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Items tagged with: RETROCOMPUTING

If you're running Windows and still using WinImage for handling basic floppy disk images, it is time to retire it. It served us well, but there is now a replacement called DiskImageTool that is superior in every conceivable way and is completely free and open source.

The latest version adds a small drag & drop feature I requested, and it's just the final touch that makes it a perfect replacement for me.

github.com/Digitoxin1/DiskImag…

#retrocomputing #emulation

A screenshot of DiskImageTool's main interface. An "IMD" image of King's Quest is open. On the left we see a panel of basic disk information and some metadata extracted from the boot sector. On the right we see the contents of the FAT filesystem. Files can be dropped into the right pane to add them to the image.

GitHub - Digitoxin1/DiskImageTool: A powerful floppy disk image manager with built-in bitstream analysis and optional Greaseweazle and Kryoflux integration

A powerful floppy disk image manager with built-in bitstream analysis and optional Greaseweazle and Kryoflux integration - Digitoxin1/DiskImageTool
GitHub
#retrocomputing #emulation

Does anyone have a copy of “Porting Xenix to the Unmapped 8086” by Hare and Thomas? Proceedings of the Winter USENIX Conference 1984.

C’mon. I know one of you has to have a copy.

#unix #xenix #usenix #retrocomputing

#unix #retrocomputing #xenix #usenix

The great news is that the blueberry butterfly iBook G3 has survived the travel after 6 months in a box in a container (3 of them blocked due to strikes in Spain) !

I never noticed before that back then the logo on the back was upside down when opened. Feels kinda weird nowadays.

Anyway this looks great for upcoming #Marchintosh and #GlobalTalk in 2026 (or 2027, if you know how I am).

#Retrocomputing

A G3 iBook with an AzERTY keyboard displaying the OS 9.2 about box on top of a messy table with a green desk lamp in the back reflecting itself into a glass
Back of that same iBook G3 seen from behind the glass outside the office. The Apple logo on the open lid is upside down. There’s a lot of mess around.
#retrocomputing #MARCHintosh #globaltalk

Any #Atari experts out there know where I can find out the max current draw from the 5V (pin 7) of a 2600 joystick port?

From the schematics it looks like it comes directly off a 7805 and the field service manual BOM lists a 78M05 which I think has a max 500mA with suitable heatsink. But that is powering the whole console...

But so far my searching is failing me with a definitive answer! :)

#Atari2600 #RetroComputing #MakersHelp

#atari #retrocomputing #atari2600 #makershelp

Look at these pants my partner made me 🤩 These are #RETROCOMPUTING selvedge jeans!! With floppies on the pockets!
The jeans seen from behind, on me. The back pockets have 5.25" floppy designs on them!
A closeup of my butt, but it's for the floppies
Viewed from the front. The small pocket is a 3.5" floppy!
#retrocomputing

Like old Zip disks. What the fuck do I do with these? Still have the old G3 tower but it doesn’t boot up. I have a vague memory of you dealing with this kinda stuff, @jessamyn ?

#RetroComputing

Old g3 power Mac and I’m holding 3 old Zip disks in front of it.
#retrocomputing @Jessamyn

In the "filesystems and I/O" portion of my Operating Systems course in college today. Brought some floppy disks in to help understanding storage system history and the archaic methods for data organization: tracks, sectors, partitions, etc.

I was surprised at how much the disks were investigated and examined by the students and how much curiosity was expressed. We almost had to suppress questions to get to the course material.

I think this is instructive. I'll try and incorporate some kind of tactile thing this spring when I'm teaching.

#retrocomputing #teaching

8 inch, 5.25 inch and 3.5 inch disks sitting on a grey table top.
#retrocomputing #teaching

#art #gamedev #pixelart #indiedev #digitalart #retrocomputing #Amiga #retrogaming #Commodore #vintagecomputing #retrocomputer

#Poll #RetroComputing

Which of the following have you owned or used?

