As you can see from my homelab’s printer and keyboard, I have an affinity for retro tech. I have a vintage Apple IIe computer. It boots and runs, but it recently suffered some keyboard damage and could use a restoration/retrobrighting treatment. When the time comes for that, I’ll take inspiration from The 8-bit Guy and document the process here.

Before I do that, however, I have another project in the works. When I saw the movie WarGames, I wished I had a computer setup like the one David Lightman had. Recreating his IMSAI 8080 system would cost an arm and a leg today, but there is a replica kit produced by the High Nibble, which is the next best thing. I got on the waiting list months ago and I was just notified that mine is on the way!

The replica is an emulator inside a reproduction of the front panel of that machine, complete with all the LEDs and those glorious toggle switches. The kit will put my soldering skills to the test. In the meanwhile, it ships from Australia, so it is putting my patience to the test. What can I say? Nostalgia is a helluva drug.