Originally published at: Ali Express's bizarre 1990s-style retro DOS computers reviewed | Boing Boing
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Video link for the BBS.
Couldn’t have even spring for the DX, eh? I mean I guess this is kinda cool if you’re really into retro stuff, but I’d rather have something with a 486DX processor — still plenty retro but not completely hobbled in the speed department. Like, plenty capable of running old school demoscene stuff at full tilt.
Does that 386 thing even have a video output? It’s also pretty laughable that these things have USB ports.
ETA: the 386 has a breakout board for video and I/O
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From what I’ve watched of LGR, the 386 in particular has a very special place in his heart as his first childhood machine.
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How? Surely they aren’t being manufactured anymore? Did they find some huge dead stock lot?
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If I understood the video correctly, the processors and other old chips are salvaged from old computer hardware.
ETA: The Book 8088 uses a vintage 8088 chip. The Hand 386 uses a new “embedded 386SX” made for use in industrial systems.
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Yeah, that makes sense. I know there’s a lot of legacy hardware out there that just can’t be replaced, especially within the military/intel community.
Also: What does “embedded” mean in this case? Emulation on newer hardware?
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These are more modern chips intended for not-desktop use.
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I’d love to get it so I could use WordPerfect 5.1. I’ve still got my diskettes and license code…
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Why a laptop?
if I understand the hobby correctly, and there’s a chance that I don’t, it is to play the games of a specific era, on an era appropriate machine so they look and sound their most authentic.
but a vintage laptop tends to have the worst I/O. graphics are compromised by the screen, and sound, even if is present isn’t as good as the AdLib or perhaps the soundblaster that a player would have wanted back in the day. no isa slot means no hope of correcting it. a built in keyboard means that you’re stuck with mush.
it might save a little space, though.
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There was a time when the Federal government was requiring document and reports be submitted in Word Perfect. I wound up getting Corel Suite from work.
Word Perfect was a great word processing tool.
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This was all cobbled together from existing parts and hardware. I’m guessing that it was making the most of what was readily available.
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“Embedded” refers to the fact that it’s designed to be used inside some special purpose device, not a general purpose computer. In practice this tends to mean “stick more stuff that’s typically external into the same chip” aka an SoC (system on a chip).
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You may not need it. There are a number of WordPerfect modernization projects. This is the one I have bookmarked: WordPerfect for DOS Updated
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oh! that looks perfect.
( god. i’m sorry. still too soon? )
I really just want my old Gateway Handbook 486 back, but with a color display that isn’t a totally bizarre aspect ratio. Is that too much to ask?
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