LGR - Strangest Computer Designs of the '90s

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  • čas přidán 20. 01. 2016
  • The 1990's weren't just the age of boring beige boxes! There were some truly funky designs and interesting experiments as well. Time to take a look at a bunch of them!
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    ● Music used in order of appearance:
    NFSSE Soundtrack
    "Wandering" by Gunnar Olsen
    • The Need for Speed SE ...
    czcams.com/users/audiolibrary...
  • Hry

Komentáře • 1,5K

  • @SnapshotOfASoul
    @SnapshotOfASoul Před 8 lety +165

    I had that Hot Wheels PC for a few weeks. Then they heard of the recall and returned it. I felt betrayed by this, as a small child, because the replacement computer did not have flame decals.

  • @rexthesheep
    @rexthesheep Před 8 lety +1178

    Look, if you can't run Doom on a smart fridge then what's the point?

    • @MrYaotubo
      @MrYaotubo Před 8 lety +87

      +SheepyTina "Cyberdemon for dinner? Nah ill go with hellknight today."

    • @jruonti
      @jruonti Před 8 lety +77

      +SheepyTina I was just about to kill the cyberdemon but then mom came to get some milk.

    • @bartz0rt928
      @bartz0rt928 Před 8 lety +15

      +SheepyTina If it's a pentium 2, I don't see why you couldn't. You'd probably need to crack it open to get at a peripheral interface for reprogramming, though.

    • @xerzy
      @xerzy Před 8 lety +8

      +SheepyTina A Pentium II with Linux could perfectly run the game, huh.

    • @alexlelel
      @alexlelel Před 8 lety +9

      That would be cool to play Doom.

  • @ConvincingPeople
    @ConvincingPeople Před 8 lety +207

    I honestly think that the Amiga Walker's design is adorable. I would put itty bitty animal ears on it and name it Betty or Torgo.

  • @SendFoodz
    @SendFoodz Před 7 lety +618

    wait did I just hear "$7000 Apple trashcan"? huh..

    • @VuULF
      @VuULF Před 5 lety +21

      The new iPhone or Mac Pro? 🤔

    • @elizataylor1726
      @elizataylor1726 Před 5 lety +7

      The more things change huh?

    • @oscarmacintyre6007
      @oscarmacintyre6007 Před 5 lety +4

      Nah they ment the iPhone X

    • @justingovak3632
      @justingovak3632 Před 5 lety +8

      i remember seeing one of those barbie computers at a place i was working at, and like the vio states it was broken and couldent figre out what was wrong with it.

    • @cool3865
      @cool3865 Před 5 lety +2

      it pretty much was, yes it had a BOSE speaker sound system but it also came with OS7.5, luckly you could upgrade that to OS9 but if anything went wrong with it you couldnt repair it at all. the screen was smaller than the performas and quadras of the time. i still like the computer but if you can find one, be prepared to pay alot of money for it.

  • @DokkaChapman
    @DokkaChapman Před 7 lety +244

    I own one of the most 90's photos ever. Its a shot of my dad in double denim unpacking his brand new 'Gateway 2000' (It came in a box covered in cowprint XD )

    • @internetranger4702
      @internetranger4702 Před 7 lety +8

      link to pic?

    • @hlavco
      @hlavco Před 6 lety +29

      My dad still uses our Gateway 2000 cowprint box for storing Christmas lights in the attic.

    • @boheyo
      @boheyo Před 6 lety +30

      A record store recently closed down here in town and took their sign down revealing the BALLER Gateway 2000 store marquee which had apparently been hidden behind it for the past 15 odd years. It's been proudly hanging there in all its cowprint glory in the busiest part of town confusing busloads of tourists for a good six months now.

    • @guddergo7116
      @guddergo7116 Před 5 lety +6

      No homo, I wanna see

    • @rennegaddefoxxe
      @rennegaddefoxxe Před 5 lety +5

      Steal it @@boheyo !

  • @iamsean92
    @iamsean92 Před 7 lety +58

    wow that internet fridge was really ahead of its time

  • @Figureight
    @Figureight Před 8 lety +389

    That Sega TeraDrive is AWESOME! I want one :D

    • @BiggerbyteNet
      @BiggerbyteNet Před 8 lety +7

      +Figureight omg are you kidding? I was just on a binge of your GTA V videos and now you're here? Hi!! :)

    • @Armageddon-yt3so
      @Armageddon-yt3so Před 8 lety +1

      +Figureight me too. looks pretty cool.

    • @TheRealFobican
      @TheRealFobican Před 6 lety +8

      Dual Boot before it became a thing for one PC as of today.

    • @eshneto
      @eshneto Před 6 lety +4

      Exactly what I though when I saw it.

    • @o.hudson7363
      @o.hudson7363 Před 6 lety

      Lol me to

  • @thetman0068
    @thetman0068 Před 8 lety +362

    HOW DID THE TERADRIVE FAIL?????????!!!!!!???

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +208

      Having a 10Mhz 286 CPU in 1991 didn't help!

    • @SapphireDensetsu
      @SapphireDensetsu Před 8 lety +24

      +tman008 I can't say the Mega Drive itself did much better in Japan...

    • @Domspun
      @Domspun Před 8 lety +21

      +Lazy Game Reviews they did came out with a 486, but I guess it was too late and too expensive, oh well.

    • @GeoNeilUK
      @GeoNeilUK Před 8 lety +8

      +Domspun Didn't Amstrad put a 386 in theirs? And sell it for less than the Teradrive?

