Black Friday Print Ads......... in 1996....

[alkemyst]

when I got my 56k winmodem to work in Linux that was an incredible day

You're a better man than me. I could never get it working(3 different winmodems, and a hardware modem). I had to wait until wireless to start running GNU/Linux.

Serious...winmodem in *nix and way after the usablity of it.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

I wish I still had my Packard Bell just so I could see what would still be on it. Computers and the internet were just so much more fun back then, with the internet being the latest frontier to explore with no idea what you'd find on it.

 

[lxskllr]

A few years ago, a guy I worked with gave me one of these...

One day it's gonna be an art deco case mod. I'm thinking lighted palm trees around the base, and maybe make it a little more curvy.

 

[rh71]

these were the days when you could actually get good deals by showing up a couple hours early. lining up the day before and being given a ticket takes away all the fun and mystery. It's much more exciting when everyone acts civil but you're all let into the store at the same time. Does everyone want the deal you do? Will you get there fast enough?

I bought my gamecube first day it came out. I called all around town and took public transit to the ToysRUs that had some still in stock for whatever reason.

I remember how people scouted the stores and item locations the day before.

No it's really not better to have a bunch of people rushing in at the same time. Not everyone can be civil. Ask the employee who died a couple years back just from the on-rush.

 

[SKORPI0]

I still a stack of old Best Buy ads from Oct '94-Aug '95, maybe more in storage. ^_^

scan of ad dated Aug 27 1995 page 12, featuring... :biggrin:

 

[VirtualLarry]

You're a better man than me. I could never get it working(3 different winmodems, and a hardware modem). I had to wait until wireless to start running GNU/Linux.

Oh, c'mon. No Courier HST V.92 external modem, and a serial cable? Those worked with Linux...

(And as a testament to the hardware design of those modems, I actually have the v.32 models, which I was able to upgrade to a v.92 model... if you knew where to find the files on the internet.)

Edit: What was a PITA, was taking the frequency timing data from your monitor, and manually having to edit the X config file, and add the "modelines" manually. Back before everything was PnP and auto-detecting. And if you got it wrong, you could overdrive your monitor, and burn it out!

 

[mmntech]

Today paying $2500 for a computer is considered obscene, unless you're a hardcore gamer or Apple fanboy.

Desktops didn't even have that great a shelf life back then. Wait a year and it's already obsolete. Much like today's mobile market.

 

[alkemyst]

Oh, c'mon. No Courier HST V.92 external modem, and a serial cable? Those worked with Linux...

(And as a testament to the hardware design of those modems, I actually have the v.32 models, which I was able to upgrade to a v.92 model... if you knew where to find the files on the internet.)

Edit: What was a PITA, was taking the frequency timing data from your monitor, and manually having to edit the X config file, and add the "modelines" manually. Back before everything was PnP and auto-detecting. And if you got it wrong, you could overdrive your monitor, and burn it out!

If you owned the hardware, they'd give it to you. If you pirated it, it was already old school.

 

[alkemyst]

Today paying $2500 for a computer is considered obscene, unless you're a hardcore gamer or Apple fanboy.

Desktops didn't even have that great a shelf life back then. Wait a year and it's already obsolete. Much like today's mobile market.

Wow...

/because Canada.

 

[Sulaco]

I still a stack of old Best Buy ads from Oct '94-Aug '95, maybe more in storage. ^_^

scan of ad dated Aug 27 1995 page 12, featuring... :biggrin:

Haha, great ad! Thanks for posting!

 

[zerocool84]

Final Fantasy II was NOT the norm. It was double all the other SNES titles.


People seem to forget THAT!!

There was more than just one game that was expensive, many were really expensive just because it wasn't cheap to make cartridges. So many people complain about game prices but they would fluctuate for good games back then. A $60 game back then is probably equivalent to a $100 game now. Plus many great games were even more expensive than that.

 

[Childs]

At around 96 I couldn't really afford a computer, so I used to buy them, use them for 29 days, then return them. After burning through most of the local shops I finally save up and see a deal for a 486 for around $700-1000 at a mom and pop shop in Sunnyvale. I specifically remember asking why is this so cheap and the guy said "they buy in bulk and pass the savings on to their customer." Also, no returns, because the margins were so low they couldn't make money reselling it. Sounded good enough, so I buy it. It ended up being made of old parts. Even the 486 was an IBM 486SLC, and it was missing the math co processor. Hard drive was and old monster scsci drive with a sticker on it that said broken. Karma I guess, and I learned a valuable life lesson...do not trust Middle Eastern salesman! It ended up being all right after buying the co processor, turning on cache, new hard drive, etc, but that took more money. So much hassle just so I could play Doom. :biggrin:

Anyways, it was going to be a long winded way of saying how expensive computers and parts were back then, but then I realized my video card now cost about what I spent on that first new PC. And its still really just to play games. I guess the more things change, the more the stay the same.

