but I could write programs and run them on these!!!!
Vintage Computer Advertisements from the late 1970s
by Greg Shultz | April 8, 2011 7:32am PDT | Image 1 of 26
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On a recent attic cleaning expedition, I encountered a box of Scientific American magazines from the late 70s. Each magazine is full of computer advertisements that provide an interesting peek back at the beginning of the computing industry. In this gallery, I will show you what I found.
Images compiled by Greg Shultz for TechRepublic
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Back then from Radio Shack: "It doesn't do your thinking for you - it helps you learn to think"
Compared to today from Apple: "We'll tell you what to think, how to hold it, and in what ways you can and can't use it"
*sigh*
Compared to today from Apple: "We'll tell you what to think, how to hold it, and in what ways you can and can't use it"
*sigh*
@SonofaSailor
Apple also wants to dictate to us that high moral values are no longer acceptable and tell us who we should support politically.
Apple also wants to dictate to us that high moral values are no longer acceptable and tell us who we should support politically.
@DaveDean :
WTF are you talking about??
WTF are you talking about??
@DaveDean
Troll 2.0
Troll 2.0
@SonofaSailor ... I don't think you could get a PR Man to even come close to such truth in advertising today! I can just see the arguements ...
Thank you from a guy whose first computer was an IMSAI and had to write in assembly language a routine to link CP/M to a much hacked IBM selectric typewriter and an 8" floppy drive...AND IT WORKED!
I remember some of those ads.
I keep an old 5" floppy drive with a few floppies for when someone occasionally asks why were those called floppies?
I keep an old 5" floppy drive with a few floppies for when someone occasionally asks why were those called floppies?
Wow, awesome collection of articles. I still have a collage of disks that range from the 8" to the newest blueray. 
It's amazing hearing the new kids thru the shop say, "Whoa, they made disks THAT big? And it's onyl 512 bytes?!"
It's amazing hearing the new kids thru the shop say, "Whoa, they made disks THAT big? And it's onyl 512 bytes?!" 
...Apple's marketing brilliance back then. Say what you want but Apple knows how to get people excited about it's products!
What....the Commodore Vic-20 and Commodore 64 weren't good enough to include?
At least you mentioned the PET.....
At least you mentioned the PET.....
@EricTDeem Vic-20
Wrong decade. Vic-20 came out in 1980 and c-64 was after that.
Wrong decade. Vic-20 came out in 1980 and c-64 was after that.
Slightly off topic - My 1st computer was a kit (4KB memory, Z80 based, audio cassette I/O) in 1972. Programmed in machine language. I concluded you could never make a living programming these machines. What a DUMMY!
Memories indeed, from 1975 I worked my way through Radio Shacks TRS-80 Model's I, II,III, and IV. To think of the money I paid...!!! I also learned basic programming and wrote an accounting program for my business. We've come a long ways for sure.
How about that ad that mentioned it took a DEC Model 10 7.1 days to perform a bubble sort on 100,000 items. Wow. Optimization definitely paid off back then. Spent quite a bit of time on a TRS-80 and then the Apple II in my formative years.
My first was a late 70s North Star Horizon (Z80) with not one but TWO floppy drives! Monitor was a Heathkit H19. Both are still in my basement and probably still functional.
John Hughes
John Hughes
@WxDude
Well, my first (actually-no it was 3rd or 4th) was an IBM:
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/images/2423PH2040.jpg
Bah! You kiddies and your toys!
Well, my first (actually-no it was 3rd or 4th) was an IBM:
http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/mainframe/images/2423PH2040.jpg
Bah! You kiddies and your toys!
Back in the 70's, forget exactly when, my "claim to fame that year was burning a PROM to get the IMSI to boot up, bs sitting in front of the switches going code, step, code, step, ... GO!. The next year I put our Inventory System on computer for faster updates and accuracy. Forget the number of manhours; two of us for several months though, in addition to our regular task assignments.
THEN the card punchers complained they couldn't keep up with the influx of cards to punch! lol! I think I even built my on Heathkit H89 computer in that timeframe, not sure.
Memories, mammories, ...
THEN the card punchers complained they couldn't keep up with the influx of cards to punch! lol! I think I even built my on Heathkit H89 computer in that timeframe, not sure.
Memories, mammories, ...
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