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Digital Retro

192 full color pages, 350 pictures, english language


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The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer

At first, please let me comment why I didn't add this book to my shop in 2004 when it was released: I didn't know about it. I just found it by accident now when I clicked at the "about us" link of cameralabs.com, a (great) digicam review website. The editor of this website mentions a book he wrote about classic computers - his name is Gordon Laing and here's the book:

Compatibility? Forget it! Each of these computers was its own machine and had no intention of talking to anything else. Much like their owners in fact, who passionately defended their machines with a belief verging on the religious. Digital Retro is a coffee table book which tells the story behind 44 classic computers of the Seventies and Eighties. This was a unique period in the history of computing when a bewildering array of machines battled for supremacy in a melting pot which would shape the industry. It was a time when the smallest of operations could launch a computer to compete with the largest corporations. But by the end of the Eighties, virtually every single one had become extinct.

Digital Retro reveals the inspiration behind each machine, it's goals, specifications and what ultimately went wrong. Each and every model was tracked down from museums and private collections to be lovingly photographed. Where possible the original designers and engineers of each system were interviewed to ensure technical and historic accuracy.

For each machine displayed there's a "What happened next" and "Did you know" text, telling about the connections between the machines and some bizarre details.

     

Digital Retro is an essential read for anyone who owned a home computer in the 80s. If the mere mention of Sinclair, Commodore, Atari or Acorn brings a big grin or a fond tear to your eye, it's the book for you. Here's a PDF sample of the book.

Models featured

Acorn Archimedes, Acorn Atom, Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC-464, Amstrad PCW 8256, Apple II, Apple Lisa, Apple Macintosh, Atari 400 / 800, Atari 520ST / 1040ST, Atari VCS, BBC Micro Model A / Model B, Colecovision, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga 1000, Commodore PET 2001, Commodore VIC-20, Compaq Portable PC, Dragon 32, GCE Vectrex, Grundy Newbrain, Hewlett Packard HP-85, IBM PC, IBM PC AT, Jupiter ACE, Mattel Aquarius, Mattel Intellivision, MITS Altair 8800, MSX / SonyHitBit, Nascom 1, NeXT Cube, Nintendo Famicom / NES, Oric 1, Osbourne 1, Sega Mark III / Master, Sharp MZ-80K, Sinclair QL, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Sinclair ZX80, Sinclair ZX81, Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80, Tangerine Microtan 65, Tatung Einstein, Texas Instruments TI-99/4(A)

Reviews of Digital Retro

  • The Register "you'll find yourself reading more and more, laughing at the things you'd forgotten, and those you'd never known. There is at least one fact that I thought would never be made public."
  • ZDNet UK "a stunningly addictive book for anyone who ever lusted after the eccentric, engaging and short-lived systems that graced the pages of computer magazines in the 1980s"
  • The Inquirer "A handsomely presented and well written book which explores the history of personal computers and consoles"
  • Slashdot "a perfect way to appreciate the aesthetic appeal (and exuberant variety) of personal computers from the mid '70s to the late '80s"

Comments on Digital Retro

  • "Thanks for the work you have clearly put into the content and presentation of the book. It was a very exciting era, and you have created a record that captures that excitement in a very accessible way" - Steve Furber, Acorn 1981-1990, principal hardware architect of the BBC Micro, Electron and ARM microprocessor. Now Professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Manchester and Fellow of the Royal Society.
  • "This book is a terrific technical museum. I didn't know all the stories about the contemporary machines. He got the story straight on the ones I worked on" - Joe Decuir, Atari 1975-1979, Amiga 1982-1984, system & chip design for Atari 2600, Atari 400/800 & Amiga 1000. Now at MCCI, an officer of the IEEE Seattle Section, a voting member of IEEE 802.15, and a contributor to Wireless USB.

Language: english
Pages: 192 in full color, 350 pictures
Size: 25,5 x 23,5 cm
Author: Gordon Laing


Digital Retro - Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer