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Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:53 pm
by mrad01
Has anyone got Windows 1.0 or 2.0 installed? I do remember using it barely - but Windows came into focus for me with 3.0.

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:44 am
by SpidersWeb
I have Windows/286 (2.11) boxed and installed on my IPC AT.
Do not have Windows 3.0 original install disks, but do have 3.1 and 3.11 (and 95 etc etc).

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:28 am
by SpidersWeb
tezza wrote:Thanks,

Yes, value for money always needs to be considered. A big step up from the command line interface of the early 80's that's for sure. Getting to know these systems in more detail reveal just how far Microsoft was behind with MS-DOS in the mid-late 80s. I'm wondering in part whether it was because MS-DOS was a victim of it's own success? Microsoft did have Windows 2.0 in 1987 which had overlapping Windows but no one bothered to write applications for it. People seemed to get along with MS-DOS. Or was it just because it was extremely clunky essentially being just a shell over MS-DOS? Or was it the Intel chips were just not up to it until fast 386 CPUs were available?

I don't know as I haven't researched it, but I have been surprised that almost every popular machine EXCEPT PC and clones had a GUI by 1987 or so.


Just some thoughts, there is probably more reasons than this but my 2 cents:

I've always felt the reason to go PC was performance - getting the job done as fast as possible - and unless you're doing lots of graphical work (in which case Amiga or Mac) you really didn't need a GUI sucking memory and CPU cycles. I also remember back then liking the text based programs because of their speed - no waiting for a screen to redraw.

If you needed task swapping and/or copy'n paste - there was DOS tools available that did that and used less resources. Many people in the late 1980's would've been running 640KB systems I'd suspect - my IBM 5150 256KB was built in 1987! So not everyone was cranking 4Mb 386 beasts.

Things did start to change with the 80386 CPU because we got Virtual 8086 mode - letting us run multiple 640KB windows at once for DOS apps and we could run them simultaneously (rather than suspending them) - so this was pretty damn handy - Lotus could be running a macro while you hope back in to Word Perfect and finish that report. This made Windows/386 2.x actually pretty useful. Being able to multitask windowed DOS apps you owned / company used made it worth the jump.

Windows 3.0 added the Program Manager and virtual memory, which were welcome additions, that's when it started to take off. I suspect around 1990 there was more people with >1Mb RAM and a 386 as well. Then you end up with a big enough user base for software to turn up - perhaps the developers wanted to see it succeed before investing in it?

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:52 am
by caluser2000
Systems (286s and the last of the XT specced systems at least) were still being sold new here in NZ with 1 meg of ram in 1990, including systems from the likes of IBM. Of course you paid a premium. Ram was around a $100 a pop when I got 4 1meg sipps to install in my 286 to run windows 3.1. It actually ran pretty good on a 286/16, my first x86 system. Though not as popular, and no where near the amount of apps., so did PC Geos.

Early x86s where just not designed to run a GUI. GEM existed for a variaty of platforms including x86, but just didn't take off on the PC. It was used in speciaist areas though. I suspect it was more to do with users being more use to cli (or we're stuck with it -640k- so let's make the most of it)than this new fangled gooey pointy clicky stuff.

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 2:13 pm
by tezza
caluser2000 wrote:...I suspect it was more to do with users being more use to cli (or we're stuck with it -640k- so let's make the most of it)than this new fangled gooey pointy clicky stuff.

Not just users but also software writers too I suspect.

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 3:49 pm
by tezza
"How you gonna do it? Ya gonna PS/2 it! The answer is IBM"
Here is another youtube video where I look at a series of IBM models which were suppose to take back the business market from the PC clones but didn't. Also some views of my own PS/2 models. Enjoy
http://youtu.be/bg1ZSxPOb0A

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 4:33 pm
by caluser2000
Thankfully padoras box had aready been opened and the industry went "hang on buddy!!!" :lol:

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:42 pm
by tezza
This snazzy and chic unit epitomized the ultimate in 1988 portable pizzazz.

My Compaq SLT/286.

http://youtu.be/DJWyaJ086Ho

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:45 am
by tezza
A Youtube look at my two baby Macs, for those who might be interested. The SE/30 and Classic II
http://youtu.be/x6mkrwaxoYA

Tez

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 3:59 pm
by mrad01
Great video! One of the all-time great Macs for sure. I have 3x SE/30s and keep them running nicely. I moved on my Classic II because it was completely outclassed by the SE/30 and wasn't worth keeping around.

Nice work.


tezza wrote:A Youtube look at my two baby Macs, for those who might be interested. The SE/30 and Classic II
http://youtu.be/x6mkrwaxoYA

Tez

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:47 pm
by tezza
Life is crazy right now but I finally managed to get another Youtube video up showing one of my inmates. This time it's the Apple Macintosh Powerbook 145B
http://youtu.be/_HIBl8utMe0

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 1:47 pm
by tezza
It's been a long time between drinks, but finally a video on my Acorn A4000.
http://youtu.be/_iodsz5LPio

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:59 pm
by tezza
A look at my Windows 3.1-based 386-DX40 PC-Compatible. The last one on the list, although video re-makes of earlier systems are planned at some stage. http://youtu.be/qoN0HhDnRR8

There are also a few strays I need to clean up, get working and add to the collection. These might also see time in front of the camera.

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:07 pm
by tezza
About as low-entry as a low-entry IBM-PC compatible of the mid 80s could get. Still, it's a stylish box. My Commodore PC-5.
http://youtu.be/DCk7TQtZX0M

Re: Classic-computers.org.nz upload on YouTube

PostPosted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 5:50 am
by tezza
It's longer than I would like but you can't short-change a classic. A remake of my TRS-80 Model 1 video, now in HD.
http://youtu.be/wgKWV8C3e7M