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💡 Wow, That’s Fascinating: The IBM PC wasn’t the first personal computer—or even the most advanced. But its open architecture helped establish a standard that countless manufacturers copied, shaping the PC industry for decades. 🖥️ #VintageComputer

Wow That’s Fascinating — “The IBM PC Wasn’t First—But It Changed Everything.” “When IBM released its PC in 1981, it wasn’t breaking ground—it was standardizing it. Open architecture made it the model everyone else copied.” Orange text appears on a black background framed by a beige border, with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 29/09/2026

🖥️ Tech Spec Tuesday: Meet the Acorn Risc PC 600! Launched in 1994 with a 30 MHz ARM610, it offered a clever party trick: add an x86 “guest” CPU and run Windows or MS-DOS alongside RISC OS. Two architectures, one very unusual desktop. #VintageComputer

Tech Spec Tuesday — Acorn RISC PC 600. The Risc PC was a range of personal computers launched by Acorn Computers in 1994, showcasing its ARM-based RISC architecture. The Risc PC 600 ran RISC OS and supported optional x86 guest processors for running Windows 95 or MS-DOS natively. Specifications shown: ARM610 CPU at 30 MHz; 2–16 MB memory; 210 MB hard drive; color display via VIDC20 controller; serial port and optional network card. The ARM610 was a 32-bit RISC CPU. Image shows a beige Acorn Risc PC 600 desktop computer against a blue panel, over a background of electronic schematics, with vintage.computer branding.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 28/09/2026

Happy Milestone Monday! 🎉 On Sept. 28, 1925, Seymour Cray was born. Known as the “father of supercomputing,” Cray designed some of the fastest machines of his era and founded Cray Research, helping define high-performance computing for generations. 🖥️

Milestone Monday — September 28th, 1925. On this day in 1925, Seymour Cray, the “father of supercomputing,” was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. An engineer and scientist, he created the fastest computers in the world for decades and founded Cray Research. The image includes a portrait of Cray against a dark, starry background, with yellow and gold text and vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 28/09/2026

“Defer now, regret later” applies just as well to computers. Backups, updates, cleaning, recapping, drive checks, documentation; maintenance is rarely exciting, but neglect has a habit of turning small problems into restoration projects. 🔧💾 #VintageComputer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 26/09/2026

Meet the PDP-5, introduced by DEC in 1963. This room-filling machine helped pioneer the 12-bit minicomputer and became the architectural ancestor of the hugely successful PDP-8. Today, this example survives on display at the Bloop Museum. 🖥️ #SnapshotSaturday

“Snapshot Saturday.” Caption: “PDP-5 (circa 1963) on display in Bloop museum.” Photograph shows a large blue-gray DEC PDP-5 installation consisting of several tall equipment cabinets, exposed wiring, a large circular CRT display, and a console/keyboard. Vintage computer photographs hang on the wall behind it. The photo is framed in a brown filmstrip design with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 25/09/2026

Free Software Friday: EDuke32! ☢️ Since 2004, this free and open-source source port has kept Duke Nukem 3D alive on modern systems, adding improved graphics, controls, modding capabilities, and more while preserving the Build Engine classic. #FOSS #Duke3D

“Free Software Friday — EDuke32.” Author: Richard “TerminX” Gobeille & others. Release Date: December 2004. Notes: “Free open source port of classic FPS, Duke Nukem 3D.” Get it: eduke32.com. Graphic designed as a large gray 3.5-inch floppy disk with a white-and-red label and VINTAGE.COMPUTER branding.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 24/09/2026

Before SD cards, some digital cameras saved photos to the humble 3.5" floppy. 📸💾 Sony’s Digital Mavica made transferring pictures wonderfully simple: eject the disk, stick it in your PC, and your photos were ready to go. #ThrowbackThursday

