User rwallace

62 votes

6 answers

10k views

Reason for the Amiga clock speed

asked Jan 24, 2017 at 19:36

62 votes

7 answers

16k views

Did any compiler fully use Intel x87 80-bit floating point?

asked Apr 19, 2019 at 5:19

58 votes

6 answers

8k views

Did Microsoft really reserve secret APIs in Windows?

asked Dec 24, 2022 at 10:58

53 votes

11 answers

17k views

Why did trackballs disappear?

asked Jan 18, 2019 at 4:55

52 votes

4 answers

7k views

Why did the IBM 650 use bi-quinary?

asked Apr 15, 2019 at 8:09

49 votes

5 answers

12k views

How did Atari lose money on home computers?

asked Feb 11, 2020 at 14:41

49 votes

10 answers

11k views

Why did 1950s-60s computers have such wide words?

asked Sep 6, 2020 at 7:21

48 votes

2 answers

6k views

What did the DoD think Fortran lacked?

asked Aug 27, 2020 at 21:45

47 votes

3 answers

9k views

Where did the free parameters of IEEE 754 come from?

asked Jan 27, 2020 at 7:44

47 votes

8 answers

12k views

Why were chips socketed in early computers?

asked Sep 5, 2018 at 14:20

43 votes

7 answers

8k views

Did any computers use the Z80B?

asked Jan 10, 2018 at 4:52

42 votes

16 answers

11k views

Did anyone ever use the extra set of registers on the Z80?

asked Sep 30, 2018 at 19:33

38 votes

6 answers

12k views

Why did early arcade games use vertical displays?

asked Jan 25, 2020 at 18:01

38 votes

3 answers

7k views

What did AOL use for pre-web GUI client?

asked Feb 23, 2021 at 15:17

37 votes

13 answers

9k views

Why were programs entered on punch cards instead of paper tapes?

asked Apr 10, 2021 at 23:24

37 votes

7 answers

9k views

How did Apple fail to tap the business and scientific markets?

asked Aug 8, 2018 at 19:22

36 votes

4 answers

7k views

What was the IBM PC cost saving for using the 8088 vs 8086?

asked Apr 27, 2017 at 13:24

36 votes

8 answers

6k views

Why did DEC develop Alpha instead of continuing with MIPS?

asked Dec 7, 2020 at 19:00

35 votes

9 answers

12k views

What did code on punch cards do with the other six bits per column?

asked Sep 9, 2020 at 5:57

35 votes

3 answers

6k views

Did the NES do anything special to support coprocessors?

asked Sep 12, 2018 at 17:02

35 votes

7 answers

14k views

Why did Commodore 64 cartridge games disappear?

asked Jun 4, 2018 at 4:42

33 votes

3 answers

3k views

How was the 80186 incompatible with the IBM PC?

asked Jun 26, 2020 at 10:11

33 votes

2 answers

7k views

How did Elite on the NES work?

asked Apr 23, 2019 at 8:14

33 votes

5 answers

4k views

Did IBM originally plan to use the 68000 in the PC?

asked Nov 14, 2020 at 5:06

33 votes

3 answers

4k views

What aspect of portable floating point did Java back down on?

asked Feb 27, 2021 at 6:11

32 votes

7 answers

5k views

Did any PC software floating point use non-IEEE format?

asked Mar 24, 2022 at 20:10

32 votes

3 answers

4k views

How did Elite do vertex transformation?

asked Jan 29, 2020 at 8:59

31 votes

8 answers

10k views

Why did post-8008 CPUs not keep the on-chip stack idea?

asked Jun 4, 2020 at 15:38

31 votes

3 answers

7k views

386SX, NES and how much did data lines really cost anyway?

asked Jan 17, 2019 at 16:49

31 votes

7 answers

6k views

Why didn't PostScript eliminate the need for printer drivers?

asked Jan 21, 2019 at 4:47

Stack Exchange Network

516 Questions

Reason for the Amiga clock speed

Did any compiler fully use Intel x87 80-bit floating point?

Did Microsoft really reserve secret APIs in Windows?

Why did trackballs disappear?

Why did the IBM 650 use bi-quinary?

How did Atari lose money on home computers?

Why did 1950s-60s computers have such wide words?

What did the DoD think Fortran lacked?

Where did the free parameters of IEEE 754 come from?

Why were chips socketed in early computers?

Did any computers use the Z80B?

Did anyone ever use the extra set of registers on the Z80?

Why did early arcade games use vertical displays?

What did AOL use for pre-web GUI client?

Why were programs entered on punch cards instead of paper tapes?

How did Apple fail to tap the business and scientific markets?

What was the IBM PC cost saving for using the 8088 vs 8086?

Why did DEC develop Alpha instead of continuing with MIPS?

What did code on punch cards do with the other six bits per column?

Did the NES do anything special to support coprocessors?

Why did Commodore 64 cartridge games disappear?

How was the 80186 incompatible with the IBM PC?

How did Elite on the NES work?

Did IBM originally plan to use the 68000 in the PC?

What aspect of portable floating point did Java back down on?

Did any PC software floating point use non-IEEE format?

How did Elite do vertex transformation?

Why did post-8008 CPUs not keep the on-chip stack idea?

386SX, NES and how much did data lines really cost anyway?

Why didn't PostScript eliminate the need for printer drivers?