The Computer Chronicles - Second Hand Computers (1986)

[@mikehosken4328]

Computer clubs, gone with the dusts of time. You could learn a whole lot of things and all sorts of ways to copy that floppy.

[@wolfsden3]

Rumor has it that guys still using his Osbourne 😂

[@DavePoo2]

Sometimes 12 hours a day

[@dan98996]

@@DavePoo2 7 days a week

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Irony here is that some of these relic PCs are actually worth some good money now !

[@CMDRScotty]

Thanks to my dad's friend as a child I would get custom built PC's.

[@mhmrules]

Not gonna lie, that's awesome! :D

[@sologals361]

This episodes older than me and i love it.

[@calif1mc]

I had just started my Freshman Year in High School in September (just about a month before this episode) and I was 14, I'd turn 15 in November of 86. So, this was his it was when I was just starting High School 👍

[@calif1mc]

+Michael Cook How, not his lol

[@juannunez5767]

10:25 Poor Gary. lol

[@karlimo4034]

Gary was a Wozniak without a Jobs, sadly.

[@ValseInstrumentalist]

"No offense, Gary." Hilarious.

[@raven4k998]

umm I think it's more risky for the seller then the buyer hehe since a lot of people are worried about there info getting stolen by there customer which is why they keep the hard disks usually

[@michaelnager6059]

WANG computers was mentioned and at one point they had the "brilliant" idea to create a marketing slogan and were surprised when that slogan didn't go over too well in the UK. The slogan was, "WANG Cares" 😂

[@supercybercow5388]

14:35 eBay -> on -> MS-DOS gotta love it :)

[@joseotero9197]

That intro screams 80s!!!😂😂 Love it

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

I am rediscovering BASIC Programming for the Mac (MCX BASIC) for TRS 80. I started in 1983 on a TI 99 4A. All of this "computes"(Robot B9, original "Lost in Space" 1965-68, paraphrased famous phrase!

[@Havanacuba1985]

Wow what a great episode,

[@ObiWanBillKenobi]

I wonder if that wide-reaching First Osborne Group is still active? Over 250,000 Osborne units-that is many multiples of the number of DeLorean DMC-12 cars originally produced.

[@bloqk16]

Since you are familiar with Osborne computers, here's a bit of trivia to share with you related to that computer maker: I recall back in the early 1980s, on KCBS-AM radio, San Francisco, there was an afternoon hour-long segment news magazine, where a portion of that hour would have a radio staffer interview a guest of relevance. Adam Osborne was one of those guests. At the end of the interview segment, the radio staffer asked Adam if computers would ever get easier to operate [as at that time, a person had to have some tech savviness to use a computer]. Adam's answer was that he felt confident such simplicity to operate a computer was in the future, as he used a comparison [to paraphrase his words]: 'When the automobile first came out, the user had to be a skilled repair mechanic to operate and drive it. Look at how modern cars are now easy to operate, requiring no mechanical repair skills to drive a vehicle.' His words rung true.

[@lindaoffenbach]

Funny, I remember well that we could sell both our PS/2 and Amiga 2000HD for a high price in 1991. The Amiga complete sold instantly for a very high price. The PS/2 sold difficult but went eventually as well. Computers were tanks back then or could be easily fixed.

[@raven4k998]

how is your osborne doing?

[@ThunderKat]

My Intel 386 never die on me...Like old tech was not military but almost like NASA when it come to endurance ^_^ Same for any electronic device on your kitchen back then.

[@WizzRacing]

1200 Baud.. You was really moving some 0 and 1 back in the day.

[@ArumesYT]

1200 was enough in those days, when most of the data was plain text. A 1200 baud connection transfers text much faster than you can read it.

[@anggisetiadi8655]

great shows.

[@andrewchristiansen8311]

20:41 the hard drive is chancy. Man, they seriously relied on floppys and external disk for EVERYTHING. War Games makes so much more sense now.

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

no one was getting rid of their commodores or ataris because they were leaps better than the pc's available at that time

[@cyclenut]

In 88 I built a IBM PC/XT compatible. I bought a used 10 meg MFM hard driver and a used serial mouse.