“Throwback Thursday — The Beige Box Era.” Image of a Sony Digital Mavica MVC-FD81 digital camera with an integrated 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. Text: “Before flash memory cards were commonplace, some of the first digital cameras stored their images on standard 3.5" floppy disks.” Tan desert-themed background with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 23/09/2026

The floppy disk may be obsolete, but its legacy lives on every time you click “Save.” 💾 The 3.5-inch disk became so closely associated with saving files that its image survived the hardware itself, a tiny digital fossil hiding in plain sight. #VintageComputer

“Wow That’s Fascinating — Why the Save Icon Still Looks Like a Floppy Disk.” Text: “Even though many people today have never used a floppy disk, the iconic 3.5-inch disk still represents ‘Save’ in most software. It’s a nostalgic symbol from the 1980s that’s outlived its original purpose—like a digital fossil.” White typewriter-style text on a blue background with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 22/09/2026

The Wang 2200 packed a CRT, keyboard, cassette storage, and custom CPU into one imposing 1973 machine. With built-in BASIC and up to 16 KB of memory, this $7,400 system was an exceptionally capable early all-in-one computer. #TechSpecTuesday

Tech Spec Tuesday — Wang 2200.” Image of the green Wang 2200 all-in-one computer with integrated CRT, keyboard, and cassette drive. Specs: Custom Wang CPU; 4–16 KB memory; cassette tape deck; integrated CRT with 16 lines of 64 characters; no networking. Notes: “A powerful all-in-one computer ahead of its time.” About this machine: “A very early all-in-one microcomputer, the Wang 2200 was powerful, but expensive ($7,400 in 1973, or roughly $55,650 today) machine that had advanced features and excellent performance. It included a CRT in its cabinet alongside a cassette tape drive and keyboard. The units were based around a custom developed TTL central processing board, which was microcoded, and ran a custom version of BASIC. Some models had advanced BASIC commands that made it possible to create and manage databases more easily.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 21/09/2026

On September 21, 1994, Microsoft released Windows NT 3.5. Faster and more capable than its predecessor, it strengthened TCP/IP support and ran on Intel, MIPS, Alpha, and PowerPC hardware - a reminder of how diverse computing once was. #VintageComputer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 20/09/2026

Software ages too. Dependencies disappear, assumptions become obsolete, and yesterday’s clever shortcut becomes tomorrow’s technical debt. Preserving old software often means understanding not just how it works, but the world it was built for. 💾 #VintageComputer

“Maintenance Mode.” Quote: “Programs, like people, get old. We can’t prevent ageing, but we can understand its causes, limit its effects, and reverse some of the damage.” — Mario Fusco. The quote appears in white text on a translucent blue panel over a scenic background of green hills, mountains, and a rainbow. vintage.computer branding appears at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 19/09/2026

Before semiconductor RAM, computers could remember with tiny magnetic rings. This is core memory from MIT’s Project Whirlwind, circa 1951, an early form of random-access memory whose descendants would dominate computer memory for decades. 🖥️ #SnapshotSaturday

“Snapshot Saturday.” Caption: “Core memory from MIT’s Project Whirlwind, created circa 1951.” Photograph shows a large core-memory assembly with densely packed wiring, frames of magnetic cores, and bundles of red and yellow wires connecting the unit. The image is presented in a brown filmstrip-style frame with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 18/09/2026

Free Software Friday: Code::Blocks! 💻 This free, open-source, cross-platform IDE has been helping programmers since 2005. Its extensible plugin architecture and support for multiple compilers make it a versatile environment for C and C++ development. #FOSS

“Free Software Friday — Code::Blocks.” Author: Code::Blocks Team. Release Date: 2005. Get it: codeblocks.org. About: “Free, open-source cross-platform IDE that uses plugins to provide powerful features and compilers. Available for Windows, Linux, and more.” Graphic styled as a large pale-yellow software disc against a gray background, with VINTAGE.COMPUTER branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 17/09/2026

Need more RAM? Once, that could mean installing an entire expansion card. Before memory modules moved close to the CPU, cards packed with RAM could sit right on the system bus alongside your graphics, disk, and sound hardware. 🖥️ #ThrowbackThursday

