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Computer Ads from the Past

computeradsfromthepast.substack.com

Did you ever stare at the ads in your favorite computer magazine and wish you could afford those cool systems or games? I have. Now I look back at computer history through those ads. I also republish interviews and comics from those magazines. Click to read Computer Ads from the Past, by John Paul W

Computing historyRetro computing

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305 from 20 Dec 2021 to 25 Oct 2026
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2026 59

  1. Plus Post: SpectraVision QuickShot
  2. Vote for the October 2026 + Post Topic
  3. Remembering Robert X. Cringely
  4. Comics from January 1983 Issue of Personal Computer World
  5. Microsystems Interviews Andrew D. Hall, Director of the Bell Labs System V Development (1984)
  6. Plus Post: Gemini Emulator Board
  7. Comics from September 1983 Issue of Creative Comping Magazine
  8. Vote for the September 2026 + Post Topic
  9. Microsoft Systems Journal Interviews Gordon Letwin (1987)
  10. ROM Magazine Interviews Roberta Williams (1983)
  11. bitCards
  12. Vote for the August 2026 + Post Topic
  13. Jef Raskin Interviews Dr Dobb (1984)
  14. Comics from November 1983 Issue of Creative Comping Magazine
  15. CP/M Review Interviewed William Godbout, Founder of CompuPro (1984)
  16. Vote for the July 2026 + Post Topic
  17. C Source BASIC_C
  18. Comics from March 1981 Issue of Computers and Automation Magazine
  19. 4th of July Week is Sale Week
  20. MacWorld Interviewed Paul Brainerd, president of Aldus Corporation (1988)
  21. Plus Post: Logic Programming Associates 386-PROLOG
  22. Vote for the June 2026 + Post Topic
  23. Hunt for Computer Ads Live with John Paul Wohlscheid
  24. Parasitic Engineering's Equinox 100 Minicomputer
  25. Comics from February 1978 Issue of Interface Age Magazine
  26. NeXTWORLD Interviewed Steve Jobs (1992)
  27. gnosis LISP
  28. Who Wants a Monthly Q&A?
  29. Vote for the May 2026 + Post Topic
  30. Computer News from the Past - Episode 2: RISC and Lesser Known Chips
  31. Computer News from the Past - Episode 1: History of CP/M
  32. Check Out My Computer History Live Stream
  33. Chatsworth Data's MR-500 Card Reader
  34. Plus Post: Texas Instruments Personal Consultant Plus
  35. Comics from July 1977 Issue of ROM Magazine
  36. MicroTimes Interviewed Stewart Brand and Matthew McClure of Whole Earth Access Link (1985)
  37. Vote for the April 2026 + Post Topic
  38. New Generation Systems' MicroShell
  39. Irs
  40. Comics from September-December 1983 Issue of Two/Sixteen Magazine
  41. Plus Post: subLOGIC Flight Simulator II
  42. Bridge 3C Computer
  43. Byte Interviews Chuck Peddle, Father of the MOS Technology 6502 and the Commodore PET (1982)
  44. Smoke Signal Broadcasting's TP-1 Text Processing System
  45. Vote for the March 2026 + Post Topic
  46. Comics from June 1988 Issue of Michigan Atari Magazine
  47. MicroTimes Interviews Borland's Philippe Kahn Again (1995)
  48. A Quick Update and a Request
  49. Plus Post: IMSAI 8048 Single Board Computer
  50. MicroTimes Interviews Borland's Philippe Kahn (1985)
  51. Cromemco C-10 Personal Computer
  52. Comics from June 1986 Issue of Svet Kompjutera
  53. NeXTWorld Interviews Bud Tribble, One of the NeXT Founders (1994)
  54. NCR Tower 1632
  55. MicroTimes Interviews Lord British (1986)
  56. ComputerWorld Interviews Lotus' Mitch Kapor (1985)
  57. Vote for the January 2026 + Post Topic
  58. Digital Servo Systems' Foot ^Control
  59. Comics from January 1985 Issue of TPUG Newsletter

