Reflections on the Home Computer Golden Age

[trinsic]

Hello everyone. In 2017 I had a Cerebral Hemorrhage. I recovered pretty well but lost some of my childhood memories. Recently, my memories of my computer history started to return. I thought I should preserve what I remember for the next generation, so I wrote an article about my experiences as a kid. I'm shopping the article around to get some constructive feedback on how it's comes across to the retro community.

I have been out of the scene for a while, ever since Commodore started making large mistakes in their business objectives. My last Amiga was the 2000, and then I switched to PC and never went back. Recently, I have been thinking about how the Amiga has impacted the world of technology.

I'm hoping someday to write more about the Retro Gaming community to keep it alive as I feel we need to preserve this past.

If you are interested in reading a 3 part article from a creative artist perspective, please let me know what you think. Thank you.

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by trinsic

My last Amiga was the 2000, and then I switched to PC and never went back.

What equipment did you have in your A2000?

When did you switch to the PC?

[trinsic]

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

What equipment did you have in your A2000?

When did you switch to the PC?

I dont quite remember if I had any expansion cards, if that is what you mean. I did a memory upgrade to it.


I think it was in the 1990's maybe late 90'ies?

[fxgogo]

I would love to hear more about your usage of Caligari. Not many people talk about that one.

[ImmortalA1000]

What I remember of the years 1980 to 1990 is just how much constant revolutionary advancement there was in many aspects. If you owned 'cutting edge' home computers all throughout the 1980s like me then that is probably what you would miss the most.

The A500/2000 were not exactly revolutionary so I always lump them in with the 1985 A1000, the Acorn Archimedes is a step above in the technological advancement after the A1000 but I wouldn't say Arnold (later renamed as RISC OS) was a better OS so I would personally say that's when things started to slow down in the home/family computer options department. The NEXT machines had one hell of an OS upgrade but they were neither affordable or even output colour in their first incarnation so that's a bit of a grey area. Going from VIC-20 to Amiga 1000 in 7 years was quite a journey for me.

Consoles continued the revolutionary improvement generation to generation until MS and Sony started selling PCs in disguise from the start of the last PS4/Xbox One etc console generation onward.

Perhaps compatibility is the reason, it's the reason why it took PC standard to exceed Amiga 1000 so long. The multimedia rich OS and multiplex a DAC type solution of Amiga lives on in every PC and smartphone today. Without the IFF standard that came with Amiga's OS it wouldn't have been revolutionary. Having a standard from day one for all multimedia things like animation, images, sound etc was the icing on the cake and why the launch of the Amiga 1000 was the last time a 100% superior solution in a single package was an option to purchase. If you could afford an A1000 and didn't buy one then the issue was not technical sophistication IMO.

[Megalomaniac]

I'd struggle to think of the A1000 as a 'home' computer in the traditional sense because it cost so much, even the PC Jr and Tandy 1000 which to me were outside 'home' price range cost noticeably less. Even then, the A500 in 1987 was amazing hardware that trounced far more expensive PCs and Macs in most areas. If the Archimedes had taken off maybe we'd've considered that as the 'last of its kind' instead though. Personally I think its a shame PCs and consoles squeezed out the dedicated home computer concept, but nowadays you can buy good gaming-ready home PCs for less (baring inflation in mind) than an A500 cost, so perhaps it is ultimately progress

[A500]

Some feedback:

- an interesting read for sure, and I like the additional links you provide!
- Windows 1.0 was released in 1985, the same year the Amiga 1000 and Workbench 1.0 were released. The Apple Lisa had a GUI in 1983. However, Workbench 1.2 could still arguably be called the first GUI that came with a computer that a regular family could afford, the A500. And frankly, the early versions of Windows were not much more than a small extension of MS-DOS. Can't say how Lisa compared to Workbench as I have zero knowledge on it.

[ImmortalA1000]

Originally Posted by A500

Some feedback:

- an interesting read for sure, and I like the additional links you provide!
- Windows 1.0 was released in 1985, the same year the Amiga 1000 and Workbench 1.0 were released. The Apple Lisa had a GUI in 1983. However, Workbench 1.2 could still arguably be called the first GUI that came with a computer that a regular family could afford, the A500. And frankly, the early versions of Windows were not much more than a small extension of MS-DOS. Can't say how Lisa compared to Workbench as I have zero knowledge on it.

