Author: Dave Farquhar

Commodore 8-inch floppy disk drives

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Commodore 8-inch floppy disk drives

We don’t typically associate the ginormous 8-inch floppy disks with Commodore. But Commodore produced no fewer than four different models of 8-inch floppy drive for its PET/CBM line of computers.

Read more

Relating to a black male

Dave Farquhar Society
Relating to a black male

I don’t think it’s any secret that race relations in the United States are at a pretty low point right now. A Twitter post from a college professor who happens to be black hit home with me. So I’m going to relate his story to my own experience, in hopes this helps other white males like me gain a sense of understanding.

Read more

What does Unisys do?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
What does Unisys do?

Unisys was once the second largest computer company in the world, and the name of one of its products, Univac, was briefly synonymous with the word “computer.” It’s no longer the force it once was, but Unisys survives today, in a slimmed-down form.

Unisys still produces computer hardware, including mainframes. But like its rival IBM, it makes most of its money in software, service, and integration.

Read more

Shodan API Python example

Dave Farquhar security

I’ve advocated learning Python, and the best way to learn it is with a useful example. Here’s a very simple Python program that does something useful. It queries the Shodan API to tell you who owns an IP address.

Read more

Is Windows Unix based?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing, Software

At least two of the most popular operating systems of today are based on Unix. But what about Windows? Is Windows Unix based?

While Windows has some Unix influences, it is not derived or based on Unix. At some points is has contained a small amount of BSD code but the majority of its design came from other operating systems.

Read more

Infinite game: What does it mean?

Dave Farquhar Careers
Infinite game: What does it mean?

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, I’ve heard some business consultants speak of something called an “infinite game” or “infinite mindset.” This, they say, is the key to surviving setbacks or even thriving in the midst of them. What is an infinite game, and what’s special about it?

The infinite mindset, or infinite game, simply means not caring about winning or losing in the short term. An opponent who is just playing to stay in the game is hard to defeat.

Read more

Atari 800 vs 800XL

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Atari 800 vs 800XL

The Atari 800/XL//XE series may be the most underrated 8-bit computer line of the 1970s and 1980s. Yes, I said 1970s, as it debuted in 1979. But while the Atari 800XL is perhaps the most popular machine from that family, and it’s better in most ways than the Atari 800, the 800 has its own advantage too. Let’s look at the Atari 800 vs 800XL.

Read more

Why does reseating RAM work?

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing
Why does reseating RAM work?

When troubleshooting machines, I was trained to routinely reseat every board and every chip in the case. Especially if there was nothing visibly wrong with the machine, it was amazing how often that worked. So why does reseating RAM work? Why does reseating anything else work?

Reseating works because it improves conductivity. Connectors can get dirty or oxidized, and if that interferes with conductivity, it causes malfunctions.

Read more

Lawn mower bogs down? Try this.

Dave Farquhar DIY
Lawn mower bogs down? Try this.

If your lawn mower bogs down in thick grass or under any other heavy load, there are a couple of possible reasons for it. Fortunately they are also things you can fix yourself.

Read more

House money pit solutions

Dave Farquhar Saving money
House money pit solutions

My coworker asked me for my honest opinion whether his house is a money pit. It’s actually a less complicated question than it might sound. Any house can become a money pit, but most houses won’t, if we don’t let them. Here’s how to keep house money pit issues under control.

In my experience, homes usually become money pits due to a combination of neglect and taking on too many projects at once. Both of these issues are manageable over the long term.

Read more