iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 1h

When Tandy cancelled the OS-9 line, fans in 1990 tried to step up. The MM/1 beat the Amiga, Mac, and most PCs on price, but with less than 500 units made - and only 8 ever sold, not including the giveaway mentioned in this ad - there was never going to be the software needed. (Source.)

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 7h

Decimal registers, decimal assembly language, graphite-rubber memory... the CARDIAC was a different kind of computer in more than one way.

The Cardiac - "CARDboard Illustrative Aid to Computation", a blue cardboard computer resembling a calculator wheel. Device left is the output strip. In the left half is the 'accumulator', which is altered by three cardboard strips; a flowchart gives instructions on how to interpret the 'command' at any given step. On the right half is the memory, which is able to be written to by the human operator's pencil; to the left of each slot is a space for the operator to put a 'bug' which acts as the instruction pointer

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 13h

A fourteen-core, 48-bit, 10Mhz supercomputer, 1968's BESM 6 might have been intended as the final act of the transistor phase of computing; instead, the relatively compact (only 150 square meters!) multitasking system stayed in production until 1987.

Four grey units form a semicircle. Up top, individual storage units form four compact "shelves" of data storage. Down below, four desks jutting out from the storage units provide keyboards, monitors, punch card hopper, and pre-video output devices; wooden shelves are propped up in front of each machine.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 19h

The first complete, low-priced, fully assembled microcomputer!

A catalog advertises the "Radio Shack TRS-80 Computer System," showing a system with the main processor (with integral keyboard), CRT monitor, cassette, and power suply, for only $599.95 ("save $49.90!")

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

I could make a whole sub-bot based just on programming books with dragons on the cover. (Source.)

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

What, you thought this was Byte magazine? (Source.)

The cover of ROM Magazine, Volume 1, Number 2, for August 1977, done by Robert Grossman. In it, a man with a polka dot tie floppy drive for a head rests his head in on ehand and stuffs his face with a 5.25" disk backwards, with salt and pepper in front of him. Headlines in clude "SOFTWARE: THE GENIE IN THE BOTTLE" by Tom Pittman, "THE MEMORY PROBLEM" by Ted Nelson, "MEMORY, MEMORY, HOW MUCH MEMORY?" by Stan Velt, "APLomania" by Eben F. Otsby, and "BINARY CLOCKS IN 0011/0100 TIME" (uncredited here).

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

The Sharp Tranket transistor radio (1960)

A radio that combines the design language of old American muscle cars and the spacerace. The top is forest green with tailfins, the bottom is ivory white, and the front is shining silver, on a silver stand. Up top we find a single antenna, a red power/volume dial, and you turn the 'intake" of the rocket to change the stations (the tuning display is immediately behind the engine, incoporated into the body).

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Can THREE Stooges save ONE orphange from FOREclosure?

An ad in a faux movie poster style, reading "Cinemaware Presents: The TREE STOOGES" Moe, Larry, and Curly appear right (They can save the day by making ASSETS of themselves!"; the Evil Banker appears stage left ("He took their NEST EGG and told them to BEAT IT!"); and the Widow and her Three Beautiful Daughters appear below ("They're about to be thrown out on their ARREARS!"). On the bottom, Amiga screenshots depict the handdrawn cartoons plus the realistically colorized screenshots of the old black-and-white films.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Super Bunny (Atari; Datamost, 1984) (Source.)

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Let me PROVE I can make YOU A NEW PROGRAMMER!

An ad for Sourcegear source control that is inspired by the old Charles Atlas Method ads from comic books. The comic depicts a weakling using the competitor's product, dealing with a corrupted database, suddenly having an easy time thanks to the Sourcegear Vault. The picture of Charles Atlas is replaced with Sourcegear CEO Eric Sink ("Officially declared Not A Legend!") The ad for Sea Monkeys is now an ad for Code Monkeys, and the ad for X-Ray Specs is now an ad that lets you "Figure out who checked in that busted code in seconds with Sourcegear Fortress!"

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

So many programmers are around today thanks to the colorful illustrations and clear language of the Usborne computer guides

Subroutines: "A subroutine is a sort of mini-program within a program..." "Suppose you had a robot helper whome you could program to run errands for you. If you wanted something from the shop you would have to give it precise instructions telling it how to get there. Every time you wanted the robot to buy something you would have to give it the same instructions. It would be much simpler to give the robot a shopping routine to tell it to refer to each time." From Introducing Computer Programming: BASIC for Beginners" by Usborne Hayes Electronics

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Connect Your Computer To A Higher Intelligence

A computer user sets in a vaporwave infinite plane. A wire from the back of the computer runs up to a giant spaceship evocative of 2001: A Space Oddysey, except the spaceship is made out of computer parts, with fans and pin cables replacing the typical greebling of a spaceship. The ad copy describes CompuServe in the usual breathless tones of utopian computer ads of the day.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

And now, for some children's literature.