2025 83

  1. Interview with Steve Wozniak after Jobs' Departure (1985)
  2. Merry Christmas 2025
  3. Vote for the December 2025 + Post Topic
  4. Plus Post: Integrated Micro Applications LTD's Keystar
  5. MicroTimes Interviews T/Maker’s Heidi Roizen and Royal Farros (1994)
  6. Komputerwerk
  7. Comics from February 1984 Issue of Softside
  8. Poor Person Software's Write-Hand Man
  9. Black Friday/Happy Birthday Sale 2025
  10. Unix Review Interviews Ted Dolotta and Heinz Lycklama from Interactive Systems Corporation (1984)
  11. Plus Post: Execucom MindSight
  12. Vote for the November 2025 + Post Topic
  13. MPEG: Setting the Standards for a Digital Future
  14. Antic Magazine Interviews Alan Reeve, the Creator of the Diamond Operating System (1990)
  15. Comics from February 1986 Issue of Profiles
  16. Plus Post: Microsoft SoftCard
  17. Family Computing Interviews Jack Tramiel after Atari Purchase (1985)
  18. Marathon Software's Pik'em 86
  19. Vote for the October 2025 + Post Topic
  20. Mendocino Software Company's Eureka!
  21. Plus Post: Osborne Vixen
  22. Comics from December 1962 Issue of Computers and Automation
  23. MicroTimes' Interview with Doug and Larry Michels from Santa Cruz Operation (1987)
  24. Arete Systems 1000
  25. Vote for the September 2025 + Post Topic (Microsoft Edition)
  26. National Instruments' LabWindows/CVI
  27. illbruck SONEX
  28. Comics from June 1983 Issue of Today Magazine
  29. Byte Interviews IBM's Philip D. Estridge (1983)
  30. ArtSci MagiCalc
  31. Vote for the August 2025 + Post Topic
  32. Comics from March 1978 Issue of Creative Computing
  33. What Interviews Should I Look For?
  34. Alan Sugar of Amstrad Speaks to Practical Computing (1985)
  35. Your Computer Interviewed Chris Curry (1981)
  36. Disking Banana
  37. Microlog Babytalk
  38. Altima NSX
  39. Plus Post: Gemini Galaxy 1
  40. Vote for the July 2025 + Post Topic
  41. Six Game Devs Speak to Computer Games Mag (1984)
  42. July 4th Weekend Sale
  43. Comics from Winter 1980 Issue of Electronics Today International
  44. Ann Arbor Software's Textra Word Processing
  45. Computer Games mag Interviews Don Bluth (1984)
  46. MBP's Visual COBOL
  47. Vote for the June 2025 + Post Topic
  48. MicroTimes Interviews Apple Newton Devs (1993)
  49. Comics from 1977/07 Issue of ROM
  50. Plus Post: Sony SMC-777C
  51. Epyx Oil Barons
  52. Datamost Nightraiders
  53. Dr. Dobb's Journal Interviews Jef Raskin (1986)
  54. Vote for the May 2025 + Post Topic
  55. Comics from 1983/12 Issue of Videogaming and Computer Gaming Illustrated
  56. New Opportunities to Support Computer Ads from the Past
  57. Plus Post: Computerwise TransTerm 3
  58. Microwriter
  59. Rabbit Software's Death Star
  60. Vote for the April 2025 + Post Topic
  61. Plus Post: North Star Advantage
  62. Unix Review Interviews Sun Co-Founder Bill Joy (1984)
  63. Comics from January/February 1983 Issue of Today Mag
  64. Australian Air Force
  65. Adam Osborne Interview by Practical Computing (1983)
  66. Plus Post: VTech Laser MSX2
  67. MicroTimes Interviews Jim Clark from Mosaic Communications (1994)
  68. Applix Alis
  69. Anchor Pad
  70. Vote for the March 2025 + Post Topic
  71. Comics from 1978/05 Creative Computing Mag
  72. Plus Post: Centram TOPS Network
  73. Manx's Aztec C
  74. Massive Interview with Steve Jobs from MicroTimes (1992)
  75. Ergotron Mouse Cleaner 360
  76. Expedited Vote for the February 2025 + Post Topic
  77. A Quick Note and Some Comics
  78. Discwasher SpikeMaster
  79. Palantir Word Processing
  80. Commodore Magazine Interviews Epyx (1989)
  81. Expedited Vote for the January 2025 + Post Topic
  82. Comics from 1984/04 Creative Computing Mag
  83. Plus Post: Radio Shack Tandy 600

