As I write this post on a laptop that can edit video...I think back to not so long ago when computer life was a little different. Check out the ad to the right :-)
The year...1989
Radio Shack was selling IBM compatible computers that ran DOS. The non-DOS Tandy computers were on the way out and a new era of compatibility was on the way. Well you could chose to run OS2 or Xenix...but DOS eventually won out for the desktop.
Look at this "incredible value." $8499 for a smokin hot desktop! Monitor and mouse not included :-)
Anyway, lets look at what you can buy at the ol' Shack today vs. then.
Tandy 5000 Desktop -----Toshiba A105 Laptop
$8499.00 -----------------$599.99
20MHz -------------------400MHz
2 MB RAM ---------------512 MB RAM
640x480 resolution -------1280x800 resolution
Hard Drive? NO! ---------40GB Hard Drive
CD/DVD Drive? NO! -----24x CD-RW/DVD-ROM
Monitor? NO! ------------Monitor 15 inch
Mouse? NO! --------------Touchpad
I think we are on the better end of things now...but it is amazing to me that $8500 was a "great deal" for a computer that had less horsepower than many of today's calculators. Imagine what we will be blogging about 17 years from now. The laptop below will be archaic in the future...I can't wait to find out what replaces it.