1986 520STM is the first GUI based (and ROM based) OS on a home computer. Windows 1.0 is the most horrible OS you could pick in 85, GEM and Mac OS are sturdy enough but Kickstart would find no equal in a multitasking GUI based OS at any point in the 80s unless you start talking about UNIX Workstations costing 500% the price of an A1000. Kickstart 1.0 is not just multitasking, it is the most efficient multitasking kernal on anything below a science lab's UNIX Workstation, that is what made the A1000 so revolutionary. I used UNIX all the time in 1988, used DOS, Windows 1.0 and Windows 286, GEM (PC and ST) and Kickstart is special, it's more than just the fact it multitasks, it does it better than any other machine with a four figure RRP. Neither could any 286 do Lotus II or Beast 1 or Lionheart in any possible way except static screenshot JPEGs loaded into a slideshow

If you class the Sinclair QL a home computer that is the first multitasking OS in the home but not a GUI based OS built in, although there was a GUI layer as a third party option.

There is a reason why IBM were so desperate to gain access to Commodore's Kickstart source code.....so they could write OS/2 2.0

[A500]

Originally Posted by ImmortalA1000

1986 520STM is the first GUI based (and ROM based) OS on a home computer.

If you class the Sinclair QL a home computer that is the first multitasking OS in the home but not a GUI based OS built in, although there was a GUI layer as a third party option.

There is a reason why IBM were so desperate to gain access to Commodore's Kickstart source code.....so they could write OS/2 2.0

Thanks for the details, didn't know that the QL had a GUI option - and I completely forgot about the ST!

[Megalomaniac]

Easy to forget the QL, perhaps it fits alongside the TV80 and C5 as a Sinclair idea that was ahead of its time because the technology just wasn't there to do them at a commercially-viable quality and price? Even then, if they'd delayed it from January 1984 by six months to iron out the bugs and perhaps improve the video hardware, who knows what it might have achieved?

On a wider level, the failed systems can be as interesting to look at as the successful ones - Enterprise, Tatung Einstein, Exidy Sorceror, SAM Coupé etc

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

I'd struggle to think of the A1000 as a 'home' computer in the traditional sense because it cost so much, even the PC Jr and Tandy 1000 which to me were outside 'home' price range cost noticeably less.

According to Wikipedia the PC Jr cost US$1,269 on launch in 1984, with 128k RAM, no monitor and no disk drive. The Amiga 1000 cost US$1,285 with 256kB RAM and an 880k 3.5" floppy drive. So that's basically the same price for a lot more.

I bought an A1000 with 256k in 1987. RAM was a bit limiting but overall it was way better than a PCJr. I know because soon after that I got an IBM JX, which was basically a PC Jr in a smaller case with 3.5" 720k Floppy drive.

I first learned about the Amiga from the article in Byte Magazine. It ticked all the boxes for what I wanted in a home computer, eg. 8 bit parallel port, RS3232 serial, RGB and composite, high capacity floppy drive, powerful CPU, graphics and sound that were a big step up on any 8 bit machine. I also got a copy of the Hardware Reference Manual that explained how the chipset worked. After reading that I had to have one.

Yes, it was expensive, but so was everything back then. In New Zealand the C64 was about NZ$800 and the disk drive was a similar price. If you wanted RS232 or a parallel printer port you had to spend a few hundred more. And the C64, like all the others, had annoying limitations.

In 1985 I bought an Amstrad CPC664 because the Amiga wasn't available here then and it was a good upgrade from my ZX Spectrum. But with the CPU running at an effective 3MHz and no hardware scrolling or sprites etc. its limitations soon became apparent. In some ways it was better than a C64, ZX Spectrum or even a PC, but in other ways it was worse.

That seemed to be the way with all the 8 machines - you never had quite enough to do what you wanted and had to compromise. Not so with the Amiga. It was so powerful that I am still learning how to get the best out of it today!

Even then, the A500 in 1987 was amazing hardware that trounced far more expensive PCs and Macs in most areas.

