Home Computers: 100 Icons that Defined a Digital Generation - Book Review

Not so long ago, I reviewed the rather excellent Digital Retro. This was the book that started my computing library and really needed a follow up to expand on the original selection of hardware. This fine hardback volume, published in collaboration with The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge and combining the text of Alex Wiltshire and the photography of John Short is, in my humble opinion, a much needed and excellent successor.

Coming it at just over 250-pages, it covers pretty much the same period as Digital Retro, just with a greater range of machines. The quality of the book can't be knocked, with high-grade stock used to accentuate the many, many photographs of the various machines featured and ,in a handy design choice, these are listed on the front cover, alongside a phot of the attractively retro Intertec Superbrain.

Into the book proper, and the introduction gives the reader a potted history of the home computer, the trends and fashions, and a general feel of how that category of machine developed during the years covered here.

Onto the machines themselves, and the book starts off with something unfamiliar to me, the SDC Minivac 601, before continuing with the infamous Altair 8800. The pattern for each entry is pretty much the same: most get two pages, comprising of several photographs and a text block describing the history of the device (both origins and how its tale ended). You also get a side bar which details the manufacturer, release date, some technical data and country of origin. Some get an extra page or two for additional imagery, and every now and again, there's a number of pages showing the likes of manuals and software. 

A machine that still has support to this day: www.samcoupe.com

With 100 machines to cover, you not only see many familiar ones (if you are of a certain age), but also some less common names, which for me included the Olympia People and. the EACA Genie II EG 3008 (what the hell was marketing doing that day?). Many of these have their own character, despite a preponderance of beige that became a thing in the 1980's. It also means that, whilst I will never own many of these machines, I at least get to see some cracking photography of these digital wonders. And yes, even my pining heart has accepted I'll never have an Amstrad PPC512 or an Olivetti Prodest PC1. Sigh.

Of niggles, I only have but one - a couple of the photographs are incorrect. The aforementioned Product PC1 page has an Apple Lisa keyboard image and, like Digital Retro, the first Commodore Amiga entry shows an A500 - except here, it's labelled as an A1000 even though one of the images shows an A500 sticker. Minor stuff, and it takes little shine off what is an exceptional tome.

That VisiCalc manual looks suspiciously like a 1990's National Record of Achievement folder!

One thing that has to be said though, and that is that this book confirms one of my long held beliefs. The design of home computers as become boring and staid. Just having an angled case with a glass panel and a bunch of LED lights does not a classic design make. Form does, of course, follow function, and with the general move away from desktop computing for most general tasks (the ubiquitous laptop and the tablet/smartphone combo have truly changed the way many people interest with "computers" in the last decade and a half), the desktop has been relegated to a simple box. Of course, I'm not saying that we should go back to all in one systems with CRT's just for the hell of it, more that, as an observation, they don't build them like they used to and, from a purely aesthetic point of view, I consider that a damn shame. 

Home Computers: 100 Icons that Defined a Digital Generation is well worth your time if the history of the home computer appeals. Even if this is just a passing interest, you will learn much about how the category of machines developed, how much variety there was, and how the seeds of conformity were laid down by the IBM PC (and it must be said, the Mac). This is another excellent addition to the library and one that I can highly recommend.

The Legacy of the Forgotten by Martin Gamero Prieto - Book Review

A few weeks back, I reviewed The Legacy of 3dfx, a highly informative tome that focused on the history and products of 3dfx, a company that for a brief period defined the PC graphics card industry. Of course, they were not the only company to address that market and, with only AMD (who purchased ATi in 2006), Nvidia and latterly Intel still in the consumer 3D graphics card market, there were once many names who, at one point or another, were familiar to potential consumers. This Kickstarter-funded volume takes a long and highly detailed look at those competitors who really should be remembered. 

Jazzy cover first this time.

This is another well produced volume, coming in at just over five hundred pages and matches the overall feel of the 3dfx book. As before, the dust jacket is fairly plain (aside from the colour) but it is the actual book cover that has the most striking imagery. 

