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Digital Retro - The Evolution and Design of…
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Digital Retro - The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer (original 2004; edition 2004)

by Laing (Author)

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1362199,604 (3.89)None
The late Seventies to the early Nineties was a completely unique period in the history of computing. Long before Microsoft and Intel ruled the PC world, a disparate variety of home computers, from an unlikely array of suppliers, were engaging in a battle that would shape the industry for years to come. Products from established electronics giants clashed with machines which often appeared to have been (or actually were) assembled in a backyard shed by an eccentric inventor. University professors were competing head to head with students in their parents' garages. Compatibility? Forget it! Each of these computers was its own machine and had no intention of talking to anything else. The same could be said of their owners, in fact, who passionately defended their machines with a belief that verged on the religious. This book tells the story behind 40 classic home computers of an infamous decade, from the dreams and inspiration, through passionate inventors and corporate power struggles, to their final inevitable demise. It takes a detailed look at every important computer from the start of the home computer revolution with the MITS Altair, to the NeXT cube, pehaps the last serious challenger in the personal computer marketplace. In the thirteen years between the launch of those systems, there has never been a more frenetic period of technical advance, refinement, and marketing, and this book covers all the important steps made on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether it's the miniaturization of the Sinclair machines, the gaming prowess of the Amiga, or the fermenting war between Apple Computer, "Big Blue," and "the cloners," we've got it covered. Digital Retro is an essential read for anyone who owned a home computer in the Eighties.… (more)
Member:J.Oli
Title:Digital Retro - The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer
Authors:Laing (Author)
Info:Ilex (2004), Edition: 01, 192 pages
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Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer by Gordon Laing (2004)

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If you are a little bit nostalgic from the eighties and early nineties personal computer history, this book is for you. An nice overview (visually rich) of the home computing history from 1975 until 1988 with simple text and some interesting comments. Very easy to read, typesetting is clear and consistent across this book. The small drawback is some mistake in the ordering of i/o interface on some computers... but a very good book for all the computer geeks around. An excellent gift... (thanks Vincent ;-). ( )
  adulau | Jan 1, 2009 |
I don't know if this book technically qualifies as a "coffee table book" but its certainly the coolest coffee table book I've ever picked up. Who can resist thumbing through pages of retro computers, dating from 1975 to 1988? Looking at the earliest portable computers, all kinds of built-in monitors, handheld controllers? The only units from this book that I ever owned myself (both given to me by people who were finished with them) was the Commodore 64 and the old Apple Macintosh, so its neat to look through all the others. ( )
  NeitherSparky | Nov 25, 2006 |
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The late Seventies to the early Nineties was a completely unique period in the history of computing. Long before Microsoft and Intel ruled the PC world, a disparate variety of home computers, from an unlikely array of suppliers, were engaging in a battle that would shape the industry for years to come. Products from established electronics giants clashed with machines which often appeared to have been (or actually were) assembled in a backyard shed by an eccentric inventor. University professors were competing head to head with students in their parents' garages. Compatibility? Forget it! Each of these computers was its own machine and had no intention of talking to anything else. The same could be said of their owners, in fact, who passionately defended their machines with a belief that verged on the religious. This book tells the story behind 40 classic home computers of an infamous decade, from the dreams and inspiration, through passionate inventors and corporate power struggles, to their final inevitable demise. It takes a detailed look at every important computer from the start of the home computer revolution with the MITS Altair, to the NeXT cube, pehaps the last serious challenger in the personal computer marketplace. In the thirteen years between the launch of those systems, there has never been a more frenetic period of technical advance, refinement, and marketing, and this book covers all the important steps made on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether it's the miniaturization of the Sinclair machines, the gaming prowess of the Amiga, or the fermenting war between Apple Computer, "Big Blue," and "the cloners," we've got it covered. Digital Retro is an essential read for anyone who owned a home computer in the Eighties.

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Information on 44 microcomputer models, with extensive photography; see the book's website.
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