Working on drawings of old abandoned technology for another project, I was distracted when Russ dragged his first computer out of the storage room. Honestly, at first I thought it was an old sewing machine. Then I found out it was a prehistoric portable computer called the Osborne.
Can you believe this thing? The bottom of the case unhooks and plugs into the top to make a keyboard. Floppy drives — remember those? And it only cost a mere 2K, but that was the economical version.
Unfortunately, when we plugged it into a nearby outlet (because I wanted to see what came up on that tiny little screen), the thing literally caught on fire and smoke started pouring out of the vent on the top. I was so unnerved by the smoke that I forgot to take a photo of that.
Anyway, something fun to draw, even if it doesn’t work anymore.
wow! that’s really cool! never had one of these, but have fond memories of my word processor….
Ah, such memories you have conjured up! We had these at Oberlin college – a whole room full of them – our 1st computer lab! I also worked as a secretary’s assistant in the Classics/Philosophy department and typed many syllabi etc. on this thing! Also most of my papers! sigh…
Hi Candy — Better than a typewriter, which was all I ever used until I met Russ and he taught me something called dos!
Pam, I used one of those in 1985 while working as a Product Manager for Emerson Electric. Portable computing and spreadsheets, still a staple!
I was wonder who else had one of these. When I asked what he used it for, he said he was developing programs to make kinetic and other interactive sculptures work — such as programs for lights.