Retro Gaming Hacks

Emulate Other Classic Computers

Play the obscure, the bizarre, the ancient PCs.

In the early 1980s, the computer industry was very different from what it is today. Personal computers had just started to reach a price point affordable by the average consumer, and the limited technology of the time forced manufacturers to carefully select their systems’ specifications. Unlike in today’s more homogenized market, none of the major computer lines were compatible with one another, and each system offered specific advantages (and shortcomings) that made it unique from the rest.

These differences brought out the competitive spirit in both computer manufacturers and the fans of their systems. Owners of computers like the TI 99/4A and the Atari 800 were fiercely devoted to the systems they purchased, and would endlessly argue with their friends about whose machine was best, touting their favorite computer’s abilities while conveniently ignoring its weaknesses. These bitter rivalries eventually reached Hollywood, with major celebrities like Bill Cosby and Alan Alda each trying to convince potential customers why the system they’d endorsed was better than the competition.

That was then. Now in the 21st century, the playing field has been leveled for computer manufacturers. Today’s more advanced technology allows today’s personal computers to have it all, and thanks to the popularity of the Windows operating system and Intel’s x86 processor, there’s little difference between competing systems ...