    • @Domspun
      @Domspun Před 8 lety

      I only know of the japanese Teradrive. Maybe somebody from the UK can chime in on that.

  • @THEmuteKi
    @THEmuteKi Před 8 lety +358

    Oddware and related subjects are actually one of my favorite LGR segments, so, yes. More of these please!

  • @Corkoth55
    @Corkoth55 Před 8 lety +172

    people loved using "2000" as a suffix to products especially before the year 2000 even hit.... lol

    • @Sheovion
      @Sheovion Před 5 lety +19

      WINDOWS 2000 *launched in 1999*

    • @chevyfan7930
      @chevyfan7930 Před 4 lety +1

      Omnibot 2000

    • @westbrooke1174
      @westbrooke1174 Před 4 lety +9

      SimCity 2000 was released in 1993

    • @thohangst
      @thohangst Před 4 lety +2

      czcams.com/video/AXhYgprPB9o/video.html Good ol' Flight of the Conchords.

    • @anonUK
      @anonUK Před 4 lety +1

      It was passé as of 1/1/00.

  • @ItsJustMilkISwear
    @ItsJustMilkISwear Před 5 lety +51

    japan was way ahead of the curve releasing their computers in black.

  • @SuperMouseDV
    @SuperMouseDV Před 7 lety +2

    You caught my subscription due to covering the Amiga Walker .. thanks for including the amiga and commodore in your channel they cannot be forgotten ..

  • @fyto2418
    @fyto2418 Před 8 lety +58

    I'd love an internet fridge! Keeping track of the four things in mine has always been a pain.

    • @joonasfi
      @joonasfi Před 4 lety +7

      An Excel spreadsheet could help you with that

    • @k-leb4671
      @k-leb4671 Před rokem

      I only got four things in the fridge and two of them still manage to go off.

  • @funkyfox2041
    @funkyfox2041 Před 8 lety +24

    Packard Bell was _notorious_ for flaky case designs in the 90s--I recall there being a TRIANGLE version of the Corner Computer that barely had enough room to hold a CD-ROM.
    I personally owned a Spectria 144, so named because it had a 14.4 modem inside, which was a big deal in 1995. On the other hand, the case was an all in one in the most ultimate of definitions: the speakers, monitor, and mainboard tray were one giant unit, all connected and powered by one cord. This worked as well as you'd think.
    * Everything was managed by a single power button, so you couldn't shut off the monitor without shutting off the PC too.
    * The speakers were mounted unshielded against the monitor body, causing mad magnetic interference.
    * The mainboard cavity was a low-profile design, using Packard Bell's infamous ISA riser card and allowing only three tightly packed sockets. Longer cards simply didn't fit.
    * The unit shipped with a *deep breath* Aztechnologies Washington 144, a combo sound card (SBPro 16) and 14.4 modem that worked poorly at best. (On the other hand, it had the obscure Panasonic CDMKE controller, which came in handy years later.)
    * The power supply was integrated into the monitor. If it failed, it required sticking your hands into the monitor capacitors to fix (and was a proprietary part, of course).
    * The VGA cable for the monitor was a 4" pigtail that barely reached the VGA socket it was intended for. Said monitor was also 15" and prone to distortion, but it was hard to replace for obvious reasons.
    * The IDE controllers were marked upside down on the mainboard.
    * Worst of all, the mainboard was in a pull-out tray that connected to the power supply via a custom edge connector at the front. This meant that in order to do anything on the board, it had to be completely re-assembled and put back in the case every single time--there was no other way to power it. If that connector broke, the machine was history as the mainboard had no power headers.
    My particular unit, purchased 1995, had a 420M hard disk, 8M of RAM, and a 1M Cirrus Logic video chipset; my parents paid around $1600 for it with a package of mostly educational software from Knowledge Adventure (which notably was modified to not work on a non-PB machine). I'd offer photos and the like but the unit failed spectacularly in 1997--the IDE controller frotzed, and over the course of a week blew out everything else until it posted nothing but garbage and the CMOS crashed.

    • @xnonsuchx
      @xnonsuchx Před 7 lety +3

      I think Packard Bell was notorious for flaky/crappy computers in general...probably why they went out of business.

    • @danielvogel5252
      @danielvogel5252 Před 4 lety +1

      Spectria 200CD here... our first home PC. Kept trucking from 95 until 2000 when the monitor circuits started dying and the colors were all funky. Upgraded to a beastly Cyrix built x86 133 MHz processor and a whopping 32 MB of RAM. Damn thing never would accept the Lite-On 32x CD-ROM drive we bought though... still have the books, keyboard and mouse.

  • @d.l.rittenberry6394
    @d.l.rittenberry6394 Před 6 lety +23

    Anyone remember WebTV? I was just thinking it's funny how things come full circle since I'm watching this video on my living room tv right now.

    • @revenevan11
      @revenevan11 Před 4 lety +1

      I'm hoping that the same thing happens with VR now.

  • @112BALAGE112
    @112BALAGE112 Před 8 lety +44

    The sega terradrive is awesome af. We need one with current technology.

    • @nathanclark2424
      @nathanclark2424 Před 5 lety +3

      The closest I can think of is an edition of the PS2 that came with a SDK for turning it into a Linux computer. And that was when I was 5.

    • @jayesper4390
      @jayesper4390 Před 5 lety +4

      The PS2 and Xbox could have modchips that basically turned 'em into PCs before those were banned. I have no idea what happened with the systems after that (it might have been impossible to sell 'em on eBay).

  • @Deadagent
    @Deadagent Před 8 lety +119

    Man, those Megadrive Compatible PC's sound cool.

