[vcf-midatlantic] IBM PC near-compatibles

[Herb Johnson]

Thanks to Joseph Oprysko & Alexander Pierson for their responses about 
PCJr and Sanyo MBC-550 respectively. also the posts on Tandy 2000. But 
their responses - and the lack of other responses about 
near-compatibles, spin-offs to other topics - kinda confirms my points. 
That's OK. I asked the question to get confirmation.

The Sanyo video was interesting because it showed a game and some video 
modes. (Not my interest but other's interests.) The PCJr is a narrative 
about a failure for a notable brand. Tandy by brand, draws interest; and 
the 2000 has/had a base of owners or is at least known-to-be.

So for "interest", these near-compatibles have to have a feature, a 
brand, a story. And they have to be owned by some number of people 
today, to become a collective interest. And old PC's are not-of-interest 
(or negative interest) among many classes of vintage computerists. 
Otherwise they are simply "not". Hard to establish an interest in a 
bunch of "not's".

But one more thing. On an "Antiques Roadshow", I recall an item. It was 
a kerosene powered fan! A flame, provided hot-air flow, to rotate a fan. 
This was an actual product in the early 20th century. It makes no sense 
today, and stopped making sense when electricity became available, at 
the same time. Thus all those fans were scrapped, unsold. But 
now....they are so rare, they have a bit of value! And are a source of 
amusement, as I've described. So may go, some PC near-compatibles.

Herb "not my technology" Johnson

-- 
Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA
http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net