Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer
Written by: Gordon Laing
Editorial Reviews:
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.
If you like "Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer, you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: It is a walk down memory lane
Comment: This book is a walk down memory lane. My first computer was a TI-99/4A computer. I still have it plus some other older computers. It has great information; especially, for those wanting ideas for a mini-itx project (a 'retro' pc).
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Awesome nostalgia trip
Comment: All the computers I dreamed of owning back in the 1980s when I was in school.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Digital Retro
Comment: For a microcomputer collector this a a great reference book that you just have to read from cover to cover. Great colour photos compliment the text. Covers most of the landmark machines of the home computer boom of the early 80's. If anything I'd love to see more pages so that more machines get covered.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must have for the curious or nostalgic
Comment: Some people are quick to point out some of the facts & tidbits this book may hove not fully verified but if you simply want a good short read about a certain infamous computer and want lush high quality, full page pictures of that computer, this is the book for you. I especially like the fact that the more important computers (ex: Commodore 64) get extended attention in the form of 4 or 5 pages with even more photos, but generally speaking, most computers are a 2 page layout, photo on the right, history on the right.
It's a very light read, the perfect coffee table book for the nerd in you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun!
Comment: A perfect coffee table book. People always thumb through this book before any others on the coffee table.
It's such an interesting book. I thought I knew a lot about old personal computers, but there are so many flops that I missed. It's truly interesting and a beautifully photographed book.
Dewey Decimal Number: 004.16
EAN: 9780782143300
ISBN: 078214330X
Label: Sybex
Manufacturer: Sybex
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: 2004-09-21
Publisher: Sybex
Studio: Sybex
 | Format: Paperback List Price: $29.99 Our Price: $19.79 Your Save: $ 10.20 ( 34% ) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Customer Rating: |
Editorial Reviews:
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.
If you like "Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer, you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: It is a walk down memory lane
Comment: This book is a walk down memory lane. My first computer was a TI-99/4A computer. I still have it plus some other older computers. It has great information; especially, for those wanting ideas for a mini-itx project (a 'retro' pc).
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Awesome nostalgia trip
Comment: All the computers I dreamed of owning back in the 1980s when I was in school.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Digital Retro
Comment: For a microcomputer collector this a a great reference book that you just have to read from cover to cover. Great colour photos compliment the text. Covers most of the landmark machines of the home computer boom of the early 80's. If anything I'd love to see more pages so that more machines get covered.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must have for the curious or nostalgic
Comment: Some people are quick to point out some of the facts & tidbits this book may hove not fully verified but if you simply want a good short read about a certain infamous computer and want lush high quality, full page pictures of that computer, this is the book for you. I especially like the fact that the more important computers (ex: Commodore 64) get extended attention in the form of 4 or 5 pages with even more photos, but generally speaking, most computers are a 2 page layout, photo on the right, history on the right.
It's a very light read, the perfect coffee table book for the nerd in you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun!
Comment: A perfect coffee table book. People always thumb through this book before any others on the coffee table.
It's such an interesting book. I thought I knew a lot about old personal computers, but there are so many flops that I missed. It's truly interesting and a beautifully photographed book.
Technical Details
Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 004.16
EAN: 9780782143300
ISBN: 078214330X
Label: Sybex
Manufacturer: Sybex
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: 2004-09-21
Publisher: Sybex
Studio: Sybex
