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What is your retro computing most "irrational want?"


rpiguy9907

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Come to think of it, I've also always wanted a Canon Cat. The purity of its function is really appealing.

Try a Cambridge Z88. They're quite easy to get hold of cheap and run for weeks on 4 AA batteries. They're actually still useful machines. Awesome things.

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Didn't Vtech make an XT in a Laser 128-style chassis?

Yes, Laser XT Compact with built-in 5.25" drive on the side. I once bid on one of those, but got outbid. The other bidder won it at 1 dollar 25 cents.

 

There may have been additional models in the Laser range of XT compatibles.

Edited by carlsson
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Didn't Vtech make an XT in a Laser 128-style chassis?

Oh yeah, I forgot about those.

And with a 5"25 drive in? Must have been a heavy fella :D

 

PDP-11 or Data General Nova mini-computers. I have no idea what I'd do with them.

Same. I expressed the same idea.

Tho, I might have an opportunity to receive an Электроника БК (Electronika BK) soon, which are PDP-11 compatible home systems :

462bdb09ab6776a895dda76392f50e14.jpg

 

There are miniaturized systems by DEC, but not sure they are as common and miniaturized as the BK are. They are provided with a FOCAL cart, and a special Vilnius BASIC.

Edited by CatPix
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Oh yeah, I forgot about those.

And with a 5"25 drive in? Must have been a heavy fella :D

 

Same. I expressed the same idea.

Tho, I might have an opportunity to receive an Электроника БК (Electronika BK) soon, which are PDP-11 compatible home systems :

462bdb09ab6776a895dda76392f50e14.jpg

 

There are miniaturized systems by DEC, but not sure they are as common and miniaturized as the BK are. They are provided with a FOCAL cart, and a special Vilnius BASIC.

Wow! Want!

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Check on Internet every now and then. Apparently selling internationally is a hard thing for Russian sellers, but there are some people that sneak them out of Russia, and the occasionnal one that is sold from Ukraine, like this one :

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331817630152

 

But they are getting expensive. I've been chatting with Russians locals, and BK in good shape, with peripherals (FDD controller, sound expansion module, extra RAM for earlier models) and some software reach the 100$ mark.

Barebone models can still be found cheap, but you gotta find a local guy to ship one to you.

Edited by CatPix
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Don't just about every computer reach the $100 mark these days? For being an uncommon model with expansions, it doesn't seem too bad to me if you are willing to accept the fact that our hobby lately has become much more expensive than it was, say 5-10 years ago.

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Yeah, but it depends on what you wanna do. I got an Elektronika BK, a Soviet Pong machine, shipped from Russia, for 50€. It hurts to pay the same thing 60 or 80€on ePay. without shipping

 

Yes, a "full set" for 100$/€ isn't unreasonable, but I gave this as a warning as finding a barebone BK on eBay or Etsy for 100 or 150$ without shipping is simply getting robbed as the seller probably got it like me from Russia for 20/25€ and will get it shipped either directly from Russia, so like for me, it add 25E, or ship to him then to you, and make you pay the shipping, so on those 100$ he get a net marging of 75$.

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Pretty much any retro computer stuff... that said, I do have a long "want" list that will be fulfilled if I ever win the lottery.

 

VIc 20 (they're not expensive, I should pick one up one of these days)

C128D

Atari Mega STe

Some kind of mini-computer... no idea what I'd do with it.

Apple 2GS

...

Edited by BydoEmpire
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I almost enjoy classic computer gaming more than I do classic console gaming. Seems that computers have always been the master race. Lol.

ZX Spectrum/Harlequin... because building my own for NTSC sounds like fun. OR An Atari Falcon. I don't know what I would do with one, but as the last Atari computer, it'd be cool to have.

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I think I've got most of my 'irrational wants' - a Virtual Boy, an Amstrad PC, an iBook G3 clamshell, a VGA adaptor for my Apple //c...but would still love an Acorn Archimedes, a Neo Geo AES and a PCFX, but they are so expensive...

