Blog Index

So another new computer added to the collection. This one is a bit weird! After the Commodore 64, Commodore decided their next computer would be worse in pretty much every way. Although it was cheaper and more focused as a business computer with a built-in word processor, spreadsheet, database and graphing functionality. Not surprising that […]

I’ve actually had this for a couple of weeks now but hadn’t got around to adding it to the site. I’ve still not got around to connecting it up yet either due to being busy with other projects. I don’t see me spending a huge amount of time actually using this one as the Spectrum […]

When I was younger I remember seeing a CD-i in a UK store named Comet. It was running an interactive encyclopedia on the demo unit and I remember navigating around and seeing videos of Whales and various other things. It seemed like magic at the time considering my other encyclopedia was a set of books […]

So I have actually had a 48k speccy sat in a box for quite some time but it is in pretty bad shape so didn’t consider it as part of my collection. Recently I was given a bundle of retro bits and included were another two 48ks. One was a board only and one was […]

Some of you may be familiar with RGBtoHDMI project (https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI) Which uses a raspberry pi board to convert the RGB signals from old computers into a HDMI signal for modern TV’s. It was originally designed for the BBC Micro but was then extended to include other computers such as the Spectrum and the Amiga. I […]

Another new edition to the collection. The Panasonic FZ-1 3DO console. This console launched in 1993 in the UK at a price of £400, which is roughly around £830 in today’s money. Safe to say I have never owned one of these before now! This only came with one game called Striker, and I am […]

One of the issue with having all these computers is having a display screen to use them on. I don’t just want to collect computer, I want to be able to play on them, so every system I have is hooked up and usable. Most of my devices go through OSSC’s and then plugged into […]

I have just finished putting together a guide on how to build and connect an ESP8266 based WiFi Modem to the BBC Micro so it can be used to visit old BBS’s and the Telstar system. Check it out here: http://localhost/wordpress/getting-the-bbc-micro-online-via-wifi/

I was meant to post this a week ago but was busy building up the new display unit, so it got forgotten. Anyway, the good news is the CPC464 lives again! I stripped it all down and checked the temp of all the chips on the board and found one of the memory chips was […]

I was starting to run out of places to put new computers/consoles so I busted out SketchUp and put together a 3D model for a new display cabinet which would give me some storage space and some extra slots to fill with retro goodness. I drew the unit to scale so I could take all […]

I’m currently running low on places to put new systems until I build my new display unit (hopefully next week). So until then any system I bought needed to be small and easy to store. What better system than the Cambridge Z88 from Clive Sinclair. This system couldn’t be branded as a Sinclair system because […]

So here we have my first donation to the archive. An Amstrad CPC464 with the GT65 green screen monitor and a nice box of games. The CPC464 itself was nonworking so this was my first attempt at bringing an old computer back from the dead. I will put together a small write-up soon of how […]