147 replies to this topic

[FastRobPlus]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Amiga 1000 yet.
I agree with the person who liked the Mindset.

Basicly, the less upgadable, the better looking. The systems you can eaily add stuff to look more boxlike.

[AtticGamer]

The computers in Alien were also cool, black screen and green text. And they were big.

[Lord Thag]

The Atari 1200XL gets my vote. A sleek, silver, black and tan computer with smooth lines, great styling, and a fantastic keyboard. That's my personal favorite. I also like the Apple IIc and the silver TI99, as well as the Apple IIgs.

[Video]

Here's a pretty cool looking er....Computer.

I imagine it wasn't very useful, as it was a 1960's era commputer, but it was a home computer for, of all odd things, storing recepies.

Attached Files

•  Kitchen_computer.bmp   322.64K   103 downloads

[BONK]

Atari 800 XL

[Ze_ro]

Not sure if this one counts, since it really wasn't meant for consumers... but a while back, I saw a picture of the Phillips P/330, and it just looks like the awesomest computer ever. Having everything built into a desk just seems very convenient and efficient to me somehow.

--Zero

[Osbo]

about the whopper computer?

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[jaybird3rd]

Or Dillinger's glass tabletop computer:

[Krytol]

jaybird3rd, on Sun Feb 4, 2007 3:35 PM, said:

Or Dillinger's glass tabletop computer:
attachment

I want that.

Bad for the back, though..

[Video]

jaybird3rd, on Sun Feb 4, 2007 7:35 PM, said:

Or Dillinger's glass tabletop computer:
attachment

The computer was cool, but you can keep the MCP

[Paranoid]

I had one of these for awhile, and I did some pretty sophisticated things with it. I seem to recall that most everything was done by the RS-232c port... but I could connect and transfer files between my PCs and it by null modem... it also had a built in dialer... maybe even a modem. My memory is hazy - but I'm pretty sure you could call a BBS from it. It had a bunch of little programs, and I think you could download other programs and install them, too.

It was my first notebook. And, for quite awhile, really one of the *best* (notebooks didn't get very functional and reliable until the post-486 era, IMO. I always found myself going, "someday these will be able to do the things my desktop can".)

I liked the design of this one, actually. There was something elegent about it's physical, notebook/biner size and shape.

I always thought the C-128 was the first REALLY good looking consumer PC. Everything prior to that had been pretty ugly. The II series looked like it had a case made out of recycled cardboard. The little one, the II+, right... just didn't do it for me with the chicklet keyboard. The C-64/Vic 20 were ugly. (although that design grew on me). I liked the Atari 400 and 800 design... and really, the XL/XE and ST design were all slick too. The Amiga 500 did look clunky. I had a 2000. It looked like a "serious" PC.

I have an 800, because I just think they look bitchin cool. I use the 800XL.

[crunchysuperman]

I always thought the Coleco Adam looked really impressive in it's day. (although, that's about all it was good for - to look at)

[Paranoid]

crunchysuperman, on Tue Feb 6, 2007 4:00 AM, said:

I always thought the Coleco Adam looked really impressive in it's day. (although, that's about all it was good for - to look at)

Agreed.

[cyberfluxor]

I've liked the way IBM chasis look since the P1 days. They look similar to the Apple G3 desktop chasis too. I never owned systems before the 1990 days so I can't go with a cart or tape loader, but for modern systems, IBM. <3

For today though, I'm all about customization. If I build a cluster it's out of either Gateway or IBM systems.

[Vic George 2K3]

WOPR computer's too ugly and big for home use. Lacks the subtle elegance of Dillinger's desktop with the touch-sensitive keyboard.

[jaybird3rd]

Video, on Mon Feb 5, 2007 5:47 PM, said:

The computer was cool, but you can keep the MCP

REQUEST:
		 ACCESS CODE 6
		 PASSWORD SERIES PS 17
		 REINDEER FLOTILLA

		 CODE SERIES LSU-123 ... ACTIVATE

[jaybird3rd]

Paranoid, on Mon Feb 5, 2007 8:12 PM, said:

I had one of these for awhile, and I did some pretty sophisticated things with it. I seem to recall that most everything was done by the RS-232c port... but I could connect and transfer files between my PCs and it by null modem... it also had a built in dialer... maybe even a modem. My memory is hazy - but I'm pretty sure you could call a BBS from it. It had a bunch of little programs, and I think you could download other programs and install them, too.

It was my first notebook. And, for quite awhile, really one of the *best* (notebooks didn't get very functional and reliable until the post-486 era, IMO. I always found myself going, "someday these will be able to do the things my desktop can".)

I liked the design of this one, actually. There was something elegent about it's physical, notebook/biner size and shape.

Ahhh yes, the Tandy 102. I liked that one, too. I've used a couple of them, and actually found one of the later models (the Tandy 200, with a more laptop-like folding screen) in a local pawn shop a few years ago for $30. I later sold it for $100, but I wish I still had it.

It really was a pretty nice machine for its day, and had quite a variety of built-in programs (some of which were reportedly developed by Bill Gates; I've heard it's some of the last coding he did himself). Believe it or not, as recently as 1999, a local newspaper in New Jersey that I did some contract work for (the New Jersey Herald) had a few reporters who were still using the 102 to write stories in the field and upload them to the main office through the integrated 300-baud modem.

Edited by jaybird3rd, Thu Feb 8, 2007 6:35 PM.

[Paranoid]

THAT was it! Built in 300 baud modem.

It was, in many ways, SO far ahead of its time.

I liked that it was the first real "tablet" PC. I mean, it had no hinged lid or any of that. I had some BASIC games for it that were cool, I could connect to my dialup and Telnet in and use PINE or Lynx or use the local USENET reader, or FTP files from my shell account back to the machine. It is all coming back to me.

Sometimes, thinking back makes me regret the progress of technology. I'm basically doing the same things now, but it takes a 3.4ghz machine to handle all the overhead that generally only makes everything look PRETTY... and all that PRETTY makes you require a 6mb cable connection to be able to get around at anything approaching a decent speed.

Of course, Stella at Kat 5200 would have never been very satisfying on the Tandy 102.

[Keatah]

joeybastard, on Thu Jan 25, 2007 1:54 PM, said:

If we're ignoring functionality and just going on looks, I like the sci-fi gigantor look of something like this. I don't know what kind of machine it is but it sure is cool looking.

It says right on the computer itself! Control Data Cyber (70)?

[Keatah]

I happen to think that this (though modern day) is the BEST looking compact system I've seen to date..

http://www.commodore...x_computer.html

[save2600]

FastRobPlus, on Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:23 PM, said:

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Amiga 1000 yet.

Best looking "modern" computer quickly approaching vintage status IMO.



...although I'm partial to the Model III as well.

Edited by save2600, Sun May 16, 2010 12:26 PM.

[fdurso224]

Hi guys,


I would say, the IBM Aptiva. It was a certain model back in the mid-90's that I like personally. That and the PET.


Anthony....

[The_Laird]

Why is this suddenly in the wrong forum?

[jaybird3rd]

The_Laird, on Sun May 16, 2010 2:24 PM, said:

Why is this suddenly in the wrong forum?

It's an old thread, from before there was a Classic Computing subforum. You might be thinking of this newer thread, which is in the right place.

[save2600]

Huh? It's in 'classic gaming'... and the question posed was not "what is your favorite looking Atari branded computer" in a discrete Atari computer group