If you remember a time when using floppy disks didn’t seem weird, you’re probably at least 30 years old. Floppy disks or diskettes emerged around 1970 and, for a good three decades or so, they were the main way many people stored and backed up their computer data.
However, it’s now been over a decade since the last floppy disc was made, and it wouldn’t even have enough capacity to store a modern smart phone picture. So why do some people still love using them? BBC Future speaks to some of the floppy disk faithful to find out.
Still one of our fave C64 purchases - a homemade Goldene breadbin with a matching Suncom Inc. thumb-stick (which is detachable). This the best best way to play Wizard of Wor ;-)
I'm afraid grandpa Sun Ultra 10 might have booted his last. He simply turned off and never turned back on over the period of however long my expire record in my DNS zones are (which is when I noticed).
It spent over 25 years computing quietly and never exhibiting any issues prior, it will be missed if I can't resurrect it.
#TodayInHistory 1984 - Ashton-Tate introduces the dBase III relational #database program for IBM PC-compatible computers.
dBase was one of the first database management systems for microcomputers and the most successful in its day. The dBase system included the core database engine, a query system, a forms engine, and a #programming language that tied all of these components together.
This Python script will convert an ImageWriter II data stream/capture into a TIFF file. This was incredibly handy for running multiple tests without needing to actually print it on the printer to see the results.
Photographing some old printing tech. A typeball from an IBM Selectric typewriter/printer/terminal. Xerox font for a daisy wheel printer. Drum from a drum printer. #Photography#RetroComputing#RCSRI
I’ve been rebuilding a #RaspberryPi installation that supports my classic Mac habit 😄
I used to use the awesome #MacIPGW image which includes a ton of pre-configured software like #netatalk. But it hasn’t been updated in a while so I used it as excuse to start from scratch.
I used this Pi Zero W as my starting point. HDMI video stopped working on it for unknown reasons. I added an Ethernet/USB hub hat and a #TashTalk 2 hat for #LocalTalk devices.
This animation shows the simulated output of CUPS ImageWriter II DitherPPI setting approximately from 2 to 31. After that, it changes to a more posterized dither and is the same for any larger value. You can see the dithering dots start very large and shrink down with each new value.