  • Iomega Zip Drive (0 votes)
  • SyQuest Drive (0 votes)
  • Both (0 votes)
  • Neither (0 votes)
Poll end: 2 months ago

#poll #retrocomputing

#unix #retrocomputing

Some neat info about 70s hard drive contaminants.

From the DEC RK05 disk drive maintenance manual (DEC-00-HRK05-C-D)

#retrocomputing #dec

""Relationship of Disk Head, Disk, and Contaminants" Graph showing a side/cutoff view of hard drive reading head over the platter, with size comparisons: * Space between the head & platter: 100µ * Smoke particle: 250µ * Fingerprint smudge: no unit but it's drawn twice as big as the smoke particle * Lint & dust: no unit either, 4 times bigger(ish) than the smudge * Humar hair: .004" The oxide layer on the disk is 200µ wid
#retrocomputing #dec

About to go to bed, so avoiding to look it up, but if anyone here knows:

Why did Classic MacOS have so many typedefs that were variations of Str255? Like ConstStr255Param ?

Was that just a workaround to deal with Pascal generating different code for these under the hood?

#retroComputing

#retrocomputing

#Poll #RetroComputing

You are a 16 year old in 1993, which of the following would you get if money was no object?

  • Sound card / Sound Blaster (36%, 36 votes)
  • Co Processor (5%, 5 votes)
  • Modem 14.4 Kbps (37%, 37 votes)
  • CDROM Drive (21%, 21 votes)
99 voters. Poll end: 2 months ago

#poll #retrocomputing

#atari #retrocomputing #atariportfolio

#linux #gnome #retrocomputing @LWN.net

#retrocomputing #vintagecomputing #bytemagazine #byte

#blogging #retrocomputing #blogs @Write.as @Jay Hoffmann

i wrote a 120,000 word book on my experience growing up in the BBS and dial-up internet era, from ~1985-1997

it's chock full of stories about ibm pc and macintosh hardware and gaming

it's going to be published this autumn as an ebook and might get a print edition

but i have a far more stupid idea for it: how about a floppy disk edition with a custom dos/windows 3.1 & macintosh system 6 ebook version

has anyone written a Voyager Expanded Book using the VEB Toolkit in 30 years?

(if you haven't heard of Expanded Books, michael crichton and voyager's team wrote an *excellent* version of Jurassic Park)

is there an ms-dos or windows 3.1 equivalent to VEBs? I swear that back in the 90s someone made ebooks using "Asymetrix Multimedia Toolbook", but i can't seem to find any examples of it

#macintosh #dosgaming #books #retroComputing #vintageApple

The title screen for Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, Voyager Expanded Book edition for the Macintosh. It shows the silhouette of a T-Rex against the background.
#books #retrocomputing #dosgaming #macintosh #VintageApple

#gaming #retrocomputing #retrogaming #vintagecomputing #ascii #ansi

Rate my battlestation!

This is a Sony Anycast Station AWS-G500HD from 2007. It's essentially a Sony luggable PIII 933Mhz PC that runs Linux 2.4.20 with a ton of FPGAs to do the heavy lifting of a video switcher. Plus glorious physical buttons, faders, dials, and removable keyboard. Oh, and a jog wheel.

#RetroComputing

A Sony laptop-style computer cosplaying as a video production switcher with keyboard, buttons, sliders, and dials on the bottom and a LCD on the top showing several windows of different video sources including "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, Look Around You: Maths, a Lisa sales pitch video, and a rotating cube.
#retrocomputing

#retrocomputing #vintagemac #vintageap

It's world emoji day. Did you know we had emojis in the 1980s and 1990s? We did. They were invented in 1982. In this blog post, we look at how emojis worked without graphics, where we used them before the Internet, and how they proliferated. #retrocomputing dfarq.homeip.net/emoticons-in-…

Emoticons in the 80s and 90s. We had 'em - The Silicon Underground

Before we could insert images in text, we made emoticons in the 80s with a series of ASCII characters. It looked strange but we got by.
Dave Farquhar (The Silicon Underground)
#retrocomputing

Anybody else out there fondly remember Geoworks?

It had a really killer office suite for low-end computers. I did all of my homework assignments in GeoWrite up until high school.

#retrocomputing

The main launcher screen for GeoWorks Ensemble 1.2
#retrocomputing

Day 3 of running Windows XP in 2025 is up.
I opened Enafore to check my Mastodon replies. It worked—for a few seconds. Then the notifications started. And they didn’t stop. Ping. Ping. Ping. I couldn’t reply. I could barely move the cursor. I watched the system buckle in real time.
So I tore XP apart.
I disabled over thirty services, deleted Windows File Protection, nuked the prefetch cache, rewrote shutdown behavior, and killed every background process that wasn’t strictly mine. If it touched the network, tried to log something, or ran without permission, it’s dead.
And you know what? Enafore runs fine now. JAWS doesn’t read new posts live, but I don’t care. I can read. I can reply. XP obeys.
Discord, though? Wouldn’t even load in the browser. Just a blank page. So tomorrow, I’m pulling in what channels I can through IRC. It’s not over.
Read the full post:
fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/dea…
#WindowsXP #Retrocomputing #BlindComputing #Accessibility #IRC #Mastodon #DeadOSWalking

Dead OS Walking: 30 Days on Windows XP in 2025 – — fireborn

fireborn.mataroa.blog
#Accessibility #Mastodon #irc #retrocomputing #windowsxp #blindcomputing #deadoswalking

Long before the internet, some phone networks were hackable by playing a single tone at 2600Hz.

Whistled into a phone, it could grant you unrestricted access. Do you have the vocal chops to be an old-school phone phreak?

I built a web app to test your ability to produce the legendary frequency. You won't get free long distance calls but you will get some honor in the knowledge that you could have been a cool hacker. 😎

I am sad to say that I can only whistle up to 1100Hz... But my wife (a long time woodwind player) is able to consistently get it.

Give it a try: phreak.kmcd.dev/

#phreaking #2600Hz #bluebox #RetroComputing #hacker #infosec #Tech


Phone Phreak Emulator

Test your phreaking skills by hacking this phone line.
phreak.kmcd.dev
#infosec #tech #retrocomputing #hacker #phreaking #2600hz #bluebox

My latest project is code-named "Total Reprint." I ported The Print Shop (1986) to ProDOS and made it hard-drive-installable. Then I made some other improvements, like live previews of third-party graphics and borders. It's bundled with every graphic, border, and font that Broderbund ever released, plus hundreds of other openly licensed graphics that I back-ported from modern artists.

Come to INIT HELLO in July for the product launch. <init-hello.org/>

#AppleII #retrocomputing

Print Shop kaleidoscope screen with "Total Reprint" written in a custom font
The Print Shop title screen

INIT HELLO - Celebrate the Apple II - July 26-27, 2025 in Hunt Valley, MD

A new Apple II conference is coming to the System Source Computer Museum north of Baltimore, Maryland, this July 26–27, 2025.
INIT HELLO
#retrocomputing #AppleII

It's June, so I've got my Javastation off the shelf for the first time in a couple of decades. This is a Javastation Krups, with 100MHz sparc, sold as a diskless workstation. I never realised it had a PPP ROM boot in! Anyway, I should get on and set up networking and a boot server.
(Note: the plastic on the clips on the doors is fragile, 2 just pinged off on me)

#retrocomputing

A screenshot of the 'JavaOS PPP dialer' - it's got a Motif style widgetry, a Sun purpley theme, a Java logo in the corner and some options and progress bar.
The side of a JavaStation Krups, it's shape is ...odd. Quite smooth, ovalish in cross section, on the side is a Java logo, and there's another on the top, It's mostly grey with two wings at the back in Purple and some cooling vents inbetween.
The back of a Sun Javastation Krups with it's doors open, showing the audio jacks, Mini DINs for power, mouse and keyboard, LAN and VGA.
A screenshot, showing a Java logo in the corner, 'JavaStation' in big at the top and an icon that looks like a SIMM, probably indicating ROM boot.
#retrocomputing