The dust jacket is scarily orange. 

The author begins with coverage of the Bitboys, a group I honestly can't remember hearing about at the time they were prevalent. Following them is S3 Incorporated and S3 Graphics (the book explains this very clearly). My overriding memory of S3 (in whichever guise it was at the time as I didn't know of the difference) is that they were pretty naff for actual 3D work. Their inclusion here not only clarifies their products and the reasoning behind them, but also provides a huge dose of context for their policies, which was extremely informative for me.

Videologic comes next, and this was a company whose products had the potential to dominate the low and middle end of the market, so much so in fact that the inclusion of the Nvidia briefing slides in this book demonstrates a) how good Videologic were, b) how much of a threat they were seen as and c) how nasty Nvidia could be in the corporate battlefield. 

Matrox follows up and, whilst I remember them for their productivity cards, they tried their hand at 3D too. Finishing off the list is Number Nine, one of those competitors that always seemed to loiter in the background in group test reviews in contemporary magazines.

Each company entry follows the same format, with a brief run down of the corporate history, details of their products and explanations of their uses, the technology that powered their products, before closing with a personal opinion piece from the author. Each section is written with a definite sense of style and the author's voice is easy to discern. In addition, there are photographs, tables, diagrams and more to illustrate the products and their capabilities. 

The Legacy of the Forgotten is a well-written and interesting look at the companies that tried to compete in a sub-section of the personal computer bear pit (as well as other potential uses) but never reached the heady heights of market leader or managed to stay the course in that particular fight. That's not to say they all failed, as some are still around today (in much different guises), but their contribution to the PC graphics world should not be forgotten, and this book is the perfect way to ensure that their legacy lives on. 

You can pick up a copy of The Legacy of the Forgotten here, and follow the publisher on Twitter here. I for one am really looking forward to what they bring out next.

Speccy Nation Volume 2 by Dan Whitehead - Book Review

A few years after writing Speccy Nation, Dan Whitehead decided to revisit the gaming riches of the good old Spectrum, but this time framed within the concept of nostalgia of his (and coincidentally my own) childhood. Indeed, it is the selection of topics within which the featured games are grouped that not only gives the reader a solid grounding in gaming on the Spectrum, but also provides a window into the popular culture of the decade from 1982 to 1992 from a British 8-bit computing perspective.

Ah, yes! The 1980's! Feels like such a long time ago, especially if, like me, you're heading towards your fifties and looking back. What once seemed fresh and new is now just a faded memory - or an everyday sight on the high street, as you watch the same fashions, trends and (shudder) hairstyles from your childhood bequeath themselves on the youth of today. That raises a very good point (which Dan makes in the Introduction, and considering that this was written seven years ago, demonstrates how little things have changed in the intervening years) about what children and teenagers today will consider nostalgic when they reach their fifth decade. Given that, for example, superheroes have been cinematic stars for the last twenty or so years, will today's twenty-somethings feel that pang of history when yet another fucking Superman or Spider-Man origins movie hits whatever passes for the cinema in the 2050's? Unless they're too busy still fighting the Subwar that begins at the start of that decade... (one for the 16-bit fans out there).

Anyway, back to this book, and the games that arrived on the Spectrum which also defined a lot of the popular culture between 1982 and 1992, where anything and, indeed, almost everything, could be turned into an 8-bit Spectrum treasure (sarcasm alert, by the way). 

Handily, since I have already mentioned movies, this is where Mr Whitehead begins, with a run through of the silver screen "classics" where a licence was acquired, before detouring into the world of 007 (I remember my cousin getting The Living Daylights and loving it - he was young, he was still learning), before American TV shows rock up, and wow, did that section bring back some memories. Airwolf, Blue Thunder, Streethawk! Ah, just pure class. And no, never watching them again as that would totally bleach the rose tint from my spectacles.