“Throwback Thursday — RAM Expansion Cards.” Photo of a vintage Kingston ATAborad! memory expansion card populated with multiple RAM modules. Text: “In the early days of computing when everything in the computer ran as fast as the CPU, including the RAM, you could add a memory expansion card to the system bus, alongside disk controllers, graphic adapters, and sound cards.” Tan desert-themed background with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 16/09/2026

Before Slack, Teams, and company intranets, there was /etc/motd. The Message of the Day greeted users when they logged into a Unix system; perfect for announcements, maintenance warnings, helpful tips, or the sysadmin’s latest joke. 🖥️ #VintageComputer

Retro green-on-black computer terminal graphic titled “Wow That’s Fascinating.” Heading: “The MOTD File: Welcome to the Server.” Text: “The ‘Message of the Day’ (MOTD) file displays text to users on login. It’s where sysadmins shared warnings, tips, or random jokes—like a digital post-it note.” vintage.computer branding appears at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 15/09/2026

The Heathkit H89 put a Z80, keyboard, 12" CRT, and floppy drive into one serious 1979 package. Supporting both HDOS and CP/M, this build-it-yourself machine blurred the line between hobbyist kit and professional microcomputer. 💾 #TechSpecTuesday

Tech Spec Tuesday — Heathkit H89 (aka Zenith Z-89).” Image of the beige all-in-one computer with built-in CRT and keyboard. Specs: Zilog Z80 @ 2.048 MHz; 16–48 KB RAM, expandable; 5.25" floppy disk drive; monochrome terminal display; no built-in networking. Notes: considered one of the more “professional” microcomputers. About this machine: “Released in 1979 by Heathkit, and manufactured primarily by Zenith Data Systems (hence the rebranding to Zenith Z-89), the Heathkit H89 was a personal computer based around the Zilog Z80 processor. The all-in-one machine included a 12" monochrome CRT display as well as room for a built-in floppy disk. It could run either the popular CP/M or Heathkit’s own HDOS operating systems. It even had expansion slots and multiple serial connections so users could connect devices like modems.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 14/09/2026

On September 14, 2000, Microsoft released Windows Me: the final chapter of the Windows 9x era. Intended for home PCs, its stability issues made it infamous. Love it or hate it, Windows Me earned its place in computing history. 💻 #VintageComputer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 13/09/2026

🛠️ Maintenance Mode: Sometimes the biggest obstacle to finishing a project is simply getting it started. You don’t need the perfect plan, perfect tools, or perfect moment, just enough momentum to begin. The rest can follow. #VintageComputer

“Maintenance Mode ‘The best way to get a project done faster is to start sooner.’ Jim Highsmith vintage.computer” The quote appears in white text on a translucent blue panel outlined in orange, over a photograph of ocean waves and a beach beneath a dramatic sunset sky.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 12/09/2026

📸 Snapshot Saturday: A laptop in space! Astronaut John Creighton poses aboard Space Shuttle Discovery with a GRiD Compass in June 1985. Rugged, compact, and unmistakably ’80s, the Compass became one of NASA’s early portable computers. 🚀 #VintageComputer

“SNAPSHOT SATURDAY Astronaut John Creighton onboard Space Shuttle Discovery with a GRiD Compass computer in June, 1985” The photograph shows astronaut John Creighton smiling inside Space Shuttle Discovery beside an open black GRiD Compass portable computer. The computer’s distinctive clamshell display and keyboard are visible amid the equipment and interior panels of the spacecraft. “NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons” “vintage.computer” appears at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 11/09/2026

🐟 Free Software Friday: Barrelfish! Developed by ETH Zurich and Microsoft Research, this experimental open-source OS rethought how operating systems should manage increasingly multicore hardware. A fascinating OS research project that began in 2009. #OpenSource #VintageComputer

“FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY Barrelfish Author: ETH Zurich & Microsoft Release Date: September 15th, 2009 Get it: barrelfish.org About: Open source operating system designed to explore large amounts of processor cores. VINTAGE.COMPUTER” The graphic resembles a software CD or DVD, with a large pale silver disc against a gray background and the Barrelfish information printed over it.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 10/09/2026

🗣️ Throwback Thursday: Speech synthesizers! Long before Siri and modern AI voices, home computers could talk using dedicated speech hardware. The results were unmistakably robotic, but hearing your computer speak in the late ’70s or ’80s felt like the future. #VintageComputer

“Throwback Thursday Speech Synthesizers:” The central image shows a Texas Instruments TI-99/4 home computer with peripherals, including a speech synthesizer module, RF modulator, keyboard overlays, cassette recorder, and documentation. Text at bottom reads: “Before RGB lighting and tempered glass, there was the humble beige box, quietly humming on desks across the world. These chunky machines may have looked bland, but they powered the golden age of home computing.” Vintage.computer branding appears at the bottom. Note: The paragraph printed on the graphic appears to be leftover copy from a different “beige box” post and doesn’t match the speech-synthesizer topic.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 09/09/2026

📚 Wow, that’s fascinating! In the ’70s and ’80s, the manual could be almost as important as the computer. Schematics, programming tutorials, technical references, sometimes hundreds of pages. Buying a computer meant learning how it worked. #VintageComputer

“Wow That’s Fascinating Computer Manuals Were Epic Tomes In the 70s and 80s, computers came with thick manuals full of instructions, circuit diagrams, and programming tutorials. Reading the manual was part of the experience.” Black graphic with orange retro computer-style text, beige border, and vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 08/09/2026

🖥️ Tech Spec Tuesday: The North Star Horizon! Released in 1977, this Z80A-powered S-100 machine ran CP/M, sported distinctive wood cabinetry, and was among the early microcomputers available with a hard drive. Quite a system for the late ’70s! #VintageComputer

“Tech Spec Tuesday — North Star Horizon.” Image of a wood-cased North Star Horizon with specifications: CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 4MHz Memory: 16 KB or more Storage: Two floppy drives with 90 KB each, to start Graphics: None built-in standard Networking: None standard Notes: One of the first microcomputers with a hard drive “About this machine: Released in 1977 by North Star Computers, the Horizon was an 8-bit microcomputer based on the Z80A microprocessor that used the S-100 system bus. It typically ran the CP/M operating system, or North Star’s proprietary ‘NSDOS.’ At first, it had a distinctive wooden enclosure, but later adopted a metal case for safety reasons. It typically had one or two floppy disk drives, and used a serial interface to connect to a terminal. In addition to a version with a full height Hard Disk Drive, North Star also released a S-100 card with on-board memory and additional serial ports so multiple users could connect simultaneously.” The graphic uses a blue-and-white information panel over an electronic schematic background, with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 07/09/2026

On this day in 1981, the ILLIAC IV was decommissioned. A pioneering massively parallel supercomputer with 64 floating-point units, it also made history by connecting to ARPANET, an early glimpse of networked supercomputing. 🖥️ #VintageComputer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 06/09/2026

🌿 Maintenance Mode: Faster isn’t always better. In computing, we obsess over clock speeds, benchmarks, bandwidth, and upgrades, but sometimes the best optimization is remembering there’s a world beyond the machine. Take some time to enjoy it today. #VintageComputer

“Maintenance Mode ‘There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.’ Mahatma Gandhi vintage.computer” The quote appears in yellow text on a translucent green panel over a peaceful forest scene, with sunlight filtering through tall trees.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 05/09/2026

📸 Snapshot Saturday: The Intel Paragon XP/S at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, circa 1994. This massively parallel supercomputer wasn’t just crunching numbers, it helped sequence the human genome. A striking machine doing groundbreaking science. #VintageComputer

