YEAR:1985 (announced 1983) INITIAL RETAIL PRICE: Unknown PRAE is the first home computer integrating a 100% Romanian technology concept, from design to build. The computer was oriented towards students as a personal computer or home computer. The computer was born at the Institututul de Tehnică de Calcul din Cluj-Napoca under the surveillance of engineer Miklós Patrubány. In Latin, præ means…
Am5x86 PC
YEAR: 1995 Initial Retail Price: ? The Am5x86 processor is an x86-compatible CPU introduced in 1995 by AMD for use in 486-class computer systems. It is one of the fastest, and most universally compatible upgrade paths for 486 systems. I found this computer on a local sales site. The seller stated that its a donation for anyone interested in collecting or owning such a computer….
The Compaq Plus
YEAR: 1983 INITIAL RETAIL PRICE: $7,495, $20,257 in 2021 The Compaq Plus or the Compaq Portable Plus is a 16-bit portable computer equipped with a fixed drive. Its the same as the initial Compaq Portable but instead of two 5.25-inch 360Kbyte drives it has only 1 floppy drive and a 10 MB HDD. It can…
Philips Portable Computer 2000C
YEAR: 1983 Initial Retail Price: DM 5.000, $8.700 US Dollars in 2021 It was 1980-something, and it was perfect! The Philips produced a series of business/home microcomputers generically known as the P2000 series. The P2000T, P2000M, P2000B (later called P2500), and finally the P2000C, a MS-DOS capable machine. When I say capable is because the…
Galaxy Invader 1000 by Gakken
Year: 1980 Initial Price: $59.95, $162 in 2020 This is an 1980s Tabletop game, which plays a version of Space Invaders. This game features a large multi-coloured display, and has 3 levels of skill. The LED in this game use vacuum formed displays, which allow detailed colored sprites to be animated on-screen. Today handheld and…
Sega Game Gear
Year: 1990 Initial Price: $149.99, $298 in 2020 The Game Gear is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo‘s Game Boy, the Atari Lynx, and NEC‘s TurboExpress. It shares much of its hardware with the Master System, and can play Master System games by…
SONESTA TV Game (1977)
YEAR: 1977 INITIAL PRICE: ? The SONESTA HIDE-AWAY TV Game was build in 1977 in Taiwan, for the German market. It featured a quite unique design because there was no main unit. The AY-3-8500 chip and electronic board was actually integrated in the right players paddle. The game could be only mail ordered, there was…
Compaq Armada 4150T
Year: 1997 Initial Price: $3199, $5,187 in 2020 The Armada 4150T is one of the best sub notebook, ultra-portable that you could buy in 1997 . It has almost same specs like the Armada 1590DT but it costs $1000 more. Why is that? Its sleek and slim, ultra-portable and light! This computer was used as…
Compaq Armada 1590DT
Year: 1997 Initial Price: $2,499, $4,052 in 2020 The Compaq Armada series are one of the sturdiest business machines ever to be build. The quality and design of these machines makes you wonder why don’t they build them like this anymore? 🙂 I received this computer as a gift from a friend and to be…
Sharp PC-7000
Year: 1985 Initial Price: $1,795, $4,322 in 2020 The PC-7000 is Sharp’s second computer targeted for sale in the US, after the PC-5000 from late 1984. First previewed in July at the 1985 “National Office Machine Dealers Association” show in Las Vegas, the PC-7000 was available for retail three months later in October. While the…
Commodore PET 4008
Year: 1980 Initial Price: US$795, $2,487 in 2020 In 1980, the 4000-series PETs were launched. They came with BASIC 4.0, which added commands for disk functions. With this series, Commodore discovered that people were buying cheaper 8 KB and 16 KB models of the 3000-series and upgrading the RAM rather than paying extra for the 32 KB model. This particular unit…
Fujitsu Stylistic 5020 Tablet PC
Year: 2005 Initial Retail Price: $2,000, $2,909 in 2020 Specs: Intel® Pentium M – LV Centrino – 1.1 GHz 12.1″ XGA TFT ,1024X768, 180° viewing angle 512 MB (1x 512 MB) standard (this one has been upgraded to maximum at 2GB) 60 GB hard drive at 7200 RPM Intel(R) 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller, 64 DDRAM Integrated Bluettoth…
The MEDA 43 Analog/Hybrid Computer
YEAR: 1977 Initial Price: ??? The MEDA 43 is one of the latest analog/hybrid computers built in the former Czecholovakia. The computer was used mostly in Universities in countries that at that time were behind the Iron Curtain ( Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and the USSR). Note: East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the USSR have since ceased to exist. The system was…
Zenith Data Systems SlimSport 286 (IWL 286-2)
YEAR: 1989 Initial Price: $3,699, $7,633 in 2020 Zenith Data Systems (ZDS) was a division of Zenith founded in 1979 after Zenith acquired Heathkit, who had, in 1977, entered the personal computer market. The SlimSport 286 I got from a friend in Bucharest is in awesome shape, almost mint condition but it does not start. I…
IBM ThinkPad A21m
YEAR: 2001 Initial Price: $2,169, $3,187 in 2020 Not vintage but quite old, this computer is one of the best IBM notebooks I ever owned. Running at 700 Mhz on an Intel Pentium III platform and fully upgraded to 256MB RAM, Windows 2000 runs buttery smooth. The display is has bright and vibrant colorsl and…
Panasonic Toughbook CF-41 MK I
YEAR: 1995 INITIAL PRICE: $8.700, $14.683 in 2020 The Panasonic CF41 is considered to be the world’s first notebook PC to integrate a CD-ROM drive, the first computing product to utilize magnesium alloy chassis for strength and durability. The CF-41 was to be the first in a long line of Toughbooks that would revolutionize field work…
Psion Mobile Computer MC 400
YEAR: 1990 Initial price: £845, £2,065 in 2019 Originally released back in 1989 this machine is described by Time Magazine in their All Time 100 Gadgets as one of top five gadgets ahead of their time, was initially priced in the UK at £845.00 and sold less than 1000 units. I got this computer from a friend…
Telemecanique FTX 517
Year: 1997 Initial Price: $7,499, $12,161 in 2020 The TELEMECANIQUE was manufactured by SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC in 1997 and its basically a portable computer that was used to program different PLC`s ( Programmable Logic Controller ) in various industrial automation processes. I had bought this computer from a local Facebook sales group for about 60 EUR and…
