You can now order a PC case that looks like the classic Commodore 64

Quoting: Liam Dawe

Quoting: NanobangThis is a fake antique. This is the equivalent of one of those phones that look like a rotary phone, but have buttons instead of holes in a dial, and have modern electronics inside.

Doesn't mean it's not cool and that people won't buy it though. Personally, I genuinely like the style of a lot of older things but I like how far things have come. Merging old styles with the new is a good thing for some. A lot of "modern" styling is junk.

I miss desktop computers in general. The beige boxes went away too, but now everyone has such a thing for RGB lighting... it's distracting and pointless... I specifically bought a case with no window so I wouldn't have to see my graphics card and motherboard light up. There's a certain appeal to having a wedge style case. Though anything built as a PC isn't exactly meant to be in such a thing, as they're cramped to work in. Look how they removed the option of an optical drive to mount the HD there instead.

This looks cool but I would kill for replica Sharp x68000 case. That case is f**kin beautiful, lol but to fit a ATX Mobo you have to chop the internal to pieces plus the shipping from Japan is outrageous for something I might screw up, lol.

Regarding desktop cases, it may be a bit of a stretch... but I use a 4U 19" server case as my "desktop", with another 2U fuse-and-switch panel below; gives a nice bit of height to the monitor. Probably not going to win any design awards, but it is functional and definitely not cramped inside the case :)

I don't get why people would want to use the 64's keyboard layout, as well as its form factor which doesn't allow to rest your wrists properly? Unless they intend to use the x86 as an emulator and want it to look the part too.

Quoting: ValckRegarding desktop cases, it may be a bit of a stretch... but I use a 4U 19" server case as my "desktop", with another 2U fuse-and-switch panel below; gives a nice bit of height to the monitor. Probably not going to win any design awards, but it is functional and definitely not cramped inside the case :)

I don't get why people would want to use the 64's keyboard layout, as well as its form factor which doesn't allow to rest your wrists properly? Unless they intend to use the x86 as an emulator and want it to look the part too.

Yeah, for me if I'm going to emulate, I'm going to want the original keyboard layout and such. Try to make it as accurate as possible. But then the c64 is one of those that I didn't grow up with and wondered why they only have two arrow keys with modifiers to go the opposite direction... it's terrible. I grew up with the Atari 8bit, which had proper arrow keys :P

Quoting: wvstolzingas far as I can remember, the original keyboards on those devices were pretty awful, with thick springs under each key (*not* buckling spring style, just a straight spring that the keycap bounces on) with ridiculously long 'action', and no real sense of feedback.

Eh, they were okay compared to the competition at the time. I mean, you wouldn't expect a cheap home computer built to a price to have a keyboard as good as a much higher-priced IBM PC built for daily 9-5 use by professional typists. If you compare them to cheap modern rubber-dome boards - which is more realistic - they're really not bad.

Quoting: slaapliedjeBut then the c64 is one of those that I didn't grow up with and wondered why they only have two arrow keys with modifiers to go the opposite direction... it's terrible. I grew up with the Atari 8bit, which had proper arrow keys :P

I didn't have one either, but I'm told by people who did that they got used to it and the use of the Shift key became second-nature. The Sinclair Spectrum had linear cursor keys which attracted a lot of criticism at the time, but they were actually very similar to the Vim-like HJKL layout that's so popular these days. It's all about what you're used to.

Quoting: Dunc

Quoting: wvstolzingas far as I can remember, the original keyboards on those devices were pretty awful, with thick springs under each key (*not* buckling spring style, just a straight spring that the keycap bounces on) with ridiculously long 'action', and no real sense of feedback.

Eh, they were okay compared to the competition at the time. I mean, you wouldn't expect a cheap home computer built to a price to have a keyboard as good as a much higher-priced IBM PC built for daily 9-5 use by professional typists. If you compare them to cheap modern rubber-dome boards - which is more realistic - they're really not bad.

Quoting: slaapliedjeBut then the c64 is one of those that I didn't grow up with and wondered why they only have two arrow keys with modifiers to go the opposite direction... it's terrible. I grew up with the Atari 8bit, which had proper arrow keys :P

I didn't have one either, but I'm told by people who did that they got used to it and the use of the Shift key became second-nature. The Sinclair Spectrum had linear cursor keys which attracted a lot of criticism at the time, but they were actually very similar to the Vim-like HJKL layout that's so popular these days. It's all about what you're used to.

The IIGS also has a linear row of arrows, but an individual key for each arrow. The c64 one is easy to get used to if you use it frequently enough. I use mine maybe every 3 months or so, so it is still odd.

Almost on topic, I built one of these tonight for my Amiga V4SA to use a spare A4000 keyboard with it, works brilliantly!

https://github.com/tkoecker/amigakb Got my order from PCBWay really fast! Like 3 days?

Quoting: Dunc

Quoting: wvstolzingas far as I can remember, the original keyboards on those devices were pretty awful, with thick springs under each key (*not* buckling spring style, just a straight spring that the keycap bounces on) with ridiculously long 'action', and no real sense of feedback.

Eh, they were okay compared to the competition at the time.

Nothing compared to the "chewing gum" keyboard of the Sinclair (ZX 81 or Spectrum, not sure anymore)...!

Quoting: Liam Dawe

Quoting: NanobangThis is a fake antique. This is the equivalent of one of those phones that look like a rotary phone, but have buttons instead of holes in a dial, and have modern electronics inside.

Doesn't mean it's not cool and that people won't buy it though. Personally, I genuinely like the style of a lot of older things but I like how far things have come. Merging old styles with the new is a good thing for some. A lot of "modern" styling is junk.

Oh, to be sure, people will buy this. And even more people will think it's cool. And that's totally groovy! I'm behind people finding a little sunshine for themselves in life, however they can. An inauthentic object can bring people authentic, valid joy.

I meant to underscore what I said at the beginning: that this isn't "retro" because it isn't imitative of a past style, it's a duplicate of a past object. Any perceived ridicule or distaste in my words was aimed at the seller of such a thing, not those who might want to buy it. :)

Quoting: EikeNothing compared to the "chewing gum" keyboard of the Sinclair (ZX 81 or Spectrum, not sure anymore)...!

The original Spectrum had the “dead flesh” board. Later versions had an improved one with plastic keycaps. I believe Sir Clive actually held patents on rubber-sprung keyboards, and gathered massive licencing fees from the likes of Dell in the '90s. His own company's efforts, being early, were pretty awful though.

The ZX81... oh, dear. It was a keycap-less membrane, marketed as “touch sensitive”. I guess if you “touched” it with a hammer...


Last edited by Dunc on 16 October 2020 at 3:34 pm UTC