Bits&Terminal Jeff

#Queens Early Gen-X nerd ❤️ 🇹🇼☕🐱. Online since 1992. He/him. Bi/ace🏳️‍🌈:bisexual: :asexual:. White lapsed Catholic/Immigrant/ESL/Citizen. Not nice but tries to be kind.

Notes: kindness not extended to bigots. Someone from a marginalized group can be a bigot too. Reverse racism isn't a thing, so fellow white people please don't ever whine about it.

General account is @jf_718 but here for #retroComputing stuff.

Public Key

npub1w30mkmaa3ke85yx48xkrrpctpah53j9mf9kzmz5fyjp5excruefsr5hqcx

NIP-05 Address

jf_718@oldbytes-space.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs8ghamd77cmvn6zr2nntp3su9s7m6geza5jmpd32yjfq6vnvp7v5cpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxga58jvq

Publishing to

relay.nostr.band

Author Public Key

npub1w30mkmaa3ke85yx48xkrrpctpah53j9mf9kzmz5fyjp5excruefsr5hqcx

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Last Notes

2025-04-09 21:15:59

Side by side view of my two Epson LX-80 dot matrix printers. The one on the right I got free at #VCFEast really needs a good cleaning before I'll start testing it.
#epson #dotMatrix #retroComputing
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/114/310/071/546/226/416/original/652be5b6f55d7190.jpg

2025-03-05 03:44:14

I knew the ZX Spectrum sold very well (supposedly 5 million, all models combined), but I also know there were countless clones especially in Eastern bloc nations. Does anyone know how many units were made when counting all these variants?
#ZXSpectrum #speccy #retroComputing

2025-02-20 14:56:06

Very cool tiny demos for the ZX Spectrum, including one about the progress pride flag. 8 bit machines demos are my favorite due to the limitations of these early home computers.
Note: don't read the comments, most are good, but many assholes are also posting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQZt4MO2eD4
#ZXSpectrum #demo #pride #retroComputing #LGBT

2025-02-12 23:12:43

Even though most people have seen the cat vs Lego cat video, here it is again. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAy9ZYWq8_o
#cats #lego

2024-11-13 14:13:27

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@npub12ze…hunm It's not easy, but some are easier than others - I used to homebrew beer years ago (and was pretty good at it) until diagnosed with diabetes. Still have most of the gear and ingredients that are now stale in storage, time for those to go.

2024-11-13 14:07:55

Started to sell my my hobby-related stuff and getting rid of other things too. The less I have the easier it will be to move.

2024-09-09 23:38:28

It's only after I rekindled my interest in old computers 5-6 years ago that I eventually learned that CGA was a lot more capable than I believed back in the day. Some of the demos on IBM 5150 PCs with the original CGA adapter are impressive.
#CGA #IBM5150 #retroComputing

2024-08-13 21:52:03

It's really odd that in my mid-fifties my idea of "fun" is desoldering a dead capacitor.

2024-08-10 18:02:06

Amstrad CPC464 - we don't see a lot of these this side of the Atlantic.
#retroComputing #AmstradCPC #LongIslandRetroGamingExpo
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/112/939/022/846/373/758/original/f05d4cc082b147dd.jpg

2024-07-29 23:01:15

So. Uh. Right. How do I say this?
Even when you have a very important opinion, it's most often okay to not reply to a poster who is not seeking advice. Maybe it's better to post it in your own timeline.
This is evidently a subtoot. And partially addressed at myself for past behavior.
#themoreyouknow #mastodon #replyGuys

2024-07-01 20:11:46

First Beowulf cluster was built about 30 years ago, therefore Beowulf clusters are retro.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_cluster
#retroComputing #beowulfClusters

2024-07-01 20:11:46

First Beowulf cluster was built about 30 years ago, therefore Beowulf clusters are retro.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_cluster
#retroComputing #beowulfClusters

2024-06-30 02:41:45

A very good keyboard is like a very good pair of shoes - when they're a perfect fit you forget about them even while using them.
#keyboard #shoes

2024-05-13 14:15:38

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@npub12ze…hunm Yeah, saw those too. Immediate red flag for me and I just ignore the listing/shop from then on.

2024-04-22 23:20:12

Amazingly, Epson still has the manual for my almost four decades old LX-80 dot matrix printer. I thought I might not be able to find it.
https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/lx80__/lx80__u1.pdf
#retroCompting

2024-04-16 19:34:42

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@npub12ze…hunm Holy shit, I hadn't logged in forever and it turns out my account is still active! It's so weird to be back on that website, one I used to visit often every day starting in 1998 I think until the early 2010s.

2024-04-16 14:00:27

This is a parallel printer cable from the peak cool cables era, isn't it a lot prettier than boring USB?
#centronics #parallel #retroComputing
https://assets.oldbytes.space/assets.oldbytes.space/media_attachments/files/112/281/230/921/755/374/original/b70b9428a5624b23.jpg

2024-04-10 21:49:12

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@npub12ze…hunm They recreated the page flipping so well it took me back!

2024-04-10 21:44:39

I remember the Radio Shack catalogs of the 80s and they were filled with stuff I didn't quite understand but wished I could have. Flipping through this online version and I swear I could smell the ink on that paper again.
#radioShack #80s
https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1983_radioshack_catalog.html

2023-05-28 12:11:27

I remember when 8-bit computing was current, became obsolete then retro. Same with 16-bit. Seeing the same happening to 32-bit is kind of annoying as it really reminds me how old I'm getting.
#retroComputing #aging #genX