Hacker News with Generative AI: Retro Computing

Why the original Macintosh had a screen resolution of 512×324 (512pixels.net)
Many classic Macs came with — or supported — displays running at 512×384 pixels, but many compact Macs, ranging from the original 1984 machine up through 1991’s Macintosh Classic II had built-in CRTs running at 512×342 pixels. That covers all black-and-white compact Macs with a 9-inch screen. The later Color Classic and Color Classic II used a 10-inch CRT at a full 512×384.

Macintosh, Hardware, History, Retro Computing

182 points by ingve 34 days ago | 135 comments

Show HN: Rotary Phone Dial Linux Kernel Driver (gitlab.com)
Linux kernel driver that turns a rotary phone dial into a evdev input device

Linux, Hardware, DIY, Open Source, Retro Computing

337 points by sephalon 37 days ago | 49 comments

Found my first Linux distro, Mandrake from 1998, on an old magazine CD (neowin.net)
Going through some Old Linux Cd this was my first Linux - it came in a Magazine

Linux, Retro Computing, Operating Systems

7 points by bundie 38 days ago | 1 comments

MilliForth-6502, A Forth For The 6502 CPU (github.com/agsb)

Programming Languages, Microcontrollers, Retro Computing

3 points by droideqa 39 days ago | 2 comments

ITXPlus: A ITX Sized Macintosh Plus Logicboard Reproduction (68kmla.org)
ITXPlus is a Mini-ITX sized Macintosh Plus logicboard clone that can be be assembled to a working state with no original parts and is intended for new build systems in modern cases

Retro Computing, Hardware, DIY, Macintosh, Computers

124 points by zdw 40 days ago | 31 comments

Someone got an LLM running on a Commodore 64 from 1982, and it runs as well (xda-developers.com)

Retro Computing, AI, History

52 points by ghuntley 43 days ago | 17 comments

Amiga Video Toaster Tips (gekk.info)
The Amiga Video Toaster has a lot of strange quirks and poorly documented behaviors, made worse by the bit-rot of all online knowledge about it. Here are some things you should know.

Amiga, Retro Computing, Hardware, Video Editing

5 points by ohjeez 48 days ago | 1 comments

Mac Themes Garden (damien.zone)
I've "launched" the Mac Themes Garden! It is a website showcasing more than 3,000 (and counting) Kaleidoscope from the Classic Mac era, ready to be seen, downloaded and explored! Check it out! Oh, and there also is an RSS feed you can subscribe to see themes as they are added/updated!

Mac OS, Design, Retro Computing, Web Development, RSS

229 points by speckx 54 days ago | 79 comments

Teens maintained a mainframe and it went about as well as you'd imagine (theregister.com)
This week, meet a reader we'll Regomize as "Serge," who, when he was just 16 years old, scored an amazing job: Working the night shift at a mainframe-for-hire company, alongside one of his friends.

Technology, Mainframes, Teenagers, Work, Retro Computing

7 points by Bender 55 days ago | 0 comments

A cycle-accurate IBM PC emulator in your web browser (martypc.net)
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Emulation, Web Development, Retro Computing, Computer History, Software

158 points by GloriousCow 57 days ago | 25 comments

RVPC Adds Basic Interpreter to €1 Open Source RISC-V Computer (linuxgizmos.com)
The RVPC, a fully open source hardware and software retro-style computer project built around the CH32V003 microcontroller, now supports a BASIC interpreter.

RISC-V, Microcontrollers, Retro Computing, Programming Languages

10 points by squarefoot 57 days ago | 1 comments

Old Timey Code and Old Timey Mono Fonts (github.com/dse)

Programming, Fonts, Retro Computing

192 points by dsevil 58 days ago | 33 comments

Programmers Guide to the AMIBIOS (1993) [pdf] (bitsavers.org)

Programming, Software, Retro Computing, History

69 points by 1vuio0pswjnm7 58 days ago | 18 comments

Retro Computing (hansotten.nl)
This page is about my interest in retro 8-bit small computer systems computing and electronics. And the role of Dutch electronic magazines like Elektuur and Radio Bulletin in the eighties of the 20th century. Also the Dutch users club, called KIM Gebruikersclub, which I joined in 1978 and contributed to as member of the board and as chief editor of the magazine issue 11 to 25.

