Exploring the Sierra On-Line "Super-Junior" Computer

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  • Опубліковано 25 лип 2019
  • While diving into the Computer Reset warehouse, this oddly-configured IBM PCjr stood out from the crowd. Because Sierra Online! Yep, turns out this is the "Ken Williams Super-Junior," used by Sierra QA in 1989.
    ● Download an archive of the HDD contents here:
    archive.org/details/sierra-su...
    ● LGR links:
    / lazygamereviews
    / lazygamereviews
    / lazygamereviews
    ● Music courtesy of:
    www.epidemicsound.com
    #LGR #IBM #PCjr
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,5 тис.

  • @LGR
    @LGR  4 роки тому +1435

    Turns out all those ICEMANSG.* files are just savegames! I initially assumed they were something more interesting since they were ~40KB each, but I guess not haha. Seems the game just creates some pretty beefy save files. Still, it's neat to have a bunch of old saves from the Sierra QA department though.

    • @CadetKosmov
      @CadetKosmov 4 роки тому +138

      Maybe you can use some tool to search for deleted files?

    • @leandrocosta3709
      @leandrocosta3709 4 роки тому +100

      That was some nice bit of data archeology right there. It had it all. Drama, danger and excitement, and I do feel extra nerdy when I typed that in lol. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    • @texaswilliam
      @texaswilliam 4 роки тому +42

      @@leandrocosta3709 Don't forget the magic smoke!

    • @Cooe.
      @Cooe. 4 роки тому +108

      Upload that version of Codename: ICEMAN! Could be an early beta! Also Ken William's OWN PCjr... O___________O Holy.... Freaking... Shiat. You literally just dug up a golden piece of computer history out of a dirty (but AWESOME) warehouse in Texas...

    • @jaybrooks1098
      @jaybrooks1098 4 роки тому +12

      I had one of those drives on my bbs

  • @ContraryToPopularBelief
    @ContraryToPopularBelief 4 роки тому +1872

    We're watching literal computer archaeology.

    • @oldfrend
      @oldfrend 4 роки тому +56

      shoulda worn a fedora and a bullwhip. you know, just in case.

    • @Doobie3010
      @Doobie3010 4 роки тому +16

      Well i`m "digging" it! Get my coat...

    • @hipwave
      @hipwave 4 роки тому +10

      the Antikythera mechanism is archaeology...

    • @Doobie3010
      @Doobie3010 4 роки тому +6

      @@hipwave All human history is archaeology.

    • @larrylaffer3246
      @larrylaffer3246 4 роки тому +27

      It belongs in a museum!

  • @_Synthesize_Me_
    @_Synthesize_Me_ 4 роки тому +668

    “Ken Williams modified Super-Junior”
    When I saw that I nearly crapped my pants.

    • @ItsJones
      @ItsJones 4 роки тому +17

      As soon as i saw that name i googled it... holy shit!

    • @afederdk
      @afederdk 4 роки тому +27

      Same. I remember reading about Ken and Roberta in the user manuals that came with the classic Sierra games.

    • @nateg452
      @nateg452 4 роки тому +11

      Right I wouldn't even be mad if he used this in his title. I can see this getting so many more views.

    • @MultiTelan
      @MultiTelan 4 роки тому +4

      Talk about his luck getting that drive, eh?

    • @anishaidarali6659
      @anishaidarali6659 4 роки тому +1

      Not to be confused with a South Korean boyband named Super Junior.

  • @Logan912
    @Logan912 4 роки тому +705

    Leave it to LGR to complete a 30-year-old work order for friggin' Sierra On-Line!

    • @TheEmeraldMenOfficial
      @TheEmeraldMenOfficial 4 роки тому +55

      And for Ken Williams, no less.

    • @agbook2007
      @agbook2007 4 роки тому +16

      A small, glorious world indeed! 👍

    • @PicaDelphon
      @PicaDelphon 3 роки тому +2

      @SteelRodent And maybe Allow LGR to Re-Write the Game..

  • @atticbear5098
    @atticbear5098 4 роки тому +391

    That sudden, happy panic when you realized it booted up and you needed to copy everything off before it failed was the best part of my day.

    • @AntiPseudo
      @AntiPseudo 4 роки тому +32

      I'm so used to seeing people with retro systems modded to have SDcards or other modern storage systems that when he managed to list the contents of the HDD I immediately thought "Oh crap, how can he copy this stuff off there?", completely forgetting floppies were an option.

    • @brooksrownd2275
      @brooksrownd2275 4 роки тому +27

      I started screaming at the screen "BACKUPS! BACKUPS! MAKE BACKUPS DAMMIT BEFORE SHE BLOWS!!!!"

    • @loupgarou1317
      @loupgarou1317 4 роки тому +22

      yep , had a old compac pc do the "not booting" thing and a buddy I knew took the hard drive and slapped the top of the drive like one would slap the "sense" back into someone, and IT BOOTED, then told me the same thing..."copy EVERYTHING you want to keep SOON".....

  • @JohnKelly2
    @JohnKelly2 4 роки тому +440

    My 44 year old self literally squeed when that Ken Williams message popped up!
    Thanks to you and everyone involved in preserving the history at Computer Reset.

    • @MurrayDagostino
      @MurrayDagostino 4 роки тому +21

      I paused the video to read the message a couple of times, that was just awesome to read.

    • @troymitchell8431
      @troymitchell8431 4 роки тому +3

      I'm roughly your age as well. I was speechless. Brings a tear to the eyes. Thank you Clint

    • @nimblenavigator9520
      @nimblenavigator9520 2 роки тому

      I'm a greying 30 year old man, but when I saw that Ken Williams boot message I started fanning myself like an old lady at a church revival. I know the feeling!

  • @soHatey
    @soHatey 4 роки тому +521

    So when i can't sleep i think about every stupid thing i've done in the past and worry about the future. Clint thinks about computers.

    • @ayitsyaboi
      @ayitsyaboi 4 роки тому +5

      Same.

    • @teleman07
      @teleman07 4 роки тому +7

      Thats healthy normal human behavior. People who tend to ignore the stupid things they have done and dont worry about their future and only dabble in what they are obsessed at the moment when trying to sleep usually turn up famous, infamous or dead...

    • @Vintersemestre00
      @Vintersemestre00 4 роки тому +9

      @@teleman07 Yes. Definitely very human activity done by human people, like me, a person.

    • @adamkatt
      @adamkatt 4 роки тому

      i do the same shit micke, think about stuff i can never fix... as avgn would say... you know whats BULLSHIT......

    • @wizzel22
      @wizzel22 4 роки тому +1

      Me thinking about playing Driller and all of the Sierra Games from my childhood on my CGA 5150 again. One can dream...

  • @cabokenw
    @cabokenw 4 роки тому +384

    Awesome! What an amazing piece of history that is. Thanks for bringing it back to life. Watching it made me feel SO old... (sigh)

    • @JustWasted3HoursHere
      @JustWasted3HoursHere 4 роки тому +14

      Got to say, Space Quest is still, after all these years, one of my favorite computers games ever.
      - Roger Wilco

    • @businesswolle666official
      @businesswolle666official 4 роки тому +13

      Your games will live forever man.

    • @Featherogue
      @Featherogue 4 роки тому +4

      :OOOOOOO

    • @MondySpartan
      @MondySpartan 3 роки тому +9

      The man, the legend!

    • @thunderfox53
      @thunderfox53 3 роки тому +12

      Don't think of yourself as old...think of yourself as vintage 😀

  • @ChaosEmerald85
    @ChaosEmerald85 4 роки тому +688

    Wow the Sierra QA department, that means it'll hardly have been used!

    • @kb9khm
      @kb9khm 4 роки тому +26

      ChaosEmerald85 I see what you did there! 😁

    • @StarLiteNL
      @StarLiteNL 4 роки тому +86

      Maybe he should give it to Bethesda, they can use since better QA equipment 😋

    • @soHatey
      @soHatey 4 роки тому +3

      Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

    • @TorutheRedFox
      @TorutheRedFox 4 роки тому +17

      if only Sonic Team had this back in 2006

    • @wolfgangervin2582
      @wolfgangervin2582 4 роки тому +7

      @@TorutheRedFox or better yet, actually having enough staff or time to even use a QA terminal.

  • @dross1705
    @dross1705 4 роки тому +586

    When the drive started to work, I got really excited O_O

    • @hipwave
      @hipwave 4 роки тому +8

      that gave me a boner

    • @JaapioNL
      @JaapioNL 4 роки тому +10

      I was ready to see an unreleased game being discovered here 😃

    • @dvdemon187
      @dvdemon187 4 роки тому +5

      Yeah, me too. Considering how old this thing is and how 'well' it was stored it is a miracle it really booted up.

    • @Keirnoth
      @Keirnoth 4 роки тому +4

      The fact he resurrected a piece of history that is extremely rare is what makes this amazing. Clint must have some crazy rare stuff now.

    • @zxcbvnm90
      @zxcbvnm90 4 роки тому +2

      The whole channel got excited at that moment.

  • @Bighappykitty
    @Bighappykitty 4 роки тому +82

    Watching you furiously try and copy all the information off that drive before it died was awesome, like something out of an early 90's spy movie.

  • @thepuzzlemaster64
    @thepuzzlemaster64 4 роки тому +219

    WOW! First time I've heard a HDD sound like an old snowmobile.
    I was on the edge of my seat when you were copying those files.

    • @nickwallette6201
      @nickwallette6201 4 роки тому +50

      Pretty sure it only worked due to the collective will of a thousand LGR viewers holding their breath and hoping...

    • @YAUUN
      @YAUUN 4 роки тому +5

      Honestly, It reminds me of the sounds that the IBM DeathStar drives used to make.

    • @Tris289
      @Tris289 4 роки тому +5

      @@YAUUN Those tandon drives were actually garbage... What you were hearing was probably the spindle motor giving it's best, and last moments

    • @marccaselle8108
      @marccaselle8108 Рік тому

      @@YAUUN lol IBM death star ha!

  • @kpanic23
    @kpanic23 4 роки тому +369

    Hey Clint!
    The hard disk didn't work on your AT because on those ST506/ST412-style hard disks the controller and drive become one unit during low-level formatting. The only way to use a drive with a different controller is by doing another low-level format. Every controller uses a slightly different format, hence they are not compatible with each other. It might work with a different controller from the same manufacturer, but chances are slim when any kind of virtual configuration is used. For example, some newer 8bit Western Digital controllers using the WD SuperBios save the drive geometry on the drive, reducing the number of usable cylinders by 1. This is needed, because on an XT-class machine, there's no CMOS setup to set the drive parameters, should they differ from the defaults.
    Western Digital by the way were the first to integrate the controller to the drive's PCB, eliminating the need to use low-level formatting to pair the controller and drive. The integrated controller is then connected directly to the system bus via a 40pin cable. These drives are called IDE drives (Integrated Drive Electronics) ;) Back then, they were only producing controllers and needed a drive manufacturing plant to realize their idea, so instead of developing own drives they simply bought a drive manufacturer: Tandon.
    The first IDE WD drives used exactly the same drive mechanics as the Tandon drive in this PCjr!

