Retrocomputing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:34, 5 June 2025

Revision as of 00:42, 6 June 2025

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==Software retrocomputing==

As old computer hardware becomes harder to maintain, there has been increasing interest in computer simulation. This is especially the case with old [[mainframe computer]]s, which have largely been scrapped, and have space, power, and environmental requirements unaffordable by the average user. The memory size and speed of current systems enable simulation of many old systems to run faster than that system on original hardware.<ref name="Trimble">{{cite journalbook |last1=Trimble jr |first1=George R. |title=EMULATIONConference record of the IBM7th SYSTEM/360annual workshop on aMicroprogramming MICROPROGRAMMABLE- COMPUTER |journal=MICRO 7: Conference Record|chapter=Emulation of the 7thIBM Annual Workshopsystem/360 on Microprogramminga microprogrammable computer |date=September 1974 |pages=141–150 |doi=10.1145/800118.803854 |s2cid=5984264 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Burnet">{{cite journal |last1=Burnet |first1=Maxwell M. |last2=Supnik |first2=Robert M. |title=Preserving Computing's Past: Restoration and Simulation |journal=Digital Technical Journal |date=1996 |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=23–38 |url=http://simh.trailing-edge.com/docs/dtjn02pf.pdf}}</ref>

One popular simulator, the history simulator [[SIMH]], offers simulations for over 50 historic systems, from the 1950s through the present. The [[Hercules (emulator)|Hercules]] emulator simulates the IBM System/360 family from [[System/360]] to 64-bit [[IBM Z|System/z]]. A simulator is available for the [[Honeywell]] [[Multics]] system. An online simulator is available for the [[Altair_8800]] and it runs the actual [[Altair_BASIC]]