“SNAPSHOT SATURDAY Intel Paragon XP-S in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, used in sequencing the human genome (cira 1994)” The photograph shows a large Intel Paragon XP/S supercomputer installation at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Rows of tall black cabinets feature grids of illuminated yellow and green status lights in a dimly lit computer room. Photo credit: doe-oakridge, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. “vintage.computer” appears at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 04/09/2026

🎮 Free Software Friday: AssaultCube! This free, open-source FPS is built on the CUBE engine and designed for fast, lightweight multiplayer action. First released in 2008, it’s still available today, and even runs well on modest hardware. #OpenSource #RetroGaming

“FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY Assault Cube Author: Rapid Viper Productions Release Date: November 21st, 2008 Get it: assault.cubers.net About: Free, open source multiplayer first person shooter based on the CUBE engine with fast gameplay and realistic environments. VINTAGE.COMPUTER” The graphic resembles a CD or DVD disc, with a large pale purple circular disc against a gray background and the software information printed over it.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 03/09/2026

🔎 Throwback Thursday: Null modems! Before Ethernet and USB took over, connecting two serial devices directly often meant swapping transmit and receive lines with a null modem cable or adapter. No modem, and technically, that was the point. #VintageComputer

“Throwback Thursday Null Modem Serial Cables & Adapters: When serial connections were the defacto standard way to connect computers and devices, if you wanted to connect two devices together without a serial modem, you’d sometimes need a ‘null modem’ cable or adapter, so that they could receive and transmit data properly.” The image shows a DB-style serial null modem adapter labeled “NULL MODEM” against a desert background, with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 02/09/2026

🔥 Wow, that’s fascinating! Early CRT monitors could overheat, and in some cases become fire hazards, if left running too long. Suddenly those old “energy saver” screen blankers sound a lot more important than their name suggests. #VintageComputer #CRT

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 01/09/2026

🖥️ Tech Spec Tuesday: Meet the MicroVAX 2000! DEC packed VAX computing into a compact 1987 workstation with up to 14 MB of RAM, MFM storage, Ethernet, and support for both VMS and ULTRIX. Small by VAX standards, but still serious computing. #VintageComputer

“Tech Spec Tuesday — MicroVAX 2000.” Image of a MicroVAX 2000 with specifications: CPU: FA410 @ 40 MHz Memory: 2 MB to 14 MB Storage: 5.25" Floppy & MFM Hard Disk Graphics: Text output only via MMJ serial connector Networking: Ethernet available Notes: Compact VAX workstation “About this machine: Released in 1987 by Digital Equipment Corporation, the MicroVAX 2000 was based on the power MicroVAX II but with limited features and a smaller footprint, and was designed as a workstation for universities as well as VAX programmers at remote locations. It had less memory and lacked the Q-Bus entirely, as well as any expansion slots, and came with an MFM hard disk drive. It supported both VMS and ULTRIX (DEC’s version of UNIX) operating systems, and was priced around $10,000 (roughly $29,394.19 today in 2026).” The design has a blue-and-white information panel over a background of electronic schematics, with vintage.computer branding at the bottom.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 31/08/2026

On this day in 2004, Apple unveiled the iMac G5. 🖥️ Its radically slim design put the entire G5-powered computer behind the LCD, establishing an all-in-one form factor that still defines the iMac today. #VintageComputer #Apple #iMac

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 30/08/2026

Every programmer eventually learns this lesson: the computer usually did exactly what you told it to do. The hard part of debugging is discovering the gap between your intentions and your instructions. Sometimes the bug is just painfully obedient code. 🐛 #VintageComputer

“Maintenance Mode ‘The art of debugging is figuring out what you really told your program to do rather than what you thought you told it to do.’ — Andrew Singer vintage.computer” The quote appears over a background of orange desert sand dunes.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 29/08/2026

🖥️ Snapshot Saturday: computing in Helsinki, 1959. Long before PCs put a computer on every desk, mainframe systems were imposing installations operated through switches, controls, punched media, and printers. Computing really looked like the future. #VintageComputer

