Reading lists
Reading lists
Each reading list strings several pages of the guide into a short path for one real-life situation. There is no need to read everything in order: you move from the simplest steps to what you will need once the first ones are behind you, and you can detour into the glossary at any point.
An old computer humming on the desk again is the best history lesson there is. A child will remember it for a long time if you power it up together.
Reading lists are built only from articles already published in this guide. There are no links to stores, repair shops or outside websites, and no advice to buy a particular model or hardware from a specific manufacturer.
A retro corner at home
For those who want to keep an old computer or console on display, switch it on now and then, and still not turn the room into a tangle of cables.
- A first power-on without surprisesFor beginners
Five inspection steps before giving your find a place of honor.
- How to store hardware and mediaFor beginners
Answers about humidity, temperature, magnets and cases for discs.
- Regular gentle cleaningNext step
A step-by-step article worth coming back to once a season.
An old computer with your kids
For families where an old machine has become a reason to talk about how the parents lived and played. Anything involving the outlet or opening the case is done by adults.
- What a child can help withFor beginners
The brush, photos of each stage, wiping the outside of the case, and what stays with the adults.
- Words worth knowingFor beginners
Floppy disk, CRT, motherboard: simple definitions to help you explain them to kids.
- Childhood games the legal wayNext step
How to show a child an old game without resorting to sketchy files.
What to do with old hardware you no longer need
For those clearing out a closet who realize they don't want to keep an old computer at home. Tossing it out with the household trash is the worst option.
- Save your data firstFor beginners
General tips on carefully moving photos and documents off old media before you part with the hardware.
- Recycling electronicsFor beginners
Boards, batteries and CRTs contain substances that don't belong in a landfill. Take your hardware to an electronics recycling drop-off.
- Pass it on to someone who needs itNext step
Hobby clubs and technology museums sometimes welcome working machines; ask ahead of time.
Read next
Sources
- Reference materials on the history of personal computers
- Reanimator9X editorial materials
The information is current as of the date this page was prepared. Old hardware was built in very different ways, so every tip here is general: if a device behaves strangely, stop and ask someone experienced instead of carrying on by guesswork.