Vintage Computer

Image titled “Maintenance Mode.” The background shows a beautiful beach at sunset, with waves rolling onto the shore and the sky glowing in orange and violet hues. A blue box with gold trim overlays the image, containing the white text: “A workman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his tools.” — Confucius At the top, a matching blue sign with gold edges reads “Maintenance Mode.” At the bottom right corner, a small gold-bordered tag reads vintage.computer.

A timeless reminder from Confucius: “A workman who wants to do his work well must first sharpen his tools.” Preparation and precision, whether in code, circuits, or craftsmanship, make all the difference. #VintageComputing #Inspiration #Confucius #TechWisdom #VintageComputer

Image titled “Snapshot Saturday.” The design features a brown filmstrip border with white text at the top reading “U.S. Census Bureau employees, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.” The central black-and-white photograph shows a U.S. Census Bureau computer room from the 1980s. Rows of large mainframe computers and tape drives line the back wall, while several employees sit at desks equipped with computer terminals and keyboards. The floor is tiled with raised panels typical of mainframe environments, and large columns divide the space. At the lower right corner of the image, the text vintage.computer appears in white on a brown label.

Inside a 1980s U.S. Census Bureau computer room, from an era when entire rooms were filled with mainframes, tape drives, and terminals. Data processing on this scale powered the nation long before “the cloud” was even a dream. #VintageComputing #RetroTech #Mainframe #TechHistory

Image titled “Free Software Friday – OpenRA.” The design features a large light-purple CD graphic centered on a gray background. Text printed on the CD reads: OpenRA Author: OpenRA Devs Release Date: 2007 Get It: www.openra.net About: An open-source implementation of real-time strategy games like Red Alert and Dune 2000. At the top, bold black text reads “FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY.” At the bottom right corner, in smaller text, is vintage.computer.

Free Software Friday! This week’s pick: OpenRA, an open-source project that brings classic RTS titles like Command & Conquer: Red Alert and Dune 2000 back to life with modern enhancements. Build, conquer, and relive the glory days of 90s strategy gaming! 👉 http://www.openra.net

Image titled “Throwback Thursday – ‘Luggable’ computers.” The background shows a soft desert sand landscape with a magnifying glass icon near the title. In the center, a Kaypro 10 computer is shown — a large gray portable computer with a built-in green monochrome CRT display, dual floppy drives, and a detachable keyboard resting flat in front. The display shows green text in a command-line interface. Text at the bottom reads: “The ‘luggable’ computer was the first portable computer. Resembling a large tool box (and just as heavy) these early machines were technically portable but they definitely didn’t fit on your lap (or even have a battery).” At the bottom right corner, the text vintage.computer appears in brown.

Before laptops, there were “luggables.” Early portables like the Kaypro could technically travel, if you didn’t mind carrying 25 pounds of metal, CRT, and floppy drives. Not exactly a “lap-top". #VintageComputing #Kaypro #RetroTech #PortableComputers #VintageComputer

Image titled “Wow That’s Fascinating – CRLF vs LF: The Line Ending War.” The design mimics a retro computer terminal, with green monospaced text on a black screen framed by a gray border. Text reads: “Windows uses CRLF. Unix uses LF. This minor formatting difference has broken scripts, configs, and friendships. It all dates back to typewriters and teletype machines.” At the bottom, green symbols of a globe and circuit icon appear beside the text vintage.computer.

Windows uses CRLF, Unix uses LF, and that tiny difference has broken scripts, configs, and friendships alike. The “line ending war” dates back to the mechanical quirks of teletypes and typewriters. #VintageComputing #Unix #Windows #RetroTech #Programming

Infographic titled “Tech Spec Tuesday – IBM PS/2 Model 30.” The design uses a blue and white blueprint-style background. On the left, a photo shows an IBM PS/2 Model 30 computer setup, including a beige desktop case, CRT monitor displaying blue text, keyboard, and joystick. On the right, text reads: About this machine: “Released in 1987, the PS/2 Model 30 was IBM’s entry-level model for the PS/2 series. It featured the new Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) in higher models, a redesigned case, and the debut of the now-standard 3.5” floppy disk.” A specification table lists: CPU: Intel 8086 @ 8 MHz Memory: 640 KB base, expandable Storage: 20 MB HDD, 3.5” floppy drive Graphics: MCGA Graphics Networking: Optional Network Card Notes: Part of IBM’s PS/2 lineup with MCA bus At the bottom right corner is the text vintage.computer.

Released in 1987, IBM’s PS/2 Model 30 brought the sleek PS/2 design and 3.5” floppy drive into homes and offices. Powered by the Intel 8086, it helped define the late ‘80s IBM PC experience. #VintageComputing #IBM #PS2 #RetroTech #VintageComputer

Image titled “Milestone Monday – November 3rd, 1971.” The background features a dark, starry sky with a stylized yellow sunrise graphic at the bottom. At the top, large yellow text reads: Milestone Monday – November 3rd, 1971 To the right, text reads: “The first edition of UNIX was released on November 3rd, 1971. Developed and compiled on the PDP-7 at Bell Labs to run on the brand new (at the time) PDP-11/20 minicomputer. It was designed by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, and it’s hard to overstate the influence and impact it had on all aspects of computing.” At the bottom center, the text vintage.computer appears in gold. On the left is a black-and-white photograph labeled “Ken Thompson (left) and Dennis Ritchie (right).” Both are smiling and facing the camera. Below the photo, small text credits: “http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/U/Unix.html

On this day in 1971, the first edition of UNIX was released. Developed by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs, UNIX ran on the PDP-11 and went on to shape nearly every modern operating system. #VintageComputing #UNIX #TechHistory #KenThompson #DennisRitchie

Image titled “Maintenance Mode.” The background shows a lush, sunlit forest with rays of light filtering through tall green trees. Overlaid on a translucent green box bordered in gold is a quote in yellow text: “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.” — John Ruskin At the top, a green banner with gold trim reads “Maintenance Mode.” At the bottom right, a gold label contains the text vintage.computer.

Maintenance Mode 🌿 A timeless reminder from John Ruskin:
“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.” Whether you’re restoring a vintage machine or writing clean code, craftsmanship always matters. #VintageComputer #MaintenanceMode

Image titled “Snapshot Saturday – IBM System 36: a mainframe that fits in your office.” The design features a brown filmstrip border with the title at the top. The central photograph shows an IBM System/36 computer—a large, off-white floor-standing unit with a slanted top housing control panels, indicator lights, and a paper feed area. It sits in a small office space next to wooden shelving, carpeted flooring, and storage containers, emphasizing its “office-sized” design. A credit beneath the photo reads: “MHMCCabe at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_System36_5360_(1).jpg.” At the bottom right corner, the text vintage.computer appears in white on a brown label.

Snapshot Saturday 🖥️

The IBM System/36: a mainframe you could fit right in your office. Launched in 1983, it brought multiuser business computing to small and mid-sized companies before PCs caught up. #VintageComputing #IBMS36 #RetroTech #Mainframe #VintageComputer

Text on image: “FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY Plan 9 Author: Bell Labs Release Date: 1995 general release Get it: https://p9f.org About: Developed in the late ’80s, Plan 9 replaced Unix as Bell Lab’s platform for operating systems research. vintage.computer” Image description: The graphic features a stylized CD labeled “Plan 9” with informational text about the software. The CD is light yellow with a gray center, set against a muted gray-blue background with a beige header reading “FREE SOFTWARE FRIDAY.”

🆓💾 Free Software Friday!

Today’s pick: Plan 9 from Bell Labs: a visionary OS that carried the Unix spirit into the next era of distributed computing. 🖥️
Grab it here ➡️ https://p9f.org

#VintageComputer #FreeSoftwareFriday #Plan9 #BellLabs #Unix

Image titled “Throwback Thursday – Acoustic Coupler Modems.” The background features soft desert sand tones with a magnifying glass icon near the heading. In the center is a photograph showing a vintage Atari 800XL computer connected to an acoustic coupler modem. The modem has an orange rotary telephone handset resting in two black rubber cups, which are designed to hold the earpiece and mouthpiece to transmit data acoustically. A small tape drive sits beside the setup, and a CRT monitor in the background displays a game screen. Caption below the photo reads: “Wolfgang Stief, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atari_800XL_with_Modem.jpg.” Beneath the image, text reads: “In order to connect to message boards from the first PCs, computer enthusiasts often had acoustic coupler modems that would be able to send and receive digital signals over an analog telephone line.” At the bottom right corner is the text vintage.computer.

