- Joined
- Aug 28, 2015
My local computer shops had them, but we were in a Commodore-loving area.
Epic! 8-bitguy uses 1 weird trick to detroy rare prototypes!
- Thread starter Coolio55
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2018
Not that piracy wasn't rampant in the IBM and Apple scenes, too.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2020
True, but the cost of admission was way higher. It helped that the C64 and Amiga were (relatively) cheap over here.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2019
You hit the nail on the head by bringing up the Amiga, except it was even worse than that - the C128 came out the *same year* as the Amiga. And the C64 was still being sold at the time for less.
So you could buy a 128 and get slightly improved software ports (which would not be compatible with any C64s you already owned) or you could buy an Amiga for a few hundred dollars more. It was no contest.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2018
I personally skipped the 8-bitters back then and laughed at the plebs who only had a C64. I have a fondness for them now but outside of micro controllers I never really dealt with them and didn't find them incredibly interesting either. Late 80s was a phase where I was really into scifi and technology, saw the capabilities of the Amiga (which was like NOTHING what was offered otherwise for home use) and just HAD to have one. I was talked by the salesman into an A2000 for it's extensibility, right around the time it was released in '87. I really cannot stress how much the Amiga wiped everything away in sheer multimedia capability and how impressive that was. You'd have an Amiga on display in a store and people would stand in front of them completely flabbergasted, watching the graphical demos and games. It felt like it came from the future. And it was for a price that was at least imaginable, not something you wouldn't even know where to buy or was made in a place that only makes five every six months. Get what I mean? I also live in Germany and Germany was pretty much Commodore home turf.
Expanding never really came to pass much until later because at the time it wasn't really worth it. Later on I got an A1200 and was very significantly less impressed. That thing felt outdated out of the box and it's only positive side was that it ran some games somewhat better. (and many others not at all, and we didn't have stuff like WHDLoad in these times) The OS upgrade also really wasn't (that shocked me less because I already knew about that from my A2000) and it was just an disappointment overall. What was Commodore doing all these years I asked myself. I actually and in all seriousness brought it back to the store to get an 486. That thing was a performance monster with VLB graphics but the application software felt like a massive step back, like traveling to a more primitive and much more locked down past I did not know then. (little did I know the PC would never truly catch up on that front) Painful, but not so painful to put up with Amiga's slowness again. That said my Amiga got a 200 MB IDE (brand new then) harddrive a 68030 accelerator (fuck me if I remember right now what that costed, probably more than a 4090 now) and a really advanced serial card with it's own CPU. I ran a BBS on it for a while later, which looking back was a massive waste of both money and nerves but at least an experience.
I got interested in programming and AI around that time too. (I'm from a engineering/mathematical-kind-of background, actually not really IT, I'm not sure if that's clear) Also got a bit into LSD, conspiracies and weird people groups (not sects) in the 90s. It was an interesting time. Never would I have thought I'd live to see the day where computers can answer text queries coherently and competent enough. My life's dream to hold an actual conversation with a general artificial intelligence will probably not come to pass but I guess I'll come somewhat close, that's more than most people can say. For a while back then, it felt like it was just around the corner. The hype was real, just like now, just with very little to show for it, unlike now. Then came the AI winter.
There's a lot of rose tinted glasses though. Shit was slow and bad and often poorly engineered or programmed (so things broke all the time, from files to hardware) and I basically bought a new PC every 6-8 months in the 90s because the old one always just wasn't enough. I also usually always had two PCs running so one PC could be busy with stuff. I then picked up the hobby of picking up old computer hardware other people discarded. That was a time where you'd find things like aforementioned C128 just sitting at the side of the road or in the storage of some company I did contract work with. I amassed heaps of hardware, basically retro collecting before it was retro and when it was still junk. A friend of mine gutted old C64s way into the late 90s and basically used their mainboards as neolithic Raspberry Pis with EPROMs containing the programs, for small businesses. He made loads of money.
Not quite sure why I wrote this blogpost, but it's nice that kiwifarms is back. Maybe it'll rekindle the forums a tiny bit, they're always a bit dead after longer down time.
Expanding never really came to pass much until later because at the time it wasn't really worth it. Later on I got an A1200 and was very significantly less impressed. That thing felt outdated out of the box and it's only positive side was that it ran some games somewhat better. (and many others not at all, and we didn't have stuff like WHDLoad in these times) The OS upgrade also really wasn't (that shocked me less because I already knew about that from my A2000) and it was just an disappointment overall. What was Commodore doing all these years I asked myself. I actually and in all seriousness brought it back to the store to get an 486. That thing was a performance monster with VLB graphics but the application software felt like a massive step back, like traveling to a more primitive and much more locked down past I did not know then. (little did I know the PC would never truly catch up on that front) Painful, but not so painful to put up with Amiga's slowness again. That said my Amiga got a 200 MB IDE (brand new then) harddrive a 68030 accelerator (fuck me if I remember right now what that costed, probably more than a 4090 now) and a really advanced serial card with it's own CPU. I ran a BBS on it for a while later, which looking back was a massive waste of both money and nerves but at least an experience.
I got interested in programming and AI around that time too. (I'm from a engineering/mathematical-kind-of background, actually not really IT, I'm not sure if that's clear) Also got a bit into LSD, conspiracies and weird people groups (not sects) in the 90s. It was an interesting time. Never would I have thought I'd live to see the day where computers can answer text queries coherently and competent enough. My life's dream to hold an actual conversation with a general artificial intelligence will probably not come to pass but I guess I'll come somewhat close, that's more than most people can say. For a while back then, it felt like it was just around the corner. The hype was real, just like now, just with very little to show for it, unlike now. Then came the AI winter.
