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YoreComputer - examining 1980s popular computer culture
NaBloPoMo retro · 1 comment · 450 words · read ~514 times.
There's a lovely Twitter feed called Yore Computer - run by Rob Manuel, it randomly tweets out scans of 1980s computer magazines. A wonderful mix of nostalgia, dated references, primitive graphics, incompatible file formats, and unrealistic promises by advertisers.
Here are a few of my favourites that I've spotted.
Behold! The comment section - hasn't changed much!
8000 Plus Magazine Issue 34, page 88
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And you get the usual idiot blokes arguing that what women really want is computer games set in kitchens...
Arguments over copyright? You wouldn't steal a car...!
1986:
Popular Computing Weekly (1986-11-13), page 78
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"I'd like to run a magazine which publishes the names, addresses, and hobbies of 12-14 year old." "Hmm... Sounds a bit dodgy?" "No, it's 1987. A simpler time, with less concern for child welfare and data protection." "Fair enough! But add some photos too!"
1987:
Your Sinclair Magazine Issue 20, page 92
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Today, online magazine quite often present code samples - but I struggle to image that anyone would have typed in all this machine code. Let alone done so correctly!
1986:
Your Sinclair Magazine Issue 09, page 50
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You can read the full listing on the Internet Archive.
1987:
Commodore Computing International - Vol 05 No 10 (1987-06)(Croftward)(GB), page 132
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Over-hyped technology on the front page.
New Computer Express 136, page 1
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StackOverflow - but on paper!
1987:
Dragon User Magazine Issue 47, page 14
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And, as a bonus, there is this incredibly accurate prediction.
Tonight in the 1988 house you're mostly reading...
Crash Magazine Issue 57, page 68
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Let me zoom in for you: 
Anyway, you can follow along at https://twitter.com/yorecomputer
Alex B says:
"Today, online magazine quite often present code samples - but I struggle to image that anyone would have typed in all this machine code. Let alone done so correctly!"
That would have been one of the longer listings to type in, but I probably did similar, back in the day.
One of the nice things about the YS hex loader and associated listings is that it included a checksum (the part after the =) on every line. So if you made a mistake, you'd know about it quickly enough.