Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
High Quality Turntables That Don't Resort To Laser Trickery
By James Grahame
There has been a flurry of interest in the ELP laser turntable recently. This $15,000 device plays vinyl using a laser. It's been on the market for a number of years, so I'm not sure why it's suddenly generating attention. As far as I'm concerned, it has a fatal flaw: laser technology requires an astoundingly clean record, because there's no mechanical stylus to snowplow dust out of the way. This means that every fleck of dirt and hair is reproduced in pristine stereo -- not exactly a pleasurable experience.
There are some fantastic traditional turntables available for a fraction of the price. The Italian-made Bluenote Bellagio (above) is a stylish example of a top-of-the-line Reference turntable. The platter is suspended on hardened stainless steel springs, and rumble is an impressive -83 dB; approaching silence. Besides, it looks amazing. The price? A mere $5,995.
Bluenote Bellagio Reference Turntable [The company is now Goldenote, with a slightly different lineup]
