Retro / History

Stories and technical context from the history of personal computing, PC hardware, operating systems, software, and gaming. Explore the technologies and design decisions that shaped how we use computers today.

A PalmPilot-style handheld in its sync cradle beside a desktop workspace with a stylus and paper notes.

Aug 11, 2026H.W. Crestwood

PalmPilot: How PDAs Paved the Way for Smartphones

A nostalgic desk setup with an old PC showing a dual-pane file manager interface and scattered retro tech accessories.

Aug 11, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Why Total Commander Still Has a Cult Following Among Techies

A classic Nintendo 64 controller with focus on its central analog stick beside a CRT showing a colorful low-polygon 3D game world.

Aug 10, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Nintendo 64’s Analog Stick: How It Taught Us to Move in 3D

The back of a beige 1990s PC showing chunky serial and parallel connectors with thick cables attached.

Aug 10, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Parallel & Serial Ports: Chunky Connectors That Powered the 90s

A woodgrain-style home console with joysticks and cartridges in a warm late-1970s living room beside a glowing CRT television.

Aug 9, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Atari 2600: The Machine That Built the Home Console Industry

A late-1990s computer desk with a dial-up modem, telephone cable, and CRT monitor glowing as the system prepares to connect to the internet.

Aug 9, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Dial-Up Modems: The Nostalgic Symphony of Connecting to the Web

A late-1990s engineering workstation with a large trackball beside a keyboard and a monitor showing a generic wireframe model.

Aug 8, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Why Trackball Mice Were the Choice of CAD Professionals

A crowded 2000s LAN party with CRT monitors, PC towers, Ethernet cables, and gamers sharing the same room.

Aug 8, 2026H.W. Crestwood

How LAN Parties in the 2000s Built a Culture Online Gaming Couldn’t

A stack of gaming magazines and a reflective demo CD on a late-1990s PC desk beside a CRT monitor.

Aug 8, 2026H.W. Crestwood

The Era of Game Demo CDs Attached to Tech Magazines

A beige Commodore 64-style home computer on a warm early-1980s desk beside accessories, manuals, and a glowing CRT.

Aug 8, 2026H.W. Crestwood

Commodore 64: The Home Computer That Defined an Era