Lesson One plus was known as the Talking Whiz Kid Plus in the US I believe, but the Talking Whiz Kid is different to Talking Lesson One if this comment makes any sense to you.
Sooooo many memories, man! Did anyone ever notice the few words it would oddly pronounce? "Pear" always sounded like "peer," and I cannot properly imitate how it said "ink" if the world depended on it. Good times!
I had one. Well, before that my cousins had one and I first saw them play it at my grandma's house in the mid-late 1980s. Later, my sister and I received one for the holidays. I remember playing the hangman game for hours.
I got that too. It still works, I need to get some batteries for it. I got it in the 80's. It's old and outdated technology that's still fun. I keep the cards in a little red box with a map of the US on it
I loved that! There was a family card with a bunch of people and arrows and you had to put in the letters for each family member, I remember it being tough. I was 6.
OMG I had one of those as a kid you brought back some fun memories. I remember playing with mine for hours. I also remember having a ton of cards, I also remember wearing out the cards so the it could not read them anymore. Great job on the video.
DUDE!!! I had one of these when i was a kid and I LOVED it! I tried to find one on eBay but cant find one...Its funny cuz some of the cards didnt even work. But i use to be on this thing for hours! Damn I miss this thing...GREAT VIDEO!!
OMFG!! I had one of these as a kid, and I remember mine would not read the cards very well after a few years, I actually got it from my step dad, after my mother met him, he was just trying to butter my mother up lol, little did he know I already had a C64, and was programming basic around 87. But yes it helped me learn some things as well.
Could you make a clear recording of it saying "insert card; Try again" and doing the intro tune? Ive been wanting to sample that into a song for over a decade but cant find it anywhere
@eyeswideopen82 yea the whole Insert Card is TOTALLY imprinted into my memory i will NEVER forget that computer-based voice it would piss me off lol, and the little white button to close it its so weird watching this video
Omg the memories! I had one of these when I was little! It was my first laptop lol. I ended up threwing mine away, because I didnt know were the cards were anymore.
I can see those cards can easily get lost or damaged especially kids as they can guarantee lose separate pieces to a unit rendering the laptop useless. It's a good thing with newer toy laptops that you can access programs by keying in a code number and not have to worry about losing program cards over time.
I had something like this, can't remember exactly what it was, not this though. I used to play it habitually. Ahh... the Steven Hawking voice. Pure 80's nostalgia.
The sound effects on this one are much higher pitched than the version of whiz-kid that I had...I wonder why that is. The VOICE is the same, but the beeps/correct sound/wrong sound are much higher pitched.
I had / have mine still, I still remember the tune with "insert card" lol n thanks to one of the starter "cards" it's become a family running gag at the grocery store... "Mango, spell Mango, M A N G O... Mango spell Mango"
I used to love mine, in Britain it was green and white. One thing I remember it was all American so they spelt things differently and items had different names
OMG!! This brings back memories!!!!! XD I love that computer and I love the way it talks! IF i can find one in perfect condition or near perfect I would buy it!
omg i had a newer one of those growing up, it was bluish teal and had a weird screen but it was fun as hell. now i want it again cuz i might actually be able to get the carts for it now haha
do you think there is any chance you could scan some of the cards and upload them?... i live in Chile and it's really hard to find a store that ships overseas.. you could scan from a15 to a35 which are the cards that need the picture to be played. thank you for this great vid!
SO WAS I! Thank you, I thought I was the only one. Especially when you got an answer wrong, it was like you angered the devil inside the thing. ;) lol ...
That looks so COOL! I`m always looking for REAL educational toys for my son,and so,i`d buy that without hesitation! That card swapping methode is really awsome and ahead of it`s time! And plus,that voice sounds just like Stephen Hawkin`s and who else would be better to teach your kids math and othe stuff :) ?! Thanks gamester! Keep it cool! Cheers!
