Delete: A Design History of Computer Vapourware
Story: The author traces a history of computer hardware that never happened, ranging from minicomputers that were promised but never mass-produced, to missteps and sidesteps early in the history of personal computing, to unproduced or seldom-circulated also-rans of the early smart phone era. If you love prototype computer hardware, this is an entire book devoted to that topic with a laser-like focus.
Review: Fear not – Delete does present the (intended) specs and the stories behind its unrealized hardware. But the introduction to the book lays out the criteria behind much of what was selected, and it’s really there that the reader is told what the book’s real mission is. It’s not to ruminate over capabilities we never got, product lines we should have had, or pieces of gear that could have changed the world. It’s more of a chronicle in retrofuturistic design that nearly made it to market – a travelogue of mid-century-modern design influence in computer hardware. … Read more