In my latest podcast (MP3), I read my essay "IBM PC Compatible": how adversarial interoperability saved PCs from monopolization, published today on EFF's Deeplinks; it's another installment in my series about "adversarial interoperability," and the role it has historically played in keeping tech open and competitive. This time, I relate the origin story of the "PC compatible" computer, with help from Tom Jennings (inventor of FidoNet!) who played a key role in the story.
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Adversarial interoperability is what happens when someone makes a new product or service that works with a dominant product or service, against the wishes of the dominant business. Read the rest
From the Computer History Museum:
Years ahead of its time, the 1972 Xerox Alto featured Ethernet networking, a full page display, a mouse, laser printing, e-mail, and a windows-based user interface. Although its high price limited sales, the Alto was a groundbreaking invention and the inspiration for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems.
(Thanks UPSO!)
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In 1980, WMTV in Madison, Wisconsin produced this feature about early personal computers and the geeks who loved them. I enjoyed the discussion of The Source, which was the first online experience I ever had.
George Martin, who posted the video to YouTube, writes: "About halfway through the video there is a segment filmed at my home showing how I had programmed a Cromemco Z-2 computer to control lights and appliances."
(Thanks, UPSO!)
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The Pittsburgh Craigslist has a hot deal: a gaming PC with "Slight Damage" that in no way impacts performance.
Guaranteed to run any new game on Ultra settings! Buy now and I'll throw in a free Zip drive! What a bargain! Has slight fire damage but this affects the system in no way, trust me!
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If technical descriptions of how they achieved the amazing graphical feat flew over your head, this pictorial explanation makes clearer just how insane this thing is.
The idea that such multi-color trickery was possible came to me some time ago, as I was looking at reenigne's code for patching up composite CGA emulation in DOSBox; messing with that patch during development gave me a much better picture of composite CGA's inner workings. When I had ironed out the basic concept for this hack, I divulged it to reenigne for 'peer review' and for testing on real hardware. Soon enough, we had an improved recipe:
Take two familiar (though officially undocumented) tweaks. Blend to an even mixture producing a new effect.
Add one crucial new trick – an ingredient of reenigne's devising.
Test and calibrate until blue in the face.
It's also a great look at the workings of CGA for the interested but nontechnical layman.
Released at the Revision 2015 demo party, 8088 MPH is a vision of previously undiscovered possibility (a perfect entrypoint to the 19A0s!)—there's even MOD music, including digital samples, at 6:40m, like it's just no big deal at all to do that with 1981 hardware
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"My idea of a compact yet powerful gaming PC with a little style added," writes Jeffrey Stephenson, creator of beautiful wooden computers. "Best viewed with Marvin Gaye playing in the background." Read the rest
Notwithstanding the good reasons to be forgiving of CES, I still find it difficult to work up enormous enthusiasm for most gadgets, representing, as they so often do, small incremental improvements over existing technology. However, Wired's top ten CES gadgets report has two items that caught my eye and my interest: Read the rest
Jeffrey Stephenson made a beautiful Mondrian PC enclosure.
Mondrian is a fanless mini-ITX case design made from wood and hand-cut acrylic tiles. Fresh air is drawn into the case after passing through the exposed heatsink finning. An 80mm CPU fan is mounted under the heatsink and acts as a combo CPU/case fan.
Specific inspirations (including the famous Yves Saint Laurent dress) and a build report at the above link! Read the rest
