Anyone into vintage computing?

[bbhaag]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes.

So I recently purchased a 486 computer off Ebay and was looking for a good place to hang out and get some good info. I've found a few good forums like VC and Vogons but was wondering if I missed one? I'm also open to IRC chans or newsgroups that are dedicated to vintage computing as long as they are friendly.

So I guess if anyone here is into it where do you go to hang out and get some good info?

 

[disappoint]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes.

So I recently purchased a 486 computer off Ebay and was looking for a good place to hang out and get some good info. I've found a few good forums like VC and Vogons but was wondering if I missed one? I'm also open to IRC chans or newsgroups that are dedicated to vintage computing as long as they are friendly.

So I guess if anyone here is into it where do you go to hang out and get some good info?

I honestly don't know what the point of this is, but I'm curious what the draw is for you. If I bought a vintage computer I think I would just be frustrated with it's limitations and how slow it is.

 

[brianmanahan]

i still got my commodore 64 hooked up downstairs

 

[Nebor]

The fact that this is a thing is mildly irritating to me.

 

[MongGrel]

No.

But if I was, I think a C64 would be more amusing than a 486.

The big floppies still work ?

 

[disappoint]

i still got my commodore 64 hooked up downstairs

Yeah but what do you do with it that your 1986 Cray Supercomputer (ahem quad core i5/i7 whatever computer you have from the last 5 years or so) can't do?

 

[Spydermag68]

I bought an old Apple ][e about 15 years ago for $75 from a used computer store. I had seen it in there a week before but I wanted to find an old disk to boot it up before I made my purchase. I people at the store did not know if it would even work since no one had ever tried it. It worked and it floored people in the store that an old floppy disk was still readable.

 

[brianmanahan]

Yeah but what do you do with it that your 1986 Cray Supercomputer (ahem quad core i5/i7 whatever computer you have from the last 5 years or so) can't do?

print to my dot matrix printer

(or use my atari joystick)

 

[disappoint]

print to my dot matrix printer

(or use my atari joystick)

So you just like the noise of the dot matrix printer or what? Because we have printers that are faster with higher resolution today.

We also have joysticks that are far superior in pretty much every way nowadays as well.

 

[MongGrel]

So you just like the noise of the dot matrix printer or what? Because we have printers that are faster with higher resolution today.

We also have joysticks that are far superior in pretty much every way nowadays as well.

You're living up to your name atm.

 

[disappoint]

You're living up to your name atm.

Are you capable of answering the question as to why someone would want a vintage computer or just ad hominem attacks? Because if it's only the latter, that would assure quite the disappointing discourse wouldn't it?

 

[MongGrel]

Are you capable of answering the question as to why someone would want a vintage computer or just ad hominem attacks? Because if it's only the latter, that would assure quite the disappointing discourse wouldn't it?

I'm sure Brian knows there are better things than dot matrix and said controllers out there.

Stop being a twit.

Or learn what a Colbert emoticon means.

 

[JasonCoder]

To steal a line, this concept is like masturbating with a cheese grater. Slightly amusing but mostly just painful.

 

[brianmanahan]

So you just like the noise of the dot matrix printer or what? Because we have printers that are faster with higher resolution today.

We also have joysticks that are far superior in pretty much every way nowadays as well.

i mess around with it once or twice a year to relive the early days of my computing career

also some of the games are pretty fun

 

[disappoint]

I'm sure Brian knows there are better things than dot matrix and said controllers out there.

Stop being a twit.

Or learn what a Colbert emoticon means.

Oh I see how this works. You feel as though Brian is incapable of answering for himself, so you jump in on his behalf with yet another ad hom attack. What is a twit again? I left my 4th grade Guide to Tease words dictionary in...well somewhere between 4th and 6th grade. Oh nevermind, I see you just showed me what it is by example. Bravo. That was sneaky. Thought you almost got that one by me didn't you?

 

[ninaholic37]

DOS is a great escape from what the world has become. I think the best time to travel back to is before CD-Roms and Windows. This is why I have FreeDOS on dual boot on my laptop, and have taken adequate measures to boot into it ~50% of the time. I already have many great DOS tools: Directory Freedom (a file manager), Sea 1.3 (a picture/movie viewer), 7zip for DOS, lame mp3 encoder for DOS, Open Watcom (extended compiler) for DOS, Edit (for writing creative stories and documents), Adtracker2 (for composing music through Adlib), Midier (for playing midi files), pkzip and lzexe, a bunch of fun games that play through PC Speaker, some editors, a CPU scaling tool. Life is good and fun inside DOS and it boots instantly! And it's not connected to the internet so less wasting time on forums and more time being productive with no "multitasking" distractions.

 

[disappoint]

i mess around with it once or twice a year to relive the early days of my computing career

also some of the games are pretty fun

Well to each their own. Have fun for a few days before you put it away in the closet to collect dust next to the How to Tease Your Classmates Guide for 4th graders.

 

[DigDog]

No.

But if I was, I think a C64 would be more amusing than a 486.

The big floppies still work ?

+1 for this.

 

[brianmanahan]

Well to each their own. Have fun for a few days before you put it away in the closet to collect dust next to the How to Tease Your Classmates Guide for 4th graders.

hey, we all have our thing.

i like messing with old computers once in a while, you like to look like a jerk by making fun of people's hobbies and pastimes.

 

[brianmanahan]

I'm sure Brian knows there are better things than dot matrix and said controllers out there.

yep, back in the 90's i had a 1500$ commercial inkjet printer, top of the line

did a lot of printing work for local businesses! made about a grand or two per year when i was in my teens, which i usually blew on new monitors and graphics cards and the like

i probably should have invested some of it into mutual funds instead of buying more disposable stuff though

Or learn what a Colbert emoticon means.

yes we're gonna have to work on those non-verbal cues :awe:

 

[disappoint]

hey, we all have our thing.

i like messing with old computers once in a while, you like to look like a jerk by making fun of people's hobbies and pastimes.

Oh I see what's got everyone's panties in a wad. Faux outrage. Show me where I made fun of your hobby or pastime.

 

[brianmanahan]

The big floppies still work ?

yep! it's a commodore 1541 5.25".

i bought the whole machine (including disks) from people who smoked, so they still smell like smoke after 25 years.

some of them take a long time to load "*", 8, 1/run. one of the games takes a full 45 minutes just to load which is ridiculous. but it's little computer people, so totally worth the wait.

 

[brianmanahan]

Show me where I made fun of your hobby or pastime.

ok:

Well to each their own. Have fun for a few days before you put it away in the closet to collect dust next to the How to Tease Your Classmates Guide for 4th graders.

done

 

[disappoint]

That's not making fun of your hobby. That was a jab at name calling, which is pretty much the hobby of 4th graders.

Put it away in the closet to collect dust is what a lot of people do with old hardware after they get tired of it's nostalgia factor. But like I said to each their own and have fun.

I was just genuinely curious as to the draw of old obsolete hardware and software. The question was answered. We could have done without the name calling but some people have the maturity of 4th graders and that's just sad.

But if I get attacked, I will go on the defensive otherwise people assume, and believe, the worst about me if I don't. While I make every attempt to take the high road, I cannot let someone have the floor while verbally attacking me unprovoked and leave their accusations unchallenged. I hope you understand, and I apologize for any misunderstanding if I caused any.

 

[MongGrel]

That's not making fun of your hobby. That was a jab at name calling, which is pretty much the hobby of 4th graders.

Put it away in the closet to collect dust is what a lot of people do with old hardware after they get tired of it's nostalgia factor. But like I said to each their own and have fun.

Twit.

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/twit

I went to the learners dictionary, to tone it down for you.