LGR - The Packard Bell Statesman from 1994
Added 2020-05-06 21:14:04 +0000 UTChttps://youtu.be/izQkP0l7Syw
Greetings, folks! I hope that you've had a decent week out there. Either way, I've got another LGR laptop retrospective for ya right here!
Say hello to the Packard Bell Statesman (and Statesman Plus!) from 1994. Essentially a Zenith Z-Star 433 series in disguise, the Statesman is a halfway enjoyable machine that falls short in a variety of ways. And in my opinion, it's all the more awesome to play around with because of it. There's something special about this particular blend of amusingly awkward and surprisingly capable that captured my attention as soon as I powered it on for the first time. It's also the only laptop I currently own with a Cyrix CPU, so that's neat.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this one! I'm not exactly sure when the next video will be since, well... currently my editing PC is sitting in a pile of parts, haha. Yeah, I decided to use my tax return to build an all-new workstation based around the Ryzen Threadripper 3970X. So my main goal this week is assembling that, reinstalling all my crap, and putting it through its paces. Perhaps that'll take the form of a video in and of itself, we'll see.
Comments
Sneaky SW Ep1 quote!
Woz Brown
2020-05-14 13:58:19 +0000 UTCVery interesting video!
2020-05-08 14:19:50 +0000 UTCI'm looking forward to the next video love your videos
2020-05-08 13:34:44 +0000 UTCHey, checking in late just to say that I'd definitely be interested in a video about the Threadripper, even if in Blerb form. It's always refreshing to see the perspective of someone who works with the hardware.
Rafael Rangel
2020-05-08 11:54:19 +0000 UTCI could watch videos like this all day. :)
Mighty Jabba's Collection
2020-05-08 06:05:57 +0000 UTCSorry, coming in late to this video. I liked it. I had many machines of that era. I had several 25 mhz and 33 mhz laptops, most with DSTN screens or even monochrome. So I'm quite familiar with the appearance. Nevertheless, I used to play Heretic a lot on my 33 Mhz laptop back in the day, despite the DSTN. In fact, I think because the frame rate was lower (probably about 10 fps on that machine) I think the DSTN was more tolerable because the frame stayed there longer than if the game ran smoother. So it's kind of appropriate! The really odd one out would be those laptops that had TFT monochrome screens. That was pretty rare. But the screens actually looked really great! They were sharp and crisp with high contrast and fast frame rate. But just no color. I think one of the Mac laptops came like that too.
The 8-Bit Guy
2020-05-08 02:40:13 +0000 UTCLikewise! The first time I saw a color DSTN I was floored. The blurring didn't matter so much as having COLOR did. It was such a wild step up from monochrome.
LGR
2020-05-08 01:09:30 +0000 UTCGateway used a larger version of that in the massive Gateway Destination as well! Makes sense on a TV system, but I imagine it might be a little strange on a laptop screen at first.
LGR
2020-05-08 00:08:52 +0000 UTCIf anything, 3D input devices like that are always prime Oddware fodder. Just about every form factor was attempted it seems.
LGR
2020-05-08 00:07:18 +0000 UTCLikewise! They sure tried though, it ended up making its way into a number of devices for about... a year, maybe. Such an odd blip in the history of mouse devices.
LGR
2020-05-08 00:05:28 +0000 UTCIt's definitely a threat to hair follicles, hehe. I've got plans for deeper coverage of the J-Mouse on Oddware, it's a fun time looking at old reviews and coverage of the devices that used it.
LGR
2020-05-08 00:04:45 +0000 UTCYeah it makes me wonder what kinda business deal with down that they went with the J-Mouse for these systems. And then never again! They went to trackballs after this, along with their own teal-colored version of the TrackPoint nub.
LGR
2020-05-08 00:01:49 +0000 UTCBonkers right? Wish I knew what that connection or RAM type was called!
LGR
2020-05-08 00:00:15 +0000 UTCQuite welcome! It's definitely a fun transition period to go back and revisit, mixing all the lofty goals of the 90s with one foot still in the late 80s.
LGR
2020-05-07 23:59:41 +0000 UTC"Budget-minded" is always a relative term :) You should see the higher-end competition in 1994! The IBM ThinkPad 755 cost almost $6,000 and the Panasonic CF-V41 series cost $7,000.
LGR
2020-05-07 23:56:20 +0000 UTCThis was a fun one to watch, as always. Thank you. I had no idea that this generation of laptops existed. It's like the missing link between an 80 column x6 row LCD 1986 laptop and the late '90s laptops.
2020-05-07 20:42:22 +0000 UTCNull MODEM cables!
2020-05-07 20:35:06 +0000 UTC"known for budget minded computers" - $2400 in 1994 :D
2020-05-07 18:48:10 +0000 UTCWhoa.. can't say I've ever seen that type of RAM before.. wow, what a wacky design
Evan B
2020-05-07 17:18:29 +0000 UTCWould be great to see a video of your Ryzen Threadripper 3970X build. Even though it's not vintage, I love those new AMD CPUs and it would be cool to hear how much faster it runs your video processing pipeline.
2020-05-07 16:17:39 +0000 UTCMy Dad had a similar ZDS model. It had a real trackball, though rather than the J-mouse horrorshow.
Chris Rogers
2020-05-07 16:15:36 +0000 UTCJust started watching.. gonna be grumpy if you don't play DOOM over the serial ports on these babies, man! :D
Anders Enger Jensen
2020-05-07 14:29:17 +0000 UTCWhat a delight this laptop is. My favorite kind of 90s laptop. Full of flaws but somehow irresistible! I remember getting to mess around with laptops which my dad borrowed from work and being amazed even despite their terrible displays.
2020-05-07 12:06:07 +0000 UTCYou got my vote on making that build-vid on your new pc! Should be entertaining and recognisable for your fans. Also, my thanks for another great & educational video!
Roel Eppink
2020-05-07 10:54:19 +0000 UTCOh, my God. I never even heard of the J-mouse, and with good reason. That thing seems like a nightmare. I already have trouble with keyboard trackballs and touchpads. The J-mouse would have turned my hair white right before making me rip it off.
Pablo Rodriguez
2020-05-07 09:24:33 +0000 UTCWish we had something like tax return here, switzerland just takes ALL your money and if you think you payed up, they ask for more xD .... oh and if ya payed too much they keep it by themselfs for the next tax payment... Hence... i got my 3900X with my salery leftovers... and 32gigs o ram but... so far i havent seen much of a difference - but i also didnt play any cpu intensive games. Gets to show how good my old 6700K was - anyhow enjoy fiddling with yer parts ;-)
Axonteer
2020-05-07 05:14:27 +0000 UTCKinda glad the J-mouse never caught on.
Alyxx the Rat
2020-05-07 04:46:58 +0000 UTCI remember my dad's work gave him a ZEOS laptop that used a cylindrical rod as a mouse. basically it would slide left and right for the x-axis and roll for the y axis. It didn't work very well. obscure laptop pointing methods might be a good video.
Jacob Nelson
2020-05-07 03:03:14 +0000 UTCMy β92 Gateway Nomad did not have a J Mouse, but it did have the palmable Field Mouse. Basically a tiny mouse used upside down while manipulating its little ball directly with your thumb. Mine still works!
Retro Viator
2020-05-07 02:35:25 +0000 UTCThat would make an awesome video!
Joshua Cunningham
2020-05-07 01:40:39 +0000 UTCOh gosh, that RAM placement is so delightful.
Valora Inverse
2020-05-07 01:24:03 +0000 UTCHaha, I've been recording in 4K for years now π But yeah, the resolution and increased clarity do zero favors for DSTN displays like this one. Makes it look even worse than in person. Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed!
LGR
2020-05-07 00:51:27 +0000 UTCThis was probably not the best video to realize you started recording in 4k. that ultra HD TFT blur, though. Great video, Sir!
Honorary Octopus
2020-05-07 00:47:06 +0000 UTCA dozen years before the MacBook, so they did their best!
