Hacker News with Generative AI: Nostalgia

Desktop Icons of Yore (datagubbe.se)
After reading an excellent blog post about the intended use cases for moricons.dll in Windows 3.1, it seemed pertinent to spread some further love for these little images.
Desktop Icons, Windows, History, Operating Systems, Nostalgia
7 points by blakespot 17 hours ago | 0 comments
Ask HN: How to Make Friendster Great? (ycombinator.com)
I bought the domain friendster.com because I loved the old Friendster and wanted to bring it back. I built a social network on the site and have started to invite people from the waitlist. I'd like to make Friendster great again - do you have ideas on what I should do?
Social Media, Nostalgia, Entrepreneurship, Web Development
86 points by ca98am79 2 days ago | 130 comments
Desktop Icons of Yore (datagubbe.se)
After reading an excellent blog post about the intended use cases for moricons.dll in Windows 3.1, it seemed pertinent to spread some further love for these little images.
Windows 3.1, History, User Interfaces, Nostalgia, Software
13 points by zdw 3 days ago | 2 comments
The Golden Age of computer user groups (arstechnica.com)
Long before subreddits, computer enthusiasts used to get together—in-person!
Computer History, Communities, Technology, Nostalgia
10 points by rbanffy 3 days ago | 0 comments
Still Booting: People Stuck Using Ancient Windows Computers (bbc.com)
CTRL+ALT+DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.
Technology, Operating Systems, Windows, Software, Nostalgia
12 points by andrewl 3 days ago | 2 comments
Still booting after all these years: The people using ancient Windows computers (bbc.com)
CTRL+ALT+DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.
Technology, Operating Systems, Nostalgia, Computers, Software
13 points by graeme 4 days ago | 2 comments
The people stuck using ancient Windows computers (bbc.com)
CTRL+ALT+DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.
Technology, Operating Systems, Windows, Nostalgia, Computing
19 points by zdw 4 days ago | 9 comments
Why Every Generation Thinks It Was the Last to Touch Real Life (clickworlddaily.com)
Memory plays tricks, but maybe the truth is deeper than that.
Generations, Culture, Nostalgia, Sociology, Psychology
8 points by versiqcontent 5 days ago | 6 comments
The dial-up modem lives on, in office meeting rooms (digitalseams.com)
Remember the AOL dial-up sound? In case you forgot, here’s Bernz shredding it on Guitar Hero:
Technology, Nostalgia, Music, Internet
6 points by bobbiechen 5 days ago | 0 comments
Building my childhood dream PC (fabiensanglard.net)
In 1993, I was 14 and already passionate about computers[1]. That year my mother managed to buy a PC for the household. That was quite an effort for a single mother. My brother Aurelien and I spent every waking hour on this machine, staying up all night on weekends.
Personal Projects, Nostalgia, Computing
188 points by todsacerdoti 5 days ago | 86 comments
The people stuck using ancient Windows computers (bbc.com)
CTRL+ALT+DEL, but make it forever. As technology marches on, some people get trapped using decades-old software and devices. Here's a look inside the strange, stubborn world of obsolete Windows machines.
Technology, Operating Systems, Windows, Legacy Technology, Nostalgia
9 points by padolsey 5 days ago | 3 comments
The MiniBook X N150 "netbook" (taoofmac.com)
The netbook era has come and gone, but I am one of the many people who miss small form factor laptops (12” or smaller), and I’ve found it somewhat frustrating that they’ve been nowhere to be found in mainstream offerings.
Laptops, Form Factor, Nostalgia, Technology
18 points by rcarmo 8 days ago | 12 comments
The most annoying video player of all time (mux.com)
It’s 1995. The arcade is a cathedral of noise and neon. I’ve thrown my hands up in the air, again, in disbelief; the unfairness of the Area 51 sneak attacks has me all riled up. I clutch a single quarter, heart pounding, eyes locked on the “Continue?” screen. Ten seconds. Nine. Eight. The world shrinks to a single question: Can I keep playing? Should I? What time is mom supposed to be here?
Video Players, Nostalgia, Gaming
21 points by mooreds 8 days ago | 10 comments
Sea Monkeys and X-Ray Spex (collectorsweekly.com)
Amazing! Incredible! Unbelievable! Eyeglasses that let you see through clothes. The secrets to super-human strength. Scary seven-foot tall ghosts that do your bidding. All of this could be yours for a dollar or two. At least, that’s what vintage comic-book ads would have you believe. Six years ago, artist and historian Kirk Demarais, who runs the brilliant Gen X nostalgia site, Secret Fun Blog, became determined to uncover the truth behind these comic-book ads published between the 1950s and late ’80s.
Vintage Comics, History, Advertising, Nostalgia
4 points by udit99 8 days ago | 0 comments
Ask HN: Why is no one making FILE_ID.DIZ anymore? (ycombinator.com)
Back in the BBS days, nearly every ZIP folder contained `.nfo` and `FILE_ID.DIZ` files. I searched for "FILE_ID.DIZ" on GitHub and found only [1], [2], [3] files from last year.
