RCR Episode 280: Cheap home computers

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: 1980

In 1980, Commodore introduced the VIC-20, Sinclair introduced the ZX80, Tandy introduced the Color Computer, and HP tried to breed a computer out of calculators. Also other things happened. Which we discuss!

Topic/Feedback links:

• VIC-20 
• Sinclair ZX80
  • See also: MicroAce (timexsinclair.com)
• HP-85 
  • See also: Tandy PC-4
• Tandy Color Computer 
• Intel 8087 
• Pac-Man 
• Epson MX-80

Retro Computing News:

• ​​Apple’s best keyboard reimagined (YouTube)
• Update on the Business IIGS (original auction gone, but: Incider Jan 1989 cover)
• Daily news from a dot matrix printer
• APFram. APFram
• Atari Portfolio
• It was all Boris Vallejo

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Pac-Man Cereal
• VIC-20
• Timex/Sinclair 1000

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Inflatable Pac-Man costume

Auction Picks:

• Carrington:
  • The Usurper, one of the last text adventures
  • The Odyssey, one of the worst named adventure games
• Paul:
  • Apple-Cat II with expansion box
    • Starring the Computer: Vacation (1983)
  • Apple IIGS upgrade (finished at $720, 11 bids)
  • Blank floppies (finished at $111.50, 9 bids)
  • Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Grundy NewBrain” (bought now at $850)
    • See also: Grundy NewBrain
  • Timex/Sinclair 1000 with box (finished at $15, 1 bid)
  • Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Jupiter Ace”
    • See also: Jupiter Ace
  • A moment of silence for the keyboards that have been parted out
  • OCC-2 (bought now at $499)
    • See also: OCC-2
  • 16K RAM chips sans RAM

A2Stream file:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr280.a2stream

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

Listen/Download: