4 ms·

Starting at 1000 GBP. Shows how the price of personal computers cratered in modern times.

dijit 3y ago
It's crazy isn't it? I'm semi-regularly reminded that, yes, top of the line personal computers were close to €10,000 in todays money. It was not unheard of for specialist PC's for 3D to run €30,000 in todays money.
- TMWNN 3y ago
  One of Jerry Pournelle's aphorisms was "The computer you want costs $5000". That was correct for about the first decade of personal computing. The first real move downward from that price point occurred with the simultaneous emergence of cheap PC clones and the Amiga/ST (the Mac wouldn't move similarly downmarket for another half decade, and arguably not for a full decade).
- cmrdporcupine 3y ago
  It's hard to evaluate it in "today's money" though because while things like consumer electronics and appliances were stupidly expensive when adjusted for inflation and compared to today, people's earning power in other respects was much better as a percentage of their income. e.g. It was a stretch for my family to get a dishwasher or microwave and to buy me the VIC-20 I had, or a new TV or whatever. But my parents worked their butts off to get their mortgage paid out early (interest rates were stupid high) and were able to do so, and they were able to do renovations, build a new garage, fund their canoeing hobby, etc. My dad (machinist) was unemployed for many years, and money was tight for "luxuries"; we never had fancy steaks or vacations involving airflight, etc. but actual housing costs -- rents, mortgages, renovations, building costs, property taxes just seemed way lower as a proportion of costs vs today. All this to say, those machines they were expensive for sure, but it's also not as simple as "$10k in today's money" because people I think had more headroom to save. Also machines like that were something you'd buy with the mindset that you'd hopefully use them for years like a car. We didn't think in terms of the obsolescence cycle like today even though that's what happened. We knew about Moore's law and the progress of technology, but I think many of us users felt like our Atari or Commodore machines would be something we would be building on for quite a long time not a brief 1-3 year interest that then got replaced (which is what actually happened.) Things seemed to have a lot more "it's a brand new technically awesome thing, other people will see that too, and it will be awesome for years! look at all the potential!" vibe.

It's crazy isn't it? I'm semi-regularly reminded that, yes, top of the line personal computers were close to €10,000 in todays money. It was not unheard of for specialist PC's for 3D to run €30,000 in todays money.

TMWNN 3y ago
One of Jerry Pournelle's aphorisms was "The computer you want costs $5000". That was correct for about the first decade of personal computing. The first real move downward from that price point occurred with the simultaneous emergence of cheap PC clones and the Amiga/ST (the Mac wouldn't move similarly downmarket for another half decade, and arguably not for a full decade).
cmrdporcupine 3y ago
It's hard to evaluate it in "today's money" though because while things like consumer electronics and appliances were stupidly expensive when adjusted for inflation and compared to today, people's earning power in other respects was much better as a percentage of their income. e.g. It was a stretch for my family to get a dishwasher or microwave and to buy me the VIC-20 I had, or a new TV or whatever. But my parents worked their butts off to get their mortgage paid out early (interest rates were stupid high) and were able to do so, and they were able to do renovations, build a new garage, fund their canoeing hobby, etc. My dad (machinist) was unemployed for many years, and money was tight for "luxuries"; we never had fancy steaks or vacations involving airflight, etc. but actual housing costs -- rents, mortgages, renovations, building costs, property taxes just seemed way lower as a proportion of costs vs today. All this to say, those machines they were expensive for sure, but it's also not as simple as "$10k in today's money" because people I think had more headroom to save. Also machines like that were something you'd buy with the mindset that you'd hopefully use them for years like a car. We didn't think in terms of the obsolescence cycle like today even though that's what happened. We knew about Moore's law and the progress of technology, but I think many of us users felt like our Atari or Commodore machines would be something we would be building on for quite a long time not a brief 1-3 year interest that then got replaced (which is what actually happened.) Things seemed to have a lot more "it's a brand new technically awesome thing, other people will see that too, and it will be awesome for years! look at all the potential!" vibe.