Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

[Arran]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

I once knew an electronic engineer who owned a Commodore PET in the 1980s because it had a GPIB (IEE-488) port that could interface with many pieces of electronic test equipment.

The Memotech MTX 500 / 512, and its successor the RS 128, were rare British 8 bits that were quite advanced for the time. Memotech tried to sell their product to the USSR but their business venture failed and the company went bust. This had the result that the British government ended funding to computer companies.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/28/30_years_on_the_story_of_the_memotech_mtx/

Was the Coleco Adam ever sold in Britain? It seems to be a very American computer judging from enthusiast circles today.

Has anybody every encountered a Sega SC 3000? It was the one and only computer from Sega and it was sold in parts of Europe but I'm not sure if it was sold in Britain.

[Richard1978]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

The Sinclair QL was another potentially great computer aimed at the semi-pro market, but problems with the Microdrives & a few other supposedly "penny pinching" short cuts to keep the price down didn't help things.

[Arran]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Tatung Einstein. It was originally intended as a business computer but ended up being more popular with programmers. They were manufactured in Bridgnorth in Shropshire. It was a rare example of a computer that used the 3 inch disk like that on the Amstrad CPC 6128.

Sord M5. A very simple Japanese home computer that sold in very low numbers. I think that Sord also sold some business computers.

[philfrommancs]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

They were. In fact about a third of the games written for it would work on the dragon. Didn't save it unfortunately.

[philfrommancs]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Think my dad bought it because it was cheap and a bit different. Sure it was £100. I do remember the Aquarius came with an excellent manual though. I remember typing in basic code for hours and being really excited when the computer drew some concentric circles or some mondrian art. Other than that it was pretty bobbins. Remember loads of add ons you could supposedly get for it. .. like a thermal printer just like Sinclairs. They either never materialised or were ridiculously expensive.

[spuggybridge]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Remember 3 of my mates owning one of a Dragon 32, Oric 1 and an Acorn Electron another mate had a CGI SORD M5 in the early 80's, you should see what these go for on Ebay nowadays (wish I had a few), my cousins husband had a TI994A.

[Mulletino]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

A mate had a Sharp MZ700 which his dad picked him up from somewhere. He already had a C64 so we didn't use the Sharp much.

[Richard1978]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

My new girlfriend had an Oric-1 in the 1980s, her Dad liked his gadgets & chose it because it had good reviews, only to find there were hardly any games available for it.

[staffslad]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

I had an Acorn Electron. Used it at university in mid 80s for programming but also had an Atari 600XL and C64 for games.

[trip2themoon]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Did anyone own a less common 8 or 16 bit computer? Basically anything but the following:

1. PC compatibles
2. Sinclair Spectrum
3. Commodore 64
4. Commodore Amiga
5. Amstrad CPC
6. Amstrad PCW
7. BBC B and Master
8. Acorn Archimedes
9. Apple Mac
10. Atari ST

I think outside the bolded ones they were fairly uncommon. A mate of mine had a Toshiba MSX and I'd only ever knew 2 people who owned one. The Commodore 128 seemed quite rare. I don't think I've ever seen one in the flesh.

[Mulletino]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

I had a C128, but that was only because it looked like the computer from Electric Dreams, hardly ever used 128 mode!

[fynger]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Zx81

[darren]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

Pretty sure we had numbers 7 to 9 at school well at least one of them.

Pc compatibles was it a computer or was it just parts you could get for the pc.

Have i explained myself right.??

Commodre amiga sounds strange its as if both companies said we will make 2 computers into one.

did anyone own a less common 8 or 16 bit computer? Basically anything but the following:

1. Pc compatibles
2. Sinclair spectrum
3. Commodore 64
4. Commodore amiga
5. Amstrad cpc
6. Amstrad pcw
7. Bbc b and master
8. Acorn archimedes
9. Apple mac
10. Atari st

[Richard1978]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

The original PCs were made by IBM, & many other companies reverse engineered clones.

IIRC the Amiga started out being made by another company the Commodore bought up.

When I had my Commodore 128 I almost always used it in 64 mode as I had no 128 software & CP/M was text only, which had to be loaded from a floppy.

[Arran]

Re: Less common vintage 8 and 16 bit computers

I think outside the bolded ones they were fairly uncommon.

They were uncommon as home computers but 7 and 8 were standard issue in schools, and 1 and 6 were ubiquitous as business computers. The Apple Mac was never as popular in Britain and Europe as it was in the US but it was liked by yuppies and the desk top publishing community.

A mate of mine had a Toshiba MSX and I'd only ever knew 2 people who owned one.

They were hardware and software compatible with other MSX computers.