2024 75

  1. Plus Post: Digitalk's Smalltalk/V
  2. Merry Christmas 2024
  3. NCR PC4i
  4. Time to Vote for the December 2024 + Post Topic
  5. Oberon International's Omni-Reader
  6. Cards! Cards! Cards
  7. Comics from 1985/12 Australian Personal Computer Mag
  8. Creative Computing Magazine Interviews Clive Sinclair (1980)
  9. Maxell's MF 2-DD Floppies
  10. Ergotron's MacTilt
  11. Black Friday - Happy Birthday sale
  12. The Grand Stand
  13. MacWorld Interviews Apple CEO John Sculley (1987)
  14. American Heart Association
  15. Vote for the November 2024 + Post Topic
  16. Dipco's Easy Reader
  17. Plus Post: Collins International Trading Corp's Orange+
  18. ViaGrafix Computer Training Videos
  19. Vote for the October 2024 + Post Topic
  20. T/Maker: Tiny Software Company Takes on the Giants (Interview)
  21. Intel's Inboard 386/PC
  22. Plus Post: Epson HC-88 (PX-8)
  23. Sundial Systems' Relish
  24. Flash Sale and a Slight Change to Subscriptions
  25. ProHance Technologies' Power Mouse
  26. Time to Vote for the September 2024 + Post Topic
  27. UNIX Review Magazine Interviews Larry Tesler
  28. Plus Post: SoftLogic Solutions' Software Carousel
  29. OS-9 Bonus Content
  30. Two Interviews with Ken Kaplan, One of the Creators of OS-9
  31. Mark Williams' C Programming System
  32. Vote for the August 2024 Plus Post Topic
  33. Plus Post: Microware's OS-9
  34. Gould Electronic's PowerNode 6000
  35. Page 6 Magazine Interviews the Godfather of Adventure Games, Scott Adams
  36. Bible Research Systems' THE WORD Processor
  37. Vote for the July 2024 Plus Post Topic
  38. Comics from 1982/08 Commodore Computing International Mag
  39. Small Systems Engineering's PETSPEED
  40. Plus Post: Wholesale Technology, Inc's Wildcat
  41. 1988 Interview Between Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems and MicroTimes
  42. EPYX's Pitstop
  43. Bomb Squad Peripherals' BLOWGUN
  44. Vote for the June 2024 Plus Post Topic
  45. Plus Post: Seiko RC-1000 Bonus
  46. Plus Post: Seiko RC-1000
  47. Applied Analytics' MicroSPEED
  48. Comics from 1982/02 Creative Computing Mag
  49. MicroTimes Interviews the Head Honchos of Silicon Graphics (1989)
  50. MicroSpeed PC-TRAC
  51. Vote for the May 2024 Plus Post Topic
  52. IBM RISC System/6000 Family
  53. Plus Post: Rockwell AIM 65
  54. Creative Computer Publishes Interview with the Guy Behind the Death Star Trench Run (1978)
  55. Comics from 1986/06 Australian Personal Computer Mag
  56. E-Z Tax
  57. Lintek Computer Accessories' Paper Tamer
  58. Vote for the April 2024 Plus Post Topic
  59. Plus Post: Quantum Software Systems Ltd's QNX
  60. Ampere WS-1
  61. Electronic Protection Devices' Electro-Clamp line
  62. Vote for the Topic of the March 2024 Plus Post
  63. Comics from 1983/08 Today Mag
  64. Plus Post: Lobo MAX-80
  65. Apple IIe and IIc Design Manager Peter Quinn Interviewed by BYTE's Gregg Williams
  66. Suture Software's Bludgeons 'n' Braggarts
  67. Salamander Software's Franklin's Tomb
  68. VenturCom's VENIX
  69. Vote for the Topic of the February 2024 Plus Post
  70. Plus Post: Objects, Inc's Layout
  71. Huson Soft HuCAL
  72. Byte Interviews the Apple Lisa Dev Team (1983)
  73. Radio Shack TRS-80 Pocket Computer - Part 1
  74. Vote for the January 2024 Paid Post
  75. Plus Post: Gravis MouseStick

