Retro Thing

IBM 5100 Portable Computer - The first IBM PC

Ain't she a beauty? You're admiring IBM's first microcomputer, released in late 1975. The featherweight (it tipped the scales at a mere 55 lbs) Model 5100 was marketed as a portable, thanks to an optional carrying case. It was based on a 16-bit processor module dubbed the PALM which featured no less than 15 discrete chips, and the machine was available with between 16 and 64 KB of main memory (at a cost of $8,975 to $19,795). Two programming languages were available: BASIC and APL.

I imagine this svelte little beast must have set the research world on its ear by integrating a 5-inch monochrome CRT, computer, keyboard and 200K DC33 tape storage unit in a compact case. Still, it was far too expensive for casual hobbyists, who would have to wait another couple of years for mass market "home" machines like the Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I, the Commodore PET and the Apple II to ignite the microcomputer revolution.

IBM 5100 Portable Computer [IBM Archives]

Zanbot 3 - Die-Cast Toys

You know how there are those certain playthings that you're really sentimental over?  This is one of mine.  Perhaps a missile firing robot isn't a typical winsome image, but this guy is for me.  There isn't a lot of info on Zanbot 3 on the internet, but it was a Japanese anime series from the late 70's.   When sniffing around to learn more about these toys I've gotten the impression that they may be worth a few bucks (if you've got any info, please post it in the comments section), but these are among the few things I will never, ever sell.

It's not because I'm a crazy fan of the program (entitled "Invincible Super Man Zanbot 3" to be precise) - in fact I've never seen it.  Since the late 70's I've have two of the three "space base" toys, and they combine into two-thirds of a mega-vehicle.  Hopefully we'll be okay if we ever have to fight with two-thirds of Voltron. 

Also great is that each space-base actually shoots a missile.  Zanbot came out before the 1979 ruling that forbad toys that shot missiles small enough to choke a child.  So it looks like I had my robo-fun just in time, but that's still not why I'm hanging on to Zanbot.

HP Launches 35th Anniversary Retro Calculator

Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP 35 -- the first handheld scientific calculator -- on February 1st 1972. It carried a list price of $395 and cemented HP's position at the forefront of the calculator business for decades to come. Thirty five years later, they're back with the HP 35s -- a $59.99 retro-styled handheld that will be available in August:

"The HP 35s pays tribute to its revered lineage with a classic design that is reminiscent of the original HP 35, including protective raised edges so that the calculator rests nicely in the palm of one’s hand.

The new calculator is also HP’s most advanced scientific programmable calculator, featuring ample memory for keystroke programming, equation solving and more than 800 storage registers; 100 built-in functions; and a large, two-line display with adjustable contrast to easily view entries.

For greater flexibility, the HP 35s allows users to easily switch between Reverse Polish Notation (RPN), HP’s exclusive time-saving input mode, and the traditional algebraic mode. In addition, the HP 35s comes with a premium zippered protective pouch."

It's easy to forget how revolutionary the original HP 35 was - it offered a whopping 15-digit LED display and could handle trig and exponential functions at a time when competitors were restricted to the 4 standard algebraic functions. The market for such a complicated handheld was completely untested, and HP was stunned to sell more than 300,000 units by the time it was discontinued in 1975. Useless Calculator Trivia: Bill Hewlett suggested naming it the "HP 35" because it had 35 keys. The new version has 43.

Retro HP 35s Launched to Commemorate 35th Anniversary of First HP Handheld Calculator
HP 35s Scientific Calculator product page

Atari 2600 Games We'd Like To See

There's a long standing rule of thumb among video game enthusiasts; that movie tie-in games tend to generate a tremendous suckage field i.e. they're rather bad  In fact, an early movie property based game is blamed for downing the entire video game industry - Atari's infamous E.T.  I can partially understand why the movie-based games suffer.  They are often rushed out the door (in the case of E.T.) to be finished in time for the movie's premiere. Or perhaps games don't capture the cinema experience that well?

Even today when you can have clips from the actual movie integrated into the game, the gameplay doesn't  seem to stand up to close scrutiny.  Is it that movies are a linear story-telling experience, while current games are more of an evolving exploratory experience?  Perhaps the two media are divergent enough that getting the mix right is just hard.

Nevertheless "Atariboy2600" has created some brilliant and authentic-looking label art for classic 1970's games that never existed.  Below I've linked to the rest of the images over at the friendly confines of the Atari Age forum.  Seeing so many 70's films depicted as Atari 2600 cartridge labels will make you wonder how many of these ideas were actually discussed by Atari at some point.

Visit Atari Age to see MORE of these labels

The Making of Star Wars

George Lucas has rehashed Star Wars more times than I'd care to count: The groundbreaking 1977 original, the remastered 1997 theatrical release (I admit to seeing it on the first night), and the 2004 restoration / reimagining. Each time, the legends surrounding the film grow and people's memories become more and more clouded. What was wrong with Han shooting first, anyway? It's what one would expect from a ruthless mercenary.

J.W. Rinzler's The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film cuts through the myths and time-worn memories in an attempt to tell the true story behind this seminal sci-fi epic. The hardcover version runs 372 pages and outlines how a tale about "Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo evolved into the battle of good vs. evil that we know so well.

