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These Covers Of Magazines Advertising Computers In The 80’s Will Make You Go Back In Time
Now you probably can't even imagine your life without a computer. But computers weren't always that common and there was a time when computers were advertised on magazine covers. If you like computers and are kind of nostalgic, you'll love these covers.
If you like computers and are kind of nostalgic, you'll love seeing these covers from 30 years ago, when many readers of the Bored Panda weren't even born yet.
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#1
Final score:
28points
M O'Connell 8 years ago
Yep. Early home computers kept the cost down by interfacing to TVs that customers already owned. Even the more professional Apple IIe used composite video for the same reason.
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S Missions 8 years ago
Tandy's TRS-80, two joysticks, floppy disk drive, dot matrix printer. If you're wondering where the actual computer is, it's under the keyboard :)
Nancy Higginson 8 years ago
Our first home computer was a TRS-80 mod 1 lvl 1 that ran on cassette tapes....dang I'm old.
Dani Madden 8 years ago
"Ok mom next you hit the w button..." "You mean the one that says enter?" "No mom the letter w" "You mean this red one" "Jesus Christ mom the letter W!"
RELATED:
#2
Final score:
25points
M O'Connell 8 years ago
They should have sprung for that clear plexiglass cabinet to put over it. They really helped.
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#3
Final score:
23points
Scott Johnson 8 years ago
As you'll see, the first requirement is to put a woman on the cover.
#4
Final score:
23points
Hans 8 years ago
The good days when software was only good if it came in massive packages!
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Zvonimir Bulaja 8 years ago
The magazine is from Yugoslavia. It was published since 1981 i think, even before Spectrum or C64. I think i read all the copies.
Canadian Guy, eh 8 years ago
The evolution of computing: VP=Planner, WordPerfect, XyWrite, Porn ...
Kirsa Rasmussen 8 years ago
Because, if you learn all about computers at your home equals attracting a beautiful young woman for your home as well :-D :-D
#5
Final score:
20points
Catlady6000 8 years ago
Would you believe, that stuff is still being used.
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#6
Final score:
20points
Etienne Pisano 8 years ago
Ohhhhh!!!! My Atari!!!! I have still two of that in my music room: 4 mega of RAM and 65 mega of HD, and b/n monitor!!!
S Missions 8 years ago
That sounds like the one I'm using now, except mine has a 80GB SSD :)
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Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
Right after this shot they're gonna wheel in the car for the White Snake video
#7
Final score:
18points
M O'Connell 8 years ago
"Monitor" is actually an assembly language for the TRS-80.
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Crybabyartist 5 years ago
Raspberry Pi Cries out to me... daddy if thats a microcomputer am I gonna get that big too?
#8
Final score:
16points
Sheila McFarland 8 years ago
That's because it was usually women who used them at work. If that bro from Google knew that simple fact, he would still be working there.
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Paul Osborne 8 years ago
"Hello tech support? My screen is blank." "Have you tried turning it on ma'am?"
#9
Final score:
15points
mr toto 8 years ago
yeah, no dark web, bitcoin and VR porn... good ol` times
Load More Replies... Rachel Smart 8 years ago
She has that glazed look of utter, unadulterated computer satisfaction.
#10
Final score:
14points
Sean Radford 8 years ago
Isn't that the daughter from Different Strokes? She's definitely on drugs in this picture. But then again I bet the photographer was too. Oh the 80's.
Zvonimir Bulaja 8 years ago
Another one from ex-YU, this one is in Slovenian language, but there was also Serbo-Croatian version. Started in 1982. Also, I think i bought and read all the issues...
#11
Final score:
12points
Daria B 8 years ago
That's Slovenian, that means Yugoslavia, so no Soviet. Tito and Stalin were no friends.
Load More Replies... #12
Final score:
11points
Taryn Wallace 8 years ago
The animation on the screen showing them what to do looks like a picture I would have drawn with (oh c**p what was it called MS Paint???) the original paint software that I cannot remember the name of
Rachel Kunsman Berosh 8 years ago
The Skeletons from the ancient burial ground that the house is built on are starting to come back up....better call an exterminator!
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Tamara Rose 8 years ago
This girl in the foreground was photoshopped in years before photoshop. Also, hooking up a television to a computer 33 years ago?!
S Missions 8 years ago
It was done quite often. Remember people made game consoles way before they made computers, and those connected to TVs, so the tech was already there. Many low end computers (Tandy's TRS-80, that Radio Shack one whose name I can't remember, BBC's Micro B, Sinclair's ZX-80 Spectrum..) all connected to TVs as a way to lower the cost and make it more attractive to consumers.
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Johan Becker 8 years ago
Oh, they covered something in front of the girl in pink with a sloppy copy/pase of floor tiles. See the guy's left shoe?! Its covered by the floor!
June Pixeld 8 years ago
Dad: exercise is great( when YOU do it), i will just chill down here and watch tv.
#13
Final score:
9points
Kjorn 8 years ago
that keyboard is not plugged in... i don't think Wireless keyboard existed in 1983
Hans 8 years ago
Yes, they did. Similar like brain implants, because she can read the screen without anything being displayed!
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James Rayson 8 years ago
Wait until you touch the keyboard buttons, they're hard rubber, such an effort to press
Load More Replies... Isog Sargent 7 years ago
So, women at computers don't deserve windows? All these pics look so dismal.
#14
Final score:
9points
#15
Final score:
8points
Jonathan Reyes 8 years ago
The idea is to make you look hot & trendy when you own a computer. How did it get re-classified as nerdy?