Amstrad PC-1512 DD (Schneider-badged version)
YEAR: 1986 INITIAL RETAIL: £499, £1,188 in 2019 The Amstrad PC1512 was Amstrad‘s mostly IBM PC-compatible computer system, first manufactured in 1986. It launched for £499 and sold very well, as it was one of the first cheap PCs in Europe. It significantly helped open up the European PC market to consumers as well as businesses, and Amstrad’s advertising of the PC1512 was…
Apple Lisa
YEAR: 1983 PRICE: $9,995, $25,745.96 in 2019 Lisa, with an Apple ProFile external hard disk sitting atop it, and dual 5.25-inch “Twiggy” floppy drives Also known as Locally Integrated Software Architecture Developer Apple Computer Inc. Manufacturer Apple Computer Inc. Type Personal computer Release date January 19, 1983; 36 years ago Introductory price US$9,995 (equivalent to $25,143 in 2018) Discontinued…
Tandy 1000 TL/2
YEAR: 1988 Initial Retail Price: $1,599, $3,520 in 2020 System Config Model 25-1602 Serial number 002866 80286 running at 8 Mhz 640KB; expandable to 768KB 1000 HD: 10 or 20 MB 640x200x16c and MDA/Hercules Graphics Emulation 3 Voice Sound & built-in DAC/ADC Ports 1 x Card-edge parallel port1 x RS-232C serial port1 x TTL RGB monitor…
PlayStation 2
Year: 2000 Initial Price: US$299 The PlayStation 2 (officially abbreviated as PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on March 4, 2000, in North America on October 26, 2000, and in Europe and Australia in November 2000, and is the successor to the PlayStation, as well as the second video game console in the PlayStation brand. As a sixth-generation…
Xbox
YEAR: 2001 Initial Price: US$299.99 The original Xbox was released on November 15, 2001, in North America, February 22, 2002, in Japan, and March 14, 2002, in Australia and Europe. It was Microsoft’s first foray into the gaming console market. As part of the sixth-generation of gaming, the Xbox competed with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Sega’s Dreamcast (which stopped American sales before…
Nintendo 64
YEAR: 1996 Initial Price: $199 The Nintendo 64 (officially abbreviated as N64, model number: NUS, stylized as NINTENDO64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. Named for its 64-bitcentral processing unit, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America and Brazil, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, and September 1997 in France. It was the…
The Dreamcast
YEAR: 1998 Initial Price: $199 The Dreamcast is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998 in Japan, September 9, 1999 in North America, and October 14, 1999 in Europe. It was the first in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s GameCube and Microsoft’s Xbox. The Dreamcast was Sega’s final home console, marking the end of…
SEGA MEGA DRIVE
YEAR: 1988 Initial Price: $199 The SEGA MEGA DRIVE is a 16-bit home video game console developed and sold by Sega. The Genesis is Sega’s third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988, followed by North America as the Genesis in 1989. In 1990, it was distributed…
The PS One Combo pack
Year: 7 July 2000 Initial Price: $199 In 7 July 2000, Sony released the PS One (stylized as PS one), a smaller, redesigned version of the original PlayStation. It was the highest-selling console through the end of the year, outselling all other consoles – including Sony’s own PlayStation 2. A total of 28.15 million PS one units had…
Nintendo GameCube
YEAR: 2001 INITIAL PRICE: 199$, 289$ in 2019 The sixth-generation console is the successor to the Nintendo 64. Nintendo’s entry into the sixth generation of the Console Wars, was released in late 2001. In response to third parties being driven away by the Nintendo 64‘s continued use of cartridges, Nintendo shifted away from that format and toward optical media…
VECTREX
YEAR: 1982 INITIAL PRICE: $199, $526 in 2019 The Vectrex is a vector display-based home video game console developed by Smith Engineering. It was first released for North America in 1982 and for both Europe and Japan in 1983. Originally manufactured by General Computer Electronics, it would soon be licensed to Milton Bradley after they acquired the company. Bandai would release the system in…
TANDY TRS-80 Model 4P
YEAR: 1983 INITIAL PRICE: $1,799 or $4,615 in 2018 SN: 005359 The TRS‑80 Model 4P (catalog number 26-1080) was a transportable version of the TRS‑80 Model 4, released on November 15, 1983 for a starting price of $1799. This was $200 less than the price of a desktop Model 4 and $200 more than its nearest…
Sanyo MBC-775
YEAR: 1984 INITIAL PRICE: $ 2,599, $6,668 in 2019 The Sanyo MBC-775 was the first portable PC compatible to include a built-in 9 inch color monitor. Instead of the standard 4.77 MHz 8088 microprocessor found in most IBM PC compatibles at that time, Sanyo uses 8088-2, a turbocharged version operating at a fast 8 MHz!…
RCD i386 (custom build)
Year: 1990 Price: ? I know this is not a collectible and its not a brand, but its definitely a nice computer that deserves a place on this page because its a great machine. This computer was bought by me in 2005 and its been in my collection ever since. I love how this custom…
IBM PC 300GL (microtower)
Year: 1998 Initial Price: $1,499, $2,395 in 2020 The PC 300GL used the Celeron, Pentium I, Pentium II and Pentium III throughout its lifetime. Celeron-based models had processors clocked at 333, 366, 433, 466, 500 and 533 MHz; Pentium I models had processors clocked at 133, and 166 MHz; Pentium II-based models had processors clocked at 350, 400,…
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
YEAR: 21 Nov 1990 Japan Initial Price: $199, $396 in 2020 The SNES is Nintendo’s second programmable home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time. The development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges helped to keep it competitive in the marketplace. The…
IBM PS/2 Model 56 486SLC2
YEAR: 1993 Initial Price: $7,499, $13,509 in 2020 The 486SLC had an Intel-licensed version of the 486SX running at 50 Mhz, developed and manufactured by IBM . The computer is an MCA machine but it features a SCSI drive, not the ESDI one that is hard to find if you don`t have a working one….