An ad from the October 7, 1997 issue of PC Magazine (US). Styled like a children's hardcover book, it shows a young man in a college jacket and an old man in a formal vest and blazer sharing a laugh; the boy is holding on to his jacket while the old man has an arm wrapped around him while fistpumping. The giant text reads: "Tim said, '100% Pure Java™ programs give us the latest data from our intranet. So we can all work faster. We can have our products in the stores sooner.' 'And we can kick our rivals in the bottom!' said the boss. Tim and the boss laughed. "Ha, Ha, Ha!" There's tiny text describing the Sun Microsystems copyright and trademarks, but it's invisible even in the original scan.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Captain Claw (Monolith; Windows, 1997) (Source.)

A video game screenshot of a jungle level. A feline pirate in blue outfit dashes at an orange canine, his sword knocking the dog off the screen. Below, another dog and crates lie in wait; to the top right, four coins and a chalice float waiting pickup; above, a coin and a lizard statuette float. The top left reads 105415 treasures, 1 tesla coil; the top right reads 52 hearts, 14 shots, 2 lives. There is a checkpoint with a cat-skull-and-crossbones flag on stage left.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Edison had 1,800 patents in his name, but you can be just as inventive with an Apple. (Source.)

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Ever want to play with the world's first conversational "AI" yourself? Steve North converted it from MIT's LISP to Microsoft Basic, so as long as you've got 16K of ram you're ready to go! (Source.)

An article about Eliza, the psychoanalysis AI. The dense, three-column article includes several multi-paragraph sections, with headings "Description", "How it works", "Detailed Explanation", "Limitations", "Modifications", "A Few Comments", "What it all means," and "Geneology." The bottom of the page contains a table listing the 20 variables used over the course of the program.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The Mondotheque, an extremely early analog analogue of the Internet, allowing a curated central "International Museum" or "Mundaneum" to allow any person with one of these telegraphs to send, request, and view documents via 'electric telescope' from the convenience of their own home.

A shelving unit holding a small rough-hewn electric appliance. In comparison to the card catalogues behind it, it's a tiny device, no longer than a desktop radio of the era; documents produced by this 'electric telescope' could be reviewed on the desk itself.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Don't Cross The Line Unless You're Serious. (Source.)

A two-page ad from the August 1995 issue of Fusion Magzine, framed by black and yellow hazard tape. The left page reads "For Serious Gamers Only. Neo•GeoCD: Don't Cross the Line Unless You're Serious." The right page shows the Neo-Geo CD itself, a squat rounded black case (not unlike the Saturn or the N64, two of its contemporaneous systems) and tow controllers, which have a joystick, four action buttions, and two menu buttons

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The worst part about magazine adventure games? By the time you typed it all in, you knew how to beat it. (Source.)

A big two-page spread. Top left, in angular script, the words "Dog Star Adventure. Runs on a TRS-80. By Lance Micklus." After a dense little intro describing the backstory, there follows a ~3800 line program describing a rescue of a princess from an evil general in a space ship. Each column of code is in red; the code is heavily obfuscated, and unlike most BASIC program listings, shows many code inserts at multiples of 5s, indicating lots of editing; unfortunately, the english text isn't edited itself, giving away several jokes and plot points (such as a McDonalds joke, or a 'turbolift' that ran out of turbo). At bottom right, an illustration shows two ersatz stormtroopers guide an ersatz Princess Leia through an ersatz Death Star.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Invented by Hiroshi Horiuchi at the height of the 80's home robotics trend, Robie gave kids who wanted a little robot a much simpler treat - if you put a coin in his hand and pressed down, he'd wake up, look at his treat, gobble it down, and chomp with gusto before licking his robotic lips.

A yellow cylinder, with legs, two arms, green eyes, and a red tongue. The free hand is posable is just strong enough to hold a pen; the big palm hand lifts in order to put the coin into his mouth.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Trevor's Website (Trevor, 2004) (Source.)

A personal website, named "Trevor's Website", with hand-made "technical" user interface using what looks like all the default metal textures of QuarkXPress. The header is flames, with the words "Trevor's Website" in the negative space; the text describes downloading Baywatch from Kazaa, car mods, security guards on Mauri, college events, Tic-Tac_Toe (sp) programs that probably won't crash your computer, and a poem.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Well, this is a curious artifact - this image was used to explain what a digital computer was to people who were used to human computers. (Source.)

Up top, the title "BASIC COMPUTER ELEMENTS: comparision between manual composition..." The top half illustrates manual composition: a whistling man carries loose paper marked 'incoming problem' to a desk, and leaves it at a 'Notebook'; the operator, with a 'Desk Calculating Machine' to his left, works with pen and paper; the man leaves, printed folios of answers in hand. Below a horizontal rule, page bottom, the title continues: "...and Whirlwind I Computation." An arrow pointing in states "problems to be done," leading to a box labeled Input Devices; Input Devices points to a broad system bus line. Next is Storage, which reads from and writes to the system bus. Next is Control; control reads from the system bus, and writes to all boxes in this diagram. Next is Arithmetic Element; it reads from and writes to the system bus. Last is Output Devices; it reads from the system bus and writes out "Results in Desired Form."

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Why did Gen X become Gen X68000? Perhaps it was because new computers were $200 while a 1300 square foot apartment with broadband Internet went for $500. (Source.)

"Heat and PPP Paid Apartments Multiplying": A magazine article from Boardwatch magazine discussing the hot new thing in the housing market - apartments WITH fiber-optic! A 1300 square foot apartment in Bakersfield, CA goes from the high $500s to the mid $700s.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The 90s could be summed up as the decade that began with OK Soda and ended with enutrition trying to push epills down your craw. (Source.)

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The NEC Bungo Hyper 7 (1991) (Source.)

A magazine ad showing the Hyper7. It's a dedicated word processor all-in-one, with a PS/2 keyboard, a monochrome backlit LCD monitor device left, twin vertically mounted 3.5" floppies device right, and a thermal printer device rear. The screen on the device shows a multi-application operating system, including word processor, spreadsheet, rolodex, drawing program, graphing program, disk utility, telecommunications terminal, and tutorial. The only thing it's lacking is a way to program on the thing.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

THE DEVILISH LABYLINCE (FM-7 and FM-77, 1988) (Source.)

A type-in program from the August 1988 issue of micomBASIC magazine. The left page has instructions, and a tiny illustration of a wizard threatened by a flower. The right page has screenshots of the title scren, a starting stage, a kill screen, and an illustration of a softlock.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Remember when those fuzzy dolls were everywhere?

A review of the Amiga CD32 game Trolls from the May '95 issue of Amiga CD32 Gamer. The review shows screenshots of trolls on building blocks, trolls skating, trolls on a bookshelf, trolls on a stereo, trolls fighting a teddy bear, and trolls skating on a stereo. The review score is a solid 87%.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Lemmings got into everything back in the day

An article about the game Lemmings for the PC-9801, X68000, and FMTOWNS computers, from the Japanese magazine Technopolis (Dec 1991). Powers, goals, and levels are depicted.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"Sony® has just put television on a crash diet..."

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

GET WIRED - LOG ON TO THE WORLD (Source.)

$Up top, in red rounded sans serif block font, the supertitle: "GET WIRED-LOG ON TO THE WORLD". Below that, in squared sans serif font with rounded corners in gold, the name of the magazine, COMPUTE; the hollow of the O forms a house. The subtitle below reads, "Your complete home computer resource - $2.95 February 1991." Middle cover is a stunning piece of digital art by artist Doug Strothers; made on a Micro Vax II, it depicts a dragonfly spaceship (mottled black and yellow) flying past two fractal gas giants to land on a fractal red planet. Below are the major article callouts: "HOME BUSINESS HELP • PC MONEY MANAGER • SPACE WARS AND GALACTIC CONQUEST • COMPUTER NOMAD • SURE FIRE MAC FIXES"$

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"HERE IS AN ACTUAL SAMPLE OF ELIZA'S CONVERSATIONAL ABILITY" (Source.)

A dense - very, very dense; 45 lines in an ad that was printed at only 2.5 inches tall - purporting to be the most complete version of ELIZA available in CP/M, "for any CP/M based microcomputer system with at least 40K of ram, on a standard 8 inch diskette." The sample conversational log has the patient complaining about men in specific, then her father in specific, and then bullies in specific - and Eliza brings it all back to the fact that her boyfriend made her run the program. At the end, ordering information for the "Artificial Intelligence Research Group" of Los Angeles, California.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Wilderness: A Survival Adventure (DOS, 1986)

An image of the game being played; it is night, and the moon is full. In the distance, several mountains can be seen; many are snowcovered. Two lone trees are on the landscape, and in the front, a crashed prop plane (broken windshield, broken tail, and broken wing, with nonsense call letters) can be seen. There is a prompt at the bottom, awaiting the user's input.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Don't get upset, it's just a syntax error. (Source.)

an panel from "Shogakukan Encyclopeida 191: You Can Make It Too! Famicom Games" showcasing a screen from the Famicom: "NS-HUBASIC v2.1A © NINTENDO/SHARP/HUDSON 1982 BYTES FREE OK". To this, the kid typed in: "Let's play some cool games!" The Nintendo replied with: "?SN ERROR OK" The boy's eyes are bugging out, saying "WHAT IS THIS?" and the girl is replying, "There's no games coming out!" Any transcription errors are mine.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROJECTS FOR THE COMMODORE 64 (Source.)

