Japanese home computers | Database | Thames Television | 1984

[@mick0905]

Quite ironic that a programme about computers being the future is now being watched nonchalantly by us on computers and is viewed as quaint history.

[@realfootwearreviews139]

Mick Nelson I wonder if the presenter or the computer dude is still about and what they would think when they saw the vid

[@kazniaz]

@@realfootwearreviews139 presenter passed away in 2007 😢. Just before smartphones really took off...

[@MrSab177]

Quite ironic that a comment about a programme about computers being the future is now being read nonchalantly by us on computers and is viewed as quaint history.

[@JacksonKillroy]

It's not ironic. Irony is when opposite of what is expected happens. The video is about computers being the future, it's is now the future and we are watching the video on a computer. This situation is the exact opposite of irony.

[@davaanyam100]

JacksonKillroy actually whats ironic would be that, most of us are watching it on an Apple device. Which the video takes shit about 😂

[@thebasketballhistorian3291]

1:55 Lol, that whole exchange was super planned in advance: 1. Reporter "randomly" goes up to any shop and speaks English. 2. Random shop perfectly understands his English. 3. The shopkeeper INSTANTLY has the chip ready and says the price perfectly in English.

[@Nine-Signs]

Watch drop the dead donkey sometime. Then you will never be surprised again.

[@MrSimonw58]

I say, do you have the central processing chip for a Sinclair ZX?

[@kospencer1]

That generation of Japanese would speak more English than the current generation.

[@Bialy_1]

@@kospencer1 In your dreams...

[@Kalumbatsch]

@Blue Nose Sure, the BBC were in on the conspiracy, tinfoil hat 😀

[@GregInTokyo]

Holy shit, Pete Perkins was one of us regulars at the Tokyo PC Users Group back in the 80's-90's. Hadn't thought about him in ages. The foreign computer users were a small, tight-knit group in those days as the Japanese computers of the time like the NEC PC-9800 were incompatible with the worldwide standards.

[@Spaztron64]

I think you'll be happy to hear then that the 8/16/32-bit JPC scene is healthier than ever. With places like MSX Center and PC-98 Central Discord, the amount of people getting in and doing interesting things is only going up.

[@TrueBrit1]

I found a comment on a website about Pete Perkins - "Perkins later ran the CortNet BBS and Janis II; in 1996, he was running a combination Internet café and classroom. Where he’s gone since then, I don’t know - though I remain hopeful he escaped Apple’s wrath."

[@russellschaeffler]

I take that he was a fan of Napoleon Hill

[@wisteela]

I love old stuff like this.

[@louiejj4819]

Because 0ld stuff was the good life and normal , sorry to say 2018 😐👎 Just going to get worse

[@unnamedchannel1237]

I’l introduce you to my next door neighbor’s grandma

[@Dangerous2099]

This is not old, it is the cutting edge of technolgiessss. 😬

[@kookdo6741]

@@louiejj4819 no its becuse old stuff associate with your childhood . and when you are a child everything is good, normal and easy . it only gets better and not worst if you acknowledge that and stop clinging to ur past .

[@tonychr.9169]

Me too....🤵

[@sjguk267]

Is it illegal.....I don't know....epic reply, he really meant, I don't give a shit lol

[@ewaf88]

Sadly Apple kidnapped him and put him in solitary confinement where he's been for the last 34 years.

[@splo1nger909]

Honest guy, honest guy still in Steve’s secret underground jail.

[@ЏонМастерман]

@@ewaf88 Wtf are you talking about ?

[@ewaf88]

@@ЏонМастерман It's English surreal humour which I accept not everyone understands

[@kevinshort3943]

@@ewaf88 He is going to die down there now, as Jobs is gone. Why would Japan have Sunday trading laws?

[@jukijunk]

I've always like watching old videos and seeing a little glimpse of how life was like before our smartphones and the internet consumed our lives..

[@jamesstasiak]

What a nice guy making the computers. What a nice soul :)

[@gilesleggett]

His jumper is also awesome

[@MateusSnake12]

@thinkofanamehm What? Where do you see this?

[@TheStevenWhiting]

Steve Jobs would of gone nuts even though he never created it. Steve Wozniak would of smiled and loved it even though he created the original.