Nostalgia, File Formats, BBS Culture, Software Development
11 points by reconnecting 8 days ago | 6 comments
I Miss Visual Basic (webology.dev)
I miss Visual Basic. I could build something meaningful with it in 15 to 30 minutes in a way that I have never seen anything since then, even come close to.
Programming, Nostalgia, Software Development
19 points by speckx 9 days ago | 27 comments
Show HN: Sam TTS – Recreates the classic Microsoft SAM voice in the browser (samtts.com)
SAM TTS brings the iconic Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) voice from Windows XP to your browser.
Software, Web Development, Nostalgia, Voice Technology, Microsoft
15 points by chrisweiindie 9 days ago | 8 comments
Apple Turnover (hypercritical.co)
Mac users of a certain age may remember Ambrosia Software, maker of iconic shareware hits like Maelstrom and Escape Velocity. For over a decade, the Ambrosia website included this quotation on its homepage:
Software, Macintosh, History, Nostalgia
53 points by tobr 14 days ago | 8 comments
Remembering the Emergency TV Broadcast System (itsabouttv.com)
One of the wonders of the Internet has been the ability to remember and relive pleasant memories of the past.
Television, History, Nostalgia
5 points by speckx 15 days ago | 0 comments
Show HN: Clippy – 90s UI for local LLMs (felixrieseberg.github.io)
Clippy lets you run a variety of large language models (LLMs) locally on your computer while sticking with a user interface of the 1990s.
User Interface, Software, Nostalgia
1122 points by felixrieseberg 17 days ago | 275 comments
Space Invaders on your wrist: the glory years of Casio video game watches (theguardian.com)
Their tech may have been primitive, but for 80s schoolchildren of a certain kind they had a glamour to equal any modern iPhone
Video Games, Technology, History, Nostalgia
40 points by bookofjoe 21 days ago | 8 comments
The BeOS file system, an OS geek retrospective (arstechnica.com)
It's the day after Independence Day in the US, and much of our staff is just returning to their preferred work machines. If this was 1997 instead of 2018, that would mean booting up BeOS for some. The future-of-operating-systems-that-never-was arrived just over 20 years ago, so in light of the holiday, we're resurfacing this geek's guide. The piece originally ran on June 2, 2010; it appears unchanged below.
Operating Systems, Nostalgia, History
8 points by rbanffy 25 days ago | 1 comments
From HyperCard to Vibe Coding (iryanbell.com)
Remember the wild west days of the early internet? I'm thinking back to the GeoCities era, circa '97. I was twelve, hacking together hit counters on table-based pages with manually rounded corners on my parents' AOL account, sandwiched between homework and failed kickflips.
Web Development, History, Nostalgia
13 points by iryanbell 26 days ago | 0 comments
The BeOS file system, an OS geek retrospective (2018) (arstechnica.com)
It's the day after Independence Day in the US, and much of our staff is just returning to their preferred work machines. If this was 1997 instead of 2018, that would mean booting up BeOS for some. The future-of-operating-systems-that-never-was arrived just over 20 years ago, so in light of the holiday, we're resurfacing this geek's guide. The piece originally ran on June 2, 2010; it appears unchanged below.
Operating Systems, History, Nostalgia, Retro Computing
14 points by birdculture 26 days ago | 2 comments
Why the Cassette Revival Is Thriving in Argentina's Music Scene (greenbook.org)
Cassettes are making a nostalgic comeback in Argentina’s indie and punk scenes—offering artists and fans a tangible, emotional connection to music.
Music, Argentina, Nostalgia, Culture, Indie Music
13 points by geox 27 days ago | 4 comments
Cleaning Out Our Computer Graveyard (bottomfeeder.substack.com)
I've been running Spiderweb Software since 1994, long enough to become a dedicated tech hoarder. I'm terrified of getting rid of any computer, because at any time I might need to locate an obscure file from 20 years ago and if I don't I will die.
Technology, Personal Stories, Nostalgia
6 points by Tomte 30 days ago | 0 comments
Projects for Old OS X (jonathanalland.com)
In the fall of 2019, I came to a decision: it was time to leave modern macOS behind.
Operating Systems, Apple, Retro Computing, Nostalgia
141 points by pierremenard 30 days ago | 34 comments
The raccoons who made computer magazine ads great (technologizer.com)
In the 1980s and 1990s, PC Connection built its brand on a campaign starring folksy small-town critters. They’ll still charm your socks off.
Advertising, Nostalgia, Technology, History
185 points by coloneltcb 31 days ago | 41 comments
SerenityOS is a love letter to '90s user interfaces (serenityos.org)
SerenityOS is a love letter to '90s user interfaces with a custom Unix-like core.
Operating Systems, User Interfaces, Nostalgia, Unix
184 points by doener 31 days ago | 194 comments
Honest and Elitist Thoughts on Why Computers Were More Fun Before (datagubbe.se)
It's simple but controversial: Computers were more fun when they weren't for everyone. There, I said it.
Technology, Nostalgia, Gaming
57 points by todsacerdoti 35 days ago | 42 comments