Silicon Underground (Dave F) / is on Nostr

Computer security pro specializing in vulnerability management, vintage computer enthusiast, blogs a lot. #fedi22 #retrocomputing #infosec #c64 #amiga #atari800

Last Notes

2024-11-10 01:27:33

So I wrote this blog post and forgot to tell anyone about it. This week was the 24th anniversary of Transmeta's IPO. What was Transmeta? Linus Torvalds' employer. And they made CPUs. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/what-happened-to-transmeta-the-last-big-dotcom-ipo/

2024-10-28 12:32:43

It was 41 years ago today that Texas Instruments gave up, discontinued the TI-99/4A, and withdrew from the home computer market. They sold 2.8 million units but weren't profitable. They have Commodore to thank for that. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/ti-99-4a-discontinued-october-28-1983/

2024-09-18 16:02:42

26 years ago this week, Diamond Multimedia introduced the first commercially successful MP3 player, the Rio PMP300. And of course the RIAA sued them almost immediately. I bought one, so this blog post includes my recollections having owned and used one. #retrocomputing #mp3 #mp3player https://dfarq.homeip.net/diamond-rio-pmp300/

2024-08-15 12:31:39

What was it like teaching Andy Warhol how to use a computer? One person alive can answer that question: former Commodore employee Jeff Bruette. He shared his stories with me a few days ago, which I collected in this blog post. #commodore #amiga #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/working-with-andy-warhol-jeff-bruettes-recollections/

2024-08-05 11:32:21

In 1985, #commodore commissioned Andy Warhol to demonstrate its new #amiga computer. Jeff Bruette, the software engineer who assisted Warhol, was one of only two people who thought to keep copies of the original files. Last week, he came forward. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/andy-warhols-lost-amiga-art-found/

2024-07-30 12:20:21

Sir Clive Sinclair doesn't get as much attention in the United States as he deserves. He had more staying power in the UK, but his effect on the US market lasted longer than his sales. Since today is his birthday, let's look at the influence he had. #CliveSinclair #sinclair #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/clive-sinclair-a-us-perspective/

2024-07-15 12:10:06

On July 15, 1996, Amiga owner Escom went bankrupt, not even 15 months after acquiring Commodore International. Was the #Amiga cursed? Was #commodore ? Or was something else going on at Escom? In this blog post, we found out. #retrocomputing #retropc https://dfarq.homeip.net/reasons-for-escoms-bankruptcy/

2024-07-12 21:09:27

It was 30 years ago yesterday, on July 11, 1994, that Gary Kildall, the inventor of CP/M, died under mysterious circumstances. In this blog post, I cut through the rumors and found out what really happened to him. #cpm #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/gary-kildalls-death-investigation/

2024-06-26 11:52:17

Was the Pentium Pro Intel's best CPU of the 90s or its worst? It depends what you ran on it. #retropc #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/intel-pentium-pro-how-it-could-succeed-and-fail-simultaneously/

2024-06-24 12:43:11

In the 1980s, several companies cloned #apple computers. Apple did their best to sue them out of business, and their battle with Franklin Computer became a landmark case. But Franklin reinvented themselves after Apple forced their products from the market. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/franklin-computer-rise-and-fall-and-reinvention/

2024-04-24 16:18:38

The Apple IIc turns 40 today. In this blog post, I explain why the IIc deserves consideration as the preferred Apple II for a retro hobbyist. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/apple-iic/

2024-04-24 12:25:21

Known under several names, the Excelerator Plus was arguably the best third-party disk drive for the #C64 and other #Commodore 8-bits. It was so good, it claimed to be magic. But it wasn't magic. It also wasn't exactly legal, at least not at first. #retrocomputing https://dfarq.homeip.net/fsd-2-excelerator-plus-disk-drive/

2024-04-22 12:28:43

In 1989, #Atari put an #msdos PC in the palm of your hand. It wasn't what we normally think of in an Atari product. In this blog post, we explore why this wasn't as much of a departure coming from Atari as it may seem. #retrocomputing #retropc https://dfarq.homeip.net/atari-portfolio-pioneering-palmtop-pc/

2024-04-22 12:28:43