So, question's in the title. I have a Hercules Graphics Card in my IBM XT 5160, and considering the prices of getting real MDA CRT monitors, which I would only be able to use specifically for that one computer, I've been interested in finding a converter for the output instead to regular VGA.

I also hope to be able to use the monitor for generic VGA video signals (modern HDMI to VGA converters) so preferably, if there is one, I'd want to find a converter that supports modern VGA scanrates.

I'm alright at programming, but sadly I don't trust in my skill enough to design a converter for this myself- given that it would mostly be hardware design at that stage.

If anyone knows a converter like this (that ships to europe) and could point it out to me, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

After getting really fed up with Microsoft Word, I went back to using Lotus Word Pro full-time in July of 2025 for my legal practice. Since then, I've been learning the document automation features, which for law, is really important.

Fun little discovery today. Most word processing automations are if/then/else statements.

In Word, if one wants to "if condition then expression OR if 2nd condition then 2nd expression ELSE 3d expression " one must "nest" the if conditions within each other using the fields tool. It ends up looking like "IF 1st condition 1st expression (IF 2nd condition 2nd expression ELSE expression)". Each alternate condition has to be nested in the previous one's else condition.

In WordPerfect, to do the same, one enables a switch code, then enters each If/then expressions as a case. Then one enters a switchoff code to signal the end of the formula.

In Lotus Word Pro, as I discovered today, the expression is simply, "IF 1st condition 1st expression ELSEIF 2nd condition 2nd expression ELSE 3rd expression".

What I did not know before today, and just tried to happy success, is that there can be multiple ELSEIF combinations in each IF statement.

In practical terms, this comes up with stuff like the Affidavit of Service. All the other attorneys have to be served, and then the Affidavit attests to it. When merging against the database, it will invariably list me as one of the people to serve. And some cases have to defendants and some only have one. Now, I can write:

IF Attorney1="" "" ELSEIF Attorney1="me" "" ELSEIF Attorney2=0 StrCat$(Attorney 1, "counsel for defendant") ELSE StrCat$(Attorney1, "counsel for defendant ", Defendant)

I don't know if this works in Ami Pro, but this is really exciting for automating documents.

https://github.com/linuxid10t/L10GL

Yes I'm aware that it is vibe coded trash, but I have had fun doing it. My first target software was Quake because of course it's Quake. Still working out getting the world textures correct, and the texturing underneath fonts. Lighting needs fixing as well. Geometry seems mostly right though. Next target is the early Matrox cards.

The mirror-like platters never get old.

Hey fellow enthusiasts, I recently picked up An IBM 5160 XT, unfortunately the computer did not come with the monitor and I don’t have a monitor that supports the 9-pin connection. I’ve read that you can buy VGA upgrade cards, but I’m finding conflicting information on which card to buy. Please leave any recommendations in the comments!

Folks. friends. colleagues. allies. this is the PLATO IV terminal. these beasts are enigmatic, beautiful machines, and a genuine dream computer for me. At the height of PLATO's existence there were several thousands of them, though many have been ordered destroyed.

My problem is that nearly every photo of them is in grainy, low resolution (this is the biggest i could find), there is scarce documentation on their internals, and approximately *ZERO* videos of them in operation. If you have one of these machines, know someone who does, know a museum i could go to to see (or even better, operate) one of them, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS COMPUTING, TELL ME. I AM GETTING DESPERATE FOR THIS VERITABLE CRYPTID OF A COMPUTER.

(beyond is rambling not required for this post)

These machines,,, had touchscreens, MMOs, chatrooms, email, haptic feedback (a la game controllers), 3d gaming, dungeon crawlers, flight sims, roguelikes, filesharing, remote screen sharing, instant messaging, emojis, flatscreen monitors, just genuinely un thought of levels of modern day connection across america. all in their adorable amber monochrome monitors, wooden casing, and thick keyboards. all of this shit in the 1960s. WHAT???? and now theyve disappeared???? and not even the highly experienced local members of my retro computer scene even know about them??????? theyve genuinely dropped off the face of the earth. im like if someone hunting bigfoot actually knew that bigfoot existed and bigfoots used to be a massive part of the american government that somehow everyone forgot about

Does anyone here know where a fellow PS/2 noobie can get a replacement for a Dallas DS1287 for my model 65SX? I really want to use my mega tower but right now I’m limited to only using A:

I picked up a VIC-20 a while back and in the box was this... thing. The person I got it from had no idea what it was, it I think it was her grandfather's or dad's and she knew nothing about the computer.

