Going through and cleaning up my hoard recently. I noticed some of the monitors I have are over 20 years old now which feels crazy. Made me wonder if there will be a time where we look at LCD monitors the same way we look at CRTs. These old LCD monitors were so unreliable and the panels weren't great. At the same time hooking an IPS 120Hz monitor up to an XP machine feels silly. I would assume there will have to be a major technology change before we start caring about old LCD monitors.

I've got a a couple different 386 and 486 machines. I have a personal mix of dozens of dos and win 3.1 games, screensavers, and a few utilities that I wind up putting on all of these machines just because its what's familiar and nostalgic for me. But having every machine be pretty much the same mix of software for the last couple of years is getting a little old. So what do you like to put on your machines of similar capabilities? What is your mix of programs that is fun for you to play around with in 2026 on these slower machines?

Is there anything beyond games, office applications or period programming software that you enjoy, maybe stuff like music creation, graphic design, or very early 3d computer graphics stuff?

Games recs are OK here too as whatever you suggest might not be something I already have on my machines. What are your must haves?

Spotted at the British Science Museum, this beauty is just the console for this early supercomputer - mainframes filled two rooms at University of London. Apparently British Petroleum used it to calculate shortest path algorithms for its tankers.

The Book386 is a retro-inspired, small portable computer built to run vintage MS-DOS and early-1990s software natively rather than through emulation.
It serves as a larger, laptop-style successor to smaller handheld devices like the Pocket386 and Hand386. The Book386 is a retro-inspired, small portable computer built to run vintage MS-DOS and early-1990s
software natively rather than through emulation.
It serves as a larger, laptop-style successor to smaller handheld devices like the Pocket386 and Hand386.

Specs are :
386 SX 40Mhz
16 MB RAM
CL-GD542x VGA Card
OPL3 Sound Card (Yamaha YMF262-M)
CF Card Storage (IDE Mode)
RTL8019AS Network Adapter

It is possible to run customized Linux (Basic Linux) on it which boots directly from MS DOS (so you keep your DOS environment intact). Almost everything works, except the USB mass storage support (this needs some reversing).

You can use it on the modern internet with the custom Linux image I have made here >

https://astr0baby.online/Book386/

Accessing TLS/SSL web is possible with Links
Accessing recent SSH server is possible with custom compiled SSH client.
You can access IRC with BitchX
X11 is preconfigured and works quite well
Network is static
Sound sequencer works
NetHack is there
X11 games (minesweep, solitaire, chess) are there
Nmap + Strobe scanners are there
GCC 2.7.2 is there ....

Here are some video demos I made :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrsRnXUSJIU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K9tifHkZ2Q

This is a fun project to keep the spirit of true oldschool hacking scene alive.

Today I put together a retro-style build using modern components. Thanks to an ARGB controller, I can manage the RGB effects on the fans. Of course, a UV neon light is a must to make the UV IDE cable and the slot fan pop. Add a small Arduino-powered display showing some animations, and—voilà—a 2001-style build that steals the show

Here are the full specifications:

M/B AOpen AX3SP-Pro PGA 370

CPU Intel Pentium III Coppermine 1.0 GHz

RAM 256MB PC150

VGA Asus V7700Ti 64 MB AGP

Case Noua TH100

S.O Windows 98 SE

Picked up a sweet retro PC from goodwill yesterday and found this GPU in it. Was doing some research and wouldn’t find any info about an nVidia MX440 SE with 128mb of ram.

Anyone have any info on this thing? What drivers should I be installing on Windows XP?

I know this post isn’t what this community is really for, but it’s semi-relevant. My husband lost a cherished Compaq promo multi-tool and he is heartbroken since his dad worked there many years ago. Does anyone have one that they could take a picture of or know where I could possibly find one? I would like a picture to try and have one replicated. TIA

More info: it was silver, and was a key chain multi-tool that had maybe a small knife, tool bits etc.

My dad and I found this old NEC multispeed HD computer in his basement and we want to restore it to working order, and replace any broken caps. it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me what side is the best way to open it up. (bottom or top?)

I have my grandpa's old GE 3-5158A "computer program data recorder" aka tape player from the early 80s. Unfortunately the tape belts are at least 35 years old if not older, and they've become overstretched where they can't move or play a tape properly anymore.

I can't repair it myself because according to the service manual for it (https://www.whtech.com/ftp/datasheets%20and%20manuals/Hardware/Texas%20Instruments/PHP2700%20Program%20Recorder/ge5158a001.pdf) in order to reach the belts, you have to disassemble and unsolder some stuff, which I don't have the ability to do. I've since bought a cheap replacement, I don't want to just throw it away if someone could use it and knows how to repair it.

I'd like to offer it FREE to someone here with the knowledge and ability to restore it and allow it to have second life for someone else, just cover shipping.

You can pop off the plastic top and still use it so it's perfect for putting in a swab to lubricate a tape. It has a both a custom wooden box and the original box which can be included if wanted. If more than one person offers I'll randomly draw.

Hey everyone, I'm currently trying to build the original Windows NT 4.0 source code. I tried OpenNT earlier, but it felt a bit too buggy and off, so I decided to compile the original stock source instead.

However, I've tried multiple approaches and haven't had any luck. I keep running into various compilation errors. Does anyone know how to get a clean, error-free build and eventually pack it into a bootable ISO image? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

looking good....

As requested, a startup of the recently posted "time capsule" PC-9801VX21 as well as the intro to 'Attack on the Death Star'. The game was first released for the Sharp X68000 in 1991 and then for the PC-98 in 1992. The arrangement of John Williams' iconic score was done by Yuzo Koshiro, and here the audio is via a PC-9801-26K sound board with YM2203 FM audio.

To get to this point, the machine did require some attention. Although the PSU rails were healthy, I had discovered that the original FD1155D floppy drives were completely dead (no activity LED, no seeking). On both drives, I found that the main SMD capacitor on the secondary board next to the spindle motor had been leaking. For now, I replaced them with working drives from a PC-9801RA21 and transplanted the faceplates and levers.

i have just found about these BBSs.. they seem amazing. are there any with active users? what are some popular ones?

Is this all from the original Motorola kit?

Search results are showing a slightly different kind of board, so I would love to have some insights from the community.

It arrived alongside my new Apple IIe, but unfortunately the courier wasn’t careful and the right drive (2) is down. As shown it tries to read buy there’s a grinding sound after the head carriage moves all the way back (presumably the track zero position) before giving up, with DOS throwing an I/O error. Cleaned the heads but nothing changed, so im worried it got misaligned

Our cool guy here is fully locked-in to his DEC VT100 series terminal, with an LA50 printer, and a (maybe?) Norelco drip coffee maker fueling his efforts. (Subject and location unknown.)

i have had this computer for a while and this setup is coming togheter so nicely.

the components used to be in a really beat up AT case but i recently found this one at my local recycling center, along with the monitor that replaced my previous monochrome IBM, and it looks amazing now.

one last thing i have to do is find an 8 bit video card so that i can free up one of the 16 bit ISA slots in order to install a 3Com Etherlink III card. i really want to see if i can browse the internet on it. also might get a math coprocessor.

it has an Auva TAM/40-U0(U1) motherboard with a soldered 386DX-40, 8MB RAM, ISA Trident TVGA8900D 512K video card, ISA Winbond IDE and floppy controller, ISA Opti 82C931 sound card, a 3.5" 1GB Quantum Fireball (hopefully it will be something more period correct one day), 3.5" 720kb Teac floppy drive, IDE CDROM drive and a 5.25" 1.2MB Safronic floppy drive.

I've had this stuff sitting on the floor for almost a year. Not sure what to do with it as I don't have room left for it.

IBM PC DOS 2.10

Microsoft Publisher 1.0 OEM

Microsoft Works 2.0 OEM

Microsoft Windows 3.1 OEM

MS-DOS 3.2 User Manual

MS-DOS 6.0 3.5" floppys

PC ZONE Discworld demo I thought was a cool find

NOS Baby AT case

I was thinking of switching my 486 over to the new case but after I found my machine again by sorting this stuff I realised I like the old case more so not sure what to do with that one.

I am very fortunate and thankful that my grandparents are still going strong in their 80s. I credit my Pop (and my dad, his son-in-law) for my fascination with computers, retro and modern alike. Several years ago, he gifted me his C64, 1702 monitor, dot-matrix printer, and disk drive, all complete-in-box. I just built a 2008 XP dream machine and I’m now kicking myself for not checking with my Pop before going to eBay.

I recently purchased a Kubota (yes, that Kubota) Denali external graphics box for DEC Alpha Turbochannel workstations. It was new in box and complete, except for the software CD.

After I purchased it, this CD was posted and snapped up on ebay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/307184398497

Anyone know who got it or have a copy of the CD?