Old computers, new tasks

Classic computers can remain relevant in today’s world thanks to modern hardware and software, as David Crookes discovers.

Inspirational stories from computing’s long-distant past An intriguing photograph recently appeared in my Facebook feed, featuring an employee at a US doughnut shop using one of two Commodore 64s to process orders. The post featured the ageing computers positioned side by side in Hilligoss Bakery in Brownsburg, Indiana, and it garnered more than 1,300 comments, many of which echoed the old adage, “if it ain’t broke, doughnut fix it!” “Over the years, hobbyist communities have emerged around many retro computers, and enthusiasts have resolved this very issue by writing apps and developing hardware that make older machines more relevant to users in the modern era.” Upon closer examination, it became evident that the computers were running a program written in BASIC, a relatively primitive programming language by today’s standards. But,…

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APC (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025

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