Amstrad PDA600 Penpad Review
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Way back in the midsts of time (early nineties) the mighty Alan Sugar set his Amstrad empire to work creating an electronic Filofax. The results of their labour was the Amstrad PDA600 Penpad.
Like an Apple Newton but even worse, the PDA600 offered basic functionality at a terrifying price. Well, until you started trying to get it to recognise your handwriting, at which point it changed from 'basic' to 'useless'.
Shunned by consumers and given away for a song in Tandy, the PDA600 has faded into obscurity. But then I bought one off eBay and made a video about it. Sorry.
On the plus side, you can learn quite a lot about the way plastic degrades over time from this video.
View more game reviews and hilarious* stuff @ / ashens (*Due to the subjective nature of humour, hilarity cannot be guaranteed. Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loan secured on it.)
Apple Newton: “I have the worst handwriting recognition software of all time”
Amstrad PDA600 Penpad: “Hdgcjbd moug brgsgrs!”
You win in life
Why are you watching an old ass utube video?
Cause it's funny @@samholdsworth420
I found some use for this thing: you can use it to name the characters in your Lovecraftian tale.
Username checks out
Or make new words for the Simlish language.
"It's user friendly!" He quotes, immediately after putting on protective latex gloves
Whoa.. is he legit a doctor?! I remember the very old videos (in 4:3) where he would introduce himself as Dr. Ashen.. apparently he wasn't joking.
2 years late to the party and you've probably looked this up yourself, forgotten it twice, looked it up four more times, and had this entire video faded from your memory by the cruel sands of time that slowly corrode us all, but yeah he does have his doctorate in psychology, though apparently he's never worked professionally as a psychiatrist from what I've read.
@@UltimaJC I could be wrong, a
but I think for a psychiatrist, a medical degree is also needed? Presumably not a full MD but maybe? I don't know for sure but because psychiatrists usually prescribe medication, they need additional qualifications. Psychology degree holders, even as doctorate (PhD/PsyD) students, can only be psychologists, counsellors or therapists.
I could be wrong though and also no one cares but sure lmao why not make a comment anyways
@@catoverlords9560 I have no idea what it is in the US, but psychiatrists in the UK have to qualify as doctors, then specialise in psychiatry.
Ashens could work as a clinical psychologist or a therapist, but not as a psychiatrist.
You don’t need to be a doctor to have the title of Dr. For example, you could have a doctorate in maths and you’d be referred to as Dr. Doesn’t mean you have a medical degree or anything
PhD not MD i think
The TV show “Bad Influence” showed this device, and the presenter (Andy Crane) tried to write his name after training it. It came up as “AnGr CrAn0”. Later on he came on and read off the Amstrad pad: “It’s tome for our frast revwaa”. I guess the handwriting recognition was always flawed on this thing…
That device is basically a biohazard and he still reviews it...talk about dedication or is it madness?
+Jere Aho Madness? *long pause* This Is ASHENNS!
FearTheKing
Well that escalated quickly
you need some milk
we're talking about the man who eats canned food from the 1960's.
This is a man who eats 180+ year old olives to entertain us random internet users, and presumably also to save us the stomachace of doing the same.
"I'm going to draw a man with a nose and a gigantic scary smile"
*Distant Mr Noseybonk music*
"everlasting diary"
considering it turns into a gluey sticky mess after 20 years, i dont think it'll last the other 5 billion to 100 trillion years
And unsurprisingly, that coating material was used on plenty of other products of the time, not just Amstrads.. Always a good idea to check in on things every, I don't know, 5-10 years, maybe..
Gm steering wheels got gooey after 40 years so I’d consider that a good run when a pda has multiple uses and a steering wheel is used to steer a car. You move it in a circular motion. Sticky bastard.
It was a life savor in college. Young Ghost UNIX was not picky and could not afford a computer
Well our planet will be sucked into the sun in a few billion years, but the universe will be here long after that. Course it’ll eventually suffer heat death, but that’s just a state of perfect energetic entropy where there are no material entities anywhere.
That diary was about as everlasting as the Neverending Story film series were neverending.
Imagine having a psychology session with Ashens. He says to one of his clients: "Can we wrap this up early, I have tat to review when I get home?".
