In a world where millions of people carry a 1990s supercomputer in their pockets, it’s interesting to go back to the technology of the time when a 1 megahertz machine on a desktop represented a significant leap forward. Recently, a collector named Brian Greene showed off his collection of vintage computers on Twitter, and we thought it would be fun to ask him why and how he set up his home computer lab.
By day, Green works as a senior systems engineer in Arkansas. But after hours, “Icebreaker”(as it’s often called online) focuses its passion on the collection of vintage computers it’s built for decades, and the Bulletin Board System (BBS) called “Particles”that it’s run ever since. 1992.
Green’s interest in computers dates back to 1980 when he first used an Apple II+ in elementary school. “My older sister brought home a printout of a BASIC program she was working on, and I was amazed that you could tell a computer what to do using a language that looked like English,” Green recalls. “Once I realized that it was possible to program games, I was hooked.”
Despite his early exposure to the Apple II, the 1982 Commodore 64 really won his heart. As his first computer with a floppy drive, it cost a lot for a child, so he spent the whole summer saving money on a paper route to buy it. “Most of my friends at the time had these,” he says.
Today, Green’s vintage computer collection includes a wide range of machines, the rarest of which is a 1982 Commodore B128-80. Part of the unsuccessful Commodore B series of computers, this model barely made it out the door before the plug was unplugged. pull, according to Greene. “Of the B series, this one is the most common, with about 10,000 copies made,” says Green. “While other models only had a few hundred.”
We asked him which computer was the hardest to trace, and he pointed to the ill-fated Apple III, which Apple released in 1980 as a successful follow-up to its more famous prequel: “I was probably after the Apple III. The longest. Most computers can be purchased if you’re willing to spend money on eBay, but it’s not as fun as buying something at a trade show or flea market. I found a working Apple III at the last vintage computer festival in the Midwest for a good price and let it be displayed with pride.”
Setting up his computer lab
It’s clear from these photos that Green’s home computer lab is an exercise in nostalgia for weapons technology. His goal is to recreate the computing experience of the 1980s when he grew up reading magazines like Family Computing.
“Every month a new computer was announced or tested,” he says. “I was a kid then and couldn’t afford any of those computers, but I’ve always been fascinated by all the different hardware. I wanted to try them all! these machines also have a small amount of newer equipment.”