vintageapparatus.com
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141 posts
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That's a great mixed bag! The Vectrex is probably the easiest / simplest of the stack, it's a relatively simple machine electronically, but the case and controllers and cable connectors could be challenging.
I don't know if I've seen a micro decision. We had an MD2 back in the day!
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ISWYDT.
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This is from Escape from New York - Kurt Russel 1981.
Here's the cool thing. These aren't computer graphics. It's a model with lines painted on it to glow green.
Here's one of the clips with those graphics - i think the screenshot is a different part of the ovie
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYm...
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The only appropriate response.
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I had to stare at this for far too long to figure out if it was real or not.
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Apparently according to @sharkabytes.bsky.social it was a card that was in a basic PC clone...
bsky.app/profile/shar...
TIL!
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Oooo, unlikely I'll pop over ther to check it out (I'm in New England). Ah well!
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Unfortunately I'm not near it right now, but as soon as I get the deets, I'll let you know!
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I have an Alpha in my PILES OF THINGS ID LIKE TO GET WORKING, but it's in mediocre condition. I probably shouldn't have picked it up, but I have such memories of "This is SO COOL".
I can't recall the exact model I have, but looks very similar to this www.stromasys.com/wp-content/u...
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Where is this barn. I wish to go visit it!
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Maaaaayyybe. :)
(Was literally VA’s first post on Bluesky. *sniff*)
bsky.app/profile/vint...
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They’re not hard to find! Watch fbmp and cl. They do pop up!
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But the obvious quesiton is... Does it really kick the llama's a**? (this is also the retro tastiness that keeps us all going. well done :)
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When I was but a wee nerd there really weren't options for databases for unix that were accessible. You had Oracle, Informix, and Ingres, none of which were 'tinkerer' apps. Until msql / mysql / postgres came along, the closest thing we had was BDB. Ingres was one of the 'pro' databases.
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This reminds me a lot of the early 'word processors' like from Canon and Panasonic and similar. Never seen one of these in particular. Cool though!
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I remember when I discovered his picture in the credits on the mac "THAT IS SO COOL!" (I think it was under the About page for MacPaint.)
A legend.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_At...
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I'm sorry I don't have one, but I do remember their gas plasma displays. I was working on Compaq III's a bunch around then, and the whole glowy-red thing always got people's attention. I hope you find one!
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I am absolutely having flashbacks. We were an NEC service center for spinwriters. Those things were absolute UNITS of printing mayhem. They were terrifying. But man they worked their butts off. I spent many an hour in lawyer offices repairing / helping set them up.
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The 128KE was an absolute masterpiece for it's day and age. One of my fondest memories was my father learning how to do an upgrade on it to bring the RAM up to 512k. I had by then mastered the '4 disk swap disk copy' process though!
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My friends circle back in the day was very keen on the 99/4A. One fellow had built out his system with the expansion box and a whole slew of upgrades. It was impressive!
I have one or two in storage, including an expansion box. I should haul them out.
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I literally gasped when I saw this. The Northstar Advantage! What a beautiful machine. Had a staggeringly good green phosphor display and IIRC had a vector graphics function in it as well, yes?
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So say we all!
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Palm was fighting an uphill battle against the iPhone and unfortunately eventually lost. I wonder if they had been more successful had not Microsoft mucked up the works with the 700W and similar.
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Not surprising, no, but a little disappointing. I was 100% blown away by the demo - the technology is phenomenal. But not for $3000, and not without an absolute killer application model.
When AR systems get to where you're not wearing a jelly bean on your face, we're gonna see some serious shit.
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Same! My storage unit is practically full, and I love and adore everything within it. "That's an X! That's a Y! Those are so cool!" Amigas, DEC, Osbornes, Kaypro, Epson - it's like going into my happy place and visiting my friends, with the guilt of not spending enough time with them.
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Robotron on a set of full 8 way joysticks on a console is one of the most satisfying experiences.
I can totally zone out on it and play level after level without any higher brain functions engaged.
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Downerrrrrrrr.
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OLWM! Omg those corner widgets are giving me flashbacks and heart palpitations. The great OpenLook vs Motif wars were brutal and hard fought.