2023 45

  1. Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computers
  2. Gary Kildall Has a Talk with PC Magazine
  3. Christmas Gifts for the Computer History Nerd (2023)
  4. Second Look - IBM JX
  5. Vote for the December (Mouse edition) 2023 Paid Post
  6. Comic - A Worthwhile Trade
  7. Plus Post: Amstrad CPC 6128
  8. Which Ads Should I Look For?
  9. Get Your Black Friday Savings All Week
  10. Orange Micro's OrangePC
  11. Gary Kildall Chats with Computer Language Magazine
  12. Vote for the November Paid Post
  13. Hunt's Software Works' Rosetta Stone
  14. Comic - Know Your Audience
  15. Plus Post: CCA EMACS
  16. CPAids Tax Planner
  17. Snappware College Educated Garbage Collector (SNAPP-VI)
  18. Are You a Windows or Apple User?
  19. Time to Vote for the October's Ad
  20. Plus Post: BASIS 108
  21. THINK's Lightspeed C
  22. Vote for the September Paid Sub Post
  23. Air Force
  24. Update to Supporter Benefits and More
  25. Simonsoft's Disassembler
  26. Northglenn Software's Artificial Intelligence Guru
  27. Tano Dragon
  28. Topologika's Yes Chancellor
  29. Bonus: The Wizards behind the Macintosh
  30. Pages by Pages
  31. BYTE Interview with the Creators of the Macintosh from 1984
  32. Interview with Programming Visionaries Donald Knuth and Niklaus Wirth from 1985
  33. PROCOMM PLUS for Windows
  34. Cover Craft Dust Covers
  35. Follow me on Mastodon
  36. IBM JX
  37. AWA's Acoustic Hood
  38. Join me on Notes
  39. New Zealand Bits & Bytes Interview with Wozniak (1985)
  40. Apparat NEWDOS/80
  41. Wang Word Processor
  42. Cromemco Z-2D
  43. Micro-Man Frame
  44. ORG Systems' Multilingual Word Processor
  45. MacPlay

2022 41

  1. Merry Christmas 2022
  2. Happy 1-Year Anniversary
  3. Orange Micro's Grappler+
  4. Mini: Connectix Color QuickCam
  5. Join my chat
  6. Insignia's SoftWindows
  7. Happy Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale
  8. The Peach without Fuzz
  9. The Lemon Sours Surges
  10. Phar Lap FrontRunner
  11. Dr. Logo
  12. Alan Alda and Atariwriter
  13. Connectix RAM Doubler
  14. Connectix QuickCam
  15. Syntactics' CrystalWriter
  16. Volkswriter Deluxe
  17. SCO XENIX
  18. Bill Gates Advertises for the Wall Street Journal
  19. Microsoft's Xenix
  20. MITS' Altair 680b
  21. We've Reached a Milestone
  22. Quark Word Juggler
  23. Mark William's Coherent operating system
  24. Interactive UNIX
  25. Michael Abrash's Space Strike
  26. Datamost Money Munchers
  27. A Short Pause
  28. Sierra Online - Part 2
  29. Sierra Online
  30. Crush, Crumble, & Chomp!
  31. Don't Ask Computer Software's Software Automatic Mouth
  32. Strategic Simulations Inc
  33. Franklin's ACE 1000
  34. Kensington Microware's System Saver
  35. Micro-Craft Dimension 68000
  36. Altos Computer Systems
  37. Advanced Digital's SUPER STAR
  38. Lotus 1-2-3
  39. Canada's Source for C
  40. Australia's Finest C Compiler
  41. MASH Advertises IBM's Midrange System

2021 2

  1. Seequa Chameleon
  2. Join Me in a Journey Down Memory Lane