Jump to content
IGNORED

What do you think is the best/ugliest looking 80s computer?


bluejay

Recommended Posts

Here's something that people might be arguing about: what, imo, is the best/ugliest looking computer? I love the looks of the original 1984 Macintosh, just for its beige, boxy looks that suits the 80s so much, but the C128 comes in as a close second. The Sinclair ZX80/81 and ZX Spectrum are also adorable:)

The ugliest? Uhh... to be honest, I've seen many hideous game consoles but I can't think of an ugly computer. I don't like the silver TI99/4a and the Timex Sinclair 2068, just cause I hate silver, but they aren't as hideous as the Super Nintendo in the gaming world. The C64 looks outdated even back in the 80s, but it's not ugly. I guess its the Macintosh LC series. I hate their design for no reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Best looking?  

The Amiga 1000...  Love that design...

Worst?  That's tough...  They almost all look so great...

...  hmmm...

I suppose maybe some of the plain boxy IBM clones.  Not the original 5150..  

That's kind of cool looking tho.. ;-)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Now that I think about it, the Commodore 16 looks hideous, because the thing is so brown. It looks like someone tried to spray paint a Commodore 64 but accidentally chose the wrong color, so the chucked it, and it somehow ended up in the sewer, but someone rescue it from the sewer and gave it to his uncle which happens to work at a bakery, and he put it in the oven for too long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/24/2020 at 4:02 PM, bluejay said:

Now that I think about it, the Commodore 16 looks hideous, because the thing is so brown. It looks like someone tried to spray paint a Commodore 64 but accidentally chose the wrong color, so the chucked it, and it somehow ended up in the sewer, but someone rescue it from the sewer and gave it to his uncle which happens to work at a bakery, and he put it in the oven for too long.

The Commodore 16 is black

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/20/2020 at 4:07 AM, high voltage said:

I thought the Atari XL was dead ugly, but the 130XE is super beautiful. Also the C128, nice. The ZX Spectrum always looked like a Barbie toy

 

Click to view full size imageClick to view full size image

 

I like the XL line,   I think the XE looks attractive, but the materials used look/feel cheap.

 

But for me the ugliest in the Atari 8-bit line is the Atari 400.   Don't like the membrane keyboard or the shape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, bluejay said:

It looks a shade of VERY dark brown to me, but okay.

It's definitely not a black like my PC keyboard or my Oric Atmos, but I'm not sure I'd call it brown.
I don't like the breadbin case no matter what color it is.  I think it's ugly.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, JamesD said:

It's definitely not a black like my PC keyboard or my Oric Atmos, but I'm not sure I'd call it brown.
I don't like the breadbin case no matter what color it is.  I think it's ugly.
 

I like the brownish gray of the 64 because it looks so classic and the white of the Vic 20 because it looks clean. The brownish black of the 16 is, well, terrible. it doesn't look professionally made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, zzip said:

I like the XL line,   I think the XE looks attractive, but the materials used look/feel cheap.

 

But for me the ugliest in the Atari 8-bit line is the Atari 400.   Don't like the membrane keyboard or the shape.

Imho, the xls looked like toys, and I just don't like their design language. The 400/800 look like UFOs, and while the 400 isn't the most handsome computer, my favorite Atari 8-bit computer is the 800.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, bluejay said:

Imho, the xls looked like toys, and I just don't like their design language. The 400/800 look like UFOs, and while the 400 isn't the most handsome computer, my favorite Atari 8-bit computer is the 800.

I like the 800, just not the 400.   At the time the XLs came out, their design was kind of new and refreshing.   Maybe the design didn't age well, but I still like it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, INVISIBLE said:

The "Plain Jane" XT class PC from IBM is ugly in my opinion.  I blame IBM for starting that el-cheapo beige class of yellowing computers.

692633335_PlainJane.thumb.jpg.5ba423730fd6e4e4b0aff96f09d45157.jpg

I kind of like this design though.  The beige trend, yeah that went on too long, but these IBM's were anything but el-cheapo.  They were built like tanks, had high-quality keyboards.  I owned one for awhile as a hand-me-down,  and while it was weak as a PC it was practically useless by the time I owned it in the 90s, I did admire the build quality

Edited by zzip
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, bluejay said:

Imho, the xls looked like toys, and I just don't like their design language. The 400/800 look like UFOs, and while the 400 isn't the most handsome computer, my favorite Atari 8-bit computer is the 800.

Maybe due to the fact the 400 was my first computer.... I like it.  I did not like the keyboard (I liked the look, but not the feel).  I replaced the KB with a B-Key keyboard and that (along with a memory upgrade and upgrade from CTIA to GTIA) made it great.  The 400 still has the better cartridge door than the 800 (both in looks and ease of use).  Not sure I'd rate it the best looking computer though (that's a hard one).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best looking computer... tough one....  Maybe SGI Indigo (not Indigo 2)...  its plain, but it's purple and the size is pretty cool IMHO.

In 8 bitters.... I have a fondness for the XL line, particularly the 1200XL and 600XL (odd, the largest XL and smallest XL ? ).

 

Ugly.... maybe that Commodore 8032SK mentioned previously as best ?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cwilbar said:

If we're including protootype machines..... yeah.... love the 1450XLD.... drooled over the promise of it years ago.... of course it never materialized ?

 

The prototype I dreamt of is the XE portable. For some reason, I really, really like luggables, and the idea of an XE luggable with an amber crt and built in 5.25" floppy drive following that gray XE color scheme? I wish it was released.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...