Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer (Paperback)

by Gordon Laing (Author) "The period between the mid-Seventies and the late Eighties was completely unique in the history of computing..." (more)
Key Phrases: custom chipset, cartridge slot, membrane keyboard, Country of Origin, Texas Instruments, Steve Jobs (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Akin to the car buff's collector book, this beautifully illustrated chronological look at the PC from the 1970's to today, is sure to spark nostalgia in every PC enthusiast's heart. Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer is a definitive guide that tells the story of the classic home computers that paved the way for the PCs we use today. It uniquely combines the technological and design evolution of the modern PC with stories of the masterminds behind the machines--inventors, programmers, designers, and businessmen. It even includes specially commissioned photography of actual machines from the personal collections of computer enthusiasts and historians.

From the Back Cover
The late Seventies to the early Nineties was a completely unique period in the history of computing. Long before Microsoft and Intel ruled the PC world, a disparate variety of home computers, from an unlikely array of suppliers, were engaging in a battle that would shape the industry for years to come.

Products from established electronics giants clashed with machines which often appeared to have been (or actually were) assembled in a backyard shed by an eccentric inventor. University professors were competing head to head with students in their parents' garages.

Compatibility? Forget it! Each of these computers was its own machine and had no intention of talking to anything else. The same could be said of their owners, in fact, who passionately defended their machines with a belief that verged on the religious.

This book tells the story behind 40 classic home computers of an infamous decade, from the dreams and inspiration, through passionate inventors and corporate power struggles, to their final inevitable demise. It takes a detailed look at every important computer from the start of the home computer revolution with the MITS Altair, to the NeXT cube, pehaps the last serious challenger in the personal computer marketplace. In the thirteen years between the launch of those systems, there has never been a more frenetic period of technical advance, refinement, and marketing, and this book covers all the important steps made on both sides of the Atlantic. Whether it's the miniaturization of the Sinclair machines, the gaming prowess of the Amiga, or the fermenting war between Apple Computer, "Big Blue," and "the cloners," we've got it covered. Digital Retro is an essential read for anyone who owned a home computer in the Eighties.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Sybex (September 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078214330X
• ISBN-13: 978-0782143300
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,637 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice photos, flawed text, August 24, 2005

By	J. Todd Larason (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The photos are the star of this book, and it's worth it for them. They're clear high resolution photos, and usually there are closeups of the interesting parts of the systems. There are errors, though: an Apple ][+ photo is used instead of an original Apple ][, for instance. Also, the description of how a 6510 differs from a 6502 is incorrect.

Much like AppleDesign, enjoy the photos but don't trust the text.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty pictures, worthless text, February 16, 2006

By	Neurasthenic "neurasthenic" (New York City, New York) - See all my reviews

It's riddled with errors and shows every sign of having been copied from websites or other sources that were not authoritative themselves. All sorts of rumors mixed in with fact, and no effort to distinguish between them. Also, curiously, though the book contains lovely photographs of all the machines it discusses, Laing never shows any of them turned on or running software. A missed chance, I think.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great photos, but beware of the errors.., September 17, 2006

By	Tim Patterson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Digital Retro: The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer (Paperback)

There are a lot of great photos of many early personal computers. Also included are some specs and history on each machine.

I was not sure why they were including Nintendo and other console game machines in a book about "The Evolution and Design of the Personal Computer" though..

On pages 11 and 13 the author repeatedly refers to "Practical Electronics" instead of the correct "Popular Mechanics" as the magazine that introduced the ALTAIR on its cover in 1975. They even italisize the error in each instance, d'oh. :)

I still enjoyed the book though.