There's a lot of rose tinted glasses though. Shit was slow and bad and often poorly engineered or programmed (so things broke all the time, from files to hardware) and I basically bought a new PC every 6-8 months in the 90s because the old one always just wasn't enough. I also usually always had two PCs running so one PC could be busy with stuff. I then picked up the hobby of picking up old computer hardware other people discarded. That was a time where you'd find things like aforementioned C128 just sitting at the side of the road or in the storage of some company I did contract work with. I amassed heaps of hardware, basically retro collecting before it was retro and when it was still junk. A friend of mine gutted old C64s way into the late 90s and basically used their mainboards as neolithic Raspberry Pis with EPROMs containing the programs, for small businesses. He made loads of money.
Not quite sure why I wrote this blogpost, but it's nice that kiwifarms is back. Maybe it'll rekindle the forums a tiny bit, they're always a bit dead after longer down time.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2019
I do enjoy how this thread making fun of the 8-Bit Boomer has turned into an impromptu retrocomputing thread.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2015
It's pretty good. Maybe it should be 'Retrocomputing Youtuber General'.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2019
There's definitely some cows in the scene. None of them are prolific or openly retarded enough to get a whole thread like David, but just in the retrocomputing space:
1) Cathode Ray Dude - has a tranny GF who's appeared in some of his vids.
2) Lazy Gay Retard (LGR) - everyone knows this balding fat retard and his grift of reviewing a different soundblaster clone every month
3) ncommander - tranny loving ex-debian maintainer who helped lead the campaign against Richard Stallman and the FSF. Also has a Discord where alphabet people hang out unsupervised.
However if you expand the thread to being "Retro/Niche Technology Youtuber General", then you could also get:
4) Technology Connections - his vids are fine, he's just really flamboyant and lefty. I feel like he's going to troon out soon though.
5) Techmoan - I think he's still seething about the time /g/ made a thread about him
Any others you guys know of?
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2015
CRD is literally a furry named Gravis Lizard.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2013
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2020
Haven't noticed anything cow-ish from him, aside from vaguely resembing CWC in looks before he grew out a beard. Was there some drama?
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2020
I've been kinda disappointed with his channel for a while. A lot of it is basically advertising for junk I don't need. I suppose it always was, but I liked seeing his videos on mechanical classic stuff.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2013
Ah I misunderstood. No cow behavior I know from him. Figured we were listing off retro YouTubers other than cows for some reason
Gotta say though I was wondering for a while about Cathode Ray Dude and his faggot penchant for bringing up "crapitalism" which has become even more common in his videos as of late. Beyond the obvious tranny flag VHS box and his BLM PC. I figured it was standard coastie set dressing since he lives in Seattle.
The recent video he did about voice chat over modems had him present his "girlfreind" which despite hiding it behind the monitor and only presenting a balding forehead immediately screamed tranny. Then I heard the voice.
Thanks to @Mikoyan for mentioning his handle and found a post done by a guest on here. I got a hearty laugh from reading his disgusting polycule and being the cuck third wheel supporting two other people
Quite sad really. As he's one of the few channels I see covering hardware of that nature.
Here's a link to the post if your interested (tor)(clearnet)
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2019
not really a lolcow and not exactly retro computing, there's LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER. his main thing is synthesizers and turning everything into one or hooking it up to one to make music with, which includes computers (and even more retro stuff) too:
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2020
I think he's running out of vintage stuff to show. Age seems to be catching up to him a bit too, as he sounds different these days. Not quite as energetic, maybe a tad more nasal as well. I still watch his videos on a regular basis, and I'm happy to give him a pass because even if he does become a cow, it'd probably be in a wholesome "old man yells at cloud" kinda way.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2015
I think it's a bit like Ian at Forgotten Weapons, too. Got down to the bottom of the barrel of stuff. Sure there's more but rather than the NT Tapes of the world you're just reviewing yet another relabeling of a NAB cart and that can get oooold quick.
Also that synth autist is a good find, saw him the other week.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2019
He's quite old and is basically coasting off momentum at this point. His schtick is also AV equipment and there's only so much you can really talk about with that shit.
I mean, David's a cow and I still watch his shit. I can simultaneously enjoy CRD's content and wish him all the luck in being able to bankroll his autistic series on embedded laptop operating systems that are not Linux, DOS, or Windows, while also making fun of him for being a fat tranny-loving fuck who looks like a FTM.
This channel is fucking fantastic.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2023
imho 8-Bit Guy is pretty bucolic as far as YouTube weirdos go, even his most cow-y moments are pretty tame compared to others in the genre. I do miss Awesome Airguns, though, guess he got spooked out of doing them after the wasp video went semi-viral on Twitter several years back thanks to Idubbz of all people.
Techmoan is one of those I'm just... ehhhhh, I'll watch his older videos but his newer ones aren't nearly as interesting. He'd probably do better to either gradually shift focus to other things or retire.
LGR used to be somewhat interesting, I liked the Goodwill videos. But somewhere along the line he's just turned into someone boring. Maybe that's a good thing...
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2017
I've not seen anyone mention Usagi Electric. Not really a cow, but he does wear his hair in a jewfro reminiscent of Terry's final days. He's a minicomputer sperg as well as vacuum tube enthusiast.
He is even fluent in Japanese.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2019
dayum, the grognard version of a weeb. didn't see that coming (from the comments his parents set up with a homestay in japan right after highschool to get him back on track, explains the fluency). also anyone with bunnys as pet must be pretty chill.
as for the jewfro, got a mate with the same hair. as long as you didn't lose the genetic lottery where nature already steals half of your hair and you shave off the rest to not look like gargamel from the smurfs might as well grow it out.
after the look mom videos the google algorithm decided I might be interested in more britbong retro guys, interestingly they also have a museum/exhibit to check stuff out: