#Vintagecomputer

Shown here is the MCM/70 computer from Micro Computer Machines released in 1974. This uses dual direct tape drives for storage of both data and programs AND additional virtual memory (workspace) up to the size of a data cassette (about 100KB). The batteries are for battery backup so that if there is service interruption, the batteries will allow the workspace to be saved to cassette. When power is restored, the workspace will automatically restore to when it was last shut down.

One project is to further explore one of the top tier computers in my collection, the Canadian MCM/70. An Intel 8008 based personal computer with built-in APL from 1974. Here I am initializing special NOS data cassettes I found and bought new lead-acid batteries. #retrocomputing #vintagecomputer

This picture shows the internals of the DEC VT100 H7831 power supply. It is zoomed in on two large blue capacitors.

Well, turns out one of these 590uF 200v blue caps is completely open in the DEC VT100 model H7831 power supply. I've ordered a set of two to replace both. It was a last resort check as I have never seen these large caps go bad. Let's hope it's only that.
#retrocomputing #vintagecomputer

Wow That’s Fascinating The Magic of .bashrc This file runs every time you start a new shell session. You can customize your environment, define aliases, and automate startup tasks. It’s your personal shell toolkit. vintage.computer

Wow That’s Fascinating 💻The humble .bashrc runs every time you open a shell, powering aliases, environment tweaks, and automation. A small file with big impact. #Unix #VintageComputer #CommandLine

TECH SPEC TUESDAY HP-150 About this machine: Introduced in 1983, this computer from HP was one of the first commercially available touchscreen computers. It was based on the Intel 8088 CPU running at 8 MHz (nearly twice as fast as most other PCs at the time), and it was able to run both CP/M-86 and MS-DOS operating systems. The touchscreen was a 9" Sony CRT that used surrounding infrared emitters and detectors to sense the position of any object that touched the screen. The all-in-one unit retailed for $2,795 (or $91,506.61 in 2026). CPU: Intel 8088 @ 8 MHz Memory: 256 - 640 KB Storage: Floppy drive, optional Hard Disk Graphics: 720 x 348 resolution touchscreen Networking: Optional HP-IB connection Notes: Early touchscreen computer Thomas Schanz, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HP-HP150II-12.jpg vintage.computer

The HP-150 (1983) was one of the first touchscreen PCs: powered by an Intel 8088 @ 8 MHz and using infrared sensors on a 9" CRT. A glimpse of the future, decades early. #VintageComputer #TechSpecTuesday

This is the first testing of a DEC (Digital Equipment) VT180 known as the Robin. The CRT is showing a top half squiggly line and faint garbage of the lower half of the screen.

Waiting for parts for another project, I decided to give my DEC Digital VT180 Robin a look for the first time after acquiring it years ago. This is a CP/M personal computer based on the VT100 as a base. Looks like the CRT is messed up. Not an unexpected project :( #retrocomputing #vintagecomputer

Milestone Monday April 20th, 1951 On this date in 1951, MIT’s Whirlwind computer was demonstrated on television’s See It Now program, hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The Whirlwind 1 had a 16-bit processor made out of vacuum tubes, had around 2 kilobytes of memory, and weighed 20,000 lbs, and occupied around 2,000 square feet. Daderot. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Museum_of_Science_Boston_MA_-_IMG_3168.JPG vintage.computer

On April 20, 1951, MIT’s Whirlwind computer made a rare TV appearance on "See It Now". A 16-bit vacuum tube machine with ~2KB of memory, it helped bring computing into the public eye for the first time. #VintageComputer #MilestoneMonday

Maintenance Mode “Care includes everything that we do to maintain, continue, and repair ‘our world’ so that we can live in it as well as possible.” Maria Puig de la Bellacasa vintage.computer

Maintenance Mode 🌿Taking care of systems, human or machine, means maintaining, repairing, and sustaining what we rely on. Even our digital world echoes this truth. #MaintenanceMode #VintageComputer

