Computer Chronicles

Mr Softy · 01 July 2004, 16:35

Do you know this show? According to archive.org...

Quote:

... Computer Chronicles was the world's most popular television program on personal technology during the height of the personal computer revolution. It was broadcast for twenty years from 1983 - 2002. The program was seen on more than 300 television stations in the United States and in over 100 countries worldwide, with translations into French, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. The series had a weekly television broadcast audience of over two million viewers.

Whatever. Some episopdes are Amiga related, and you can freely DL them on the archive.org website. I did not have the chance to watch them yet but I will soon!

Here's a link : Computer Chronicles / Amiga (archive.org)

01 July 2004, 17:11

I didn't know about that address but I downloaded some from a ftp

http://www.total-emu.org/forum/showt...ght=chronicles

ant512 · 01 July 2004, 23:52

Aiee... Ever wondered where the nerd stereotype came from? It's this programme.

I downloaded two videos from 1985 (or one video and one audio track anyway). It's interesting to see how people imagined the future of computing would turn out back then. In the "Low-end computers" video, Jack Tramiel predicts that the Atari 520ST would be a major business machine; way to go Jack! However, some random Commodore bod suggests that computer graphics are going to be a major area of development (he's discussing the secret Amiga project), and insists that eventually people will shop from home on their computers via some sort of telecommunications system. Commodore 20 years ahead of everyone else again, and it still didn't do them any good.

It's also nice to see a programme about computing in which Microsoft doesn't get a mention at all. When discussing operating systems, the presenter talks about the three major low-end OSes of the time - "Two from Apple, and one from IBM". No Windows at that point, and I suppose no-one would be so foolish as to suggest that MS-DOS was an operating system.

Finally, from the British perspective, it's odd to see Tramiel honoured as the driving force behind home computing - Uncle Clive doesn't get a look in.

EDIT:

Just watched a few more. The hosts' jaws drop every time the Video Toaster gets demonstrated. It's a pity this wasn't around for the Commodore-vs-Atari episode - imagine trying to follow up the Video Toaster with GEM and MIDI.

Amiga1992 · 02 July 2004, 19:00

Ehehehe, I watched this show a damn lot! We had it on one of our cable channels, can't remember which one, but I religiously looked at it expecting to find some non-PC related content, which I used to. But I got it in its late years, so non-PC stuff was not as common. I did see some mad Amiga stuff in it then, though!

03 July 2004, 01:43

I watched three episodes, one is still downloading. One thing I don't like is, the guest tries to explain things in technical aspect but guy always asks questions about quantity like, "so how many animations can it hold", "how much music can you record" like the computer is a video recorder.

Unknown_K · 03 July 2004, 07:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burseg

I watched three episodes, one is still downloading. One thing I don't like is, the guest tries to explain things in technical aspect but guy always asks questions about quantity like, "so how many animations can it hold", "how much music can you record" like the computer is a video recorder.

Well back then there were alot of snazzy demos of software that needed lots of HD space and memory to work, and memory and HD's were expensive as hell back then. The first thing I think about when I see a product demo even today is what does this thing need to run, and how much will it cost me.

hype · 11 July 2004, 23:23

damn seems to be down

23 March 2006, 13:45

I have all of the amiga one watch them dayily if I can

Unknown_K · 23 March 2006, 17:25

I liked the video toaster video, don't think they ever did one showing how the toaster/flyer combination worked (that would be more interesting to me).

There were some cool Mac related videos on Computer chronicles if you ever got into 68K Macs and associated software.

01 July 2004, 23:52	#3
ant512 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: California Posts: 965	Aiee... Ever wondered where the nerd stereotype came from? It's this programme. I downloaded two videos from 1985 (or one video and one audio track anyway). It's interesting to see how people imagined the future of computing would turn out back then. In the "Low-end computers" video, Jack Tramiel predicts that the Atari 520ST would be a major business machine; way to go Jack! However, some random Commodore bod suggests that computer graphics are going to be a major area of development (he's discussing the secret Amiga project), and insists that eventually people will shop from home on their computers via some sort of telecommunications system. Commodore 20 years ahead of everyone else again, and it still didn't do them any good. It's also nice to see a programme about computing in which Microsoft doesn't get a mention at all. When discussing operating systems, the presenter talks about the three major low-end OSes of the time - "Two from Apple, and one from IBM". No Windows at that point, and I suppose no-one would be so foolish as to suggest that MS-DOS was an operating system. Finally, from the British perspective, it's odd to see Tramiel honoured as the driving force behind home computing - Uncle Clive doesn't get a look in. EDIT: Just watched a few more. The hosts' jaws drop every time the Video Toaster gets demonstrated. It's a pity this wasn't around for the Commodore-vs-Atari episode - imagine trying to follow up the Video Toaster with GEM and MIDI. Last edited by ant512; 02 July 2004 at 14:27.

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01 July 2004, 17:11	#2
oldpx Posts: n/a	I didn't know about that address but I downloaded some from a ftp http://www.total-emu.org/forum/showt...ght=chronicles

02 July 2004, 19:00	#4
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Ehehehe, I watched this show a damn lot! We had it on one of our cable channels, can't remember which one, but I religiously looked at it expecting to find some non-PC related content, which I used to. But I got it in its late years, so non-PC stuff was not as common. I did see some mad Amiga stuff in it then, though!

03 July 2004, 01:43	#5
oldpx Posts: n/a	I watched three episodes, one is still downloading. One thing I don't like is, the guest tries to explain things in technical aspect but guy always asks questions about quantity like, "so how many animations can it hold", "how much music can you record" like the computer is a video recorder.

11 July 2004, 23:23	#7
hype Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Finland Age: 48 Posts: 31	damn seems to be down

23 March 2006, 13:45	#8
tom_a_sparks Posts: n/a	I have all of the amiga one watch them dayily if I can

23 March 2006, 17:25	#9
Unknown_K Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ohio/USA Age: 55 Posts: 1,380	I liked the video toaster video, don't think they ever did one showing how the toaster/flyer combination worked (that would be more interesting to me). There were some cool Mac related videos on Computer chronicles if you ever got into 68K Macs and associated software.

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