[@BreakifyTV]

@@DjaildoQSjr The fact that your mind goes to this is sad. Just stop.

[@ekapam]

Lol, the very first Hackintosh was made in Japan by a black-american guy who doesn't know if it's illegal or not...

[@tedmahsun]

"What do you mean you don't know?" "I haven't got caught at it yet!" "Are Apple happy about this?" "...I wouldn't be." Wonderful interview. Loved the exchange.

[@OneSwitch]

Don't be daft.

[@janmac86]

@Ricardo Ambríz This should be included in the History of Computer Courses in schools.

[@peterguillam3778]

Your terminology is off the mark. See, it's not a Macintosh clone, it's an Apple II clone. So no, not a Hackintosh.

[@swaneknoctic9555]

This is probably the best comment on KZbin.

[@RaminHonary]

1:00 Holy shit, this is what Akihabara looked like in 1984. I recognize that street and that raised railway in the background, it has to be Akihabara!

[@systemchris]

Wish I could hear the story of how pete Perkins landed up in Tokyo in the 80s selling clone computers... From his age I reckon he was a Vietnam vet with engineering background

[@JohnnyWednesday]

He's British - we didn't fight in Vietnam.

[@systemchris]

​@@JohnnyWednesday the presenter is British, the Pete Perkins guy selling the computers is american

[@Kit_Bear]

no-one today realizes how influential that z80 chip was, it revolutionised computers worldwide.

[@tekpic04]

I learnt my programming trade on a z80. Anyone willing sell theirs for reasonable price.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@rob-fb5xs The Russians got z80s, reverse engineered them, and added support for more instructions. The clones were U880, T34VM1, and 1858.

[@yoloswaggins1579]

So he can build a better computer for half the price of an apple II... So apple has been ripping people off since way back when!😂

[@mojibake.]

TRUE LMAO!!!

[@webmasale]

Most people ignore the cost of R&D, marketing, packaging and taxes. But even with that maybe it was a rippoff.

[@ThoseWhoHeedTheCall]

Yolo Swaggins Pretty much. Double the price for half the content. Thats Apple..

[@rusenakman]

We cleverly call that a Personal Computer.

[@coldhell3580]

I wonder if he’s still going? New MacBook Pro for £500 will do nicely! 😂

[@mackyj7801]

Pete Perkins looks like such as awesome story, would probably been a cool PC shop to randomly find in Tokyo to get your custom stuff from.

[@chrisowen890]

I liked how honest he was.

[@aaronjennings8385]

The black man with the clone computer was Pete Perkins. Pete Perkins was a figure known for creating an Apple II clone, specifically the Honda Computers model, which used a custom Vectorio motherboard with a custom user EPROM socket . This clone was produced in Japan, and it is unclear how many units were made or their exact specifications. However, it is evident that Perkins' creation was recognized as a significant contribution to the Apple II clone community. The Honda Computers model is mentioned in a list of Apple II clones from various countries, further highlighting its importance in the world of vintage computing

[@chocksaway100]

Pete Perkins great guy I hope he made billions.

[@renhoek3851]

Thames, thanks so much for all these historical gems, I haven't watched anything else for a month!

[@Wagoo]

lol, gotta keep an eye out for those russian spies wanting to build their speccy clones to play Sabre Wulf

[@flyingdragonsdownwest7922]

looked like some dodgy spy types hanging by in the same frame

[@MrDirkles]

30 years on and we still hear bs like this in the media :)

[@alastairward2774]

In the end Russia just bought directly from the manufacturers.

[@user-hd8rs1yn2q]

@@alastairward2774 Well yeah, once the East Germans started producing the U880 that turned a lot easier.

[@solcutta3661]

Yeah I thought myself wtf could u do with a z80 processor chip..

[@paulbaker8734]

"No one's asked me where I'm from, for all this nice lady and gentleman know I could be a Russian spy exporting that bit of hardware to do something devious with it". Later in the Soviet Union... "Sergei, we have been commanded to launch the nukes on the Western world. Execute the program immediately." "Yes comrade, I will insert the cassette tape, type in 'LOAD', wait 10 minutes and prey it not crash"

[@MusicFurler]

When anyone buys anything in the world I don't think many shopkeepers ask where you are from.