What's in the SCALA! Box??? SCALA! Is one of the best Amiga programs of all-time. Check out my prep for our SCALA! exhibit at VCF East 2026 in this Vlog. #commodore #commodoreamiga #retrogaming #vintagecomputer #VCF #VCFEast LINK: youtu.be/bNZDy8bGGUY

Graphic titled “Free Software Friday” Title: “Turbo Pascal” Author: Anders Hejlsberg Release Date: November 20th, 1983 Notes: Free Pascal compiler and IDE for CP/M, CP/M-86, and MS-DOS. Get it: https://turbopascal.org Vintage.computer branding appears at bottom.

Free Software Friday: Turbo Pascal (1983) delivered a fast, affordable Pascal compiler and IDE that shaped a generation of developers. Built by Anders Hejlsberg, it became a staple across CP/M and MS-DOS systems. #RetroSoftware #Pascal #VintageComputer

Graphic titled “Throwback Thursday” with heading “Joysticks:” and a photo of a classic black single-stick joystick controller with orange button. Body text: “The joystick used to be a must-have accessory that was even included with many home computers. Being able to play fun video games on the computer was a big selling point and helped make the PC as ubiquitous as it is.” Vintage.computer branding appears at bottom right.

Throwback Thursday: Before gamepads and RGB mice, the humble joystick was the controller of choice for home computer gaming. For many early PC users, plugging one in meant your machine had officially become a gaming rig. #VintageComputer #Joysticks #VintageComputing

Graphic with retro terminal-style design titled: “Wow That’s Fascinating” Main text: “Homebrew Clubs Were the First Hackspaces” Body text: “The Homebrew Computer Club was where tinkerers shared circuits, ideas, and software. Apple, Microsoft, and the PC revolution all trace roots to its meetings.” Vintage.computer branding appears at bottom.

Before modern makerspaces, there were homebrew computer clubs. These grassroots meetups of hobbyists and hackers helped ignite the personal computer revolution, and shaped companies like Apple and Microsoft. #VintageComputing #ComputerHistory #VintageComputer

Graphic titled “Tech Spec Tuesday” featuring the DEC Rainbow 100. Includes photo of a DEC Rainbow 100 computer with monitor and dual floppy drives. Main heading: “DEC Rainbow 100” About this machine: “Introduced in 1982, the DEC Rainbow 100 was full of technology to make it as versatile as possible: it could emulate a standard VT100 serial terminal, use the built-in Z80 processor to run 8-bit CP/M, or use the built-in Intel 8088 processor to run MS-DOS (or CP/M-86). Despite this, it did not become a commercial success: CP/M was becoming less important than full IBM PC compatibility, which the Rainbow lacked. It did support color graphics with an optional card installed, on a second screen no less!” Specifications table: CPU: Intel 8088 AND Zilog Z80 Memory: 64 – 896 KB Storage: Dual floppies, optional HDD Graphics: Text graphics standard, color graphics with add-on card Networking: Optional Notes: Hybrid CP/M and MS-DOS system Vintage.computer logo at bottom.

Tech Spec Tuesday: The DEC Rainbow 100 was one of the most ambitious hybrid PCs of the early 1980s; combining an Intel 8088 and Zilog Z80 to run both MS-DOS and CP/M. Innovative, versatile, and ultimately a commercial miss in the IBM PC era. #VintageComputer

Graphic titled “Milestone Monday” with date “April 13th, 1909.” Includes a black-and-white photo of Stanisław Ulam holding a geometric model. Text reads: “Stanisław Marcin Ulam was born on this date in Poland in 1909. He would become an influential figure in both nuclear physics and computer science. He participated in the Manhattan Project, and developed the ‘Monte Carlo method’ which was used in statistical calculations related to neutron diffusion in fissionable material.” Vintage.computer logo at bottom.