It's stunning to realize that 30 years have passed since a young George Lucas took on more than he could chew and pulled off a cinematic miracle. Some have argued that the book focuses too heavily on Lucas, but that is probably because it is impossible to imagine the Star Wars franchise without him. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some wamp rats to hunt on my uncle's moisture farm...

"Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon."

The Making of Star Wars [April 2007, Del Ray]

AdLib Sound Card: The PC finds its voice

Early IBM PC games were like bad silent movies.

Most PC clones shipped with a monochrome display card or a dismal CGA graphics card that generated four hideous pastel shades. When it came to generating sound, the PC was limited to pathetic bleeps from a tinny internal speaker. There was no comparison to "gaming" machines like the Commodore 64, which offered a custom graphics chip and programmable three-channel analog audio synthesizer.

Unbelievably, the silent era continued until the late 1980s. Everything changed when Martin Prevel, a university professor in Quebec, created a low cost ISA card featuring a 9-voice Yamaha YM3812 FM synthesis sound chip in 1987. Suddenly, the PC could sing. The only problem was that no one was at all interested.

Everything changed when Sierra Online began adding AdLib support to their titles, which included the Massively popular King's Quest (over 3 million copies sold). Within a year, the AdLib card was everywhere. Unfortunately, its success was short lived. A tiny Singapore-based company called Creative quickly supplanted AdLib by releasing the SoundBlaster, which offered an 11-voice FM synth chip along with a single PCM sample playback channel to generate "real" sounds. AdLib was forced into bankruptcy in 1992 when their upgraded AdLib Gold card failed to grab market share.

Check out AdLib's 1990 catalog

Marvelously Minuscule Minolta Mini-35 Slide Projector

LCD projectors are getting smaller and smaller. There are even some that are darn near pocket sized.  While the diminutive units don't always have the throw of their larger brothers, there's a lot to be said for portable projection. Instead of everyone crowding around the tiny screen of your portable video player, you can just whip out one of these tiny LCD projectors out of your backpack so all your friends can see the show.

But what if you're a retro kook like me, and have a pocket full of 35mm slides to share? The Minolta Mini-35 is here to prove that there are no new ideas under the sun. Check out the Mini-35, a highly miniaturized jet-age slide projector, along with its femme-y little carrying bag.

AK-47 assault rifle celebrates 60th birthday, eligible for senior's discount...

The notorious Soviet AK-47 assault rifle very nearly didn't happen. It was the brainchild of self-taught designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. He was a promising young apprentice railway engineer when called up for military service in 1938. While in the Red Army, he created several useful mechanical devices including a shell counter for tank cannons.

His counting device led to a fateful encounter with the German Army that almost killed him.

The Second Porsche Sports Car

The beautiful Porsche 356 was designed by Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche, the son of the VW Beetle designer by the same name. It remained in production for 27 years (1948-1965) and over 75,000 were produced in both coupe and cabriolet variants, including the famed Speedster model. The car's liquid lines have graced such, uh, classic films as Top Gun and Doc Hollywood. But lets not hold that against it.

The original 356 borrowed engine, chassis and suspension components from the VW Beetle. In fact, there were only 4 Porsche 356s manufactured during 1948. They featured handmade aluminum bodies and were the only 356s to have the engine mounted in front of the rear axle. Unlike today's 500 HP ubercars, it was equipped with a 1.1L engine that put out a meager 40 HP. The factory moved to Stuttgart in 1950 and the famed Speedster debuted in 1954. It offered a shortened windshield and only the essential accessories. It arrived in the USA with a recommended price of $2,995. A legend was born.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what the first Porsche was, it was the VW Aerocoupe, also known as the Porsche 64. It's considered by many to be the first "real" car from Porsche. Three were built in the late 1930s, and only one exists today. [the image is of Bertrand Picard's Pascha Red 356 Coupe, which was beautifully restored in 1994.]

Porsche 356 Registry: The world's oldest & largest 356 club

Related:
Retro Thing's Top 20 Retro Cars
The Forgotten Porsche

The Bolex Bible

Shopping for a Bolex 16mm movie camera can be confusing, which makes Andrew Alden's £15 Bolex Bible an essential aid. You can pick up an early model H16 for a few hundred dollars, while a shiny new SBM will set you back around $4,400 plus the cost of a decent lens. Alden's book explains what the differences are, and what features you should look for when hunting for your dream camera. The £15 spiral bound book features 100 fact-filled A4-size pages and dozens of black & white photos that give an overview of the H16 body, lenses, motors and accessories. There's even a brief section on loading film.

The Bolex H16 is one of the most popular 16mm movie cameras ever made. The original H16 was introduced in 1935 and the modern spring-operated SBM model can still be purchased new. Bolex cameras remain extremely popular among film students and experimental filmmakers, because they're capable of capturing images that put sterile "High-Def" camcorders to shame. It's even possible to convert vintage cameras to shoot modern widescreen Super 16mm format.

By the way, Alden also runs the Bolex.co.uk site and offers a range of second-hand outfits at prices ranging from £450 ($900) to £1100 ($2200). If that's out of your price range, you could just pick up one of his basic black Bolex t-shirts and pretend. I won't tell.

