Post the very best in obsolete and failed technology

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SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

Funzo posted:

To jump back to the Intellivision for a minute, I wanted to point out that the chunky block of plastic plugged in to the side of the console is a voice synthesizer. It was compatible with a handful of games (as you can see in the ad), and had the most amazing 80's computer voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gChFuTtoUVY

HaB posted:

With the exception of ColecoVision, I have owned (or in some cases - still own) everything made since Atari 2600.

The best semi-obscure thing related to the 2600 that hasn't been mentioned is the Starpath/Arcadia Supercharger, which was a bigass Atari cart featuring a 1/8" audio plug. Which you plugged into the audio jack of a cassette tape player. From which you loaded the games. Many of the games were your standard ripoffs of contemporary arcade games and games for other consoles (there was an Asteriods clone, a Star Raiders clone, and so on). But there was also a maze/puzzle game called Escape from the Mind Master and an RPG called Dragonstomper that were a couple of the best titles of that generation.

HaB posted:

The crown jewel in my collection is the Vectrex

The Vectrex owns bones but has the drawback of having a lovely controller...that breaks at the drop of a hat.

# ? Mar 30, 2017 22:42

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 18:53

moller: Jan 10, 2007; Swan stole my music and framed me!

SubG posted:

But there was also a maze/puzzle game called Escape from the Mind Master and an RPG called Dragonstomper that were a couple of the best titles of that generation.

I'd argue that an RPG called Dragonstomper is in the running for best title of any generation.

# ? Mar 30, 2017 23:11

Randaconda: Jul 3, 2014; by Jeffrey of YOSPOS

Samuel L. ACKSYN posted:

Eh. Didn't care for it.

# ? Mar 30, 2017 23:13

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

Wasabi the J posted:

So LGR got a new in box toy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLy_jEbuY-U

I loved all the books you used to get with computers.

poo poo, I remember playing that racing game on our IBM PCjr. Which apparently was the last program Bill Gates ever made.

# ? Mar 30, 2017 23:46

T-man: Aug 22, 2010; Talk shit, get bzzzt.

SubG posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gChFuTtoUVY

The best semi-obscure thing related to the 2600 that hasn't been mentioned is the Starpath/Arcadia Supercharger, which was a bigass Atari cart featuring a 1/8" audio plug. Which you plugged into the audio jack of a cassette tape player. From which you loaded the games. Many of the games were your standard ripoffs of contemporary arcade games and games for other consoles (there was an Asteriods clone, a Star Raiders clone, and so on). But there was also a maze/puzzle game called Escape from the Mind Master and an RPG called Dragonstomper that were a couple of the best titles of that generation.

The Vectrex owns bones but has the drawback of having a lovely controller...that breaks at the drop of a hat.

I'm sorry, but Communist Mutants from Space is my GOTY every year, on name alone.

# ? Mar 30, 2017 23:59

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO: Feb 28, 1985

I'd love a software company that specialised in games based on old box art like that. Amazing.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 00:04

Sam Hall: Jun 29, 2003

T-man posted:

I'm sorry, but Communist Mutants from Space is my GOTY every year, on name alone.

Also, history's sickest box art. No way could the game itself actually live up to this

# ? Mar 31, 2017 01:19

Trebek: Mar 7, 2002; College Slice

SubG posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gChFuTtoUVY

Holy poo poo I wasn't ready for the way that voice said B-17 Bomber.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 02:08

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

KozmoNaut posted:

I got my Chromebook replacement the other day. It's more or less the antithesis of that whole concept, where the Chromebook was thin and light and sleek, the T420 is thick and bulky and heavy. It feels very substantial indeed.

It's a refurbed machine, so there is a tiny bit of wear and tear, I had to shim the keyboard to keep it from flexing (known issue for pre-chiclet Thinkpad keyboards) and the hinge is only like 95% tight (after 5-6 years of use, mind). But it cost less than a decent replacement Chromebook, it still does a solid 5+ hours on the battery and it runs Linux Mint flawlessly.

I'm probably never going to buy a new laptop ever again, unless I win the lottery or something.

Buying brand-new laptops is obsolete and failed, in my opinion. Let the corporations buy laptops and discard them after a couple of years, so I can pick them up for next to nothing.

I got one for $50 at Goodwill a couple of months ago and it runs just fine with Windows 10 and the old platter hard drive.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 02:35

SubG: Aug 19, 2004; It's a hard world for little things.

Sam Hall posted:

Also, history's sickest box art. No way could the game itself actually live up to this

Yeah, the game is impressive for the Atari, but otherwise it's just a run-of-the-mill Galaxian clone.