Why would he question "I have tat to review when I get home?" That doesn't make sense.
Because he is asking if they can wrap it up early, the tat to review line is a continuation of the sentence, it could be two separate sentences but 1 sentence looks and sounds nicer.
Windows4279 What level are you at English? Or how well are you at reading text?
Obviously, better than you.
Windows4279 Really? Are you sure? What you should of said is "Can we wrap this up early? I've got some tat to review when I get home".
I've not been literally disgusted by hardware since that image of the family of spiders living inside an unused PC. Thanks, Ashens!
Hey, it beats renting.
Oddly enough, the plural of Stylus is "geese"
?
No it isn't
@@simontay4851 you just got woooosshhhed brother
Then what's the plural of Genesis? "Honk"?
Ahhh, I get it.. Yay...
I worked for Amstrad in the PC department when this was being developed and had one. Was good at the time except when it decided to reset and you loose your data but you could use the pc software to keep the data backed up and transfer it all over again. The worse thing was the coating used on the case could be scratched off really easily
"Or as they put it on, 'Dup duh duh'."
*can't talk due to having fallen over in a fit of laughter*
I like that even his credit card titles hime "doctor" :D
Well he does have a PhD.
Hey, my birthday is on the 84th of Okzember mate.
+Mike Rauch mine's on the 142nd of Mezch
+Mike Rauch 101st of Acksgst here.
+Mike Rauch Mine's on the 900th of Blipblipblip!
+Mike Rauch mine's on the 12th of flatulence
mine is the 76th of laflutzoig
Well at least you could see the screen of the Apple Newton and it didn't turn to goo
"Actually, knowing Nintendo they probably would do that, and you'd control it by sticking your feet in a bowl of rice or something."
I heard that, and I laughed because I pictured the next party game involving exactly that and agreed.
I couldn't see a thing, just took your word for it lol
Holy shit, hes actually a Doctor! No wonder why he gets us so well!
Psychology
Mr.Dr.Professor Toaster *failed
im gonna go have a PLFIDSJPS of HTLKRT on octember 87th 294.6h
+Aaron Gosselin sorry, i wrote that on my amstrad penpad
+Aaron Gosselin XD lel!
you should've used a palm m8
I think that thing might be suffering from latex cancer, which is a common problem for LARPers. Basically, it's a condition that makes latex or rubber deteriorate into a horrifying gluey mess. No one really understand what that reaction is or what causes it, we only know that it seems to be contageous.
TheTrohl huh, neat
9:32 Am i seeing this correctly? "Dr. Stuart Ashen?" Doctor of what? And WHAT!?
+Brenden White If you have a PHD is a subject (in Stuart Ashen's case, Psychology), you are given the title Dr.
+Daniel Moffatt He has a PHD in psychology?Thats awesome xD
Iraklis Pazios
I know. I guess knowing how people think has worked in his favor.
A doctor of reviewing random tat
*****
I know. it's strange.
Dr of Pounland Tat and Old Technology I think by now.
Reminds me of the disintegrated drive belts in my old projectors and tape machines.:)
Care to explain?
There is a certain material for drive belts that, over the years, turns into smeary goo. When replacing them I also wear gloves. It looks like the penpad is made from similar stuff.
Ohh!
Look at how good shape the sofa was in back then.
+YoungFoxyStoat
There's a decent hole in field of view, the springs have collapsed and it's down to 2 of the 5 modular parts.
+YoungFoxyStoat You missed the joke
+MissBluey lol
wonderful sound strange shape
I bought an old webcam at my local thrift store a few months ago. It was also brand new, and still sealed. When I opened it, it had some weird rubbery goo stuff covering it. I couldn't help but think of this video when I noticed that.
15:50 I'm naming my first born son Dupdeduh.
oh I remember watching these when I first subbed.
looking back, your still the only interesting person on yt reviewing these!
DO MOARE!
DO YOY REMEMBER NOW
Ashens Tandy is Radioshack. in 2000 they dropped the name Tandy altogether.
Only in the USA.
"Less than just an organizer" those little tidbits are are why I watch
“DR Stuart Ashen” Does he have a doctorate in Tat?
Oh man, I lost it when he drew the large-smiled man.
Alan Sugar will soon run for Prime Minister.
What? It would be just as silly.
What you going on about lol
+PeTek Trump hosted Apprentice USA.
i see you everywhere.
To be fair he's already in the Lords...
So, how about them denuclearization talks with Kim Jong Un, eh?
Ashens is the only one who can put a box in front of the camera and just talk and We'll all sit and listen
£299 for the PDA600? That's roundabout £550 nowadays, isn't it? Half a grand for that old hunk of space junk...
Doesn't Apple charge twice that for the same thing over and over again now? At least the idea was original.
JohnRooney Gaming Yeah but at least the current ones are functional. Not that I understand the people that buy them over cheaper options, but you get the point.
Guru Laghima Are they functional? I bought myself a Macbook pro 5 years ago and an iPhone 4s when it came out and they both worked for about 5 days before becoming completely useless. Easiest £2000 I've ever lost...
Guru Laghima No, I am not mentally challenged. I must question your mental stability for asking me that.
JohnRooney Gaming I'll take that answer as a yes...
Why do I imagine a Niles-Crane-like businessman roaming around New York with one of these in 1993.
My granny got me one when I was 4 for either Christmas or my birthday which is the worst thing she's ever bought me competing with a princess playset and plastic cookies :p
Bless her. Did she confuse it with a Gameboy?
There was the Amstrad Home Emailer in early 2000s, a landline house phone with built-in screen for sending email on. But it charged extra per email sent and was basically obsolete before it was released.
Remember that guy in Dastardly & Muttley who speaks really strange? Maybe he was reading his lines off one of these PenPads lol
His name was Clunk. 😁
as awesome as that would be I think having him as a psychologist would be one of the most bizzar sessions ever
Issue number 4129? I see you have a Leeds Building Society Platinum Visa credit card.
That such an odd thing to be really specific about.
I watch this for one reason: I like the sound of the stylus writing on the screen of these old devices. I could sleep to a whole 8-hour video of someone writing on the screen, if there was such a video.
every time I hear you say "Are you sitting comfortably?"...
Its really refreshing to find someone on youtube who reviews useless crap, i genuinely mean that to. SUBSCRIBED
Dr. Stuart Ashen? what do you have a doctorate in?
He has a Ph.D in psychology.
Ryusuta And now he eats cheap shit from poundland and review shitty old electronics for a living.
deathtamer666 A doctorate doesn't automatically mean you get a fancy job in that field.
And this is probably more fun that trying to comprehend the human mind.
AgentTasmania Did you hear that 'whooshing' sound?
That was the joke going of your head.
deathtamer666 I don't see anything that constitutes a 'joke' per se.
that's amazing memory for something pre 1995 and the size of a notepad
I think I once had a teacher called Bueuey Mckggnweeuuhkgwuehhp, but I had trouble pronouncing his name.
That rare moment when Mr Nosybonk does a review.
Exactly what you would expect from a company run by a guy who was basically a guy selling shit out of a suitcase on a high street.
You have to give it to you, you are the most consistent youtuber on this earth, 8 years and it’s exactly the same content
9:35 Shit, you have a doctorate? How did your career go from that to looking at broken piles of shit on a sofa?
Isn't that what happens when people usually go to university?
Yes, he has a PHD in psychology. That is probably why he is so funny.
I just edited the wikipedia, kinda surprised it's not there.
More money earned, less work required.
gmansplit psych majors are always the funniest. Truly zero fucks given. Completely understand the human condition and are able to laugh about it.
Apart from wearing the rubber gloves, this review has been more than helpful in helping me choose my next touchscreen organiser. Er, actually, apologies for the rubber glove comment.I thought it might be a kinky thing but My uncle Trevor has just informed me that he had one pf these sexy Amstrad gadgets and he was blighted with severe static electric shocks when in use. God bless you fella, youve saved my life.
Imagine him having a girl over and doing rude things on that couch and the girl says "have you ever done stuff like this on the couch before?" Ashens reply: "I've done much worse"
That last Nintendo remark was brilliance itself. All hail Ashens, king of sarcasm!
Weird, I live at 17 Bum Road
my favourite part of youtube is the relentless stream of the same ad.
thanks!