I bet the "program cards" don't really have programs on them and all the system's programming is encoded in the ROM inside the unit. Those bar codes can't encode more than a few bits of information; enough to encode a number which indexes into a lookup table inside the ROM that selects the game to play, but not nearly enough to contain the program itself. Shit's even weaker than a Speak-n-Spell (which actually had a ROM cartridge slot through which the unit's vocabulary could be extended). I also still remember that "Insert Card" voice. I saw a unit on demo in a store when I was a kid and flipped it on, and that's what it greeted me with. I didn't bother to muck with it because I knew it would bore me to tears.
You're probably right. I remember being able to play games without the cards, just by entering a letter/number found on the back of the cards when prompted.
Yep. I used my elite 5 year old hacking skills to play games on the card set I didn't own by noting down the numerical codes after trial and error. I must have noticed one time that a button mashing had loaded a game and worked from there
Oh my GOD--do you know how long it's been since I heard that fabulous "doo doo doo-doo, dododododo doo doo--inSERT CAR-duh"? Such nostalgia! Thanks!
MissShaina I want mine back. I used to love this thing!
I know, right!!! I wore this thing out when I was a kid!!! Loved it so much!
"in-SERT Card"
@@jaredkebbell443 ERROR ERROR
I tried to find this toy by singing the tune into the Google voice command. 🤣🤣🤣
Man! This takes me back...almost brings tears to my eyes. I remember spending hours at a time playing with mine. Now I want to go find one!
i wish my parents never sold it at a yard sale, had a ton of the cards too
Me too! I enjoyed playing with it everyday... I threw mines away about 8 years ago
Getting old sucks. But it sucks a little less knowing I’m not alone with my memories. Why can’t we be kids forever???
That little diddy at the beginning is forever ingrained in my brain, sometimes i randomly start singing it and ending with "insert card, try again"
Long awaited reply, but yes totally I do the same thing!
Same here!
Yep, same. Probably for life!
I loved this thing. Kind of wish I still had mine. I would take it everywhere, even on vacation. It was given to me by one of my mom's friends. Her kids had outgrown it.
Just found the 1986 Whiz Kid. Mom wanted to throw it out, "It can't work!" Find batteries, put them in, bam, it worked. That is tough tech right there!
Of course it still works, it's made by VTech, and their products were generally quite well made, there's not much that can go wrong with them.
@@Lachlant1984They where pretty cheap and nasty, but still fairly robust.
I don't know why I had the urge to look this up but I did. I had one of these when I was a kid. The sounds bring back so many memories. They were a running joke between me and my dad. Especially when it said ear..we used to purposely make it glitch out and repeat ear ear ear lmao.
The thought of it randomly popped into my head too!! It made me so happy!
my babysitter got so pissed because us kids would also keep pressing the ear button lol
me 2 lol
Same lmao! Used to crack me up. Wait for it...
- - - E A R - - -
Just found the one I had and it was in a box. It looks like the day I opened it on Christmas as a kid. I remember really loving this thing.
Oh man that was such a big part of my childhood for a few reasons! Mainly because I was the kid in the commercial for it! They gave me one and my mom made me use it every day for years afterwards. Love seeing that so many others remember that tune all these years later! doo doo doo-doo, dododododo doo doo--inSERT CAR-duh! (thanks MissShaina)
That's awesome! Just going to leave this here... :)
th-cam.com/video/ZdzpEiJ93hU/w-d-xo.html
wow did they actually give you all the different sets of cards and things too?
@@jasonmetcalfe4695 yes! I think there were a few hundred of them at least. It was so long ago that my memory is foggy. I recently came across it going through my old stuff in storage but I think the cards were missing. I'll try to find it and post a picture soon.
@@jessesnyder1276 I was always curious as to whether there was more to it as a young boy, I grew bored of the original 50 cards very quickly, only half of mine remain now I think (I remember my younger brother cut some of them up)
@@jessesnyder1276Bit of a poor design tbh. Knowing children, those cards are going to be lost in 5 minutes flat.
That little tune when it's turned on and then the "insert card" voice gives me goosebumps and brings out tears of nostalgia
This was my childhood CPU!!
Mine too!!!