    • @isaakwelch3451
      @isaakwelch3451 4 роки тому +23

      That's an awesome history lesson. Thank you for taking the time to write it out

    • @kpanic23
      @kpanic23 4 роки тому +25

      @@isaakwelch3451 Thanks 😁
      I have a huge passion for old hard drives and try to keep as much information about them from getting lost as possible 😉

    • @comicdude1996
      @comicdude1996 4 роки тому +2

      So the only way that he could have mounted it was to wipe the hard drive.

    • @kpanic23
      @kpanic23 4 роки тому +11

      @@comicdude1996 Basically, yes. You can get lucky if you coincidentally use the same model of controller, but normally you have to low-level format the drive if you connect it to a different controller. See also: ua-cam.com/video/uWWNbpd56Xs/v-deo.html
      But today there are also MFM emulators, which are able to dump the raw data from the drive and try different encoding schemes to get access to the data: www.pdp8.net/mfm/mfm.shtml

    • @Vendolius
      @Vendolius 4 роки тому +2

      A low level format destroys everything on that drive.

  • @genx1144
    @genx1144 4 роки тому +336

    Me: Oh no, I hope the video doesn't end here.
    LGR: We're getting somewhere!
    Me: 16 mins left! Oh yea!!!

    • @StevenIngram
      @StevenIngram 4 роки тому +8

      Same here. :D

    • @beanshady
      @beanshady 4 роки тому +5

      Me too lol .. I checked the time and told myself there has to be more to this thank God :D

    • @Nano102488
      @Nano102488 4 роки тому +2

      Every other kid gamer youtuber: "Well guys I tried but it looks like it. just. doesn't work. Don't forget to like and subscribe and hit that bell icon and I'll see you in another video!" *END*
      LGR is seriously a youtube treasure.

  • @AzaTht
    @AzaTht 4 роки тому +1648

    Have you thought of running some sort of undelete command on that harddrive? perhaps there might exists some deleted stuff still readable.

  • @Noah-hd2je
    @Noah-hd2je 4 роки тому +67

    As a long time Sierra fan, that Ken Williams prompt was one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever seen.
    I also love how that prompt is exactly the kind of thing you would see if you activated a computer in some old adventure game.

    • @948320z
      @948320z 2 роки тому +1

      Yeah, that prompt was very Space Quest. And you'd try to figure out what it means to "park" a hard drive, then realizing you need to literally "park" it like a car or something.

  • @FuglyFatt
    @FuglyFatt 4 роки тому +103

    5:40 - That's a classic 'crank no start' sound on a car. It's either the fuel injectors or the spark plugs.

    • @DanPellegrino486
      @DanPellegrino486 4 роки тому +9

      It kinda sounds like an engine trying to turn over now that I go back. Choke might be stuck too.

  • @QuiltyExperience
    @QuiltyExperience 4 роки тому +522

    Maybe if you dig deep enough at Computer Reset you can find the Leisure Suit Larry 4 floppies.

    • @Charlesb88
      @Charlesb88 4 роки тому +38

      QuiltyExperience for anyone wondering about LSL 4 and what happened to it, here is the story. Originally, LSL 3 was originally to be the final game in the series but then Al Lowe the games creator at Sierra was convinced to a do a 4th game. What happened next has been given to explanation by Al h8 self. The first explanation was the the 4th game was to be a online game for the Sierra Online online game network, a failed experiment for them. When the version was scraped, he could it’s offline replacement LSL 5 as a joke. Another explanation is that he intended LSL 4 to always be an offline game and simply called is LSL 5 as joke, with the false rumor that the floppies to LSL 4 where lost. At least one of the original LSL series box sets makes reference to the LSL 4 lost floppies, continuing the joke but no such game ever existed, other LSL 5 which is really just LSL 4. sort of like how Windows 8 was followed by Windows 10 with no explanation as to what happened to Windows 9 and no logical reason anyone can come up with going directly to 10, other then maybe to give further separation from the much loathed Windows 8.

    • @joshwojcik6726
      @joshwojcik6726 4 роки тому +46

      @@Charlesb88 Actually I'm pretty sure they skipped Windows 9 because of legacy code which references Windows 9x, which was used for Windows 95, 98, and the like.

    • @Charlesb88
      @Charlesb88 4 роки тому +16

      Josh Wojcik I don’t believe anyone at MS has ever officially explained why they skipped the name Win 9 for Win 10, though I have heard your explanation posited before. While it’s possible that older software might mistake Windows 9 for aversion of Win9x due to pre-Win 10 software checking for Win 9x versions via code that looks for any version. Number starting with “Windows 9”, MS has never confirmed that (A supposed developer claiming to be from MS was the origin of this explanation, but his identity was never verified). Another theory was that it was skipped due to the number 9 being unlucky Japan, though Apple released Mac OS 9 in Japan in the late 90’s and IOS 9 in the 2010’s, both of which without Incident, which would seem to put this theory to rest. Mary Jo Foley, of All About Microsoft Fame (and the Windows Weekly podcast), wrote a piece where she claimed the reason was “they wanted to signify that the coming Windows release would be the last "major" Windows update.”. Microsoft any response to this question was the follow: “Why was Windows 9 called Windows 10? Because 7 8 9” 😆which is a take on the old joke “Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9.🤣” Outside of this dumb joke, MS has never officially stated stated a reason for skipping 9.

    • @jondorthebrinkinator
      @jondorthebrinkinator 4 роки тому +7

      @@Charlesb88 There's a much simpler explanation. Just look at the way LSL 3 ends. There's no way to write out of that corner. At least Space Quest 3 (which ends the same way) has the excuse of Sci Fi to get out of it. They just skipped number four and made it into a joke to cover the huge logic gap between the end of one game and the start of the next.

    • @CurtisWilliams0817
      @CurtisWilliams0817 4 роки тому

      @@joshwojcik6726 Correct

  • @MetalJesusRocks
    @MetalJesusRocks 4 роки тому +487

    This was before my time at Sierra but still an AMAZING FIND!

    • @singingtree9862
      @singingtree9862 4 роки тому +52

      You were an accountant at Sierra, not a fucking video game developer for them

    • @P0V3RTY09
      @P0V3RTY09 4 роки тому +119

      @@singingtree9862 Before talking smack, you might want to consider that back in the days of Sierra Online's popularity, employees did several jobs. Yes , Jason was originally hired as an accountant for their company. But he also did ( as others had ) perform a small role as tech support..answering trouble calls from customers if I am not mistaken. I think that your Cyber Muscle needs either a REBOOT or an Update...cause they definitely aren't doing anything for you .

    • @licentiousdreams
      @licentiousdreams 4 роки тому +21

      @@P0V3RTY09 I think he needs to delete muscle.exe cause it's doing nothing but causing issues for him.

    • @thecamelftw1381
      @thecamelftw1381 4 роки тому +8

      Man I heard of sierra and I thought of you mjr.

    • @281cu6
      @281cu6 4 роки тому +19

      @@singingtree9862 What are you?

  • @rpm773
    @rpm773 4 роки тому +60

    LGR just grabs a box of disks like it's nothing, but in reality he reached back into portal to 1990 to retrieve them.

  • @otakuribo
    @otakuribo 4 роки тому +105

    "I could make, like, a museum piece out of these."
    Dude! You have custom framing skills!

  • @TrackZero
    @TrackZero 4 роки тому +41

    "Ken Williams modified Super-Junior at your service", omg, that MOTD. I lost my mind. THANK YOU LGR!!!!

  • @erinwiebe7026
    @erinwiebe7026 4 роки тому +58

    Ken Williams' super PCjr! What a find!
    I'm restoring an Amiga 500 right now for the sole purpose of playing early Sierra games. I miss Sierra!

    • @rachel_sj
      @rachel_sj 4 роки тому

      Erin Wiebe I’d love to see you play those Sierra games on the Amiga 500. I’ve watched them on Steamtrain but it’d be cool to see the games played on computers built for them!

    • @NozomuYume
      @NozomuYume 4 роки тому +2

      Eh, the Amiga ports of Sierra games were pretty bleh. The 16-color AGI games aren't any better than the Tandy versions except for mouse support. The SCI games were cut down to fit 32-color max palette on OCS. The Paula music in SCI games isn't bad, but not as good as the Roland MT-32 audio (which, to Sierra's credit, they did include support for on the Amiga version).
      The only Sierra adventure that really does the Amiga justice is King's Quest VI, but that's because Revolution ported it to their Virtual Theatre engine. It's still not as good as the MS-DOS SCI version of KQ6 in VGA+MT32.

    • @selty
      @selty 4 роки тому

      NozomuYume 😑

    • @usernamunavailiable
      @usernamunavailiable 3 роки тому

      That's awesome my first computer was a PCjr back in 1986. My favorites were police quest and Kings Quest. Though I could never find King Trident. I would then get orders to Okinawa, and I would buy the Amiga 500 I bought in 1989. So amazing the evolution of the technology. Loved my Amy, it was so versatile.

  • @ThatOneGirlThatPlays
    @ThatOneGirlThatPlays 4 роки тому +73

    So the 512k version never got released? Bruh, sounds like you DID get the test model. Jackpot!

    • @scottcol23
      @scottcol23 3 роки тому +1

      That's what I thought too. But upon reading the blog, What they meant was there was a 128k and a 256k expansion card available and a 512k was in development. Not the machine itself. you can see the one Clint has has 2 256k boards (the bottom 2). If he had one open slot we would know he had a 512k board.

  • @uzivatel56
    @uzivatel56 4 роки тому +43

    16:16 "Welcome to the beautiful island of Tahiti"
    Dutch: *heavy breathing*

    • @alexm566
      @alexm566 4 роки тому +1

      context?

    • @uzivatel56
      @uzivatel56 4 роки тому +2

      @@alexm566 RDR2 memes died too quickly. "If you only had some GOD DAMN FAITH!!!" ua-cam.com/video/jKDfCZX9H5w/v-deo.html

    • @teknowil
      @teknowil 3 роки тому +1

      @@uzivatel56 i almost thought that said R2D2 lol

  • @Horzuhammer
    @Horzuhammer 4 роки тому +115

    4:48 _The green spacecraft below is another known source of 1701 errors:_
    Q'apla!

    • @trekaddict
      @trekaddict 4 роки тому +22

      But only the once. And it then helped fix the blue_whale_existence_failure_error.

    • @Otakunopodcast
      @Otakunopodcast 4 роки тому +10

      It is a good day for a hard drive to die.

    • @00Klingon
      @00Klingon 4 роки тому +6

      I resemble that remark.

