One collector. Thirty years of salvage, repair and documentation. Every machine that taught the world to compute — restored, scanned and kept alive for the people who come next.
A selection from the collection — real photographs. Hover the large pieces for the story.
Magazines, books, manuals, newsletters and catalogues — scanned page by page and free to read on the Internet Archive.
Digital-age innovations, trends and the technologists who drove them.
ExploreFoundational knowledge tracing the evolution of computing.
ExploreIn-depth guides to the software and hardware of the era.
ExploreTimely updates, industry news and expert insight.
ExploreBrochures and catalogs full of period visuals and specs.
ExploreAfter months of quiet work behind the scenes, the new Ancient Computer is live. The old layout served me well for years, but it…
Read more →We’ve just deployed a new version of the Ancient Computer website. This update focuses on improving structure, consistency, and long-term maintainability while keeping the…
Read more →Our archive, containing artifact images and scanned publications, now holds approximately 1.66 TB of data. While we haven’t been able to scan as many…
Read more →Preservation isn’t only storage. These are the open initiatives keeping dead hardware running.
Digitizing and restoring vintage software, documents, and media for preservation and global access.
View pipeline →Reverse-engineering and producing classic hardware designs for repair, restoration, or DIY building. Gerbers released free.
Browse boards →A secure platform for syncing files between edge devices and cloud storage, built for retro and modern hardware integration. In open beta on Tindie.
Get the board →
