Computers Cost Less in the '80s

04/02/10: Computers Cost Less in the '80s

People pay much more than they used to for so many things; books, cars, cheeseburgers, groceries, movie tickets, and so on. Nonetheless, the major media likes to claim there is little inflation in the U.S., and sometimes brings up the idea that computers cost so much more twenty years ago.

While it is true that some very expensive computers could be purchased in the 1980s, the same is true today. To be sure, computers were very expensive in the mid-'70s and earlier, but this fact has been exaggerated to include an extra decade and a half. Here are some examples of how they actually cost less in the '80s:

I still have the box to a Commodore VIC-20 from the early '80s, which had color graphics and built-in sound. There is a K-Mart price sticker for just $178 on it.

According to Oldcomputers.net, the new Timex/Sinclair 1500 only cost about $79 when released in 1983. It was B&W but had an acceptable keyboard and moderately large base memory for its year.

With several new computer models being sold for under $250 in the early-to-mid '80s, it is likely that they could be purchased used at significantly less expense within a year.

In 1987, the TRS-80 Color Computer II's price was reduced to $159 (decreased to $99 in '88). It came with a good keyboard and could use a TV for a monitor and speakers.

The same year, Tandy offered a programmable pocket computer for $59 that could save information and programs to cassette tape. It included batteries. A mini printer was optional.

According to the 18th edition of the "Secret Guide to Computers", discount sellers priced the Atari 65XE at only $84 dollars. This was a fairly sophisticated computer with color graphics.

Some will argue that today's computers effectively cost less because they are capable of more. However, old computers could be used for many more things when they were new. Text-based online services and BBSes allowed relatively fast access to news, software, message boards, and other information.

Plenty of software was available for these computers, and it was programmed far more efficiently than today's applications - partially compensating for the slower processors. Most of these computers booted up almost instantly, and they could immediately run cartridge-based software.

They also consumed far less electricity than modern computers and could use a standard TV as a display, saving computer owners more money. It all goes to prove that even in technology, there has been plenty of price inflation and some things have changed for the worse.