Retro Commercials - Computers of the '80s!

Ready for an injection of commercial nostalgia? Let's take a trip back in time and rediscover computers from the 1980s!
Patreon: patreon.com/DavesArchives
#80scommercials #retrocommercials #computerads

[@DavesArchives]

If you enjoyed watching Computers of the '80s, please be sure to like and subscribe to my channel! Also, hit that notification bell so that you'll be the first to know when new content is available. Thanks for your support, my friends! -Dave

[@johnphantom]

I liked this video, lots of memories. I don't know why you separated the Amiga though. It was an important alternative to the PC and Mac back in the day with a good GUI multitasking OS that Commodore could have easily dominated the market with, and don't get me wrong, I've never personally owned one (school I went to bought 25 of the 64s in 1982, besides the single Vic-20 and 5 Apple II+ they had). I'd like to leave this here, if I may: We are not digital and nothing in Nature is digital. Oxford quantum physics professor Andrew Steane wrote in his paper about quantum information systems titled "Quantum computing" at arxiv.org/pdf/quant-ph/9708022.pdf : "The new version of the Church-Turing thesis (now called the ‘Church-Turing Principle’) does not refer to Turing machines. This is important because there are fundamental differences between the very nature of the Turing machine and the principles of quantum mechanics. One is described in terms of operations on classical bits, the other in terms of evolution of quantum states. Hence there is the possibility that the universal Turing machine, and hence all classical computers, might not be able to simulate some of the behavior to be found in Nature. Conversely, it may be physically possible (i.e. not ruled out by the laws of Nature) to realize a new type of computation essentially different from that of classical computer science. This is the central aim of quantum computing." From what I understand they are forcing current quantum computers to unnaturally apply a binary state to something that has a infinite evolution of states. Think of the electron and the circle it makes around a nucleus. That 360 degrees circle it makes is infinite in precision, and that movement certainly has an effect on its surroundings. Basically, practical math is the descriptive language of the universe, and not the actual universe because it uses measurements. I propose a "Dynamic Stateless Computer" that operates on "Logic Geometry" based only on connections, or links, or pointers - a much more simple computer than the three basic Boolean logic gates operating on mathematical binary bits that is every computer out there. The shape is the logic and the logic is the shape, sort of like a truth table that is dynamic where the "truths" change as it runs. Quantum mechanics is beyond me, but if this only needs connections, ie a quantum entanglement, can we build a computer that operates and does its entire run instantly? Like I said, all I need is connections to perform logic... no need for information... the shape is the logic. You are best off going to Github and seeing online without downloading the paper and models. When someone looked at my calculators, they accused me of: "You're not doing math! You're emulating math!" Look at the simple calculator first, it only does addition and subtraction. Then look at the complex calculator that does multiplication and division. As you well know, if I can do those things, I can do anything mathematically. In the main model I created if-thens, complex do-whiles, a randomizer and a relational database. github.com/johnphantom/Dynamic-Stateless-Computer Through the exercise of the most complex do-while I asked a question related to that, and the answer uses the ancient Chinese/Pascal's Triangle (which millions have looked at over thousands of years) in a new way: mathhelpforum.com/threads/combination-lock.17147/ I basically had to count nothing as something to count, as in you can have different items to count the permutations of but a default state of no item is possible for each, some or all to count in the permutations, and it doesn't seem anyone else in history was able to use the really basic mathematical concept of the Triangle in that way for the solution. The technique of the implementation is a little interesting, with it being able to reach any of the 209 possible combinations in 4 keystrokes or less - it's how it scales that is the curiosity, where if I had 18 wheels and 18 numbers to form a combination it would have almost 3x10 to 18th power or 2,968,971,264,021,448,999 possible combinations, each reachable within 18 keystrokes or less. I don't have any idea as to how this would be physically built - none of the aspects of it, except for the dynamic logic that I also do not have any clue if it really is what I ask above. I just can do these things I demonstrate and in my extensive almost 50 years of digital computer experience I have not seen anything exactly like it. Maybe you wonder about my computer experience? I have always been fascinated by computers, starting in 1972 using a prototype Cogar 4 that my dad got his hands on, when I was 3. By the time I was 5, Singer wanted to use me in a commercial to sell the computer, because if a 5 yo could start it, load the OS and then load games, that proved anyone could. My first mentor helped develop Ethernet after working for my father, and allowed me to hold one of the first breadboard ethernet cards developed when I was 10. My first real program (programming since at least 5 if you count the Cogar ASM I had to type to get to the OS and games) was in BASIC when I was 11 that I learned from a manual without anything more than a small example for each command, written with pencil on paper; a rudimentary AI demonstration called "Animals". Second program I made I had another computer (we had moved and left the one at my dads company behind when he sold it) and was a dot bouncing around the screen. Third program, with 12 year old's understanding of math, I attempted to do 3D. I first professionally programmed in 1982, started building computers and networks for a small computer company in 1986 owned by my second mentor, Peter De Blanc who lead ICANN for a period, was an official beta tester and developer for OS/2 2.0 and developed a device driver for it for the extremely complex Truevision Targa+ 64 video editing board (pic: imgur.com/a/hMe21Qe ) directly flipping bits on it in 1991. That's almost 30 years ago. My experience has only gone up from there. This dynamic logic is something I found, that I have never seen anything like even searching for it on the Internet for the past 20 years.

[@kompzec]

I really enjoy watching all the retro videos, but being the geek I am this one hit home ... Can you work on series of these ? I am sure there many more 80s computer commercials. It would be awesome if you could also do 90s computer commercials. Thank you for the awesome nostalgic fix ...

[@taureanmay7480]

Your nice.

[@skystreak1983]

"I already checked the computer. The Bears lost." Imagine how futuristic that must've sounded back then.

[@beersn0b]

I recently fired up the C64 I got in 1984, along with my 1541 floppy drive, and they still work!

[@romancahill3503]

That's awesome I wish I still had my Adam

[@samljer]

Did the same thing about 2 years back, it didnt work... replaced the capacitors and it works fine agian... The old PCs were great lol.

[@taureanmay7480]

It does.

[@douglasfreeman3229]

Wow, did I want a C64 when I was a teen! That was the one I covetted.

[@TheDanno210]

Be wary of those OEM Commodore power bricks - they notoriously short out internally and run straight AC into your system instead of 5V-12V of DC and will cook your system board. Easy to convert existing new and inexpensive laptop power bricks to run your commodore with - lots of vids and info on YT and google. 😊👍🏻

[@LDrosophila]

I love your content not sure why but these old commercials help me relax.

[@taureanmay7480]

Ahhhh.

[@m3trooper]

I worked for Atari, Inc. in NYC for a number of years. Each time someone would see my work badge, they'd say, "Atari is still around?" lol

[@RISCGames]

Atari is still around? ;-)

[@m3trooper]

@@RISCGames Ha! It's been years since I've worked there, but apparently they're making a chain of ATARI Hotels. 😆

[@NaviciaAbbot]

@@RISCGamesUnfortunately. However, they're more a shell for nostalgic money burners to dump countless dollars in only to get dumb ideas out of - like the Atari Hotels, or failed funding concepts like the Atari VCS.

[@LUCKO2022]

Atari is NOT around anymore. The REAL Atari has been dead since 1996. The current Atari is nothing more than Infogrames parading around as Atari. But they aren't the real deal.

[@CCK1972]

Nice

[@jillhanschen6590]

Back then, nobody could imagine computers small enough to fit into a pants pocket. Cool.

[@collegeman1988]

Scott Grimes at 16:51. Yes, he was a kid then, but now he’s on The Orville.

[@haweater1555]

I grew up in a rural area, so visits to electronics stores were rare. To a 14 year old in the early 80s, the Radio Shack catalog was an absolute bible to worship.

[@RISCGames]

I was fortunate enough (poor) to grow up as a Teen in the early 90s when everyone tossed what they considered garbage computers into the dumpster bins and Goodwill stores for dirt cheap or next to free. I would take my lawn cutting grass money and buy multiple different computers a month from the different Flea Markets and various Thrift Stores locally and would end up owning just about every single computer shown in this ad and then countless others. That time period was an amazing and affordable way to explore the dozens of different system software packages and hardware architectures that had once wowed people on a daily basis but was then considered obsolete. If one thing has stuck with me from my younger experience after all these years it's that newer does not always mean better and it's almost sad how expendable the human race treats technology that took countless people, hours to imagine, create and execute for the end user to only toss to the wayside a few short years later as if it served zero purpose, dare I say even horrific. It's too bad Write to Read isn't still a thing, that looks super promising for K1s and I've never seen it before! The technology evolution seems to have killed a lot of great things along the way as a result.

[@DavesArchives]

Nice! Still have any of those old computers?