Daria B 8 years ago
Tech-illiterate bullies were too jealous, U guess. ^_-
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Paul Osborne 8 years ago
I was a member of a computer club. Don't remember any hot women though.
Canadian Guy, eh 8 years ago
That's because this is an Italian computer club.
Load More Replies... Rachel Smart 8 years ago
Did anyone EVER successfully type in all of the code correctly to get the hot air balloon to fly though the air?
#16
Final score:
8points
Jonathan Reyes 8 years ago
The sheer weight of these things will definitely give you that workout :)
Etienne Pisano 8 years ago
Making faces with our VIC 20???? with a pencil and a sheet of paper!!!! :-) I still remember my VIC 20!!!! Orrible!!! :-D
Crybabyartist 5 years ago
HAA! I still have that monitor, and it still works and I still use it (RCA) inputs on front panel. back then stuff lasted into the future
Daniel Margrave 8 years ago
I wish I could find these somewhere. I had years worth of Run Magazine . . . so great!
Sheila McFarland 8 years ago
You can find them online at the internet archive.
Load More Replies... #17
Final score:
6points
#18
Final score:
6points
Hans 8 years ago
80s stock photos were as s****y as what we have today. But look at them New Balance shoes...could see like this today!
Sarcasticow 8 years ago
Yeah, I also noticed New Balance. A little upgrade and this can be a cover of a very hipster bookazine today
Load More Replies... Etienne Pisano 8 years ago
Apple on the monitor???? ahahahahahahah strange place for a 3D mark!!!!
spirit wolf 8 years ago
I just love this ridiculous font they use to highlight the word computer in every other magazine
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Daria B 8 years ago
So many women using computers on the front pages of magazines and still the loudest men wanted computers all for themselves. Tsk tsk tsk (sorry to bring politics into this, but I couldn't not notice).
Kelly Macq 8 years ago
That's because computer programming used to be a female-dominated field back in the day. http://www.startupdaily.net/2015/02/women-didnt-just-recently-start-coding-actually-stopped-coding-decades-ago/
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Zori the degu 8 years ago
My mum used to have a white box-like computer back in 2007. It really pissed her off because it was kinda slow and had a really small amount of modern functions but nevertheless, that memory of her, sitting behind the chestnut-colored desk and using the "stupid crumbling" computer often comes to my mind when I think about my early childhood years.
Charles O 8 years ago
Great collection! I remember those days all too well. So, what about the Amiga??? There was a time when the Amiga was absolutely the platform for early color graphics and 3D rendering development (even before the "video toaster"). I had several of these in my basement home computer lab at the time . . . oh well, just tossing in my 2 cents worth here.
Susan Forbes 8 years ago
When I worked summers at IBM during college I remember one of the secretaries (which is what they were called then!) saying the office of the future will be paperless (early 80's). LIES!
Crybabyartist 5 years ago
Every office I've worked in, the printer was always out of paper because it was constantly printing. Everyone needs a hard copy. I bet statics will prove more paper is used in offices than ever before.
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Bole Perishon 8 years ago
It's funny - the cell phone I'm reading this on is more powerful than all these computers put together.
Markus McCloud 8 years ago
Anyone else longing for the good old days of Windows 98? I know this article is about 80's computers, but still... I miss my old grey Acer. I made a lot of memories with it.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 8 years ago
I have two old computers here (not plugged in) and one of them still runs on Windows 98. I loved it.
Load More Replies... June Pixeld 8 years ago
First pc i remember having was so weird. It didnt have much but i still managed to play sims 1 on it
Daria B 8 years ago
So many women using computers on the front pages of magazines and still the loudest men wanted computers all for themselves. Tsk tsk tsk (sorry to bring politics into this, but I couldn't not notice).
Kelly Macq 8 years ago
That's because computer programming used to be a female-dominated field back in the day. http://www.startupdaily.net/2015/02/women-didnt-just-recently-start-coding-actually-stopped-coding-decades-ago/
Load More Replies... Zori the degu 8 years ago
My mum used to have a white box-like computer back in 2007. It really pissed her off because it was kinda slow and had a really small amount of modern functions but nevertheless, that memory of her, sitting behind the chestnut-colored desk and using the "stupid crumbling" computer often comes to my mind when I think about my early childhood years.
Charles O 8 years ago
Great collection! I remember those days all too well. So, what about the Amiga??? There was a time when the Amiga was absolutely the platform for early color graphics and 3D rendering development (even before the "video toaster"). I had several of these in my basement home computer lab at the time . . . oh well, just tossing in my 2 cents worth here.
Susan Forbes 8 years ago
When I worked summers at IBM during college I remember one of the secretaries (which is what they were called then!) saying the office of the future will be paperless (early 80's). LIES!
Crybabyartist 5 years ago
Every office I've worked in, the printer was always out of paper because it was constantly printing. Everyone needs a hard copy. I bet statics will prove more paper is used in offices than ever before.
Load More Replies... Bole Perishon 8 years ago
It's funny - the cell phone I'm reading this on is more powerful than all these computers put together.
Markus McCloud 8 years ago
Anyone else longing for the good old days of Windows 98? I know this article is about 80's computers, but still... I miss my old grey Acer. I made a lot of memories with it.
Marlowe Fitzpatrik 8 years ago
I have two old computers here (not plugged in) and one of them still runs on Windows 98. I loved it.
Load More Replies... June Pixeld 8 years ago
First pc i remember having was so weird. It didnt have much but i still managed to play sims 1 on it
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