The Bolex Bible

R.I.P. Boots Randolph 1927-2007 - Composer of "Yakety Sax"

Saxophonist Boots Randolph passed away a few days ago.  While he made a career of playing with the likes of Roy Orbison and brass-man Al Hirt, the world will forever remember his 1963 instrumental novelty hit "Yakety Sax".

Even if you don't recognize his hit single by name, you likely know it very well - especially if you've ever seen more than five minutes of The Benny Hill Show.  Hill would often drop "Yakety Sax" into his frenetic silent movie-like sketches, and very frequently used the tune as his closing music while being chased by barely dressed lovelies.

Thanks for everything, Boots - I'll never look at a parade of fast-moving nurses without thinking of you.

Wonderful YouTube tribute, performed only using hands (and a lot of man jewelry)

"Yakety Sax" again, but this time accompanying a shrimp on a treadmill

For Sale: Dracula's Castle

While we normally resist reducing our little website to a realty listing, this little chateau claims a special history.  It was once home to Dracula.

Ok, not Dracula exactly... really it was home to Vlad the Impaler who inspired the vampire of the Dracula novel.  And when I say "home to Vlad the Impaler", really I mean that he stayed at Bran Castle for a while... and when I say "for a while", I mean one night.  That fact is also highly disputed.

My realtor pitch isn't going exactly well here...

Let's stick to the facts.  The castle was built in the 14th century to thwart Ottoman hordes.  More recently the royal family lived there from the 20's to the late 40's when the castle was seized by Communists.  The castle underwent a restoration in the 80's, was returned to Archduke Dominic Habsburg in 2006, and is available to you for an expected $135 million.

If you do buy this castle thanks to our realty tip, we'd love it if you could fly us over to hang out some October evening.  I'm already imagining your larder stocked with endless Romanian delicacies.  I just hope that it doesn't clash with my special dietary needs.  You see, I never drink... wine.

Bran Castle's official website

The Retro Thing Bestseller List

Welcome to the first ever Retro Thing Bestseller List. It's our chance to reveal the books, gadgets, music and DVDs that you - our faithful readers - have purchased since the beginning of the year.

We're able to get a sneak peak into our reader's tastes when they click on one of our links to the Amazon online store. We don't get exact details on what individuals buy, but the overall information is interesting and gives a great idea of what's popular.

By the way, when you make a purchase at Amazon after clicking one of these links we get a small commission that helps us to improve Retro Thing (updating the design, running giveaways, and so on). We really appreciate your support.

Books

1. The Dangerous Book for Boys
2. Turntable Illusions: Kinetic Optical Illusions for Your Record Turntable
3. The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification
4. Core Memory: A Visual Survey of Vintage Computers

Gadgets & Gizmos

1. Sonic Impact 5066 15-Watt Portable Class-T Digital Audio Amplifier
2. Kodak Black & White Single Use Camera
3. Seagull GC-104 Medium Format Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) Camera
4. NHJ Wristwatch Television

Toys & Games

1. Arcade Legends SEGA Genesis 2
2. Tomy Atomic Pinball
3. Commodore 64: 30 Games in One Joystick
4. Stikfas Mechana Segmented Robot with Bear

DVDs & Music

1. 8-Bit Operators - An 8-Bit Tribute to Kraftwerk
2. Cult Classics 20 Movie Pack
3. Suspense Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection
4. Doctor Who - Genesis of the Daleks

Past Presidents Immortalized As Avon Aftershave

It's Independence Day as I write this, and here in the USA we have a lot of oddball ways of celebrating the history of our country.  In the last few years, USA kitsch has been coming on like gangbusters.  Before that it took an event like the Bicentennial to bring on the bushels of tributes to Americana.

These 7 inch busts are of presidents, and uh... Ben Franklin (the only President of the United States that's never been President of the United States...).  You twist their heads off and then dribble on some Wild Country aftershave and pretend that you smell better.

Dating back to 1977, the aftershave in the heads of these presidents still smells pretty good.  I don't know how much of the original essence has evaporated, but I could see still using this sweet smelling stuff after one of my typical abortive attempts at shaving. 

Avon missed the boat though.  It would be better if the different presidents had cologne that matched their character.  Washington could be cherry blossoms (remember the cherry tree?  Not too manly tho...), Roosevelt would be some sort of musky smell to honor the teddy bear incident, and Jefferson could perhaps smell of Mulberries (I'll let you look that one up yourselves...) or maybe capture the aroma of a nice pile of shiny nickels.

I'm not sure what Ben Franklin's signature scent could be, but let's remember he did write a book entitled "Fart Proudly" - so perhaps it's not that hard to imagine.  God Bless America.

Plastic Presidents - one of Retro Thing's most popular posts!

Retro Videogame TV Commercials

Here are some vintage TV commercials that show how the gaming giants of the early 1980s marketed their wares to the great unwashed masses.

Atari VCS (1977)

We'll start things off with a bunch of decidedly twitchy Atari VCS users, circa 1981. They must have been caffeinating the water in this neighborhood.