[@robinchesterfield42]

Ohmygod, YES, and I was totally right there with ya buddy. My family's first computers were all hand me downs from my brother's friend's family. They knew we wanted one and were gonna get rid of theirs to get a new one anyway, so... And yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff that just...didn't make it, but what if it had? (I wonder if you could get a decent what-if sci fi story out of some of those...) And I totally get what you mean about it being sad that things that took that much work and thought to make originally, just get tossed out. I mean, especially if it was part of your life and memories, growing up. Or even a beloved memory as an adult. Apparently I have a weird nostalgia streak about old technology...which I didn't know for quite a while. Storytime: I used to work at this call-center job, which used older computers than the time because they still worked for what the company needed them to do, and they were cheap. But I had no idea just HOW old some of their computers were, until I walked out into the front office one day and notice that some of the personnel-staff type people were using small-screened, deep, MONOCHROME CRT computers. With the iconic green or amber text and everything! I immediately flashed back to my elementary school days of trying to learn how to make my own simple games in BASIC and playing with that "Turtle" program to make it draw all over the screen, and went "AWWWW!!" before I could stop myself. I don't know what kind of geek you have to be to find old _technology_ adorable, but apparently I am that kind. XD The kicker? This happened in the *2000's*! Well, they only needed those screens to show words and be able to connect with other computers in the company--fancy graphics weren't actually needed and like I said, the company was cheap as hell (as seen in how INSANELY LOW our wages were). So...yeah. Still using '80s computers. And yes, they still worked!

[@RISCGames]

@@robinchesterfield42 That's awesome! I miss the LOGO Turtle, wanted to pick one up about 10 years ago for my then younger daughter to connect to an Apple II but they seemed either non existent or so expensive it didn't make sense. I continue to surround myself with a lot of the older tech and yeah, I still have quite a few Atari machines and an Apple II.

[@deniseherud]

Clint Thompson computers were so fun and easy to hack back then😂👍🏻 Now I can’t get my damn iPhone to sort my pics in any kind of order I can actually find anything 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@Cacowninja]

If it's okay to ask what caused you to be poor?

[@calziz]

Radio Shack was the most fascinating store back in the day

[@Gromit801]

"1984" did more than change Apple. It changed advertising as we know it forever.

[@HowardPrice]

Directed by Ridley Scott of "Alien" fame.

[@jamesslick4790]

Ironic, that that ad was about going against conformity..... That's as about as far from what Apple represents today.

[@HowardPrice]

James Slick You think? I don’t know. They seem to have a better product and they have a broader vision than most combining culture and technology. Maybe they don’t express it as well today as Zion’s used to but I think it’s still there.

[@Jakerocksteady]

@@jamesslick4790 I disagree. They want things done their way and have their own set of standards, their own operating system, their devices, hardware, and "personality" to their products. I think they are about as conformist as Nintendo conforms to conventional video game standards. They do their own thing in their own way... It's just that they're incredibly popular and widely used by so many people.

[@jamesslick4790]

@@Jakerocksteady "They want things done their way." fine that's their right. It's ALSO the OPPOSITE of what the "1984" ad was all about. If people are OK with Apple's total control over their hardware, That's fine too. I'll stick with non Apple PCs. Dell doesn't give a flying rat's ass what OS or Apps I install. And I can EVEN develop my own apps without Dell's permission.

[@krisfrederick5001]

I remember when floppy discs were actually floppy...playing Oregon Trail in Elementary school on a Macintosh

[@robinchesterfield42]

I know, right? When the switched to the smaller ones I was like "Wait...this name doesn't make sense anymore. They're clearly not floppy!" I even remember saying this to a classmate and lightly "trying" to bend a disk while I was talking, as a visual aid. XD

[@timeforchange3786]

Lol I was a mom and loved playing Oregon Trail. My kids never got into it. That and Rollercoaster Tycoon 😁

[@krisfrederick5001]

@@timeforchange3786 I mean, this is hardcore nostalgia we share. Love that I'm not alone

[@CCK1972]

Nice how you provided the history for context. I don't remember watching any of those commercials, then again I was a teenager back then I probably wasn't paying attention. Commodore 64 had the best keyboard, even to this day. Even back then, Apple was cutting corners. The Mac rectified that for a minute.

