Sign in

Retro Viator

@retroviator.com
1.4K followers 183 following 257 posts

Classic Computer Enthusiast

PostsRepliesMedia
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 20/09/2026
I love my Quad-Flop floppy controller (texelec.com/product/quad...), but I just learned that there was a “back in the day” solution that Jerry Pournelle wrote about in the November 1989 Byte Magazine.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 22/08/2026
Anther first class restoration by Triple R. This one had a bit of everything wrong with it. youtu.be/Cd5i2GU9poc...
youtu.be
YouTube
I spotted this unusual Zenith laptop at a sale and knew I had to add it to my collection. After years of neglect, it was time to bring this 1988 Japanese-made machine back to life. Zenith SlimSport 286 — Specifications: 💻 Intel 286 @ 16 MHz 🧠 1 MB RAM (up to 4 MB) 💾 20 MB HDD 🖥️ 9.5" 640×480 passive-matrix grayscale display 🎮 VGA graphics 🔊 PC Speaker 🔋 33.6 Wh NiCad battery 💾 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy drive 📡 Optional modem 🔌 Parallel, Serial, VGA, external FDD & expansion ports Made in Japan 🇯🇵 | 1988 #Zenith #VintageComputer #LaptopRestoration #RetroComputing #DOS #Restoration #Repair #vintageelectronics 📌 PCBWay specializes in PCB manufacturing and prototyping, as well as 3D printing and CNC machining services – https://pcbway.com/g/q8g7k3 •🖨️ QIDI Plus5 Printer!!! ✅ (My choice) - https://qidi3d.com/products/plus5 •⚡ FNIRSI® SWM-20 1200A Dual-Pulse 2-in-1 Portable Battery Spot Welder - https://www.fnirsi.com/products/swm-20?sca_ref=9370890.98eOoirYqV&utm_source=af&utm_medium=9370890&utm_campaign=standard-affiliate-commission
011
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 19/08/2026
In the November 1987 Chaos Manor column, while considering the merits of OS/2, Jerry Pournelle describes what users need is not multitasking, but multiprocessing. He could do it in the mid-80s thanks to his CompuPro 8/16 with it’s Z80 and 286 processors running Concurrent DOS.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 16/08/2026
The East Coast precursor to the Computer History Museum (computerhistory.org).
010
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 02/08/2026
Finished upgrading this 2012 Mac Pro recovered from a pile of ewaste. It now has a pair of 3GHz Xeon processors, 64GB of RAM, an RX 580 GPU, NVMe hard drive and SSD, USB 3.1, and upgraded WiFi and Bluetooth. I’ve installed Debian 13 with KDE, and I think this will become my daily driver.
1518210
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 29/07/2026
The September 1986 Byte Magazine deep dived on the Amiga and Macintosh computers, both running on Motorola’s 68000 processor. The Mac eventually found its way, but one of the best hypotheticals for vintage computer fans is imagining what the Amiga could have been if not so poorly managed.
091
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 20/07/2026
Successfully upgraded the processors in this new to me Mac Pro 5,1. Painlessly went from 2.4GHz E5645 to 3.06GHz 5675 Xeons. I know others push it to 3.46GHz with 5690s, but I went with Apple’s top configuration. Also, it’s less expensive and draws less power (=less heat).
020
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 19/07/2026
Oof. There’s some real rust hiding inside this otherwise good looking Macintosh Quadra 800.
130
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 19/07/2026
I’ve decided I don’t have problems with my hobby projects. I have puzzles. Real problems have no place in a hobby.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 19/07/2026
Networking vintage computers is the ultimate test. The hardware has to work, the software has to work, and then you have to please the mercurial gods of networking.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 13/07/2026
It’s funny the random stuff you find buried in a closet.
041
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 13/07/2026
I’m strangely excited to put together my first Windows XP machine. It’s one of the Windows OSs I skipped; rocking Windows 2000 until making the move back to the Mac with Mac OS 10.4 Tiger.
Basic Beige Beauty
5632
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 13/07/2026
Sometimes it’s the little things: the motherboard worked outside the case, but not inside. Turns out the reset switch was dirty, so the system was stuck in reset. It wasn’t easy to get the switch free of the plastic case without breaking things, but once free, a little DeoxIT fixed everything.
