Viewing profile — illys

It requires a different way of coding: bug-free is a serious target, as far as it can be approached. It is a permanent concern while coding, with a lot of testing, and releases are…

Well, my 2-cent is that you can laugth of everything but not with everybody... So defying the norms with Easter Eggs sent to the wild can be an issue. You have to know your audienc…

Small fix: the IBM System/23 Datamaster was based on Intel 8085, an improved version of the 8080 (binary compatible, more features, requiring less electronics around).

I love the story... But don't forget this story is the proper selection of events with textual glue and interpretation to make it feel like a novel. Some statements belong more to …

If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, and you don't accept... You might loose two friends since both of them think they are right and will not understand you do not support th…

Probably because the so-called "low level" work and skills are underrated: Have you ever wondered why your modern computer makes you wait for so many things? ... while you or other…

A cool DIY computer project could be a free re-creation of computers of the past. I believe it would make sense re-running the path of computer history, but pushing more and more o…

I found a treasure on eBay this year and I shared it on Archive.org (link above, scroll down below the image) and Minuszerodegrees (Manuals > Third parties > Compaq). It is a Compa…

"Between them IBM and MS traded performance for forced standardisation" Maybe I misunderstand, but for me it is a strange statement: * IBM fought standardization: they initially re…

That logic is like breaking windows to feed the glazier's family... Or puncture tires to feed the garage owner's family. It does not make any sense: it is fake work while there is …

I understand your feeling: I have a vague uneasy feeling when I see DOSbox or other emulations running. It is a great achievement to allow legacy software to remain alive and execu…

The author states: "the risk of dying from the screening exam was 1/660" And demonstrates with: "This involves a radiation dose of about 30 milli-Sieverts. The usual rule of thumb …

Frédérick's career started even earlier, with 8088 PC and CGA: He is also behind PopCorn, the very best CGA bricks-breaker. All done with his friend Christophe Lacaze in assembly w…

Your question seems provocative... but that's a very good question. I've always liked assembly programming and I got very puzzled when I discovered the processor metal have gone ve…

Yes, but the Afghan "elite" did not commit to the reconstruction plan, they just behaved like to drain as much money as possible to their clans. Nothing serious was ever built and …

"Hard to enjoy my hobbies when I'm in debt to the bank and my mortgage isn't paid." You are young and worried for a mortgage to complete... and that prevents you to enjoy what you …

I am confortably working on hardware 10 to 15 years old. So do all the people of my family and the non-technical friends I help. This is possible with Linux and software resulting …

Nice. But please, if you are in IT, don't mix up kb and kB. There is a x8 size factor from the bit to the byte! [Edit: and "kilo" is a lowercase k]

I don't think wood-burning is a real emission issue since wood growing/burning is a carbon-cycle and not a fossil taken in the ground and injected forever in the atmosphere... As l…

Add 20 bucks, some work... and you may get a nice tiny monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7KKEXS0huA https://www.ebay.fr/itm/153588266295?var=453608366546

I remember using a 800x600 16 color generic SVGA driver with early Windows (3.11 or 95?). At registry level, I guess the mode was made mostly standard as a derivate of the 640x480 …

Pretty nice table here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_prefix "(...) he had the idea for the update when he saw media reports using unsanctioned prefixes for data storage suc…

Could you develop? Kind of toxicity? As traces in food? Source? I put vinegar in my salad sauce, I would not dare with glyphosate.