The 80s computer you've never heard of: The NABU PC

Some Guy

2023-01-30 05:11:22

It looks like a rebranded videotron box from the time. It was cable tv and they were first to really do fancy tv. You could watch a hockey game from multiple cameras instead of the one from the tv channel. You could also play what looked like old coleco games like burgertime.

Pixelmusement

2023-01-29 23:19:30

This very much reminds me of the ICON computers we had in the schools here in Ontario while I was growing up, where each computer itself wasn't able to do much of anything and relied on talking to a master server elsewhere in a school. Alas, AFAIK most ICONs were destroyed once support for them ended and thus little remains of their legacy; which is sad because many of the games were a very unique mix of typical educational components with typical gaming components. (Though forced users to answer any questions they skipped after playing through a round of a game, thus a student would play a game but skip all the questions, then whoever used the computer next would be forced to just answer questions.)

dantheman1998

2023-01-15 22:48:01

I can tell you exactly why it failed. Huge up front cost for a PC that doesn't work when you lose the service with software you lose when you lose service. Sounds like a lose lose lose situation.

jimc5499 Delta

2023-01-15 01:28:45

Have you ever heard of a Video Technologies VZ-100? It was my first computer along with a 16k RAM pack.

Tony Hufstetler

2023-01-10 21:23:31

Not exactly oem but if you can’t find an oem and want a quiet one why not get noctuas?

LAHegarty

2023-01-07 02:42:32

I don't think this will run Doom.

James Ware

2023-01-03 05:12:06

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.
And have a Happy New Year.

My NABU Saga:
I haven’t been able to keep up with or appreciate “NABU Fever”.
For the past 6 weeks my life has been hijacked.
The reason is simple, my life was consumed by handling, testing, and shipping NABU items.
This includes countless hours of warehouse management (of my NABU Stack).
In that time period I shipped 578 orders (671 packages).
I dedicated all my time to getting all the orders out as soon as possible. (I apologize for the delays.)
I shipped on average over 100 items a week.
I could do no more.

My account had been suspended by eBay because of the (unusual?) circumstances surrounding it.
So currently I cannot list my items on eBay and eBay owes me a lot of money.
I shipped the last of the orders (from Adrian’s 2-day order surge) on Friday (12/30/22).
That was the highlight of the day. A day to celebrate – so I thought.

So that Friday I called eBay to see when I can relist my NABU items and when I can get the money that they owe me.
eBay’s Response: My account will be suspended until “all” the orders have been “delivered”.

Wow!
Approximately 35% of my sales are out of the country (USA).
So, it will be weeks before all those orders are delivered.
So, it looks like I am going to be in "eBay Jail" for a while.

Oh yes, so for the rest of that Friday, I was outside from 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM on “warehouse management duties”.
And I moved 125 NABU Computers and 20 Adaptors into the house. (Ready for testing.)
Hopefully, I don’t sound like I’m complaining. I just wanted to explain why you haven’t heard from me.
I am very happy that the NABU Computers are selling and all the activity (read enjoyment) that is surrounding them.
Also, this was a test, and my 68-year-old body has passed it with flying colors.
Tired - yes; sore - yes; but 8 lbs. lighter and stronger than last year. Ha!

Epilogue:
Don’t worry. When my account is restored, I will have plenty of NABU Computers to sell.
At that point I will moderate the listed amounts so I can process the orders in a timely manner.
Now excuse me, I have to catch up with 6-weeks of phone calls and emails.
There will be many apologies.

In the meantime, I am considering selling the NABU Computers on another platform.
I feel that I am being treated unfairly by eBay.
I am open to suggestions for alternate selling platforms.
Any ideas?

PellMill, LLC

Eduardo

2023-01-01 14:37:18

This makes me miss my MSX.... I have had so much fun with that thing when I was a kid. 😞 memory lane :D

Chris m

2023-01-01 05:07:56

They seem to have just now sold out of those NOS on ebay, last sold was end of november 22 and now one is bid up to 182 bucks at the end of december 22

ddabrahim

2022-12-29 11:07:30

Getting the software over TV cable network instead of disks sounds convenient and since it was a subscription service I can imagine it was a cheap alternative to actually owning a computer and software. Guess as computers become more affordable the demand for something like this dropped or was not big to begin with if they were launching in regions where people could afford to buy their computers.

Omar Mokhtar

2022-12-29 10:29:33

That computer tinks its so smarty. It tinks its processor so big.

DJSubAir

2022-12-29 02:12:10

Put this in your room

NSGaming

2022-12-29 00:59:31

I'm still early in the video, so maybe this gets addressed, but what's the blue unmarked RAM chip for?

DR.NEGA

2022-12-28 22:47:47

jesus...if wargames was a thing during 80's....the kid bought wrong computer for it ....should bought nabu if he was this interested in online games than hacking through WOPR for all the trouble for just games....well least nabu lived on the idea with sega channel in america

techienumber 1

2022-12-28 21:59:29

used one very basic

780TECH COM

2022-12-27 15:06:32

THIS is a flattering testament to "Adrians Digital Basement" (FROM NABU COMPUTER SALES GUY ON EBAY)

We’re working on getting the orders out. (We ship worldwide.)
Over a couple days I got a flood of over 500 orders. (And we all know why.... Adrian's Digital Basement)
I am a one-man business and can test, handle, and ship (at best) about 40 orders per day.
Because of my backlog "eBay" has temporarily suspended my listings.
I am a new (unknown) seller, so this is a measure (on eBay's part) to protect their buyers.
However, once I catch up with orders, eBay will restore my listings, and we'll be selling again.
I am working night and day to fulfill all current the orders.
My girlfriend is even helping me. (Thanks, Honey!)
Last week we shipped only 100 units. This week we hope to do better. So far this week we shipped 120 units.
But don't worry, I have plenty of them, and I should be selling once again in 2 to 3 weeks.
This whole situation has taken me completely by surprise.
Thanks for your understanding.

Patrick Radcliffe∆

2022-12-27 01:15:30

Hmmm I smell a Pi emulator to get it working.

Aquilux

2022-12-26 20:15:29

It'd be interesting if you could use a the proposed PI head end to stream (and probably backup) software off of GitHub.

Ben Baselet

2022-12-25 19:45:11

Ebay relisting says 200 sold, I guess there is a pretty sizeable batch of these things somewhere and they really are shifting.