Author Archives: Giacomo Vernoni

IBM 5100

IBM 5100 (1975)

Since the initial price of this computer was between 9 and 20 thousand dollars in 1975 (43 to 95 thousand dollars in 2018!), I didn’t expect to find it in a small town near the even smaller town where I live. A friend of my father-in-law gave him this IBM 5100 for free, probably because my father-in-law talked to his friend about my passion. This person ran a small repair shop, but sadly passed away shortly after and I never got the chance to ask him where this computer came from.
Continue reading

Sega Master System (1986)

Sega Master System

Once a month I go to a local flea market where sometimes – not very often – I find something on the junk dealers’ market stalls. I have “rebuilt” the complete system in two months: the first month I found the main unit, a broken control pad and the power supply unit; the second month, from the same seller, I got the light phaser, a working control pad, and a classic cartridge of Sonic The Hedgehog. Continue reading

Staff C1 (Apple II clone)

Staff C1

One of the many Apple II clones, this was designed to look more professional, moving away from the “all-in-one” concept by having a more pc-like style with a central unit, double drive and a separate keyboard. Besides a small ad in an old magazine, I couldn’t find any information about this Staff company. Continue reading