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Restoring a ZX Spectrum+ Toastrack

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Restoring a ZX Spectrum+ Toastrack: Celso Martinho discusses his efforts to restore a ZX Spectrum 128K Toastrack, sharing childhood memories and detailing the restoration process. Initially assessing the device’s condition, he made various repairs, including reflowing solder, upgrading the power regulator to a DC-DC Buck converter, cleaning the edge connector, improving video signal quality, and replacing the keyboard membrane. He also switched to HDMI video output for better quality. After enhancements, the restored Toastrack is now fully operational and ready for use.

https://celso.io/posts/2025/06/28/toastrack/

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WebAIM: History of the Browser User-agent String

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Browser user-agent strings evolved from early browsers like NCSA Mosaic to the competitive landscape involving Netscape, Internet Explorer, and others like Firefox and Chrome. This tangled history shows various browsers mimicking each other for compatibility, leading to a confusing mix of user-agent strings that often begin with “Mozilla,” rendering them largely ineffective for accurate browser identification.

https://webaim.org/blog/user-agent-string-history/

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Computer Replicas as Time Capsules

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Computer Replicas as Time Capsules: Obsolescence Guaranteed creates functional replicas of historic computers, preserving their legacy through hands-on experiences. Projects span significant milestones in computing history from the 1950s to 1970s, focusing on interactive computing and foundational technologies. Future projects aim to explore earlier computing innovations, ensuring the preservation of computer history.

https://obsolescence.dev/

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A History of the Internet, Part 2: The High-tech Gold Rush Begins

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TLDR: The Internet’s evolution in the ’90s saw the rise of the World Wide Web, introducing browsers like Mosaic and Netscape, amid the dot-com boom. Innovations like hypertext, email, and graphical interfaces spurred rapid online growth. However, the bubble burst in the early 2000s, leading to significant market declines despite earlier exuberance. The next article will explore companies that emerged post-collapse.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/a-history-of-the-internet-part-2-the-high-tech-gold-rush-begins/

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Manx

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Manx is an open-source catalog of manuals for vintage computers, particularly minicomputers and mainframes. It hosts 22,165 manuals, with 10,104 available online across 61 websites. Many manuals are not easily discoverable via search engines due to limited text conversion. The search engine allows queries by part numbers, titles, and keywords. Users can contribute additional manuals or information. Key contributors include Paul Williams (original implementation) and Richard Thomson (current maintainer).

https://manx-docs.org/about.php

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A Brief History of the Numeric Keypad

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Numeric keypad history: Originated from calculators and cash registers, with different layouts (e.g., 9-0 for calculators and 1-3 for phones) due to ergonomic choices, technological constraints, and user familiarity. Key innovations include Jean-Baptiste Schwilgué’s 1844 calculator, Felt’s Comptometer (1884), and Sundstrand’s 3×3 layout (1914). The evolution influenced phone designs, maintaining familiarity in modern devices. Keypad design reflects historical patterns and user preferences.

https://www.doc.cc/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-numeric-keypad

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GitHub – maurymarkowitz/101-BASIC-Computer-Games: Type-in Programs From the Original 101 BASIC Computer Games, in Their Original DEC and Dartmouth Dialects. No, This Is *not* the Same as BASIC Computer Games.

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Type-in programs from original 101 BASIC Computer Games in DEC and Dartmouth dialects; not the same as BASIC Computer Games. This collection showcases various programming styles and dialects, with some programs running in RetroBASIC.

https://github.com/maurymarkowitz/101-BASIC-Computer-Games

GitHub – maurymarkowitz/101-BASIC-Computer-Games: Type-in Programs From the Original 101 BASIC Computer Games, in Their Original DEC and Dartmouth Dialects. No, This Is *not* the Same as BASIC Computer Games. Read More »

Understanding the Origins and the Evolution of Vi & Vim

Vi and Vim Origins: Vi and Vim’s history parallels open-source software’s evolution. Key players and events shaped these UNIX text editors. George Coulouris created “em” at Queen Mary University in 1976, addressing frustrations with the line editor “ed”. Bill Joy developed Vi inspired by “em” after improving “ex” for full-screen editing at UC Berkeley. Vim, initially “Vi IMitation,” began as a clone of Stevie for the Amiga in 1988. Over 30 years, Vim evolved into a powerful tool with a vibrant community, boasting numerous features and plugins, still frequently used in programming today.

https://pikuma.com/blog/origins-of-vim-text-editor

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Cyberpunk 1958: The Early Days of the Polish IT Industry

Polish IT history highlights significant female contributions and innovative designs from the communist era. Women mathematicians played key roles in early programming, with teams often comprising a third female members, achieving notable successes. Polish computers, like the Odra series, faced challenges but facilitated various applications. Despite initial successes, state inefficiencies stunted development, leading to reliance on imported parts. While local programming languages like Loglan’82 emerged, they struggled against global trends. Ultimately, Poland’s IT legacy is marked by both ingenuity and obstacles.

https://culture.pl/en/article/cyberpunk-1958-the-early-days-of-the-polish-it-industry

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An Ars Technica History of the Internet, Part 1

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Extreme TLDR:
Internet’s inception began in 1966 due to Robert Taylor’s frustrations with multiple terminals at ARPA. Sparked by J.C.R. Licklider’s early vision of an “Intergalactic Computer Network,” Taylor proposed ARPANET to connect computers, eliminating inefficiencies. Key innovations included packet switching and the Interface Message Processors (IMPs) developed by Bolt Beranek and Newman. The ARPANET evolved, later adopting TCP/IP protocols, fostering the Internet’s growth, while facing competition from other networks and standards. By the late 1970s, technical debates shaped its development, leading to TCP/IP dominance and the eventual decommissioning of ARPANET by the late 1980s.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/a-history-of-the-internet-part-1-an-arpa-dream-takes-form/

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