If I did not have an XT/3 might buy it 😀

Horun wrote on 2023-06-24, 02:55:

If I did not have an XT/3 might buy it 😀

How has been your experience with XT, do you use on anything or is it just a collector's item? How is the maintainability, is it hard to find parts and software? I have never owned one so I am curious.

I play with it on occasion. It came with the EGA 4+ card which I swapped for a Vtech 8bit VGA card, also upgraded the HD to a 200Mb scsi from the old 20MB MFM.
Only quirk so far has been the original PSU which needs rebuilding AGAIN (seems to go thru caps faster than most AT psu), currently using a newer one...

Horun wrote on 2023-06-24, 13:35:

It came with the EGA 4+ card which I swapped for a Vtech 8bit VGA card, also upgraded the HD to a 200Mb scsi from the old 20MB MFM.

Interesting, maybe the most fun is actually to tinker with old computers such as these. The games, they are quite limited from what I recall from my childhood.

doublebuffer wrote on 2023-06-23, 21:24:

what is your opinion on paying 150€ for Commodore 20 (XT clone)

imo insane unless you are a collector 😀 and even then Commodore PC-10/20 arent anything special, might even argue they were quite poor XTs.

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-06-25, 00:50:

doublebuffer wrote on 2023-06-23, 21:24:

what is your opinion on paying 150€ for Commodore 20 (XT clone)

imo insane unless you are a collector 😀 and even then Commodore PC-10/20 arent anything special, might even argue they were quite poor XTs.

That's what I thought as well. But some people on ebay list them for several hundreds, so I guess they are just trying their luck. Thanks.

Yes, prices have raised to "insane" levels in the past years.
On the other hand..
a) the prices are still below original price
b) these PCs have been trashed a thousend times in the past 35 years.
Relative speaking, how many do still exist? 1%, 5%, 7%? And in which condition?
c) why does nobody question the value of vintage cars in same way? ;)

In the end, I think, it's just money and we must ask ourselves: Do I want it? Does it make me happy? Can I afford it (without consequence)?

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-25, 17:17:

c) why does nobody question the value of vintage cars in same way? 😉

Because when you rock up anywhere in Mercedes Pagoda or vintage 911 you are a baller, and those are perfectly usable dailies. When a woman you have been dating enters a room full of yellowed XTs you will be masturbating alone tonight 😀

These might support a bit higher price because of collectors of everything Commodore. Possibly, the Patriot Computer Systems Barbie computers might go up in price with the recent Barbie movie, but doesn't mean they are good computers.

So unless you particularly like it because it's a Commodore, you might find another cheaper clone, Epson, Hyundai or something.

Agree BitWrangler ! Sort of like having IBM old stuff versus the clone that is so much easier to work with.
But if that is what someone wants then go spend the money and headaches ;p

rasz_pl wrote on 2023-06-25, 22:42:

Jo22 wrote on 2023-06-25, 17:17:

c) why does nobody question the value of vintage cars in same way? 😉

Because when you rock up anywhere in Mercedes Pagoda or vintage 911 you are a baller, and those are perfectly usable dailies. When a woman you have been dating enters a room full of yellowed XTs you will be masturbating alone tonight 😀

Lol. Isn't that a cliché? 😂
Perhaps they're more impressed if you're the caring owner of a cute cat/kitten. And a house.