Wow. As soon as I heard the computer's voice I remember this. I had a different version which used a more hard cartridge type expansion but still similar style. Great memories, thanks for sharing.
Yas! This just brought back so many memories! From the pictures in the cards to the sounds.. "insert card.." so awesome!
I loved this toy! My kids got Ipads for Christmas and seeing them play with them reminded me of my childhood 'computer'. How times have changed! TFS
Sweet nostalgia!!! "Insert card, insert card.. try again, try again" My favorite cards were all bent up from me shoving them in 😄 I always pretended I was going to "work" carrying it by that handle. What I wouldn't give for a day to go back to that childhood freedom.
The music that plays when you turn it on randomly popped into my head this morning, so I looked for a video that shows it and found this. Crazy how a little chip tune jingle I haven’t heard since I was a little kid in the late 80’s can just show up in the brain 30+ years later. This thing was my childhood.
I caught the nostalgia fever for sure. This was one of my favorite things growing up. Best thing ever! Thanks for the video.
OMFG my childhood right there, NOSTALGIA MAN!!!! I haz it ;_;
Leona's Workshop
Do you like Barney the Purple Dinosaur?
Dude I almost cried :) So, that took me back!
Thanks for the video!
same my eyes started to water .. memories
Good stuff!
36 years later I still remember the "Yes, you are right!" I think kids these days should all have one of these to learn basic math and spelling, which is locked down so it doesn't allow for distractions such as non-educational games and dangerous things.
I specifically searched for a video on this toy! I had one in '88...my mom had to get it on layaway at
K-MART for my birthday! I brought it to show & tell so for one day I was the coolest kid in class. When we spent a weekend at my aunts, I didn't realize until we got back that I had left it in my front yard where it had rained for 2 nights!!! Man my ma was FURIOUS, she actually cried (which was the worst thing ever at that age) I promised & promised to fix it but she wanted to throw it away...I fished it out've the garbage, found the hair dryer, dried it out & the next day the damn thing worked! thanks for the memories man!!!
I had one around 1988 and left mine in the rain also. A day later it worked like a champ. Good stuff and great memories for sure.
I can't explain how freaking HAPPY I got hearing those beeps and the voice! OMG! I want it again
Haha! You know when it said “ear”, i think it’s saying error! Hilarious. Brings back childhood memories!
Thank u for bring back my childhood memories. I always remember when the computer said 'insert card!' haha
I've been looking everywhere to find the name of this toy. I used to have one and I loved it. Thanks for the video! :)
hahah I loved this thing when I was a kid. I always got a kick out of it saying 'ear' for 'error' and I'm glad this video had an example of it. XD
Dude, this is so rad! I was reading comics and randomly whistled the tune that plays when you turn the power on and came on here to find a vid. I had this when I was a kid. Looking at this video and seeing it now, I remember the whole machine being so much bigger when I was a little kid, lol!
Totally agree! I have "Insearch Card!" forever etched into my brain thanks to this thing :-)
This brings back so many memories! Thanks for posting.
This is great! I use to have one when i was a kid. That "insert card" over and over again because it couldn't read the code, so you would shove it in harder 🤣. Oh the memories. Thanks for sharing
INSERCH. CARD. Try Again. TRY AGAIN. nothing made 4-year-old me angrier than that noise.
OMG YES I had one of these! I used to tote it all around using that handle! The sounds...wow that brings back memories. I randomly remember the way it said "oven" like "OH-ven". I hope mom still has it stashed in a box somewhere.
Yep. Had this as well. All those memories coming back..
@videoluvr4204 I will also never forget that "Insert Card, Try Again" voice. I even have dreams about it still sometimes. Used to piss me off too.
I had a Talking Lesson One and also a Pre Computer 1000 Junior when I was younger, they had the exact same voice as this toy. I like these kinds of toys, they're cool. Where was this toy made? It's interesting to note that the Talking Lesson One plus was known as the Talking Whiz Kid Plus in the US I believe, but the Talking Whiz Kid is different to Talking Lesson One if this comment makes any sense to you.
Man do I ever remember the annoying "insert card" and "ear, ear" which I think it was trying to vocalize "err". Thanks for taking me back in time!
Wow. Great little piece of history, John. Keep up the fantastic work, as always.
Now i really miss my Talking Whiz Kid. It was an addiction!
Sooooo many memories, man! Did anyone ever notice the few words it would oddly pronounce? "Pear" always sounded like "peer," and I cannot properly imitate how it said "ink" if the world depended on it. Good times!
Yes! I remember that! "Pe-er" always made me giggle, as did "chwerry".
I remember being confused about some of the words it vocalized.
I looked this up to show someone the kind of toys I played with instead of dolls and shit. Thanks for posting! Enjoyed this one.
I had one. Well, before that my cousins had one and I first saw them play it at my grandma's house in the mid-late 1980s. Later, my sister and I received one for the holidays. I remember playing the hangman game for hours.
I loved mine. My son had an updated version of the Vtech
I got that too. It still works, I need to get some batteries for it. I got it in the 80's. It's old and outdated technology that's still fun. I keep the cards in a little red box with a map of the US on it
I loved that! There was a family card with a bunch of people and arrows and you had to put in the letters for each family member, I remember it being tough. I was 6.
love it~ I grew up with this and when I now hear my son turn it on it takes me back 2 decades =)
OMG I had one of those as a kid you brought back some fun memories. I remember playing with mine for hours. I also remember having a ton of cards, I also remember wearing out the cards so the it could not read them anymore. Great job on the video.
Wow, I had one these! Such memories!
I still have mine, but lost ALL the cards. I also have something called J.C. The Junior Computer, which I can't even find info on.
The nostalgia! It's over 9000!
DUDE!!! I had one of these when i was a kid and I LOVED it! I tried to find one on eBay but cant find one...Its funny cuz some of the cards didnt even work. But i use to be on this thing for hours! Damn I miss this thing...GREAT VIDEO!!
This was my favorite toy as a kid
I had one of these, I also eventually got two of the add-on packages with the little cartridges. Pretty fun stuff!
Yay I has this!!!!! So many childhood memories 80's baby!!!!
Makes me smile. I had this. Amazing memories ✅
OMFG!! I had one of these as a kid, and I remember mine would not read the cards very well after a few years, I actually got it from my step dad, after my mother met him, he was just trying to butter my mother up lol, little did he know I already had a C64, and was programming basic around 87. But yes it helped me learn some things as well.
The voice announcer on this thing was in his freshman year in college when this happened.
I used the melody card so much I think I wore it out, trying to recreate cartoon theme songs. I'd completely forgotten about it until I saw this.
@TalkingWhizKid cracking up at this for some reason with your name its so perfect
Omg amazing my childhood... First gadget ever
Wow!! I had one of these. I couldn’t remember the name. I only remembered the little jingle it made when you turned it on.
I loved this! "Insert Card" still goes through my head! Now I totally want to play hangman
Could you make a clear recording of it saying "insert card; Try again" and doing the intro tune? Ive been wanting to sample that into a song for over a decade but cant find it anywhere
Still want this? If so I'll do it.
AND, the button the close the lid on mine was a SLIDER, not a button.
I LOVED this toy as a kid. Thanks for uploading this video. :)
My older borhter had one, but it doesn't work anymore, so I've never seen it working in person. Cool video Gamester.
@eyeswideopen82 yea the whole Insert Card is TOTALLY imprinted into my memory i will NEVER forget that computer-based voice it would piss me off lol, and the little white button to close it its so weird watching this video
Omg the memories! I had one of these when I was little! It was my first laptop lol. I ended up threwing mine away, because I didnt know were the cards were anymore.
wow! this brought back some memories! I never owned one of this but my little cousin at the time did and I remember messing with it
I had one when I was a kid wow that really took me back was awesome to watch
Gah, I will *never* get that demmed 'Insert Card' voice out of my head! Between me and my brother, we used ours so much the numbers wore off. :P
I can see those cards can easily get lost or damaged especially kids as they can guarantee lose separate pieces to a unit rendering the laptop useless. It's a good thing with newer toy laptops that you can access programs by keying in a code number and not have to worry about losing program cards over time.