💡 Why we need lisp machines

｢ They were programmed in lisp the whole way down and could be run code interpreted for convenience or compiled to microcode for efficiency. You could open up system functions in the editor, modify and compile them while the machine was running. Everything worked in a single address space, programs could talk to each other in ways operating systems of today couldn’t dream of ｣

fultonsramblings.substack.com/…

#unix #lisp #retrocomputing

Why we need lisp machines

A personal mind dump on operating systems
Fulton (Fulton’s ramblings)
#lisp #unix #retrocomputing

I just discovered the amazing Evertop project by @cobble2stone @ericjenott! Evertop is a portable PC that emulates an IBM XT with an 80186 processor and 1MB RAM, running DOS, Minix, and other old 1980s operating systems, including Windows up to version 3.0. Powered by a low-power microcontroller and an e-ink display, it can run for hundreds or even thousands of hours on a single charge, thanks to its built-in solar panel and extreme power-saving measures. It's loaded with built-in peripherals like a keyboard, PS/2 ports, graphics support, audio output, serial ports, USB, Ethernet, WiFi, and LoRA radio. Charging options include a solar panel, DC input, and micro USB. It features a detachable keyboard, optional hibernate, and power shutoff. Storage is via SD card, and it's powered by an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller. Compatibility includes almost all IBM PC/XT compatible DOS software from the 1980s and early 90s. There's also a minimal version, "Evertop Min," which reduces weight and cost by removing some features. I'd love to see a model with a Raspberry Pi Zero for more productivity-focused tasks. Let's see if someone is already working on something similar! #Evertop #RetroComputing #PortablePC #OpenSource #DIY #TechInnovation #Emulation #OffGridComputing #ESP32 #RaspberryPi #Minimalism #Productivity #EInk #solar #solarpanel #Typewriter
The image shows the Evertop, a portable retro PC featuring an E Ink display and hundreds of hours of battery life. It is a small electronic device equipped with a solar panel and a keyboard. The device is predominantly white with a black keyboard. The keyboard has a standard QWERTY layout with black keys and white lettering. Above the keyboard, there is an E Ink display showing a menu with text, and a digital display showing "8888." To the left of the screen, there are several buttons, including a numeric keypad and function keys. The solar panel, which also serves as the back-plate, is positioned above the device and is connected by a cable, suggesting it powers the device. The background is a plain, light-colored surface.
#opensource #diy #retrocomputing #raspberrypi #esp32 #Eink #productivity #emulation #typewriter #solar #minimalism #techinnovation #evertop #portablepc #offgridcomputing #solarpanel

I added to my reading queue this four-part aricle series on the history of the personal computer "to trace where the personal computer came from and where it went". The title of one of the parts seems intriguing: "Interactive Computing: A Counterculture".

technicshistory.com/a-bicycle-…

#PersonalComputer #retrocomputing


A Bicycle For the Mind

This series consists of the following posts: A Bicycle for the Mind – Prologue A Craving for Calculation Interactive Computing: A Counterculture From ACS to Altair: The Rise of the Hobby Computer…
Creatures of Thought
#retrocomputing #PersonalComputer

Had fun at the Retro Computer Museum today in Leicester UK. Plenty of hands-on retro computers and consoles as well as an arcade area too.

Friendly volunteers who obviously were passionate about the collection and helping out there.

Really worth a visit!

