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DONKEY.BAS — IBM PC (1981)

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DONKEY.BAS is a browser-based port of the classic 1981 IBM PC game originally developed by Bill Gates and Neil Konzen as a demo for early IBM PC DOS showcasing color graphics and sound in BASICA. The simple lane-switching game challenges players to avoid hitting a donkey, preserving the original CGA gameplay with some modern adaptations in JavaScript. This web version serves educational and preservation purposes, making the early computing experience accessible today.

https://donkeybas.com/

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Os8088 — a Mac-style GUI OS for the IBM PC XT

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os8088 is a graphical operating system that boots directly from a floppy on an Intel 8086/8088-based IBM PC/XT, providing a Macintosh System 1-style desktop with overlapping windows, pull-down menus, and pre-emptive multitasking—features not present in the original 1984 Macintosh. Written entirely in real-mode assembly and fitting within 256KB of RAM, it supports VGA, Hercules, and CGA displays, runs multiple loadable programs simultaneously, and includes applications like Minesweeper, a text editor, and a MOD music player. This hobby project revives an early Macintosh-like GUI on original-era hardware without relying on DOS, offering a modern take on retro computing through open-source code and real hardware demonstrations.

https://os8088.com/

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Fun Little Review by Marcin Wichary of a 1984 Flying Video Game Called Sopwith

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Marcin Wichary reviews Sopwith, a 1984 flying video game that was never intended for public release, a fact its creator only discovered years later. The game’s unexpected availability and nostalgic gameplay have sparked fond memories and discussions among retro gaming enthusiasts about similar vintage titles and experiences with early computer programming.

https://kottke.org/26/08/0049463-fun-little-review-by-marc

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IBM I (OS/400) The Database Operating System

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IBM i (formerly OS/400) is a unique operating system developed by IBM since the 1980s, notable for integrating a relational database (Db2 for i) directly into its kernel, treating all system resources as objects rather than files. Its architecture includes a technology-independent machine interface (TIMI) ensuring software compatibility across hardware generations, and a Single Level Storage model that unifies memory and disk addressing, enabling efficient data management and high reliability. While deeply tied to specialized IBM Power hardware, the system provides a distinctive approach to application hosting, security, and workload management, exemplified by features like message-based error handling and a text-based 5250 terminal interface alongside modern web-based tools.

https://osadmins.com/en/ibm-i-os-400-the-database-operating-system/

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“We Didn’t Want To Simply Revisit The Past For Nostalgia’s Sake” – Gremlin Graphics Is Being Revived As a Heritage Label

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Gremlin Graphics Classics, a new heritage label dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the games and legacy of the British developer Gremlin Graphics, is set to launch in October with involvement from founder Ian Stewart. The label, led by Allan Turvey of Midnight Brew, aims to celebrate Gremlin’s pioneering 8-bit era and support new projects, including a deluxe physical edition of the new Monty Mole game “Dreamtime Monty” for the Spectrum NEXT. Beyond mere nostalgia, the initiative seeks to honor the creative spirit behind Gremlin by collaborating with developers, archivists, and enthusiasts to inspire future generations while maintaining commercial sustainability.

https://www.timeextension.com/news/2026/07/we-didnt-want-to-simply-revisit-the-past-for-nostalgias-sake-gremlin-graphics-is-being-revived-as-a-heritage-label

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Windows NT Got Its Name From One of Intel’s Failed X86 Replacements

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Windows NT originally got its name from Intel’s canceled RISC processor project, the i860, which was codenamed “N-Ten” (NT), the first target platform for the OS. Microsoft later retrofitted the “New Technology” marketing label to the NT name, but it was the Intel i860’s codename that truly inspired Windows NT’s designation.

https://www.osnews.com/story/145617/windows-nt-got-its-name-from-one-of-intels-failed-x86-replacements/

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Windows NT 3.1

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Windows NT 3.1, released in 1993, was Microsoft’s first fully 32-bit operating system featuring improved stability, security, pre-emptive multitasking, and a new NTFS file system. It was designed to be portable across various CPU architectures, but its high memory requirements, limited driver support, and difficult setup hindered widespread adoption initially. Despite these drawbacks, Windows NT 3.1 laid the foundation for all future Microsoft operating systems and influenced the decline of proprietary Unix systems.

https://dfarq.homeip.net/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-windows-nt-3-1/

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Maximum Overkill | OS/2 Museum

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The 1992 game Comanche: Maximum Overkill by NovaLogic uses a nonstandard DOS extender and an unconventional method to enter protected mode, which works on 386 and 486 processors but can fail on Pentium and later CPUs due to changes in how the Intel Pentium handles the writability of the CS segment in real mode. This subtle CPU architectural difference, combined with variations in system BIOS behavior, causes the original game to crash on some Pentium systems, especially after the first run, though patched and updated versions improve compatibility.

https://www.os2museum.com/wp/maximum-overkill/

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10 REM”_(C2SLFF4

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The article investigates the mysterious first line of the 1980 Exidy Sorcerer BASIC game The Wizard’s Castle, which contains a REM statement embedding machine code for seeding the pseudo-random number generator (PRNG). By analyzing the Sorcerer’s memory and instruction set, the author and collaborators reveal that the REM text is actually tokenized machine code stored in BASIC’s linked-list program memory, executed via the USR() function to seed randomness using the Z80 processor’s R register. This illustrates a unique, low-level technique to embed executable code in comments on early microcomputers, highlighting the interplay between BASIC and machine code in vintage gaming and software.

https://beej.us/blog/data/mystery-comment/

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The Computer That Helped Win World War II

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During World War II, the British developed Colossus, the world’s first large-scale programmable electronic digital computer, to decrypt complex German encrypted communications from the Lorenz cipher machine known as Tunny. Designed by engineer Tommy Flowers, Colossus automated and accelerated cryptanalysis at Bletchley Park, enabling the Allies to intercept critical military intelligence that significantly aided their war efforts. The machine’s success marked a pioneering use of digital electronics in computing and is recognized as an IEEE Milestone for its historical and technological significance.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/colossus-computer-ieee-milestone

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