IBM PS/2 model 55SX
YEAR: 1987 Initial Price: ? The IBM PS/2 Model 55SX was similar to the Model 50, but featured a 32-bit 80386SX processor (with 16-bit external bus) instead of a 16-bit 80286.6 The model 55SX was released around 1987 though Wikipedia states 1988 and the copyright date on the case is 1987. The build quality overall is very…
Universum TV Multispiel 2006
Year: 1978 Initial Price: 199DM This is the follower of model 2004, released in 1978, uses the same AY-3-8500 chip and offers two more games. Compared with it’s predecessor it has sliders instead of dials. It is quite common and was also sold by Hanimex (model 7771). CPU AY-3-8500 BUTTONS Yes SWITCHES Yes BUILT IN GAMES 6 CONTROLLERS 2…
Palladium Tele-Match 4000
YEAR: 1977 INITIAL PRICE: $99, $425 in 2020 The Palladium Tele-Match 4000 is a subdivision of the mail order company known as Neckerman in Germany. The console was made under the american MAGNAVOX license, featuring the original AY-3-8500 “Ball & Paddle” integrated circuit. Specifications: ON/OFF power switchRESET buttonSELECT GAME knobBAT SIZE (small/large) switchBALL SPEED…
The Compaq Portable 486C
YEAR: 1992 INITIAL PRICE: $5,899, $10,943 in 2020 “The Compaq Portable 486 is a computer released by Compaq Computer Corporation in 1992.[ Its street price upon its release with a 120 MB hard disk was 5899 USD. For a model with 210 MB hard disk the price was 6899 USD, but was not available initially in May 1992.” (Wikipedia) I…
Apple iBook G3 Clamshell -Blueberry
YEAR: 1999 INITIAL PRICE: $1,599, $2,405 in 2018 After his return, Steve Jobs wanted to refresh Apple as their machines looked very dull. So quickly followed the iMac G3 was the iBook G3. Steve Jobs unveiled the iBook G3 during the keynote presentation of Macworld Conference & Expo, New York City. The iBook was the first mainstream computer…
Noritsu CT-2MD Foto Lab Terminal
YEAR: 2002 Initial Price: ? Noritsu CT-2MD is basically a front self service customer oriented product that has been used in the mini foto labs. It is produced by Noritsu Koki Co.,LTD. Japan Model: CT-2MD or simply Noritsu CT2 Serial No. 22222936 The idea behind the machine is that you can go with your pictures on any support (Floppy Disk,…
Dauphin DTR-1
Year: May 1993 Initial Price: $2,495 $, $4,351 in 2018 “… the world’s smallest Windows-based, 486 computer” Chinese businessman Alan Yong founded Dauphin Technlogy in 1988. Four years afterward, Dauphin had been a seller of high-performance color laptops, including their $10,000 color 386SX laptop from 1990. Things were looking-up for Dauphin, who in 1992 become the Pentagon’s largest supplier of…
The Compaq Portable
Year: 1983 Initial Price: US $2,995, $7,400 in 2017 The Compaq Portable is an early portable computer which was one of the first 100% IBM PC compatible systems. It was Compaq Computer Corporation’s first product, to be followed by others in the Compaq portable series and later Compaq Deskpro series. The Compaq Portable was announced in November 1982 and first shipped in March 1983, priced at US $2,995…
Compaq Portable III Model 2660
Year: 1988 Initial Price: $4999, $11,091 in 2018) The Compaq Portable III is a PC/AT-compatible computer released by Compaq Computer Corporation in 1987. It was advertised as being much smaller and lighter than the previous portable x86-PCs, however it was still quite large by today’s standards. Three models were announced at release. The Model 1 had a list price of 3999 USD and…
Toshiba T1000LE
YEAR: 1990 INITIAL PRICE: $1,799, $3,534 in 2020 SN: 10016686 The Toshiba T1000LE was one of the first laptops to include both a hard drive and a Ni-CD battery. Previous laptops did not have enough power to run a hard drive from battery power (exceptions include the Toshiba T1200, which had a proprietary 26-pin JVC hard drive, and…
NEC Starlet PC8401-A-LS
Year: 1985 Initial Price: $1000 \ $2,392.79 in 2018 “The NEC 8401 A is the second generation NEC notebook portable computer. It is significantly different from the 8201, and we expect it will appeal to a different type of customer. Briefly, the 8401 has a 16-line by 80-column fold-up LCD screen, 64K of…
Apple //e
Year: January 1983 Initial Price: $1,298(4 kB RAM) and $2,638 (48 kB RAM) The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were available only as upgrades or add-ons in earlier models. It…
Fujitsu Lifebook B142
YEAR: 1999 INITIAL PRICE: $1899 The Fujitsu Lifebook B142 is an ultralight computer that was oriented to compete with Sony`s ultra-books and Toshiba Libretto`s computers. It is a very well build machine and also it has a TFT touchscreen display witch makes this little computer the perfect business machine for people who are on the…
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
YEAR: Japan-1983 \US-1985\ EU-1986 INITIAL PRICE: $179 US Dollar, $451.79 in 2018 The Nintendo Entertainment System (commonly abbreviated as NES) is an 8-bit home video game console that was developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was initially released in Japan as the Family Computer, commonly known by the portmanteau abbreviation Famicom \FC on July 15, 1983, and was later released in New York City in 1985,…
I.C.E. Felix HC – 91
Year: 1985-1994 Initial Price: ? The HC stands for Home Computer and it represents a series of microcomputers made from 1985 until 1994 at ICE Felix București. They were based on the Z80 CPUs or the Romanian clone, the MMN80 CPU. The design has been inspired from the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. There were 5 series and sub-series of this computer. 1HC 85…
EPSON PC/486D4 International Space Station PC
YEAR: 1996-1999 Initial Price: UNKNOWN Seiko-Epson Electronics America has tackled the next frontier – Space – with one of its CARD-PC products flying high onboard the Space Shuttle, and future application aboard the International Space Station. After successfully withstanding radiation testing at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, the CARD-PC/486D4 was selected to serve as the…
ZEOS Contenda – SubNotebook Pioneer
YEAR: 1991 INITIAL PRICE: $5,299,$10,128 in 2020 ZEOS (ZEOS International, Ltd.) was a PC manufacturer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally based in New Brighton, Minnesota, and founded by Gregory E. Herrick, the company incorporated in Minnesota in 1981. Among other notable firsts, ZEOS Contenda was one of the first notebook computers to be known as a SUBNOTEBOOK. The quality build…
Noritsu CT-1 Foto Lab Terminal
Year: 2001-2004 Initial Price: $2,600, $3,300 in 2020 Noritsu CT-1 is basically a front self service customer oriented product that has been used in the mini foto labs. It is produced by Noritsu Koki Co.,LTD. Japan Model: CT-1 Serial No. 20461951 The idea behind the machine is that you can go with your pictures on…
Schneider Euro PC
YEAR: 1988 Initial Price: 1800,- DEM \ $1,058, 2,208 in 2020 The PC was an MS-DOS-based home computer of the Schneider computer division. The motherboard was installed in the keyboard housing. Almost same hardware was also packed in the Sinclair PC200 and Amstrad PC20. There seemed to be some kind of minor rush to get…
OLIVETTI PHILOS 33 B/N
Year 1992 Initial price: $3,855, $7,151 in 2020 In 1992 Olivetti got on the market seven notebooks with the dimensions of a sheet of letterhead paper. The Philos line. Philos Model 33 is offered two versions, B / N and Color. The built-in microphone and speaker lets you use it as a digital audio recorder….
