From the Archive
Essays, research, and technical teardowns from our staff historians and guest contributors.
The Rise and Fall of CP/M
Before DOS established dominance, Gary Kildall's operating system offered a glimpse into a very different computing future.
Why Commodore's PETSCII Mattered
How a lack of bitmapped graphics forced developers to turn a limited character set into an art form.
Understanding the 6502
The microprocessor that powered the Apple II, C64, and NES. A deep dive into the silicon that sparked a revolution — and why it still teaches us today.
VisiCalc and the Birth of the Killer App
The spreadsheet that justified the purchase of a personal computer — and changed what software could be.
Reading Rotten Cassettes
Magnetic tape was never meant to last forty years. The techniques we use to coax the bits back off it.
WordStar and the Writers Who Refused to Quit It
Decades after its release, a stubborn community kept a DOS word processor alive. We ask why it mattered.