List of sales numbers for Home Computers

[Jeff-20]

I see sales numbers for game consoles (like this via Wikipedia), but I would also like to see a list of home computer sales merged with consoles. Does anyone recall seeing such a list?

[English Invader]

This isn't an answer to your question but I think some of the information in the article you linked to might be questionable. I was surprised to read that the Atari Lynx sold less than a million units and that it was outsold 3:1 by the Wonderswan and the N-Gage. This is contradicted by the Wikipedia article for the Atari Lynx which says the system sold 3 million units. I looked at the source for the information in your article and it was from a 1992 issue of the Wall Street Journal which is only mid-way through the Lynx's commercial life and from a non-gaming industry specific source.

For the record, I don't think either figure for Atari Lynx sales is correct and recommend that you add "reliably sourced information" to the list of qualifications for your list.

[cbmeeks]

This isn't an answer to your question but I think some of the information in the article you linked to might be questionable. I was surprised to read that the Atari Lynx sold less than a million units and that it was outsold 3:1 by the Wonderswan and the N-Gage. This is contradicted by the Wikipedia article for the Atari Lynx which says the system sold 3 million units. I looked at the source for the information in your article and it was from a 1992 issue of the Wall Street Journal which is only mid-way through the Lynx's commercial life and from a non-gaming industry specific source.

For the record, I don't think either figure for Atari Lynx sales is correct and recommend that you add "reliably sourced information" to the list of qualifications for your list.

Welcome to Wikipedia.

I'm a huge fan of Wikipedia, but there are some MAJOR inaccuracies with it and, unfortunately, if the general populace believes something then that becomes law at Wikipedia. I gave up after I tried to update the Amiga 500 article that said the Amiga 500 was one of the first "open" computers. Which is horseshit.

Anyway, sorry to go OT.

[Gyro Gearloose]

, if the general populous believes

"populace"

[cbmeeks]

Ah thanks!

I was close. Populous still refers to "having a large population" but the context wasn't correct in how I used it.

[highinfidelity]

I'm a huge fan of Wikipedia, but there are some MAJOR inaccuracies with it and, unfortunately, if the general populace believes something then that becomes law at Wikipedia. I gave up after I tried to update the Amiga 500 article that said the Amiga 500 was one of the first "open" computers. Which is horseshit.

I remember a previous chat about this. My oh my, how I second those sentiments!

[orion70]

As for sales figures in Italy, I found an interesting article in a blog I strongly suggest to anyone interested in Italian prehistory of computers and videogames (sorry, not in English, but Google translator does its work):
https://quattrobit.blogspot.com/2018/02 ... n.html?m=1

As you can see, it's down to some tens of thousands in the first half of the eighties (60.000 VICs until 1983). I guess you can at least triplicate this figure by the end of the 80s, when no VIC was sold anymore. But it's my guess.

[highinfidelity]

Very interesting, but despite the author's recommendation to not desume general figures out of local observations ("at my school..." etc.), in my opinion the sales figures for the Sinclair home computers were grossly overestimated by their Italian manager. Almost everybody had Commodore home computers. Also in perspective, I've never met later a workmate telling me that, in the early '80s, he was upstream and owned a Sinclair. Sinclair home computers were highly regarded, generally had good reviews on magazines, and almost any Commodore owner knew that also Sinclair computers existed; but their market penetration in Italy, should I give figures, was perhaps 1 every 10 Commodore home computers sold.

Instead, Apple sales (better: lack of sales) are no surprise. The marvels of their computers were often described on magazines, but nobody really had one.

[orion70]

I clearly remember the situation "at my school" back in 1986-1987, i.e. mid-high school. We were some 25 students, 15 male (no girl even remotely considered the possibility to buy a micro, or to date a guy owning one). We were only eight with a computer at home, seven proud owners of a Commodore 64 and several pirated cassettes, and one black sheep with the small black brick doing stupid beeps and color clash, and no one to swap software with. I guess today he's using an iPhone .

So yes, I think your estimate is right.