On 11/6/15 3:24 AM, J. Alexander Jacocks via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On Friday, November 6, 2015, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
This kind of thing is a hard decision. I asked myself, in the grand scheme of microcomputer evolution, how historically important is (for example) the Atari 800 vs all the other 8-bit consumer micros? One could ask the same question about (for example) the TI-99/4A. If either of these didn't exist, would anything be different today? What did either of these bring to the table that others didn't?
By the way, the reason I thought to include the TI system is because of its unique-ish expansion interface.
My thoughts:
I agree with the inclusion of the PS/2, but the model 50 is an 80286. I'd suggest a model 80, and to have it run OS/2 1.x. Though they didn't win, in the end, both were important developments.
I'd have to agree with using OS/2, but you already knew that Evan. ;-) And while a PS/2 is probably more historically important, it is just another beige box. The IBM Thinkpad 701c with the butterfly keyboard would be a nicer OS/2 display item if you are allowing laptops. But the model 50Z will run OS/2 1.0 EE. But most people would just think that is just a weird looking version of PCDOS. I know almost no one else here probably cares but I have an IBM Personal Computer Power Series 830 with OS/2 Power PC installed on it, which is probably of no interest to anyone except as a complete technological failure at least for the OS/2 part. But if you are looking for an oddity I don't think too many other people have one of these, but again it is just another IBM beige box. Hopefully it still boots. Mark
As far as the Amiga goes, there are good arguments for both the 500 (sales volume) and the 1000 (first), but I would pick the 1000, personally.
I would also agree that the PC Jr. can be dispensed with, for the first group. As far as a Windows 3.1 system, how about the Compaq Deskpro 386? Quite a significant machine, if we have one.
Last, I'd switch out the Mac Portable for a PowerBook 100/140/170. The Portable is neat, but they are the true first Mac laptops that sold any numbers.
- Alex
-- From the eComStation Desktop of: Mark Dodel "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself. That in it's essence, is Fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private power." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Message proposing the Monopoly Investigation, 1938