    • @JwopDk
      @JwopDk Před 8 lety +11

      +Deadagent Especially since you could develop and test games on the same machine!

    • @openSUSE5
      @openSUSE5 Před 8 lety +1

      +Based King Potato Nowadays, every PC is a Megadrive compatible PC because emulators. And you can develop and test your own ROMs on there if you wish.

    • @JwopDk
      @JwopDk Před 8 lety +1

      openSUSE5 True, but for the time it would have been pretty cool.

    • @satibel
      @satibel Před 8 lety

      +Deadagent origin pc used to make a pc with an xbox360 built into it.(the big O).

    • @Deadagent
      @Deadagent Před 8 lety +2

      manaquri
      Newer consoles aren't as interesting imho as they tend to be stripped down PC's to begin with. The Last consoles to be their own thing are PS3 and WiiU. PS4 and every version of Xbox ever uses the x86 architecture wich is just what all modern PC's use.

  • @cooperhanke
    @cooperhanke Před 8 lety +5

    I remember the Gateway Destination. When I was an 8-year-old and saw it in a computer magazine ad, I thought of how cool it would have been to watch TV on the same computer you played games on. Never thought I'd have more powerful hardware in the form of a phone in my hand.

  • @obsoletegeek
    @obsoletegeek Před 8 lety +30

    The original Fujitsu FM Towns PC (Japan only) was another oddball. It has a graphic equalizer on the front, as well as a vertical CD-ROM drive with translucent door so you can see the disc spinning. Groovy.

  • @PixelCollie
    @PixelCollie Před 8 lety +5

    I love learning about weird technology that existed before I did. Its actually so fascinating, your Oddware and Tech Tales videos are some of my favourites :)

  • @PolarTrance
    @PolarTrance Před 8 lety +12

    I didn't know I wanted this, but now I can't be without it. Dear LGR, please give us more of this.

  • @BrenTenkage
    @BrenTenkage Před 8 lety +174

    MORE STRANGE TECH MORE STRANGE TECH PLEASE!

    • @PAPASTAIN
      @PAPASTAIN Před 8 lety +7

      +Bren Tenkage oddware, IMO, is the most fun bit of looking back at old technology, since it brings light to how technological advancements are actually made (AKA: they're always a crapshoot)
      I can't wait for ten years from now, when people make videos on all those weird-ass tablet forms that cropped up around 2010-2013

    • @GeoNeilUK
      @GeoNeilUK Před 8 lety +3

      +TRASH?????? Or netbooks which seem to be strangely ignored

    • @nastystang113
      @nastystang113 Před 7 lety

      The cheap ones were so bad lol.

  • @HAZARDOUS88
    @HAZARDOUS88 Před 7 lety +25

    That TeraDrive honestly looks so awesome!

  • @EposVox
    @EposVox Před 8 lety +48

    The 20th Century Mac's subwoofer looks just like the new Mac Pro!!

  • @robintst
    @robintst Před 8 lety +6

    Yeah, I remember the PC market in the 90s getting really bizarre once the world wide web began to form and become a new life necessity for the average folk. I don't think my family fit that category though, we were a Commodore household for years before that and I had stuck with my Amiga 1000 even after they went bankrupt.
    We didn't have a Windows/MS-DOS-based PC until 1996. Never had any of these bizarre cases though, it was just your average bland beige tower with Windows 95, a 133 Mhz Pentium CPU, and an ATI VGA Wonder video card. We had it built by a local mom n' pop computer store that we always bought our Commodore machines from.
    Great video, LGR, as always! :)

  • @Darthhelmet86
    @Darthhelmet86 Před 8 lety +13

    Would love to see more of these PCs. Ahead of their time or just flat out mistakes its interesting to see the creative twists and turns that have led us to this current day tech.

  • @Barnacules
    @Barnacules Před 8 lety +13

    I remember the Gateway Destination PC, I wanted one so bad when it came out but the price was ridiculous.

  • @raymondleggs5508
    @raymondleggs5508 Před 5 lety +1

    That gateway dimension also came with a Harman Kardon stereo receiver and speakers :-D perfect gaming station!

  • @Letmeseethattron
    @Letmeseethattron Před 8 lety +20

    This is the sort of stuff I love. Keep it up LGR!

  • @GardevoirEx1
    @GardevoirEx1 Před 8 lety +12

    As a product designer, this video was a pleasure to watch. You know what they say, hindsight is always 20/20, and im sure someone thought it was a good idea at the time, but I wonder whose call it is to revive the fridgeternet device project.

    • @tombates9122
      @tombates9122 Před 8 lety +7

      +Daniel Macías The problem with all of these fridge devices in the past is that they were essentially a gimmick, but a very expensive one. With technology being so inexpensive now, I think they will not become popular due to some big manufacturer incorporating the tech into their top-of-the-range products (as has been done in the past), but by the gradual inclusion of cheap tech incorporated into mass produced budget hardware (likely from China). When people are choosing between a $3000 fridge or a $5000 fridge with a gimmick, they will likely choose the $3000 fridge. However, when the choice is between a $500 fridge and a $550 fridge with a gimmick (such as internet access touchscreen, likely ras-pi platform or similar), a lot of people will spend the extra $50. Just my opinion :)

    • @vgamesx1
      @vgamesx1 Před 8 lety +1

      +tom bates well hey, as someone who likes to cook on occasion $50 extra for a fridge with a built in tablet would be great for looking up recipes, not only that with a notepad always being attached it would make up keep easier too, since you can immediately write down what you need now instead of doing it later and forgetting. (but maybe that's just an issue with me}

    • @TheRetarp
      @TheRetarp Před 8 lety

      +vgamesx1 I bought my fridge specifically because the doors are dry erase boards. Need milk and eggs boom write it on the door!