LGR
2020-05-07 00:23:05 +0000 UTCIf not on the main channel, perhaps on LGR Blerbs or something. Will see how it goes, it'd certainly be a different kinda video for me!
LGR
2020-05-07 00:11:19 +0000 UTCHeh, yeah they're both CMOS battery-less. I had to cut out a buncha footage of me resetting the date and time every time I started these back up after unplugging them. Shame the battery in such an annoying spot inside!
LGR
2020-05-07 00:10:30 +0000 UTCThanks for the interest! We'll see :)
LGR
2020-05-07 00:09:41 +0000 UTCToo rounded for woodgrain, heh. An IBM ThinkPad though... that's an idea.
LGR
2020-05-07 00:09:21 +0000 UTCAh crap, I have to cover ANOTHER one of these useless packs? SIGH
LGR
2020-05-07 00:08:02 +0000 UTCLooks like its trying to be a macbook clone and they got it to boxy.
Dominic
2020-05-06 23:14:27 +0000 UTCThank god you posted this 'cause eco lifestyle is the biggest joke since my first pet stuff and I need something good to distract π
AlexPeaks
2020-05-06 22:21:13 +0000 UTCI am very confuse
JennaKay
2020-05-06 22:19:18 +0000 UTCThere was a brief, sweet moment between these chonkers and aluminum wrist-hurters where laptops were OK to type on. I miss that tiny window.
JennaKay
2020-05-06 22:19:03 +0000 UTCIt needs some woodgrain LGR!
Seth C
2020-05-06 22:13:35 +0000 UTCNow that's a chonk
Kevin Furr
2020-05-06 21:56:54 +0000 UTCI would love to see a video or two about your new build! I doubt you have the time for it, but I've occasionally thought that a video series where you choose parts to build a modern system and then go through putting it together would be really great.
Andrew Ferguson (DominateEye)
2020-05-06 21:51:57 +0000 UTCWow, I still have my old Zenith Z-Note that I had back in the day - it's the spitting image of this unit. I loved the fresh white look of that series of laptop. If you're keeping this, check the cmos battery, those things leak badly.
Huw Upshall
2020-05-06 21:38:02 +0000 UTCMan, I can't get over laptops from that era. I always loved the boxy looks and that particular shade of beige. God, the J-mouse, though... BLECH! D: [Personally, i'd love to see a vid on your new modern PC being built. It may not be retro tech, but it *is* tech, and your PC builds are always some of my favorite vids to relax to. I'd consider it equally as enjoyable. :) ]
bouncytem
2020-05-06 21:33:41 +0000 UTCSeriously though! Especially the color model, but even the grayscale Statesman would've been wild to me back then. Commander Keen and Doom on the go? Madness!
LGR
2020-05-06 21:32:54 +0000 UTCI can just picture someone pulling this out sitting next to me on a plane in 1994... My 11 year old brain would have exploded.
Jeremy
2020-05-06 21:31:19 +0000 UTCI do not blame you at all. My apologies, ha.
LGR
2020-05-06 21:30:44 +0000 UTCNearly diplomatic, even.
LGR
2020-05-06 21:30:29 +0000 UTCThe J-Mouse. I'd repressed its existence. So awfull.
Nick Daniels
2020-05-06 21:29:26 +0000 UTCItβs a stately laptop.
2020-05-06 21:29:22 +0000 UTCThese video won't edit themselves, after all!
LGR
2020-05-06 21:26:25 +0000 UTCWorking on a modern PC?!?!! That's verboten, sir ;)
Jason Wellband
2020-05-06 21:25:56 +0000 UTCYesssss. It's all trying so hard to be small and lightweight but the tech and design just isn't quite there yet.
LGR
2020-05-06 21:24:58 +0000 UTCSaid no one ever in the mid-90s ;) Hehe, how things change. I love PB.
LGR
2020-05-06 21:24:06 +0000 UTCyour Packard Bell toys make me jealous!
Dereck
2020-05-06 21:20:30 +0000 UTC