I'm pretty sure I still have my copy of the tape around here somewhere.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 03:10

Samizdata: May 14, 2007

GWBBQ posted:

I got one for $50 at Goodwill a couple of months ago and it runs just fine with Windows 10 and the old platter hard drive.

Nothing personal, but I am deeply jealous and I hate you to the core of your being, you and your damned good luck.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 03:13

Vanagoon: Jan 20, 2008; Best Dead Gay Forums
on the whole Internet!

GWBBQ posted:

I got one for $50 at Goodwill a couple of months ago and it runs just fine with Windows 10 and the old platter hard drive.

It's a Winchester Hard Drive :smuggo:

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Winchester_disk_drive.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fs71P3J2AA

# ? Mar 31, 2017 03:39

GWBBQ: Jan 2, 2005

Vanagoon posted:

It's a Winchester Hard Drive

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Winchester_disk_drive.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fs71P3J2AA

This is the thread to be smugly corrected in if there ever was one :tipshat:

Samizdata posted:

Nothing personal, but I am deeply jealous and I hate you to the core of your being, you and your damned good luck.

It's even one of the mid range models with an i5 and 8GB of RAM

# ? Mar 31, 2017 03:56

Toast Museum: Dec 3, 2005; 30% Iron Chef

Trebek posted:

Holy poo poo I wasn't ready for the way that voice said B-17 Bomber.

You weren't kidding. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't

# ? Mar 31, 2017 05:50

Samizdata: May 14, 2007

GWBBQ posted:

It's even one of the mid range models with an i5 and 8GB of RAM

Shush, you.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 06:42

Humphreys: Jan 26, 2013; We conceived a way to use my mother as a porn mule

Trebek posted:

Holy poo poo I wasn't ready for the way that voice said B-17 Bomber.

Any time someone posts about a B-17 Bomber in the aeronautical thread I hear it.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 09:52

Computer viking: May 30, 2011; Now with less breakage.

Groda posted:

I've had nothing but positive things to say about the HP EliteBooks I've had over the past few years, but I always buy an off the shelf copy of Windows for my computers. The average monthly cost of it just makes sense for all the hastle you're missing.

I'm at least 75% sure you could just reinstall the appropriate version of windows 10 from a clean image and it would automagically use the license you paid for when you bought the machine.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 12:00

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO: Feb 28, 1985

Works with 7 keys too, why buy it for a laptop when there is no chance of reactivation hassle? :prepop:

# ? Mar 31, 2017 12:04

dobbymoodge: Mar 8, 2005

P.N.T.M. posted:

The super durable laptop will never be obsolete

I just learned yesterday that the last sku or two of white macbooks can update to OS Sierra.

_____________________________________

I work at a college radio station, and we've got a couple old items. Two are displayed openly atm:

BMXIII-26 donated by WCBS NY

Everything I read says Pacific Engineering & Research BMXII consoles were the workhorses of the 80s and early 90s. I don't know for sure when this BMXIII was bought, but it looks like the engineer's fingernails were used to scrape some of the paint off over the years.

The BMX itself is a no frills, pure analog mixer, with on-board pre-amps and 2 inputs per fader with switcher. Exposed gain adjustments at the top mean you can adjust inputs on the fly for new/replacement devices.

Each input takes 6 wires, I assume Left Ground, Left Hot, Left Neutral, RG, RH, RN. You can also wire up sends, direct outs and patches. I don't know what patches require you to patch a device back into itself, but many of these inputs seem to be set up that way.

Also it uses multiple power supplies? I can't dig up a manual for this thing. I did read that the size and weight of the power supplies is because they are fanless, basically giant heatsinks. Y2K stickers means it was set up around 2000 I guess.

Are you at UNCG? I loved that mixer when I worked there.

E: nevermind, I'm an idiot replying to ancient posts

dobbymoodge has a new favorite as of 12:22 on Mar 31, 2017

# ? Mar 31, 2017 12:19

HaB: Jan 5, 2001; What are the odds?

Platystemon posted:

You probably know this, but since you don�t mention it: GCE knew about the bug and would send out a fixed cartridge to anyone who complained.

Naturally, the fixed version is ungodly rare. There�s one listed at 1200 USD on eBay at the moment.

Yeah. I occasionally think about completing my Vectrex collection until I start looking at prices. $30 for a game that is 30+ years old? Nah, son.

SubG posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gChFuTtoUVY

The best semi-obscure thing related to the 2600 that hasn't been mentioned is the Starpath/Arcadia Supercharger, which was a bigass Atari cart featuring a 1/8" audio plug. Which you plugged into the audio jack of a cassette tape player. From which you loaded the games. Many of the games were your standard ripoffs of contemporary arcade games and games for other consoles (there was an Asteriods clone, a Star Raiders clone, and so on). But there was also a maze/puzzle game called Escape from the Mind Master and an RPG called Dragonstomper that were a couple of the best titles of that generation.