retrocomputermuseum.co.uk/

#retrocomputing #retrogaming #leicester #uk

Photograph of a golden Amiga 500 computer displayed on a white shelf next to a framed certificate. The certificate, issued by Commodore, confirms this unit (serial number 090791) as the one millionth Amiga ever produced. It is signed by David J. Pleasance, Managing Director of Commodore Business Machines (U.K.) Ltd. The Amiga features a special metallic finish, commemorating its milestone production status.
Photograph of a grey Atari Falcon030 computer on display, flanked by an Atari 260ST on the left and an Amstrad CPC model on the right. The Falcon030 features a distinctive diagonal vent design, dark grey function keys (F1–F10), and a full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad. The Atari and Falcon030 logos are visible above the keyboard. The Amstrad machine to the right bears a visible signature, adding a personal collector's touch. All three computers are arranged on a white shelf.
Tatung Einstein computer with built-in monitor displaying the “X BASIC MENU”. A black joystick with red buttons labelled “Super” is connected. A ZX Spectrum is also visible in the background, with cables running to a small screen. The setup is arranged on a wooden desk by a window.
Pokémon-themed Nintendo 64 console featuring a large yellow Pikachu figure with glowing red cheeks. The reset button is integrated into Pikachu's foot, and a raised Poké Ball button is on the left. A translucent cartridge labelled “DO NOT REMOVE CARTRIDGE” is inserted. Four controller ports are connected at the front, and a yellow Pokémon-branded controller is visible to the left. The console rests on a wooden surface.

General Admission

Book your tickets now to come and play on our retro gaming and computing systems, view our rare and unique items, browse our extensive software and publication libraries or simply chat to our passionate and knowledgeable volunteers.
retrocomputermuseum.co.uk
#uk #retrocomputing #retrogaming #leicester

#retrocomputing

#retrocomputing #assembly

In case you missed it, there are Mastodon apps for retro computers from the 1980s & 90s

:apple_old_logo: Apple II
colino.net/wordpress/en/mastod…

:apple_old_logo: Apple Macintosh (pre-OS X)
github.com/smallsco/macstodon

:commodore: Commodore 64
github.com/Havoc6502/MOStodon

:amiga: Commodore Amiga
github.com/BlitterStudio/amido…

:ms_dos: MS-DOS
github.com/SuperIlu/DOStodon

:IBM: MVS
github.com/mainframed/BREXXTOD…

:Palm_OS: Palm OS
github.com/knickish/heffalump

:windows95: Windows 95
github.com/meyskens/mastodon-f…

#Mastodon #RetroComputing


GitHub - BlitterStudio/amidon: A Mastodon client for Amiga computers

A Mastodon client for Amiga computers. Contribute to BlitterStudio/amidon development by creating an account on GitHub.
GitHub
#Mastodon #retrocomputing

For all you retro text to speech nerds out there, here's a recording of Superior Software's "Speech" for the Amstrad CPC computer (1986). This was a small piece of Z80 machine code that played phonemes through the computer's AY-3-8912 sound chip

It sounds pretty harsh, and there are a number of hard clicks in the output I couldn't easily fix.

I've included what I think is the spoken script as alt text

#RetroComputing #TTS #Spech #SuperiorSoftware #AmstradCPC


#retrocomputing #tts #spech #superiorsoftware #amstradcpc

Remember the pretty-looking Windows 3.1 "high resolution" mode possible with Viaduct now? Well, as it turns out, the boot logo is displayed by a different piece of code, so despite the new driver it was still in 640x200, and thus, very ugly. 🤮

This isn't part of the DDK at all, so I had to disassemble the CGA and Hercules editions of the logo display code from Windows 3.1 binaries, then bodge one together, that can display the EGA monochrome logo in 640x400. 🤪 👍

#msdos #retrocomputing #amiga

Windows 3.1 booting in an Amiga Workbench window with the old logo display code. It shows the "before" state of affairs - a not very pleasant looking boot logo in 640x200 monochrome CGA resolution.
Windows 3.1 booting in an Amiga Workbench window with the old logo display code. It shows the "after" state of affairs - a much better looking boot logo in 640x400 monochrome "high" resolution.
#retrocomputing #Amiga #msdos

#retrocomputing #Amiga #blastfromthepast #Commodore #blastfrompast

@troed Writing demos teaches some skills that are hard to acquire otherwise... while also creating some bad habits.

Oh, and I'm writing that literally as I'm starting work on a new ST demo, I just did the first git commit of a trivial program that'll grow into some demo over the next few weeks.

--Djaybee from the MegaBuSTers

#AtariST #DemoScene #RetroComputing

#retrocomputing #atarist #demoscene @Troed Sångberg

#retrocomputing #retrogaming #vintagemac #MacPortable

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