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MineralMan

(151,446 posts)

43. Tons of companies came and went quickly during the early 80s.

Thu Mar 9, 2017, 11:07 AM

Mar 2017

When I think of how many PC clone companies there were in the mid-80s and look at how many are still in existence, it's amazing. Only a few actually survived. I had a Kaypro II for a while. The Osborne was so much lighter and more portable. But then Compaq came out with its portable PC clone and that was the end of that. CP/M simply could not compete, and died.

And only a few years later, laptops became the go-to portable computing solution and everything changed again. Massive changes were an almost annual thing in the 80s.

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My First Laptop Computer [View all] MineralMan Mar 2017 OP

Hah! Nice one, and older than my first. My first laptop I spray-painted purple. Just because. randome Mar 2017 #1

Omg! Lotusflower70 Mar 2017 #2

I have never seen a laptop that look like that. Does look like museum stuff. nt Blue_true Mar 2017 #22

I first learned to type on one of those in elementary school Blue_Tires Mar 2017 #3

I upgraded to this Zenith ZF-171 MineralMan Mar 2017 #4

Dude, are you sure that isn't like from 1887? nolabels Mar 2017 #9

I miss my IBM 360!!! LeftInTX Mar 2017 #11

First computer I ever used was an IBM 1620, way back MineralMan Mar 2017 #15

We were lucky, the computer lab ran our jobs during the evening. LeftInTX Mar 2017 #25

I still have an old 286 tucked away. nt tblue37 Mar 2017 #21

Do you have back problems? Surely you had a cart for that thing. Blue_true Mar 2017 #24

This Zenith was the slowest ogsball Mar 2017 #39

Yes. It was not a great PC, by any means. MineralMan Mar 2017 #40

My first "luggable" was a Mitsubishi MP 286L hunter Mar 2017 #49

Been on an anthropological dig in my late dad's den and found lots of old TRS80 stuff. Gidney N Cloyd Mar 2017 #5

Cool. Try some of it out. MineralMan Mar 2017 #7

Finally, a laptop with batteries: The Zenith 180 MineralMan Mar 2017 #6

HA!! greytdemocrat Mar 2017 #8

I gave all of the old stuff away when I moved to Minnesota. MineralMan Mar 2017 #17

I had one of those, too PJMcK Mar 2017 #10

Famous name advertising Commodore. area51 Mar 2017 #12

Jan 12, 1908? Thor_MN Mar 2017 #13

that predates Apple...it survived Y2K Demonaut Mar 2017 #23

TRS80 was my first desk top. OldHippieChick Mar 2017 #14

My first computer BlueStateLib Mar 2017 #16

Very cool! MineralMan Mar 2017 #18

One of mine too! hunter Mar 2017 #51

I have a working Coleco ADAM computer PCIntern Mar 2017 #19

That's amazing, considering how MineralMan Mar 2017 #20

Bought it for $700 because I needed PCIntern Mar 2017 #50

Used it for over a decade... sfwriter Mar 2017 #26

How many mb of storage did it have? kimbutgar Mar 2017 #27

I believe it's 4k fescuerescue Mar 2017 #30

Mine was of the same era - Osborne Executive luggable! moonscape Mar 2017 #28

Where is the pull cord to start it? eom guillaumeb Mar 2017 #29

My first computer... neeksgeek Mar 2017 #31

That trash 80 form factor d_r Mar 2017 #32

Kicking. littlemissmartypants Mar 2017 #33

It's fun to look back a little in time. MineralMan Mar 2017 #34

I think your laptop was the prototype for this one: Orrex Mar 2017 #35

Could be, but we had what we had in the 80s MineralMan Mar 2017 #36

Hey, I'm in no position to mock anyone (except good-naturedly) Orrex Mar 2017 #37

I know. Really. MineralMan Mar 2017 #38

LOL--I love it! Orrex Mar 2017 #45

I decided to back up an image of the entire hard drive on my new PC. MineralMan Mar 2017 #46

The "Osborne Effect" ksoze Mar 2017 #41

Tons of companies came and went quickly during the early 80s. MineralMan Mar 2017 #43

Love my TRS-80 ogsball Mar 2017 #42

My first printer was a Radio Shack Daisy Wheel Printer. MineralMan Mar 2017 #44

My first computer was a Commodore 64 Occulus Mar 2017 #47

On a somewhat related note Saboburns Mar 2017 #48

If you want them to survive for long, keep them charged. MineralMan Mar 2017 #52

Thanks MM Saboburns Mar 2017 #55

My first computer Trailrider1951 Mar 2017 #53

Yup. That's just like the one I took to college in 1963 as MineralMan Mar 2017 #54