Unboxing a Brand-New IBM PCjr

Want to support Vintage Geek? Sport a cool new look with shirts and other items from our online store! www.bonfire.co...
In this video, we take a firsthand look at what opening a new IBM PCjr might have felt like back in 1984! Please like, subscribe, and stay tuned for fresh content and all the latest information about the Vintage Geek museum.
Hosted and produced by Aaron Ishmael.
Technical work by Joseph William Lewis.

[@jamesv5802]

We had this computer. King's Quest was the hit of many parties.

[@erinwiebe7026]

Pausing at 3:07. One of my very first experiences with computers was at a friends house with his then brand new PCjr with the later, infrared keyboard. He loaded up King's Quest (the original, PCjr version) and I was amazed! It had 16 colours and 3 voice sound! I remember sitting in awe just watching the animated flags waving on the opening screen with the crocodiles swimming in the moat. This version also had the birds chirping sounds on the scenes outside the castle. The display was so clean & vibrant. Just with that experience, young me knew instantly that I wanted a career in computers... In my later teens, I would get my own PCjr just to relive that moment of playing King's Quest for the first time. And for a brief time my friend and I both owned one and I remember bringing my keyboard to his house and we would both try to type on the screen wirelessly at the same time. The IR controller on the PCjr quickly got confused and it would lock up, but it would work if we took turns. It was on that computer that I first logged into a local BBS too. I'll always love the PCjr.

[@vintagegeek]

Wow that's so cool! I never would have even thought about trying to use two IR keyboards at one time...did it lock up the machine indefinitely or just at that moment? We actually have two in our inventory so if I can get the PCJr to operate, we'll have to repeat that test!

[@erinwiebe7026]

@@vintagegeek that would be fun to see! It was a very long time ago, but I think it locked up briefly or only while we were both typing. Or perhaps depending on which app was running?

[@ryannystrom6427]

I visited your museum the other day and it was really cool! The guide's name was Justin and he even let me run a program I had written on this exact machine. Thanks for keeping all this stuff running so people can see it!

[@mullman]

My 1984 Christmas present and even though I really wanted an Apple IIc, I loved it and completely wore it out all through HS and college.

[@Sashko_Dee]

Kinda makes you wonder what the oldest "new in box" gadget is. Somewhere out there is a brand new antikythera mechanism still packed in its original polystyrene packaging.

[@DoNotTredOnMe]

I actually got to do this on Christmas morning 1985.

[@Uncover2295]

Recently stumbled across this channel & loving the content so far! Unboxing machines of this age is an experience few and far between these days, I really appreciated the opportunity to be a part of it. Keep up the good work, looking forward to future content

[@mainiacvanman]

we had one of those when I was a kid

[@RetroGamingNook]

I’m always hoping to locate an old new stock monitor from the mid-90s at a yard sale, but this bundle from the mid-80s is just too much… Wow! Thanks for choosing to open these for us all.

[@retrokelpie7606]

Wow.. thats quite a find. It really does look great. Loved the video.

[@BrandonHilgeman]

My first computer was an IBM PCjr, but it was a slightly different configuration. You mentioned the older chiclet keyboard, but my keyboard basically identical to this one but it was wired and connected to the back. My case was thicker than this one and had a secondary floppy drive as well as the two cartridge drives. My configuration also included a wired laser mouse. The "mouse pad" was mirror-like and had a grid to it. I also believe I remember my dad saying he paid extra to double the RAM at the factory to 256kb instead of the standard 128kb RAM. I was 6 when I got the computer. My parents never touched it. I don't think they even knew how to turn it on. I read through the manuals and followed the book on learning basic and learned over a few years (with the help of a neighbor kid) how to write some basic programs. One of my favorite games I played was a cartridge based game called 'Demon Attack'. That game was addictive. Later I got into King's Quest I and II. That was a great little computer to me. Eventually when I upgraded to the Epson Equity 1+, we donated the PCjr to my classroom at my school and I got to teach my entire class how to use a computer and write basic programs and play games. Thanks for this unboxing, my brain was freaking out a little seeing the covers to the literature and the Mobo 🤤

[@munsters2]

I still have my PCjr. Haven't turned it on in many years. I wonder if the disks are still good. It came with both the chicklet and the newer keyboard. I have the sidecar RAM and the sidecar printer adapter. Kings Quest was a lot of fun but I was never able to guess the old man's name.