[@kylelovesrainbows2217]

This is fascinating, but if I had been 43 in 1986 I think I would have broken down into painful tears every day over this junk. But if I had been 17...now that would have been interesting.

[@morr2010]

What does this even mean?

[@Oquadrinheiro]

​@@morr2010bullshit

[@Oquadrinheiro]

This means that he is prejudiced against age and thinks that there is an age to be interested in things.

[@OneEightZero180]

Where could I get a copy of the Brown Book?

[@Leofwine]

The Internet Archive, maybe?

[@wallacelang1374]

I have actually bought a remanufactured Windows PC that I had got from the original manufacturer, technically the company looks at it as a second hand machine and yet it never gave me any problems for the life of the system.

[@BAZFANSHOTHITSClassicTunes]

I like George Morrowv-he says it as it is. No punch's pulled.

[@manonthedollar]

George Morrow seems like a real sweetie pie

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

What is the font?

[@repawnd1]

I'm guessing the Worm never sold very well :D

[@ericn9vjg]

Sounds like Randall had the ancient ancestor of ebay.

[@strangevision99]

I have Mean 18 for the Atari 7800. Probably the golf game I've spent most time on.

[@ww21943]

I really want to find one of those Brown Books! None on ebay and really nothing about them on the net

[@someperson1300]

For a smart guy, George Morrow was wrong about nearly everything.

[@PauloConstantino167]

LOL

[@Darkl0ud_Productions]

He wasnt wrong about RISC though

[@e8root]

By this time the computers they show are from anywhere from 3rd to 30th hand :D

[@bfrazer8696]

I’ve watched enough Computer Chronicles episodes to know that when ol’ George Morrow and his triple eyebags were making an appearance, it was going to be a yap session about absolutely nothing correct

[@brendongyde]

the one thing that caught my attention was the laptop with built in printer.... WTF were they thinking. Who is going to carry that around with them... I know that laptops were the size of brief cases but wow.

[@yellowblanka6058]

If you were in sales etc, the ability to do computing and print out receipts/info etc. for customers would have been pretty enticing at the time. But yes, it was large and awkward, like most portable computers of the time.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Could easily see that as a huge advantage to provide printed copies on the spot. Remember back then paper prints were expected items in a transaction and while there was some online connectivity available, it was limited, as well as your average shmoe had no access to such technology. Your only alternative was to print at your office then mail it out, but that might cost a sale. Depending on what you were selling, even a handful of these lost sales could easily pay for the device!

[@death2all79zx]

14 pound Wang.

[@8BitNaptime]

Hey those are the same prices as Goodwill these days!

[@Havanacuba1985]

Poor Gary rip

[@doganb34]

Farrrkkkk he roasted Gary lolololl

[@Moonblade042194]

NO ONE WANTS THOSE CP/M Machines no offense Gary

[@karlimo4034]

Gary was a Wozniak without a Jobs, sadly.

[@chloedevereaux1801]

how the hell did that guy have an osborne in 1986 for 6 years?????????????? that means it existed before the original ibm 1551 ?

[@johneygd]

It would be no surprise if dumped computers from company's ger sold as second hand computers,albeit formatted.

[@Tony_7791]

Chips being burnt in sounds like bollocks to me

[@mikehosken4328]

Used to be a thing.

[@muppetmangaming4843]

sounds like ebay.

[@HuggieBear39]

Buy used? You mean Uncle Joe won't give ya his old one?

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

:) QC

[@Robert_Presto]

It becomes obsolete and ends up in the garbage.

[@gusmueller4413]

the 80s were so squeamish and intolerant. "it might sound revolting..." as a way to introduce the story that cockroaches are being used as a model for robots. these days, dude wouldn't feel the need to lead the viewer into this story this way

[@myusername111]

Does anyone else find it's almost painful to listen and listen to the guy speak? For years he forces words out, overemphasized everything and moves his head around erratically on every syllable... And he doesn't improve after so long

[@BAZFANSHOTHITSClassicTunes]

Which guy

[@Leofwine]

To quote a meme: “Do you realise how little this narrows it down?”

[@KS-dk9cd]

If you're talking about George Morrow, I agree. I can't stand him. Stewart Chiefet is a great host; sometimes rushes guests along but he does that so it doesn't turn into a sales pitch.