When I was in business school (1980-ish) a guest lecturer came in to show us a “laptop” computer. (It was built into a rather large briefcase.) He told us if we had any spare cash, to invest in Osborne. Fortunately, I was more interested in investing in my next rent check.
In the Computer Programmer job I had before my Microcomputer Specialist job, management asked me to research and recommend a personal computer to do Spreadsheet Applications. This was just after the IBM PC came out, but they did not yet have a “presence” in, or even near, our city. For this reason alone, I chose the “Victor 9000”. Interestingly, the most use it got was employees playing the games that came with it… ☺
Mattel is alive and (apparently well) today although it came close to bankruptcy in ’83. Timex endures as well, surviving, among other things, making PCs (the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum) in the early ’80s (This strip is dated April ’85)
Chithing Premium Member over 3 years ago
Try Chinese, since that’s where most of your parts are made.
jrankin1959 over 3 years ago
Oh – and French was better, Oliver?
irishwolfhound over 3 years ago
When I was in business school (1980-ish) a guest lecturer came in to show us a “laptop” computer. (It was built into a rather large briefcase.) He told us if we had any spare cash, to invest in Osborne. Fortunately, I was more interested in investing in my next rent check.
mattro65 over 3 years ago
Third panel-the dark side of the American Dream.
martynhappyone over 3 years ago
What happened to ‘Ronco’?
noirlitguy over 3 years ago
I had a Franklin Ace-1000— forty years ago.
Droptma Styx over 3 years ago
RCA, Ampex, Sears …
BlueIris Premium Member over 3 years ago
? I don’t understand the reference to Timex and Mattel — they’re still in existence. Did they once make computers and no longer do?
ChessPirate over 3 years ago
In the Computer Programmer job I had before my Microcomputer Specialist job, management asked me to research and recommend a personal computer to do Spreadsheet Applications. This was just after the IBM PC came out, but they did not yet have a “presence” in, or even near, our city. For this reason alone, I chose the “Victor 9000”. Interestingly, the most use it got was employees playing the games that came with it… ☺
xsintricks over 3 years ago
Aloha.
wi3leong Premium Member over 3 years ago
Mattel is alive and (apparently well) today although it came close to bankruptcy in ’83. Timex endures as well, surviving, among other things, making PCs (the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum) in the early ’80s (This strip is dated April ’85)
Sisyphos over 3 years ago
We each grieve in our own way, Oliver. Let poor Banana Jr. have his Japanese!