I’d have to go with the wood grain Atari 2600, I’m a sucker for 70’s designed electronics.
If we’re talking strictly design, my personal favorite is a generic fat PS2, probably tied with my model 1(?) Sega Genesis (none of the things like 32x or CD, which I desperately want to get some day).
If we’re talking like PC with OS, the 90s Amiga lineup because I think the Amiga Workbench 3 line and the icons they used look absolutely beautiful. Definitely would love to get my hands on a 1200, but they’re expensive. So no getting into that hobby for me just yet.
About the A1200, I think there’s a niche for Raspberry Pi cases that look like vintage computers. Imagine having a case that looks like an A1200, another one that looks like a Falcon, the Sony HitBit, …
Funny thing about the PS2 Fat design: it’s an Atari design. It was a project for the Falcon 040 that was never released.
I got my start with atari 2600 but I think the GameCube was the best looking in both form and function. Best looking computer is an IBM Aptiva S
Console: Sega Dreamcast
PC: Any IBM beige box from the 90s
I would choose the Super Famicom. It just looks so sleek. I don’t know why they changed it with the SNES, it looks ugly.
Mega Drive 1 and 2, they both looked awesome
The headphone port on the Model 1 was so ahead of its time. Although I was stuck without an extension chord for my Koss Porta Pros (so couldn’t actually use it), it was my first taste of relatively high quality sound.
Remember having one of these at school in the late '70s / early '80s
OH MY GOD! I had one of those! I haven’t seen a picture of one since.
The keyboard was so awful. I don’t remember getting it as a birthday or other gift so it must have been a hand me down from a family friend or something.
Membrane keyboards are really the worst. I completely understand wanting to cost-cut to get units into schools and into the hands of kids, but that’s too much. It’s like someone saw a speak-and-spell and said “that’s the ticket.”
Why does there have to be just one? So many consoles are awesomely designed and reflect their eras well. I’m partial to colecovision and the Intellivision II. The redesign of the intellivision had an entire suite of peripherals to match the new design, including a musical keyboard.
Hol’up.
Atari’s only had 4, not 6, switches on them?
Nope, there were two different versions! The 6 switch is the original. (And in my opinion the better looking one!) The 4 switch came later, and still has 6 switches, they just moved the difficulty switches to the back. I believe it saved them some money and made production a little easier because everything was on one circuit board with that setup.
There were several models including an all-black one that ditched the woodgrain.
Yeah, I should have specified I was just talking about the switches!
I was never a big fan of the “Vader” style 2600, but it seems a lot of people like the aesthetic. I was always partial to the six switch look, I just wish they would have made a Sears Video Arcade sixer with the Atari branding! I like the silver by the switches better than the black on the official ones.
The burl woodgrain is also very fancy!
Yeah, it gives it a really nice look!
Technically neither a console nor a PC (in the IBM-compatible sense), but the Commodore PET has a certain kind of 70s futurism about it.
Note the integrated tape deck for all your storage needs.
The keyboard pictured, while interesting looking, is a complete POS. Later PETs had a more usable keyboard with a better layout.
I like the woodgrain look, but I don’t think the Atari 2600 is a very good example of it. Lots of audio equipment from the time does it better. Especially when combined with brushed aluminum or stainless steel.
Purple GameCubes are retro now, so I’ll go with that as my favorite.
Six switch woody can’t be beat
Original C64 is a close second
Classic C64 is a work of art, inside and out.
That breadbin is iconic. I did have a c64c in the very late 80s, and it wasn’t bad looking either.
Then it’s “classic C64 and VIC-20”.
Six Switch Woody is the name I’ve given my next bdsm orgy party.
it’s can’t be beat though …
Oh, Woodys can be beat by switches. It’s kinda painful though.
One more vote with OP. That Atari is a nice looking machine.
while not necessarily the prettiest console by any means but i always thought the Og xbox home menu went way harder than it needed to, now that’s presentation!
They said retro, the Xbox can’t be retro, its only been around for- oh. Oh no.
Damn, wood. Or wood-looking material at least.
The Atari Portfolio (the one John Connors uses in Terminator 2) or the ST Book.
