vintage computing Archives

Winsage

June 19, 2026

Running Windows NT On The Nintendo Gamecube

The Nintendo GameCube can run Windows NT, a mid-1990s workstation operating system, due to a PowerPC version developed by Microsoft. A group of contributors adapted the OS for the GameCube, making it available on GitHub, and it also works on the Wii and Wii U’s vWii mode. Users need to use various controller-entry methods for text input, as the GameCube lacks a dedicated keyboard, although some rare controllers with integrated keyboards exist. A video tutorial on YouTube details the installation process.

AppWizard

May 23, 2026

Retro enthusiast injects Snake game into vintage S3 graphics card VBIOS — enjoy some serpentum fun while your old PC boots

A retro PC enthusiast modified the VBIOS of an S3 ViRGE DX graphics card to include a version of the classic game Snake, allowing users to play it briefly during system boot. This project, by the YouTube channel Bits und Bolts, involved embedding Snake 512, a compact game written in x86 assembly language. The modification includes a dynamic text splash screen displaying the GPU's operating frequency and prompts users to play Snake or skip to the boot process. The implementation does not support USB keyboards and has no sound during gameplay. The enthusiast also customized the game's colors using hexadecimal values from the VGA color palette.

Winsage

March 19, 2026

Someone hacked Windows 98 onto a year 2000 Internet appliance just because they can

Dave Luna is attempting to run Windows 98 on the Compaq iPAQ IA‑2, a device originally designed for Windows CE. The iPAQ IA‑2 has limited hardware capabilities, including a 266 MHz Geode GX1 CPU and a maximum of 256 MB of SDRAM, which complicates the process of running a full operating system. Luna utilized the device's 16 MB flash drive, originally used for the operating system, to write MS-DOS and employ a chain-boot method to launch Windows 98. He successfully booted Windows 98 from an IDE drive by tricking the system into recognizing it as an ATAPI device, despite the BIOS restrictions. The iPAQ IA‑2 is not practical for regular use but allows for nostalgic gaming, such as playing DOOM. The concept of internet appliances, aimed at providing simple web browsing and email solutions, failed due to their restrictive nature, difficulties in software and hardware upgrades, and the need for subscriptions to specific Internet Service Providers. As broadband internet became more common, the appeal of these devices decreased, leading to their obsolescence, although they contributed to the development of modern devices like Chromebooks.