SNAPSHOT SATURDAY Computer mainframe in 1959 in Helsinki, Finland Black-and-white photograph showing a man in a suit standing behind a large early computer console. The machine features a broad control panel with numerous switches and indicators, with printing equipment mounted above it. Image credit: Finnish Heritage Agency, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 28/08/2026

⌨️ Free Software Friday: GNU Emacs. First released in 1985, Emacs grew far beyond a text editor into an extraordinarily extensible computing environment for coding, email, file management, games, and much more. Still actively used 40+ years later. #FOSS #VintageComputer

“FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY GNU EMACS Author: RICHARD STALLMAN Release Date: MARCH 20TH, 1985 Notes: FREE, OPEN-SOURCE TEXT EDITOR AND SOFTWARE TOOLS WITH MANY FEATURES Get it: WWW.GNU.ORG/SOFTWARE/EMACS/ VINTAGE.COMPUTER” The text appears on the label of a stylized 3.5-inch floppy disk graphic.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 27/08/2026

Before laser and inkjet printers took over, daisy wheel printers delivered crisp, typewriter-quality text. A spinning wheel positioned each character before a hammer struck it through an ink ribbon, no pixels, no dots, just impact. 🖨️ #ThrowbackThursday #VintageComputer

Throwback Thursday Daisy Wheel Printers: Image showing a close-up of the character arms on a daisy wheel. Before ink jet, laser, and other types of printers, daisy wheel printers were common and fast. They used wheels of (typically) 96 ‘glyphs’ that resembled daisies to print high quality text quickly on paper, similar to how typewriters worked but much faster. Image credit: Paul Downey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 26/08/2026

One of Unix’s most powerful ideas is also one of its simplest: treat almost everything like a file. Devices, sockets, and other resources can share familiar interfaces, helping small tools work together in remarkably flexible ways. 🖥️ #Unix #VintageComputer

Wow That’s Fascinating Everything Is a File in Unix Devices, sockets, processes—Unix treats nearly everything like a file. This abstraction is why commands like cat and ls work in places you wouldn’t expect. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 25/08/2026

The MIPS Magnum 4000 brought serious RISC power to the 1992 desktop: a 50 MHz 64-bit R4000, up to 256 MB RAM, SCSI storage, Ethernet, and support for both RISC/os and Windows NT. A fascinating bridge between Unix workstations and the NT era. #TechSpecTuesday

TECH SPEC TUESDAY MIPS Magnum 4000 About this machine: Released in 1992 by MIPS Computer Systems, Inc., the MIPS Magnum 4000 was a workstation designed around the MIPS series of RISC processors. The workstations originally ran RISC/os, a version of BSD Unix but also supported Windows NT versions. The powerful 64-bit workstations included built in Ethernet cards, SCSI hard disk drives, and had memory expandable up to 256 MB via eight SIMMs. Available in two variations, the R4000PC used a low-cost version of the R4000 processor that lacked an L2 cache, and the R4000SC included a processor with a full 1MB of cache. CPU: R4000 @ 50 MHz Memory: Up to 256 MB Storage: SCSI Hard Disk Drive, and AT-compatible Floppy Graphics: High resolution frame buffer card with VGA output Networking: Built in ethernet Notes: 64-bit workstation that supported Unix and Windows NT Image: Toshiba MIPS R4000 processor. Image credit: Konstantin Lanzet, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 24/08/2026

On August 24, 1995, Windows 95 hit store shelves. 🖥️ With the Start button, taskbar, and plug-and-play support, Microsoft introduced an interface that would define PC computing for years to come. #VintageComputer #Windows95

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 23/08/2026

Failure isn’t always a sign to stop; it can be evidence that you’re tackling something genuinely difficult. Computer pioneer Alan Kay’s reminder is especially fitting for anyone experimenting, building, debugging, and pushing technology forward. #VintageComputer