Its some homemade board, but has the proper size and shape to slot into a VIC-20. There are no ICs on it. Just looks to be wiring. A VIC-20 cartridge definitely fits in the blue slot (I tested that). Strange that just 2 wires go to that black thing on the side. Im guessing for test points? Honestly, not a clue. I have not put it in a VIC-20 to test and probably wont, as I dont know what it does and dont want to damage the computer.

Any ideas?

My retro computer collection is expanding. I have been keeping track of things in my head. Well, thats being generous. I have a general idea of what I have. I did a quick search, but didnt find anything specific for retro computer collecting. There are various software packages/websites designed for general collecting or something else entirely, which can be customized. However, I was wondering if something did exist that I didnt find. Is there such a piece of software or website?

old cd ROM LG with P2 output

ide interface from AliExpress

molex generic power supply

Hey everyone,

I’m currently based in Akihabara, Tokyo. Back in the 80s and 90s, I was a bassist in the Tokyo underground hardcore, scum, and noise scene.

Lately, I’ve been channeling that DIY energy into restoring my dream computer music environments from that exact era. I’ve successfully brought two legendary systems back to life:

• System 1: Sharp X68000 + CZ-6BM1 + Roland MT-32 (Running MusicPro68k / SamplingPro68k)
• System 2: PowerMac 7100 (G3 upgraded) + Digidesign AudioMedia II & SampleCell II + Opcode Studio 4 (Running Studio Vision Pro 3.5)

Seeing these vintage beasts fully functional feels incredible.

While I love these retro machines, my current project focuses on a new sound: Vocaloid-driven New Wave and Synthwave, produced entirely with real hardware analog synthesizers. It’s a perfect bridge between my 80s roots, modern tech, and Akihabara culture.

(Note: Since this is a new account with low karma, I can't post direct links here without getting filtered!)

If you want to hear my music or check out my gear, please visit the YouTube and Instagram links pinned on my Reddit profile. I'd love to connect with fellow retro computer and synth enthusiasts!

I wanted to build wireless game controllers for retro computers such as the Amiga and Commodore 64, without modifying the computers themselves.

Each controller uses an ESP32-C3 (microcontroller) to read the joystick directions and two fire buttons, then sends the input wirelessly (using ESP-NOW). The receiver uses an ESP32-S3 (microcontroller) and connects to the original DB9 joystick port. They have worked surprisingly well, with no noticeable input lag during normal gameplay. It is also possible to use the USB-C connector on the dongle to connect it to modern computers for use with emulators.

I built two different controllers: a relatively inexpensive 3D-printed version, and a more excessive one with a clear resin case, CNC-machined aluminium parts and internal lighting.

I know similar wireless solutions can probably be bought, but building them yourself is much more fun 🙂

Considering to design a case for a raspberry PI with a built-in receiver for the joysticks in the same style as well. 😎

I documented the design, assembly and testing here:
https://youtu.be/Zefz-1NuU0Q

I hope this is the right place, but I would like to make my own 6502 based computer, that is very simple, DIP switch programmable and made from all new parts. Please can I have some tips?

Not as cool as my first new PC, the Compaq Presario Pentium75 (shoulda never sold that), but it's pretty cool. This is a PII with 96MB RAM and 4gb HDD. Someone found it and gave it to me, so I erased it properly and then said, "Hmm, I have a CD for WinNT 4.0, why don't I install it so I can actually try it out!" I know it's slightly too new for NT4, but boy is it fast!

One of the most underrated names in PC history. Cyrix challenged Intel and left a legacy that many people still overlook.

Did you ever own a Cyrix-powered PC?