[@nongthip]

I started working at Microsoft at the end of 1988 in the Product Support Services Macintosh Applications group. We were about 50-60 people back then and each of the new employees got their own cubicle with a Mac Plus computer which had a full 1 Mb of RAM and a 3.5" floppy drive. After a few months if you did a good job you got upgraded to a Mac 2 which had more RAM and a COLOR monitor! Part of my job was on the "Trade Team" where I would call other manufacturers and arrange trades of our Demo-version software in exchange for their soft or hardware and basically started stockpiling all that late-80s product, so we essentially had the latest of every major software application for Mac and got more RAM sims to beef up our Macs. I set up a group server for our department on a Mac SE we named "Big Bird" which had... wait for it... a 30 MEG HARD DRIVE! No one back then even knew what a gigabyte or for God's sake a Terabyte was, as this was an unthinkable amount of memory. There was a definite rivalry between our Macintosh gang and the PC apps division. To us, PCs and MS-DOS SUCKED and MACS RULED. Windows was still in its infancy so Macs offered the by far best Graphical User Interface (GUI) and could be personalised with added desktop images and sounds and they could even talk (you know - that voice, haha). Meanwhile PCs were more like a hobbyists boring home project and way too many companies were allowed to copy the architecture with their own components so huge incompatibility issues and constant debugging and surrender CTRL-ALT-DEL's. Sure Macs were mostly a black box in terms of O/S but that meant more stability and controlled upgrades while still allowing a bunch of personal interface tweeks. In short, Macs were FUN and PCs were boring. I never got interested in Windows until version 3.0 and 3.1 which at least started to include some of the (stolen) Apple magic (which they stole from XEROX PARC). Anyway, watch the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" to get some sense of just how ground-breaking and exciting those days were. Then in 1991 the company grew exponentially and I was part of a HR team who interviewed dozens of fresh young candidates every day to supply a massive expansion. Unfortunately this was also when they started hiring mega-management bean counters from the likes of Proctor & Gamble and the grassroots vibe of the company started to fade. So in a leap of faith I took a job at tiny Microsoft New Zealand at the end of 1992 and helped build that up from scratch to become a fully functioning subsidiary. Being the head of product support for this small arm of antipodean MSNZ was like starting over and very exciting in a country who's economy is about the size of Illinois - a country small enough that I memorised the names of every top 100 towns which had a Microsoft distributor or retail outlet and got to drive/fly around to visit almost all of them. Jurassic Park meets 1990s technology. Heck I even met Dr. Grant (Sam Neil) at one of our events, and got to do some scary darkened room presentations to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Exciting times which I fear are now just drowned in the company's gargantuan massive corporate haystack. I left in 1998 and took those lucrative share options to travel the world for 20 years. Thanks Bill ;-) Picture with Bill at 1989 Christmas party (I'm a bit drunk on champagne): live.staticflickr.com/2779/4032708642_9dc13c2fbb_o.jpg

[@DavesArchives]

Wow, quite a story and thanks for sharing! Will need to check out that documentary :D

[@fraserbordeleau9140]

That's a very interesting perspective and story. Thanks for sharing and happy travels

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives good.

[@strawbrryfld1]

Can you imagine traveling to the moon with the computing power of a Texas Instruments calculator ? 😳😱. What’s even funnier we’ve returned to using our TVs as computer monitors again.

[@daveninjaneuro7089]

That 1984 apple commercial was epic and a lil cray.

[@adamv242]

I would give literally ANYTHING to wake up tomorrow in the 80s... wish I could go to sleep on December 31st, 1989 and wake up on January 1st, 1980.. just live it on a loop.

[@DavesArchives]

Me too!

[@adamscott7354]

Would make a good "Groundhog Day" like movie plot

[@zerocooler7]

I would enjoy that.

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives so do i.

[@jjryan1352]

I remember seeing the first PCs in the stores as a kid, with basic word processors and monochrome monitors, and thinking, "this could be really useful".

[@Anarchist86ed]

Now your computer replaces every form of entertainment there is from TV to video games to porn. All in one little box.

[@jeissonleonardo2725]

Cellphones are doing that now.

[@taureanmay7480]

Yes.

[@QuertyQw33n]

Smart phones are God's gift to hospital waiting rooms.

[@wilburmcbride8096]

I had an Apple McIntosh and a IBM computer. My friends had a Tandy computer. They were good times. Technology was just getting ready to take-off.

[@brostenen]

And just imagine. We are still stuck in 1997. Basically no hardware technology as such, have been invented since then. Things have just been made faster and more refined. Nothing more than that. Like, how about 3D gfx? Hotplugable data stransferring cables and so on. All invented before that, just refined and made faster and better since 1997.

[@Hellwyck]

Tandy 1000s were IBM jr knock off with more expansion and better sound and colour.

[@taureanmay7480]

Like a rocket 🚀 😎 😌 😏 👌 🎶.

[@timeforchange3786]

@@brostenen i loved having my see through computer with flashing different color lights. I wore my DVDXCOPY out 😁

[@brostenen]

@@timeforchange3786 We all have different memories of what was the coolest moment in our own computing history. That is why I collect 80's and early 90's computers. 🙂

[@brentmann2988]

4:11 Ed Grover on the Apple voice-over. 7:28 Burgess Meredith for Commodore. 16:20 a VO by Gary Merrill for the IBM PC.

[@johnp4008]

7:29 Having Burgess Meredith doing your commercial voice-over then is the same as having Morgan Freeman do it today.

[@Jakerocksteady]

Interesting! I didn't realize that was Burgess Meredith but I totally hear it.

[@taureanmay7480]

Hmmmm.

[@williamdouglas1977]

Thank you for all of the videos ! I need to go back in time to my childhood ! Thank you so much !

[@DavesArchives]

Glad you like them!

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives i do.

[@MaryS2022]

Interesting to see what computers were like long ago. How things have changed in 30-40 something years.

[@RISCGames]

Sadly many instances not for the better. Our schools had Apple II computers when I was in Kindergarten and it just felt like it made sense with a bunch of software that allowed kids to play games that included words and math. Reader Rabbit FTW!

[@taureanmay7480]

True.

[@darktetsuya]

wow what a great collection of ads! my computer of choice in my childhood was the Apple II series (was the main one my school had!) so I never really had much opportunity to use the others til high school with windows 3.1/95 and mac machines.

[@taureanmay7480]

Nice.

[@82dorrin]

Imagine watching KZbin videos on these. lol

[@ime8506]

thank you for posting this. It made my day finding this.

[@PandaBear62573]

My first computer was a Commodore 128. It got me through high school.

[@cooldude5able]

I remember the NCR computer. My dad worked for them so we had that model.

[@DavesArchives]

Pretty cool!

[@herrgolf]

Did you live in Dayton?

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives indeed.

[@samljer]

Commodore is what we had... Loved that thing... not sure i wouldnt still use it today if it could use the web properly lol

[@thepennyfarmer4034]

Lol hard to believe I use to program games on a Tandy color computer when I was a kid

[@RISCGames]

Not hard to believe since you were in the time period when that was a thing. Tell someone you currently program games on a Tandy color computer and that would be hard to believe :P

[@taureanmay7480]

Me too.

[@outkast2603]

Its crazy how excited they were about these types of computers, now we barely use them in the household

[@curiousottman]

Best of all: no social media !

[@phaze7269]

Oh, I wanted an Amiga 500 so badly! I was a all Commodore 64 for the second half of the decade, and finally managed to buy a 500 in the early 90's. Such a great PC for the time. Thank you for sharing.

[@a87nomsirrah35]

As a 10 year old,I never thought I would have a pager, phone, answering machine, speech to text, gps, calculator, stopwatch, clock, sketch pad, email, internet browser, games, movies, finance reports, instant news, a typewriter, a virtual personal assistant, and much more IN MY POCKET!!!!! 🙏 God bless all the companies that contributed to the making of all these technologies, which have been compiled into this wonderful gadget called a "smartphone" Took thousands of smart people to make a smartphone - literally!!!!

[@rockytorres2416]

Computers! This is the Computer video proves that computer is the best.

[@SnarkyRC]

My neighbor had a Commodore 64 when I was a kid. It was awesome. I have a C64 Mini now. It's as fun as it was back then.

[@DeadmanKira98]

I recently purchased two working vintage computers. A TRS-80 Model III and a 1989 Bondwell B310 Plus. I am very excited to set them up in my office

[@bethdibartolomeo2042]

Wayne Rogers on-screen with Harry Morgan and the whole MASH group looking at a computer is a new level of strange, LOL.

[@blackphoenix77]

I remember seeing that Apple 1984 commercial when it first aired.

[@jrebecca0195]

7:00 That screen was so tiny! I can only imagine the eyestrain! Our first family computer was the Commodore 64. We also used them in my elementary school. High tech back then! 😉

[@joermnyc]

JRebecca I had a C64 at home, at elementary school we had Texas Instruments, then a bunch of junk PCs until the very last year... when we got a lab full of Apple IIe that looked like it was ten years ahead of what we had!

[@agoogleuser4443]

Our first one was the Commodore 64, but by then I was in college and only got to use it if I came home for the weekend. Too expensive to get more than 1 back then for us! I remember the computer science majors at school were bitching cause the lab only had a few then, and everyone had to stand in line forever waiting to use them for classes. Seems funny now.

[@taureanmay7480]

Way back.

[@datalore6187]

I had a Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer 2, and then a Color Computer 3. The 6809E processor was actually pretty powerful. It had a more robust instruction set than the chip which powered the Commodore 64. However, Radio Shack/Tandy didn't want this computer to compete with their higher-end systems, such as the Tandy 1000, so they stopped marketing as hard for it. Software for the TRS80 was available at Radio Shack, but much better (in my opinion) software was available through 3rd party vendors. Great word processors, graphics programs, games, music software, etc. It was a nice little machine. It served me well in junior high school. As for Macintosh, they were over-priced then, and over-priced now. Their graphics and sound were light years ahead of any competition...well, maybe not the Amiga computers. But their desktop publishing capabilities were pretty outstanding for the time. And if you had lots of money, you could buy an Apple Laser Writer laser printer, capable of printing a whopping 4 pages per minute, or something like that. The output was pretty nice though, again, for the time. Total crap systems such as The Adam computer by Coleco, what a piece of junk. A computer without useful software is just a dust collector, and that was the Adam. Now the computing power of a smart phone can run circles around these systems. And everyone can get back to being victims on Twitter and Facebook, screaming about how oppressed they are.

[@AnOfficialAndrewFloyd]

Data Lore The ADAM runs the Zilog Z80 which allows it to run CP/M. I've seen Coleco ADAMs using hard drives and running bulletin board systems. It uses the same video chip as the TI 99/4A.

[@LUCKO2022]

Nothing beats the Commodore. SO you have to ask yourself Are you keeping up with the Commodore? Cause the Commodore is keeping up with you.

[@taureanmay7480]

Nice.

[@collegeman1988]

It wasn’t until the Internet took off in the mid 1990s that computers became an essential tool everyone needed to have. In the 1980s, people used computers, but they were mostly a novelty item or a toy.

[@slimreynolds6935]

I still have an Apple IIc, my first computer, complete with all the floppys and a dot matrix printer. I even have the original printshop, and a pirated copy of apple writer😂. Problem is it's in a gateway box with the cow spots on it😂 . Would love to find an original box. My dad bought a gateway in the late 90s, cleared out my old bedroom, made an office and put the apple in the gateway box when he set it up.

[@robinchesterfield42]

Oh god, I remember the dot matrix computer at my school. It was SO LOUD. SKREEEEEE....SKREEEEEE... XD And those paper borders with the holes in them! (I used to know what the actual word for that is, heh.)

[@myrnamoretti1547]

Does anyone know of historical responses to the three Black men in the first Atari ad? Including them in relation to the basketball game rather than other types of software seems like it walks a fine line. Curious to know more and thanks for posting!

[@adamscott7354]

Atari - I know my company legacy is gone... Luke Skywalker - No ones ever really gone...

[@taureanmay7480]

Almost.

[@valerieeslick6324]

The computer commercials with the cast of MASH are so cool

[@erikhicks07]

That AS/400 commercial is a trip. Wow!

[@davidanderson-22]

HOLY CRAP!! Microware Magic & Computers in Fairfield, OH. That's where I grew up.

[@DavesArchives]

Hehe, that's pretty rad :D

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives rad, yes.

[@Big_Boss_Asenffy]

Awesome seeing the cast of M.A.S.H. in the IBM ads, never thought id see Colonel Potter on a computer lol

[@gspendlove]

16:47 Scott Grimes! Can't wait for Season 3 of _The Orville._

[@robinchesterfield42]

OHMYGOD! I _thought_ there was something familiar about that kid! Good catch! Wow. And the "I wish I had something like this when _I_ was a kid" you and me both, Scott. I JUST missed the era when kids just naturally had computers in their kindergarten classrooms and it was no big deal...they were only like a few years younger than me when that started happening.

[@PlasmaCoolantLeak]

Great catch! When I scroll down, so I can't see the image, I can almost hear "Steve Smith."

[@adamscott7354]

Mind blown, thanks, he was also great in Band Of Brothers

[@taureanmay7480]

Yes.