“Maintenance Mode ‘If you’re not failing 90% of the time, then you’re probably not working on sufficiently challenging problems.’ — Alan Kay vintage.computer” The quote appears over a scenic background of green hills beneath a rainbow and bright sky.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 22/08/2026

🖥️ Snapshot Saturday: the office PC, circa 1985. CRT monitor, floppy disks, stacks of paper, and a desk large enough to hold it all. Personal computers were rapidly transforming the workplace, but the paperless office was still a long way off. #VintageComputer

SNAPSHOT SATURDAY Personal Computer in an Office, circa 1985 Photograph of an office desk with a personal computer, CRT monitor, keyboard, floppy disks and boxes, paperwork, binders, and other office equipment. Image credit: Columbus Metropolitan Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 21/08/2026

🎵 Free Software Friday: MilkyTracker! Inspired by classic trackers like FastTracker II, this free and open-source music tool lets you compose MOD and XM module music the old-school way. Perfect for chiptune fans and demoscene explorers. #FOSS #VintageComputer

“FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY MILKYTRACKER Author: MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTORS Release Date: 2005 Notes: FREE AND OPEN SOURCE MUSIC TRACKER FOR MOD AND XM COMPOSITION Get it: HTTPS://MILKYTRACKER.ORG VINTAGE.COMPUTER” The text appears on a stylized 3.5-inch floppy disk graphic.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 20/08/2026

Before SD cards and USB flash drives, there was CompactFlash. Introduced in 1994, these sturdy flash-memory cards became a familiar sight in early digital cameras, PDAs, industrial computers, and plenty of network hardware. 💾 #ThrowbackThursday #VintageComputer

Throwback Thursday CompactFlash cards: Image of a Cisco Systems 32MB CompactFlash card against a desert background. First released in 1994, well before USB and SD Cards, the CompactFlash card was a flash memory storage card that was based on a version of the 16-bit PCMCIA interface, making it portable between many different computers and an ideal choice for the first digital cameras. Image credit: Mister rf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 19/08/2026

Before flash memory, some chips needed a suntan. ☀️ EPROMs stored data electronically but were erased by exposing the silicon through a tiny quartz window to ultraviolet light. Reprogramming memory with UV? Peak retro-futurism. #VintageComputer

Wow That’s Fascinating EPROMs Erased by UV Light Erasable programmable ROMs had a little glass window and required ultraviolet light to reset. It felt like sci-fi—but it was just storage. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 18/08/2026

Tiny, silent, and built for Linux: the 2008 Linutop 2 packed a 500 MHz AMD Geode, 512 MB RAM, and 1 GB of storage into a fanless nettop. Perfect for thin-client duties, signage, libraries, and internet cafés. 🐧 #TechSpecTuesday #VintageComputer

TECH SPEC TUESDAY Linutop 2 About this machine: A small, environmentally friendly ‘nettop’ computer that ran a customized version of the Linux distribution ‘Xubuntu’, the Linutop 2 was based on an AMD Geode LX800 CPU with 512 MB of RAM, just enough to run the OpenOffice suite of software. With no moving parts, it was designed for digital signage, secure web browsing, and other thin client applications such as use in internet cafes and libraries. It was released in early 2008. CPU: AMD Geode LX800 @ 500 MHz Memory: 512 MB Storage: 1 GB of Internal Storage Graphics: VGA graphics Networking: built-in Ethernet Notes: thin client PC with custom Linux distribution Photo of a Linutop computer connected to cables on a desk. Image credit: Yannick Croissant, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 17/08/2026

On August 17, 1982, Philips produced the first commercial compact disc in Germany. 💿 That first disc held a recording of Chopin waltzes, helping launch a format that would transform music, software, and data storage. #VintageComputer #TechHistory

“Milestone Monday — August 17th, 1982 On this date in 1982, the first commercial compact disc was produced by Philips corporation in Germany. It contained a 1979 recording of waltzes by Chopin performed by Claudio Arrau. Image of a compact disc. Image credit: LiamzR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. vintage.computer”