The Vectrex owns bones but has the drawback of having a lovely controller...that breaks at the drop of a hat.

Don't recall ever seeing that Supercharger thing back in the day. There were a lot of random peripherals for the 2600. I can think of several games which came either their own controller outright, or an add-on for the default Atari joystick.

True about the Vectrex controller. I have two spares, and I know they can be repaired with some ingenuity and a spring from a retractable pen. It's usually the joystick spring which breaks which causes it to no longer center itself when you let go of it. That can make a few games really hard to play.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 12:45

BillyJoeBob: Feb 7, 2010; Anal-retentive, overly loquacious weapons scientist.

I have been packing for a move and found my old ThinkPad 600e. I got it in middle school around 2003 thanks to my lovely handwriting. The school had some program where they would take donations for dinged up laptops. The one i got had a battery that lasted a whopping 10 seconds.

(It does the "establishing battlefield control" thing when it boots :haw:

)

I managed to find the charging cable and the floppy drive for it which somehow still reads the disks. It seems like the internal clock has died because it wants the date set when I turn it on every time. When its running it smells up most of my living room with hot electronics.

But drat if I didn't fire up some RA2 that was still in the CD drive.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 18:50

TITTIEKISSER69: Mar 19, 2005; SAVE THE BEES
PLANT MORE TREES
CLEAN THE SEAS
KISS TITTIESS

All you need to fix the clock error is a simple CR2032 battery, you can get them off the shelf at a drug store.

You could probably set that thing up as a simple emulation PC or DOS gaming PC.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:31

Snow Cone Capone: Jul 31, 2003

Wilford Cutlery posted:

All you need to fix the clock error is a simple CR2032 battery, you can get them off the shelf at a drug store.

You could probably set that thing up as a simple emulation PC or DOS gaming PC.

This is a minor nitpick but the markup on these batteries is insane. Microcenter sells them for $.50 a piece, most places like Walgreens or even Radio Shack (lol) sell them for like $5.99 a piece.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:35

TITTIEKISSER69: Mar 19, 2005; SAVE THE BEES
PLANT MORE TREES
CLEAN THE SEAS
KISS TITTIESS

True, although Micro Center doesn't have stores in every state. My local Walgreens has a 2-pack for 5 or 6 bucks.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:42

Geoj: May 28, 2008; BITTER POOR PERSON

Laughably you can buy a card of 15-20 of them on Amazon for about the same price as 1 or 2 in a retail store.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:46

Krispy Wafer: Jul 26, 2002; I shouted out "Free the exposed 67"
But they stood on my hair and told me I was fat; Grimey Drawer

And about half of them will be dead on arrival.

Still a better price than buying them retail, but honestly if I'm replacing the CMOS battery, I'll buy one whose expiration date I can check so I don't have to do it again in 6 months.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:56

Snow Cone Capone: Jul 31, 2003

I've never had a problem with the ones I bought off Amazon :shrug:

# ? Mar 31, 2017 20:59

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

CR2032s are 29� in single quantity on Digikey, so I just add them to parts orders.

Shipping is a little annoying because Digikey actually complies with USPS regulations on the shipment of lithium cells.

Platystemon has a new favorite as of 21:18 on Mar 31, 2017

# ? Mar 31, 2017 21:14

Snow Cone Capone: Jul 31, 2003

Platystemon posted:

CR2032s are 29� in single quantity on Digikey, so I just add them to parts orders.

Shipping is a little annoying because Digikey actually complies USPS regulations on the shipment of lithium cells.

Digikey is so weird sometimes. They have great prices on random stuff like that sometimes but crazy high prices on other things.

I can't remember what component it was but there was at least one instance where out of Digikey/Mouser/Allied/Newark, the cheapest place ended up being Amazon; found a seller with a good price, contacted them directly and got a solid bulk discount. I think it was some sort of high-voltage timed fuse or something along those lines.

# ? Mar 31, 2017 21:16

Proteus Jones: Feb 28, 2013

Wasabi the J posted:

So LGR got a new in box toy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLy_jEbuY-U

He reacts to a mint condition OG Model-M the same way I would.

I got an AT for my HS graduation and that keyboard followed me around for the next 15 years until it finally suffered mechanical failure.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 07:50

Powered Descent: Jul 13, 2008; We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.

flosofl posted:

He reacts to a mint condition OG Model-M the same way I would.

I got an AT for my HS graduation and that keyboard followed me around for the next 15 years until it finally suffered mechanical failure.