Indeed. In 1987 VGA and Adlib had just come out for the PC, so with a fast 286 or 386 machine you could theoretically match the Amiga's graphics and sound, but at a much higher price. And since most people had less powerful PCs games targeted them instead.

If the Archimedes had taken off maybe we'd've considered that as the 'last of its kind' instead though.

I think not. I have an Archimedes A3000 with hard drive and extra RAM, and it's currently sitting in the cupboard while I decide whether it's worth spending any more time on. I found it a frustrating machine to use.

Personally I think its a shame PCs and consoles squeezed out the dedicated home computer concept, but nowadays you can buy good gaming-ready home PCs for less (baring inflation in mind) than an A500 cost, so perhaps it is ultimately progress

Unfortunately it had to happen. The market was maturing and people with no technical interest in computers were getting them. Traditional home computers were for people who wanted to learn and understand - or at least appreciate - the technology. To me that was always the most interesting part. Gaming consoles and modern PCs took all the fun out of it. They are just appliances, as exciting as a dishwasher.

But we can't complain. Those old home computers have lasted much longer than expected, and are even more fun to play with today.

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

Easy to forget the QL... if they'd delayed it from January 1984 by six months to iron out the bugs and perhaps improve the video hardware, who knows what it might have achieved?

Not much. Even Sir Clive himself admitted that the 68008 wasn't much better than an 8 bit CPU. It has a lot of other flaws too, such as the crappy keyboard and horrible microdrives, and the graphics were in some ways worse than the ZX Spectrum.

On a wider level, the failed systems can be as interesting to look at as the successful ones - Enterprise, Tatung Einstein, Exidy Sorceror, SAM Coupé etc

They are all interesting, even the 'failed' ones. The worst are sometime the best because there are more things you can do to make them better!

[A500]

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

But we can't complain. Those old home computers have lasted much longer than expected, and are even more fun to play with today.

Well said!

[ImmortalA1000]

Originally Posted by A500

Thanks for the details, didn't know that the QL had a GUI option - and I completely forgot about the ST!

I only saw a youtube video about it a couple of weeks ago, it surprised me too. I didn't even know the QL multitasked until somebody told me this century either. Such an obscure machine.

What was great about the ST from around September 1985 onward was the entire OS was in ROM so if you booted up the machine with a blank disk in the drive the desktop pops up in seconds, that's C64 levels of immediacy for usability from power on. The Archimedes A3010 machine I have also does this but I am not sure about those original 1987 Archimedes models.

[trinsic]

Originally Posted by fxgogo

I would love to hear more about your usage of Caligari. Not many people talk about that one.

Sorry, Its been awhile. The best I can remember is that it was the first 3d application I used after I read about 3d In some magazine at the time.


I remember it being expensive, as I had to use quite a bit of my inheritance money to purchase it. I describe as best I can, what it was like, in my article. Everything was cutting edge at the time, so everything I was experiencing felt new. Designing 3d objects like sculpting on the computer felt revolutionary to me as I always hated trying to draw 3d perspectives on 2d surfaces.

[trinsic]

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

Unfortunately it had to happen. The market was maturing and people with no technical interest in computers were getting them. Traditional home computers were for people who wanted to learn and understand - or at least appreciate - the technology. To me that was always the most interesting part. Gaming consoles and modern PCs took all the fun out of it. They are just appliances, as exciting as a dishwasher.

But we can't complain. Those old home computers have lasted much longer than expected, and are even more fun to play with today.

Yes that is what I remember as well. I think it started with the software developers trying to move into markets that were less about learning and more about selling products. Devs were starting to get really frustrated that the market wasn't advancing fast enough. And Commodore was way behind at this point as software developers could wait for them to get there act together.


Part of me feels like we lost that sense of wonder home computing brought at that time, but the other part of me is also glad that we have come as far as we have.



I remember being really sad that this platform didn't outlive the times, I often wonder how evolved technology would be if the technology behind the Amiga kept pace with the changing market.