Hewlett&Packard Omnibook 800CT
Year: 1995 Initial Price: $2,499, $4,267 in 2020 Hisotry: The first of its series was the Omnibook 300. At the time of its introduction in 1993, the HP Omnibook 300 was the smallest and lightest PC on the market to feature a full-size keyboard and full VGA (video graphics array) screen. It weighed only…
IBM Displaywriter System
YEAR: 1980 INITIAL PRICE: US$7,895, $23,449 in 2017 THIS COMPUTER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN A VERY BAD CONDITION. CURRENTLY WORKING ON RESTORING, I WILL POST THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES HERE AND ALSO THE LINK TO THE RESTORATION BLOG. THE PICTURES ARE FROM THE WEB – SOON TO UPLOAD THE REAL ONES…
Psion Series 3A
YEAR: 1993 Initial Price: $899,$1,619 in 2020 The Psion 3a (1993) is part of a range of personal digital assistants made by PSION PLC. Manufacture of Psion 3a was discontinued in 1998 with the 3s version shortly after the launch of the Psion Series 5 (a Psion 4 does not exist, due to Psion’s…
Toshiba Libretto 50CT
Year: 1997 Initial Price: $1,999, $3,241 in 2020 The Libretto was a line of subnotebook computers designed and produced by Toshiba. The line was distinguished by its combination of functionality and small size, squeezing a full Windows PC into a device the size of a paperback book. Intel Pentium 75 MHz, 16 MB RAM (32 MB max.), 810 MB hard disk, 6.1-inch TFT display (Wikipedia) Libretto machines are…
IBM Personal System 1 model 2011
YEAR: 1990 INITIAL PRICE: $2,199, $4,200 in 2018 The IBM PS/1 is a brand for a line of personal computers that marked IBM‘s return to the home market in 1990, five years after the IBM PCjr. It was replaced by the IBM Aptiva in September 1994. The original PS/1 (Model 2011), based on a 10 MHz Intel 80286 CPU, was designed to be easy to…
Amstrad ALT-286
Year: 1989 Initial Price: $2,600, $5,457 in 2020 The Amstrad ALT-286 is a very nice machine, its a mix between the TOSHIBA T3100/20 and the SHARP PC-4500. It shares same technology like the two mentioned above but the display its superior due to the fact it came on the market almost 3 years after…
Fujitsu Stylistic 2300
YEAR: 1996 INITIAL PRICE: $3,400, $5,640 in 2020 Today’s tablet PCs are very popular and there is no age for consumers, both young ones and older generations use them. The highest trend seems to be positive even in 2018. There are numerous devices like Asus Transformers, Microsoft Surface, Lenovo`s Yoga series etc. but today I…
Macintosh Plus (M0001A)
Year: 16 January 1986 -October 15 1990 (the longest-produced Macintosh ever) Initial Price: $2,599 (equivalent to $5,802 in 2017) The Macintosh Plus computer is the third model in the Macintosh line, introduced on January 16, 1986, two years after the original Macintosh and a little more than a year after the Macintosh 512K, with a price tag of US$2599. As an…
The Minitel
Year: 1978 – 2012 Initial Price: #service The Minitel was a Videotex online service accessible through telephone lines, and is considered one of the world’s most successful pre-World Wide Web online services. The service was rolled out experimentally in 1978 in Brittany and throughout France in 1982 by the PTT (Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphones; divided since 1991 between France Télécom and La Poste). From its early…
Epson QX-10
Year: 1983 Initial Price: Unknown The Epson QX-10 is a microcomputer running CP/M or TPM-III (CP/M-80 compatible) which was introduced in 1983. It was based on a Zilog Z80 microprocessor, running at 4 MHz, provided up to 256 KB of RAM organized in four switchable banks, and included a separate graphics processor chip (µPD7220) manufactured by NEC to provide advanced graphics capabilities. In the USA, two versions…
IBM PS/ValuePoint 486 DX2
YEAR: 1993 INITIAL PRICE: $2,795, $5,034 in 2020 The IBM PS/ValuePoint (or just ValuePoint) personal computer was IBM‘s answer to the PC clone market, where the IBM PS/2 could not compete due to price and proprietary interfaces. Announced in October 1992 and withdrawn in July 1995, it was replaced by the IBM PC Series 300. Thank you Amo Retro for the…
Tandon PCX (TM 6004A)
YEAR: 1984 INITIAL PRICE: Unknown Tandon Corporation was a disk drive and PC manufacturer founded in 1975 (incorporated in 1976 as Tandon Magnetics Corp.) by Sirjang Lal Tandon a former mechanical engineer. The company originally produced magnetic recording read/write heads for the then-burgeoning floppy-drive market. Due to the labor-intensive nature of the product, production was carried out in low-wage India which was the key to…
IBM AIX Workstation 7011-250 (Bull DPX-20 / 100)
YEAR: 1992 Initial Price: $15,999, $29,680 in 2020 Linux can be found anywhere these days, free distributions everywhere. Some like to say that they master Linux because they know how to install or configure Linux on a server. Nobody cares about that anymore and its not important on your CV or resume’ – and your…
Game Boy (Original 1989)
YEAR: 1989 INITIAL PRICE: $89.95 The Game Boy is an 8-bit handheld game console which was developed and manufactured by Nintendo and first released in the 100th anniversary of Nintendo in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America on July 31, 1989 and in Europe on September 28, 1990. It is the first handheld console in the Game Boy line and was created and published by Satoru Okada and Nintendo Research & Development. The Game Boy is Nintendo’s…
IBM PS/2 Model 70 386 Type 8570
YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: $3,999, $9,160 in 2020 The Personal System/2 Model 70 enhances the IBM Personal System/2 family of systems by offering a new level of performance in a desktop unit. The system is highlighted by the Micro Channel™ Architecture with a 16 or 20MHz 80386 32-bit microprocessor, high density memory technology, and a…