Retro Computing, Electronics, History, Netherlands

30 points by ibobev 58 days ago | 0 comments

Connomore64: Cycle exact emulation of the C64 using parallel microcontrollers (github.com/c1570)
Realtime cycle exact emulation of the Commodore 64 using multiple microcontrollers in parallel.

Emulation, Retro Computing, Hardware, Microcontrollers, Software

201 points by codewiz 59 days ago | 30 comments

Altair at 50: Remembering the first Personal Computer (goto10retro.com)
You might think that Apple, Commodore or perhaps Radio Shack made the first personal computer, but you’d be wrong. Although the Apple I appeared in 1976, and then in 1977 the Apple II, Commodore PET and TRS-80 all appeared, there was one personal computer that preceded them all: The MITS Altair 8800 from 1975, considered the first commercially successful personal computer.

History, Personal Computers, Retro Computing, Technology

111 points by rbanffy 59 days ago | 60 comments

A affordable retrocomputer compatible with the C64 (ycombinator.com)
I'm doing this Commodore-64 Compatible & Gameboy-compatible retro computer for retro gaming that is extremely affordable ($25, 50% off for early customers) <p>You can find details and how to pre order on the website: https://minicomputersoftware.netlify.app/

Retro Computing, Gaming, Hardware, Crowdfunding

9 points by kappetrov 60 days ago | 17 comments

Llama2.c64: a port of llama2.c to the Commodore C64 (github.com/ytmytm)
Llama2.c64 is a port of llama2.c to the Commodore C64 equipped with at least 2MB REU.

Retro Computing, Programming, Computer Science

8 points by adunk 61 days ago | 0 comments

Creating the Commodore 64: The Engineers' Story (ieee.org)
In January 1981, a handful of semiconductor engineers at MOS Technology in West Chester, Pa., a subsidiary of Commodore International Ltd., began designing a graphics chip and a sound chip to sell to whoever wanted to make “the world’s best video game.”

Computer History, Engineering, Hardware, Retro Computing, Video Games

96 points by amichail 62 days ago | 7 comments

Setting up a timekeeping server with a Power Macintosh (whatroute.net)
I have a Power Mac G4 MDD that for the last 5 years has been sitting idle and gathering dust (literally). I have always liked the machine, initially because at the time I acquired it, it would eat the lunch of any comparable machine in its price range and secondly, it is just so well engineered. No screws to open the case, just fold down the door. Disks are mounted in easy to remove carriers, etc etc.

Retro Computing, Apple Hardware, Power Macintosh

7 points by geerlingguy 63 days ago | 0 comments

Restoring a Sinclair C5 (woof.tech)

Retro Computing, Electronics, DIY, Restoration

54 points by sohkamyung 64 days ago | 17 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 64 days ago | 2 comments

Microsoft Word 5.5 And 6.0 In-depth DOS Review With Pics (2018) (blogspot.com)
A new apple tastes sweet, rots at home (A history)

Microsoft Word, DOS, Software Reviews, History, Retro Computing

31 points by Tomte 64 days ago | 3 comments

Build your own antisocial writing rig with DOS and a $2 USB key (theregister.com)
Sometimes, the size and complexity of modern OSes – even the FOSS ones – is enough to make us miss the days when an entire bootable OS could fit in three files, when configuring a PC for production meant editing two plain-text files, which contained maybe a dozen lines each.

Operating Systems, Retro Computing, Hardware

31 points by rntn 65 days ago | 8 comments

Commodore OS 3.0 Released (commodoreos.net)
It is my pleasure to finally release Commodore OS Vision 3.0, which is a free fan-made Commodore inspired Linux distribution (now based on Debian Bookworm) which serves as the default installation for Commodore branded machines such as the Commodore 64x available from MyRetroComputer.com.

Operating Systems, Linux, Retro Computing, Free Software

30 points by BSDobelix 65 days ago | 1 comments

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

84 points by zdw 68 days ago | 13 comments

Commodore 64 from Scratch: CPU Design and Build [video] (youtube.com)

Hardware, Retro Computing, DIY, Electronics, Video

10 points by mariuz 68 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 69 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

195 points by sohkamyung 70 days ago | 107 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

566 points by harryvederci 70 days ago | 194 comments