Collaborate Disseminate
I recently dropped in on one of the Vintage Computer Festival events, and it made me think about why people — including myself — are fascinated with old computer technology. …read more Continue reading Ask Hackaday: Why Retrocomputing?
If you’re one of the more than 180,000 subscribers to [Alan Wolke]’s YouTube channel W2AEW, you’ll know he’s a lover of old test gear and ham radio hardware. You may …read more Continue reading VCF East 2023: Alan Wolke on His Passion for Tech
The HP-200LX palmtop was a fascinating machine for its time, and [Terrence Vergauwen] proves that its time is not yet over, given that one is responsible for serving up the …read more Continue reading HP-200LX Runs Website Like it’s the 90s
Ever heard of the KENBAK-1? Recognized as the first personal computer, created by John Blankenbaker and sold in 1971 in comparatively small numbers, it’s now a piece of history. But …read more Continue reading Web Emulator For The Kenbak-1 Computer (If You’ve Heard Of It)
Input devices consisting of optical readers for punched paper tape have been around since the earliest days of computing, so why stop now? [Jürgen]’s Paper Tape Reader project connects to …read more Continue reading Paper Tape Reader Self-calibrates, Speaks USB
The evolution of computer graphics is something that has been well documented over the years, and it’s a topic that we always enjoy revisiting with our retrocomputing readers. To wit, …read more Continue reading VCF East 2021: The Early Evolution of Personal Computer Graphics
The IBM Model F keyboard should need no introduction. Famed for its buckling spring key mechanisms, the Model F is lusted over for its satisfying typing experience and Armageddon-proof build …read more Continue reading Model F Keyboard Restoration Goes the Extra Mile
When he went shopping for a vintage serial terminal to go along with his reproduction PDP-8/I computer, [Michael Gardi] came down with a bad case of sticker shock. But rather than be discouraged, he reasoned that if his “retro” computer …read more
Continue reading 2:3 Scale VT100 is a Perfect Pairing for PDP-8/I Replica
If you aren’t old enough to remember when computers had front panels, as [Patrick Jackson] found out after he built a replica Altair 8800, their operation can be a bit inscrutable. After figuring it out he made a pair of videos showing the basics, and then progressing to a program …read more
For anyone who’s seen a 1970’s era microcomputer like the Altair 8800 doing its thing, you’ll know the centerpiece of these behemoths is the array of LEDs and toggle switches used as input and output. Sure, computers today are exponentially more capable, but there’s something undeniably satisfying about developing software …read more
Continue reading Bare Metal Programming with Only Three Buttons