[trinsic]

Originally Posted by A500

Some feedback:

- an interesting read for sure, and I like the additional links you provide!
- Windows 1.0 was released in 1985, the same year the Amiga 1000 and Workbench 1.0 were released. The Apple Lisa had a GUI in 1983. However, Workbench 1.2 could still arguably be called the first GUI that came with a computer that a regular family could afford, the A500. And frankly, the early versions of Windows were not much more than a small extension of MS-DOS. Can't say how Lisa compared to Workbench as I have zero knowledge on it.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm hoping to educate the next generation about the pitfalls of where we are heading in the SAAS department. I hope the next generation can see how bad it is with Windows 11 turning itself into a service originated operating system that is becoming less and less under the control of the user, and more controlled by the developers.


I switched to Linux when Windows 11 came out. Wrote on article on that as well.

Yeah I remember the earlier version of Windows we're like an extension of MS-DOS it was a crying shame that Microsoft ended up dominating the industry as they ended up doing a lot of things backward IMHO. But they are learning I guess.

[tommywiz]

I suppose what I remember most was the friendships I made in those early Amiga years.
The excitement of what our machines would do. The possibilities. News of all the new gear that was coming out. Back then we pretty much just had publications and conventions to get word of things.
I still remember David, Russell, Mike, Vince, Steve, Marcus, and Jimmy.
Our unofficial meetings on Friday nights at Taco Villa.
About every three months we would have a "disk exchange" session at Marks dads print shop.
Everyone would bring their gear and loads of floppy's. The professional print shop gear made short work of documentation.
Dont know where any of them are today.

I had an Amiga 2000 and hopes of buying some of those cool expansion cards!
Then sticker shock arrived.

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by trinsic

Yes that is what I remember as well. I think it started with the software developers trying to move into markets that were less about learning and more about selling products. Devs were starting to get really frustrated that the market wasn't advancing fast enough. And Commodore was way behind at this point as software developers could wait for them to get there act together.

I don't know when this time is when you say devs were 'starting to get really frustrated that the market wasn't advancing fast enough', but I found the opposite. By the time I got familiar with a platform the market had moved on and I had to start all over again. When I saw the Amiga I decided here was a computer I could settle down with and not worry about the market passing me by. 38 years later I am still developing stuff on it and the platform is still surprisingly relevant. My only regret is taking a hiatus for 20 years because I thought the Amiga was dead.

As you say, the 'golden age' of home computing was more about learning than selling. All the 8 bit machines came with BASIC as the OS because learning how to program them was a major part of the appeal. The idea that anybody could develop the skills to write thier own arcade game or application on a 'toy' computer was very appealing. It shared that quality with other hobbies of the day, which subsequently also lost popularity in a world of consumerism.

However it's interesting to note that such hobbies are making a comeback, with electronics products oriented towards the hobby market. Most it is coming out of China, where the people there are also learning about electronics and computing like we did 40 years ago - and they are making products for that market long after the West decided to just treat us as dumb consumers.

For example, Adafruit was started by a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who began selling simple electronic kits of her own design from her website in 2005. These generated so much interest that major electronic suppliers such as Digikey, Mouser and Farnell are now stocking Adafruit products.

The Arduino, also launched in 2005, is a microcontroller board programmed in C with a simplified IDE. It was designed to make it easier for non-engineers to develop cheap hobby electronic projects. Before long it became so popular that even experienced engineers now use it. The Raspberry Pi was another effort to do the same thing for SoC (System on Chip) designs.

The traditional home computer market died when PCs became so powerful that they could do anything 'effortlessly', but became inaccessible to hobbyists due to their complexity and emphasis on commercial products. But the demand for a hobbyist computer is still there. Now could actually be the right time to re-release the classic home computer concept to an audience who has never experienced it.

[Megalomaniac]

Once people were using PCs at work, and had a need to use the same software at home, and employers started encouraging people to do so, PCs were likely to overtake traditional 'home computers', it happened in America before most of the world. My impression is that America didn't get the 'buying-a-home-computer-to-learn-computing' bug the way Europe did, which is perhaps why Sinclair systems didn't travel that well.

I think the continuity aspect is overstatated, because going from a 1985 DOS EGA 286 with memory managers and boot disks to a 1995 Win95 SVGA internet-ready Pentium with DirectX was nearly as big a jump in concept and usage style as going from Spectrum or C64 to Amiga or ST, and not that much bigger than A500 from floppies to A4000 with a big hard drive.