Legacy Technology Collection

The first home computers brought novel technology to a non-specialist audience for the first time in the late 1970's, largely used for amateur programming and games. These machines first used audio tape for storage, then adopted 5.25” floppy disks. The main unit often had a baked-in keyboard, with additional peripherals--for storage, more inputs, and dedicated screens for those who were not content with the standard TV--sold separately. Several of our computers use the original matching screens, while others are fitted onto a staple TV screen; various peripherals are available for each system.

The Center for Digital Scholarship strives to maintain the active operation of this collection. Unfortunately, due to the fragility of aging electronics, the functional status of the computers in the Legacy Technology Collection cannot be guaranteed. If a machine is not functional, please contact a member of the NFCDS team.

Radio Shack TRS-80 microcomputer system

• 1977 release
• Main unit w/ keyboard
• Video display
• Tape unit: Realistic CTR-80
• MISSING: 
  • Tape data cable (AT connector--??)
  • Main unit power (AT connector--??)
  • Tape unit power (wall plug / dc 6v)

Commodore VIC-20

• 1980 release
• Main unit w/ keyboard
• See Commodore 64 below for list of compatible peripherals

Commodore 64

• 1982 release
• Main unit w/ keyboard
• Video display
• Floppy disk drive: VIC-1541 x2
• Datasette 1530 C2N-B
• Datassette 1530 C2N
• SD card media converter (µIEC): supports loading data from properly formatted images
• Joysticks & controllers: Commodore 1311; Atari CX40 x2; Atari 2600 paddles x2; Wico "The Boss"; Suncom Slik Stick; Archer 270-1703; Sega Genesis Mega Drive Control Pad; Foot pedal

Apple 2e

• 1983 release
• Main unit w/ keyboard
• DuoDisk 5.25 
• Video display
• Mouse M0100

Home video game consoles are essentially specialized personal computers limited to gaming applications. While the first entries from the early 1970's were limited to a handful of games baked in at release, game cartridges became the standard toward the end of the decade, yielding the form factor most commonly associated with the category today. Consoles consist of a main body, containing the processing electronics and serving as a hub for plugging in cartridges and connecting controllers and a TV display.

Sega Game Gear

• 1990 release

Super Nintendo 

• 1991 release
• Main console
• Controller x2
• Mouse
• Gamegenie video game enhancer (aftermarket cheating cartridge)

• Super game boy (cartridge converter allowing Game Boy cartridges to be played on the console)

Nintendo 64

• 1996 release
• Main console
• Controller x3
• Superpad controller

Sega Dreamcast

• 1999 release
• Main console
• Controller 1x; includes a memory card cartridge which, equipped with an LCD screen and a few buttons, can load and play mini-games from some Dreamcast games

Recently, nostalgia for old game consoles has brought several reboot releases, allowing users to relive childhood memories with old games, typically featuring a miniaturized console pre-packaged with game titles (rather than a full-size console that would accept the original storage format) and modern video output compatible with TV or computer screens.

NES Classic Edition

• 2016 release
• Console + controller
• Game titles: Balloon Fight, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Double Dragon II: The Revenge, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Final Fantasy, Galaga, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, Mario Bros., Mega Man 2, Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, Pac-Man, Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, StarTropics, Super Contra, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Super Nintendo Classic Edition

• 2017 release
• Console + controller x2
• Game titles: Contra III: The Alien Wars, Donkey Kong Country, EarthBound, F-Zero, Final Fantasy VI, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Course, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Mega Man X, Secret of Mana, ,Star Fox , Star Fox 2 , Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Super Castlevania IV, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG , Super Mario World,Super Metroid, Super Punch-Out!!, Yoshi's Island
  ​​​​​​

The C64 mini

• 2018 release
• Console + controller
• Game titles: AlleyKat, Anarchy, Armalyte: Competition Edition, Avenger, Battle Valley, Boulder Dash, Bounder, California Games, Chip's Challenge, Confuzion, Creatures, Cyberdyne Warrior, Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine, Cybernoid II: The Revenge, Deflektor, Everyone's A Wally, Firelord, Gribbly's Day Out, Hawkeye, Heartland, Herobotix, Highway Encounter, Hunter's Moon, Hysteria, Impossible Mission, Impossible Mission II, IO, Jumpman, Mega Apocalypse, Mission A.D, Monty Mole, Monty on the Run, Nebulus, Netherworld, Nobby the Aardvark, Nodes Of Yesod, Paradroid, Pitstop II, Rana Rama, Robin Of The Wood, Rubicon, Skate Crazy, Skool Daze, Snare, Speedball, Speedball II: Brutal Deluxe, Spindizzy, Star Paws, Steel, Street Sports Baseball, Summer Games II, Super Cycle, Temple of Apshai Trilogy, The Arc Of Yesod, Thing on a Spring, Thing Bounces Back, Trailblazer, Cosmic Causeway: Trailblazer II, Uchi Mata, Uridium, Who Dares Wins II, Winter Games, World Games, Zynaps.
   

Moving back rather than forward in time, electronic calculators are the direct ancestors of the more complex systems above, and a tangible reminder that all computers are, at heart, simply adding and subtracting numbers.

Casio printing calculator HR-8A

• MISSING paper
• Batteries leaked

Texas Instruments TI-5005 II calculator

• Batteries leaked

Gamegenie video game enhancer for NES

Aftermarket cheating cartridge