One thing that puzzles me is, who in the bloody hell thought about that disgusting rubber coating? Its not giving any device a good feel, it disintegrates into a horrible gooey and rubbery mess, and tends to smell terribly after some use. That shit should be banned.
That same melting rubber problem happened to the control knobs on our factory porche radio. Nobody could have suspected that rubber compound sucked so much.
It's called perishing when rubber goes like that.
Wow that was a hell of a history lesson at the end. The Doc sure does know some useless information. That's the best kind of information for the internet.
Imagine tapping until u hit 2022 D:
Back then you could have used a Psion. Thing is they still work perfectly today
the plural of stylus is "I don't give a shit" the more you know!
Tandy Corporation was a family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store, and acquired RadioShack in 1963. The Tandy name was dropped in May 2000, when RadioShack Corporation was made the official name.
I gotta meet Tonnehnehvikvik in the city of Neew Yovrrvrrkekkek
I remember seeing home catalogue company using this way back company no longer exist probably lost all customers details lol
- Undercut the competition.
- Had features the competition didn't.
- Had horrid hardware quality.
- Premiered in Note like devices.
Huh. Amstrad must have been the precursor to Samsung.
"-Had horrid hardware quality."
Yeah, I have only ever seen 2 Samsung phones with cracked screens, and yet a lot more iPhones have shattered glass.
***** Its actually the precursor to Lenovo
Samsung's durability is miles better than apple's.
Joshua Smith Case in point, the new Iphones are bending inside of their owners pockets. Explain that, *****
***** Maybe you should look at some of their new products before saying that.
thanks for that !
I found my PDA 600 few weeks ago in a moving carton, and sticked on it for the next hour.
Now i have proof for my guess thats the crappy plastic is the reason for that slimy sticky
layer on that slimy crappy gadget.
The writing recognition is, if remember right, for a extra method of writing, kind of a "t" looks like "7", "F" like mirrored 7, similar to "graffiti for Palm.
i think the british version of the apprentice was the original version, like has been the case between uk and us...*coughtopgear*
Well I never had anything against US Top Gear, but I did prefer the original series. (The one with Clarkson, Hammond and May.) But since Piss Evans took over, I have preferred the US one. A lot less cringeworthy and boring.
JohnRooney Gaming don't worry, he's out
+JohnRooney Gaming I'd love Rowan Atkinson (CBE) on TopGear
theALEKY or jimmy carr. Actually, forget that, he'd brake all the cars...
Geo Belmont Oh. I know that. I think, like theALEKY said, Rowan Atkinson should be the next Top Gear presenter.
I used CIF power & shine kitchen to liquify the glue like substance on the case and wipe it off. It takes a while, but you just spray it, scrub abit with your finger and the glue comes off. It's great stuff as it doesn't harm the plastic or discolor it at all. Useful for other retro cleaning too, although it smells kinda bad.
I wonder, 10+ years later, if the coating would have been in even worse shape.
When you're meeting HUGUGUHUH when you go down to the VERTUVUTVUTVUT for a glass of KRKRIIGEHOOMFUH on the 48th day of BLOOBLIPBLIP
DR Stuart Ashen?
PhD in psychology
I don't understand how i miss a whole month of your videos but atleast it gives me something to do when the internet runs out of stuff.
it doe shave several killer apps simply using them will result in a verry grusom death
Speaking of gruesome, look at that syntax.
I didn't know you could type comments with the Penpad's handwriting recognition
I am embarrassed to say that I programmed this "thing" for a living for a independent software company. I used to create various programs for it - one of which was for estate agents to draw plans on o_0. I also go the thing to send faxes using a small portable modem and a cable - can you imagine it - very convenient!
The machine could be programmed using Z80 assembler code and Amstrad provided a API for all the handwriting bits
I didn't realise the machine deteriorated so quickly!
This is the only video I've seen on this channel that can just be listened to because you can't see anything he's presenting.
SolidSonicTH
Do you even have a monitor?
conduit122 he's talking about the reflective screen
Yes, I imagined it'd be quite hard to watch a video on a reflective screen.
Amstrad did sell some products here in the US. I have an Amstrad PPC 640 "semi-portable" PC in my vintage computer collection. I normally use it to demonstrate Windows 2.11 and the Magic Mushroom program that produces surprisingly clear audio from the PC Speaker.