    • @notsusan
      @notsusan 2 місяці тому

      @trekaddict uhhh HUMPBACK whales, smh

  • @rizz0d
    @rizz0d 4 роки тому +28

    WHOA! seeing ken's login message pop up made my heart drop. fixing up cool old computers is one thing, but this is on another level. great find.
    we all need to pitch in and buy Computer Reset as is and let Clint be the curator.

  • @BB-nn9en
    @BB-nn9en 4 роки тому +198

    If you contact Ken Williams I bet he'd do an interview with you.

    • @SwedishEmpire1700
      @SwedishEmpire1700 4 роки тому +32

      ...or demand his computer back.

    • @davidchappelle6393
      @davidchappelle6393 4 роки тому +45

      In the video it shows that he actually did contact Ken WIlliams and received a confirmation that this was his PCjr

    • @Sparky1002
      @Sparky1002 4 роки тому +17

      @@davidchappelle6393 on top of that he said the Pc jr would be worth a lot of Money by ken himself in the letter .. a Nice Piece of History ... how the PC Jr never ended back in Ken Williams hands is a Mystery ....

    • @thorrollosson
      @thorrollosson 4 роки тому +28

      Very cool indeed. If I had to guess given the context and the time this thing ended its service, it probably was long past being a priority or really all that relevant to Ken circa 1990 onwards. As we saw in the video, even this basic title was no longer truly playable even on an unreasonably upgraded Jr, so for Sierra in general, it had fulfilled its duties and was ready for the farm.
      Thankfully it was saved and preserved due to an amazing series of circumstances for our viewing pleasure and Clint's safe hands for safekeeping.
      It's humbling to think about the sheer volume of stuff that wasn't so lucky, and was long ago trashed/recycled/lost/destroyed.
      Like, imagine some of the ID PCs and NextBox stuff circa '91-'96ish. If any of those are out there, must be completely fascinating.
      I gotta say, along with speaking with Woz, watching LGR is some of the best warm fuzzies possible with the curiosity and nostalgia glow. I guess it helps me understand a handful of people feeling that way asking me stuff, though I feel I'm far FAR less noteworthy.

    • @jbfarley
      @jbfarley 4 роки тому

      @@Sparky1002 nobody picked it up, obviously

  • @JennerNuwen32
    @JennerNuwen32 4 роки тому +55

    As an old fan of Sierra I have to say this really made my day. I about lost it when I saw the name Ken Williams appear on the screen!

  • @TechnicolorMammoth
    @TechnicolorMammoth 4 роки тому +33

    7:53 I literally caught myself with my hands over my mouth, then Clint goes "my heart is still racing" AND being up till 4:22 in the morning working on computers. Haha...ahhh geeking out is really the best.

  • @Phenom98
    @Phenom98 4 роки тому +39

    5:45 You know something's wrong when your hard drive sounds like a 2-stroke engine...

    • @isaakwelch3451
      @isaakwelch3451 4 роки тому +4

      A 2 stroke that nobody ever mixed oil into

  • @LazerLord10
    @LazerLord10 4 роки тому +50

    Yeah, those class X caps are known for failing in a short circuit. As such, they probably blow the fuse (if there is any). I've had one blow on my oscilloscope.

  • @weirdotzero7065
    @weirdotzero7065 4 роки тому +68

    This is like the coolest find ever. I'm legit happy you found this.

  • @TechnicolorMammoth
    @TechnicolorMammoth 4 роки тому +9

    Wow, I knew there was some juicy bits from the Computer Reset mini haul Clint got, but this is absolute gold and absolutely historical in its way. And, this was rotting away to be forgotten and bulldozed before it was thankfully saved!
    *edit* Welp, Ken Williams confirms, this is definitely gold and definitely historical in more than its own way. Phenomenal save, Clint!

  • @spladam3845
    @spladam3845 4 роки тому +4

    When I saw "Ken Williams modified Super-Junior at your service" pop onto the screen... wow. This Computer Reset adventure was so worth it, this truly is PC archaeology. It gave me nostalgia goosebumps guys. Well done Clint, this is why we love this channel so much.

  • @debrataylor4206
    @debrataylor4206 4 роки тому +1

    Very cool! My husband and I may have actually seen that Jr. way back when. We ran the No Name RBBS, and Ken wanted to start up a bulletin board for SOL, so he invited our family up to their house in Corsegold. This was on New Year's Day either 1986/87. The Jr. had been out for a few years by then as our kids had been playing King's Quest on it. We had a great time visiting with Ken and Roberta and the two boys, and worked hard getting the bulletin board up. Before we left to come home, Ken took us on a tour of the offices, and sent us on our way with a copy of every program that they had published. Later, Ken would call and have my husband help him Alpha test an interactive helicopter flying program. If you hear from Ken again, tell him that the Taylor's from No Name RBBS say "hi".

  • @psychodeli
    @psychodeli 4 роки тому +24

    This was very cool. I remember the days of hand written letters from Ken in South Africa in the 80's. He is proper stand up guy!

  • @LonSeidman
    @LonSeidman 4 роки тому +54

    What a find! Love that it boots up with a note from Ken :)

  • @KasumiRINA
    @KasumiRINA 4 роки тому +11

    8:30 Computer: literally explodes, smoking.
    LGR: We're getting somewhere! XD

  • @teh_supar_hackr
    @teh_supar_hackr 4 роки тому +16

    Binini lady is my favourite character in Sierra adventure games! Right next to Shirt, and Wave!

  • @anotheruser9876
    @anotheruser9876 4 роки тому +19

    "He's dead, Jim"
    -Bones on the NCC-1701

  • @starfrost6816
    @starfrost6816 4 роки тому +87

    that could actually be a beta version of codename iceman. the dates are a few months earlier.

    • @rawr51919
      @rawr51919 4 роки тому +30

      That's what I'm thinking, too. Clint just found betas thought to be lost to time. What a find, LGR.

    • @johnfrancisdoe1563
      @johnfrancisdoe1563 4 роки тому +34

      Colton Rushton Not Betas. Completely unreleased internal builds not intended to leave the company. Ken may be able to recognize the old files. From the various labels etc. I would guess this was Kens old computer relegated to being a "minimum system requirements and Tandy/jr compatibility test rig" in the QA department. May have been their only machine with genuine PCjr graphics, audio and keyboard, hence contacting an oddball place like Computer Reset to try getting new disk drives for continued use of an otherwise outdated machine.

    • @rawr51919
      @rawr51919 4 роки тому +19

      @@johnfrancisdoe1563 Those internal builds are still technically betas and give insight into the development of the game itself.

    • @Logan912
      @Logan912 4 роки тому +9

      @@rawr51919 They'd be alphas if they were only intended for use within Sierra On-Line.

    • @tmack729
      @tmack729 4 роки тому +4

      Gotta love the internet. "well technically it's an alpha". "well technically it's a beta". Ad infinitum, anywhere comments can be made across the entire information superhighway. What are we doing?

  • @Phoenixesper1
    @Phoenixesper1 4 роки тому +1

    Oh god I can relate to the sheer panic of playing beat the clock with a rickety old harddrive turned on for the first time in decades. I once got an LC2 mac on ebay. Because I knew that the drive if it even turned on would likely crok due to the rubber rings in it bursting into tar, I removed and tested the floppy drive, it was dead, and so swapped it with a working one before I even tried turning on the computer. With a stack of 50 mac formatted 1.44 floppies, I turned it on and to my amazement it worked flawlessly, for precisely 22 minutes, all of which was a frantic chaos of transferring 40 megs of hardrive files onto floppies at a rate of one floppy per minute. After the last file was transferred the computer drive lasted another 4 minutes long enough for me to erase all the non system files on the drive and then I heard the whining grind as the computer froze signalling the rubber bumpers had ruptured spewing tar all over the heads destroying the drive completely.

  • @stevethepocket
    @stevethepocket 4 роки тому +6

    I've worked with Adventure Game Studio. That "control map" mode brought back some memories. The tool where you paint the various zones (walkable area, parts of the background that overlap the characters, triggers to transition to other screens) creates solid-colored areas of different colors similar to that. It also uses "ego" as the default name of the player character.

  • @RMPANDA964
    @RMPANDA964 4 роки тому +36

    Can you imagine the shock and horror if Clint made a typo and formatted C drive?

    • @EvilishDem0nic8732WhatItDo
      @EvilishDem0nic8732WhatItDo 4 роки тому

      Omg,I thought be did for a second there

    • @Tedd755
      @Tedd755 4 роки тому +1

      how do you mistype and end up with "format c:"?

    • @RMPANDA964
      @RMPANDA964 4 роки тому +1

      TeddtheTiger shit can happen. You mean to type in “format A:” and without thinking type “format C:”

    • @VectraQS
      @VectraQS 4 роки тому +1

      @@RMPANDA964 But the FORMAT program handles those cases differently. Typing "format a:" results in "Insert new diskette in drive A and press ENTER," while typing "format c:" results in "WARNING! All data on non-removable disk drive C will be erased! Do you wish to continue (Y/N)?" Pressing enter then quits the program. In addition, if the disk has a volume label, it must be entered to proceed with the format.

    • @silkwesir1444
      @silkwesir1444 4 роки тому

      @@VectraQS umm, that additional confirmation was only introduced in later DOS versions, 5 or 6, not sure which. This looks like it probably is an older one, which does not have it.

  • @Filsaveol
    @Filsaveol 4 роки тому +26

    Ken Williams must be relieved there was no browser history on his PCJr

    • @cabokenw
      @cabokenw 3 роки тому +4

      Grin! Probably VERY true!

  • @ashbelero7726
    @ashbelero7726 3 роки тому +1

    Funny thing is, I have barely any idea what's going on. For a lot of Clint's videos I'm just sitting here drawing and watchign in a pop out window and going "oo neat" even though I don't know what the fuck he's talking about. I just really enjoy when people are passionate about obscure things. It's really comforting.

  • @Vekurus
    @Vekurus 2 роки тому +1

    Ah the IBM PCJr. My first PC. Had the 256kb ram booster on the side, no hard drive. I had many a Friday nights coming home from school, going to Pizza with family. Then stopping at the grocery store to buy a treat for the weekend (usually gummy worms). Hopping on the PC Jr to play Jumpman, Kingsquest II, the first MS Flight Simulator, or Bards Tale!

  • @Spam97
    @Spam97 4 роки тому +5

    Well done Clint , thanks for preserving and giving us access to such old and fascinating things !

  • @qu4dq0r3
    @qu4dq0r3 4 роки тому +39

    hm would be a nice touch if you can send the stuff you managed to save to Ken Williams, on stylish floppies :D
    for keepsakes i think he would appreciate it since he loved that comp

    • @TheEmeraldMenOfficial
      @TheEmeraldMenOfficial 4 роки тому +1

      I feel like he’d love that. LGR, you know what to do...

