Hacker News with Generative AI: Retrocomputing

Yes, the Apple II MouseCard IRQ is synced to the VBL (colino.net)
A little technical post to document something that was apparently not obvious to everybody. I recently questioned myself and others in the Apple II dev community about the Apple II MouseCard, its interrupts, and their synchronisation with the Apple II vertical blanking.
Apple II, Hardware, Interrupts, Retrocomputing
62 points by mmphosis 21 hours ago | 26 comments
Sandy Bridge-era motherboard gets M.2 SSD boot support 12 years after launch (tomshardware.com)
Hardware, Motherboards, SSDs, Retrocomputing
74 points by mobilio 2 days ago | 41 comments
QModem 4.51 Source Code (github.com/AaronFriel)
The source code release of QModem 4.51, an MS-DOS telecommunications program authored by John Friel III (1960–2024). This source snapshot reflects the state of QModem "Test-Drive" edition, version 4.51, as it existed in early 1992. The release is presented in the hope it may prove valuable as a historical artifact, for telecommunications enthusiasts, retrocomputing hobbyists, or anyone interested in the inner workings of a classic DOS comms package.
Software, Retrocomputing, History, Open Source, Telecommunications
213 points by AaronFriel 6 days ago | 75 comments
I learned Snobol and then wrote a toy Forth (ratfactor.com)
I finally learned SNOBOL!
Programming Languages, Retrocomputing, Software Development, Personal Projects
9 points by a4isms 7 days ago | 1 comments
Get your Minitel back, the COMPUTEL videotex BBS is back (medium.com)
After sleeping more than 30 years and 5 years after the “official” shutdown of the Minitel (actually the shutdown of the “Télétel kiosk”, the famous 3615 and others) here is how I restarted my COMPUTEL videotex BBS on Apple IIe as it was running at the end of 1986…
Retrocomputing, Technology, History, France
64 points by rbanffy 19 days ago | 9 comments
Modern 6502 (mikekohn.net)
A few years ago while searching for electronic parts, I stumbled on the Western Design Center W65C02 processor.
Retrocomputing, Microprocessors, Electronics
104 points by ingve 28 days ago | 10 comments
NTATV: Bringing Windows NT (Windows XP, Windows 2003) to the Original Apple TV (github.com/DistroHopper39B)
The NTATV Project: Bringing Windows NT (Windows XP, Windows 2003, ReactOS) to the original Apple TV. Created by DistroHopper39B (YouTube: @DistrosProjects, Mastodon: @distrohopper39b) with help from several ReactOS devs (see Credits)
Operating Systems, Retrocomputing, Apple TV, Emulation, Windows NT
93 points by donnachangstein 30 days ago | 14 comments
An FPGA-based LGP-30 Replica (e-basteln.de)
The LGP-30 was a commercial computer, released in 1956. Due to its simple design and relatively low cost, it may be seen as the first “personal computer” – to be used by a single user as their “desk computer”. (It could sit by your desk, and was the size of a desk too.)
Hardware, Retrocomputing, FPGA, Computer History
49 points by ofrzeta 31 days ago | 8 comments
Porting Windows XP to original Apple TV (github.com/DistroHopper39B)
The original Apple TV is probably one of the most fascinating devices Apple has ever made.
Apple TV, Operating Systems, Retrocomputing, Software
11 points by tW4r 33 days ago | 1 comments
PiDP-1, or the rebirth of an old machine (hackaday.io)
In other words, we increased the number of PDP-1s ever produced by 10% in two days :-)
Retrocomputing, Hardware, DIY, History
107 points by ozymandiax 34 days ago | 32 comments
I'm manually transcribing the AltairBASIC source, ten lines a day starting today (codeberg.org)
Programming, Retrocomputing, History, Open Source
79 points by LuciOfStars 35 days ago | 45 comments
Thinking Different, Thinking Slowly: LLMs on a PowerPC Mac (theresistornetwork.com)
There is something incredibly satisfying about breathing new life into old hardware.
Hardware, Retrocomputing, Apple
18 points by tambourine_man 46 days ago | 2 comments
A TV with Contrast You Haven't Seen for Years (hackaday.com)
It’s something of a surprise, should you own a CRT TV to go with your retrocomputers, when you use it to view a film or a TV show.
Televisions, Retrocomputing, Technology
32 points by Tomte 62 days ago | 5 comments
Cobalt Networks CobaltOS: Proxmox Port (archive.org)
Cobalt's "RaQ 3" Linux operating system (based on Red Hat 6.1) released in roughly 1999 this OS was designed for Cobalt Networks "RaQ" and "Qube" network appliances. Popular with ISP's, small businesses and other customers in the late 1990's through the 2000's. This port is largely derived from "The Phintage Collector" a Retrocomputing YouTuber who previously ported it to Virtualbox Default login is admin/admin and root can be gained by running "su" with no password
Operating Systems, Linux, Retrocomputing, Virtualization
26 points by CursedSilicon 65 days ago | 6 comments
NetBSD on a JavaStation (fatsquirrel.org)
Hard as it may be to imagine, there was a time when Java was brand new and exciting.