You want to see the screen? Your asking too much sir..
I studied IT so I am really interested in current and old technology
2011 is almost 11 years ago.... Christ
12 years now 😞
Thirteeeeeeeeen
Bring back the "Hello!"
Favorite part of the intro.
9:35 Dr Stuart Ashens???
He has a phd in psychology
Kayla Burney He has a Ph.D in Psychology, and yet he works at a job centre answering telephones, and reviewing tat on RUclips?
SouthwesternEagle Yes.
SouthwesternEagle That what he wants you to think... *Dun* *Dun* *Duuuuuunnnnnnn*
"What is the multiple of stylus? Oh yeah, I don't give a shit!"
Favorite quote from your videos other than "LIQUID FILTH"
oh i get why it cant get your writing right your a doctor nothing can read there hand writing
man... memories just went through my mind.. the old 90's and the era of PDA's...
Ugh, i collect phones and it sucks when that rubber coating does that. Ive gotten phones which that has happened and it is a pain to get that crap off
Hmmmm, Dr Stuart Ashen.
He has a PHD
He would certainly be better than one I had to talk to. Who's only reply to me was "How does that make you feel?" I felt like I was in Freaky Friday. Along with the fact he had the overly happy (on creepy levels) of a serial killer...
ASHENS PREDICTED THE WII U
+Taylor Rose The Wii U was revealed at E3 2011, 2 months before this video went up.
@@Gestersmek Besides, it didn't have CGA graphics, and you don't control the games by sticking your feet in a bowl of rice, so that comment about Ashens predicting the Wii U is 100% truth failure.
you can actually fix rubber like that with talcum powder just for future reference. i managed to revive the rubber on an old IBM Thinkpad using that method and it worked quite well!
First 4 numbers of his credit card: 4, 1, 2, 9
4+1+2+9=12
1+2=3
3 sides on a triangle
Ashens is illuminati confirmed
Your username is Joey Cirrito
Cirrito has 2 letter i's
Illuminati has 3 letter i's
There are 3 sides on a triangle
Illuminati confirmed
InfinityMcBloon the illuminati's name is Illuminati which you said
Illuminati cunfirmd'
Sam Spiwak
Your username starts with the letter S
The word "sides" starts with the letter S
There are 3 sides on a triangle
Triangles represent the illuminati
llluminati confirmed
InfinityMcBloon HOLY SHIT I'M THE ILLUMINATI!
Bacon has 5 letters
5-2 is 3
There are 3 sides on a triangle
Triangles=illuminati
Illuminati confirmed
A stylus, plural styli or styluses, is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery.
Ashens is a doctor!?
he's a psychologist
Dylan Collins
Well, that explains why he's a good comedian
A doctorate in Psychology.
gmansplit
We get it dude, you don't need to paste that reply on EVERYTHING
clonecam117 The Filthy Casual I want to make sure people see it.
I got a loan of one of these in the mid 90s. my Psion had been nicked and I was looking for a replacement for writing.
this wasn't it. it was useless. the idea was sound. My Palm IIIxe later on was great. in fact U'd have liked it slightly bigger
Only thing I'd say about this review is the comparison to filo fax size. Dr Ashens has forgotten how insanely stuffed Filo faxes could get. If this bit of kit actually worked then it might have been worthwhile
but no
Didn't know ashen was a doctor.
Well, psychologist
TheZaz969 Anyone with a Ph.D gets a ''doctor'' title despite not working as an actual doctor.
What is his phd in though, tat?
TheZaz969 psychology
Interesting
The date that the screen displayed on the box cover was three days after I was born. :D *feels special*
A Dr.! If I may ask, what is your doctorate in?
Psychology, apparently.
Hard Knocks
Psychology, according to wikia
+Sab3na Lol he has a wiki page? Dang
Only Ashen could make a half hour video about a...Pen pad
£299?! Geez! That's more than my smartphone (Btw my smartphone is really good! It's the Sony Xperia SP if your wondering)
it was 299
Omg are you stupid?! I said 299 Look! Well..You won't be able to since your blind
no not your phone the PDA was 299 when new
I know!! Idiot! That's what I said!
Why are people so dumb that they can't read properly?
why you so angry Geez, no need to call me an idiot.