Silicon Graphics

xanthrou · Post by **xanthrou** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 7:59 am

Do SGI systems like Indigo2, Onyx, O2, Indy, etc. count as "retro" computers, as they weren't in consumer market during their heyday?

TomXP411 · Post by **TomXP411** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:43 am

Today, the term retro has come to mean "new stuff that's pretending to be old", where vintage means "actually old". So maybe not "retro", in that nobody is making reproduction SGI workstations like they're making fake Commodore 64s, NESs, and Altair 8800 systems.

But "Vintage"? Absolutely. Those were hot stuff back in the 90s...

Cyber · Post by **Cyber** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 11:08 am

14 minutes ago, TomXP411 said:

Today, the term retro has come to mean "new stuff that's pretending to be old", where vintage means "actually old".

Whoa... I actually just recently heard opposite definition from somebody. It went like: retro = actually old, vintage = pretending to be old (emulation). As to myself, I decided not to stick to any such definitions, because there are just too many different opinions.

Another confusing thing about "retro" is that lots of people use the term refering to their generation. When I heard some guys calling games of 2000's retro games, it was odd for me. For me 2000's games are pretty modern games!

Also several years ago Retro FM radio statiton in my region broadcasted 70's and 80's music. Yeah, retro stuff. But now they broadcasting 90's and 2000's music! From my perspective it's hard for me to call them Retro any more! %)

So, go figure...

John Chow Seymour · Post by **John Chow Seymour** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:14 pm

I can see how "retro" might mean ''actually old' or 'in the style of something old', but surely "vintage" only ever means 'actually old.'

StephenHorn · Post by **StephenHorn** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 1:19 pm

2 minutes ago, John Chow Seymour said:

I can see how "retro" might mean ''actually old' or 'in the style of something old', but surely "vintage" only ever means 'actually old.'

The only exception that might spring to mind is clothing, where "retro" seems to mean "new but out-of-fashion by about 20 years", and "vintage" seems to mean "new but out-of-fashion by about 80 years".

Strider · Post by **Strider** » Tue Feb 16, 2021 5:43 pm

Wow, this brings back memories.

For a short time back in the early to mid 90's, I got to work on a couple SGI machines at my local ISP. Well, I played around with an Onyx in spare time but actually worked on an SGI Workstation (Model 330... I think...been a while). They even had a Challenge in house if I recall correctly. So much money and power under one roof for a small town service provider. I worked for them a couple days a week to help out as they did a lot of side-work for other companies. In return, I got free web hosting, internet access, and use of machines they had in house. It blew my mind back then. Those SGI machines were so far out of reach for most individuals that having the opportunity to work and play on a couple of them was so awesome to me.

On a side note. For me personally, I use "retro" for new things that look like or based on old tech/games, "classic" for actual old games/hardware(late 70's 80's and 90's mainly), and "vintage" for anything older than "classic" (early 70's and back) or not specifically computer related. :P

TomXP411 · Post by **TomXP411** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:22 am

17 hours ago, Cyber said:

Whoa... I actually just recently heard opposite definition from somebody. It went like: retro = actually old, vintage = pretending to be old (emulation). As to myself, I decided not to stick to any such definitions, because there are just too many different opinions.

Another confusing thing about "retro" is that lots of people use the term referring to their generation. When I heard some guys calling games of 2000's retro games, it was odd for me. For me 2000's games are pretty modern games!

Also several years ago Retro FM radio station in my region broadcasted 70's and 80's music. Yeah, retro stuff. But now they broadcasting 90's and 2000's music! From my perspective it's hard for me to call them Retro any more! %)

So, go figure...

Well, the terms are relative. A 20 year old video game is "old" , mostly because technology move so fast.

Regardless, the person you're referring to is incorrect. Vintage means high quality, real, and usually "old".

According to the dictionary, Vintage is "denoting something of high quality, especially something from the past or characteristic of the best period of a person's work."

And "retro" is defined as: "clothes or music whose style or design is imitative of those of the recent past."

This article says it fairly well...

https://www.retrokids.com/blogs/news/what-s-the-difference-between-vintage-and-retro

Cyber · Post by **Cyber** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 6:15 am

1 hour ago, TomXP411 said:

Regardless, the person you're referring to is incorrect.

So it looks like he just confused one with another and mixed up things.

Thanx for references!

Cyber · Post by **Cyber** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 6:23 am

22 hours ago, xanthrou said:

Do SGI systems like Indigo2, Onyx, O2, Indy, etc. count as "retro" computers

My opinion on subject is specific. I never even heard about these products back in their days. For the first time I heard about one was from LGR video. So for me it's like learning something new and unknown, but from the past. So I kinda see it like an old school stuff, but it's like not from my world. Still like an alien technology to me. So I just stay amazed looking at them even now. )

desertfish · Post by **desertfish** » Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:12 am

Many people saw their first Silicon Graphics machine when watching the original Jurassic Park.... "hey it's a Unix system I know this"...

edit: this is the sscene I meant, the girl interacting with the 3d virtual file system viewer: