A history of the microcomputer industry in 300 adverts

The Xcalibur portable: The Apple IIe-based system for people on the move

This is another advert for an official Apple clone from the days before Apple changed its mind and decided it wasn't going to allow such things. Rather than a straight-up Apple ...

To get the most out of your new computer, you really need to use your feet

The SX-64 "portable" wasn't a new idea as there had been similar attempts at luggables in the past, for instance the Digital Group's Mini Bytemaster - although this did have a muc...

The new Argus Pro-personal. Above all, a true 16-bit computer

Ferranti was a major UK-based electrical engineering firm which had been established in 1885. It had built its first computer in 1951, but was perhaps more well-known in the mic...

PC 20: Now you can master a business computer in just a few simple steps

This advert is almost an epitaph for Commodore as well as the whole early micro industry since the first "modern" personal computer, Commodore's own PET. From those first few ma...

The Comart Communicator: One computer system that won't sink in to obsolescence

One popular theme that ran through microcomputer advertising throughout this era is that of a simmering paranoia about being "left behind". This was, of course, understandable a...

Triumph Adler makes it all refreshingly simple with the Alphatronic micro

Triumph-Adler, originally of Germany, was first bought out by the US Royal Typewriter Co. in 1969 and then, more implausibly, by German car-giant Volkswagen, which acquired a major...

Every week, more and more people like you are going to work with an Osborne personal business computer

The Osborne One was designed by Lee Felsenstein, who had designed Processor Technology's Sol computer back in 1976. Osborne, the company, went through hard times during 1983, not...

As your company goes places, will your computer grow with it?

It's another advert for the Alpha Micro, not to be confused with the Alphatronic Micro produced by Triumph-Adler. It's an upgrade to the original Alpha - which was around in 198...

Microframe - Future-proof computing systems from under £3000

With a futurist "space cargo"-style modular box construction, the "future proof" Microframe seemed to live up to its name. Although not directly billed as an IBM compatible, it ...

The new British Minstrel with Winchester drive

This machine and advert is such a spectacular throw-back that it had to be included. It's for the "New" British Minstrel, as produced by the oddly-named Hotel Microsystems Limit...

32/16-bit power and unique versatility at your fingertips

The Corvus Concept was one of several 32/16-bit machines appearing at the time, like the Fortune 32:16 or Sage II, in an era when 16-bit machines were only really getting going an...

Portable micros - taking the computer a step further

This is one of a few adverts that appeared around about the same time which could be read as something of a sad coda on the life of Transam Microsystems Limited. Transam had star...

Our professional-series integrated business systems software is free

Winner of the award for most puzzling advertising campaign must surely go to Iotec, which for the best part of a year seemed to feature adverts all in black with just the word "io...

The unbeatable TI home computer. It's all the computers your family will ever need

TI's pushing of Commodore out of the calculator market in the 1970s had come back to haunt it in 1983 - the year of this advert. When TI, which had been manufacturing the calcul...

A history of communications: part 1

This colourful and quintessentially 80s advert from Torch was one of two sequential adverts in Personal Computer World and provides a nice summary of the company's output so far. ...