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 16/08/2026

"Optimism is an occupational hazard of programming; feedback is the treatment." ~Kent Beck Fast feedback loops, testing, and real-world usage expose assumptions long before they become expensive bugs. Wise advice for every developer. 💻 #VintageComputer

A graphic titled "Maintenance Mode" over a sunset beach and ocean background. A translucent blue panel contains a quote in large white text: "Optimism is an occupational hazard of programming; feedback is the treatment." — Kent Beck A decorative white flourish appears beneath the quote. The bottom-right corner displays the text "vintage.computer".

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 15/08/2026

A glimpse inside a university computer room in 1981. Before desktop PCs took over, systems like the Sperry/Univac 1100/80 filled entire rooms, serving students, researchers, and businesses through shared terminals. 🖥️📼 #VintageComputer

Header: "SNAPSHOT SATURDAY" Caption: "Sperry/Univac 1100/80 computer in the Albany State University computer room in 1981" The central photograph shows a large computer room filled with Sperry/Univac 1100/80 mainframe equipment. Multiple tape drives, disk storage cabinets, operator consoles, and control terminals are visible. Hanging signs numbered 19, 21, and 22 identify different areas, while a CRT monitor is mounted overhead. An operator terminal with a green monochrome display sits on a workstation in the foreground. Image attribution: "Erick M. Griffin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlbanyStateUniversity_ComputerOperationsRoom_1981_3_skaliert.jpg The graphic is framed by a filmstrip design on a warm sepia background. The bottom-right corner displays the text: "vintage.computer".

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 14/08/2026

Remember Oxyd? Enigma carries the idea forward with thousands of clever marble-rolling puzzles. Free, open source, and challenging for newcomers and veterans alike, it's a hidden gem that's still worth playing today. 🟢🎮 #VintageComputer

Header: "FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY" Title: "ENIGMA" Details: Author: ENIGMA Release Date: May 14th, 2002 Notes: "A marble puzzle game based on Oxyd with thousands of levels" Get it: https://nongnu.org/enigma/ The graphic is styled as a floppy disk with a white label and red header. The bottom of the label displays the text "VINTAGE.COMPUTER". The lower half of the image depicts the body of a gray floppy disk.

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 13/08/2026

Before USB drives and cloud backups, there was magnetic tape. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, tape drives offered affordable, high-capacity storage for backups, making them an essential tool for businesses, workstations, and power users. 💾 #VintageComputer

Header: "🔎 Throwback Thursday" Title: "Computer Tape Drives:" The center of the graphic features an external IBM magnetic tape drive in a beige enclosure with a front-loading tape cartridge slot and attached interface cable. Image attribution: "Hahmann, Kurt, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_5106_Magnetic_tape_unit_(1).jpg" Body: "Before writable CD drives, magnetic tape cassettes and drives were commonplace for removable media with large storage capacities. Magnetic tape was around since the dawn of computing, but during the 80s and 90s computer manufacturers made tape drives small enough to connect to workstations and home computers." The background shows sand dunes in warm tan tones. The bottom-right corner displays the text: "vintage.computer".

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Vintage Computer @vintage.computer · 12/08/2026

Remember the Turbo button? It didn't make your PC faster; it often slowed it down. Early DOS games and software relied on CPU timing, so Turbo mode let newer PCs mimic older hardware for better compatibility. A clever solution to a very 1980s problem. 💾 #VintageComputer

Blue graphic with white monospace text. Header: "Wow That's Fascinating" Title: "How the 'Turbo' Button Slowed Down Your PC" Body: "Many 1980s and early 90s PCs had a 'Turbo' button—but it didn't make the computer faster. It actually slowed it down to improve compatibility with older software that ran too fast on newer CPUs. A backwards boost!" The graphic includes decorative horizontal divider lines above and below the text. At the bottom-left are a microchip icon, a globe icon, and the text "vintage.computer".

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