For anyone who isn't aware, Unicomp bought the rights and tooling from IBM, and they're still making the Model M to this day. I'm typing on one right now and it's the best keyboard I've ever used.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 08:08

Wasabi the J: Jan 23, 2008; MOM WAS RIGHT

flosofl posted:

He reacts to a mint condition OG Model-M the same way I would.

I got an AT for my HS graduation and that keyboard followed me around for the next 15 years until it finally suffered mechanical failure.

Yeah I wanted to say it was kinda cringey but I think he was actually that happy with his purchase.

I appreciate his channel very much, as he seems to genuinely enjoy old tech without being a retro grouch, he gives great historical insight to how the industry used to be, and he is a dude into computers that doesn't say terrible poo poo about women.

I wish that last bar wasn't so low.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 09:29

Queen_Combat: Jan 15, 2011

Wasabi the J posted:

Yeah I wanted to say it was kinda cringey but I think he was actually that happy with his purchase.

I appreciate his channel very much, as he seems to genuinely enjoy old tech without being a retro grouch, he gives great historical insight to how the industry used to be, and he is a dude into computers that doesn't say terrible poo poo about women.

I wish that last bar wasn't so low.

People poo poo on 8-bit-guy, but he passes that last bar, which is huge in the industry, so I subscribe.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 09:41

Code Jockey: Jan 24, 2006; 69420 basic bytes free

Wacky Delly posted:

The PC FX. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX

NEC's successor to the PC Engine/Turbografix 16. I don't believe it was released in the US. Apple's Pippin from the lower right wasn't.

From a few pages back, but I own one!

I saw one in a local retrogames shop years ago, but it was priced a little out of my range at the time, so I waited on it. It ended up getting sold before I could get it, and I had been kicking myself over that since. I have a thing for obscure consoles, what can I say.

Fast forward to Magfest two years ago, and what do I see at one of the dealer tables on closing day? A complete one, in box! I ended up getting it for less than the sticker price, since the dealer didn't really want to pack it up. More expensive than the first one I found, but this one was CIB and in great shape, so I was cool with it. Bringing that back as carry on luggage was fun. I was afraid to check it, because I didn't want the box/console to get beaten up.

It's basically the most anime console, not only due to the FMV stuff mentioned before, but a lot of the not-FMV games still have a very "90s anime" aesthetic. It's CD based and like the noble Dreamcast, there's no protection to speak of - it'll read burned discs without modification - so that's a definite plus. I don't believe there are any english language games for it [though there are translation projects out there], but the basic platformers and action games are easy enough to figure out.

It's also adorable, looking like a little tiny PC tower. :kimchi:

If it had been made backwards compatible with TG-16 / PCE cards and CD games, it'd be the best thing ever.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 10:14

champagne posting: Apr 5, 2006; YOU ARE A BRAIN
IN A BUNKER

I have one of those unicomp model M's and have recently replaced it with a cherry black switch no-brand keyboard made in West Germany 1984. The bespokest of posting is done from those keys.

edit: https://imgur.com/a/XlxvE

champagne posting has a new favorite as of 12:22 on Apr 1, 2017

# ? Apr 1, 2017 10:27

Grand Prize Winner: Feb 19, 2007

^^^^ Take some fuckin pictures dude

Techmoan guy posted a video using his PXL2000 video cam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_si3xAoTeM

Grand Prize Winner has a new favorite as of 10:38 on Apr 1, 2017

# ? Apr 1, 2017 10:34

Humbug Scoolbus: Apr 25, 2008; The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, stern and wild ones, and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.; Clapping Larry

Grand Prize Winner posted:

^^^^ Take some fuckin pictures dude

Techmoan guy posted a video using his PXL2000 video cam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_si3xAoTeM

Pro click right there.

# ? Apr 1, 2017 15:59

Queen_Combat: Jan 15, 2011

loving April fool's day goddamn

# ? Apr 1, 2017 22:38

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

Educating myself about the history of cars, I came across the Doble steam car. The best model from the 1910s used clever tricks (like atomized kerosene to rapidly heat the water and quartz rods expanding and contracting under heat to automatically turn the burner on and off) to have an electric starter simply by turning a key, with the car ready to go in 90 seconds from a cold start. It also sounds similar to the turn of the century equivalent to a modern day electric car: almost completely silent, environmentally friendly, and could be even faster than comparable internal combustion cars like the Ford Model T.

# ? Apr 2, 2017 17:56

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 18:53

GRINDCORE MEGGIDO: Feb 28, 1985

Beautiful.

# ? Apr 2, 2017 18:23

The Something Awful Forums > Main > Post Your Favorite: Carefully Curated > Post the very best in obsolete and failed technology

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