[@guguigugu]

even NORAD still uses floppy disks to this day. if it aint broke, dont fix it.

[@Westhamsterdam]

@@guguigugu Yes, it´s true!

[@MarshallJukov]

Soviet computers, especially military at the time used hard drives like ИЗОТ А544Е or ИЗОТ А529Е, magnet disks and tape in proprietary standards. Never used audio-cassete tape.

[@mehdisol7094]

lol i instantly imagined this dialogue with russian accent

[@GregInTokyo]

This is a good look at how Akihabara used to be. All about electronics and computers. Nowadays its more about crane game arcades, anime character figurine stores and maid cafes.

[@relaxingprawn]

128 Kb RAM on the IBM compatible PC, and it was lightning fast in 1984... Imagine 8 GB as standard RAM in 2019...

[@krunkle5136]

5:28 I dig the classroom that teaches computers in a department store.

[@mytradingjournal123]

4:32 “is it illegal?” “I don’t know, I haven’t been caught yet” That’s the best thing I’ve seen today, lol

[@bitcoinbusker]

I wish Pete Perkins had of been my local computer store guy in the 80's, He would have been selling all the coolest shit under the counter.

[@abenalif2147]

I like how the Japanese has a computer school above the computer store

[@Ben-Rogue]

Pete is a bloody legend!

[@starguy321]

This guy is truly a great journalist. He did car programmes and tech programmes. I hope he’s doing well wherever he is

[@sutherlandA1]

He passed away in 2007

[@felippecezar9117]

"I could be a russian spy aiming to do something devious" (rolls eyes). Yeah, with a Z80 they could do something rather devious like playing a Pac Man clone or inventing Tetris.

[@worldwar2freak12]

Or make better missile guidance systems, better fire control computers, better radar systems, better intelligence computers. "its just one chip!" - You can dissemble one, learn how it works, then apply that knowledge and manufacture your own copies, giving you better computers, which can be used for all sorts of military and espionage activities.

[@SMGJohn]

+worldwar2freak12 Soviet would have no use for the Z80, was much inferior to the superscalar microprocessors the Soviets invented 30 years before the west had them.

[@9inchpp]

Kek they would reverse engineer the architecture and apply the knowledge to make their own ics which then would be found in anything from soviet bootleg personal computer to processors in their radars. It's basically leap and bound better than vacuum tubes that were still inside most soviet radar back then KR580-derived ic (which is essentially a cloned z80) can be found in Su-27's Phazotron radar

[@SMGJohn]

+fish man www.computerhistory.org/atchm/the-elbrus-2-a-soviet-era-high-performance-computer/ www.theregister.co.uk/1999/06/07/intel_uses_russia_military_technologies/

[@stanwbaker]

The Soviet Union had a Z80 compatible chip in 1979. East Germany made their own in 1980. The Soviet chip could also run 8088 instructions.

[@alarmactionukalarmactionuk893]

Notice when pete mentioned network..that man was seriously ahead of his time, born in the wrong era.

[@spritemon98]

3:53 "Let's not get to technical" *immediately pulls up a motherboard*

[@onthemove301]

Why would they have Sunday trading laws in Japan. It's not a christian country.

[@FilmedbyEdmund]

From what I understood, weekends are sacred family time in Japan

[@Madagon367]

The Japanese occupation by the US after 1945 brought tons of social reforms to Japan also rewriting laws left and right. So I wouldn't put it beyond them.

[@sshep86]

I think it was just him trying to open with a bit of humour. Humour that may go unrealised by many due to his nonchalent and very British presenting style (for back in the day anyway, we have since relaxed our presenting styles a little since then).

[@ThoseWhoHeedTheCall]

Tony Green Neither is England or Europe lol. Or America. They are democracies. Not Christian countries. Sunday is just a bankers day

[@onthemove301]

@@ThoseWhoHeedTheCall So why is the Head of State in the UK crowned in a Christian church?

[@incognitod8444]

Afghan Resistance were the original weebs on a pilgrimage to Akihabara

[@normanschmidt6362]

"Are Apple happy about this?" ... "Erm... I wouldnt be." ... HAHAHAHA, Heres to you Pete, 35 years later! Cheers!

[@ubiased23]

I am a former MSX owner. It gave me a very fond memories because of the excellent games that were exclusive.

[@normanrossall3898]

I have no idea how or why i got here, had absolutely no interest in the subject but Mr Bastable made it very worth while viewing.

[@warrenthomas3168]

Pete perkins were are you now??? Legend

[@AlabamaShrimp]

Very good but can we not have the full programmes?

[@eknaap8800]

And can we have proper punctuation as well?

[@Nine-Signs]

@@eknaap8800 After 10 years of Tory education cuts, no.

[@eknaap8800]

@@Nine-Signs : Evidently...

[@ClayMann]

Back then this was a full programme. Movies only lasted 10 minutes at the cinema and then we all had to come home in the rain. Because of course it always rained back then.

[@itz2komplikayted207]

I could GO SWIMMING in THAT PLACE!!! HOW I WISH that the 1980s would COME BACK!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@lbukem4259]

1984 Japan looks more futuristic than 2018 Russia....

[@appalachiahiker853]

L Bukem moron

[@philipkempbell7174]

People in Japan can afford bread.

[@iseegoodandbad6758]

Well if Russia actually diverted its tiny budget into improving the standard of living of ordinary Russians instead of its millitary ( I can say the same about the rabid USA too) then Russia would be on level with Estonia or Czech by now. 21%of Russians don't have a inside toilet in 2019!!!!!!! The last time the UK had that statistic was in 1966. Pretty amazing.

[@remytv]

And Japan lost the war. Let that sink in.

[@RomanBeloHorizonte]

@@iseegoodandbad6758 Oink if you're Ukrainian. It's them who love to operate such ridiculous stats.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

3:21 brilliant. Assume that's why he was in Toyko as don't think they could chase him at the time there.

[@tcct01]

This programme is invaluable!

[@69Dazzieb]

Lol, is it illegal ? A shrug and 'I don't know' brilliant!

[@sshep86]

I'm guessing that back then, Japan had quite relaxed copyright laws. Much like China nowadays.

[@snooks5607]

a lot of tech industry has been like that. I bet that was the exact comment to e.g. when someone first asked CC numbers on web form for e-commerce or when crypto-currency was founded. "is that legal?" and nobody ever knows for sure, got to try it.

[@peterpedant]

I'm still waiting for the data download at the end of the programme ... ?

[@robertdrinkall8947]

Yes, I was going to try it!

[@anSealgair]

It's still downloading. Things were slow in those days.

[@JoeBetro]

I love the black guy! Cracked me up!

[@jasongomez5344]

3:15 That's exactly the same case as the Apple IIe clone my dad bought in Hong Kong in 1984!

[@kentsmith8345]

Damn rare footage of Akihabara in the 80's

[@aaronjennings8385]

The black man with the clone computer was Pete Perkins. Pete Perkins was a figure known for creating an Apple II clone, specifically the Honda Computers model, which used a custom Vectorio motherboard with a custom user EPROM socket . This clone was produced in Japan, and it is unclear how many units were made or their exact specifications. However, it is evident that Perkins' creation was recognized as a significant contribution to the Apple II clone community. The Honda Computers model is mentioned in a list of Apple II clones from various countries, further highlighting its importance in the world of vintage computing

[@topcat01]

Apple will go mad when they see this

[@alastairward2774]

They'll sue him and win a billion, reduced to pocket change on appeal and he'll be banned from selling any of those clones in 2019.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Lawsuits just filed few weeks ago!

[@qweqwe2058]

fun fact, he's in akihabara, I don't see any anime posters or images anywhere. I guess the anime culture just wasn't big enough back then

[@RiseNoSaigen]

It's originally an electronics district only later turned into an otaku district.

[@CatsMeowPaw]

@@RiseNoSaigen Akihabara style places are now in China, the true home of world electronics. Everything Japanese is made, and increasingly designed in China.

