Granddad likes IBM PC Jr (the first generation with a chicket keyboard) and Multiplan!
Posted by PersonOf1980s@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 81 comments
ziplock9000@reddit
Did it come with a free telescope to see the monitor?
ILikeBumblebees@reddit
He's got a [red box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_box_(government)) on his conference table, so possibly some sort of UK/Commonwealth government minister.
probably_platypus@reddit
Johnny Carson - late night comedian - think Kimmel/Colbert, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Carson
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Point is that IBM Color Monitor 5153 (CGA) could not be set on top of the plastic Jr case (too heavy!), therefore all the adverts show it like this 😉
texan01@reddit
That’s not the case, you can absolutely set the monitor on top of the computer. The very early ones had issues with the monitor interfering with the disk drive but that was quickly solved.
Also that monitor is relatively light for its size.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
No. Only the specially made IBM Color Monitor (IBM 4863) can be set on top of JR case. IBM 5153 cannot. It was prohibited in the manual.
texan01@reddit
lol... sorry dude, there's been a monitor sitting on the top of just about every PCjr made since then. Mine is sitting on top of the case right now. the one I had when growing up, we got new in 1984 and it had the monitor sitting on the case as well for 10 years.
If you go by the outdated even by 1985 articles then by all means take up all the realestate on your desk, but even the PC and XT were shown and recommended to not have the monitor sit on top of the case.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Sorry, but again you mismatch IBM 4863 monitor specially made for JR, and standard IBM CGA Monitor 5153. Rather heavy.
Look at this gentleman. Why he uses a special stand for 5153 monitor? 😄
https://imgbox.com/EHwenovM
texan01@reddit
because those don't fit on top of the jr. they are physically larger than the Jr is wide. Those are also not recommended to use ontop of the JR as it will cause RF issues with the drive. https://www.brutman.com/PCjr/pcjr_faq.html#Monitors
The PCjr specific monitor does not have this issue.
Just do an image search on whatever flavor search engine and you'll see hundreds of images of the PCjr monitor sitting on top of the case. https://www.oldsilicon.com/personal-computers/ibm-pcjr/
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
I think we are telling each other exactly the same thing 😉
probably_platypus@reddit
Granddad here is Johnny Carson. He didn't use a computer. He wrote longhand or typed on an Olivetti Lettera 22.
skinnyjonez@reddit
Going to need neck surgery
darkwater427@reddit
Heyy, nice printer!
RelentlessGravity@reddit
Make it real and have his "secretary" use it instead. She then prints everything out for him and brings it in to his office. Along with the coffee. True story!
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
The best dream of any secretary: to teach your boss typing :)
RelentlessGravity@reddit
She is smarter than him anyway. Cool picture BTW.
balki_123@reddit
This man had like 40 years and is farsighted.
hyperdream@reddit
Right? I love how ridiculous some of the product shots are. Can't have the monitor closer because that would block the view of the computer.
MarcusAurelius68@reddit
It’s a 12” monitor as well, and 640x200 resolution assuming that’s 4 color (320x200 otherwise).
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Without special additions, JR supported only 40x25 (text) or 320x200 (graphics) modes only. Even Multiplan in the picture works in 40x25 mode 😉
texan01@reddit
The Jr supports up to 640x200, and 80x25 text. 40 columns is best on a composite output, but a CGA monitor, you can run 80 columns just fine on a stock 128kb Jr.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
I made this screenshot of Multiplan 1.0 working in 40x25 mode specially for you, so you can compare it with the topic image. Where do you see the 80x25 mode?
https://imgbox.com/BzTsnD8E
sarajevo81@reddit
2-line menus are only in the 80-col mode.
texan01@reddit
Not sure what you're trying to prove with that screenshot.
The image on the screen in the picture is CLEARLY 80x25 compared to your screenshot.
Dad was running Lotus 1-2-3 on our Jr in 80x25 in 1984. The only time I ever ran 40 column displays on ours was when I was programming in basic, and even then I'd rather have it in 80 column display. 40 column was best saved for composite output to a TV where 80 column display looked terrible. - which is true for the Apple II line as well or any other composite output computer.
MarcusAurelius68@reddit
That’s 100% 80 column.
FlyByPC@reddit
It looks like it was actually a little more capable than stock CGA:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_PCjr#Video
MarcusAurelius68@reddit
Ugh. I’d need binoculars.
glwillia@reddit
also, apparently the keyboard and printer are wireless, in 1984.
et-pengvin@reddit
The keyboard is wireless indeed!
byelow@reddit
Like the Internet!
Dannynerd41@reddit
“wireless”. it uses the same tech as remotes
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Point is that IBM Color Monitor 5153 (CGA) could not set on top of the plastic Jr case (too heavy!), therefore all the adverts show it like this 😉
monoseanism@reddit
As someone who owned a PC Jr, nobody liked the PC Jr
cl326@reddit
The Peanut, for those in the know.
Trenchbroom@reddit
Granddad is a moron. Lotus 1-2-3 split out over two cartridges is much better.
BazuzuDear@reddit
There were the times when I used to lay my own hands on This, yeah.
NullPointerJunkie@reddit
As a former PCjr user, this photo made my day
purplepiratecrab@reddit
Same here.... My first computer
the_monk_of_tomorrow@reddit
As a current PCjr user, this photo also made my day
Foreign-Jicama-1775@reddit
As a future PCjr user, this photo also made my day.
therocketsalad@reddit
As a quantum PCjr user, this photo is a superposition that makes and does not make my day.
FlyByPC@reddit
So, how's your day?
therocketsalad@reddit
At the moment, superb. Thanks for asking.
LisiasT@reddit
The PCJr wasn't a bad idea, the problem was IBM being IBM.
