A Very Vintage Tech Christmas
In these nostalgic 1980s ads, home computers, floppy disks, and even robots bring the whole family together.
Benj Edwards
Attack of the Clones
In the mid- to late-1980s, Video Technology marketed a line of Apple II clones aimed at consumers who found Apple's genuine hardware too expensive. The Laser 128 was a respectable, surprisingly capable knock-off of the all-in-one Apple IIc. This ad, positioned for the home computer buyer, used the popular "role reversal" idea (we'll see another example soon), in which the child wants to get work done but the parent wants to play games. Ads like these highlight the home computer's importance as a game or entertainment machine, a role that still proves crucial in introducing the personal computer to the average person.
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