Macintosh SE/30
Initial Year: 1989 Initial price: US$4,369, $9,170 in 2020 The Macintosh SE/30 is a personal computer designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer, Inc. from January 1989 to October 1991. It is the fastest of the original black-and-white compact Macintosh series. The SE/30 has a black-and-white monitor and a single PDS slot (rather than the NuBus slots of the IIx, with which the SE/30 shares a…
IBM PS/2 Model 57 486SLC3
YEAR: 1993 Initial Price: $3,499, $6,302 in 2020 I got this computer from a friends garage, he called me that he wants to clear out some “junk”, mostly old hardware and some IBM computer. I instantly got into my car and drove there to see what I could salvage. I got the computer in…
ICE Felix M118b
Initial Year: 1979 Initial Price: Unknown The Felix M118b is a Romanian 8-bit computer produced by ICE Felix Bucuresti. This Computer is part of the family of FELIX-M18, M18B, M118 from 1979 also CUB (with i8080) and CUBZ ( Z80), aMIC, TIM-S etc. This particular unit was saved from an old Romanian Factory that was stripped…
Commodore 64
YEAR: 1982 INITIAL PRICE: $595, $1,477 in 2016 The C64 dominated the low-end computer market for most of the 1980s. Part of the Commodore 64’s success was its sale in regular retail stores instead of only electronics or computer hobbyist specialty stores. Commodore produced many of its parts in-house to control costs, including custom integrated circuit chips from MOS Technology. The Commodore…
Texas Instrument TI 99/4A
YEAR: 1981 INITIAL PRICE: $525, $1,901 in 2021 “Now computers are like toasters, cheap and un-interesting.” The Texas Instruments TI-99/4A is a home computer released in June 1981 in the United States. It is an enhanced version of the less successful TI-99/4 which was released in late 1979. The TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A are the first 16-bit home computers, using the Texas Instruments TMS9900 16-bit CPU. Both…
Commodore 64 (the highest-selling single computer model of all time)
YEAR: 1982 INITIAL PRICE: $595, $1,477 in 2016 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64 or the CBM 64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, January 7–10. 1982). It is listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing…
JUNIOR XT
YEAR: 1987 Initial Price: 30.000 LEI \$700, $1,603 in 2020 The Junior XT is a Romanian computer built at Întreprinderea de Echipamente Periferice (IEPER). The computer was build around the Intel 8086, 16bit CPU, running at 4.77 Mhz and an i8087 math CPU for those who needed more mathematical power. In the base…
HP 9810A Calculator
YEAR: 1972 INITIAL PRICE: $2.475, $15,411 in 2020 The HP 9810A (AKA the 9800 series model 10) was HP’s second calculator. It made use of the new technologies of the time including IC chips for RAM, ROM, and logic, and a three line LED display instead of a CRT. The HP 9810A was designed…
Apple //c
YEAR: 1984 Initial Prce: $1,295, $3,244 in 2020 The Apple IIc, the fourth model in the Apple II series of personal computers, is Apple Computer’s first endeavor to produce a portable computer. The result was a 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) notebook-sized version of the Apple II that could be transported from place to place. The c in the name stood for compact, referring to…
Compaq Portable SLT/286
Year: 1989 Initial Price: $5.399, $11,332 in 2020 THE EXECUTIVE COMPUTER The machine offers a bright high-resolution display that supports the VGA video standard, the first laptop with that feature. It has a 12-megahertz 80C286 processor, a new low-power chip that is among the faster 80286 microprocessors, and it is certainly capable of handling most…
Schneider CPC 464 and Green Monitor
Year: 1984 Initial Price: £359.00, £1,161 in 2020 The Schneider CPC (short for Colour Personal Computer) is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Schneider and Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom, France, Spain,…
Casio PB-300
Year: 1983 Initial Price: Unknown CPU HD61913 CMOS VLSI SPEED 455 kHz, ceramic resonator used as system clock RAM 2 KB (1568 bytes for BASIC) ROM 12 KB SIZE / WEIGHT 173 (W) x 90 (D) x 20 (H) mm / 258 g (with batteries) I/O PORTS 12-pin expansion port for cassette interface POWER…
Commodore PET 4032
YEAR:1980 INITIAL PRICE: $1,295, $4,090 in 2020 4032 refers to 40 character display, with 32K RAM memory. The PET 4032 was released three years after the original PET 2001. Although it has the same CPU running at the same speed, improved circuitry allows the 4032 to run substantially faster. Other improvements include more memory and a better keyboard. …
Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40
Initial year: 1983 Initial Price: $249.95, $650 in 2020 The Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40 or CC-40 is a battery-operated portable computer that was manufactured and released by Texas Instruments in March 1983. Priced at US$249, it weighs 600 grams (22 ounces) and can be powered by four AA batteries or an AC adapter. It was intended as a portable business computer,…
CIP-03 Electronica
YEAR: 1988 INITIAL PRICE: 15 000 lei, aprox. $500, $1,100 in 2020 A Romanian Sinclair ZX-Spectrum clone made from 1988 by Electronica CIE and sold only in Romania in blue or red case color version. In fact, the colors only differed on the keyboard marquee, the case color being the same. On the red version…
ZX Spectrum +
YEAR: 1984 INITIAL PRICE: $210, $526 in 2020 Planning of the ZX Spectrum+ started in June 1984, and it was released in October the same year. This 48 KB Spectrum (development code-name TB) introduced a new QL-style case with an injection-moulded keyboard and a reset button that was basically a switch that shorted across the CPU reset capacitor. Electronically, it was…
ZX Spectrum
