Hacker News with Generative AI: Retro Computing

The VTech Socratic Method (leadedsolder.com)
We’ve had a lot of fun with VTech’s computers in the past on this blog. Usually, they’re relatively spartan computers with limited functionality, but they did make something very interesting in the late 80s. The Socrates is their hybrid video game console/computer design from 1988, and today we’ll start tearing into it.
Retro Computing, Video Games, Computers, Hardware
70 points by zdw 2 days ago | 8 comments
Commodore 64 from Scratch: CPU Design and Build [video] (youtube.com)
Hardware, Retro Computing, DIY, Electronics, Video
10 points by mariuz 3 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
138 points by pierremenard 3 days ago | 34 comments
101 BASIC Computer Games (github.com/maurymarkowitz)
This folder contains the programs found in the March 1975 3rd printing of David Ahl's 101 BASIC Computer Games, published by Digital Equipment Corp. You can download all of the programs in a single archive using the Releases link to the right.
Retro Computing, Programming, Games, History, Software
192 points by sohkamyung 4 days ago | 105 comments
Evertop: E-ink IBM XT clone with 100+ hours of battery life (github.com/ericjenott)
Evertop is a portable PC that emulates an IBM XT with an 80186 processor and 1MB RAM. It can run DOS, Minix, and some other old 1980s operating systems. It also runs Windows up to version 3.0. Because it's based on a powerful yet very low power microcontroller, uses an e-ink display, packs two 10,000mAh batteries, and implements extreme power saving measures, it can run for hundreds or even thousands of hours on a single charge.
Retro Computing, Hardware, E-Ink, Battery Life, Operating Systems
557 points by harryvederci 4 days ago | 190 comments
A Science Project: "Make the 486 Great Again!" - Modern Linux in an ancient PC (2018) (yeokhengmeng.com)
What is the oldest x86 processor that is still supported by a modern Linux kernel in present time?
Operating Systems, Hardware, Retro Computing
13 points by bradac56 4 days ago | 3 comments
Picocalc, a Modern Retro Computer? [video] (youtu.be)
Retro Computing, Computer Hardware, Technology, Video
14 points by indigodaddy 5 days ago | 7 comments
How MOS 6502 Illegal Opcodes Work (2008) (pagetable.com)
The original NMOS version of the MOS 6502, used in computers like the Commodore 64, the Apple II and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), is well-known for its illegal opcodes: Out of 256 possible opcodes, 151 are defined by the architecture, but many of the remaining 105 undefined opcodes do useful things.
Computer Architecture, Retro Computing, Programming
65 points by soegaard 6 days ago | 17 comments
Still browsing like it's 1999: Fresh tools that keep vintage Macs online, alive (theregister.com)
The first Intel-based Mac was 19 years ago, but new versions of apps for both Classic Mac OS and PowerPC Mac OS X still occasionally appear, and we are here for it.
Mac OS, Vintage Computing, Software, Technology, Retro Computing
5 points by pseudolus 8 days ago | 0 comments
The Atari 1200XL fiasco (goto10retro.com)
The Atari 1200XL was the third Atari 8-bit computer. Announced in late 1982 and available in early 1983, it was designed as a replacement for the Atari 800, which was becoming increasingly expensive to produce, and to serve as a better competitor to the upstart Commodore 64.
Retro Computing, Atari, History, Video Games, Consumer Electronics
85 points by rbanffy 9 days ago | 84 comments
Dirty tricks 6502 programmers use (2019) (nurpax.github.io)
This post recaps some of the C64 coding tricks used in my little Commodore 64 coding competition. The competition rules were simple: make a C64 executable (PRG) that draws two lines to form the below image. The objective was to do this in as few bytes as possible.
Programming, Retro Computing, C64, Competition, Code Optimization
161 points by amichail 10 days ago | 61 comments
USB Floppy Disk Striped RAID Under OS X (2004) (archive.org)
Hardware, Operating Systems, Retro Computing
65 points by donnachangstein 10 days ago | 20 comments
Llama 2 LLM on DOS (yeokhengmeng.com)
Ever thought of running a local Large Language Model (LLM) on a vintage PC running DOS? Now you can!
Operating Systems, Retro Computing
11 points by ingve 11 days ago | 0 comments
A tricky Commodore PET repair: tracking down 6 1/2 bad chips (righto.com)
In 1977, Commodore released the PET computer, a quirky home computer that combined the processor, a tiny keyboard, a cassette drive for storage, and a trapezoidal screen in a metal unit.