Throwback Thursday ☎️ Before Wi-Fi or even Ethernet, early computer users connected to bulletin boards with acoustic coupler modems, literally strapping a phone handset into rubber cups to send and receive data over analog lines. #VintageComputing #RetroTech #VintageComputer

Image titled “Wow That’s Fascinating – The Altair 8800 Launched a Revolution.” The design resembles a retro computer terminal with orange monospaced text on a black background framed by a beige border. Text reads: “When the Altair 8800 appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics in 1975, it sparked the personal computer movement—and inspired Gates and Allen to write BASIC for it.” At the bottom, a small orange circuit icon and globe symbol appear beside the text vintage.computer.

When the Altair 8800 appeared on the cover of Popular Electronics in 1975, it ignited the personal computer revolution, and even inspired Gates and Allen to write the first version of BASIC for it. #VintageComputing #Altair8800 #RetroTech #ComputerHistory #VintageComputer

Infographic titled “Tech Spec Tuesday – DEC PDP-11/20.” The design features a blueprint-style background with a dark blue information panel. A photo in the upper left shows a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-11/20 computer with its distinctive red and black front panel, featuring switches and indicator lights. To the right, text reads: About this machine: “Introduced in 1970, the PDP-11/20 was DEC’s first in the PDP-11 series and brought an elegant, orthogonal instruction set that influenced many future architectures. With its modular UNIBUS design, it became a popular platform in labs, industry, and education.” A specification table below lists: CPU: 18-bit UNIBUS, discrete TTL logic Memory: 4 KB to 248 KB Storage: Paper tape, later disk/tape systems Graphics: None standard, text terminal output Networking: None standard, serial/terminal interfaces Notes: First PDP-11 model in a legendary line At the bottom right corner is the text vintage.computer.

Introduced in 1970, the DEC PDP-11/20 was the first in the legendary PDP-11 line. Its modular UNIBUS design and elegant instruction set made it a cornerstone of computing in labs, industry, and education. #VintageComputing #DEC #PDP11 #RetroTech #VintageComputer

Image titled “Milestone Monday – October 27th, 1980.” The design has a dark starry background with a stylized sunrise shape at the bottom. At the top, bold yellow text reads: Milestone Monday – October 27th, 1980 On the left is a photo of an Interface Message Processor (IMP) — a beige rack-mounted device with rows of switches and indicator lights. The label on the front reads “INTERFACE MESSAGE PROCESSOR.” A caption below the photo reads: “FastLizard4, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interface_Message_Processor_Front_Panel.jpg.”

On this day in 1980, the ARPANET, the ancestor of the modern Internet, crashed for the first time. A faulty IMP (early router) brought the network down for hours. The solution? The first-ever network reboot. #VintageComputing #InternetHistory #ARPANET #RetroTech #VintageComputer

Image titled “Maintenance Mode.” The background features soft golden sand dunes under warm evening light. At the top, a blue sign-shaped banner reads “Maintenance Mode.” Below it, a larger blue box with gold trim contains white text of the quote: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson At the bottom right corner, the text vintage.computer appears in white on a small blue

A timeless reminder from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Even vintage systems need a reboot now and then. 🖥️✨ #VintageComputing #Inspiration #Emerson #Resilience #VintageComputer

Image titled “Snapshot Saturday.” The design features a brown filmstrip border and header text reading “A classroom’s worth of Acorn Computer’s BBC Micros, in the UK.” The central photograph shows a computer lab with rows of vintage BBC Micro computers, each with a monitor and keyboard. The machines are arranged neatly along long white tables with chairs in front of them. In the background, several people are standing and talking, while others sit at workstations. A colorful geometric mural decorates the wall, and posters hang around the room.

A classroom full of BBC Micro computers: the Acorn machines that powered UK education in the 1980s, introducing thousands of students to computers and coding, helping spark Britain’s computing revolution. #VintageComputing #BBCMicro #Acorn #RetroTech #TechHistory #VintageComputer

Image titled “Free Software Friday – OpenTTD.” The design features a light purple CD graphic on a gray background. Text on the CD reads: OpenTTD Author: OpenTTD Team Release Date: March 14, 2004 Get it: www.openttd.org

Free Software Friday 💿

Today’s pick: OpenTTD: an open-source remake of Transport Tycoon Deluxe! Build railways, manage cities, and expand your transport empire with tons of community-made mods and maps. Get it free at 👉 http://www.openttd.org

Image titled “Throwback Thursday – Computers in Keyboards.” The background features soft desert sand dunes with a magnifying glass icon beside the heading. In the center, a beige Atari 800 computer is shown, photographed from a slightly elevated angle to display the keyboard and casing. The keyboard has dark keys with orange and yellow function keys on the right side. Below the image, text reads: “Many early home computers were all-in-one affairs that had all the computer components built into a case underneath a keyboard. Computer manufacturers of the time experimented with all kinds of layouts, hotkeys, and switches. Some keyboards had satisfying mechanical switches and others had infuriatingly bad membrane keypads.” A small photo credit appears under the computer: “Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atari-800-Computer-FL.jpg.”

