Retrocomputing
Retrocomputing (from Latin retro = backwards and computer ) is the conscious use of outdated computer technology as a hobby , to use older computer games ( retro games ), to back up data (by backing up the contents of old data carriers on more modern media) and to back up knowledge about old technology and software .
However, retro games, as well as arcade and older console games, are often played on modern systems such as the PC or, in some cases, consoles or mobile phones. Either via emulator , as a regular new release or as an online or flash game or app . Historical hardware is then not required. However, some games are inadequately emulated or not emulated at all or are not available today, e.g. B. prototypes, indexed games or in-house productions.
organization
In Germany there is a large community of friends of old techniques, some of whom are part of clubs such as RetroGames e. V. , Association for the Preservation of Classic Computers e. V. or the ABBUC e. V. are organized. There are also communities like Forum64 or A1k.org (specialized in Amiga ) in which enthusiasts can be found.
Supraregional annual meetings are the retro show at Gamescom in Cologne, the Long Night of Computer Games in Leipzig, Classic Computing with changing venues and the Vintage Computer Festival Europe in Munich. In addition, a plurality of small-scale meetings exist (such as the Retropulsiv ) partially limited on a computing system and partly to take place at more frequent intervals.
reception
Retrocomputing has been described by academic authors as a digital archiving activity. Other approaches try to incorporate the epistemological and didactic potential of dealing with historical computers into the definition. Since 2011, a research project (media studies and computer science) at the Berlin Humboldt University has been dealing with retrocomputing and its practices, theories and media archeological implications.
See also
- Retrogaming
- RetroGames - Arcade Museum in Karlsruhe
- Home computers
Web links
- Link catalog on the topic of retrocomputing at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Yuri Takhteyev, Quinn DuPont: Retro Computing as Preservation and Remix (PDF): iConference (pp 422-432.) 2013 Proceedings. doi : 10.9776 / 13230 . University of Toronto . 2013. Retrieved on March 26, 2016: “ This paper looks at the world of retrocomputing, a constellation of largely non-professional practices involving old computing technology. Retrocomputing includes many activities that can be seen as constituting "preservation." At the same time, it is often transformative, producing assemblages that “remix” fragments from the past with newer elements or joining together historic components that were never combined before. While such “remix” may seem to undermine preservation, it allows for fragments of computing history to be reintegrated into a living, ongoing practice, contributing to preservation in a broader sense. The seemingly unorganized nature of retrocomputing assemblages also provides space for alternative “situated knowledges” and histories of computing, which can sometimes be quite sophisticated. Recognizing such alternative epistemologies paves the way for alternative approaches to preservation. "
- ↑ Stefan Höltgen: SHIFT - RESTORE - ESCAPE. Retrocomputing and Computational Archeology , 2014, ISBN 978-3-941287-70-9 .
- ↑ Stefan Höltgen: RESUME. Hands-on Retrocomputing , Computearchäologie Volume I, 2016, pp. 246-253, ISBN 978-3-89733-396-3 .
- ↑ Stefan Höltgen: On the archeology of the early microcomputers and their programming. Retrieved June 29, 2016 .