Home computers today ?

[chip]

Looking an Amiga diskmag i saw home computer prototype

This made me think about the home computers market

I know, today they don't exist no more

There could be possibility for a return of them ?

[wiz12]

Well the closest modern thing to a home computer would the recent successful release of the ZX Specrum Next. You never know it might even encourage the return of bedroom programmers.

[Daedalus]

That was kinda the aim of the Raspberry Pi - to bring back cheap computers that could be plugged into the TV and tinkered with. That's about the closest you'll get today.

[chip]

For wiz12

Thanks for the info on ZX Spectrum Next .... i knew nothing of that !

[Predseda]

This will not happen anymore.

[chip]

Indeed

[Anubis]

More likely you will have new revolution of embeded computers with humans revolution...

Ol' Home Computer is thing of past that survived this long just thanks to enthusiasts such as us, here, on eab. Even with all those things going on (RPi, fPGA, Spec Next etc.) it looks like whole things is just on last drops of life support... nothing more.

[Hilliard]

It has long since become history. Now that the functions of mobile phones are too powerful, I think they may replace computers in the future.

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by Hilliard

It has long since become history. Now that the functions of mobile phones are too powerful, I think they may replace computers in the future.

Diference is: you can easily consume, but you can not create on mobile.

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by Hilliard

It has long since become history. Now that the functions of mobile phones are too powerful, I think they may replace computers in the future.

Diference is: you can easily consume, but you can hardly create on mobile. And except stupid videos people even do not want to be creative.

[Hilliard]

Originally Posted by Predseda

Diference is: you can easily consume, but you can hardly create on mobile. And except stupid videos people even do not want to be creative.

Maybe there will be new improvements in the future, look forward to it.

[britelite]

Originally Posted by Predseda

And except stupid videos people even do not want to be creative.

People are being creative, but not necessarily in the ways that you want them to be

[Glen M]

Considering we have no less than 3 computers in this house I think the home computer is alive and well.

The platform has moved on and its the tower PC but its still a home computer.

Back in the day the wedge home computer was what, £300? You can easily build an entry level PC for £300 and connect it over HDMI to your TV. Plus these days £300 ain't what it was in the 80/90s so its even more accessible.

People are creative in different ways. My 13 year old is now showing interest in high level programming, there is no need for him to learn 68k assembly (or any for that matter) but going into GCSE he is looking towards the computer subjects that will introduce him to this. He currently spends his free time building roblox maps. I get the feeling he'll either go programming or graphic art but I am confident that him owning a computer is the primary reason he has so much interest now in how the games go together. Yes in reality there is a lot more to it than gaming but when we all were that age we all wanted to be game developers.

Also worth noting that several of his class mates have computers and I built 2 machines last Christmas for other kids.

[Foebane]

I recently saw this Digital Foundry video on YouTube about 3D cards on PC, and at 1:20 in, listen to how they described home computers:

[ Show youtube player ]

As if the Amiga didn't count as a "viable" standard for computing. Seems that only Apple and IBM counted.

[chip]

Who cares

All of us are here to proof how much Amiga counted

[britelite]

Originally Posted by Foebane

IAs if the Amiga didn't count as a "viable" standard for computing.

That's not what they said though.

[dreadnought]

Originally Posted by Glen M

Considering we have no less than 3 computers in this house I think the home computer is alive and well.

The platform has moved on and its the tower PC but its still a home computer.

That's pretty much it. Problem* with the humble PC is that it lacks solid identity. And some people like this angle which is partially explaining succes of Macs or "brands" such as Alienware.

*not for me

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by britelite

That's not what they said though.

"Personal computers had a niche carved out, but standards weren't fully established." That's what they said. From that, I read that many people would want the various computer companies who did their own thing to fail and die off until only "big" established companies were left, mainly Apple and IBM. And establish themselves they did, so that many young startups who tried something different always failed miserably. I grew up in the UK home computer market of the 1980s, and there was always something unique going on with some new company and model coming out every few years. Now it's just a few giant companies, and there's not much healthy competition anymore.

That's the point I'm trying to make.

[spiff]

Originally Posted by Foebane

there was always something unique going on with some new company and model coming out every few years. Now it's just a few giant companies, and there's not much healthy competition anymore.

That's the point I'm trying to make.

I agree that the days when 2 guys in a basement could design a chipset that could compete with Atari of the 80s are gone.

But home computer as amiga; Graphics design, music composing and development is more alive than ever before.

• The game create/modding scene, especially through the likes of Minecaft introduces all of the above and is cheaply accessible to more kids than ever before.
• Visual studio, fully functional with debugger is free to use, GCC and build environments are more mature than ever
• Reaper a $40 DAW is more feature complete than a studio built 1997
• Digital photography and youtube teaches a whole generation video and marketing fundamentals on a startup cost of ~ $500 (or less with a phone)

[d4rk3lf]

Originally Posted by britelite

People are being creative, but not necessarily in the ways that you want them to be