#retro-computing

The article provides comprehensive technical information about floppy disks, covering their history, formats, storage capacities, and physical characteristics. It details various disk sizes from 8-inch to 3.5-inch formats and explains technical specifications like sector layouts and data encoding methods.

The video explores the fundamental principles of artificial intelligence using a 1979 PDP-11 computer, demonstrating that core AI concepts can be implemented on older hardware. It examines how basic AI algorithms function independently of modern computing power.

The SuperDisk was a high-capacity floppy disk format introduced in the late 1990s that could store 120 MB of data while maintaining backward compatibility with standard 1.44 MB floppy disks. Despite its technical advantages, the format failed to gain widespread adoption due to competition from emerging technologies like CD-RW drives and USB flash drives.

Soul Player C64 is a real transformer model running on a 1 MHz Commodore 64 computer. The project demonstrates running modern AI models on vintage hardware with limited processing power.

Some S3 videocards from the 1990s have a brightness issue due to a design flaw in their RAMDAC chips. The problem stems from how the chips handle brightness adjustments, causing some cards to appear darker than others. This hardware limitation cannot be fixed through software updates.

A new application called AmiStreamRaider allows users to watch Twitch streams on classic Amiga computers. The software brings modern streaming capabilities to the vintage computing platform.

The GitHub repository contains an Amiga DaynaPORT driver for BlueSCSI V2 and ZuluSCSI devices, enabling network connectivity for classic Amiga computers through SCSI-to-Ethernet adapters.

The article showcases text-based user interfaces (TUIs) from MS-DOS programs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These interfaces featured colorful text, ASCII art, and menu-driven designs before graphical user interfaces became dominant.

The author revived Microsoft Encarta's MindMaze game and created a new game called Chip Builder that teaches players how to build computer chips. These educational games were added to Select Supply to provide interactive learning experiences about technology and history.

The article describes how to hot-wire a Lisp Machine by bypassing the front panel to directly connect to the CPU bus. This allows for low-level debugging and hardware access when the machine is otherwise unresponsive.

A developer created a CHIP-8 emulator using their own custom programming language. The project demonstrates the language's capabilities by implementing the classic virtual machine system.

The Timex Sinclair 1000 was the U.S. version of the Sinclair ZX81, released in July 1982 for $99. It sold 500,000 units that year.

A developer successfully ran a Minecraft server and other modern software on a 1960s Univac computer by using emulation and custom software adaptations. The project demonstrates how vintage hardware can be repurposed to handle contemporary computing tasks through creative programming approaches.

The Amiga Graphics Archive is a website dedicated to preserving and showcasing graphics created on Amiga computers. It contains a collection of images, demos, and artwork from the Amiga platform's history.

A developer replaced an Amiga's 68000 CPU with a Raspberry Pi running Linux to run Doom directly on the Amiga hardware without emulating 68000 instructions. The project involved converting Doom's pixel-based graphics to the Amiga's planar bitmap format and synchronizing frame updates to avoid graphical glitches. Code for the "Cordoomceps" project is available on GitLab.

A vintage Commodore PET computer was repaired after extensive troubleshooting revealed multiple faulty chips. The restoration required replacing two failed ROM chips and four bad RAM chips, with one ROM adapter board initially causing issues due to under-powered programming. Using tools like a logic analyzer and Retro Chip Tester helped diagnose the problems in the 1977 home computer.

The Commodore brand has had a poor track record since the company's 1994 bankruptcy, with many failed licensed products. While there is a niche market for retro hardware recreations, the Commodore name adds little value to modern PCs or smartphones. The article questions the practical value of acquiring the trademark.

The article discusses the history of Commodore's productivity software efforts in the mid-1980s, focusing on Magic Desk for the C64 and the Jane 128 word processor suite by Arktronics for the Commodore 128. It covers the development of Magic Desk as a graphical file manager and the business motivations behind porting Jane to the 128, including connections to future Activision leaders.

The article examines an RDI PrecisionBook, a rare PA-RISC laptop from 1997 that could run HP-UX alongside classic Macintosh software via Apple's Macintosh Application Environment. It compares this machine to contemporary PowerPC PowerBooks and details its hardware specifications and historical context.

Microsoft has officially released the source code for its 6502 BASIC under the MIT license. The specific version is the 1977 "8K" BASIC variant 1.1, which was used in Commodore computers like the PET, VIC-20, and Commodore 64 as BASIC V2.0.

The author is refurbishing a Silicon Graphics Indigo² IMPACT 10000 workstation, a high-end purple system with an MIPS R10000 CPU and IMPACT graphics. This machine, acquired a decade ago, is part of a periodic downsizing and hardware inventory review.

America Online has ended its dialup internet service that began in 1991. The service was widely used for internet access before widespread Wi-Fi and cellular data became available. Some users still maintain their original AOL email addresses despite the dialup service's discontinuation.

The author continues restoration of a defective PAL Commodore 128DCR in the Southern Hemisphere, focusing on replacing the faulty U19 colour RAM. After running diagnostic tests that confirmed the colour RAM fault and other issues, they disassembled the computer to access the motherboard for the repair.

The Texas Instruments CC-40 handheld computer and TI-74 BASICALC pocket computer share similar hardware architecture. Both devices can be connected to serial ports via the Hexbus interface, enabling terminal programs for shell and Gopherspace access despite their single-line displays.

The Scriptovision Super Micro Script is a 1985 Canadian video titler that overlays text and graphics on video signals. It uses a Motorola 6800-family microcontroller and 6847 video chip, similar to home computers of the era. The device has socketed EPROMs that could potentially be modified for custom software.

The author has made their website available via the Gopher protocol, which uses simple text-based menus for navigation instead of hyperlinks. They explain Gopher's directory-style format and contrast it with modern web protocols, noting its historical interest and simplicity compared to alternatives like Gemini.

A tiny Macintosh replica was built using a Raspberry Pi Pico running Pico Micro Mac firmware. The device outputs to a 640x480 VGA display and supports USB keyboard and mouse input. It provides 208 KB of RAM, which is 63% more than the original 128K Macintosh.

The author explores using FireWire devices like DV cameras and hard drives with a Raspberry Pi after Apple discontinued FireWire support in macOS 26. They discuss connecting legacy equipment through alternative methods when modern Macs no longer support the interface.

A tech enthusiast describes how to create a dial-up internet service provider using a Raspberry Pi, inspired by acquiring an original Tangerine iBook G3 clamshell with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. The article explains the technical process of setting up dial-up connectivity through modern hardware.

The Analog Antiquarian's weekly update features an epilogue titled "Infinity Embraced," continuing its regular content series.