I’m scanning in old pics and here is a photo taken at a very old Comdex perhaps 15 years ago. It’s the Singer (as in sewing machine) laptop. This is one of the many oddball machines that came out over the years. My all-time fav is the John Deere desktop computer that was actually quite jazzy for its time (mid 1980’s).
But try to find any reference whatsoever about these machines such as the specifications. There is a new phenomenons I call search interference and search noise. This refers to lots of posts that incorporate the words you’d normally use. “Singer” is a magnet for this. If you don’t get references to actual singers it’s complicated by Michael Singer at C-Net as well as a slew of other writers and people named Singer.
The challenge I present to you is to find the history of this machine and the specifications. No prizes, but a lot of acclaim. I actually doubt anyone can do it. If you manage to do it, you have to also disclose the search techniques you used – hopefully it’s not “I searched Singer Laptop and on page 203 I found it!”
When you are done try to find pics of the John Deere machine.
How about This query
The worst part is if you search for “Singer Laptop” in quotes, you still don’t get the exact phrase. You get a lot of results for Singer’s Laptop, though. I guess Google knows what you want better than you do. But yeah, it’s so rare I doubt the specs are online anywhere.
John, I was shocked too when I discovered some of the other stuff Singer makes. Ironically, did you know that Toyota makes a great sewing machine?
Try this – it’s the STM (which went on to buy Singer) laptop with all the specs
A german computer archive has this entry. It doesn’t seem to have much to do with the laptop though.
It’s the best I can do at the moment. The Deere computer is harder to find though on Ebay someone is selling a set of slides that feature the JD Computer Trak Monitors though I’m not sure what that is (no pictures except of slides.)
Sorry – broke the STM link. It’s here
3. I remember trying to find out (when i was young and foolish– and, yes, jealous) about someone that my girlfriend was chatting with online (he was a phony; he made up an identity so he could elicit romance from her). Just by using his AOL handle, I was able to find out who he was, where he worked, his pager voicemail which I was able to break in by guessing his password, his address and age. Needless to say that when I reached him, his cover was blown. He turned out to be a middle-aged man with a huge pot belly with no attraction but gravity.
Out of curiousity I googled “0013addiv” and Google came up with only ONE hit: Dvorak Uncensored.
Sometimes being unique can have it consequences.
A Singer 1911 is quite scarce and highly prized by collectors.
I sold mine, along with an additional match-grade Colt Mustang slide and barrel, for about $200 about 25 years ago when my second daughter was born. (Needed the cash.) I had a Remington 1911 too, but it had been modified into uncollectability. (Parkerized, accurized, match barrel, alloy frame, etc.)
I Asdogooglehooed this 80 different ways and found nothing, but I did buy a sewing machine and tractor off eBay, met a nice female vocalist from the Ukraine and found a place that does lap dances in Singer Island FL in the process.
#8
Also M2 Carbines
I used to work on the John Deere machine… it’s killing me that I can’t remember the name (it will come to me). I may still have one somewhere (I used to throw my ‘old’ machines’ in my friends garage, I’ll have to ask).
It was quite snazzy for the day. One thing I remember is the keyboard, which had keypads on BOTH sides of they keyboard! Otherwise, it was your basic generic CP/M machine… (ah, the PIP command!), with lots of the then typical bell’s and whistles built
memories….
singer vintage computer history -sewing
singer system-10
I don’t know about this machine, but it resembles a Toshiba T1000, maybe it’s a derivative? This kind of laptops is more of the kind available in the late 80’s, early 90’s…
BTW, there’s a HUGE number of ‘obsolete’ computer museums around the net – hundreds, maybe. I’m myself a computer collector, although with a small collection (My latest aquisitions were an Epson HX-20 and an HP-41C calculator – and man, were they beautiful machines!). I think there’s even a ‘computer ring’ dedicated to this hobby. How about making a list with links to all this great stuff?
EDP??
WOW, I used to program one of those…
There is also precious little info on the net about old (pre-1990?) stereo equipment (e.g., amplifiers). Unless they are top of the line, “classics”.
I see on ebay that the Datavue Spark (a similar looking computer) in the basement has a value of up to $20. Could still be OK for word processing (er, text editing), especially if one could retro-fit a modern storage medium into the second diskette bay. But alas, I don’t think so. How much am I offered?
Douglass, that query does not bring up the information about the specific machine I show. Caderus. This entry is about some late 1960’s computer by Singer which has no relation to any portable LCD-machine since these displays were not even available back then and a laptop was unknown. Geez.
Lou — get pics of the John Deere!!!
Otherwise nobody is winning this contest so far — as predicted.
This isn’t a Singer portable, but looks like it might be the portable re-badged as a Singer.
Zenith Data Systems Co. ZFL-181-93 8161090602 notebook Classic notebook computer, with 2″ disk drive, no hard drive. 1″ thick. 393-399
http://www.mynewoffice.com/pcmuseum/Zenith394.jpg
Most of the Zenith units hinged on both sides verses the mostly centered hinges on Toshiba units.
Singer had several forays in computer design systems for their sewing machines. They even used a gameboy interface to drive custom embroidery software in their machines. This was probably a re-badged unit that came with design software and connected to the sewing machine via serial interface.
Re: Zenith. This is a machine I actually own. The Singer is not a Zenith. Look at the flange and hinges and the overhangs. The Zenith is square and the Singer is a stubby T. The keys are also different. Also the corners are more rounded on the Zenith.
