Top Of Silicium
This small chapter will present you some of the most significant machines we
have in the collection
Our prefered computers
There are only french machines. We are not responsible for the french
computer makers to all be in the museum !
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FB : Goupil
Club
Its shaping, its seperate keyboard are nice. Black and steel,
it has a great class. It was cool, it was expensive. This first handheld by
Goupil is based on the Kaypro model 2000. But of course It is more fun in its
french look. |
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DJ : Société Occitane OC
5000
The videogame from the 70's : Rounded angles option that will lead to bio design.
Groovy colors, yellow ochre, sienna and black highlighted with a multilingual
serie of icon, in a sporty theme. There's even a gun. |
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RS : Brandt
Jopac
The space style directly from Cosmos 1999. JoPac colors are metal grey and
light grey with a little touch of color. The machine has a very simple
shape that look post-bio-design (see above). The sensitive keyboard brings
this "Ordinateur de jeu" (computer
gaming machine) to the avant-garde of modern gaming. |
Kamarade Fabrice has no opinion. It's a shame.
Significant
acquisitions
The very first : Hewlett
Packard 85, given by Bruno Vergnes.
This machine was given to us a few years before the association was legaly
formed. In 1989, this computer has set the idea for a computer museum. At that
time, the dream machines were Atari ST and Amiga 1000, PC were only for office.
The fifteenth : Philips
VG 5000µ, given by Didier Delcasse
Another friend that bought a useless computer. He gave it to us with no
problem, he never used it...
The hundred one : Léanord Sil’z III,
given by Jean Pierre Caubet
Given in May 1997, this big CP/M was still working in 1996. It was managing some
heavy printer !
The two hundred one : Amstrad
6128plus
In december 1997, we exceed the goal of the plan and our hopes : 200 machines
with just 20 doubles. This nice Amstrad
6128+ is a complete computer with its screen and few original games. Dated
1990, he follows the style of that period, based on the famous duestists Amigatari.
The three hundred one : Commodore
PET 4016-N, given by Gilles Freyche
In september 1998, we have received the first PET. It is not the original and
famous 2001, but this one is still a cool pyramid.
The four hundred one : Apple
//gs,
given by Manuel Sanchez
Manuel got us a pair of Apple //gs. One doesn't work but the other is perfect.
We also appreciated the hard drives, rare for this computer : a 20Mb Apple SCSI
and a 10 Mb Microapplication.
The five hundred one : EACA Video
Genie, given by Jean-CLaude Pages
Superb machine with wooden sides. It has a few tapes and work well,
despite its modest capabilities.
We're on the way of a hundred machines. Decision is taken to limit space and
try to choose small calculators ...
Des machines too much
This section is a bit subjective. These chosen machines have all interest.
The more beautifull : Canon X-07
Another interesting space looking computer in the Star Wars style. X07 is still
not rifdiculous. Canon even made an infrared coupler for a serial printer.
Useless but d'avant-garde...
the ugliest : Apple III
Its choice of colors is almost military : dirty yellow ochre and khaki. Its system,
the S.O.S. is not compatible with Apple //. You needed a boot disk, with no
insurances to work.
You can stack 5 Mb " Profiles " hard drives to create a
monument. Ugly but solid. Apple //e crackers appreciated it well with its RAM
copied BIOS.. Another story
The plus
bigger :
ISTC 5000, more than 25 Kg of steel
I'm wondering if this machine is not uglier than the Apple ///. This big CP/M
weights almost 30 Kg. We've picked it up from a skip. All is made of steel, the
keyboard weights 5 Kg ! Note that we didn't choose a mini computer, some are
even bigger.
The smallest : Atari
Portfolio
One of the first laptop with MS-DOS, but far from Windows CE. Made with Atari's
quality, of weak plastic. Sharp made smaller machines, but this one is really
cool.
the biggest rip-off :
Matra Alice
This one have a special mention. At the time of french school plan "Informatique pour
tous", Matra had the feeling to produce the Tandy MC10 to spread it to many
schools. Nothing appended. No softs, no extensions, a sad BASIC....
The nil engine : Sinclair PC 200
Take an cheap Amstrad PC1512. Put it in a case like those for the succesfull Atari ST
or Amiga 500, a little bigger of course. Paint it black to make it techno. There
you get an PC200, a big piece of shit. Where can i put my ISA cards ? under the
trap ! But you'd better go and buy yourself an Amiga 500 !
The most popular : Sinclair ZX 81
Do you remember when this machine was sold in kit for 590F ? That was really
democratic ! And we loved those many homebrew extensions, customizations.
The biggest fiasco :
Exelvision
Exelvision was born with many innovative concepts. Wireless keyboards
and joysticks, speech synthetizer, etc... But on the software side, nothing.
Just the famous Tennis game. That's not enough to make the EXL-100 shine.
Exelvision was a forerunner.
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