Retro Challenge 2019/03

The Retro Challenge is a one-month long excuse to do cool stuff with old computers and blog about it (vaguely wrapped up as a competition).

In 2017 I created the RetroMatic 2000 as my entry.

In 2018 I tried to restore two Osborne 1 portable computers. One restoration was completely successful, but with the other I couldn’t narrow down the problem in the disk controller as I lacked sufficient test equipment.

This March I’ll be doing a light-weight entry to the Retro Challenge as I don’t have too much time available.

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Foot-operated water pump for camping

I’ve made a foot-operated water pump for use when camping. It uses a foot pump designed for a boat or caravan, and an articulated microphone stand to hold the ‘tap’. A non-return valve at the tap end stops it dribbling after you stop pumping. Here’s a video of it in action: Here’s an exploded view […]

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Osborne Restoration part 18: wrapping up

So April comes to a close, and with it the April 2018 Retro Challenge.

I’ve spent the month of so buried in these Osborne 1 computers, and have achieved a great deal in restoring them to their former glory.

All the details are in the last 17 blog posts, but I’ve also made a 36 min video summarising everything I did (along with a slightly closer look at the computers and some demos).

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Osborne Restoration part 17: text adventure games!

Yesterday I figured out a workflow for getting CPM software onto disk images that I could run on my Osborne computer.

Now to the final part of my personal ‘retro challenge’. Which was:

“Conclude by playing a classic CPM game on my portable computer! Preferably Colossal Cave Adventure or The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy :-)”

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