81
votes
Accepted
What computer system is this from 1984 Doctor Who?
This is an example of BBC BASIC with inline (6502) assembler code. The computer in use would have been a BBC Microcomputer, manufactured by Acorn Computers Ltd.
The display was probably a studio ...
- 2,809
80
votes
Accepted
What's this computer in the 1988 movie "Vampire's Kiss"?
That's a Minolta PCW1 Word processor of Minolta Camera Co. Ltd
The "computer part" is in fact a PC with 512kBytes memory and a 80186 CPU running DOS 2.11 and proprietary word processing (or, ...
- 32.3k
47
votes
Accepted
Identify these old accounting machines
TL;DR:
The simple one was most likely an
Ascota 170 or one of its variation. The definitive clue here is the plug board with triangular and square pins used for programming.
Ascota 170-LB (LB ...
- 207k
44
votes
Accepted
1913 mystery computer below Grand Central Station
Does anyone have more information about this mystery computer?
Sorry to disappoint you, it's not a computer and not even a computer-like fixed-function machine. It's simply a system of cables, ...
- 207k
43
votes
Is this an Amiga? If so, which model?
I'm trying to identify what kind of machine this is. It looks like an Amiga of some kind,
It's a Commodore C64-II also known as C64C:
The mouse seams to be an Apple ADB mouse (Type A9M0331), sold ...
- 207k
43
votes
Was there a keyboard layout starting with "TBSY"?
I've researched keyboards and character sets on two occasions (*1) and seen a lot of different layouts, from alternate roots like Blickensderfer, Sholes and Dvorak to national variants like Cyrillic ...
- 207k
42
votes
Accepted
Is this a real system? Which one?
TL;DR:
Is this a real system? Which one?
No, it's most likely not a specific machine but a setup to look contemporary.
In Detail:
I've come across several computers. (They all look extremely ...
- 207k
42
votes
Does any computer resemble the model taught in UK secondary education?
Is there a computer that works like this?
Erm, next to all?
FETCH-DECODE-EXECUTE is the basic execution cycle for each and every digital CPU. No matter if a Turing Machine or a Pentium. I suspect the ...
- 207k
37
votes
Accepted
What is this game featured in the film ‘The Year of the Jellyfish’?
That looks like the ColecoVision port of the arcade game Zaxxon.
In the scene you mentioned, the character definitely seems to be holding a ColecoVision controller with the joystick knob, side ...
- 11.3k
36
votes
Accepted
What are these 3COM connectors for?
Those are PCMCIA adapters. With laptops, a single PCMCIA card was narrower than Ethernet (or phone lines). You could get a 2 card thing (but I don't recall any from 3COM)
This image:
(Source)
...
- 1,099
32
votes
Accepted
Does this computer have a steering wheel?
Via TinEye, I found this image on a Snopes FACT CHECK page: Claim: Photograph shows RAND Corporation’s 1954 design for a home computer.
It's a hoax image, a composite of a submarine maneuvering room ...
- 20k
31
votes
Accepted
Is this a mini computer, a novelty monitor or something else?
I've found it by looking up "miniature vintage computer." It's a modern portable speaker called Ditoo (Wayback).
- 457
29
votes
Accepted
What kind of keyboard or computer am I typing on?
Most likely this one in a custom case. It was made/sold by now defunct Maplin as one of their early own computer products in 1981. It was available as PCB only, Kit or Assembled product. Its larger ...
- 207k
29
votes
Is the Coleco computer from The Simpsons based on a real computer?
Is that computer based on a real one or are there any records of computers resembling that?
Yes and no.
There is no computer exactly like the one shown, but Coleco was a successful video game company,...
- 207k
28
votes
Accepted
Is the MANIAC in the movie 'The Magnetic Monster' the real MANIAC computer?
Having taken a look at the film it does not appear that the "MANIAC" depicted is the same as the real MANIAC I. The "MANIAC" computer appears at about 18 minutes into the film.
...
- 9,260
22
votes
Was there a keyboard layout starting with "TBSY"?
Well, it's very much a Smith and Corona model. For example, here's an image of the SCM-250 from the mid-sixties, with near-identical physical layout and characteristics:
Of course, you'll notice ...
- 4,299
21
votes
What is this game featured in the film ‘The Year of the Jellyfish’?
The game is zaxxon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon), an isometric shooter arcade game, developed and released by Sega in 1981.
Comparing the image with the screenshots at https://www.mobygames....
- 311
20
votes
Accepted
What computer was used in Weird Science?
The Memotech MTX, if you believe its Wikipedia page. Your assumption about the graphics is correct: it's a machine that uses much the same hardware as an MSX, including exactly the same video ...
- 35.5k
20
votes
Is this Votan voice assistant from 1984 a real system?
There were definitely issues of scale of hardware available, but in the fall of 1977, I think it was, I got my Commodore Pet 32kB., the B version had the full-sized ("business") keyboard. I ...
- 847
18
votes
What computer was used in Weird Science?
It was a Memotech MTX 512 with expansion unit.
For future movie-related computer questions it's always a good idea to check
Starring the Computer page. In this case, just look here.
- 207k
17
votes
Identifying motherboard and CPU
I inquired about the CPU over on ee.se. The chip appears to be an AMD Am386DX-25.
Compare the lower printed number (107M7NX and 107M7NZ), the fonts used, the logo at the bottom-right, and the laser-...
- 9,260
16
votes
Accepted
16
votes
What are these 3COM connectors for?
These were designed for 3COM Megahertz networking PCMCIA cards (aka PC cards). These were add-on cards for laptops that didn't have internal network adapters. See bottom device on this picture on ...
- 2,038
16
votes
Is this a real system? Which one?
As @Raffzahn answers, this is probably a concocted image made to look like various real DEC setups. The attached image is of a PDP-12. You can see the heavy tilt towards DECtapes. You also see an ...
- 5,313
16
votes
Accepted
Can anyone help identify this old terminal and printer found in an abandoned nuclear power plant?
I would have written just a comment but did not have enough rep to do so. @JdeBP had basically found the answer so all I had to google was "Youtube comment finder" :).
The video also posts a ...
- 306
16
votes
Was there a keyboard layout starting with "TBSY"?
I think it's a fake typewriter made from lightweight plastic foam plus some keys, casing parts, etc. from a SCM portable.
Did you ever try to throw a typewriter? Hurling a heavy real typewriter around ...
- 1,174
16
votes
Accepted
Denys Fisher, of Spirograph fame, using a computer late 1976, early 1977
TL;DR:
It's a HP 9825B desktop calculator and a HP 9872 flatbed plotter.
By the looks it can be eitehr a HP 9825 desktop calculator (*1) introduced in 1976, or a 1978 HP9831 computer (*2).
(HP 9825A ...
- 207k
15
votes
Accepted
Where was this Grace Hopper/Univac photo taken?
Before I give my guess, let's see what we have so far:
Apart from the picture links in the question, we also have this link Grace Hopper demonstrating COBOL at Programming Department (Thank you @uoho)....
- 1,755
15
votes
What's the terminal/home computer used as a prop in the computer school in Superman 3?
[So far not an Answer, just a pointer from some Google supported memory - nice question research BTW]
There are other scenes showing the terminals, for example later on, when he get's his first pay ...
- 207k
15
votes
Identify early portable computer
Found this while browsing one of the links on the "laptops with mini-diskette drives" question:
It appears to be a generic 80186-based IBM PC AT clone, distributed as "Tava Flyer". ...
- 151
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible