The future of video games....circa 1983 ?

[tomsk]

I like these sort of things....kind of Tommorows World type predictions from early magazines...wondered how old it was ? Some of the predictions aren't too bad actually, but some of them just make me smile.

http://www.myextralife.com/wp-content/u ... book19.jpg

[Commie_User]

1983 it was.

No, hyperlink, it was 1983: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Beginners-Com ... 8107305/bd

The Commodore 64 came next-to-last in the review guide, without even a picture. First in line was the ZX81.




That got me looking through my old Usbourne books. What about this from Practical Things To Do With A Microcomputer:

You had to save up for a cassette recorder in those days.

Practical.JPG (240.09 KiB) Viewed 10537 times

download/file.php?id=634

Robot arms were pretty far out in 1983, plus people had to be told what interfaces were for. What would they have made of streaming movies, Terrabyte hard drives or entire recording studios working in a palmtop? What would they have made of their expensive, pixellated plastic boxes as retro-chic curios?

[Commie_User]

The book's for sale: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Beginners-Com ... 1273wt_989




You may or may not want it.

[Commie_User]

Still, not just early computers had their turkeys.

Mind, the Coleco Adam was an excellent idea in itself. An all-in-one office suite in ROM, boasting standard daisywheel printer, you could have some spectacular results, especially if your existing Colecovision was used inside the cheaper upgrade expansion system.

It was just too expensive and wiped all your tapes, that's all.

http://www.cracked.com/article/120_the- ... ever-made/

[AndyUK]

Reading the article on cracked just shows the main difference between the UK and America during the 80's as far as the 'home computer' went. The Timex 1000 or as we liked to call it "That piece of sh** just wobbled it RampaK what again??!!' ZX81 was a huge stepping stone for the UK home computer market and opened up the doors for a healthy decade of innovation and brilliant electronic design. It's a different beast and just chatting to people since I've moved over here from the UK the fondness for the , soul?, of the machine ( not JUST the sinclairs or Amstrads or Electrons ) never really shines through in conversation. How can seeing 3D monster Maze fire up for the first time NOT be an amazing experience. It was, I can assure you. The school bought a single zx81, and we all gathered to see it in all of it's plasticky splendor. "so, er.. what DOES it do again?"

So while thinking about an 'ology from BT, buying a CB radio at Rumbalows, and paying over 40 pounds for a walkman at dixons. dropping 90quid on a zx81 .. Better than the alternative?

I think like many things, It's a time and place deal.. Right time right place.

[Commie_User]

Stepping stone time indeed. The ZX81 was computing cut down for entry level - but there is such a thing as being too cut down. And then came the proper Sinclair ZX Spectrum.


I think the problem with the ZX81 was that it couldn't satisfy current needs, when everyone else wondered if the better machines could survive 'til tomorrow. The Spectrum managed to build and retail cheaply as well as last for years.


And on top of that, America had the better economy. Even purchasers of the cheaper computers could buy something decent with a bit more affordable money.

[Commie_User]

And for the 'soul', I wonder how today's 'middling' period of CGI would have grabbed them: http://www.cracked.com/article_18867_5- ... ey_p2.html

[Commie_User]

Very possibly way past the point anyone else stopped reading but if you want the future of computers, look at this:

http://www.cracked.com/article/18357_5- ... de-out_p2/


Eggheads have found a way to COPY brain signals to a hard drive. This follows on from what I read in the '80s about people transferring pictures from their mind to a fuzzy VHS picture. I think I saw that in a St. Michael book called Mysteries of The Unexplained, but the computer universe could increase its scope dramatically. If it ever works.

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/09/22/brain-movies/



Imagine a refined system taking some memories, manipulating them and putting them to DVD. And imagine a later system, which could put things back in, falling in the hands of shadies, either criminal or from the government.

Windows Toast 2050 could be very scary indeed!


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This ain't good either: http://www.cracked.com/article/150_5-wa ... -monitored

http://www.cracked.com/article_18994_6- ... store.html

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The six most retarded game consoles: http://www.cracked.com/article_16824_th ... eased.html

5 things to know about fixing your computer: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-things-yo ... r-computer

Un-PC video games: http://www.cracked.com/article_16885_th ... ments.html