I bought a new computer! ..... Relatively speaking.

[YellowSubmarine]

I'm not yet sure if I'm into buying old hardware, but I recently took out my 5.25 floppies (which I still keep in my desk drawer as if I'm still using them) and copied them all to my hard drive one by one. I was kind of shocked that almost all were read without any issues, and the games are still playable. I also have been recovering games and software that were missing from my floppies, and some games that I had for my NES (or was that a schoolmate's Famicon).

And so I discovered DOSBox can emulate Tandy. As a kid I was always mystified what that was, when games offered it in the options. So first I got the cool blocky text mode of computers older than my first one (when I got my first computer I threw a tantrum I wasn't given an older model), and then I realized certain games have a much nicer colour palette on Tandy.

As for physical hardware, I am trying to resist the urge to buy an old Mac. I used to drool at Mac OS 8 screenshots in magazines, so I still want to get one of those. Yet for some reason, I'm to lazy to configure SheepShaver and and just run it. I had played with Mac OS 7.5.3, which Apple offer for download on their web site, though as brat who constantly wants more I immediately decided I want A/UX instead, as old Mac OS is way too alien for me.

It's fascinating how old computers give me a nostalgia overload, yet are completely and utterly unusable. You can't do absolutely anything with them. How anyone ever used those things? I'm going to rethink my plan of buying a time machine and retiring in the past.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I'm not yet sure if I'm into buying old hardware, but I recently took out my 5.25 floppies (which I still keep in my desk drawer as if I'm still using them) and copied them all to my hard drive one by one. I was kind of shocked that almost all were read without any issues, and the games are still playable. I also have been recovering games and software that were missing from my floppies, and some games that I had for my NES (or was that a schoolmate's Famicon).

And so I discovered DOSBox can emulate Tandy. As a kid I was always mystified what that was, when games offered it in the options. So first I got the cool blocky text mode of computers older than my first one (when I got my first computer I threw a tantrum I wasn't given an older model), and then I realized certain games have a much nicer colour palette on Tandy.

As for physical hardware, I am trying to resist the urge to buy an old Mac. I used to drool at Mac OS 8 screenshots in magazines, so I still want to get one of those. Yet for some reason, I'm to lazy to configure SheepShaver and and just run it. I had played with Mac OS 7.5.3, which Apple offer for download on their web site, though as brat who constantly wants more I immediately decided I want A/UX instead, as old Mac OS is way too alien for me.

It's fascinating how old computers give me a nostalgia overload, yet are completely and utterly unusable. You can't do absolutely anything with them. How anyone ever used those things? I'm going to rethink my plan of buying a time machine and retiring in the past.

If you want to emulate even older Macs, don't forget Mini vMac!

 

[Trekker4747]

FYI, you can forget your disk hassles by getting a floppy emulator like this one. The one I got for my Mac is a real gem. No need to fuss with physical floppies at all.

|

Yeah, but that kind-of takes the feel and nostalgia out of it. Anyway, I got working floppies and a device for connecting the computer to a modern monitor. The big hurdle is going to be getting the memory upgrades.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I'm not yet sure if I'm into buying old hardware, but I recently took out my 5.25 floppies (which I still keep in my desk drawer as if I'm still using them) and copied them all to my hard drive one by one. I was kind of shocked that almost all were read without any issues, and the games are still playable. I also have been recovering games and software that were missing from my floppies, and some games that I had for my NES (or was that a schoolmate's Famicon).

And so I discovered DOSBox can emulate Tandy. As a kid I was always mystified what that was, when games offered it in the options. So first I got the cool blocky text mode of computers older than my first one (when I got my first computer I threw a tantrum I wasn't given an older model), and then I realized certain games have a much nicer colour palette on Tandy.

As for physical hardware, I am trying to resist the urge to buy an old Mac. I used to drool at Mac OS 8 screenshots in magazines, so I still want to get one of those. Yet for some reason, I'm to lazy to configure SheepShaver and and just run it. I had played with Mac OS 7.5.3, which Apple offer for download on their web site, though as brat who constantly wants more I immediately decided I want A/UX instead, as old Mac OS is way too alien for me.

It's fascinating how old computers give me a nostalgia overload, yet are completely and utterly unusable. You can't do absolutely anything with them. How anyone ever used those things? I'm going to rethink my plan of buying a time machine and retiring in the past.

Usage, bending and magnets were the floppy's only real enemies. I have several games on 5.25 that I'm sure would still run/copy, if I had a drive for them.

 

[SPCTRE]

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I love old computer ads. So damn goofy. (I did have to check to see if this was real since I'd never heard of the Compucolor II. Still, it'll never beat my Cardiff Giant Pro.)

Points for showing one of the old unofficial Star Trek games, too! I loved those as a kid.

 

[Trekker4747]

Well, I broke down and went ahead and bought a contemporary monitor to the computer. a Tandy RGB CM-5 16-color monitor! What's neat is that the monitor has never been used and virtually "new in the box" (only removed for the seller to take photos) from the condition of the monitor it seems to be true (and the seller's rating.) The wires were still tied with the protective wrap on them. Meaning the monitor's internal electrical components haven't been spent (as would be a big problem with finding a used monitor of this age.)

But, dammit, I still keep going through these damn joysticks! Seems to take very little to get them to break! This one seemed a "simpler" fix, though, glue is drying on it right now, we'll see how it goes.

 

[Kor]

Old ads were extremely wordy.
And that price!

Kor

 

[Gary7]

I have an old IBM PS/2... I don't even know if the old bugger still works. My dad had an early generation Mac, and got rid of it. And now? Those early models are fetching some seriously hefty prices on the used market!

 

[Santaman]

PS/2's are nigh indestructible, I've got three of those, totally overdesigned IBM design.. they're 8530 -001 and 002 machines, 8086 CPU's, one has a harddrive, the other two only floppy drives.
http://pcmuseum.tripod.com/ibmpc8530.htm

 

[Gary7]

I recently got the silver one on the far left. It's a Takeya 40oz stainless steel thermos. Works incredibly well. I did a cold test and found that it keeps water cold for at least a day. And actually 36 hours later, the water was still cooler than room temperature. Very impressive! Nicely made. I picked up a new without box example off eBay, which saved me $10 off the Amazon price.