[@marina-cz9nv]

excelente canal, y toda una epoca del inicio de las pc, gracias buen trabajo

[@darak2]

With this level of production, this channel is going to grow fast, keep up the good work. One thing you may want to consider is adding a few more seconds of outro at the end, because KZbin likes to mess the last seconds of the video with recommendations and stuff which gets in the way otherwise.

[@vintagegeek]

Great suggestion and thanks so much for the kind words and for watching!

[@anthonyhershberger8441]

Woke up in a bad mood them boom new vintage geek thank you Aaron keep up this amazing content

[@joeyf504327]

See if you can find Designed in or Made in on it. IBM Had a HUGE engineering and manufacturing facility in Endicott/Binghamton, NY when IBM was really growing in the 50s through the 80s.

[@MisterCellaneous]

This brings back some memories. My first IBM compatible was a PCjr, but it wasn't pristine like this one (though it did at least work 😜). My parents bought it in 1989 from a PC consignment shop because it was cheap and it was good *enough* for me to learn DOS and BASIC on. I remember it had a distinctive hum when it powered on, which I think came from the tiny fan on the floppy drive, since it was otherwise fanless. And mine came with both the chiclet and regular keyboards--and yes, the chiclet was AWFUL by comparison. In hindsight, I realize it wasn't a great computer even in its day, but it certainly got me hooked. If you have one that works, I'd love to see one in action again!

[@JosipRetroBits]

Wow, this must be a very special feeling :) Great video!

[@JulsGeekPI]

Thank for sharing the experence, you have one more follower

[@jimcabezola3051]

I'm sorry that your "new" computer is giving you headaches! Hope you can document the fix on KZbin for us. Good luck.

[@yannisgk]

you made my day!!! (terrific video!!!)... i wait for you to test this little monster!!!

[@booboo699254]

I have the same failure on a spare PCjr motherboard. In my case a 74LS534 chip next to the RAM is very hot, and I suspect it or RAM is bad. Good luck and keep us updated; meanwhile I will plan on replaceing that LS chip first on my unit.

[@vintagegeek]

Since making this video, we pulled out another PCJr we had from a warehouse find (it was the exact opposite of this one condition wise...very dirty) but it DID power up and boot properly. Let us know what happens with your LS chip...could very well be the problem with this one too.

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

What was the purpose of the IR receiver? I can understand the keyboard transmitting but what would it need to receive?

[@bruintoo]

OMG, we used this in high school! Next to the TRASH 80s!

[@user-fh9oi4uf7m]

If it beeps you can fix it.

[@allionnfe8064]

🔥🔥🔥

[@JamitinThereRepair]

I just found a Vintage IBM PC Jr Hard side Case. The foam inside is in poor shape. Any Interest?

[@stephaneauger1036]

Thank.. Yeser 💪😎

[@bennetfox]

I am dying to know what it all smells like!!! Does it still have the new in box smell or has it acquired the old technology smell yet?

[@vintagegeek]

Well it definitely doesn't smell old or have any of that 'old component electronics' smell...it still has that faint aroma of new plastic!

[@JC-jk3kl]

The IBM PCjr isn't really a computer because it had NO hard drive and once you turned it off it lost the copy of DOS you had to load into ram every time. I hated my IBM PC jr as a kid and it just turned me off on computing at a very early age. What a shame... Wish I had gotten a IBM PC XT. If it can't hold its operating system once you turn it off I don't consider it a real computer.