Which classic computer was/is most fun to collect for?

[Keatah]

While I can get the older DOS machines going (with reference material), I strongly prefer 5.0 and 6.22 and Win 3.11 wfw. That's where I started.

 

As a kid, I wouldn't have known what to do with a DOS machine. And I would have found them "incomplete" because a lot of system stuff had to load from disk to have any kind of functionality. So the instant power-on-to-BASIC was a godsend. I felt that way with the Amiga. Had to load KICKSTART and INTUITION and WORKBENCH and each individual CLI> command. Shambles I tell you.. Shambles!

 

Booting DOS 3.3 (or ProDOS) on the Apple II felt like an add-on rather than the bare system feeling incomplete. A well-integrated add-on. The logic was easy for a kid. If you want to use disks then you start with disks.

[wierd_w]

lol- I used to "just know" the DIP switch settings on old IBM XT class systems, for the various configuration options.

I have fond memories of doing low-level formats from debug using old MFM controller cards too.

 

 

 

[The Usotsuki]

I rather like PC DOS 7, which is what I installed on my PS/2.

[high voltage]

A8, C64, IBM

[rpiguy9907]

On 8/6/2020 at 5:01 AM, high voltage said:

A8, C64, IBM

What is an A8? Something not sold in the US?

[Lost Dragon]

17 minutes ago, rpiguy9907 said:

What is an A8? Something not sold in the US?

It's the shorthand reference to the Atari 8-bit line. 

 

400/800 XL/XE etc

[KG7PFS]

I prefer the late 70's to late 80's (especially late 80's that are backward compatible to the 70's) tv, tape disk and cartridge systems like Tandy Color, Atari, Commodore, Specravideo/MSX, Acorn, Thomson, etc., first, and second, similar computers that don't have cartridge slots, like Apple and Oric. For practical reasons, (time, money, space) I have decided to limit the collection to Tandy CC3, Apple IIgs, Atari 130XE, and Commodore 128.

 

The problem is, I don't collect just that computer, but also related and/or contemporary computers from the same company. So, some kind of Model 4, a 200, //c, SX64, and Plus 4. My Atari is lonely.

 

[desiv]

On 7/31/2020 at 10:00 PM, Keatah said:

I never got far enough into the Amiga to experience the full range compatibility problems. But I could see the way it was going. I clearly recall there was something wonky with the parallel port on the A1000 vs A500 and I had use a gender-changer or adapter in order to continue using the Digi-View digitizer. 

To be fair, that A1000 parallel port was a stupid move by Commodore, and they fixed it with a standard port for all further Amigas.  

(And it wasn't just a gender change.  There were voltages on some pins moved around.  Dumb move.)

 

That said, it wasn't that bad at all.

The Amiga has been my favorite computer to collect for...

As mentioned, the incredible box art helps.  And some of the "extras."  I still have both my Shadow of the Beast 1 and 2 t-shirts.

And I love the format of some of the original games that came in those record type sleeves...  (Wasn't just Amiga, some other computers used that format.)

 

Yes, there were some compatibility issues, but I consider that part of the fun.  (Kind of like the fun of figuring out how to copy a game.  It is it's own fun.)

There were kickstart (ROM) differences for some of the early games, but you can "degrade" you system with software, boot disks to get almost all of the original games working.

 

But that really was a small percentage of the games.  Most worked fine...

 

Unless/until you get to the PAL/NTSC issue which is it's own fun and an issue for several computers that were popular on both sides of the pond.

I spent years thinking I was just trash on some games, only to find out they ran too fast on my machine because of the PAL/NTSC issue.

(Although, I would still be trash if they were slower, as I'm just not that great with games..  )

 

And as mentioned, if you have a slightly expanded Amiga, you can use WHDLoad installs to fix most of those issues...

 

 

[Keatah]

29 minutes ago, desiv said:

To be fair, that A1000 parallel port was a stupid move by Commodore, and they fixed it with a standard port for all further Amigas.  

(And it wasn't just a gender change.  There were voltages on some pins moved around.  Dumb move.)

Yeh I always wondered about that.

Why did they do that?

Were they trying to create a new standard?

Were they trying to out-think an already years-established standard?

Was it a cost-cutting thing to avoid extra level conversions or an issue with PCB layout?

Maybe they were trying to make a change for a niche convenience scenario?

OR were they just dumb?

 

Deviations like that were acceptable on cheaper computers. But not one trying to set an example in the arts and graphics field. The clientele there just wanted stuff to work, not having to fuck around with minutiae.