    • @stigrabbid589
      @stigrabbid589 Před 6 lety

      Daniel Macías You don't need a fancy Fridge, just duct tape a Tablet to your existing Fridge and hook the charger up to it. A roll of duct tape costs less than $5 unless you get fancy stuff, and you can get a cheapo tablet for under $50, go all the way up to one of the Samsung Galaxy Tab or iPad models on the high end, or any tablet in-between the 2 extremes. You can also duct tape a bluetooth keyboard to the door, or even duct tape one of those tablet/laptop hybrids, such as a Microsoft Surface Pro series tablet/laptop.

  • @zackakai5173
    @zackakai5173 Před 5 lety +1

    I'm impressed that anything from 1996 had a DVD drive in it. Pretty cutting edge stuff for the time.

  • @StrobeFlashLite
    @StrobeFlashLite Před 8 lety +186

    Computers made for browsing the Internet? *coughCHROMEBOOKScough*

    • @StrobeFlashLite
      @StrobeFlashLite Před 8 lety +13

      kfcnyancat Did I say Chromebooks are garbage? I just said that companies like Dell predicted internet-focused devices. Plus, stuff like the WebPC were made before things like the cloud were a thing

    • @sinephase
      @sinephase Před 8 lety +7

      +StrobeFlashLite true, and they wouldn't be so bad if they were cheaper, or at least cheaper than laptops that can do the same (and more). Not to mention the $1000+ chrome books I've seen before :O

    • @sinephase
      @sinephase Před 8 lety

      *****
      botnet? LOL what? XD

    • @sinephase
      @sinephase Před 8 lety +3

      *****
      do you know what a botnet is? XD

    • @unholylillim
      @unholylillim Před 8 lety +7

      I fucking despise Chromebooks.

  • @Jimboola
    @Jimboola Před 8 lety +6

    I recall the 'Internet Fridge' caused quite a stir when it was shown on UK programme 'Tomorrows World' - although I'm pretty sure very few were sold. As the name implies the show was a nerds wet dream & actually lasted about 3 decades in a prime time slot.

  • @null2846
    @null2846 Před 8 lety +67

    Man, I want a Sega Teradrive.

    • @Rokios
      @Rokios Před 8 lety +1

      I had the Mega PC it was badass.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +7

      +John “The Justified Ancient” Jenkins I've got the Mega PC myself, it's a very fun machine to mess with!

    • @Lukeno52
      @Lukeno52 Před 8 lety +2

      +Literally an Xbox So do I, it was a great idea even if they only sold a small amount of them.

    • @RightfulFallen
      @RightfulFallen Před 8 lety +3

      +Literally an Xbox We all do, man.

  • @JoeBee9
    @JoeBee9 Před 8 lety

    Your exotic hardware videos are my favourite. Fascinating what hardware manufacturers came up with only for it to fade into obscurity again. I would love a video featuring the Unisys Icon; my elementary school had them at one point but I never saw them again thereafter.

  • @lilyrose1117
    @lilyrose1117 Před 8 lety +1

    Your videos always leave me so nostalgic, I recognize a few here from my childhood.

  • @IncapableLP
    @IncapableLP Před 8 lety +6

    "Apple Product[...]Subwoofer that looks like a trashcan!"
    I am having a strange deja vu!

  • @mikekz4489
    @mikekz4489 Před 8 lety +40

    That Apple computer can be seen on the desk in Jerry Seinfeld's apartment in the last season of the show Seinfeld. It wasn't until now that I knew it was an Apple computer.

    • @bobbyberetta4206
      @bobbyberetta4206 Před 8 lety +2

      Cool little Easter egg

    • @gameboypunk660
      @gameboypunk660 Před 8 lety +1

      was also shown in Bruce Wayne's home office in "Batman and Robin" man I saw that garbage in movie theatre!

  • @jeanqui339
    @jeanqui339 Před 5 lety +7

    The Teradrive looks awesome.

  • @Puffie40
    @Puffie40 Před 8 lety +1

    LGR, I'd like to see a Tech Tales about Commodore and the Amiga. The Amiga line seems to have this mystical reputation, and would like to learn more about it.

  • @WarHammerGmer
    @WarHammerGmer Před 8 lety +3

    I'd love to see more of these! really anything about the history of computers to stuff like this, your informational videos are always super entertaining.

  • @Schnikemotha
    @Schnikemotha Před 8 lety +68

    Is there a chance you could get your hands on an internally broken one of these and build in a new computer? I'd love to see what one of these cases looks like running 1080p++ games.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +73

      I've already got a broken Hot Wheels PC on the way to me :)
      We'll see what I can do with it!

    • @oz_jones
      @oz_jones Před 8 lety +1

      +Lazy Game Reviews Can't wait man!

    • @wildbilltexas
      @wildbilltexas Před 8 lety +3

      +Lazy Game Reviews Have fun with it! I hope it has a ATX design. I've seen those Hot Wheels PC's and/or monitors now and then for 15+ years at thrift stores here in the southwest and never thought about buying one.

    • @AnkMyrandor
      @AnkMyrandor Před 8 lety

      +Mike Malat with those flat cases, placing the mb is quite hard and not talking about airflow, which wasn't really a thing those days. A decent cpu fan won't even fit inside most cases. not even talking about top of the line stuff ;)

    • @guerillagrueplays6301
      @guerillagrueplays6301 Před 8 lety

      +Br0kenRudder True, but with how lightweight modern monitors are I'm sure an industrious user could cut out a lot of the support chaff inside, including on top, and mount an extra fan or two where they wanted.