Tandy made the thing work very well after fixing two problems:
My Tandy 1000 is essentially the PC I wanted to have in the early 80s - I literally skipped the whole 808x and 80286 era, my entry level PC was a 386SX. I clinged with my pimped Apple //e in the mean time, and I really don't regret it, the PC only started to be minimally appealing to me when VGA made good graphics affordable. EGA was already good enough a that time, but was expensive as hell.
Had IBM didn't screwed so badly the Jr, I would probably jumped ship on it still en the middle 80s.
LtCodename@reddit
That screen distance though…
Invader1976@reddit
I used Multiplan with VisiCalc
ibm@reddit
👏
Foreign-Attorney-147@reddit
IBM designed the jr to discourage use in business settings, then shot this promo photo of a jr in a business setting...
R-ten-K@reddit
Every PC IBM designed seemed almost engineered to discourage their use in any setting. LOL
This was before my time, but I honestly have to respect IBM’s unwavering commitment to completely push themselves out of the very market they accidentally helped create.
balki_123@reddit
I guess, IBM didn't create market of personal computers (More like apple and the others). But they dominated it and lost it.
This PC JR was a missed opportunity, it has possibility to use cartridges, but I guess, there were some problems with it, because I don't know any. Imagine PC with functional cartridges and the endless possibilities of application on cartridges ...
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Well, as far as I remember one of the advertising IBM slogans for JR was "you can continue your work at home", or something like that 😉
EssexGuyUpNorth@reddit
Wireless as well.
Hjalfi@reddit
Would it actually work that far away from the computer?
FlyByPC@reddit
Yes, with line of sight, if the batteries were good.
stejoo@reddit
Used infrared. Similar to TV remote control.
conrat4567@reddit
I miss when offices looked like this
(I was not even remotely alive, nor a consideration when offices looked like this)
glwillia@reddit
i was alive, but very young when offices loped like this. they had distinct sounds (that dot matrix printer!) and smells too.
R-ten-K@reddit
My grandpa had an office like that. Liquor cabinet included. Wood paneling and carpet soaked cigarette smell. I think that was part of the "smell."
glwillia@reddit
oh absolutely. stale coffee too.
R-ten-K@reddit
I can't say that's in my to do list, so I will take your word for it. haha.
nmrk@reddit
Could be PFS:Report.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Sorry. Multiplan ;)
https://imgbox.com/jcZXpYXE
johnnycantreddit@reddit
The posted image is a very similar office scene to this alamy stock image but somehow the actor that portrays an Executive using Multiplan is familiar. The source is Keystone Image, from an IBM advertisement
IBM 5153 Monitor ? 16color CGA, 360Kb 5.25 floppy? 5152-002 Graphics printer? PC '4860' 1984 ?
trying to figure out the Phone vintage as well, its not PACBELL.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
IBM sometimes used the same image in the advertising for years!
The same Multiplan, original XT:
https://imgbox.com/jcZXpYXE
johnnycantreddit@reddit
https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/lineups/068viFCUeV0gh2sWrkJTvv4-1.fit_lim.size_1600x900.v1569492844.jpg
johnnycantreddit@reddit
Its JOHN AKERS.
see that bothered me. I knew this man. very nice to deal with.
Sbatushe@reddit
Is this AI or a vintage photoshop? impossible to be real.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Nor AI nor Photoshop. Just an image from 1983 IBM brochure 😉
Sbatushe@reddit
wireless keyboard?
texan01@reddit
yup, infrared keyboard, works great as long as the lights aren't fluorescent or bright. or you're near a TV remote. I used to annoy my sister when she was using the Jr with the TV remote to make it stop and beep.
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Yes. Both JR keyboards (the first one shown and the last one with the real keys) are wireless. Infrared, four AA batteries required. 😉
Current_Yellow7722@reddit
Reality is, he's probably only 48 years old.
anothercatherder@reddit
Those little squares of halftone printing you can see when you zoom in give me hope in the nonstop age of slop.
funkympc@reddit
What self respecting exec in late 84 got a PCjr and not an XT or AT? I mean they weren't paying for it right? Wouldn't they just order a full fledged PC. Im sure anyone that tried to run an actual accounting spreadsheet on a PCjr would hit the memory limit pretty quickly considering most PCjrs only came with 128k
PersonOf1980s@reddit (OP)
Actually, all JRs can have only 128K of continuous memory, because of video system limitations. Memory add-ons for JR are basically useless.
https://books.google.com.ua/books?id=1tFFnOMCvv4C&pg=PA111&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
texan01@reddit
Ha! The 2 hrs I’ve owned had at least 640kb of ram.
You just have to load a driver to use more than 128kb. Once the driver is loaded you’ve got 512kb continuous available.
Ayatollah-X@reddit
It makes sense in a way. The idea behind these old chicklet keyboards was the assumption that the user didn't know how to type. In this guy's generation, he wasn't expected to do his own typing, he had a secretary for that. A chicklet keyboard was for people who slowly type with their forefingers.
creativetag@reddit
I used to modify these for folks... removing the intel chip and putting in a V series. It was a seriously noticable improvent and was a fair bit of soldering as all of the units I came across had the cpu soldered to the board.
Ayatollah-X@reddit
It makes sense in a way. The idea behind these old chicklet keyboards was the assumption that the user didn't know how to type. In this guy's generation, he wasn't expected to do his own typing, he had a secretary for that. A chicklet keyboard was for people who slowly type with their forefingers.
Dannynerd41@reddit
after i type this report ill go do some blow
Fragholio@reddit
Hey the chicklet keyboard has its advantages. Unfortunately "being able to type" isn't one of them.