Toys and Cartoon-based games come next (loved Centurions, even if it made absolutely no sense), then it's on to Comics. Kids TV, Quiz shows, Music games and food based titles, before ending with a British Telly section, and a smorgasbord of 1980's pop culture that never made it to the Spectrum, 

If it sounds dry, it really isn't, as there are jokes, commentary and nods, making it a superb read. The author begins each entry with an explanation of the original work before delving into the highs and lows of its 8-bit compatriot. This isn't just any 1980's walkthrough, this is the author's own history, and certainly mine too. Every Second Counts, remember it well. Bullseye, still watch the odd episode on Challenge TV just to remind myself how "different" the 80's were. And as for Supergran, well, that was a childhood favourite, but that theme song - it has not aged well. 

Funny, self aware, but with a reverence to the topics of both the culture of the period and the videogames it spawned, Dan has created the ultimate reference to being a British kid at a time when nuclear war was a possibility, strikes were rife and the government gave no shits for anyone other than its rich friends*... actually, hold on...

Before everyone gets too depressed and starts watching Threads (which I suggest you do at some point in your life anyway, as it is a superb, yet harrowing, piece of television!), consider this: you don't have to be a fan of the Spectrum to buy Speccy Nation volume 2, as you'll get something out of it if you had a CPC or C64, and hell, if you didn't experience 8-bit gaming back then, then pick this up for the perambulation down cultural memory lane anyway. To paraphrase slightly: the past is a different country and they do things (very) differently there, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn about it anyway (now there's a deep thought for a computer game book review!).

You can pick up Speccy Nation Volume 2 direct from Amazon here, and follow the author on Twitter here. 

* I know, I know, all governments are like that, to a greater or lesser degree, but then I am more than a tad cynical.

The Legacy of 3dfx by Martin Gamero Prieto - Book Review

The history of personal computing is littered with the names of companies that tried and, ultimately, failed in their endeavours. Whether it was due to hubris, aggressive competition or just plain bad luck, these names deserve to be remembered for at least attempting to make their mark. In this extremely well researched book, Martin Gamero Prieto focuses on a PC graphics industry trailblazer that at one point led the market, and this tome gives us everything you need to know about The Legacy of 3dfx.

The dust cover.

The book itself is of high quality and cleanly laid out. Coming in at over 520 pages, there is a lot of detail here, with numerous photographs and diagrams to illustrate the range of cards 3dfx produced. There are also enough charts, tables and graphs to keep even the most ardent Digital Foundry fan happy. A note on the cover too: the jacket looks fairly boring, but the actual book cover is definitely more eye catching. 

The actual book cover

The first one hundred or so pages give a history of 3D graphics and how the technology developed from its early years in the 1970's and progressed throughout the 1990's. There are sections on the various competitors to 3dfx and how they placed themselves in the ever growing graphics card industry. The next hundred pages detail the range of cards 3dfx produced - there are a lot of them and it is a fascinating looking back at how raw the industry actually was, and how much more interesting it was back then (although that it just my own opinion). 

Games pick up the next section, with a focus on titles that benefitted from the new technology and rapidly improving specifications. It's here that you'll also see comparisons between how the various graphics cards competitors to 3dfx performed across a range of titles at the time.

The discussion then switches to the more professional uses the cards were put to, including arcade machines, where the latest 3D graphical technology was used very effectively. There was much more about 3dfx than just the desktop PC. After that, there are a number of sections covering retro PC builds, other platforms and personal commentary. 

I found this a very easy read and the translation work is done well, allowing the author's voice to shine through even the most dense of passages. And yes, there is a lot of technical stuff here, but given the nature of the subject, I'd expect nothing less. Concepts are explained in an easy to understand manner and this is definitely a read where you'll come away knowing more than when you first started.

I can honestly say that, whilst I was not much of a PC gamer in the 90's, I did keep up with the tech and trends, and the seemingly dizzying pace of new advancements as the millennium approached. What Martin has done here is put together an excellent history of the 3dfx company and its technology, what made it a market leader and what finally led to its downfall. If the history of PC gaming is your thing, then you really do need to pick up a copy. 

The Legacy of 3dfx (English copy) can be purchased directly from the publisher here, and you can follow the them on Twitter here.