A book that reads in block sans serif font, "ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROJECTS FOR THE COMMODORE 64." The text is red, switching to gold for the words 'Commodore 64'. Cover bottom, a Commodore 64 - a light brown all-in-one microcomputer with dark brown keys - appears. In the center, a gold PCB in the shape of a human head radiates gold wires in the way wires might radiate from a chip, creating the silhouette of a head; in the center and neck of the head-shaped PCB, chips appear.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Strathello: A C Version Of Capture The Flag

An article from the May 1988 issue of ST-Log Magazine. Up top, a knight in shining armor with lance charges on his horse. Down below, the article describes the setup and strategies of of Strathello.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The current tools of management aren't good enough. Introducing ARRIBA, the software you can't manage without. (Source.)

The top row, captioned "The current tools of management aren't good enough.", shows the old tools of management: a planner, a paperclip, a postit, a rolodex, a filing cabinet. The middle row, captioned "Introducing ARRIBA, the software you can't manage without.", shows screenshots ARRIBA: a "Personal Information Management System." Display, search, calendar, and error screens are shown. In the bottom half, dense ad copy promises "There's no tech-ese to master" and interlinks reviews from COMPUTER!, Infoworld, and BYTE magazines. Below, in bright pink, "For use on IBM PC XT or compatible with 384K bytes of RAM and hard disk drive. MS DOS 2.0 or higher. RAM-resident version included. Suggested Retail Price $195.00."

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Oh hey look! It's the ORIGINAL breadbox.

The prototype used to develop the Apple 1. The wooden case is adapted from a breadbox (the holes for mounting on a wall and some of the hardware for the sliding cover is still visible), the wiring is hand-soldered, giant Sprague capacitators like yellow soda cans are along the back, and the chips are hand-placed in a grid.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The greatest lie the 80s told young computer users is that programming would be as magical an experience as the programming textbooks of the 80s promised.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Give your 64's VAL function a lession in mathematics with this short-but-powerful machine language routine!

Article from a 1988 issue of COMPUTE!'s Gazette, featuring a hack to use functions from the C64's built in BASIC interpreter to interpret a broad array of BASIC statements as a function. Headings are Typing It In, Using Smart VAL, and Error Trapping.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Long before Robot Unicorn Attack, "Always" got some serious MIDI work in this strange Tetris clone. This is TRIS-ME (1997). (Source.)

An old school Windows shareware title with a lot going on. Menus are Play, Options, Info, and (greyed out) "TRIS-ME 1997 (C) Unregistered Version." The playfield is a standard black field with falling Tetronimos composed of rounded spheres of various colors. Top left are colorful notes of Level, Score, Money, and Bonus; playfield left is the Next indicator, with hearts, clovers, magic wands, and a timer. Top right is a spellbook, with the colorful word "CAST!" below; below that are various spellcasting reagents, and their point values. A strung-out orange tank cat with green stripes has a chat balloon, currently empty, where messages would appear; at the bottom right are the buttons "Play!", "Buy!", "Stole!", and "Return!" The whole thing is set up against a faux-granite backdrop.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If I had a dime for every sticker they included in the Gradiente Expert XP-800's box for their keycaps, I'd have $1.50. (Source.)

A three-piece computer unit. Up top, the white monitor reads: "MSX BASIC versão 1.1 Br 'G r a d i e n t e' 28014 bytes livres OK" up top, then "color auto goto list run" down below. The computer itself is a grey pizzabox, with black angular highlighting joining the two cartidge slots and the power light. Image bottom, the Expert's keyboard; a full keyboard, it includes multimedia buttons, a blue directional keypad, and the same angular black highlighting as is on the face of the computer proper. A small recess in the computer allows the keyboard to be locked in place, although this seems only to be to hold the keyboard in position, not to store the keyboard.

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Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Man, 80s computer books made even non-relational databases look fun. (Source.)

The cover to the book, "Writing Your Own Program: Creating A Database: Adventure Game." Each line is in its own font. The computer (a black affair with rainbow keys" depicts a scuba diver swimming, handcuffs in hand, as it is attacked by a giant cross octopus; the painted octopus is literally bursting out of the monitor. A tiny little banner in the corner states: "For Commodore 64 And Apple IIe Computers"

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