ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2018
Entry 6th May 2018: Post: 2
Toshiba Satellite Pro - Millennium Falcon in the Loading Dock
So why do I collect old computers. I love the kit. It was never
about the software. That's why I have no love of Microsoft. Anyone
can write software, but to create a magical piece of equipment,
now that's a different thing. And to take all the components that
are needed to drive your particular beast into a work of art that
is truly magical. It's why I love the Amiga 1200 cus it represents
to me a perfect blend of all the functionality of a keyboard with
all the essential components of a computer. It houses all the
hardware plus facility to expand in a well designed case that is
little bigger than a keyboard.
For me the kit has always been fascinating and I just love it when
the designers create quirky ideas and mix it up a bit. And so to
possibly the most interesting case design and docking station that
I have ever seen. Sod the OS that's just boring old Windows, just
look at what I call the Millennium Falcon of laptops.
Seriously could you add anymore tiny compartments and interesting
switches and interfaces. Thing about the Millennium Falcon was it
pretty much broke every rule regarding space vessels of fiction
for the day. It basically stuck two fingers up to symmetry. Thing
is when you look at the Apollo lunar landing module it was obvious
that space vessels did not need to be squeaky Star Trek symmetrical and
Star Wars basically added the oily spanner to space travel. And so
with that in mind why does kit have to be so clean with its form
factor. For me there just cannot be enough interesting and varying
elements that make you quizzicle and interested in your kit.
Sadly the whole era of interesting kit has gotten washed away by
the bloody mobile phone and Apples desire to dilute computer
architecture to the the least number of parts. That's why I hate
Apple.. they are the architectural equivalent to the white
architecture of the Beaux-Arts... minimalist dross that neglected
to appreciate that humans are a little more complex than that
and you can't engineer human behaviour.
For me computers should be an extension of what we are and should
give way more opportunities to customise externally to make a fun
personal unique bit of kit. Sadly all the kids want to do today is
socially interact on the screen and plug themselves in that way.
The generation misses the chance to have the joys that some a little
older had just playing with kit.
Anyway, nuff said. I love this laptop. Never use it, never will.
It really is a monolith, ornament like as a testament to a day when
doing fun stuff with kit was acceptable. Sad its all gone now.
And so I give you last in my series on the portable wonders of
the age... The very wonderful Toshiba Satellite Pro 460 LDT.
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