Oct 23, 2026, 3:09 AMIt's weird because there is another model, the HP-86, which is basically an HP-85 without the internal monitor. They could have modeled it after that, then having the external monitor would have made sense.
almost. The HP-86 couldn't drive THAT monitor, only a retrotech nerd like me would point out that small of a nitpick
Oct 23, 2026, 3:12 AMThe HP-85 also could not draw the high-res graphics we see on screen in the game, but ya'know... Basically every game does that.
It was limited to 256×192.
Though maybe they build their own add-in graphics card to drive an external IBM 5151 monitor, which also added high-res graphics modes? Like a Hercules for HP Series-80?
Oct 23, 2026, 3:13 AMThe fun the Control does is make it canon that The Oldest House has some weird-tech-field going on which makes older computers more reliable for that situation and DAMN is that a good excuse to throw beautiful old computers into your setting.
@foone infinitely better than the nightmare world in Quantum Break where only Windows Phone era Microsoft devices and Windows OSes exist. Dylan picking up a chunky radio at the start of Control Resonant vs the sheer number of Surfaces and Windows phones in Quantum Break 5-ever.
(Mini rant brought to you by a Mac nerd who came to the Remedy Connected Universe with Alan Wake 2, and had horrid culture shock trying to play Quantum Break)
Oct 23, 2026, 3:38 AM@vi_zzyzx yeah. if I had to choose between a world of modern computers & phones but everything is microsoft, or mid-80s tech?
obviously give me the latter
Oct 23, 2026, 3:24 AM@foone oooh, so it's an HP-85 but IBM 5100 colourways and (to some degree) switches. Other than the keyboard, which retains the oranges.
I do find the combination rather attractive, I must say.