The Cellar - Home computer

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xoxoxoBruce

04-17-2008 02:26 PM

Home computer

From Life Magazine, Jan, 1970.

Quote:

Those pioneer families who have one, like the Theodore Rodmans of Ardmore, Pa., have discovered their obedient machine can perform a large variety of useful functions. Dr. Rodman originally brought it home for medical research, but then his family found it could also plan mortgage payments, help out with homework, even play with the children. Although the cost is still high, computers like theirs have come within possible reach of a two-car family budget. A small, self-contained model is available for $8,000, complete. The Rodmans’ computer system, called time-sharing, uses a Teletype terminal connected to a big central unit via telephone. It costs $110 a month to rent, plus $7.50 per hour of use.

xiphos

04-17-2008 07:42 PM

How angry I would get...
8,000 dollars, and it goes about a mile an hour :yelsick:

Probably better off just going to the library to get a book on the subject you want to do, or get a baketball hoop for the kids.

Cloud

04-17-2008 08:00 PM

the first word processor (at work) we got cost around $10,000 in around 1980. It was a gigantic box and all it did was do word processing -- on 5 1/4 inch floppies. It ran a dos program called Wordstar.

But it was worth it.

ferret88

04-18-2008 07:49 AM

Ah, a teletype. I remember that was my first 'puter. Amongst other things, playing a "football" game on it using punchcards. What fun!

tw	04-18-2008 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloud (Post 446583)

the first word processor (at work) we got cost around $10,000 in around 1980.

For $2000 in 1981 you could have obtained an IBM PC with WordStar.

Meanwhile in the mid 1970s, SDS was manufacturing a network of word processors tied to a common hard disk with functions beyond what WordStar did. You may better know SDS as Xerox. SDS also provided time share that appeared on Xerox Sigma series mainframe computers in 1970. Better word processing technology was that easily available. "Fumbling the Future" explains why such technology was stifled mostly until 1990.

Apple's Lisa that appeared in 1981 - $10,000.

elSicomoro

04-18-2008 05:26 PM

I remember playing Where In the World Is Carmen San Diego? on my friend's Apple IIe...his family was one of the wealthier ones in the neighborhood. He was also the first person I know to buy a Game Boy when it first came out.

The fucker...

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