I’ve recently thought a lot about the essay The computer built to last 50 years by Ploum. It’s a delightful piece about the author’s ideal, long-lasting computational platform - precisely the thing I enjoy reading. It’s got a nice blend of slow tech and libre computing advocacy mixed with personal ponderings centered around the computer as a tool for creativity and healthy interpersonal communication.

The text feels especially relevant to me in the context of the new year, because 2022 marks some very special occasions in computer history. It’s now 40 years since Commodore launched the phenomenally popular C64, an era-defining 8-bit home computer that sold in millions and stayed in production for over a decade. Ten years later, in 1992, Commodore launched the Amiga 1200, a successor to their popular Amiga 500 model. Other computer models launched those years are Sinclair’s ZX Spectrum (1982), Atari’s Falcon 030 and Acorn’s Archimedes A4000 (both in 1992) - but Commodore’s models are the ones closest to my heart.

By now, my proposition should be fairly obvious: I suggest that the “50 year computer” already exists - in various shapes and flavors - and that all we have to do is find them in attics and restore them.

Read in full here:

https://www.datagubbe.se/30yearcomp/

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