Edited by gladders
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For computing, it would be an Apple IIc LCD screen:

 

attachicon.gifAppleIIc LCD.jpg

 

For gaming, I really really would like to stumble onto an Onyx:

 

attachicon.gifOnyx.jpg

 

Never heard of the Onyx :o

After looking for it, not surprised.

 

In the same vein, I stumbled recently on the ALF TV GAME. It's a console that was apparently made/sold in Belarus (given the use of Dendy pads, I think it was more made in Taiwan for a Belarus brand).

 

alf16.jpg

 

alf51.jpg

 

And why am I talking about a console there?

 

Well it's because it's a consolized ZX Spectrum. And I'm surprised that there aren't more of them, given how popular the Spectrum was in Eastern Europe even as late as 1995.

 

The console saw only 3 cartridge getting produced. Or maybe an elusive 4th one existed, but isn't widespread enough to be know (won't be a first, I own a game for the crappy handhelf system, the Game Master, that isn't listed anywhere on the Internet). But those cartridges contain between 5 and 10 Spectrum games. And the console itself contain 3 games.

 

Loading menu :

alf23.gif

 

 

Interestingly, unlike copies of ZX Spectrum games leaked in Eastern Europe at the time, the games were fully localized (most copies of Spectrum games for the Soviet clones only have added names of the people who "ported" them to the Soviet clone, and maybe a translation of the game title (as many of the Soviet clones have minor or major incompatibilities with the original Spectrum. Ironically, some of those issues come for bugs in the Spectrum ROM that were fixed in Soviet releases!).

 

g71.gif

 

g2.gif

 

g56.gif

 

g30.gif

 

One noteworthy point; probably because the console was based on plans of Soviet Spectrum clones rather than the original one, the console come with a build-in RGB out and a SECAM D/K RF output, but the sound still come from a speaker in the console, not from the TV.

 

alf25.jpg

 

I can add that it's a 48K spectrum as well.

 

 

Pictures and most explanations from : http://zxbyte.ru/alf.htm , thaks to them, and thanks Google Translate, because I don't speak one bit of Russian :P

Edited by CatPix
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Hm yes, the Enterprise 64 or 128 is a machine I'd at least like to see and play with, not sure I'd take it as far as obtaining one for my collection.

 

Of course if we're on the level of very rare and expensive computers, the Oric Telestrat should be mentioned too, although I don't know what one does with it that you can't do with e.g. an Atmos.

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For French collectors, the compatibility of the Telestrat with the telematic network Minitel was and is still a plus, as you can program a Minitel server and use a Minitel on it (tho today this is kinda useless heh).

Edited by CatPix
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As an armchair computer historian the Soviet machines do offer a lot of interesting options, not only due to the the machine obscurity (outside the union of course) but the chipset as well as a lot were localized clones of popular mainstream processors / vdg's etc offering their own unique features and bugs

Edited by Osgeld
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Hm yes, the Enterprise 64 or 128 is a machine I'd at least like to see and play with, not sure I'd take it as far as obtaining one for my collection.

 

Of course if we're on the level of very rare and expensive computers, the Oric Telestrat should be mentioned too, although I don't know what one does with it that you can't do with e.g. an Atmos.

To be fair, I don't see an Enterprise appearing in my collection any time soon, since the last one that I saw on eBay was around £500. I think the wife would probably end me if I bought that :-o

 

I did also see another irrational want whilst looking though, a Memotech MTX512, but since that was also £500, the same really applies. Jupiter Ace is similar, and Grundy Newbrain approaching £200.

 

Any MSX, BBC or NES is the most likely addition TBH as all can be had for under £50.

 

As for the Telestrat, since I have an Atmos already, I don't think there would be much to gain for me. None to be found on eBay at presnet I see.

Edited by atarifanboi
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