Keep digging. If anyone finds the details it is going to have to be a convoluted search.
The specs are right there on the card in the picture. Come up with the model name or number from the higher res original picture.
Why is this supposed to be such a challenge? You look up Singer, find their webpage, find an email address and ask.
Or are we all so nerdy that we cant imagine engaging in human contact? The internet is a communications system, not a empty unmanned library.
“You look up Singer, find their webpage, find an email address and ask.”
If that’s the solution try it. I cannot believe that ANYONE currently at Singer would know where those specs are. And that’s assuming that they kept the specs somewhere.
Chances are the person answering the email would be someone from India who’d be working from a script. And it’s not like anyone answering emails in the US would spend more than 30 seconds on your question. Do you really think an employee of Singer could find those specs in 30 seconds? If they could, I’d love to see their filing system!
I’d bet at best they’d tell you to search for them on Google.
Already sent a letter and picture…Im waiting.
I have a high res photo..but that pic is already cropped..here is a close up of the sign..
AND BESIDES..that’s not the point of the contest!!
Cripes.
How revealing!!
I sure miss the old days of genuine computer innovation. Remember when you could walk into your local KMart and buy several different kinds of computers… Atari, Commodore, Timex Sinclair, Coleco, etc. etc. And those were just the ones you could grab off the shelf. There were a bunch more you could order or pick up at specialty shops.
Yes, my current PC is way more powerful but I miss those days,
I also miss the concept of the PC inside a Samsonite, like the osborne…
I’m not even going to try to find Singer’s laptop…
Just check these models…
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp
#27 I wrote that suggestion to start with the model name from the picture out of frustration wtih my search methods. Thought I’d search the computer museums and “singer-Friden”, but got nowhere. I’m having a hard time believing it’s not out there.
Hoovers.com gave me history on Singer NV and James Ting- CEO in the late ’80’s, googling this gave me a Forbes article on some of Singer’s woes and gave me the name of Semi-Tech Microelectronics. Googling this got me to this site: http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc
with the following specs:Mfr: Semi-Tech Microelectronics
Location: Ontario, Canada
Model: STM PC
Processor: 80186
Speed: 8mhz
Op. Sys: MS-DOS version 2.11
Bits:
Internal: 16
Data: 16
RAM:
Min: 256K
Max: 512K
ROM:
Input: 83-key Keyboard
Display: Mono LCD 80×25 char
Storage:
Cassette:
Floppy Disk: one or two internal 5.25″ disk drives
Hard Disk:
Ports:
Serial: 2 DB-25 RS-232C ports
Parallel: Internal Thermal Printer, plus standard Centronics port
Keyboard: Proprietary RJ-11
Joystick:
Other: I/O Expansion, SCSI, RJ-11 Phone Line, Acoustic Coupler, RGB Color Video, B/W Composite Video
Expansion: “IBM PC I/O external bus expansion connector”
Introduced: ca. 1984
Discontinued:
Cost:
Physical:
Size: 20.3 x 10.8 x 4 inches ( 515 x 275 x 100 mm)
Weight: 18lbs (8.1kg)
Power:
Voltage: 110vac
Connector: Standard Line Cord
Polarity:
Peripherals:
Notes:
Perhaps the first MS-DOS portable with a standard SCSI port?
Hoovers.com gave me history on Singer NV and James Ting- CEO in the late ’80’s, googling this gave me a Forbes article on some of Singer’s woes and gave me the name of Semi-Tech Microelectronics. Googling this got me to this site: http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc
with the following specs:Mfr: Semi-Tech Microelectronics
Location: Ontario, Canada
Model: STM PC
Processor: 80186
Speed: 8mhz
Op. Sys: MS-DOS version 2.11
Bits:
Internal: 16
Data: 16
RAM:
Min: 256K
Max: 512K
ROM:
Input: 83-key Keyboard
Display: Mono LCD 80×25 char
Storage:
Cassette:
Floppy Disk: one or two internal 5.25″ disk drives
Hard Disk:
Ports:
Serial: 2 DB-25 RS-232C ports
Parallel: Internal Thermal Printer, plus standard Centronics port
Keyboard: Proprietary RJ-11
Joystick:
Other: I/O Expansion, SCSI, RJ-11 Phone Line, Acoustic Coupler, RGB Color Video, B/W Composite Video
Expansion: “IBM PC I/O external bus expansion connector”
Introduced: ca. 1984
Discontinued:
Cost:
Physical:
Size: 20.3 x 10.8 x 4 inches ( 515 x 275 x 100 mm)
Weight: 18lbs (8.1kg)
Power:
Voltage: 110vac
Connector: Standard Line Cord
Polarity:
Peripherals:
Notes:
Perhaps the first MS-DOS portable with a standard SCSI port?
TomA – Close, but not quite. The site below shows a picture and details of the STM Personal Computer and it doesn’t match the Dvorak picture. The STM pictured is more of a block of components that folds into a carrying case.
One place to look might be in old Singer Company annual reports to find the actual model number that then might be useful in searching. It is likely from this era when Singer, STM et al. were merging, breaking uo and doing the 90’s Mergers and Acquisitions thing. From what I’ve read in the search, there was a period when the Singer trademark was not protected so it might be an STM machine from that era with a Singer logo.
Pictures of the STM Portable:
http://www.sinasohn.com/cgi-bin/clascomp/bldhtm.pl?computer=stmpc