YEAR: 1982 INITIAL PRICE: £175, £566 in 2020 The ZX Spectrum (UK: /zɛd ɛks ˈspɛktrəm/) is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research. It was manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, in the now closed Timex factory. ZX Spectrum 1982 ZX Spectrum Developer Sinclair Research Manufacturer Timex Corporation Type Home computer Generation 8-bit Release date United Kingdom:…
Playstation 1
YEAR: December 1994 (Japan) INITIAL PRICE: $299, $525 in 2020 The PlayStation (officially abbreviated to PS, and commonly known as the PS1 or PSX) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The PlayStation is the first “computer entertainment platform” to ship 100 million units, which it had reached 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. In…
ATARI 2600 (30 million units sold)
YEAR: 1979 INITIAL PRICE: $199, $786.49 in 2016 Manufacturer Atari Type Home video game console Generation Second Generation Retail availability NA: September 11, 1977 EU: 1978 JP: October 1983 (Atari 2800) Introductory price US$199 (equivalent to $786.49 in 2016) Discontinued January 1, 1992[1] Units sold 30 million (As of 2004)[2] Media ROM cartridge, Tape CPU 8-bit MOS 6507 @ 1.19 MHz Memory 128 bytes RAM,…
Apple Powerbook 140
Year: October 1991 Initial Price: $3,199, $6,113 in 2020 The PowerBook 140 was released in the first line of PowerBooks. It was the mid-range PowerBook, between the low-end 100 and the high-end 170. Component Processor: Motorola 68030, running at 16 MHz RAM: 2 MB on board, can be expanded to 8 MB ROM: 1 MB Hard disk: 20-80 MB Floppy disk: 1.44…
IBM PS/2 Model 30 (8530)
Year: 1987 Initial Price: $6,999, $16,036 in 2020 The Personal System/2 or PS/2 was IBM‘s third generation of personal computers. Released in 1987, it officially replaced the IBM PC, XT, AT, and PC Convertible in IBM’s lineup. The PS/2 line was created by IBM in an attempt to recapture control of the PC market…
Epson HX-20 (The granddaddy of all notebooks)
YEAR: 1982 INITIAL PRICE: $800, $2,138 in 2020 The HX-20 revolutionised computing in the early 80’s. Arguably the first notebook, it was definitely the first truly portable system at a reasonable price. It was preceded by a series of sewing-machine-cased, mains-powered luggables such as the Osborne 1 and Kaypro, weighing as much as 12kg and barely…
IBM PS/2 L40SX
Year: 1991 Initial Price: $5,995, $11,456 in 2020 CPU 386SX-20(MHz) RAM 2MB up to 18MB HDD\Floppy 20\40\80 MB Drive\ 3.5 inch drive Graphics VGA Display (640×480) STN Display This Computer was having a bad display and a faulty HDD Connector. It took me 2 weeks to finish this project. All working now!
Atari 65XE
Year: 1988 Price: $129, $283 in 2020 These were the 65XE and 130XE (XE stood for XL-Expanded). They were announced in 1985, at the same time as the initial models in the Atari ST series, and visually resembled the Atari ST. Originally intended to be called the 900XLF, the 65XE had 64 KB of…
Commodore Plus/4
Year: 1984 Price: $299, $749 in 2020 The Commodore Plus/4 is a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The “Plus/4” name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite (word processor, spreadsheet, database, and graphing); it was billed as “the productivity computer with software built-in”. Internally, the Plus/4 shares the same basic…
Highscreen 486 SX 25
Year: 1993 Initial Price: $1,150, $2,071 in 2020 The Highscreen 486 SX 25 was a computer designed to out-stand the Toshiba T1900 Notebook computer. Because of its light weight and its big battery pack this notebook was bought as a desktop replacement power tool that you could take with you on the go. This computer…
Commodore 16
Year: 1984 Initial Price: £129, £501 in 2020 The Commodore 16 is a home computer made by Commodore International with a 6502-compatible 7501 or 8501 CPU, released in 1984 and intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20. Media ROM Cartridge, Cassette tape Operating system Commodore BASIC 3.5 CPU MOS Technology 7501 or…
Osborne 1 -the first commercially successful portable microcomputer
YEAR: 1981 INITIAL PRICE: $1,795, $5,139 in 2020 The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released on April 3, 1981, by Osborne Computer Corporation. It weighed 10.7 kg (24.5 lb), cost $1,795 US, and ran the CP/M 2.2 operating system. Powered directly from a mains socket as it had no on-board battery, it was…
Sharp PC-1500 – Japanese version (1981)
YEAR: 1981 Initial Price: Unknown The Sharp PC-1500 was a pocket computer produced by Sharp during 1981-1985. A rebadged version was also sold as the TRS-80 Pocket Computer PC-2. The whole computer was designed around the LH5801, an 8-bit CPU similar to the Zilog Z80, but all laid-out in power-saving CMOS circuits. Equipped with 2KB…
Epson Equity LT
Year: 1989 Initial Price: ? The Epson Equity LT (model Q150A) weighs in at only 14.3 pounds, with the hard drive and supertwisted backlit LCD. Parallel and serial (9-pin) ports are standard, as is the colormonitor port. Two option slots house the hard drive and optional 300/1200 baudmodem card.Measurements are 12.2″ deep by 13.6″…
ATARI 800
YEAR: 1979 Initial Price: $999, $3,581 in 2020 Announced: December 1978 Released: November 1979 Price : US $999.95 CPU: MOS 6502,1.8MHz RAM: 8K base, 48K max Display: 24 X 40 text 320 x 192 monochrome 160 x 96 with 128 colors Expansion: 4 internal expansion slots 2 cartridge slots Ports: 4 controller…
Olivetti M10 by Kyocera Corporation (Japan)
YEAR: 1983 Initial Price: $800, $2,090 in 2020 The Olivetti M-10 is basically the same computer as the Tandy 100 or the NEC PC-8201. All these machines were in fact conceived by Kyocera Corporation (Japan). Thus they all have very similar characteristics.Olivetti is well known for computers with special design, and the M-10 is not an exception….
