Retro Computing Archives

Refurbish a vintage ball mouse

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing July 26, 2021February 23, 2024

I wanted a mouse for my IBM 5170 and my 386DX-33 systems, but both of them need a serial mouse. I mean old school RS-232 serial, not USB. Finding a serial optical mouse isn’t easy. Plus I wanted something that would look the part. I got an early 90s Microsoft mouse that matches the end of the 286/386 era, and a Logitech C7, but both worked badly. So I had to learn again how to refurbish a vintage ball mouse.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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IBM 5170 PC/AT

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing July 22, 2021October 30, 2021

The IBM 5170 PC/AT is a very popular retro PC, for several reasons. It was the last of the open architecture IBM PCs. And from 1984 to about mid-1987, it was the fastest and most expensive IBM PC. It wasn’t the fastest PC in its category. Compaq took care of that. But if you wanted true blue IBM, this was the machine. It was also controversial, both in its heyday and even today. Let’s talk about why.

Dave Farquhar

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What was MR BIOS?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing July 5, 2021September 20, 2023

In the summer of 2021, Youtuber Adrian Black was restoring an IBM 5170. And he lamented that he wasn’t able to get all of the original parts working together and have a machine that would do what he wanted. It wasn’t a pure IBM 5170 anymore. One of the things he did was put a Quadtel BIOS in it, which received mixed reactions. But that brought to mind another option someone who needed to soup up a 5170 in the late 80s could have used: MR BIOS. What was MR BIOS?

Dave Farquhar

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How to use command line FTP

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing June 30, 2021October 22, 2022

FTP is a useful way to get files to your retro PCs once you put them on your network. You can use a GUI FTP client, but command line FTP isn’t hard and doesn’t require you to install anything additional. Here’s how to use command line FTP.

Dave Farquhar

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Apple IIc power supply pinout

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing June 22, 2021March 24, 2023

I recently needed a new power supply for an Apple IIc to replace a missing one. It’s easy to adapt a modern laptop power brick to work with an Apple IIc. All you need is a pinout. Here’s an Apple IIc power supply pinout.

Dave Farquhar

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Atari 7800 vs NES

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing May 19, 2021April 23, 2024

Both the Atari 7800 and NES were third generation game consoles, and they competed directly with one another. Furthermore, they shared a common influence. So the Atari 7800 vs NES is a natural comparison. But one was much more successful than the other. Here’s why.

Dave Farquhar

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MOS 74LS logic chips

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing May 12, 2021May 9, 2021

Commodore (in)famously owned its own chip manufacturer, MOS Technology, later known as Commodore Semiconductor Group. MOS was pivotal to helping Commodore keep prices low in the early 1980s, as it lowered Commodore’s overhead, and ensured a steady supply of chips. In 1983 and 1984, MOS produced 74LS logic chips. These chips are very failure prone. Here’s how to find MOS 74LS logic chips, and more importantly, what to replace them with.

Dave Farquhar

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Game box repair

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing, Toy trains May 10, 2021March 26, 2024

Vintage computer games and vintage toys display better in their original boxes. But frequently those boxes are in less than ideal condition, especially if you got it at a good price. A pristine box can be worth more than the contents. I recently lucked into a couple of vintage Commodore game cartridge boxes. Their best days were behind them, but I was able to make them presentable again. Here’s my approach to game box repair.

I fixed up quite a few battered books in my day to make them more suitable for resale. The tricks I learned fixing books helped me with fixing game boxes and toy boxes as well.

Dave Farquhar

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Is collecting retro games worth it?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing May 4, 2021March 26, 2024

I saw an interesting perspective this week on the hobby of collecting retro games, from another retro enthusiast. Prices on retro games, he observes, are increasing. That’s making him ask a tough question: Is collecting retro games worth it?

Any hobby seems like a waste of time to the right (or wrong) person. If a hobby, such as collecting retro games, helps you to unwind and get focused, and you can get some of your money back out of it as you lose interest or approach end of life, then I have to argue that hobby is worth it.

Dave Farquhar

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Compaq Presario 425 and 433

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing April 29, 2021April 3, 2024

The Compaq Presario 425 and 433 are popular machines with retro enthusiasts. They are Compaq 486s from 1993, and they look like exactly what they are. They’re well built, have recognizable branding, and don’t take up a lot of space. In some ways they’re the ideal 486 today. Let’s look at why they weren’t necessarily the ideal 486 for 1993, but helped transform Compaq anyway.

Dave Farquhar

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