Some few interesting computers here. I already knew a computer in a book. But this Seiko computer with watch is weird.
https://media.cybernews.com/2021/04/Seiko-1024x768.jpg
https://cybernews.com/editorial/designers-gone-wild-most-bizarre-functioning-computers/
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Some real oddities there. There’s the kitchen computer too (which might have been a one-off marketing gimmick rather than a product)
(As mentioned previously, as it turns out:
Before the iPad, There Was the Honeywell Kitchen Computer
)
Maybe not a bizarre oddity but I always wanted a computer in a folio like case.
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Very wild… I can’t make it out from the images on the wikipedia page… but a linked page shows enough configurations for me to get a better idea:
The notebook part of the 5.5 pound TransNote consists of a standard 8-1/2x11 paper notepad sitting on top of an electronic digitizer. A special pen lets you write on it just as if you wrote with a ballpoint pen on a regular notepad, which, in fact, is exactly what you’re doing. But the pen’s electronic signal is also captured by the digitizer and saved in the notepad electronics. The pad side also has its own menu controls that let you do things with the ink. This entire electronic pad part is called the “ThinkScribe.”
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This is one of my ebay tragedies: there was once one listed in great shape, even with the original paper supply. Somehow, I wasn’t available and the auction went by without a bid from my side. There wasn’t much interest and it went for cheap, never saw one listed again. – Would have been fascinating to explore this a bit more thoroughly.
Another interesting portable computer design.
Someone upgraded the in-place display to a much better VGA screen.
Seeing some of these flat, tablet-like computers, I am reminded of this perhaps-not-quite-retro-yet “laptop”:
I always found the ACT Apricot Portable (1984) interesting. (I don’t think, I have ever seen one in person, though.)
(Image: Obsolete Tears.)
(Image: Old-Computers.com)
The machine was also remarkable for its features: Allegedly, it was the first machine with a 25-rows LCD display (however, in 1984, there was also the Data General One and some of the GRID Compass machines came with LCDs) and came with a wireless keyboard, a separate trackball and built-in voice recognition (which seems to have never worked that great).
More info & images at: http://vintagecomputers.square7.ch/neue_datei7.html
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Also not to be missed in this conext, the Ampère WS-1, an APL-based 68000 portable from 1985, famously designed by one of the designers of the iconic Datsun 240Z.
Jamel Tayeb had recently a nice article on the WS-1 on his blog:
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Not to be forgotten, the Holborn computers (1979–1983) with their organic consoles designed by Vos Industrial Designers — the Computer Space of early business systems.
Here the Holborn 9100 from 1981:
More info:
Edit: Ah, I see, it’s already in the article linked in the original post. Well…
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Looks like ET turned into a computer.
I always adored the PC110 which was an amazing thinkpad shrink to pocket size computer, fax, phone handset, PC. It was beautifully engineered.
I don’t remember the Apricot Portable striking me as odd when I first saw it. Aside from the separate keyboard there were a load of similar form factor devices like the Amstrad NC200 around at that point.
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