    • @cpufreak101
      @cpufreak101 4 роки тому

      turns out the guy isn't even in the computer world anymore, instead being into boating. he probably wouldn't even want it

  • @themegaman91965
    @themegaman91965 4 роки тому +1

    Very well done! Loved how you persisted into getting it to work to show us an amazing piece of history, and I definitely look forward to more of these awesome tech videos; keep up the good work!!!

  • @matthewpotter3083
    @matthewpotter3083 5 місяців тому

    Ken and Rob were my heroes as a kid, Sierra Online changed my world, Freddy Pharkas and LSL6 were the pinnacle of sierra humour, sneaking the game while your parents were asleep, Clint, what a find and great way to deal.with the stepper motor issue, old school demands old school thinking!!

  • @dickmonti9899
    @dickmonti9899 4 роки тому +4

    Clint, you BLEW MY MIND with this one! Nice video! Good eye too, what a purchase!

  • @MatroxMillennium
    @MatroxMillennium 4 роки тому +4

    Dude, I'm so glad you're the one that ended up with this. I couldn't think of a better choice for someone to document this machine.

  • @oldhermitman
    @oldhermitman 4 роки тому +2

    I have never been so excited about a UA-cam video before. I’m a huge Sierra fan and this is amazing. Great find. Congrats, Sir!

  • @psychbabble8960
    @psychbabble8960 4 роки тому

    This was an absolute joy to behold. I couldn't help but giggle as you slowly made progress or simply experimented with the software.
    This captured computer magic like other content rarely gets to do.
    Thank you for your time and effort.

  • @Nick-dw7gg
    @Nick-dw7gg 4 роки тому +3

    This video is insanely cool, thanks for all your hard work

  • @malbeth8700
    @malbeth8700 4 роки тому +11

    That trepidation when you got the directory listing is awesome to watch!

  • @hullinstruments
    @hullinstruments 4 роки тому +13

    Hello there, sent you an email last week… Always enjoy your content. I just purchased a huge storage unit full of vintage computers from the mid-70s up to the mid-80s, maybe some early 90s stuff. I hope I can get with you and figure out what to do with some of the stuff. Dozens and dozens and dozens of beautiful vintage computers, a lot of early Apple stuff, and all kinds of crazy beautiful unopened new things. Thanks for the great channel and content!

    • @Clazzette
      @Clazzette 3 роки тому

      Came to see and ask if LGR followed you up with regards to this. :D

  • @fanofCOH
    @fanofCOH 4 роки тому

    I really appreciate all these videos, talk about some trips down memory lane. Keep up the quality content LGR!

  • @TzOk
    @TzOk 4 роки тому +11

    As the MOTD says - remember to park the hard-drive, before turning the computer off.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  4 роки тому +9

      Definitely did before moving it, now that it's spinning again at least :)

  • @berkly__05
    @berkly__05 4 роки тому +17

    Sometimes I'm just curious, who are those people, who dislike actually interesting stuff ?

    • @rugxulo
      @rugxulo 4 роки тому +3

      Bots, probably. Dunno why.

  • @the47blog16
    @the47blog16 4 роки тому

    So glad something like this history piece has been picked up by you of all people!! You rock and its rollin thanks for that very interesting and entertaining video (and channel)!

  • @eformance
    @eformance 4 роки тому +1

    Platter stiction is a common problem with old drives. The head gets stuck to the platter and the motor can't spin up the drive. The trick is to hold the drive in your hand, apply power, and give a flick with your wrist to counteract the stiction. You just spin the drive around the center axis with a flick of the wrist.

  • @brycevo
    @brycevo 4 роки тому +33

    A Sierra Online QA PCjr, that is awesome!

    • @brycevo
      @brycevo 4 роки тому +5

      Thank you for the ❤️ and really great Episode

    • @nateg452
      @nateg452 4 роки тому +2

      Ken Williams's no less!

  • @SportBikeAnthony
    @SportBikeAnthony 4 роки тому +22

    Never heard about rifa capacitors until my friend with a reel to reel needed assistance recapping his 2 weeks ago. Supposedly they're famous for catching stuff on fire.

    • @rommix0
      @rommix0 2 роки тому +1

      and smelling really bad after they explode.

  • @reeffeeder
    @reeffeeder 4 роки тому +1

    That was awesome Clint. Thanks for sharing! Brought back memories from my childhood playing Sierra games on the 386

  • @bryceschug486
    @bryceschug486 4 роки тому

    Your heart wasn't the only one racing when that hard disk booted. I found myself saying "Oh my god, get those files off that drive as soon as possible!" out loud... The relief when you grabbed a floppy like 2 seconds later was real! Thank you for saving that stuff!

  • @joelferguson6599
    @joelferguson6599 4 роки тому +48

    RIFA MADNESS!!! someone call Dave at the EEVBLOG

  • @rickdeckard7098
    @rickdeckard7098 4 роки тому +10

    Don't forget to park that hard drive!

  • @MrRustynutts
    @MrRustynutts 4 роки тому

    wow, this is amazing, great work getting it up and running, you have unearthed a great piece of sierra history there. That deserves its own special glass case in a computer museum somewhere.

  • @JohnnyKusiga
    @JohnnyKusiga 4 роки тому

    Happy with a video YT recommended to me, such an awesome find and great to watch you get it going!

  • @panzerstef
    @panzerstef 4 роки тому +33

    David (The 8-bit guy)'s Osborne 1 blew up beacuse of that capacitor

    • @ayitsyaboi
      @ayitsyaboi 4 роки тому +10

      Everything from that era blows up due to those tantalums. They do not age well.