[@NightSprinter]

Awesome collection of foreign commercials for Commodore and Atari computers.

[@sinecosine5421]

Hey Dave is there any chance we can see more computer related commercials like this from the 80/90/2000???

[@Big_Boss_Asenffy]

Awesome compilation bro especially for computer geeks! :)

[@robinchesterfield42]

Oh heck yes. I'm not a computer expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I kinda grew up alongside them and MAN do these commercials bring back memories of elementary and middle school. :)

[@OneSkiWonder]

I remember seeing an ad about some tech company claiming their product has "more storage than you'll ever need". But I can't remember what year it was, how much storage it was, or where I saw it.

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

I love these ads, especially the kitten one!

[@wobedraggled]

I went from a Timex Sinclair 1000 to the C=64 to Many different Amigas (500/1000/2000/2500UX/3000) I really miss those days...

[@RetroDaze]

Great set of ads and fun intro segments. Good stuff!

[@DavesArchives]

Thanks, RetroDaze - much appreciated!

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives retro daze, what 😳 🤔 😐 😑 😍 🤣.

[@deniseherud]

I love how floppies were like $50 for a box and each held like 100 mb😂...that’s so adorable🥰😂 I like how the pc’s run DOS like it’s a thing😂😂😂-although I prefer it over ^any^ version of Windows-that big, useless, resource-hogging system gorilla😡😂😂😂

[@agoogleuser4443]

I loved seeing the MASH gang on the IBM commercial. How cool was that! Trapper 😍 Bet they paid a pretty penny for that ad since the show was so popular.

[@taureanmay7480]

True.

[@savvybear11781]

my first computer was a tandy. with a dot matrix printer

[@billybarnett2846]

There weren't that many home computers back then and nothing anybody could afford anyway.

[@CCK1972]

Always wanted an Amiga bit I couldn't afford one. Definitely could afford one now.

[@DavesArchives]

You and me both!

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives me too, as well.

[@Faith-lj4ex]

That HP compact computer was awesome for back then!

[@sonicmoremusic1]

My first 🖥 was a Vic 20

[@davidewhite69]

dont know what Commodore was thinking when they chose that ad for the Amiga

[@JoeBobTarheel]

HP was Huge cuz NASCAR co-owners Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds team used HP like crazy for its driver, Harry Gant and would plaster the HP logo on Gant's helmet!!

[@funkyphreakout]

Amiga channeling those 2001 Space Odyssey vibes

[@DavesArchives]

You know it!

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives you too dave.

[@jaysonrogoz8822]

On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984".

[@jjryan1352]

Oh the irony.

[@Hellwyck]

Steve Jobs will stranglehold the stockholders into buying his monochrome, hardly-any-sound Macintosh and bury the much-MUCH-better specced Apple ][ GS from Steve Wozniak.

[@taureanmay7480]

Remember that.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

5:40 is that agent Smith from that movie? (Hugo Weaving the 'Matrix")

[@FoxRivers778]

I was surprised you didn't mention Amiga with the 128 when discussing Commodore, but at least you snuck one in at the end. All the IBM competitors claimed their PC was better, but was it really. I never owned an IBM or Lenovo which the personal computer division was later called. I did find it interesting to see a commercial for IBM Applications System 400. I always knew it as AS 400 but never once wondered what the AS stood for. Even through the late 90's businesses were using this system, and I am talking large companies too.

[@josefnocera4414]

Nice Comp-ilation 😎

[@robinchesterfield42]

;)

[@brittlecharm]

For a brief moment I thought Harrison Ford was in a Texas Instruments ad

[@mortarmopp3919]

While I know you can't show every commercial out there, I'm surprised you didn't show any for the TRS-80 Model 1 or the Apple ][ (I don't think the PET had any commercials). After all, these were the ones that started it all. And why only one ad for the Amiga? Still, it was neat seeing ads for brands that weren't that common.

[@jamesslick4790]

Radio Shack issued the TRS-80 (Model 1) in 1977 beating IBM by 4 years.

[@Hedgewalkers]

My first computer was an Apple IIe; it was a fairly powerful lower end computer for its time, but the computer I remember having the biggest impact on me was my Amiga 500, then shortly after, the Amiga 3000. Amiga was a monarch (as far as personal computers) in comparison to other systems where it came to music and graphic applications. I think Commodore may have ruled the industry if it weren’t for poor business practices. I still miss my Amiga 3000!

[@anandguruji83]

Retro Commercials - Computers of the '1980s!

