Grew up in that era, I always wanted a C64 (I had a Spectrum and as much as we'd argue about the relative merits on the playground, deep down us Speccy users knew the C64 was better).

I still occasionally consider buying one but then I remember it'll just sit on a shelf collecting dust, better someone who actually uses it gets one.

▲

xvxvx 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

My experience was the same. Loved my Spectrum 128 but friends had the Commodore and its graphics were superior. Very expensive though.

The magic in the air in those days will never be replicated.

▲

Towaway69 5 hours ago | parent [-]

> The magic in the air in those days will never be replicated.

You say it “magic”, it wasn’t “better” or “different” or “worse”, it was a kind of magic that happens when tech is new and folks experiment.

I’m sure many will look back in 40 years and say the same about AI - we’re living through the magical age of AI.

Just as we did when we got our C64’s back in the day ;)

EDIT:

Perhaps I should clarify what I meant. There are folks having their C64 moment with AI today. These folks are getting into computers via AI just as the grey beards amongst us did with the C64.

I don’t think we should be begrudging them for their starting point. After all, those that started with punch cards don’t generally go around laughing at the C64 kids!

▲

noir_lord 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Not so sure that that is true.

You have to consider the backdrop/time as well - back then there was no BigTech(TM), there wasn't social media/the pervasive backdrop of everything you do with tech been monetised or commoditised.

Fundamentally you felt like when you bought a computer/OS/Software you were the customer not the product.

Your Commodore 64/BBC Micro didn't do everything it could to gather all your data for targeted advertising, there was no algorithm trying to keep you angry so you'd buy more copies of Crash magazine.

While there will be kids out there having a blast with AI, I suspect the whole experience is flavoured differently because of the world we built for those kids.

	▲	Towaway69 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I’ve installed my AI on my local hardware (that I own!) and play around with it there. So there is less of the “I’m the product” feeling for me. Of course, I’m not using fable or the latest top of the line AI but neither was that the case with the C64. After all, it wasn’t exactly a mainframe! But certainly, today’s renter’s economy discourages tinkering with devices since these are either not owned or intended to be resold when newer devices come out, so shouldn’t be altered.

▲

the_af 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I get what you mean but I think it's fundamentally different.

The folks back then had more control over the (limited) capabilities of the hardware, and in order not to just blindly type code from a magazine (which we all did) you had to develop a good understanding.

The folks with AI today have much better capabilities with (for most, anyway) much lesser understanding of what's going on.

Both are magic, but one is tinkering with spells, the other is figuring out how to ask a (slightly drunk) wizard to cast spells for you.

▲

tclancy 2 hours ago | parent [-]

>I get what you mean but I think it's fundamentally different.

Well, every generation thinks they invented sex, right? Who knows what wild things they may learn to invent? Maybe even Skynet!

	▲	the_af an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I made a specific point, it cannot be simply deflected with "every generation always thinks <thing>".

▲

stevekemp 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Hey now! The C64 might have been technically better with sprites, etc, but the Spectrum was way more quirky and British.

Something about the scrappy underdog making awesome games despite the attribute clash, and having the terrible keyboard really set the vibe. Plus the Z80 processor was way more interesting than the 6502, and really set the speccy-folks up for the move to intel in later years.

Back in the day I don't think many would have switched from the Spectrum to the Commodore.

	▲	noir_lord 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'll always love the speccy because if it hadn't have existed I wouldn't have had a computer til the early 90's, family couldn't/wouldn't have spent C64 money on what was effectively a toy for noir_lord. So in that respect it holds a special place in that my entire life/career changed the day I plugged it in. On the other hand, I'd absolutely have traded it for a C64 if offered that trade even back then.