    • @johnfrancisdoe1563
      @johnfrancisdoe1563 4 роки тому +26

      steazye RIFA caps are not tantalum. They are "self-healing" paper caps approved for safety critical mains use (class X and/or Y). They are built to fail in a predictable and documented way to avoid killing the user. First many failures will destroy a pinprick sized piece of metalized paper and leave the rest working. Final failure will destroy the cap without causing a short circuit. They are still available from electronics wholesalers. Wrong moisture level in the air may significantly accelerate failure, because it's paper. There are now ceramic alternatives available with the same values and approvals.

    • @suprastevio2264
      @suprastevio2264 4 роки тому +3

      @@johnfrancisdoe1563 That's super interesting, thank you for that information sir!

  • @nicholasdill6630
    @nicholasdill6630 4 роки тому +3

    It’s funny, this computer was used in the place that I now live! And it went from Nebraska to Dallas! So cool! Keep up the good work Clint!

  • @PKpaula425
    @PKpaula425 4 роки тому

    I could not believe it when i saw this in the OG computer reset video, but that Ken Williams personalized message blew me away! What a fantastic find.

  • @k0nstntcs798
    @k0nstntcs798 4 роки тому

    Your videos bring me so much joy.

  • @HelloKittyFanMan..
    @HelloKittyFanMan.. 4 роки тому +6

    Awww, that Cancan MIDI is so CUTE! I could just squeeze its little cheeks (all 4)!

  • @Vienna3080
    @Vienna3080 4 роки тому +24

    Our man LGR making videos for us at midnight

  • @nunyobiznez875
    @nunyobiznez875 4 роки тому

    Thank you for the awesome video. I've been looking forward to seeing this in a video, from the moment I saw this system found at Computer Reset. What a fortunate and fascinating find.

  • @ColdRFusion
    @ColdRFusion 4 роки тому

    Amazing find Clint & well done on getting the drive working & the data copied!

  • @ElectromasterTech
    @ElectromasterTech 4 роки тому +24

    Run a sector scan! There may be files that can be undeleted from the drive, and do it quickly before (knock on wood it dosent) the drive fails!

  • @5kogur
    @5kogur 4 роки тому +5

    Really cool that Ken himself could confirm this!

  • @robbyrob4242
    @robbyrob4242 4 роки тому

    Your videos helped me through my depression last year. Thank you for that. Keep up the great content!

  • @matt_b...
    @matt_b... 4 роки тому

    Duuuude I was waiting ALL DAY to watch this. Did not disappoint. I can't believe you got your hands on some old school SOL gear! Really cool

  • @tbonez5906
    @tbonez5906 4 роки тому +7

    YES! My first computer love it! lol... way to go Clint.... you make the legacy world come alive for everyone... now get the cartridge Scuba Hunt for the cartridge bay : )

  • @purplewavetech
    @purplewavetech 4 роки тому +6

    You are the only guy I upvote as soon as the video starts.

  • @grumpyoldwizard
    @grumpyoldwizard 4 роки тому

    I remember this...I. Really wanted one when they came out. Thank you for the memories! It looks like you had a great night or two (more?). Grats VGR!

  • @StevenS757
    @StevenS757 4 роки тому +1

    I can't believe you got your hands on THE Ken Williams' old PC Jr. That's an AMAZING find. I loved all the old SIerra adventure games. It's even more amazing that you were able to get the data off the hard drive. Congratulations!

  • @nikedude3660
    @nikedude3660 4 роки тому +5

    watching older PCs getting revived is so satisfying to watch , especially when it used to belong to a company

  • @maverickbna
    @maverickbna 4 роки тому +6

    I'm a big fan of ScummVM. I now use that for all my Sierra games.

  • @optiquest86
    @optiquest86 4 роки тому +1

    Thank you so much for sharing this experience, Clint! It's brought back memories of the good ol days in ways that even the hunt through the warehouse itself didn't quite evoke. :)

  • @r9delta104
    @r9delta104 4 роки тому

    This is awesome man. Also I love what you do. I've been such a huge fan of your channel since the beginning and it keeps my love for DOS games alive. I hope to have an old 486 to pentium 1 era setup at some point and get away from solely just using dosbox but honestly can't afford it. People on ebay know what they have and there isn't really anywhere good locally to find parts or complete systems for cheap.

  • @Mozdoc
    @Mozdoc 4 роки тому +9

    When it breathed to life did anyone else start screaming "DUMP! DUMP THE DATA! ITS DYING! HURRY! DISKS! NOW!"

  • @demogorgonzola
    @demogorgonzola 4 роки тому +5

    "1701 Error", the Enterprise Error. LOL

  • @beanshady
    @beanshady 4 роки тому

    You made my night LGR! Great find and great work!

  • @aWOLtrooper
    @aWOLtrooper 4 роки тому

    This is why I subscribe. Huge bonus for not using a clickbait title like:
    *YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT'S ON THIS SUPER JUNIOR HDD*

  • @dylan8736
    @dylan8736 4 роки тому +6

    "Sorry sorry sorry sorry"
    -Super Junior

  • @Kazuo1G
    @Kazuo1G 4 роки тому +6

    IMAGE THAT FREAKIN DISK. THAT'S HISTORY.

  • @Mouzekiller83
    @Mouzekiller83 4 роки тому

    this is once more so damn retro and i freaking love it! love your effort,clint!

  • @MurrayDagostino
    @MurrayDagostino 4 роки тому

    That was super awesome, great Ken Williams reaction too. And I think its just in the right place with you Clint. Enjoy this piece of Sierra History. Awesome.