Santa brought me a PCjr when I was a kid, the best Christmas present I ever got.
Things I liked about the PCjr:
* 16 Color Graphics - this was back at the time of CGA graphics on the PC, where you got your choice of 4 colors in one of two palettes. Graphics on the PC were AWFUL at the time. The PCjr's EGA-like graphics were beautiful by comparison.
* 3 Voice Sound - on the PC, you got a beeper. On the PCjr, you got 3 voice sound that could produce some really nice music.
* Games - King's Quest. King's Quest II. In 16 color graphics with 3 voice sound. Need I say more?
* Wireless keyboard - I got the "true keyboard" version, not the chiclet keyboard. It used IR to communicate with the computer and worked flawlessly.
* Learning How to Program - a great kid friendly system for learning how to program BASIC
* Upgrade Modules - for a kid, the ability to upgrade your PC by bolting on a card to the side was great. I added a printer adapter and 256K of memory. For adults, there were some frustrating limitations with this setup.
Things I disliked about the PCjr:
* Compatibility - games had to be specifically programmed for the PCjr to work correctly. Otherwise it was a crapshoot whether a game would work. I remember making multiple trips to the software store going through one game after another until I found one that worked. Over time this got to be a deal-killer.
Overall, I have really fond memories of the system and enjoyed being "ahead of my time" for a while with the graphics and sound capabilities of the PCjr.
Slashdot Mirror
Santa brought me a PCjr when I was a kid, the best Christmas present I ever got.
Things I liked about the PCjr:
* 16 Color Graphics - this was back at the time of CGA graphics on the PC, where you got your choice of 4 colors in one of two palettes. Graphics on the PC were AWFUL at the time. The PCjr's EGA-like graphics were beautiful by comparison.
* 3 Voice Sound - on the PC, you got a beeper. On the PCjr, you got 3 voice sound that could produce some really nice music.
* Games - King's Quest. King's Quest II. In 16 color graphics with 3 voice sound. Need I say more?
* Wireless keyboard - I got the "true keyboard" version, not the chiclet keyboard. It used IR to communicate with the computer and worked flawlessly.
* Learning How to Program - a great kid friendly system for learning how to program BASIC
* Upgrade Modules - for a kid, the ability to upgrade your PC by bolting on a card to the side was great. I added a printer adapter and 256K of memory. For adults, there were some frustrating limitations with this setup.
Things I disliked about the PCjr:
* Compatibility - games had to be specifically programmed for the PCjr to work correctly. Otherwise it was a crapshoot whether a game would work. I remember making multiple trips to the software store going through one game after another until I found one that worked. Over time this got to be a deal-killer.
Overall, I have really fond memories of the system and enjoyed being "ahead of my time" for a while with the graphics and sound capabilities of the PCjr.