Posts
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Hobbyist Electronics Starter Kit
What basic equipment will you need if you want to get started with hobbyist electronics? It’s possible to put together a useful hobbyist electronics toolbox relatively cheaply with a few key tools. Whether you’re building FPV drones, repairing retro computers or hacking Arduinos and Raspberry Pi’s, a basic soldering kit and a multimeter can go a long way. For more complex projects you might also need a bench power supply and test equipment such as an oscilloscope, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to build your own mini electronics lab.
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The Epson HX-20 - A Contrarian's View
The Epson HX-20 is often referred to as “the first laptop” and hailed as a masterpiece of industrial design. However the reality is that it is a contradictory, compromised machine that never achieved the recognition it’s remarkable launch implied. Let’s explore why.
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Writing a Game From Scratch - Part Three
In which we write a complete subroutine
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Writing a Game From Scratch - Part Two
In which we write our first simple machine code
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Connecting Retro computers with Serial
Getting data out of an old computer often means reaching for (or making up) a serial cable. Here’s an example, transferring files from a Tatung Einstein to a Windows 10 computer using a USB to Serial adapter and a custom cable. Most of the details apply to other computers making it possible to swap files between retro and new machines relatively easily.
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Writing a Game From Scratch - Part One
In which we learn about numbers, memory and character mapped graphics
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Writing a Game From Scratch - Introduction
Writing a game from first principles in assembly language.
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The Week in Retro - 23rd April 2021
Updates, discoveries and distractions from around the web.
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A New 8-Bit Computer - Cerberus
Much of the attraction of retro computing is the chance to understand how a machine really works. For some, that’s about building a thorough knowledge of the library of games and tools that came with a classic computer. For others, it’s about developing new software for retro consoles. For a dedicated few, it evolves into the desire to make your own device, to your own unique design. What better way to understand how computers work than to put together a complete working system from individual parts?
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The Week in Retro - 9th April 2021
Updates, discoveries and distractions from around the web.
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Reviving the Enterprise 128K
Today’s adventure is a (relatively straightforward) revival of the Enterprise 128K that has been lurking in my loft, and a review of the Wavlink Composite Video adaptor. The two products have nearly forty years between them, but they work well together to bring retro computing to the big (ish) screen.
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The Week in Retro - 2nd April 2021
Updates, discoveries and distractions from around the web.
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Getting Started with Spectrum Retro Computing
I’ve recently rekindled my love of one of the legends of retro computing - the ZX Spectrum. But getting started offers a bewildering range of choices. What is the best option for playing original 80’s games, more recent releases from the busy dev scene, or exploring 8-bit technology with a modern twist? Here’s what I’ve found on the net.
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Introducing Legion
With the Legion Blog, I’m planning to cover a range of topics, from retro hardware, to games and computer design. But what is the Legion computer?
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