  • @spiff2268
    @spiff2268 Před 7 lety +8

    The Corner PC might've faired better if they'd had the cords coming out the bottom.

  • @AnonymousCaveman
    @AnonymousCaveman Před 7 lety +10

    the Sega one is a real cool idea tbh. mixing PC gaming and console gaming... plus my childhood megadrive (genesis) too :D

  • @LFFL381
    @LFFL381 Před 8 lety +3

    This was like a month's worth of LGR oddware in one video. I'm hooked

  • @GameSack
    @GameSack Před 8 lety +269

    I don't know if it counts because it's still modern and being sold, but how about the computer I'm using to type this comment on right now? That's right, the Mac Pro Late 2013! What a name! This one can literally be mistaken as a trash can but it has tons of power which is fantastic for commenting on CZcams videos. Tests show it can make 36 more comments per hour than the best Windows PC on the market. Time is money and it adds up!

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +45

      It'd totally be on a list of strange modern designs! It reminds me of the subwoofer that came with the Twentieth Anniversary Mac.

    • @GameSack
      @GameSack Před 8 lety +7

      tical2399
      How very judgmental of you!

    • @GameSack
      @GameSack Před 8 lety +4

      tical2399 That's cool bro.

    • @Automatik234
      @Automatik234 Před 8 lety +1

      +Game Sack You need to get one of these SEGA PCs and make a review!

    • @Automatik234
      @Automatik234 Před 8 lety +4

      tical2399
      Well. They don't game on PC, so they don't need a Windows PC. Also, Mac has better software for like Video and Multimedia.

  • @Ghelmaron
    @Ghelmaron Před 8 lety +1

    Thank you for your videos, LGR. They are always a nice balance of information and entertainment!

  • @RustyNickels
    @RustyNickels Před 7 lety +12

    Tonight I'm gonna compute like it's 1995.

  • @HonestUsedCarReviews
    @HonestUsedCarReviews Před 8 lety +4

    90's was the decade of fuzzy design in everything! Good video LGR.

  • @deanfranz
    @deanfranz Před 5 lety +13

    Wasn't that Apple 20th Anniversary computer on Seinfeld??
    That was in Jerry's apartment! By his phone!

    • @powerpete3111
      @powerpete3111 Před 3 lety

      Yes it was and it was also in a Batman movie

  • @jecucejecuce
    @jecucejecuce Před 8 lety

    all the oddware and unusual things you present are my favotites! I've allways been facinated by things like this, and especially computers and its peripherals. The games and programs and the thrift is also very intresting but the hardware is just a littel bit more. Keep up the good work. Every new video makes me otherwise dull life happy

  • @phunq9087
    @phunq9087 Před 8 lety

    Love the oddware videos you make! Don't worry I like the other stuff you do as well but these always put a big smile on my face. It is amazing how much stuff I either forgot about or never even knew about from "back in the day."

  • @1903tx
    @1903tx Před 8 lety +4

    I'd like to see an episode on pre-internet "online" services. I have vague memories of a small computer with a flip-down keyboard that my dad rented from maybe the phone company that had some really basic online functions. I don't remember much about it but I think it was about the size of a portable 5" CRT TV. This was probably around 1988 or so.

  • @Pix3l_Pr1ncess
    @Pix3l_Pr1ncess Před 8 lety +9

    I thoroughly enjoyed this! 😊 Thank you!

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +1

      Happy to hear it!

    • @Pix3l_Pr1ncess
      @Pix3l_Pr1ncess Před 8 lety

      Nicholas Scarpinato ^ 100 percent agree

    • @ryang239
      @ryang239 Před 8 lety

      +SupaNintendoGirl cool to see you on here :)

  • @moretimebeats1566
    @moretimebeats1566 Před 5 lety

    Wow, that first one was my first PC in 1996, I totally forgot about that. I played a lot of games on there, that I am rediscovering on your channel. Pure nostalgia!! Love your channel!

  • @greenrefrigerator
    @greenrefrigerator Před 6 lety +2

    I remember seeing that Packard Bell corner PC on display at the local Circumcision City back in the 90's. PB was known for their weird computer cases. I actually still have a Packard Bell (Multimedia PB500) I use exclusively for programming older Motorola two-way radio gear, which I use only because of its unique compatibility to run Motorola's older radio software. I bought it new in 1997 for $1,400 and that was just for the tower, keyboard and mouse with NO monitor! It came with a 200 MHz Pentium-II with 16MB EDO ram, 4.3 GB hd with Win95. I "upgraded" it to 32 MB ram and Win98. I've never had to replace so much as a single component and 21 years later it still works perfectly. Originally, programming Motorola radio gear was it's secondary task but the past 15 years that's been it's ONLY function. To date, that old Packard Bell has been THE most reliable, longest operating PC I've ever owned!

  • @tacojiminez7243
    @tacojiminez7243 Před 8 lety +4

    I'm surprised no SGI systems made it in. Want to talk about things that look like trashcans? The O2 is it! If you're looking to do various timeframes, the Tezro is one from the early 2000's that has to be seen to be believed.
    Definitely hoping you do more of these.

  • @matthewrease2376
    @matthewrease2376 Před 4 lety +7

    That Dell computer looks like a coffee machine.

    • @revenevan11
      @revenevan11 Před 4 lety +2

      Now I want a computer that runs water through the cooling loop to heat it to brew coffee lol.

