Slashdot Mirror
Retro-Futuristic Computing
HawaiianMayan asks:
"Sure, if you're a collector you might have a working computer from the
60s or even the 50s in your basement or garage. But what about from the
20s or 30s? Lately I've been dreaming of a retro-futuristic computer, with
all the convenience of a modern desktop (I don't want to deal with
punchcards!), but styling from the early part of the 20th century. I'm
wondering if any of the hardware hackers out there are working on
anything like this. It would need an
appropriate case,
a manual typewriter keyboard,
a black and white screen,
preferably enlarged by a nice
freznel lens,
and lots and lots of nixie tubes,
knobs,
and blinkenlights.
Would it be too much if the numeric keypad was a
rotary
dial?" Think about the computer props used from such classics like
Max Headroom (both
the movie and the TV series) and Brazil,
and you'd be very close to what the submittor is looking for. I must admit, making a
computer in this fashion would certainly be a break from the beige box and
monitor!
You are probably looking at quite a bit later in time for the things you mention. Check out this timeline
no sig.
D
That the Powermate is also a blinkenlight - you can adjust the pulse rate from stroboscopic, to a nice slow pulse of about 30 seconds for a cycle.
I have one - it rocks. In addition to it being a cool looking blinking object on my desk, I use it for scrubbing through video in iMovie, and scrolling through text in project builder.
It is also, I admit, a great volume control for iTunes...
I have an old PowerBook G3 that I'd been planning on subjecting to a similar conversion to the first item (the old radio case) mentioned, but hadn't figured out an appropriately anachronistic mechanism for the CD-ROM drive. I'm not sure if the pop-out internal drive can be adapted to a vertical orientation, but since it's one of the "old school" models that actually holds the CD in place, I just might be able to pull it off.
My basic plan had been to mount the thing in a largish jewelry box, replacing the lower storage compartments with the mainboard, keyboard and trackpad (painted to match, of course), and mounting the LCD on the underside of the lid. That would do prevent the classic fresnel lens for the display, of course, but it would mean that the whole thing would sort of "disappear" when placed on an end-table or desk.
I so wanted to mod some computers, hell, my workspace, to look like the setups they had in Brazil. I think that having a bunch of terminals like that in a cafe would be really cool. Damn it! I need a good drill press, some welding equipment and materials, but it could definately be done. I talked about this with a few friends a year or so ago, but they thought I was crazy. I didnt disagree.
To all the other suggestions I would add a chunk of core memory from an old IBM 360 mainframe or a DEC pdp mini, and a morse code key like my late uncle used to DX shortwave around the world back in the 1930's to 50's. The use of core memory is self-explanatory, but the morse key might be nice as a special "numeric keypad data entry key" that you would have to learn the proper morse code equivalents for, in order to get the numbers into your system!
"I figure you're here 'cause you need some whacko who's willing to stick his finger in the fan. So who are we helping?
lead to really crummy boot times.
"What's up!?"
"Waitin' for my PC to warm up!"
On the other hand a nice looking 30s-40s radio style case might be pretty nifty looking.
I imagine working that old manual carriage-return lever on your keyboard would be a real b*tch when coding though.
Blech. Signatures.
Numbers are fun but tough without a bug.
one = di dah dah dah dah
two = di di dah dah dah
three = di di di dah dah
four = di di di di dah
five = di di di di dit
six = dah di di di dit
seven = dah dah di di dit
eight = dah dah dah di dit
nine = dah dah dah dah dit
zero = dah dah dah dah dah
Can't count these in your head above 13 words/minute. Got to listen for the rythym of the code (Anyone else remember that tape?)
Pair up in threes. - Yogi Berra
Build your computer into a wooden case. Surround the case with a shitload of interconnected gears, crankshafts, worm gears, and so on. Not actually powering anything, but something so that the entire assembly will move when current is applied. Next, hook up a variable power source to the assembliage, and rig up a way so that CPU (or total system load) applies voltage; the more load, the more power, the faster the gear assembly goes. Bonus points if you can hook up a steam valve to make a whistling noise when CPU is sustained at 100 percent for a given period of time. Refer to this as your 'babbage engine.' Make reference to how many yards of gearage it has, and how you can boost it's computational ability by giving the steam valve a quarter-turn. Wax poetic on how the Wonders of SCIENCE! have Improved The Lot Of The Common Man! and other such wonderful things.
Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
Checck around at hamfests and other sources for old and ancient electronic gear. See if you can find an old Model 14 teletype machine. It was current high-tech during the period you're interested in.
If you can live with a rather limited character set, all you have to do is interface it to your serial port and write a small (almost trivial) daemon to convert the 5 bit Baudot code to ASCII.
utter rubbish
By a striking coicidence, I've actually been working on something similar, albeit not for a desktop machine, but for my car computer.
I don't have pictures or anything up because it's only half finished, but the basic are simple enough to understand. I bought some scrap parts from a fighter jet (at a place that buys military scrap), and among them was the small overhead toggle panel from some sort of aircraft, probably a transport jet, though most of the labels are worn off so I can't really read the markings on it. I've been trying to wire up the toggle and guard switches and use them to, at least partly, control the computer and other things in the car.
*click* Power On
*click* headlights
*click-click* defroster on 'high'
Hilary Rosen's speech was about her love of money and her desire to roll around naked in a pile of money.
Hollow out the bottom of the morse key and mount a mouse into it. Then, just wire up the key to the primary mouse button, install a second button in an unobtrusive location on the key, and wire that one up to the secondary mouse button. Voila. (Hell...I might try this myself... :P )
"Sure, if you're a collector you might have a working computer from the 60s or even the 50s in your basement or garage."
If you had a computer from the 50's or 60's, it'd most likely BE your basement or garage.
Oh yeah, Spock spent way too much time on that thing, no wonder they never have any money on Star Trek
heh
-- Cisk for the Cisk God
You're basically talking about putting a PC into an old mahogany case. That's great and all, but would you want to use it all the time? Typewriter keyboards are *terrible* for the wrists.
What would you power the vacuum tubes with? They get very hot; this could pose the risk of a fire. Also, if you're just using normal vacuum tubes for show and you're not loading them; they'll fry almost immediately if you're just running current through the plates to make them turn orange.
I guess I just don't see the point. A nasty little magnified screen that's headache-inducing, a huge power-draining array of vacuum tubes, and a keyboard you couldn't use for 5 minutes without wanting to gnaw your hands off... sounds like an expensive, useless conversation piece.
- A.P.
"Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
Try posting on the HardOCP cool cases forum for ideas. They do a lot of interesting case mods, maybe someone there has done something like what you want to do.
For a moderately retro look, try painting the case in a gloss finsih, preferably black, have all your drives painted black, and lots and lots of chrome!
Plus of course the fins on the back like the late 59 cadillacs
I've had a bit of a go at capturing this look, but this guy's done much better.