Throwback Thursday ⌨️

Long before RGB keys, many home computers were their keyboards. From the Atari 800 to the ZX Spectrum, these all-in-one machines packed everything under the keys. Some felt great to type on. Others… not so much. #VintageComputing #RetroTech #HomeComputers

Image titled “Wow That’s Fascinating – Bill Gates Once Said 640KB Was Enough for Anyone.” The design features white monospaced text on a blue background with rounded corners and a light gray border, resembling a retro computer terminal window. Text reads: “There’s a famous quote—often attributed to Bill Gates—suggesting that ‘640KB ought to be enough for anybody.’ Whether or not he actually said it, that was the original memory limit for IBM PCs. It’s a reminder of how rapidly our expectations—and software bloat—have grown.” At the bottom, small white icons of a globe and circuit chip appear beside the text vintage.computer.

Whether or not Bill Gates ever said it, that 640KB limit defined the early IBM PC era, and reminds us how far computing has come (and how bloated software has gotten). #VintageComputing #RetroTech #BillGates #IBMPC #VintageComputer

Infographic titled “Tech Spec Tuesday” featuring the Tandy TRS-80 Model I. The layout has a blueprint-style background and blue panels with white text. A photo of the Tandy TRS-80 Model I shows a compact gray computer with an integrated keyboard, monitor, and cassette storage unit. Below the image: “Flominator, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TRS-80_Model_I_-_Rechenmuseum_Cropped.jpg”

Released in 1977, the Tandy TRS-80 Model I helped launch the home computer revolution. Affordable, expandable, and backed by a growing software library, it powered early games and business tools for a generation of hobbyists. #VintageComputing #TRS80 #Tandy #VintageComputer

Image titled “Milestone Monday – October 20th, 2004.” The background is a dark, starry sky with a stylized sunrise graphic at the bottom. On the left, there’s a photograph labeled “Install disks for Ubuntu 5.0.” It shows two red compact discs — one labeled “install CD” and the other “live CD” — on a blue surface, alongside an Ubuntu CD sleeve featuring a group of smiling people. A credit below reads: “Kubux. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ubuntu_5.10.JPG.”

On this day in 2004, Ubuntu 4.10 “Warty Warthog” was released by Mark Shuttleworth’s Canonical Ltd. Focusing on community and accessibility helped bring Linux to the masses, and it’s still thriving today. #VintageComputing #Ubuntu #Linux #OpenSource #TechHistory #VintageComputer

Image titled “Maintenance Mode.” The background shows a vivid natural landscape with green hills and a bright sky, illuminated by a rainbow stretching from left to right. In the center, a dark translucent box contains the quote in white text: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The title “Maintenance Mode” appears above the quote in white text on a blue sign-like banner with beveled corners. At the bottom right corner is the website vintage.computer.

A timeless reminder from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” A fitting mantra for design, engineering, and elegant code. #VintageComputing #Minimalism #TechWisdom #VintageComputer

Image titled “Snapshot Saturday.” The top of the image features white text on a brown background with a filmstrip motif. Below it, a photograph shows a vintage computer system in a data center. The large machine dominates the room and is labeled “3B15 AD.” On a nearby desk sits a CRT terminal and keyboard, with a brown office chair in front. Several cardboard boxes are stacked on the floor beside the machine. A small caption reads: “Minicomputers: smaller than mainframes, but more powerful than a PC.” Photo credit at the bottom: “Lamune (talk) (Uploads), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3B15_computer_in_a_data_center_in_Somerset,_New_Jersey_(ca._1997).jpg”

Before the age of personal computers, minicomputers filled the gap between room-sized mainframes and desktop PCs. Smaller, cheaper, yet powerful, they powered labs, factories, and offices through the 1970s and 80s. #VintageComputing #Minicomputer #RetroTech #TechHistory

A graphic titled “Free Software Friday” featuring a silver CD-ROM design. The disc label reads: GIMP Author: Many contributors Release Date: 1996 Get it: www.gimp.org

💿 Free Software Friday: GIMP

The GNU Image Manipulation Program: open-source Photoshop since 1996. Free, powerful, and still evolving after nearly 30 years.

🔗 https://www.gimp.org

Image titled “Throwback Thursday – CP/M: The original 8-bit OS.” The background is a soft desert sand gradient. At the center is a photograph of a vintage Sanco computer running CP/M, displaying green text on a CRT monitor. Two large floppy disk drives labeled A and B are visible on the front of the unit, and a Durabyte disk box sits beside it. The computer rests on a wooden surface, with a keyboard below the monitor. Text below the image reads: “Created in 1974 by Gary Kildall, CP/M (initially Control Program/Monitor, then Control Program for Microcomputers) was the de facto standard 8-bit operating system for Intel 8080 compatible microcomputers. CP/M contributed greatly to the proliferation of computers as well as the development of software and hardware, and introduced computing to a new generation of users.” At the bottom right corner, the text vintage.computer appears in brown.

Before DOS, there was CP/M: the original 8-bit operating system that powered early microcomputers. Created by Gary Kildall in 1974, CP/M became the foundation for a new era of personal computing. #VintageComputing #CPM #RetroComputing #GaryKildall #TechHistory #VintageComputer

Image titled “Wow That’s Fascinating – The History of the grep Command.” The design resembles a retro computer terminal screen, with green monospaced text on a black background framed by a gray border. Text reads: “Created by Ken Thompson, grep searches through text using patterns. Its name? ‘Global Regular Expression Print.’ It became a cornerstone of Unix power tools—small, fast, and devastatingly useful.” At the bottom left, in small green text, is vintage.computer, and at the bottom right is a small green computer chip icon.

Did you know the Unix command grep, created by Ken Thompson, stands for “Global Regular Expression Print”? It became one of the most indispensable Unix tools: small, fast, and incredibly useful. #VintageComputing #Unix #grep #KenThompson #TechHistory

Infographic titled “Tech Spec Tuesday” with the subject “Apple IIe.” An image of an Apple IIe computer setup appears on the left, showing a beige monitor displaying green text, a keyboard, and a floppy drive. Below the image is a credit: “Felix Winkelinkemper, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.” Text on the right reads: About this machine: “Released in 1983, the Apple IIe improved on the Apple II+ with better keyboard support, expanded RAM, and 80-column text display. It became the longest-lived model in the Apple II series and a mainstay in classrooms and offices for years.” A specification table lists: CPU: MOS 6502 @ 1.023 MHz Memory: 64 KB base, up to 128 KB Storage: 5.25" Floppy Drive, cassette support Graphics: 280 × 192 resolution, 6 colors Networking: Optional serial/modem cards Notes: Most popular Apple IIe module The bottom corner includes the website vintage.computer. The design uses a blue and white color scheme over a faint background of electronic circuit diagrams.

Today, we’re looking at the Apple IIe (1983): the longest-lived model in Apple’s classic II series. With expanded RAM, better keyboard support, and 80-column text display, the IIe became a mainstay in classrooms and offices for years. #VintageComputer

Milestone Monday: October 13th 1915. Arthur Walter Burks was born on October 13th, 1915. He contributed greatly to the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer. Later, he helped found the University of Michigan's computer science department.

Arthur Walter Burks, born #OnThisDay in 1915, helped design the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer. 💡💻 A pioneer of computing, he later founded the University of Michigan’s computer science department. #MilestoneMonday #ENIAC #ComputerHistory #VintageComputer

Maintenance Mode. Quote from Henry David Thoreau: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."

Dreams and ideas are the architecture of progress. 🏰💭 Imagination is the beginning, but dedication builds the foundation. A good message for makers, coders, and creators everywhere. #MaintenanceMode #Thoreau #VintageComputer #PhilosophyOfTech

Snapshot Saturday: The iMac G3 popularized translucent plastic computer cases, a radical departure from the boring, beige cases prevalent at the time.

Apple popularized colorful translucent plastic with the iMac: with bright colors and all-in-one design, it broke away from the dull beige boxes of the ’90s. #SnapshotSaturday #iMacG3 #AppleHistory #RetroComputing #VintageComputer