On this day in 1909, Stanisław Ulam was born. A pioneer of nuclear physics and computing, he helped develop the Monte Carlo method, an essential statistical technique still used in simulations, AI, finance, and scientific computing today. #MilestoneMonday #VintageComputer

The background is a photo of sand dunes in a desert. The foreground is a semi-transparent blue square and heading. It reads: Maintenance Mode “The things of the world have the function of stabilizing human life.” Hannah Arendt vintage.computer

Maintenance Mode: From tools to machines to computers, technology shapes the structures that support civilization. #VintageComputer #HannahArendt #MaintenanceMode

SNAPSHOT SATURDAY At the dawn of commercial computing, wire wrap boards were common. [Image of an open computer cabinet filled with densely wired wire wrap boards, showing a complex network of hand-wrapped connections] Jason Scott, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Living_Computer_Museum_IMG_9990_(9639410644).jpg vintage.computer

Snapshot Saturday: Before PCBs took over, wire wrap boards powered early computers; dense webs of hand-wired connections that kept systems running. A glimpse into the craftsmanship behind early computing. #VintageComputer #WireWrap #Retro #VintageComputing

The image looks like floppy disk with a label applied. The label has a red background across the top and solid white below. The font makes it look like handwritten letters, all capitalized. The label reads: FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY OPENTYRIAN Author: JASON EMERY & OPENTYRIAN TEAM Release Date: FEBRUARY 2007 Notes: AN OPEN SOURCE PORT OF TYRIAN, AN ARCADE-STYLE VERTICAL SCROLLING SHOOTER Get it: GITHUB.COM/OPENTYRIAN/OPENTYRIAN VINTAGE.COMPUTER

Free Software Friday: OpenTyrian (2007): an open-source port of the classic Tyrian shooter. Fast-paced, vertical scrolling arcade action revived and preserved for modern systems, and just as fun today as it was in 1995! #VintageComputing #VintageComputer #openTyrian

A vintage desktop computer setup from 1st March 2000, featuring a beige CRT monitor, a matching tower case with floppy and CD drives, a wired keyboard and mouse, and various cables and accessories on a cluttered desk. The IOMega Zip drive is over the scanner, too. Under the tower, the external USRobotics 56K serial modem.

Maybe I've already posted it, but this was my desktop in early 2000.

#ThrowbackThursday #RetroComputing #VintageComputer

Throwback Thursday ADSL Modems: [Image of a Linksys ADSL modem showing DSL, USB, Ethernet ports, and power input] Before cable and fiber internet service was widely available, ADSL modems provided “high speed” Internet. Terribly slow compared to even wireless broadband today, it was a sophisticated way to compress more bandwidth into traditional copper telephone lines. vintage.computer

Throwback Thursday: ADSL modems: when “high-speed internet” meant squeezing data through copper phone lines. A big leap from dial-up, even if it feels painfully slow by today’s standards. #VintageComputer #VintageComputing #ThrowbackThursday

Got my copy yesterday as well. Can't wait to dig in. #vintagecomputer #retrocomputing

Wow That’s Fascinating The Internet Was Originally Called ARPANET Before the word “Internet” became household vocabulary, there was ARPANET—a government research project connecting a few universities and labs in the late 1960s. The first message ever sent? “LO”—an attempt at “LOGIN” that crashed the system. A clumsy start for what would become a global network. vintage.computer

Before the Internet, there was ARPANET. The first message ever sent? “LO”: a failed attempt at “LOGIN” that crashed the system. A humble (and buggy) beginning for the network that now connects the world. #ARPANET #VintageComputer #VintageComputing

Vintage Computer (@vintage.computer)

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> Tech Spec Tuesday: Xerox Alto (1973): the machine that defined modern computing. GUI, mouse, Ethernet, WYSIWYG… it had it all, decades ahead of its time. The […]

[Original post on sociale.network]