    • @unfazedjae2645
      @unfazedjae2645 Před 3 lety +1

      Or an XBOX 360

  • @Shand1982
    @Shand1982 Před 8 lety +1

    Awesomeness!!! I also liked the IBM Aptiva M series, and the S series, the black S series was super cool.

  • @theprincesspeach94
    @theprincesspeach94 Před 4 lety +1

    I remember when I was little my mom would come in and work on this computer plugged into this giant heavy tv. Its amazing how light and small these things are these days

  • @Barnacules
    @Barnacules Před 8 lety +13

    How was I not already subscribed to you? You're amazing... #Popcorn (If you'r ever in Seattle I'll buy ya a beer).

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +5

      Haha, well I'm glad you stumbled onto the channel then! I've enjoyed quite a few of your videos myself, especially the room tours and 3D printing stuff :)
      I was in Seattle for the most recent PAX Prime, maybe I can take you up on that next time I'm nearby!

    • @Barnacules
      @Barnacules Před 8 lety +2

      +Lazy Game Reviews Let's do it, I should be at PAX prime this year, just need to find the right sponsor to let me take over their booth and say obscene things over the microphone like I did last year in the 3D printed Storm Trooper suit at Cooler Master booth :D

  • @Barnacules
    @Barnacules Před 8 lety +5

    I had a Compaq Persario 3020...
    Well, no not really, nobody did :P

  • @incrediblySmart
    @incrediblySmart Před 7 lety

    Just found your channel and am really enjoying the old computer gear stuff. There are some interesting stories to tell ... Linspire, Packard Bell, Unisys ... maybe those old pizza Box Mac's to review ... what else? OS's? I still haven't seen Plan9 in action. Keep 'em coming. I really enjoy it.

  • @gtochld11
    @gtochld11 Před 8 lety +1

    Love this type of content!! Not sure if you've done it yet, but you should talk about software that came bundled with PC's. I was always intrigued by the selection of random games, educational titles and bloatware that came with each iteration of PC's my parents purchased. From the first IBM that came with EGA Trek (weird?) to our Alienware that came with a boatload of Sierra OnLine/Activision games (Mechwarrior 2 being one of them which I'll never forget).

  • @909crime
    @909crime Před 3 lety +3

    I knew I remembered this video.

  • @lactobacillusprime
    @lactobacillusprime Před 8 lety +10

    Love them beige boxes, they're so boxy and b-b-beige

    • @synystur21
      @synystur21 Před 5 lety +2

      They go great with a boxy '90's Volvo!

    • @AmigaA-or2hj
      @AmigaA-or2hj Před 4 lety

      Me too. I hate those boring black boxes. So dull, so gloomy like hi-if I separates.

  • @mysteryme3000
    @mysteryme3000 Před 8 lety

    This was super cool! Would love to see more videos like this!

  • @bebespeaks7827
    @bebespeaks7827 Před 5 lety +1

    In 2001 my parents tried to get my elderly grandma connected to email and basic typing word pad by buying her the 1999 Compaq Presario. It had a monitor on a solid frame but all the corners were rounded and the then the tower unit was also very rounded and bumpy in how it jutted put away from itself. She learned to use email and a word pad, and a few cd rooms but I think she never truly liked using computers. She had a Dell XP later on down the road until 2012 but then decided to writing everything longhand in cursive script and using us postage stamps. I don’t miss that Presario one single bit.

  • @jacksonjack7838
    @jacksonjack7838 Před 8 lety +10

    So you've done PC Box videos... but what about the manuals man? Lol maybe its not as interesting as I think it is, and though not a PC gamer myself, I always enjoyed the thicker manuals that came with my Ps1, Ps2, Gamecube Games and such... and reading about Characters and Story Synopses.
    Lol probably my favorite part of every video is when you show the box and pull out everything. ...That sounds creepier than I mean it to.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +25

      PC game manuals are a planned topic for the future!

    • @jacksonjack7838
      @jacksonjack7838 Před 8 lety +12

      Lazy Game Reviews It is wise to meet my Demands...

    • @Snolferd
      @Snolferd Před 8 lety

      +Jackson Jack :O

    • @fountaincap
      @fountaincap Před 8 lety

      +Lazy Game Reviews Awesome topic! Check out the manual for Dangerous Waters if you haven't already. The thing is a beast. You could probably operate a submarine on your own if you read it.

  • @hughamongus
    @hughamongus Před 7 lety +25

    Most computers from the 90's are what most smartphones are today; bland, colorless, boring and unimpressive.

    • @nathanclark2424
      @nathanclark2424 Před 5 lety +3

      And may or may not catch on fire.

    • @nichsa8984
      @nichsa8984 Před 4 lety

      sad the computer only using 1% for convert into mass

  • @nightbirdds
    @nightbirdds Před 8 lety +2

    I'm so glad you mentioned the Hot Wheels and Barbie PC's. When I was working at a local computer store back then we saw a handful of those come in. All of them came in for different problems, so I couldn't really say what the major issue was. I will say that we had one that let out the blue smoke when we turned it on after the customer had brought it in. That one turned out to be a power supply issue. From the looks of them though, I never got the sense that they were particularly well built units.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +1

      Ha, wow. Yeah, that doesn't surprise me after all I've read about them. Apparently the build quality was just shoddy all-around, from power supplies to motherboards to memory.