Operating Systems, Java, History, Retrocomputing
166 points by jaypatelani 65 days ago | 77 comments
iMac G4(K) (jcs.org)
A year ago I tried using an M1 iMac for work duty but its 21" screen took up too much room on my desk. After seeing Sean's video on Action Retro about putting an M4 Mac Mini inside an iMac G4, I thought I'd give it a try.
Hardware, Retrocomputing, DIY Projects, Apple
424 points by ingve 71 days ago | 169 comments
Show HN: Llama2.c on a Commodore C64 (github.com/trholding)
Have you ever wanted to inference tiny stories on a C64 while going about your daily life and then return after many years to read a story? No? Well, as luck would have it, now YOU CAN!
Retrocomputing, AI, Programming, Commodore
10 points by AMICABoard 75 days ago | 7 comments
Pocket386 Retro DOS Computer 386SX-40Mhz (tindie.com)
Pocket386 Retro DOSComputer 386SX-40 CPU DOS Computer Hand386 upgrade
Retrocomputing, Hardware, DOS, Computers, DIY
32 points by AlexeyBrin 83 days ago | 7 comments
. – –. e s x d o s – o R g (esxdos.org)
ESXDOS aims to be the ultimate firmware for the DivIDE/DivMMC interface.
Firmware, Retrocomputing, Hardware, DivMMC, DivIDE
6 points by rcarmo 88 days ago | 3 comments
History of a PKMS that is 48 years old (reddit.com)
Greetings all. A few people have expressed interest in the history of my PKMS that is currently 48 years old. They were curious about the software and hardware and approach I took over all of these years. (tagging u/OatmealDurkheim u/Effective_Beat_6105 u/Aeyrien ) Hopefully this is helpful and/or entertaining, and not just the musings of an old man who should spend more time yelling at the clouds. 😊
Software, History, Hardware, Retrocomputing
4 points by thunderbong 138 days ago | 1 comments
Ascending Mount FujiNet (leadedsolder.com)
In case you haven’t heard of it, FujiNet is an ambitious open-source community project. Its intent is to be the only peripheral you will ever need to get for your old computer. That’s a lofty goal if ever I’ve heard one. I’ve been in and out of the project over the last few years, but I hadn’t actually gotten (or finished) any FujiNet hardware. Let’s revive my troubled CoCo1 with a cartridge that does it all.
Retrocomputing, Open Source, Hardware, Community Projects
87 points by zdw 142 days ago | 10 comments
Knight TV Resurrection (2018) (pdp-6.net)
The Knight TV system was a terminal system made by Tom Knight that was connected to the AI KA10.
Retrocomputing, Computer History, Artificial Intelligence
26 points by rbanffy 151 days ago | 9 comments
Patched AppKit in Mac OS X 10.0 to re-enable the NeXTSTEP interface style (2022) (mastodon.social)
User Interface, Retrocomputing, Operating Systems, Software
10 points by robin_reala 158 days ago | 0 comments
Programming the C64 with Visual Studio Code (retrogamecoders.com)
Program the Commodore 64 in BASIC, Assembly or C using Microsoft Visual Studio Code on Mac, Windows and Linux!
Programming, Retrocomputing, Commodore 64
188 points by rbanffy 158 days ago | 37 comments
Writing assembly language subroutines for Extended Color BASIC (conman.org)
The ongoing saga of a programmer who doesn't live in Boston, nor does he even like Boston, but yet named his weblog/journal “The Boston Diaries.”
Programming, Assembly Language, BASIC, Subroutines, Retrocomputing
20 points by ingve 163 days ago | 5 comments
One-parting some Commodore 64 utilities for fun and profit (blogspot.com)
I've got a few retrocomputing bucket list items I'm slowly working down, and a couple of them involve some little Commodore 64 games I've had kicking around on the backburner.
Retrocomputing, Commodore 64, Games
43 points by todsacerdoti 173 days ago | 9 comments
Testing the Z80 Chip with a 1970s Beauty (mtsi.substack.com)
If you used a Z80 chip back in the 1980s, it almost certainly passed through a single room and its Fairchild Sentry 610 test system.
Retrocomputing, Electronics, Hardware, History
122 points by trakfactri 179 days ago | 23 comments
Virtual Windows 3.11 Computer (pieter.com)
Welcome to my new homepage!
Virtualization, Retrocomputing, Operating Systems
160 points by duck 179 days ago | 75 comments
The History of PC Audio (thejpster.org.uk)
This is a brief, abridged, and possibly inaccurate history of audio on the IBM PC compatible. It's based on an exhibition I prepared for Synthesised, a special event at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, England.
Computer History, Audio Technology, IBM PC, Retrocomputing
20 points by lapnect 181 days ago | 12 comments
Refurb weekend: the Symbolics MacIvory Lisp machine I have hated (blogspot.com)
Every collector has that machine, the machine they sunk so much time and, often, money into that they would have defenestrated it years ago except for all the aforementioned time and money.
Retrocomputing, Computers, Personal Computing, History
29 points by zdw 207 days ago | 2 comments