TECH SPEC TUESDAY Xerox Alto [Image of a Xerox Alto computer] About this machine: The Xerox Alto was a tremendously influential computer. Designed by Xerox at the “Palo Alto Research Center” (or PARC) and released in 1973, it combined many standard-settings features in one extraordinarily expensive computer: $32,000! It had a custom micro-coded processor, a Graphical User Interface, a mouse, Ethernet networking including e-mail, file sharing, and network boot, and “What You See Is What You Get” desktop publishing. The Xerox Alto was seen as the future of computing in Silicon Valley. CPU: Custom micro-coded processor Memory: 128–512 KB Storage: Removable Disk Packs Graphics: 606 x 808 bitmap graphics, integrated CRT Networking: Ethernet Notes: Introduced, GUI, mouse, WYSIWYG, networking vintage.computer

Tech Spec Tuesday: Xerox Alto (1973): the machine that defined modern computing. GUI, mouse, Ethernet, WYSIWYG… it had it all, decades ahead of its time. The blueprint for today’s personal computer started at Xerox. #VintageComputer #XeroxAlto

Milestone Monday April 6th, 1992 [Image of Microsoft Windows Version 3.1 logo screen] On this day in 1992, Microsoft released Windows 3.1, a major release of their desktop operating system that introduced new features and updated design elements that endeared it to home PC users. vintage.computer

Milestone Monday: April 6, 1992

Microsoft releases Windows 3.1. A defining moment for the PC era, bringing improved UI, TrueType fonts, and broader appeal that helped push personal computing into the mainstream.

#VintageComputer

Maintenance Mode “All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.” Baruch Spinoza vintage.computer

Great systems, great code, great machines.... They’re never easy. But that’s what makes them worth building, maintaining, and restoring. #MaintenanceMode #VintageComputing #Philosophy #VintageComputer

Found a whole stack of burned MP3 cds… A great addition to this retro build! #vintagecomputer #retrocomputing

A fluffy tan ragdoll cat sniffing an HP omnigo 100 palmtop

All hardware purchases must be catte-approved
#vintagecomputer

SNAPSHOT SATURDAY CD Writers Image shows an HP CD-Writer Plus 8210e external CD writer sitting on top of its original retail box. The box displays Hewlett Packard branding and the text “HP CD-Writer Plus 8210e” along with performance specs (4x write, 4x rewrite, 6x read). Image credit: Zeitblick, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CD-ROM_HP_8210-extern_CD_RW_Writer.JPG vintage.computer

CD writers changed everything. Suddenly you could create discs, not just read them. Backups, music mixes, and software distribution all became accessible at home. #SnapshotSaturday #VintageComputer

FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY MAME (aka “Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator”) Author: NICOLA SALMORIA Release Date: FEBRUARY 5TH, 1997 Notes: OPEN-SOURCE EMULATOR OF ARCADE GAMES, GAME CONSOLES, AND OTHER SYSTEMS Get it: WWW.MAMEDEV.ORG VINTAGE.COMPUTER

MAME (1997) preserves arcade history by emulating classic machines in software. From cabinets to consoles, it keeps retro gaming alive and accessible for everyone. #FreeSoftwareFriday #MAME #RetroGaming #VintageComputing #VintageGaming #VintageComputer

Spent a little too much time setting this up… totally worth it!!! #vintagecomputer #retrogaming #videogames #windowsxp #winamp⚡️ 📺🕹️🎮

🔍 Throwback Thursday Front Panel Lights: The front panel lights on computers started out conveying useful information about the computer’s internal operations but evolved over time into an aesthetic choice that sometimes became an iconic feature all their own. MoMA Exhibition, CM-2 (38801396912).jpg: Billie Grace Ward from New York, USA derivative work: User:Clusternote, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MoMA_Exhibition,_CM-2_(38801396912).jpg vintage.computer

Front panel lights weren’t just for show (at first): they exposed the inner workings of early computers in real time. Over time, they became iconic design elements that defined an era of computing. #ThrowbackThursday #VintageComputer #ThinkingMachines