2023-07-11 06:52:06
A batch of 2,200 NABU computers, dating from 1983, was discovered in a barn in Massachusetts and put up for sale on eBay. These machines, almost new, aroused the interest of enthusiasts of retro-computing, who saw in them an opportunity to revive an obscure and innovative platform.
In a barn in Massachusetts, threatening to collapse under the weight of 2,200 identical computers, lurked the greatest story of reverse computing in recent history. These computers, manufactured in 1983 by a Canadian company called NABU, were intended for an avant-garde online service, which offered two-way access to multimedia content via cable. But the project failed and the machines sat unused for decades until a seller listed them on eBay for $59.99 each.
It was then that the community of collectors and retro-technology hackers noticed these elegant and powerful devices, equipped with a Z80 processor and an architecture close to the MSX standard. These enthusiasts saw in these NABU computers a unique chance to restore and revive a forgotten platform that had attempted to revolutionize the history of technology.
The revolutionary network before the Internet
NABU is an AOL-like service which was launched in 1983 in Canada, then in the United States, and which used the cable network to connect proprietary computers. Tom Wheeler, former FCC commissioner under the era of Obama, who ran NABU’s US operations in the mid-1980s, recounts how he faced constant obstacles from the cable industry, which saw NABU as a threat to its monopoly.
He also explains how he tried to convince consumers to buy a specific computer to access the network, by having them touch the keyboard and showing them the possibilities offered by NABU. Despite his best efforts, the former FCC commissioner under the Obama era failed to expand NABU nationwide, and the service disappeared following regarding a year.
NABU was designed by John Kelly and his associates as a working tool for connecting computers to other mainframes inexpensively. Kelly came up with the idea of turning NABU into a consumer network, building on existing wired networks, which offered high bandwidth. To attract users, Kelly enlisted tech-savvy teenagers to help develop the most important content for these machines: games.
Thus, NABU offered online games, forums, information and education services, and even programming courses. NABU was a prefiguration of high-speed internet. However, it was too far ahead of its time and failed to adapt to technological developments and market needs.
NABU was at least a decade ahead of similar initiatives such as the Sega Channel. Cable television was designed to send information in one direction only; the problem would be that it was a two-way system operating in a one-way world.
There was a lot of disorder behind the scenes, according to an article by Ottawa historian Andrew King, which depicts a company where cocaine use was common among some executives, and an attempt to snag the company’s marketing fortunes. platform to cartoonist Johnny Hart, which led to a low game on the comic. Canadian magician Doug Henning, known for his 1970s television specials, appeared in NABU print advertisements.
Pellegrini, a Massachusetts retiree who became passionate regarding computers in the 1980s, purchased more than 2,000 NABU computers to create a telephone exchange system for small businesses.
The aircraft, whose total weight is estimated at 22 tons, were on the second floor of this unit. While it’s unclear if the weight of the appliances had an impact, the barn started having structural integrity issues regarding a year ago, and Pellegrini suddenly found himself with a NABU problem. He never realized his plan and left the computers in storage units for years. He finally sold his stock to a collector in 2021.
In a diary he kept at this time, he describes how he hired a truck to transport some of the units to storage:
Sent by Pellegrini
I would climb the dais to the attic door and collect 4 stacks of 5 computers. I went down and Cindy then sent 5 boxes. She took a computer and let it slide along the boards. Once she had swiped 5 computers, I grabbed them and put them in the truck. We repeated this operation regarding 70 times and the truck was full. Again, physically I was fine, I was just tired.
Since it was no longer possible to keep the machines, he started selling them. At first, he offered them on Craigslist for $20 each. Then he uploaded them to eBay for $59.99. It reportedly recently raised the price to $99.99. At first, people would say to me, “You’re selling these products too cheaply, you should definitely get more money for these things,” he says. The combination of low price and unusual architecture created interest in these machines.
In the days and months that followed, the NABU community grew by leaps and bounds. The network is back online, thanks to the internet adapter developed with the help of the University of York. There is a website for the NABU RetroNET Preservation Project which helps maintain historical information while providing access to the tools needed to bring a NABU machine online. There is even a port to the popular MAME emulator.
Source : Vido
And you ?
What do you think are the reasons for the failure of the NABU project and how might it have been avoided?
What lessons can be drawn from the NABU experience for current and future projects of innovative online services?
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