  • @AaronCoates
    @AaronCoates Před 8 lety

    Great video man! I remember just about all of these. That's craY

  • @bradleybeauclair8282
    @bradleybeauclair8282 Před 4 lety +3

    I remember the Barbie and Hot Wheels PCs cost too much. It was like paying an additional $100 to say, "Barbie" or "Hot Wheels" on it.

  • @NoobixCube
    @NoobixCube Před 8 lety +10

    I'm surprised Sega never released the Teradrive outside of the Japanese market. It would have been a small hit. Not a gigantic success, but it would have sold well enough, I think. That said, the computer market in Japan was entirely different at the time. For all the Atari, Sinclair and Apple machines here, there was an entirely different gamut of manufacturers in Japan doing similar things.

    • @Kantaros
      @Kantaros Před 8 lety

      +Michael Vaughan I don't know. Maybe they could've attained a small success in Europe, where they already had a strong market presence with the Mega Drive. But then again, at that point we Europeans weren't really that interested in home computing.

    • @trailersic
      @trailersic Před 8 lety

      +Andrea Luciano Damico Are you kidding? Europeans had a really large interest in home computing, it was more common for someone to play games on a computer than on a console. Also as said in the video we did essentially get the sega pc in europe. the Mega PC. I remember there was an advert in my town which somehow got left up way into the late nineties (I guess someone lost the key to the poster case) The problem is it was a really overpriced low powered PC with a megadrive built in, really you may as well have just bought a pc and a megadrive separately.

    • @Kantaros
      @Kantaros Před 8 lety

      Well, at least where I live computers started catching on in the mid-2000, when the ISP in my countries started providing ADSL plans that didn't suck. Growing up (we're talking about early-to-mid nineties) computers were relegated to government buildings that needed to process relatively large amount of data (essentially, hospitals and town halls). Sometimes you ran across the odd ad for a computer in non-specialized press, mostly by Olivetti (who at that time was struggling to get a foothold in a sector that wasn't the Italian government) and IBM. At that time consoles, especially Mega Drives and NES clones, were largely prevalent here. Heck, I actually *was* the first kid in my classroom to get a computer at age 11.
      I do admit, however, that thing may have been different in other parts of the EU.

    • @trailersic
      @trailersic Před 8 lety

      Andrea Luciano Damico Yes I agreee things are probably different in other parts of the EU I'm in the UK and grew up in the 80s in the UK. and everyone I knew seemed to have a computer, not pcs as we know them today but home computers that you plugged into the tv

    • @NoobixCube
      @NoobixCube Před 8 lety

      In Australia, home computers were commonplace. All of my friends had Ataris or Commodore 64s, into the early 90s. I was the odd one out with an IBM compatible machine. I think an IBM compatible machine with a Megadrive built into it would have gone fantastically in the Australian market. Parents wanted computers they could use for their work, not that any home user had an idea what that might be at the time, and they wanted something they could put games on for kids. Obviously, _any_ computer fit that description at the time, but one specifically marketed that way would have captured a lot of attention.

  • @Wazoox
    @Wazoox Před 7 lety +1

    I used the Compaq integrated PC, it was actually pretty good, it had nice sound (JBL speakers) and was a useful audio CD jukebox. Went to the bin around 2005 or 2006.

  • @neeneko
    @neeneko Před 8 lety +1

    Another fun area to look at strange designs is to get away from the consumer grade stuff and look at what workstations and mainframes were doing. Thinking Machine put out mainframes that looked like they were right out of sci fi, and SGI got pretty creative with its cases.
    In another direction, the whole 'computer on an expansion card' was a fun experiment. Bought a Mac but wanted to run PC stuff? No need for an emulator, just put an entire IBM AT in your expansion slot!

  • @md_vandenberg
    @md_vandenberg Před 8 lety +5

    Okay, I know I can't be the only one that wants an Amiga Walker.
    Alright LGR, time for more weird computers!

    • @tombates9122
      @tombates9122 Před 8 lety +3

      +Matthew “Crash McNeal” VandenBerg And it should be said - the Walker isn't what caused Amiga and Escom to go bust. They were already deeply in debt to creditors before they purchased Commodore and really should not have been allowed to do so.

    • @TiredFerret
      @TiredFerret Před 8 lety +3

      It kinda looks like the houndeyes from Half Life! It's cute!

    • @james64468
      @james64468 Před 8 lety

      +Matthew “Crash McNeal” VandenBerg Interesting fact. I found out someone made a case like that. He had to promise a person not to make another one or to give away his away. I believe it on amibay.

    • @5roundsrapid263
      @5roundsrapid263 Před 8 lety +1

      The Walker looks like a Sybian. If you don't know what that is and want to look it up, it's definitely NSFW.

  • @TheOffenderBlog
    @TheOffenderBlog Před 7 lety +3

    I would like more videos like this. I like catalogs of the bizarre.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 7 lety +2

      Got another one in a couple days actually, stay tuned!

    • @TheOffenderBlog
      @TheOffenderBlog Před 7 lety

      Sweet. Can't wait to watch it.

  • @NoLMAOnade
    @NoLMAOnade Před 8 lety +1

    Great videos! Love the channel. I always thought the IBM Aptiva S-Series Stealth PC was pretty funky

  • @mermaidgirl0075
    @mermaidgirl0075 Před 4 lety +2

    1990s “let’s make a internet fridge”
    2020 “huh, what’s a internet fridge”

  • @SoundBlackRecordings
    @SoundBlackRecordings Před 5 lety +3

    Those Dells at the end looked like coffee pots lol

  • @AmaroqStarwind
    @AmaroqStarwind Před 7 lety +30

    Get a TeraDrive/Mega PC. GET IT.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 7 lety +6

      Already own a Mega PC!

