Retro Rescue: Osborne 1 Pt 1. Getting it powered up
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- I love luggables. Yes, they're stupid from a modern perspective, but thats probably why I do.
In this video I'll be happy if I can at least get it to power on, so how did I do?
Music: Smoke Jack Blues by TrackTribe (YT audio library)
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In the late 80s I found an Osborne 1 at a dump, complete with disks, and it worked. The screen originally didn't have a filter on it.
My first computer programming class in high school, we had no computers. It was only one day a week. The teacher would bring his luggable (Pretty sure it was a Kaypro) and we'd each get 15 or so minutes to type in our code and try to run it. You really made sure your code was going to work the first time with that type of situation. Yeah, they were never very complicated BASIC programs, but still... ;-) Usually things like a sort routine or math function to calculate something.
Good times... ;-)
Excellent computer. In Episode 4 of one of my all time favourite TV series, The Day The Universe Changed, James Burke lugged one of these into the garden of a stately home, set it on a table and started it up to demonstrate that all the information in the world could one day be at our fingertips, "at the speed of light". Wonderful stuff. Yes, I actually trawled through the DVD set to find the scene to see if I had got it right! 😊
I remember that episode well! Love James Burke!
From what I remember, the big selling point of the Osborne, other than it was the first luggable, was that it came with a full suite of business software that if bought separately cost roughly the same as the machine, so if you needed a pro-grade spreadsheet, word processor and database (I think Wordstar, Multiplan and dBase II), you got a free computer with them.
In 1982 I was developing a BMS computer system for the University of Melbourne. All the code was in z80 and written on an Osborne 1. I would fly from Sydney to Melbourne each week with more code for the system. The airport staff and flight crew were not used to people travelling with computers. At the university I'd use the Osborne to burn eproms with the latest versions of code and install it in the machine to test and prove.
Amazing to think that a scant 8 years later pretty much the same thing was available in a form factor that would easily fit in John Connor's backpack...
The TRS-80 Model 100 that weighed 3 lbs and had a 20 hr battery life, while not as flexible or powerful as the Osborne, was literally available only 2 years after the Osborne was released
The green phosphor Osborne 1 never had the anti-glare screen over the CRT, only the white phoshor CRTs had this. The earlier Osborne 1s had white CRTs, later ones green CRTs.
Just love your way with words…! I actually remember when these were state of the art, and even though they were pretty much obsolete just a decade later, we had one at work as a DOS box running some test equipment for some years.
2:31 - I saw 'Osborne' and 'powered up', and my mind went right to RIFA. LOL
Excellent. now you finally have a machine to do the bookkeeping for your channel on. :P
Great video! I remember lusting after a luggable as a kid. Don't know why really, probably wouldn't have been much use to me in the early 90s, but I just thought they looked so cool with those little built-in monitors!
Actually, bigger than a sewing machine. However, the luggables were definitely unique. Power supplies were larger then also, partially because of the necessary draw of the machines of the era. Luggables were (mostly) a little more durable because things that big were bound to be banged around. They did have a LOT more metal to keep structure AND to protect the CRT.
Back in the 90's here in the US, I started to work on computers for a "Mom & Pop" computer/Recycle shop. I went through the test to get the job, an I did. The first thing that was set on my bench was a Compaq Luggable. That one was a 486 and had the keyboard on the side and stood upright with a color lcd screen. As it turned out it had a bad 5 1/4 drive if I recall. It was fun to use and was quite heavy... Lol
Two days later I got to work on a 386 with a Amber screen on the bottom side like in the video. They were a fun and odd thing to use and work on... I had forgot about them until I seen the video. :-) BTW the 386 need the same caps replaced... LOL
Thanks, awesome video!
LLAP
Great video Jason 👍👍👍 I always wanted an Osborne but over here in the UK when they do occasionally pop up on ebay they go for silly money! Really interesting to see one stripped down and I'm so glad that yours worked ok. Cheers, Alan.
I saw one of these machines working at VCF East in Wall NJ for sale at about $1400 a few months ago. It sold quickly.
Great video and nice machine! I'm actually quite envious... Oh, and it wouldn't have been a proper Mr Lurch video if everything would have gone to plan at first try. 😉
I can't imagine what RIFA stank x3 would be like. Definitely a good call to get those replaced.
The Osborne computers were incredible when they came out.
I remember laughing my ass off when I first saw a osborn I when they came out. The screen was ludicrous, but a buddy went and got one anyway.
I think Osbornes were so successful as they gave you word processor and spreadsheet with the hardware price wasn’t bad for early 80s an old boss had one on display as he used it to start the company.
Great stuff! This is a fine addition to your collection -- anyone's collection, for that matter. I remember the first time I saw an Osborne 1. I was in high school and my friend's father brought (lugged) one home from his office. We tinkered for a while, but with no games on that office Osborne 1 we got bored pretty quick. Looking forward to seeing you do more with it.