Retro Computing, Hardware Repair, Commodore PET
69 points by todsacerdoti 13 days ago | 24 comments
Compute's Gazette Magazine Returns After 35 Yrs, Will Focus on Retro Computing (computesgazette.com)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CEDAR PARK, Texas – April 11, 2025 – The…
Retro Computing, Magazines, Technology, History
105 points by dbelson 13 days ago | 36 comments
33-year-old AmigaOS for Commodore computers gets an unexpected update News (tomshardware.com)
Retro Computing, Operating Systems, Amiga, History, Updates
86 points by erickhill 13 days ago | 13 comments
Dual Kickstart ROM Replacement for Amiga (github.com/cdhooper)
KickSmash32 is a Kickstart ROM replacement module for the Amiga 3000 and Amiga 4000 computer systems.
Amiga, Retro Computing, Hardware, Operating Systems
90 points by doener 13 days ago | 30 comments
ASCII Lookup Utility in Ada (coniferproductions.com)
When working with old digital synthesizers from the 1980s and 1990s (and some newer ones too) I often have the need to quickly look up the identity of a byte that seems like an ASCII character code.
Programming, Ada, Tools, Retro Computing
34 points by todsacerdoti 14 days ago | 8 comments
C64 User Logs into BBS After 39 Years with His Original SX-64 (theoasisbbs.com)
In a story almost too perfect to plan, The 300-Baud Guy shares a rare moment of timing and tech history. After nearly four decades away, a Commodore 64 user known as Vandal logged into the Snobsoft BBS — exactly 39 years after his last visit — right down to the date: March 31, 1986.
Retro Computing, Nostalgia, Commodore 64
12 points by SeenNotHeard 14 days ago | 1 comments
W65C832 in an FPGA (mikekohn.net)
Back in the 80's, the Western Design Center (WDC) created a 16 bit version of the 6502 CPU called the W65C816.
Hardware, Retro Computing, FPGA
74 points by homarp 14 days ago | 12 comments
AmigaOS Updated in 2025 (theregister.com)
Belgian software house Hyperion Entertainment has released Update 3 for AmigaOS 3.2, the version of the classic operating system it launched in 2021. The update targets Amigas with 680x0 processors, including systems enhanced with PiStorm accelerator boards.
AmigaOS, Retro Computing, Operating Systems, Hardware
20 points by speckx 15 days ago | 4 comments
Retro Computing Artifacts Stream (onrender.com)
A continuous stream of vintage computing artifacts from the Internet Archive. Scroll through computing history or just sit back and watch as new images appear.
Retro Computing, Internet Archive, History, Digital Artifacts
10 points by indigodaddy 16 days ago | 4 comments
PDP-11/Hack de luxe (vcfed.org)
Not really satisfied with my breadboard attempt to build another PDP-11/Hack and also because I wanted to investigate a little bit more how the DCJ11 really works I decided to make another PDP-11/Hack. So I designed a Eurocard DCJ11 based Singleboard Computer. The PCBs arrived today and so nothing better then set them to use. But this time the PDP-11/Hack comes with an expansion slot.
Hardware, Computer Architecture, Retro Computing
13 points by JPLeRouzic 17 days ago | 0 comments
FreeDOS 1.4 brings new fixes and features to modern and vintage DOS-based PCs (arstechnica.com)
Independent developers are keeping the command prompt alive on PCs new and old.
Operating Systems, Software, Retro Computing, FreeDOS
22 points by kwiktrip 18 days ago | 0 comments
In the 1980s we also downloaded software from TV (newslttrs.com)
In the previous newslttr, I wrote about downloading software from radio broadcasts in the 1980s. It sparked some lively conversation on Hacker News which also brought up some other 80s software oddities. One obvious parallel was with software downloads via TV broadcast which is the subject of today's trip down 8k Memory Lane.
Software, History, Retro Computing, 1980s, Television
71 points by spzb 21 days ago | 27 comments
Installing AIX PS/2 v1.3 on a 486 (hardwarehacks.org)
In late August of 2022, after two years of remaining relatively healthy, COVID-19 finally caught up with me.
Operating Systems, Retro Computing, Hardware
24 points by EvanAnderson 22 days ago | 14 comments
AmigaOS 3.2 Update 3 Released (hyperion-entertainment.com)
AmigaOS, Software, Operating Systems, Retro Computing, New Releases
20 points by codewiz 23 days ago | 7 comments
Debugging Lotus 1-2-3 by fax (jgc.org)
There isn't a lot to this story beyond the fact that in around 1990 I helped debug someone's Lotus 1-2-3 set up via fax. But it's a good reminder of how important the Zeroth Law of Debugging is (see below).
Debugging, Retro Computing, Software, Humor
99 points by jgrahamc 26 days ago | 19 comments
Build an 8-bit computer from scratch (2016) (eater.net)
Hardware, Retro Computing, DIY Projects
398 points by jcartw 26 days ago | 62 comments
An AlphaStation's SROM (thejpster.org.uk)
I have a thing for weird 90's RISC workstations running UNIX. So when Rob said "Hey, I have an AlphaStation in the boot of my car ..." obviously it came home with me.
Unix, Hardware, Retro Computing
79 points by ingve 26 days ago | 7 comments