Many of us have been preserving and restoring tech from the past for many years. We saw the direction things were going early on. The age of the people's computer continually fades away as entities like Microsoft and Sony grow. Especially when government decides to give subsidies to companies who are already monopolizing everything.
It's probably too late, but maybe better now than never. People in the mainstream are starting to smell the roses. Who wants to buy a game just to find out they don't even own it? You have to buy a CD just so you still need an internet connection to access the game? No thanks! Do we really want computers built with planned obsolescence? Do we want to be restricted and relegated to only using one OS or programming language? Do we want processors that specifically work with one OS that requires an internet connection? Cloud operating systems have a purpose, but not as a replacement for everything. Just as "smartphones" and tablets can never truly replace netbooks for people who ACTUALLY type.
We've had it. It's time to go back and depend less on subsidized corporate consumer bloatware. Pretty much everything after 2006 is a mess. Everything before 2006 is much simpler. Less layers of software.
https://youtu.be/EPzoneQ5ezU?si=8TVdHfWc8-b80YTL
Mainstream media picking up on retro tech trend
Re: Mainstream media picking up on retro tech trend
NBC Bay Area put out a news report called "Play me like Atari: Retro gaming and the push to preserve video game classics" a few days ago.
Atari got some good mainstream coverage. There was discussion about the preservation of classic technology. Also, some stuff about AI being used to cut game development costs by assisting with content creation. Yikes.
Apparently, Atari has released a new Atari 2600 called the Atari 2600+. Not a Flashback. At least that is how it is marketed. It does support *some* original controllers and cartridges. Sadly, it is really based on a Rockchip 3128 SOC. It isn't based on original hardware. Just emulation. What's nice is it has HDMI output and USB power source. But then, this is really just another glorified Flashback console.
Original 2600/VCS hardware clones shouldn't be too difficult and the price would be justified. The 2600+ already costs over $100. Most of the processing power is a waste. A quad core processor? Really?
Look at it this way. Nintendo lost the license to NES hardware. So now bootleg NES/FAMICOM clones known as FAMICLONES are legal to produce and sell. The result is the NOAC. NES on a chip. In a black blob.
Imagine this being done with original Atari VCS hardware. Atari doesn't even have to get rid of the license. Just make it. ... Of course, it would be much more interesting to see them open source the VCS and allow people to clone the hardware eventually. We need more open platforms like the NOAC.
As things are right now, the FAMICLONE is among the most open, capable, and viable platforms available by chance. They may be reverse engineered, mass produced, and distributed for a variety of tasks. The platform is great at things like displaying text and interfaces. Just look at the Windows and DOS clone software available as well as WYSIWYG editor, spreadsheet, and even BASIC!
There's FAMICOM BASIC, but also G-BASIC and F-BASIC for the FAMICLONE keyboard models. Pretty powerful stuff. In the hands of the people. A true peoples computer system.
https://youtu.be/AZQ0raP9dUQ?si=Ss
Atari got some good mainstream coverage. There was discussion about the preservation of classic technology. Also, some stuff about AI being used to cut game development costs by assisting with content creation. Yikes.
Apparently, Atari has released a new Atari 2600 called the Atari 2600+. Not a Flashback. At least that is how it is marketed. It does support *some* original controllers and cartridges. Sadly, it is really based on a Rockchip 3128 SOC. It isn't based on original hardware. Just emulation. What's nice is it has HDMI output and USB power source. But then, this is really just another glorified Flashback console.
Original 2600/VCS hardware clones shouldn't be too difficult and the price would be justified. The 2600+ already costs over $100. Most of the processing power is a waste. A quad core processor? Really?
Look at it this way. Nintendo lost the license to NES hardware. So now bootleg NES/FAMICOM clones known as FAMICLONES are legal to produce and sell. The result is the NOAC. NES on a chip. In a black blob.
Imagine this being done with original Atari VCS hardware. Atari doesn't even have to get rid of the license. Just make it. ... Of course, it would be much more interesting to see them open source the VCS and allow people to clone the hardware eventually. We need more open platforms like the NOAC.
As things are right now, the FAMICLONE is among the most open, capable, and viable platforms available by chance. They may be reverse engineered, mass produced, and distributed for a variety of tasks. The platform is great at things like displaying text and interfaces. Just look at the Windows and DOS clone software available as well as WYSIWYG editor, spreadsheet, and even BASIC!
There's FAMICOM BASIC, but also G-BASIC and F-BASIC for the FAMICLONE keyboard models. Pretty powerful stuff. In the hands of the people. A true peoples computer system.
https://youtu.be/AZQ0raP9dUQ?si=Ss