I'll be honest, i didn't really use cpm machines at all back in the day (unless you count the 128 but certainly didn't use the cpm in that), but getting back into these machines, i really do like these old cpm machines... And there's something so unique about these old luggables and probably lots of modding potential. Also, thanks for the video since i didn't realize there was rifas in there so i need to double check that!
The Tiny Monitor always Made ne laugh. It’s so cute
Looking forward to seeing your retro brightening setup when it's complete. I really need to do my Macintosh classic
I'm more partial to the KayPro line of luggable computers than I am with the Osborne
That tiny bird in the corner looking at you is just the cutest
A little reefer smoke does'nt hurt bro! 😌👍
I get Deja vu feelings. Didn't I just watch this? :D
The component you didn’t know what it was is a self resettable thermal cutout.
Have only used Kaypro and later IBM PC version. The Kaypros had orange phosphor CRTs and no anti-glare shield.
Another great episode. Would be awesome to see an episode featuring the Sega SC-3000 or SC-3000H.
From smoker to non smoker. Without Allen Carr and Rifa caps.
Anti-glare was more a user choice, not something that came on the machine - at least not one I ever owned.
I've been inside a couple of Osborne 1s like this one, and don't recall any anti-glare material. I have another one that has a different case style, but I haven't opened that one up yet. It could be an optional add-on, or something only used in certain models or production runs.
A lovable luggable! Love those old beasts.
the international viewers will wonder why it was is in the 'shed'
Hey, I got a question. Not about this computer, but it is about restoring a luggable. I recently tried booting up my sharp pc7000 (my first pc, and it was old then) and it sounded and smelled like it blew a cap. Just for the lcd backlight i think, since there's no picture but it looked like it was booting up otherwise. But if one blew, I'm sure there's more dying.
So, I was wondering if there's anywhere in australia that sells recap packs for old computers? Or even overseas I guess, but i'm on a budget. I tried googling but didn't find anything.
Thanks, and keep up the great content
Great video. I made a similar video about this machine recently. It had no cover on the CRT.
A very satisfying vid
CP/M was as good as any OS. I wouldn't say it was a "business" OS. Any OS can be whatever. However, the hardware didn't really support graphics. MS-DOS bought SCP (which sold a version of CP/M-86) and made DOS 1 from it. DOS 2.1 was improvement for it. DRI eventually made a version of DOS. Back in the day, everybody stepped on everybody before "Look and Feel". People played games on CP/M and DOS, but they tended to be text games until PC hardware advanced to catch up to advances made by 8-bit computers (CGA-ehh, EGA-better). Text games like Rogue were common.
That 'thing' in the middle of the wiring is a thermal cut out.
Strange vid, I watched it, went to comment - wouldn't accept the comment, so I refreshed the page, it then said this video is private...... very odd behaviour.
Top work
My Osborne is actually a bit different, the handle is attached to the inside frame of the computer and you actually have to pull the entire computer out *from the front* which is a pain
BTW that device you were not sure of looks to be a thermal cut off switch. It opens when the internal temperature exceeds 150 degrees F and resets at 130 degrees.
@@cjh0751 I was going to say off the cuff a mercury switch but then realized that would not really be needed so I looked it up and sure enough...therm switch.
I love it.
I thought the display on my Portable II was tiny. Not sure if I could sit and look at a screen like that all day.
It's a 5in CRT display, about the same size as an iPhone screen. And many peeps seem to stare at them all day.. LOL.
i really dont get why we can't have modern luggables. Everything is so "carry" focused, but what if all you want it a "luggable" full spec workstation? Something that consumes upwards of 500 watts and sports all sorts of expensive expansions like 10 gbit ethernet, multiple gpus and watercooling.
There're custom luggable builds that pop up occasionally, but I guess demand isn't here for commercial manufacture.
I made such a thing about a decade and a half ago with a P4 desktop and some clever designing. I used it as a portable recording studio. Worked quite nicely even if it was a little heavy. Used an old 15" Dell LED monitor and mounted that via hinges to the rear of the desktop case. The keyboard(which had a built in touch pad mouse) was also hinged on the front of the desktop case. The keyboard folded in first and then the monitor over that. Had a beastly look to it but it served it's purpose well. I wish I had taken a pic of it but I have since disassembled it.
@@GORF_EMPIRE that is pretty cool, wish i coulda seen it
@@kai990 Yeah it was a neat setup.
can u give it a hdd or 2?
How come you never made part 2
Part two is/was going to be about connecting to a BBS, but I struggled to get the right software and then other things keep coming up.
It’s still on the list. But it’s a very long list.
@@MrLurchsThings cool
relatively easy to open, lol...