I had something like this, can't remember exactly what it was, not this though. I used to play it habitually.
Ahh... the Steven Hawking voice. Pure 80's nostalgia.
Nostalgia overload.
This thing was pretty much my first laptop computer back in 1988. 😄
So nostalgic, I wish I didn't threw mine away!
I carried that everywhere! hang man was my fave
Dude!!! I had this. Would love to be able to find one.
Memories. My family member got me this in 1988
The sound effects on this one are much higher pitched than the version of whiz-kid that I had...I wonder why that is. The VOICE is the same, but the beeps/correct sound/wrong sound are much higher pitched.
I had / have mine still, I still remember the tune with "insert card" lol n thanks to one of the starter "cards" it's become a family running gag at the grocery store... "Mango, spell Mango, M A N G O... Mango spell Mango"
I like how it said ear instead of error I found that quite amusing
It was originally my older brother's but I ended up using it for a while too after him. Sometimes I'll just randomly remember the "try again" 😂
did anyone ever buy the additional card sets or other addons?
I used to love mine, in Britain it was green and white. One thing I remember it was all American so they spelt things differently and items had different names
I had this, it was called 'Whizz Kid' in the UK and made by Grandstand.
OMG!! This brings back memories!!!!! XD I love that computer and I love the way it talks! IF i can find one in perfect condition or near perfect I would buy it!
Does the manual tell you how to INSERT CARD?
I have this right now and am having card read issues. Took it apart, cleaned the sensor and still having issues...bummed
What is card number 31 called?
omg i had a newer one of those growing up, it was bluish teal and had a weird screen but it was fun as hell. now i want it again cuz i might actually be able to get the carts for it now haha
OMG such memories
Wow where can I get one of these magical machines
do you think there is any chance you could scan some of the cards and upload them?... i live in Chile and it's really hard to find a store that ships overseas.. you could scan from a15 to a35 which are the cards that need the picture to be played.
thank you for this great vid!
I remember inputting the codes cause we lost some of the cards that went with it
The only homework I ever did was on Talking Whiz-Kid™
Oh! I'll never forget 🎶🎵Card 45🎵🎶
SO WAS I! Thank you, I thought I was the only one. Especially when you got an answer wrong, it was like you angered the devil inside the thing. ;) lol ...
Lol yes the wrong bear tune. Then try again.
I had one when I was kid, I’m getting one for my nephew
my favorite was when this machine would say "JLAY" for the letter J 🤣🤣
Hi, I still have this toy but I lost the card..Do you Know how can I get them?
That looks so COOL! I`m always looking for REAL educational toys for my son,and so,i`d buy that without hesitation!
That card swapping methode is really awsome and ahead of it`s time! And plus,that voice sounds just like Stephen Hawkin`s and who else would be better to teach your kids math and othe stuff :) ?!
Thanks gamester!
Keep it cool!
Cheers!
I bet the "program cards" don't really have programs on them and all the system's programming is encoded in the ROM inside the unit. Those bar codes can't encode more than a few bits of information; enough to encode a number which indexes into a lookup table inside the ROM that selects the game to play, but not nearly enough to contain the program itself. Shit's even weaker than a Speak-n-Spell (which actually had a ROM cartridge slot through which the unit's vocabulary could be extended).
I also still remember that "Insert Card" voice. I saw a unit on demo in a store when I was a kid and flipped it on, and that's what it greeted me with. I didn't bother to muck with it because I knew it would bore me to tears.
You're probably right. I remember being able to play games without the cards, just by entering a letter/number found on the back of the cards when prompted.
Jeff Read they made money on the program cards of course
Yep.
I used my elite 5 year old hacking skills to play games on the card set I didn't own by noting down the numerical codes after trial and error. I must have noticed one time that a button mashing had loaded a game and worked from there
Is Vtech the same company that make the newer learning video games now adays?