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I bought a Lisa system and lots of accessories at a garage sale when I was a kid. The guy had kept all the receipts for everything, and the total, including a c

I bought a Lisa system and lots of accessories at a garage sale when I was a kid. The guy had kept all the receipts for everything, and the total, including a couple of 5MB and one 10 MB hard disk, was over $20,000. He used it for business, and it had some business apps that I don't recall. I sold the whole pile of stuff for a few hundred dollars (and I paid less than that for it, I don't remember how much, but I was usually spending less than $100 on 8 bit stuff or PCs that needed work, so it couldn't have been much), and it's probably the machine (of many really cool/weird/rare things) that I wish I'd somehow kept through all those years. Such an interesting piece of history. But, I was a Commodore fanatic at the time, and didn't really get excited about Apple products (and still mostly don't, kinda for the same reason, summed up by an old Tramiel slogan "for the masses not the classes"). And, yes, the CHM is well worth a visit. I used to take everyone who came to visit me in Mountain View to see it, even if they weren't nerds. It is an enjoyable and educational afternoon, I think, for anyone with even a little curiosity about the history of the devices we all rely on.

DonHopkins 9y ago
Have you seen the TV series "The Americans", which is set in the early 80's, and has spot-on era props and scenery? They have a Commodore Pet (with the adult-sized non-chicklet keyboard ;) in their real estate office! It makes sense that deep cover KGB spies like Phillip and Elisabeth would have the computer for the masses not the classes, comrade! The kids Paige and Henry even have the exact same Star Wars blanket I had (which their parents tuck them into at bed time, then sneak out and skulk around stealing Star Wars secrets from the US Government).
- SwellJoe 9y ago
  I haven't, but I've heard good things. I was watching Halt and Catch Fire which is also fantastic bit of history on several fronts (in addition to the computer history on the show, I happen to also love punk rock from that era, especially Texas punk rock, like Big Boys and the Dicks, etc., and so the soundtrack is fantastic), but I kinda drifted away from watching TV a while ago. I'll probably get back to it at some point, as I've heard the later seasons improved.
AstroJetson 9y ago
Pro tip, never keep receipts for computer gear you buy. If my spouse knew how much I spent in "then" dollars for IMSAI's, S100 systems, Apple II, Mac's, Lisa's, etc. instead of investing them in some kind of bond/stock/retirement they would kill me (for the insurance money). It was expensive to be a pioneer, I think it was worth it, since it helped a long successful IT career. But other may not. There are posts later on going "I paid that for a car!" but to pick up an extra $100-300 a week makes it good in the long run.

DonHopkins 9y ago

Have you seen the TV series "The Americans", which is set in the early 80's, and has spot-on era props and scenery? They have a Commodore Pet (with the adult-sized non-chicklet keyboard ;) in their real estate office! It makes sense that deep cover KGB spies like Phillip and Elisabeth would have the computer for the masses not the classes, comrade! The kids Paige and Henry even have the exact same Star Wars blanket I had (which their parents tuck them into at bed time, then sneak out and skulk around stealing Star Wars secrets from the US Government).

SwellJoe 9y ago
I haven't, but I've heard good things. I was watching Halt and Catch Fire which is also fantastic bit of history on several fronts (in addition to the computer history on the show, I happen to also love punk rock from that era, especially Texas punk rock, like Big Boys and the Dicks, etc., and so the soundtrack is fantastic), but I kinda drifted away from watching TV a while ago. I'll probably get back to it at some point, as I've heard the later seasons improved.

AstroJetson 9y ago

Pro tip, never keep receipts for computer gear you buy. If my spouse knew how much I spent in "then" dollars for IMSAI's, S100 systems, Apple II, Mac's, Lisa's, etc. instead of investing them in some kind of bond/stock/retirement they would kill me (for the insurance money). It was expensive to be a pioneer, I think it was worth it, since it helped a long successful IT career. But other may not. There are posts later on going "I paid that for a car!" but to pick up an extra $100-300 a week makes it good in the long run.