[@nehcooahnait7827]

CatsMeowPaw who is gonna be the next?? India??? Maybe someone we never expected? Vietnam (makes more sense than India to me)

[@nikkovalidor4890]

@@RiseNoSaigen its STILL an electronics hub the anime thing is just something they embraced for tourism

[@burnnolys5707]

4:09 is a great motivating quote for the day :)

[@rohanmarkjay]

The Japanese were way ahead of the rest of the world when it came to Technology and Computers in the 1980s. Back in the 1980s if you bought a Computer, TV, Video recorder or radio with - Made in Japan - on the back of the appliance you knew you had a high quality product. They made a lot of great stuff in the 1980s. Since then China has taken over the mantle Japan had.

[@blengi]

why are most of the top 10' selling computers of all time English or American ie not Japanese and the MSX one is was a standard fostered by Bill gates? google *10 Most Popular Computers in History*

[@makasete30]

I wouldn’t say the Chinese have taken over the mantle quite yet in the same. The Chinese have copied or stolen enough know how for decades, bought enough companies, and are now starting to compete competitively but they are not dominating in the same way the Japanese did. Not yet, anyway.

[@mauryginsberg7720]

Where is next weeks episode with the MSX? 33 Years late I know!

[@althejazzman]

Wonder where MSX is now?

[@SMGJohn]

+Alex Willis Killed by American competition just like every other Japanese computer system and CPU, America systematically bought and destroyed Japanese PC industry through government corruption and backhand deals. Today the few that remains run Windows and are solely made for the Japanese market.

[@sillygoose635]

SMGJohn nope.

[@nikolaykrotov8673]

SMGJohn FYI MSX was developed by Microsoft

[@peckerdecker]

An Afghan village farmer visiting a Tokyo computer market? Hilarious Hee hee hee:)

[@rn-wilx3952]

dumb fuck

[@FULANODETAL]

@Z80 well was the pakistani secret servicie

[@liammacaodha4783]

Media are cunts, right!!??

[@Macho_Fantastico]

Nice to hear that Apple have always been overpriced. I love the American guy, what a legend.

[@DanielLearmouth]

I don't quite know why this popped up in my recommended video suggestions, but I'm not complaining - this is pretty a neat look to a different time and place.

[@DMC585]

David Bastable. What a name!

[@sdrape4964]

I'm surprised Pete Perkins was able to run a shop in Japan called Honda Computers. Hell, if they let him have that, they certainly weren't going to come after him for knocking off American computers! 😂

[@Dennodq]

😂

[@fosterfuchs]

A few years ago, a locally owned garage in Charlotte called Hondaworks (they specialize in Hondas) had to change their name to Asiaworks. Because Honda threatened to sue them over the name.

[@goldman77700]

Arcade...Alladin's cave. I know he's describing other things but there was an arcade named "Aladdin's Castle" in a nearby mall where I gew up. Haha.

[@naqvi1438]

Curiosity to know about computer in 70s and 80s gives peace and serenity.

[@sa3270]

Imagine the peace and serenity of actually living in that time.

[@Ganbakodon]

"No" *Tries not to burst out laughing I love the older style of television!

[@nugrohokun640]

Today we see electronic market like this almost in every corner of the earth...can u imagine how many underground electronic geniuses out there...

[@krisraps]

Quarantine Makes Me Watch All These Old Videos !

[@CousinHubertRetrogaming]

Those little shops in akihabara's alleys are EXACTLY the Same 40years afterwards

[@tachikomakusanagi3744]

"I don't know if they have any Sunday trading laws..." Some top flight journalism right there :)

[@bunnymaid]

Some of those places are still there. Specifically the arcade under the station.

[@iseegoodandbad6758]

When Japan instead of China was booming!!! Man I miss the old days. Uggh.

[@AmigaA-or2hj]

Everyone is saying that India is going to be the next super power.

[@nehcooahnait7827]

Amiga A1200 well then it has to go through either China or the US to make that happen... Japan obviously didn’t make it when the US looked for troubles

[@unebonnevie]

600 yens for the Z80 in 1984 is a great price!

[@mlc4495]

Right? Try buying an 8 year old CPU today for $6. I just checked eBay for an i5-2310 released in 2011 and it costs $36. Lol

[@tHeWasTeDYouTh]

@@mlc4495 I wipe my ass with 36 bucks. also the 6 dollars from 1984 is not the same as 6 dollars today because of inflation. In other words, $6 in 1984 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $14.50 in 2018, a difference of $8.50 over 34 years. The 1984 inflation rate was 4.32%

[@demgreens]

I remember seeing an American Fry's Electronics ad from 1985 that showed Z80s selling for $1.50 or $3.50 - I can't remember which.

[@mlc4495]

Shenzhen in China was just a small fishing town when this programme was made. Today it's a giant megalopolis of millions of people and the electronics capital of the world, with massive bazaars selling any piece of electronics you want just like in this clip. Check out the Vice Motherboard video on YT from Shenzhen that's nearly the same as this 1984 video. How times change.

[@pelgervampireduck]

in the case of the apple it might be "illegal", but in the case of the PC he was doing nothing wrong or weird, it has been open and made by off the shelf parts since day one. that was the accidental genious of it, anybody could buy parts and make an IBM PC clone, so it became the default standard for computers, unlike closed propietary architectures that died off.

[@McVaio]

That depends on whether or not he was using a legal clone of the ROM. Since this was in 1984, I highly doubt that. The genius of the open architecture wasn't accidental by the way, IBM had deliberately designed it as such.

[@R1Willem]

Nice to see this in 2019

[@rickard9294]

Lovely video!

[@mcgibs]

The golden age of Japanese personal electronics must have been a hell of a time to live in.

[@daene277]

Is that Akihabara? I'm not sure tho.

[@The_Bit_Player]

I want a Pete Perkins computer. And his jumper.

[@Harrylechat01]

The computer you can have, but I'll fight you for the pullover ...

[@Muttey2024]

Oh to go back in time and start my own telecommunications company knowing what I know now.

[@thedaggonator]

2:44 the guy behind him in the sunglasses looks like Key from Key and Peele

[@durnin101]

I love that guy. Is it illegal? (Biggest grin in the world) I dont know 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@gregb2063]

God I miss the Thames start up

[@johndobb4723]

Did he used to present magpie in the 1970s ?

[@syaksob]

5:44 dude using Apple Pencil in 1984

[@kendrick10601]

What happened to Mr. Perkins? Any update of his career afterwards?

[@sa3270]

It's been 40+ years. He could have passed on for all we know.

[@NavalKishoreBarthwal]

Whatever your mind can conceive and your heart can believe.. then you can acheive..

[@georgejetson3702]

Thumb's up if you're watching this on a Commodore VIC-20.

[@MB-oc1nw]

Wouldn't the "Afghani Resistance" just have gotten the computer chips from the CIA or Mossad?

[@Rschaltegger]

then yes. then they where the "good guys"

[@ronnysterling7694]

Charlie Wilson probably got them gobs of stuff

[@lukieq12]

I love Pete Perkins, what a lovely man

[@tolycobbold7659]

Love that guy Pete.

[@TIGERGUTS]

The owner of NEC bought me a bottle of saki once in a restaurant. He was a champion. Never met the dude. He was having a good night with his friends .

[@marksinthehouse1968]

We watched this in computer studies at school on a VHS wow we thought the future was here

[@jackryan7743]

4:12 SMOOTH TALKIN BROTHER

[@dobythedog]

Was Alan Partridge based on Tony Bastable?

[@mistag3860]

I missed the data blast, whered it go?...had my cassette recorder ready and all that ting.

[@KhairulAnwar-mp8lo]

I want to open an electronic computer store in Japan too.

[@derekthesec]

Awesome programme

[@Kameleonic]

Ahhh, 15 years of my life doing exactly that in Japan, shopping for parts and building my own PCs from late 98 to 2013: Ebisu-cho, Osaka:) Meet my best mate in the morning, walk the shops, chill in McDonald's talking about games, and electronics, then off to work teaching English around Osaka. That's a life;)

[@emberman535]

Pete Perkins is my new hero.

[@nicholassigsworth7654]

The first ever flash-forward?

[@milodon316]

wait, isn't the black guy Apollo Creed? you know, that guy who single-handedly built the rocket & flew to the moon.

[@Thattgirl6789]

milodon316 lol I'm dead😂😂😂😂

[@EggBastion]

Priceless

[@flukeman022]

Thumbnail came on the last few seconds and of the video was annoying could not see other products names

[@schmaiahgoldberg6621]

great journalist

[@Harrylechat01]

04:23 At last a computer that can send telexes! Where do I sign?