Toshiba Libretto 100CT
Year: 1996 Initial Price: $3,199 (Lowered price to $2,499 in celebration of Toshiba’s 10 millionth portable sold in 1997), equivalent to $4,145 in 2020 The Libretto was a line of subnotebook computers designed and produced by Toshiba. The line was distinguished by its combination of functionality and small size, squeezing a full Windows PC into…
Olivetti M15
Year: 1985 Initial Price: $5,999, $14,490 in 2020 Manufacturer Olivetti Personal Computers Processor type Intel 80C88 Cycle time 4.77 MHz RAM memory 512 KB ROM memory 16 KB Ports Serial RS-232C, Parallel Operating systems MS-DOS 3.3 Keyboard 78-keys Modem no Screen size 25 lines x 80 columns LCD Graphics resolution 640 x 320 dots…
Macintosh Classic M0420
YEAR: 1988 Initial Price: $999, $2,197 in 2020 Introduced on October 15, 1988, the Macintosh Classic was prompted by the success of the Macintosh Plus and the Macintosh SE. The system specifications of the Classic were very similar to its predecessors, with the same 9-inch (23 cm) monochrome CRT display, 512×342 pixel resolution, and up to 4 megabyte (MB)…
PSION 5MX
YEAR: 1999 Price: $700, $1,093 in 2020 The Psion Series 5 was a Personal digital assistant PDA from Psion. It came in two main variants, the Series 5 (launched in 1997) and the Series 5mx (1999), the latter having a faster processor, clearer screen, and updated software. There was also a rare Series 5mx Pro, which differed only in having the operating system loaded into RAM and…
The Atari Portfolio (world’s first palmtop computer)
Year: 1989 Price: $399, $837 in 2020 The Atari Portfolio (Atari PC Folio) is an IBM PC-compatible palmtop PC, released by Atari Corporation in June 1989. This makes it the world’s first palmtop computer. The ATARI Portfolio was also used in the Terminator 2 movie when John Connor is hacking the ATM. Atari’s compact clam-shell ran an MS-DOS compatible operating system…
IBM ThinkPad 560E
YEAR: 1998 INITIAL PRICE: $ 2,100, $3,353 in 2020 The IBM ThinkPad 560E, type 2640 was designed to be small, light and compact. The IBM ThinkPad 560 has Intel Pentium CPU (available 100, 120 or 133MHz, in 1998 it was not the fastest thing), 8MB on-board RAM expandable with one EDO SIMM module and…
Siemens Nixdorf PCD-5ND
Year: 1995 Initial Price: $ 3,200, $5,465 in 2020 This PC was bought in February 2017 from a Facebook friend that wanted $20 on it. This is a thing of beauty, so I couldn’t resist. Processor: Intel Pentium 75Mhz RAM: 24Mb EDO HDD: 810mB \Seagate Marathon Battery: LI-ION Keyboard: German Layout (QWERTZ) Power source: Power…
NEC MULTISPEED
Year: 1986 Initial Price: $2,200, $4,797 in 2020 Processor: NEC V30 4.7Mhz and 9.5 Mhz RAM Disk: up to 126kB RAM: 640Kb Storage: 2X720kB FDD units The unit had a bad power supply and bad jumper config. Fully functional, runs MS-DOS 3.30. See more on Google Docs.
Olivetti M111
YEAR: 1987 Initial Price: ? M111 Model no. XP-1021 I bought this computer from a person that worked at a recycle center in Bacau. The story is that a container from Germany came in with hundreds of new old stock Olivetti portables to be smashed and recycled. This computer is the only one that got…
Sharp PC-4500 (4502)
YEAR: 1987 Initial Price: $5,899, $13,515 in 2020 Reference: PC-4500Processor: Nec V40 at 7.16 MHz or equivalent (compatible with i80188)Memory: 256 KB or 640 KB RAM expandable to 1.6 MB Including 1 MB of EMS memoryDisplay: CGA compatible monochrome LCD display (Backlit on models 4502 and 4521)Storage: 1 or 2 floppy drives 3 “1/2…
Toshiba 300 CDS Mint Condition
Year: 1997 Initial Price : $2,999, $4,863 in 2020 Model TOSHIBA 300 CDS CPU Pentium 166 MMX RAM 32 MB EDO Hard Disk 2.1 GB Graphic Card SVGA/VGA compatible, dual display mode, PCI bus. Video Memory 2 MB Screen 12.1″ TFT CD-ROM 16X Floppy 1.44 MB, 3.5″ Mouse Serial 3-buttons mouse Sound Card 16…
TOSHIBA T3100e
YEAR: 1986 INITIAL PRICE: $6899,$16,383 in 2020 T3100e was a laptop manufactured by Toshiba and released in 1986. It featured a 20 MB hard drive, 12 MHz Intel 80286, 1mB RAM and a monochrome 9.6″ gas-plasma display with a resolution of up to 640×400 pixels. Five versions ever existed: The T3100 had a 8…
HP 1000CX (MS-DOS 5.0)
Year: 1995 Initial Price: $550, $939 in 2020 The HP 1000CX has an Intel 80186 compatible embedded CPU named “Hornet”, which runs at ~7.91 Mhz and has 1, 2 or 4 MB of memory, of which 640 KB is RAM and the rest can be used for expanded memory (EMS) or memory-based storage space. Being IBM PC/XT compatible and…
Dolch PAC 486
YEAR:1995 INITIAL PRICE: $9,000, $15,370 in 2020 “Dolch Computer Systems Inc, San Jose, California expects to be the first to market with an 80486-based luggable computer: the new Dolch PAC 486-25 weighs just under 20 lbs, comes with three AT slots, and sells for $13,000 ($23.099 in 2019) with 100Mb hard disk and…
Olivetti Echos 44 Color
YEAR: 1993 INITIAL PRICE: $4.297 The Olivetti Echos 44 Color is a personal computer (PC) made by the Italian company Olivetti, designed by Michele De Lucchi. Thanks to the special design, the computer has won several design awards, including the MAU Industrial Design Award-Selezione and Compasso D’Oro-Selezione, ADI. It was built from 1993 onwards…
IBM ThinkPad 701CS (a.k.a. the Butterfly)
Initial Price: ? Year:1995 Once opened, the keyboard on the 701C (nicknamed the Butterfly ) extends past the chassis sides to give you the largest and most comfortable keyboard in its class. But when you turn on the unit, what really pops out is the impressive 10.4-inch display. Our review unit sported a TFT (thin-film…
iMac G3
YEAR: 1998 Initial Price: $1,299, $2,075 in 2020 The iMac G3 is a line of personal computers developed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Computer from 1998 to 2003. Noted for its innovative design via the use of translucent and brightly colored plastics, it was the first consumer-facing Apple product to debut under the recently…
The Macintosh 128K
Year: 1984 Initial Price: $2,495, $6,250 in 2020 The Macintosh 128K, originally released as the Apple Macintosh, is the original Apple Macintosh personal computer. Its beige case consisted of a 9 in (23 cm) CRT monitor and came with a keyboard and mouse. A handle built into the top of the case made it easier for…
Compaq Contura 4\25
YEAR:1993 Initial Price: $3,400, $7,126 in 2020 With the introduction of the INTEL 80486 processors back in 1989, COMPAQ equipped its Contura “All-in-One” notebook series 2820 with these faster chips. Also the 80486 had a mathematical co-processor integrated in the CPU. 4/25[Specifications] i486SX-S (SL enhanced 486SX) running at 25MHz Passive matrix gray scale VGA display, 16 shades…
The Apple IIGS
YEAR: 1986 INITIAL PRICE: $999, $2,372 in 2020 The Apple IIGS (styled as IIgs) is the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The “GS” in the name stands for “Graphics” and “Sound”, referring to its enhanced multimedia capabilities, especially its state-of-the-art sound and music…
Macintosh Classic M0420
YEAR: 1990 INITIAL PRICE: $999, $1,998 in 2020 The Macintosh Classic is a personal computer manufactured by Apple Inc. The Classic was an adaptation of Jerry Manock’s and Terry Oyama’s 1984 Macintosh 128K industrial design, as had been the earlier Macintosh SE. Apple released two versions that ranged in price from $1,000 to $1,500….