    • @AmaroqStarwind
      @AmaroqStarwind Před 7 lety +1

      Oh. I'd love to see a video of it.

    • @vahi5572
      @vahi5572 Před 7 lety

      Now I have another reason to be insanely jealous of one of my favorite internet people. Silly me, thinking that would peak after the woodgrain 486.

  • @LumyTheQueen
    @LumyTheQueen Před 8 lety

    Really liked this video. I was born in the 90s and still fondly remember my first PC, a Compaq!Thanks for the video, please do more! Especially from the 90s! ;)

  • @donkeyfacekilla1
    @donkeyfacekilla1 Před 8 lety +1

    Love this channel. Keep up the great work

  • @papayer
    @papayer Před 4 lety +5

    _2019: Quadstellar case_

  • @kayvahn2141
    @kayvahn2141 Před 8 lety +5

    MORE LIKE THIS DUDE

    • @yoianrhodes
      @yoianrhodes Před 8 lety +9

      more like this dude. as in more like this, dude. or more, like this dude. or more like this dude

    • @kayvahn2141
      @kayvahn2141 Před 8 lety +2

      yo ianrhodes As in "More like this, dude". It was like 3 am. I had gotten off a long shift at work. I was laying down. I didn't feel like using a comma.

    • @kayvahn2141
      @kayvahn2141 Před 8 lety +2

      yo ianrhodes Tho, "More like this dude" would also be fine, if you could point me in that direction.

    • @yoianrhodes
      @yoianrhodes Před 8 lety

      I k ow it's the internet so jokes don't come across rasy, I ment this as a joke

    • @room___
      @room___ Před 8 lety

      +Jon Alanoor this is awkward

  • @1BalBal1
    @1BalBal1 Před 6 lety

    the packard bell corner pc was actually my first modern pc (old one being the xt).
    it's funny how I remember the awe I felt while I was putting it together and running it for the first time... it was amazing seeing it again in this video!

  • @tristikov
    @tristikov Před 8 lety

    90s PC weirdness...Gotta love it!
    I'd definitely enjoy seeing more in the future.

  • @watsonflame243
    @watsonflame243 Před 8 lety +4

    I think the last one looks like a coffee machine

  • @ayobamigbadamosi2334
    @ayobamigbadamosi2334 Před 8 lety +3

    This Narrator is fun

  • @floydian06
    @floydian06 Před 8 lety

    Definitely do more videos like this, LGR! Loved it!

  • @lazydragon2551
    @lazydragon2551 Před 7 lety +1

    I swear the 90's and 80's as well as the 70's will always fascinate me in terms of technology, cartoons, toys and what have you.

  • @dunbrine47
    @dunbrine47 Před 8 lety +7

    Those were interesting examples.
    How about Strange Computer designs of the 80's or 2000's next?

    • @LGR
      @LGR  Před 8 lety +21

      Definitely on the table if enough people like this video and request more!

    • @upyoursize
      @upyoursize Před 8 lety +6

      +Lazy Game Reviews
      Was that even a question???
      I've been watching your show for years and I've loved every bit of it! More Oddware, more reviews, more Sims, more everything, please.

    • @Scorpious187
      @Scorpious187 Před 8 lety

      +upyoursize I personally think LGR's Tech Tales could be its own channel in and of itself. I love every one of those videos. (Well, maybe not the McAfee one, but that's 'cause McAfee was one weird dude. lol.)

  • @justyouraverage2869
    @justyouraverage2869 Před 8 lety +10

    Worst computers from the past 6 years:
    Chromebooks.

    • @CWINDOWSsystem32
      @CWINDOWSsystem32 Před 7 lety +3

      The idea of a Chromebook isn't that bad, using a computer like a phone and saving everything to the cloud, but the one I had was awful. It was an HP Chromebook 11 that frequently overheated, crashed, refused to charge, and had the Wi-Fi adapter stop working every hour or so. It was durable though, it worked after many times of me throwing it across the room in anger...

    • @peachymunmagenta
      @peachymunmagenta Před 5 lety

      just your average liar!

    • @monetize_this8330
      @monetize_this8330 Před 4 lety

      all Android tablets. Google is responsible for a sh!tload of landfill.
      ditto: Apple products.

    • @AmigaA-or2hj
      @AmigaA-or2hj Před 4 lety

      Never used a Chromebook. Are they really that bad?

  • @nathanallan1
    @nathanallan1 Před 7 lety +1

    I used to own a Magnavox desktop PC-- NOT a game machine but what seemed to be a really expensive SCSI machine from its time-- had a very fancy reconfigurable 3.5" floppy drive, scsi internal CD and a hard drive that I cant' remember much about. I had never seen a Magnavox computer before or since, had no idea they even made one-- but this one seemed very high end. I want to say it was a 386 (may have been a 286) that was running win 3.1.

  • @TheMentalRelapse
    @TheMentalRelapse Před 8 lety

    Hey Clint. I have been watching your vids for years and this is by far one of my favorite episodes. Can you please do another one of these?

  • @tyguy6296
    @tyguy6296 Před 7 lety +4

    i want to go back in time with a microsoft surface or an ipad or something and show it to myself in the past... 1994 me would probably shit his pants

  • @thesinfultictac5704
    @thesinfultictac5704 Před 8 lety +3

    NEAT

  • @ovalwingnut
    @ovalwingnut Před 6 lety

    I've been compu'ten since the Trash-80 arrived and I've never seen any of these... What a WILD LIFE I could have had :) Thank you 4 the VIDeO.