020
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 11/07/2026
This is the most modern board I’ve recapped so far, but this 1.2GHz AMD Athelon deserves to be saved from bulging caps.
010
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 08/07/2026
In the Sept 1985 Chaos Manor column, Jerry describes a presentation by Steve Jobs and Bill Gates demoing Excel. He was impressed, but spent much of the column reflecting on a statement Gates made on the benefit of consistent user interfaces and sharing across applications. Radical thinking in 1985.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 06/07/2026
I’m still making my way through all of Jerry Pournelle’s Chaos Manor columns in Byte Magazine. I’m made it to June 1985, where he talks about maintenance work on his beloved Zeke Z80. I wonder if the DE-OX-IDE is today’s indispensable DeoxIT. Crossposted with @openvibe.social
122
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 02/07/2026
@adriansdigitalbasement.com With your work speeding up startup on early PCs, you might know that in the ‘80s, Security Microsystems Consultants had a replacement ROM called Quickon that eliminated the RAM count on PCs. They later released PC Reset to add a hardware reset button to the PC and XT.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 15/06/2026
Jerry Pournelle’s (of Byte Magazine fame) first impression of the Macintosh (128K).
020
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 06/06/2026
I’ve finally got around to setting up a RetroNAS server. After a few hurdles all is well, but it reminds me how relatively easy it was to network Macs and how finicky it is to network DOS/Win3.11.
030
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 06/05/2026
Enjoying going back to July 1980 and reading each of Jerry Pournelle’s Chaos Manor columns in Byte Magazine from the beginning.
010
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 03/05/2026
Any recommendations for a good bench power supply? I’m looking for one that is safe and offers straightforward controls.
110
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 01/05/2026
I’m working on restoring a lovely Dell 386DX-25, and before powering it on, I tested for shorts and found problems. Instead of replacing the 50+ tantalum caps, I started with pulling ICs, and I got lucky. The problem was this 82385 cache controller.
Intel 82385-25 memory cache controller IC
050
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 27/04/2026
I had a good time restoring these five Macintosh IIsi, and I learned some things along the way. I documented my progress at tinkerdifferent.com/threads/mac-... The IIsi may not be the coolest Mac of its era, but it deserves to live a long life. #vintageapple #retrocomputing
A stack of five Macintosh IIsi on a workbench.
041
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 13/04/2026
Anyone know what type of terminal this is? It plugs into the connector shown.
210
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 04/04/2026
So, so good.
231
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 14/03/2026
Took a swing at buying a refurbished ThinkPad. I’m a bit undecided so far, but the keyboard hurt my brain for a second or two.
291
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 11/03/2026
This Dell System 310 was one of my employer’s first PCs. It was found in a closet, but I was disappointed to discover the original 386DX-25MHz motherboard had been replaced with an AMD K6. Amazingly, my long-standing eBay alert finally paid off, and I now have the system’s original motherboard!
1111
Reposted by Retro Viator
Matthew Sparby @cloudscout.com · 08/03/2026
This is some serious 80s productivity right here. #Marchintosh
Apple Macintosh Plus with a Radius Full Page Monitor.
3587
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 22/02/2026
I’ve noticed that the 24-pin Pico ATX PSUs I’ve ordered have some rough looking power signals when probed by the oscilloscope. Does anyone have a link to a particular Pico ATX they’ve found produces clean looking power rails? #retrocomputing
100
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 09/02/2026
I am passing along praise for the great work of @eric.scsi.blue and his team that continue to make the @bluescsi.com a wonder. I’ve used almost every iteration, and the innovation, documentation, support, and overall attention to detail are superb. My vintage Macs love their BlueSCSIs!
1134
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 26/01/2026
My after-Christmas project was restoring a bunch Macintosh IIsi. I’ve been documenting my progress at tinkerdifferent.com/threads/mac-... Today, the last of the issues were addressed, and I now have five fully functional Mac IIsi logic boards and two battery bombed units that provided needs parts.
040
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 25/01/2026
I’ve pondered how to remove pins from power connectors, and I’ve wondered what these strange tweezer were for. Today is the day I figured out what one has to do with the other.
060
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 17/01/2026
Another Maxell Massacre. A good reminder of why we GET THE BATTERIES OUT. #retrocomputing
A Macintosh IIsi logic board with significant battery acid damage.
