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History of overclocking

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing January 11, 2017September 17, 20231980s, 1990s, 6502, amd, amiga, asus, Chuck Peddle, DIY, IBM, intel, motorola, overclocking, pentium ii

Overclocking didn’t start in the 90s, and it wasn’t limited to PCs either. Here’s a history of overclocking from a guy who did it some, and talked to guys who did it a lot in the 80s.

I don’t recommend overclocking, and today Microsoft can prove it’s a bad idea. But overclocking has a long and colorful history. It’s less common than it used to be, perhaps. But it’s not completely extinct.

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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The first Compaq computer

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 22, 2016April 23, 20231990s, commodore, compaq, IBM, intel, Personal Computer

The first Compaq computer was its eponymous Compaq Portable. It was a suitcase-sized clone of the original IBM Personal Computer, with an Intel 8088 CPU running at 4.77 MHz running Microsoft MS-DOS. It was hardly the first non-IBM computer to run MS-DOS, but it was the first legal IBM PC clone with a high degree of compatibility.

Compaq announced it in November 1982 and shipped the first unit in March 1983. It originally cost $2995 for a single-drive unit. A dual-drive unit, which was much more useful, cost $3,590.

Dave Farquhar

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What does scroll lock do? Or scrlk?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing September 7, 2016August 7, 20181980s, excel, IBM, lenovo

What’s the purpose of the scroll lock key? What does scroll lock do? With modern windowing operating systems we don’t need the scroll lock or scrlk key very often, but it solved a very real problem in the days of DOS.

The scrlk key is an abbreviation for scroll lock. Some keyboards abbreviate it even further. I one keyboard that just says “scr” on that key. However your keyboard abbreviates it, it’s almost always the key in between the print screen and pause keys.

Dave Farquhar

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Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing August 8, 2016February 21, 2022computer software, Digital Research, Gary Kildall, IBM, intel, Jerry Pournelle, podcast, SCO

Did Microsoft steal DOS from CP/M? There’s $100,000 in it for you if you can prove they did.

Digital forensics consultant Bob Zeidman still says no. I’ve written about him before. But the rumors persist, hence the reward. So how would one go about claiming it?

Start with what we know.

Dave Farquhar

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Irving Gould and Commodore

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing July 28, 2016September 4, 20181980s, 6502, apple, Apple Computer, atari, Canada, commodore, commodore 64, IBM, irving gould, jack tramiel, Mehdi Ali, MOS, stock scam, Texas Instruments, TI

Irving Gould was a Canadian financier and chairman of Commodore International. Although it’s an oversimplification, journalist Robert X. Cringely dismissed the once high-flying computer company, which had 60% of the market in 1984, as Irving Gould’s stock scam.

Gould was a bit of an odd fit to be running a computer company. He knew finance, but admitted in 1988 that he didn’t know how to use a computer.

Dave Farquhar

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New computer, old monitor

Dave Farquhar Hardware May 26, 2016October 5, 20191980s, acer, asus, dell, DisplayPort, hp, IBM, lenovo, VGA

New computer, old monitor: I see questions fairly frequently about using a new computer and older monitor together. More often than not, it’s possible to do, but you may need to know where to look for the cables and adapters you’ll need.

Here’s some help.

Dave Farquhar

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Commodore 64 vs 64c

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing May 9, 2016October 19, 20181541, 1980s, 1990s, Bil Herd, c64, commodore, commodore 64, IBM, Personal Computer, Tandy, tandy 1000

The Commodore 64 went through a number of revisions throughout its long life. The most outwardly visible of those revisions was the transition from the tan, boxy C-64 to the thinner, lighter-colored 64c. If you’e wondering about the Commodore 64 vs 64c, here’s what you need to know.

Dave Farquhar

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Who bought Commodore

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing January 14, 2016August 23, 2018amiga, commodore, dell, IBM, samsung

Commodore International went out of business in 1994, after nearly a decade of declining revenue. But the company left a significant legacy, which leads to some logical questions. What became of Commodore? Who bought Commodore?

Dave Farquhar

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Mehdi Ali: Commodore spinmeister

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing December 22, 2015October 28, 20181980s, 1990s, amiga, christmas, Chrysler, commodore, commodore 128, commodore 64, IBM, irving gould, Mehdi Ali, Office Space, stock scam, XT

I found the thumbnail biography of one Mehdi Ali recently. It reads, in part:

“His prior experience includes serving as the President of Commodore International, where he accomplished a major operational turnaround.”

I don’t think he and I share the same definition of “major operational turnaround.”

Dave Farquhar

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How to add a generic printer in Windows 10

Dave Farquhar Windows November 25, 2015March 11, 2024Click Next, hp, IBM, laserjet, UNC, Windows 10

Sometimes you need to add a generic printer in Windows 10.

Windows 10 makes the setup of newer hardware pretty automatic, but if you have a legacy or specialized printer that has to be set up as a generic printer in Windows, the process isn’t intuitive. Here’s how to set it up.

Dave Farquhar

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