RAM is in short supply, prices are rising. There are also initial signs that processors are now becoming more expensive. Market observers are now talking about an impending shortage. These are not good times to buy new hardware – and even better times to save old treasures from gathering dust. In many basements they are still in cardboard boxes, the home computers from the eighties. From a time when RAM was counted in kilobytes and a maximum in megabytes, and software was still sold with a lifetime right of use and without a subscription model. And developers showed how impressive software could be created even with little RAM: The juggling figure Sculpt 3D, which appeared for the Amiga in 1987, proved that 3D graphics with ray tracing were possible on a home computer.
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But can you safely take the old C64 out of the basement, wipe off the dust and put it back into operation? What do you have to pay attention to when cleaning and how do you get to the contents of the old data storage media? The special issue c’t Retro deals with these and many other practical questions. The focus is on three platforms: The Commodore 64, the Amiga series and the Atari ST. We trace the development, take a look at software that shaped its time and give tips on maintenance and data recovery. In the magazine you will also learn how you can experience the retro experience in perfection today: Because the games from the eighties were not made for today’s 4K televisions and their razor-sharp image spoils the experience. We have put together how you can recreate the tube TV look, what is possible with emulators and FPGAs and how you can connect old controllers to new computers.
The special issue contains 170 pages of nostalgia and memories – also personal insights into the c’t editorial team’s first computer experiences.
Buy now
The special issue “c’t Retro” is now available as an issue in the heise shop and in stores for 14.90 euros. You will even receive this to your home free of charge up to and including May 1st. You can purchase it in digital form for 12.99 euros via the heise shop or directly in our Android and iOS apps. You can get the bundle of booklet + PDF for just 19.90 euros instead of 27.89 euros. We also offer a more extensive thematic bundle at a significantly reduced price: the printed magazine + digital edition + the book “Game consoles and home computers 1972 to 2022″ by Winnie Forster. This super bundle costs €47.90 instead of €60.79
(jam)