1305
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 12/01/2026
Arghh… Evertime I install a significant Linux update, I lose WiFi on my 2012 MacBook Pro. Then I have to fiddle around and remember what incantation I used last time to get it working. Each time I swear, just as I’m ready to beat my head against the wall, it magically starts working.
030
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 11/01/2026
Verifying my rebuilt Mac IIsi with the impressive recreation TechStep diagnostic tool. #VintageMac
051
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 10/01/2026
Going to build some new Macintosh IIsi power supplies today thanks to the design from @caymacvintage.bsky.social
120
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 10/01/2026
I got into the vintage/retro computer hobby in 2018. It’s amazing, exciting, and inspiring to see how much easier it is now to enjoy these old computers thanks to the work of so many in the community. The services and add-ons that flow from so many creative people is a blessing. #retrocomputing
010
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 08/01/2026
Digital archeology: testing old Macintosh hard drives and copying data to my BlueSCSI, if possible. (I should probably be using the BlueSCSI’s magical initator mode.)
030
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 06/01/2026
I get to see how many of these floppy drives from the horde of Macintosh IIsi can be made to work.
A stack of seven Macintosh floppy drives on a workbench
1150
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 30/12/2025
Do any Mac repair aficionados know what pin 16 on both Sony sound chips in the Mac IIsi connect to? The BOMARC schematics show it going off page to a page I don't have.
A snippet of the Macintosh IIsi schematics from BOMARC Services showing the audio section of the logic board.
112
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 25/12/2025
A true surprise landed in my workshop this Christmas. 🎄 Plastic goodness ahead.
A Bambu Labs P2S printer on a table.
3292
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 23/12/2025
I have a holiday goal of getting these Mac IIsi cleaned up (if possible) and back out into the community. Two are battery bombed, but could be useful for parts. #retrocomputing
A workbench with the inside of six Macintosh IIsi exposed.
380
Reposted by Retro Viator
HereBeDragons @heredragons.be · 13/12/2025
Day 347 - #retrorandom - NOTHING is going to stop me being able to program this EPROM!
7564
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 13/12/2025
I ordered an open motherboard frame thinking it would be a better way to work with bare boards on my bench, but while the Baby AT screw holes line up, they are not aligned with the card slots openings. Does anytime have a frame they recommend for legacy boards? #retrocomputers
373
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 11/12/2025
It’s harder than I thought to compare this snazzy Tomlov digital microscope to my trusty AmScope. They have different pluses and minuses. For super detailed work, it’s hard to beat a true binocular microscope. However, the Tomlov is much easier to move around when working on larger boards.
A workbench with a large motherboard and a pair of microscopes
1170
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 09/12/2025
Serious restoration work… youtube.com/@repair3r?si...
youtube.com
YouTube
Welcome to the 3R channel! My name is Eugene. Here I am engaged in the restoration of various types of equipment. I have a small knowledge base and specialized education, but despite this I learn something new from repair to repair. My channel is more dedicated to entertainment and inspiring viewers to try to restore and repair things themselves. The main idea is that sometimes, repairing a high-quality old thing can be more useful than buying something new and of lower quality. My videos are designed to promote relaxation, calmness and peace. I encourage everyone who loves DIY projects, retro technology enthusiasts or even random viewers who just dropped in for a cup of tea to feel welcome. If you have questions or constructive comments, I will be happy to answer.
000
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 05/12/2025
Do you agree with the system configurations identified in this guide? bitsundbolts.com/2025/11/20/g...
bitsundbolts.com
Gaming PC Evolution from 1990 to 2005 – Bits und Bolts
120
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 02/12/2025
I really like this clever little clock. Thanks @thisdoesnotcompute.bsky.social
070
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 29/11/2025
My first time removing a large surface mount PLCC. I worked at it with hot air, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. So I pulled out some low melt solder, and it was magic. The chip came slid off like butter. Next time, I’ll use less to make the clean up easier.
160
Retro Viator @retroviator.com · 29/11/2025
In the summer of 1987, I spent time in the California’s eastern high desert. The whole time I was rocking U2‘s Joshua Tree in my Aiwa tape deck. I now realize that the combination of that tape in that place burned something into me. And I’m glad it did.
000