 

[alkemyst]

At around 96 I couldn't really afford a computer, so I used to buy them, use them for 29 days, then return them. After burning through most of the local shops I finally save up and see a deal for a 486 for around $700-1000 at a mom and pop shop in Sunnyvale. I specifically remember asking why is this so cheap and the guy said "they buy in bulk and pass the savings on to their customer." Also, no returns, because the margins were so low they couldn't make money reselling it. Sounded good enough, so I buy it. It ended up being made of old parts. Even the 486 was an IBM 486SLC, and it was missing the math co processor. Hard drive was and old monster scsci drive with a sticker on it that said broken. Karma I guess, and I learned a valuable life lesson...do not trust Middle Eastern salesman! It ended up being all right after buying the co processor, turning on cache, new hard drive, etc, but that took more money. So much hassle just so I could play Doom. :biggrin:

Anyways, it was going to be a long winded way of saying how expensive computers and parts were back then, but then I realized my video card now cost about what I spent on that first new PC. And its still really just to play games. I guess the more things change, the more the stay the same.

Wow racism and other dirt bag behavior.

 

[mmntech]

Wow...

/because Canada.

Somebody's in a salty mood.

 

[Childs]

Wow racism and other dirt bag behavior.

Yeah, I used to buy games at Egghead, copy the floppies, then return them. I got blacklisted there too after awhile. I was going to college full time and worked at UPS at the graveyard shift just to make rent. Not an excuse, but I was really broke and pushed the return policies to their limits just to keep up with my hobbies. Now I buy stuff and never get around to using them. But I still stick to the "deal with Middle Eastern salesman with caution" mantra, although I'm more inclusive now and apply it to all first generation immigrant salesman! Those guys are slick when it comes to making deals. My need to make a quick deal and their skills with creative omission make me a prime target.

 

[alkemyst]

Yeah, I used to buy games at Egghead, copy the floppies, then return them. I got blacklisted there too after awhile. I was going to college full time and worked at UPS at the graveyard shift just to make rent. Not an excuse, but I was really broke and pushed the return policies to their limits just to keep up with my hobbies. Now I buy stuff and never get around to using them. But I still stick to the "deal with Middle Eastern salesman with caution" mantra, although I'm more inclusive now and apply it to all first generation immigrant salesman! Those guys are slick when it comes to making deals. My need to make a quick deal and their skills with creative omission make me a prime target.

Copying software and then returning it is not pushing the return policy, IT IS STEALING!

 

[Childs]

Copying software and then returning it is not pushing the return policy, IT IS STEALING!

Back then it wasn't! No CD key, and they just put it back on the shelf. How could it be stolen if they turned around and sold it? Or maybe it was and I didn't think it was. Who knows, that was almost 20 years ago. I think it was in the Goldilocks period when the tech made it possible and there was no mention that copying was bad. People used to copy everything and give it to friends and family.

 

[ultimatebob]

Mental note... if you want a 90% return on your money over 5 years, invest in technology companies.

If you want a -90% return on your money over the same time, invest in technology products

 

[poofyhairguy]

Mental note... if you want a 90% return on your money over 5 years, invest in technology companies.

If you want a -90% return on your money over the same time, invest in technology products

Good point. Think if you put that $2500k in Apple stock in 1995.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I bought my first HD, 20MB (yes, Megabyte) MFM Seagate for $379.99 in 1988. That's quite a leap in 8 years in both price, size and performance.

That's what came in my IBM PS2/50z....a nice 20MB hard drive.

 

[natto fire]

is there a section that shows the store hours? don't want to click through 10 pages of mostly ads and tracking cookies

Don't forget the stupid "quips" that the "writer" put under each picture to try to justify getting paid for all the crap you mentioned.

The answer is no, by the way.

 

[alkemyst]

Back then it wasn't! No CD key, and they just put it back on the shelf. How could it be stolen if they turned around and sold it? Or maybe it was and I didn't think it was. Who knows, that was almost 20 years ago. I think it was in the Goldilocks period when the tech made it possible and there was no mention that copying was bad. People used to copy everything and give it to friends and family.

There was usually a piece of paper in a computer box or text on the outside to denote you could not copy it.

I don't know how someone wouldn't realize it was stealing.

 

[alkemyst]

That's what came in my IBM PS2/50z....a nice 20MB hard drive.

I can't see your link, but if you haven't seen my PS2 FAQ it may be a walk down memory lane:

MCA was a great bus/backplane.

http://www.30moons.com/ps2faq.php

 

[isekii]

I remember feeling guilt for spending $400 on a DVD burner back in '98. That was about 80% of my net worth back then.

I think my first burner was an Imation 4x DVD burner. It was 399.99 I think.

 

[isekii]

A few years ago, a guy I worked with gave me one of these...

One day it's gonna be an art deco case mod. I'm thinking lighted palm trees around the base, and maybe make it a little more curvy.

damn that looks like my first computer.

Packard Bell Pentium 166mhz Got it at Sears for like 2799.99 (ty mom).