Author: Dave Farquhar

Commodore 65: A 16-bit C-64 that never was

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Commodore 65: A 16-bit C-64 that never was

The Commodore 65 was an ill-fated attempt to extend the Commodore 8-bit line one last time and release a hybrid 8/16-bit computer with some backward compatibility with the Commodore 64. The concept was similar to the Apple IIgs and the Nintendo Super NES. Commodore never released it.

Read more

All my husband cares about is money

Dave Farquhar Saving money
All my husband cares about is money

It’s not an uncommon sentiment among women to say, “All my husband cares about is money.” As a man who’s been accused of the same thing himself, I don’t speak for your husband, but I may be able to provide some insight. I know it seems like all he cares about is money, but there’s something a little deeper there.

Read more

What is machine language?

Dave Farquhar Software
What is machine language?

From time to time you may find a reference to something mysterious and computer-related called machine language. Most people just assume you know what it means, if you care. But what is machine language in computer terminology, and why is it important?

Read more

Is emulation legal?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
Is emulation legal?

It’s generally only a matter of time before someone discovers emulation, the ability to run old software on new systems. And since people can do it without necessarily paying for the software they run, someone may wonder, is emulation legal?

Emulation certainly tends to be a gray area. You can do it legally, but not everyone does. And there are a good number of misconceptions about what you are and aren’t allowed to do. But plenty of emulation happens all the time, without breaking the law at all.

Read more

What is considered a sales position?

Dave Farquhar Careers
What is considered a sales position?

You might be surprised what is considered a sales position, if you are looking for a career in sales. I’ve done sales a couple of times in my career, with varying success. I can tell you exactly why. So, what is considered a sales position?

I think being cut out for sales is every bit as important as experience. You can turn any role into a sales job. Then, in your interview, your job is to sell your experience to land that job.

Read more

O gauge vs O27 gauge trains and track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains
O gauge vs O27 gauge trains and track

The difference between O gauge and O27 gauge can be rather confusing, and there are a number of misconceptions out there about O27 especially. Let’s take a look at O gauge vs O27.

O27 always had a connotation of being a cheaper, entry-level train. But what constitutes an O27 train in modern times definitely varies from the 1950s. Lionel discontinued both O and O27 track types in 2015, after approximately 100 and 85 years of production, respectively.

Read more

Why is a college degree important?

Dave Farquhar Careers
Why is a college degree important?

Occasionally I get questions about college, because it delays your entry into the workforce a good four or five years. So why is a college degree important?

While you don’t need a college degree to succeed, strictly speaking, it helps.

Read more

Best baseball cards to invest in

Dave Farquhar Baseball
Best baseball cards to invest in

What are the best baseball cards to invest in? The ones you don’t mind keeping if you lose money on them. But cynicism aside, here are the caveats to investing in collectibles. There are worse things to invest in. Like cryptocurrency.

The best baseball cards to invest in tend to be vintage cards of superstars. High-grade cards of high-tier Hall of Famers tend to do especially well. But if superstar cards are out of reach, you can still do well with exceptionally high-grade cards from popular vintage sets, such as 1952 Topps or 1933 Goudey, since collectors building high-grade complete sets need the common cards too.

Read more

What are prices like at estate sales?

Dave Farquhar Saving money
What are prices like at estate sales?

I’ve long advocated shopping at estate sales as a way to save a lot of money. I frequently get lots of questions about them, for that reason, so I thought I’d try to share some insight. Most importantly, I’ll answer a key question: What are prices like at estate sales?

After all, it’s not uncommon to see a couple hundred people lined up in front of a house to get into an estate sale on Saturday morning. They aren’t standing in line expecting to get ripped off. Some are buying for themselves. Some buy to resell. I have some tips on finding estate sales if this sounds intriguing.

Read more

On3 vs On30: Narrow gauge O scale trains

Dave Farquhar model railroading
On3 vs On30: Narrow gauge O scale trains

Narrow gauge railroading is almost always confusing, and On3 vs On30 is no exception. They sound similar, and they are, though there are some differences.

Narrow gauge has a following among hobbyists who want to be able to model small areas accurately. Most basements don’t have adequate space to model a big-name railroad with any kind of scale accuracy. But it’s possible to model a small narrow gauge operation in a small space. Narrow gauge O scale trains are a great compromise for people who want big trains in a small space.

Read more