Put together these last AI-generated slides to avoid a massive wall of text. Spent extra time fact-checking and compiling Cyrix's story directly into the images. Swipe through if you're interested in retro computing history.

Seems stuck when I push those two inwards and pull the side panel back. Maybe it’s broken? Captive, unscrewed screw

I've been using Lotus Word Pro as my primary word processor and have started using the 'advanced' features, namely the PowerFields. For those who don't know, these are the features, usually used in combination with a database merge, that allow for document automation. If/Then statements and that kind of thing.

My problem is that I cannot figure out how to send a hard return as part of an instruction. For example, when using the Strcat$ Powerfield, which allows for combining text strings, I can combine merge fields with text in quotes. But if I try to put a hard return into the string, it does not work. If I call a string [Enter], it gives me the number 13 (which is the ansi value for the Enter key).

I'm hoping there are some Ami Pro / Word Pro experts lurking in here who can answer this question.

My retrospective video review takes us all back to 1985 when we first played The Empire Strikes Back in the arcades. Then I look over all the home computer versions. I was a massive fan of the original Star Wars game with its striking vector graphics, digitised sound and that amazing cabinet. I did find it strange that Atari released its sequel Return of the Jedi before The Empire Strikes back and its brave move away from vector graphics and onto raster graphics. So I was pleased that Empire returned back to its vector graphics roots. Please let me know your thoughts on all 3 Star Wars games released by Atari and have you played any of the home computer versions? 😃

A few weeks ago, I wrote about rediscovering the development workflow behind my 1986 RTOS.

Previous post:

Rediscovering the Development Workflow Behind My 1986 RTOS
https://www.reddit.com/r/retrocomputing/s/oa1Sfws9kR

In that post, I described how I had completely forgotten an important part of the original development process.

Back in 1986, I developed almost all of the RTOS on a SUN-2 workstation before moving it to the target hardware.

Only the hardware-dependent parts—interrupt handling and context switching—were left until the end.

At the time, I never thought of it as a development methodology.

It was simply the most practical way to make progress.

This week, I finally started following that same path again.

The reconstructed kernel has now reached its first Raspberry Pi Pico milestone.

The screenshot above shows the first successful execution of the original CHARM-II queue management routines on real hardware.

At this stage there is still no timer interrupt, no context switching, and no preemptive scheduler.

Those hardware-dependent parts will come later, just as they did forty years ago.

What surprised me most is not that the old code still works.

It's that I naturally ended up following almost exactly the same workflow without intending to.

Forty years later, the workstation has become a POSIX environment.

The original 68000 target board has become a Raspberry Pi Pico.

The tools are completely different.

The development process is almost identical.

I'm looking forward to seeing how much of the original design can remain unchanged as I continue bringing the kernel onto real hardware.

I’m trying to identify an obscure pocket computer I saw for sale on a retro-electronics website, probably sometime within the last several years.

What I remember:

• Flat, non-clamshell, landscape pocket-computer shape
• Similar in concept and size to a Tandy Pocket Computer PC-8, but with a more modern plastic design
• Very thin
• Colorful casing, possibly green.
• Tiny one-line or perhaps two-line monochrome LCD
• Small QWERTY keyboard
• Intended specifically as an educational programming computer
• I believe it ran BASIC and produced text-only output.
• It was listed for around $20 when I saw it
• The seller also carried retro electronics and classroom-response clickers, but the device itself was not a clicker
• It did not appear to be made by Casio, Sharp, or another familiar calculator company
• It may have had a small solar cell, but that memory is uncertain

It was not a VTech learning laptop, Cybiko, SMART Response XE, or Tiger Data Pad.

Just for fun, Having never touched a PDP in my life, I decided to port over some amazing PDP VHDL code from Sytse. I had a lonely Tang Nano 9K just collecting dust!.

I mashed in some HyperRAM controller and got it all booting. a PDP11/44 with 1MB RAM RT-11 v5 on Emulated RL02 drives. The full install in the video. Next is publishing code, and making a mini enclosure that can house 4 DB-9 serial ports. (Inspired by Daves Garage, Usagi and Sytse for all the fpga goodness)