Name that computer! (from my memory).

[Ed.D]

Hey all,

When I bought my Amiga 500 from my mum's Marshall Ward catalogue, it was a choice between that or another very similarly specc'ed machine. This is was soon after the A500 was released.

All I remember is, this other system was very light grey in appearance with pale blue or violet coloured keys on the number pad. It was an all-in-one like the A500 or A1200. I've been racking my brain trying to remember what it was and wondered if anyone here could think of what this other system might have been. I'm relatively sure it wasn't an Atari ST. I might try to track one down.

Cheers,
Ed.

 

[Zetr0]

Could it be the Archimedes?

 

[Xanxi]

Hey all,

When I bought my Amiga 500 from my mum's Marshall Ward catalogue, it was a choice between that or another very similarly specc'ed machine. This is was soon after the A500 was released.

All I remember is, this other system was very light grey in appearance with pale blue or violet coloured keys on the number pad. It was an all-in-one like the A500 or A1200. I've been racking my brain trying to remember what it was and wondered if anyone here could think of what this other system might have been. I'm relatively sure it wasn't an Atari ST. I might try to track one down.

Cheers,
Ed.

Acorn Archimedes?

 

[Ed.D]

@Zetro and Xanxi, looking at the image of the Archimedes, it's not ringing any bells. Was that released at the same time as the A500?

 

[User1301]

Wouldn't be the Archi guys (well not the one that was similar shape to the Amiga 500. 1989 / 90 was when the A3000 came out which was well after the Amiga 500). I know you said it's not Ed but it does sound like an ST though because pound for pound - back in the day the ST was the competition - especially as that was out in the UK before the A500.

May possibly have been a Commodore 128 as it did look very similar and was around a year or so before the A500 hit the shelves...

Cheers

John

 

[Merlin]

Light blue keys..... didn't one of the Amstrad machines from the CPC 464/ 664 series have light blue keys, or maybe the 6128...?

My grey slush tells me one of them did...

@ Z - It's not the Archie - they only had red or green keys apart from beige.

My money is on the Amstrac CPC 664......

 

[User1301]

Have a look here Ed - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp and from the left pane click on "year" and you will get thumbnails of all the computers from that year. Might help...

J

 

[Ed.D]

@Skilgannon, hey John I'm sure it wasn't the Atari cuz my mate had one at the time and I thought the Amiga was way better (no flames anyone please ).

@Merlin, My memory tells me the whole case was a light grey colour so I think it rules out the Amstrads (the 664 had blue keys tho, you were right there).

...thank you guys.

Another part of the swiss cheese that is my memory is suggesting an italian name, but I don't think it was Olivetti.

I just found out that Marshall Ward are now called ISme. I've emailed asking if they have old product lists from the time.

---------- Post added at 22:33 ---------- Previous post was at 22:32 ----------

Have a look here Ed - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp and from the left pane click on "year" and you will get thumbnails of all the computers from that year. Might help...

J

Magic, I'm looking right now

Thanks again.

 

[orb85750]

Sony hit bit ?
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=854

@Skilgannon, hey John I'm sure it wasn't the Atari cuz my mate had one at the time and I thought the Amiga was way better (no flames anyone please ).

@Merlin, My memory tells me the whole case was a light grey colour so I think it rules out the Amstrads (the 664 had blue keys tho, you were right there).

...thank you guys.

Another part of the swiss cheese that is my memory is suggesting an italian name, but I don't think it was Olivetti.

I just found out that Marshall Ward are now called ISme. I've emailed asking if they have old product lists from the time.

---------- Post added at 22:33 ---------- Previous post was at 22:32 ----------

Have a look here Ed - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp and from the left pane click on "year" and you will get thumbnails of all the computers from that year. Might help...

J

Magic, I'm looking right now

Thanks again.

---------- Post added at 22:38 ---------- Previous post was at 22:35 ----------

OK, this has to be it:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1285

Have a look here Ed - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp and from the left pane click on "year" and you will get thumbnails of all the computers from that year. Might help...

J

 

[Ed.D]

Lol, I can't remember. God I'm getting old!

The Bruc seems familiar but I'm not sure it would be in a UK mail order catalogue as it is apparently a bit rare. Good sleuthing though.

I also seem to remember the keys being very flat, unlike Amiga keys.

 

[Nathanieltolbert]

This was the only one I thought looked similar to what you were talking about, I apologize if someone else has already posted it.

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=863

 

[Elerion]

This was the only one I thought looked similar to what you were talking about, I apologize if someone else has already posted it.

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=863

ROTFL!

I'm surprized Commodore didn't sue!

 

[Phipscube]

Could it have been the Sam Coupé?

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=545

 

[Lurch666]

Or the good old ORIC 1

 

[Merlin]

Possibly the Mattel Aquarius....? Beige, light blue keys, we must be getting close....

 

[orb85750]

Possibly the Mattel Aquarius....? Beige, light blue keys, we must be getting close....

He said it had a number pad. Everyone keeps submitting machines without one.

 

[Nathanieltolbert]

He said it had a number pad. Everyone keeps submitting machines without one.

Hey, mine had a number pad! It just doesn't look much different from the rest of the machine that seems a little iffy to me.

 

[Ed.D]

Hey guys,


I went through that entire Old Computers web site and started recognising some bits of different computers. The Aquarius struck a chord for some reason when I came across it yesterday, but so did the Apricot models.

Perhaps I just have a visual fax imprinted in my memory of all the goodies on the catalogue pages from way back then.

Anyway not to worry and many thanks for your inputs. I also heard back from the catalogue people and they say they didn't keep any lists of products, electronic or otherwise.

Cheers,
Ed.

 

[Merlin]

He said it had a number pad. Everyone keeps submitting machines without one.

Not many retro machines back then actually had number pads, unless you were into business machines; he could have been mistaken....

 

[salaxi54]

You see, that's what happens when you get older...
First, RAM starts to fail, then the RTC, then you get leaking caps... oh well!
It's getting more frequent these days for me