Compaq Contura Aero 4/33C
YEAR: 1995 Initial Price: 2850$, $4,860 in 2020 The Compaq Aero was popularized as a line of computer handhelds produced by Compaq Computer Corporation. It was succeeded by the iPAQ line. The Aero name was first used for small sub-notebooks computers that Compaq produced in the mid-90’s, the Contura Aero 4/25 and 4/33c. Specs: Size and…
Tandy 1110HD
YEAR: 1992 INITIRAL PRICE: $1,199, $2,224 in 2020 The 1110 HD was introduced in 1992. The specifications of the Tandy were not spectacular as it was considered a lower middle class laptop. It was still very impressive at its time of release, which proved it to be more successful that it’s competitors. Processor: 8 bit…
FIC SportSX – just over 1000 ever made because of Copyright issues
YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: ??? FIC Sport SX was a laptop manufactured by FIC (First International Computer, Inc.) and released in 1987. It featured a 40 MB hard drive that was about twice the capacity used in those days, it has and incredible 8 MHz Intel 80286 CPU and a monochrome gas-plasma display. This laptop is so Rare…
Amstrad PPC512
YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: $1,455, $3,054 in 2020 The PPC512 had an NEC V30 processor running at 8 MHz, 512 KB of memory, a full-size 102-key keyboard, a built-in liquid crystal display (not backlit) that could emulate the CGA or MDA and either one or two 720k 3.5″ floppy drives (the model was either…
Toshiba T1900
YEAR: 1993 INITIAL PRICE: $3,899, $7,023 in 2020 “Getting a head start is rare these days. Starting in front is almost unheard of. But that’s the feeling you get when you own a Toshiba notebook. The confidence that comes from knowing that what’s standard for Toshiba means leadership for the industry. The T1900 Series…
Zenith ZWL-184-02 SuperSport (Very Rare)
Year: 1986 Initial Price: $3,999, $9,499 in 2020 This 4.77 MHz 8086 “Luggable” laptop, the Zenith SuperSport ZWL-184-02 is a very rare model from the mid. 80`s. This particular unit was made in 1986 and was used in some of the gov service department from the US back in the days. Manufacturer: Zenith Data Systems…
IBM PS/2 Note N33Sx Type 8533 (before the Thinkpads)
Year: 1991 Initial Price: $2,990, $5713 in 2020 The Personal System/2 or PS/2 was IBM‘s third generation of personal computers released in 1987. The PS/2 line was created by IBM in an attempt to recapture control of the PC market by introducing an advanced yet proprietary architecture. IBM‘s considerable market presence plus the reliability…
IBM Thinkpad 345C (Top of the 25 Greatest PCs of All Time)
YEAR: 1992 INITIAL PRICE: 2375 US Dollars LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Among the first IBM’s to use the Thinkpad name As IBM president 1914 to 1956, Thomas J. Watson, Sr. enjoyed using the phrase “THINK!” to motivate and inspire his employees. This simple word has become deeply embedded in IBM’s corporate culture ever since. Decades…
IBM ThinkPad 380 Series
Year: 1997 Initial Price: $2199, $3566 in 2020 IBM ThinkPad 380 was a notebook computer manufactured in 1997 by IBM as part of their ThinkPad laptop series. Notable for incorporating a CD-ROM and a floppy drive. I own all IBM Thinkpad 380 series. Models IBM ThinkPad 380E — The 380E model introduced several additional features,…
COMPAQ LTE Elite 4/75CX
YEAR: 1993 INITIAL PRICE: 3,299, $5,942 in 2020 The Compaq LTE was a line of laptop computers made by Compaq, introduced in 1989. The first models, the Compaq LTE and the Compaq LTE 286, were among the first computers to be close to the size of a paper notebook, spurring the use of the term “notebook” to…
TOSHIBA T1200XE (first laptop with “Resume-mode” technology)
YEAR: 1987 INITIAL PRICE: $6,499, $14,890 in 2020 The Toshiba T1200XE was a laptop manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation, first made in 1987. It was an upgraded version of the Toshiba T1100 Plus. Processor Intel 80C286TM microprocessor Adjustable 12/6 MHz clock speed Memory 1 MB RAM standard 5 MB RAM maximum LIM-EMS 4.0…
The TOSHIBA T3100/20
YEAR: 1986 INITIAL PRICE: $6,899, $16,383 in 2020 T3100/20 was a laptop manufactured by Toshiba and released in 1986. It featured a 20 MB hard drive, 8 MHz Intel 80286 CPU and a monochrome 9.6″ gas-plasma display with a resolution of up to 640×400 pixels. Processor Intel 80286 microprocessor 8.0 MHz operating speed Memory 640kB RAM…
THE COMPAQ LTE\286
YEAR: 1989 INITIRAL PRICE: $4499, $9,443 in 2020 The Compaq LTE 286 laptop happens to be one of my favorite retro laptops that I have in my collection. The design is so iconic, when you think of a late 80`s laptop this is the image that you get. The LTE was…
IBM PS/2 Modell P70 386
YEAR: 1988 Initial Price: $7695, $16,930 in 2020 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK The Personal System/2 IBM PS/2 model P70 386 is a portable computer of briefcase size providing the same functions as the PS/2 desktop models. These models are also known as luggables. It’s meant to be a portable computer, but it’s definitely not a laptop…
Toshiba T1000
Year: 1987 Initial Price: 1199 USD The Toshiba T1000 was a laptop computer manufactured by the Toshiba Corporation in 1987. It had a similar specification to the IBM PC Convertible, with an 4.77 MHz 80C88 processor, 512 kB of RAM, and a monochrome CGA-compatible LCD. Unlike the Convertible, it includes a standard serial port and…