Top 150 Collectible Microcomputers

From: Philip.Belben_at_pgen.com <(Philip.Belben_at_pgen.com)>
Date: Mon Jun 21 11:43:43 1999

Getting into work after the weekend, I find that Kai has been compiling a little
list...


> Here's the first draft at a list of the Top 150 Collectible Microcomputers
> (from the U.S.A.). I would have gone for Top 100 but there are just too
> many great machines, and 200 is too many.
>
> It's currently at 133 items. Some related models are combined as one, even
> though they are rather different... other similar models are kept separate.
> This is basically just because I personally feel they rate their own
> separate listing, feel free to disagree.
>
> Please add items! Items on the list should meet the following categories:
>
> 1) Collectible Microcomputer (yes, I know the H-11 is on here as an
> "honorary" micro)
> 3) Sold in the USA
> 4) Available from a manufacturer (not just plans in a magazine)


Why criterion 3? (What was 2, by the way?)

If you want "from the USA" wouldn't it be better to specify designed and/or
manufactured there? To use your analogy from another post, you would define the
top Italian sports cars as designed/built in Italy, not just those sold there.
My view is that the US is so dominant in microcomputers, that your restriction
excludes interesting machines without a significant reduction in the quantity of
entrants...

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Still, I have a few to add:

Tektronix 4051. Not many around. First micro to be designed starting with
graphics and then going on to processor.

(since I like the 4050 series, I might put the 4054A on a list of top
non-micros...)

IBM 6150. This was the RT-PC. IBM's first RISC box; IBM's first Workstation;
and (to make sure it qualifies) it was sold under a variety of names, including
"6150 Microcomputer"

Vectrex. A home computer with vector graphics. May not be a wonderful design,
but funnnnnn concept!

I think someone has already mentioned the Victor (we called it the Sirius, but
that's another matter)

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I also would like to condense the list in places.

Tandy model 4P should be on the same line as model 3/4, especially if you put
all 3 Coco machines on a single line.

Do you need quite that many Apple IIs?

***************************************

After this it's minor quibbles:

You commented elsewhere that the PET 4032/8032 was in as "PET gets a sensible
keyboard and goes for business" or words to that effect. This happened with the
2001-8B (-16B and -32B) and their renumbered equivalents, 3008, 3016, 3032. I'd
put the PET 2001-8 on one line; 2001-B, -N and -K, 3000, 4000 on the next and
8032, 8096, 8296 on a third - the 80 column PETs.

HP85 - how about the 86 or 87? Or the 75? Or even the 71? Why that one and no
other?


Still, it's an interesting list. Keep up the good work!

Philip.
Received on Mon Jun 21 1999 - 11:43:43 BST