[@anandguruji83]

Retro Commercials - Computers of the '1980s!

[@taureanmay7480]

That's right.

[@smalltowndowntown9199]

1981: cut to the black family playing a basketball game on the computer. 2020: maximum ooph

[@dannygilmour1925]

Those what if ads are cool

[@taureanmay7480]

Cool enough.

[@DevineInnovations]

Can you do "Computers of the 90's?"

[@dorseykindler9544]

"Dude, you're getting a Dell!"

[@DevineInnovations]

@@dorseykindler9544 classic!

[@taureanmay7480]

We'll see.

[@robinchesterfield42]

Dude, I'd watch that one too. He HAS to include the weird transparent colorful iMacs if he does that. Has to. Those are _iconically_ "wow that was a weird trend, what were we thinking back then". :P (Although I'm not against them per se, mind you. A modern computer with a good graphics card that also happened to be see-through pink, I'd be fine with.)

[@DevineInnovations]

@@robinchesterfield42 I have one of those iMacs

[@texmex3343]

Hello, A 11:00 what is this microcomputer Radio Shack specific to the usa no? I am in France I have never seen one. I know that Radio Shack are or were stores that sold electronics and microcomputers, in the US otherwise I don't know these stores in France 🙂

[@brostenen]

It is funny that prople regard IBM as the father of all PC's. Yes they invented the "IBM Pc". However, Personal Computers, were around years and years before. The IBM Personal Computer, and Apple Personal Computers are some of the only ones left from back then. However. You can still buy something like a brand new Amiga these days.

[@fennkell]

How do you find these commercials?? Great stuff. Love it. Keep it coming.

[@RobCamp-rmc_0]

We had an Atari 800XL (8 bit) when I was a kid; it wasn’t going to fool anyone into thinking it was anything like a PC, but it was great for what it was.

[@Hellwyck]

the Atari 8bits were amazing machines for the time.

[@taureanmay7480]

Yes.

[@timeforchange3786]

Lol I remember when Windows first came out and I asked if I had to use it because I was afraid I would lose my DOS skills 😅

[@ken-obiskywheeler7045]

Is that Hugo Weaving at 5:40 ish?

[@joshuawilkes5888]

everybody jump into the future just think about going into the future

[@cmmolthr]

I used to have an Amiga 500...kind of miss it

[@willeysingleton3057]

I got a lot of B and B + because of the Hewlett packet word processor, If the technology back then added more , and abbreviations i might have had a few A's If i had hand written them , and worked harder on literature, maybe my dyslexia wouldn't be so bad. But then again teachers loved the typed 🙄 worked i sent in easier for them to correct.

[@thevacdude]

Macintosh, The computer for the rest of us.

[@Hellwyck]

Shit compared to the ][ and the ][GS. Woz > Jobs

[@taureanmay7480]

Remember this ad.

[@jackilynpyzocha662]

I liked Desk Mate!

[@taureanmay7480]

Computers of the 80s.

[@taureanmay7480]

Wow.

[@garbage854]

Cool 😋

[@Anna_and_Tiger]

So the mac is an aquarius.

[@michaelmcwhorter8707]

We were poor. We could only afford the Commodore VIC-20.

[@Isaac-gh5ku]

5:44 This guy maybe one of the lucky few to own a PC at the time. I'm not sure. I don't know any countries outside the US at the time would allow schoolworks done by a computer instead of a handwritten one.

[@MilliVee1966]

Interesting - wish you had shown more of the earlier 80;s systems and less of the PC and compatibles / Apples (ie TI99, Coleco Adam, Timex Sinclair etc).

[@DavesArchives]

Noted!

[@taureanmay7480]

@@DavesArchives okay.

[@robinchesterfield42]

Coleco! I used to know a family that had (gasp) a Coleco AND an Atari. I thought they were so rich. :P

[@Cr0fteeGaming]

No Amiga ads?

[@stevenshiller1600]

Atari is my future.

[@GeoNeilUK]

Here’s a sign of how bad Commdore USA were at marketing, you listed the Amiga separately from adverts of other Commodore computers while including adverts for the ST alongside adverts for their 8 bit machines. Also, I’m sort of kind of disappointed that adverts from manufacturers that were big in my neck of the woods weren’t mentioned. No adverts from Sinclair? No adverts from Acorn or Amstrad? Or Apricot for that matter?

[@WellReadRedneck]

Is that Burgess Merideth at 07:30?