TIL that in Japan in 1980s, you could buy computer parts at cheap prices from shopping arcades and have them made into computers

linearchaos , 4 hours ago

Linus tech tips and strange parts have done videos on having computers and custom electronics built in Akihabara.

tunetardis , 4 hours ago

I remember magazines from the 80s where you could find code in BASIC for some little game. It’s how I learned how to program as a kid.

Blue_Morpho , 4 hours ago

This was also in the US up until at least 2000. There were frequent Computer Show and Sales held at fairgrounds. Hundreds of vendors each selling different components you’d mix and match.

hedgehogging_the_bed , 3 hours ago

I was coming here to say this. Before NewEgg, the best way to buy computer parts was to show up at a conventions center or fairgrounds, firehall or community college for the next Computer Show. Buy some parts in cash from people who speak barely any English and then either take it all home and start assembling or hand it off to the ancient guy chain-smoking at the back door and pay him to zip-tie it together in 5 minutes for you.

Years and years of doing this and we only had one situation when we cracked the case later and found out the guy has swapped the parts we bought for used Dell components when we were at lunch. Always took them home after that.

poVoq , 4 hours ago

Haven’t watched the video, but isn’t that what most small computer shops do to this day?

davidgro , 4 hours ago

I was about to reply with pcpartpicker.com

But actually they mean on the chip level - and interview a guy who made whole clone machines himself including his own motherboards

SubArcticTundra , 1 hour ago

Wow, that’s impressive! It’s a shame such a cool skill is not really needed nowadays where everything is either standardized or there are a few models.