User Will Hartung

86 votes

Why didn't C++ specify filename extensions?

answered Jun 30, 2021 at 14:13

73 votes

How did people use ed?

answered Jan 4, 2018 at 5:52

55 votes

In what language(s) is the return value set by assigning to the function’s name?

answered Jan 18, 2021 at 15:45

44 votes

When did assembly source code begin to be written in lowercase?

answered Jan 30, 2022 at 16:22

33 votes

Accepted

Why plastic cases?

answered Jun 4, 2018 at 3:18

32 votes

Why was hardware diversification an asset for the IBM PC ecosystem?

answered Jul 9, 2019 at 18:44

32 votes

Why did IBM make the PC BIOS source code public?

answered Aug 13, 2019 at 15:39

31 votes

Why was preemptive multitasking so slow in coming to consumer OS's?

answered Sep 26, 2018 at 18:31

30 votes

Dealing with oversized files decades ago? Data transfer in the age of floppy disks

answered Jan 18, 2018 at 0:17

28 votes

Were 9.2 file names possible in MS-DOS?

answered Jun 25, 2018 at 22:01

28 votes

What windowing system had the first size-proportional scroll bar?

answered Nov 3, 2021 at 21:59

24 votes

Accepted

Z80 to x86 asm translator?

answered Apr 14, 2021 at 4:08

24 votes

Why was MacOS unix certified?

answered Jun 4 at 16:09

23 votes

How should we interpret Dave Cutler's criticism of Unix?

answered Mar 17, 2020 at 17:04

22 votes

Porting use of BASIC to-the-power ^ operator

answered Oct 10, 2021 at 3:40

21 votes

Accepted

Did any compilers hash long symbol names when truncating them?

answered Sep 28, 2021 at 14:59

20 votes

Accepted

How did dot matrix printers do Landscape?

answered Jun 11, 2020 at 3:44

19 votes

Is there a reason why MS-DOS didn't use more English words for commands?

answered Sep 21, 2018 at 16:40

19 votes

Are there vintage or historical bitmapped fonts available for non-commercial use?

answered Jan 1, 2019 at 4:54

18 votes

Accepted

Why did expert systems fall?

answered May 12, 2018 at 15:22

18 votes

Cassette tape storage formats

answered Dec 13, 2018 at 18:43

18 votes

The Slowest Microprocessor

answered Jul 3, 2021 at 4:22

17 votes

Simplest system to create an emulator for

answered Nov 16, 2018 at 16:16

16 votes

Accepted

How was it possible to run IBM mainframe software in emulation on HP?

answered Nov 25, 2020 at 5:14

15 votes

Why does the 6502 have the BIT instruction?

answered May 25, 2019 at 17:22

15 votes

References for the complexity of the COBOL language

answered Dec 27, 2022 at 16:11

13 votes

What is the most rudimentary input method a platform has ever been programmed in?

answered Apr 30, 2019 at 17:18

12 votes

What "unusual" syntax assembly languages are/were there?

answered Apr 20, 2020 at 4:04

12 votes

What caused the demise of BASIC/BASICA in the late 1980's?

answered Jun 4, 2018 at 4:12

12 votes

Why are these DOS console drivers wasting precious bytes?

answered Mar 28, 2022 at 14:43

Stack Exchange Network

99 Answers

Why didn't C++ specify filename extensions?

How did people use ed?

In what language(s) is the return value set by assigning to the function’s name?

When did assembly source code begin to be written in lowercase?

Why plastic cases?

Why was hardware diversification an asset for the IBM PC ecosystem?

Why did IBM make the PC BIOS source code public?

Why was preemptive multitasking so slow in coming to consumer OS's?

Dealing with oversized files decades ago? Data transfer in the age of floppy disks

Were 9.2 file names possible in MS-DOS?

What windowing system had the first size-proportional scroll bar?

Z80 to x86 asm translator?

Why was MacOS unix certified?

How should we interpret Dave Cutler's criticism of Unix?

Porting use of BASIC to-the-power ^ operator

Did any compilers hash long symbol names when truncating them?

How did dot matrix printers do Landscape?

Is there a reason why MS-DOS didn't use more English words for commands?

Are there vintage or historical bitmapped fonts available for non-commercial use?

Why did expert systems fall?

Cassette tape storage formats

The Slowest Microprocessor

Simplest system to create an emulator for

How was it possible to run IBM mainframe software in emulation on HP?

Why does the 6502 have the BIT instruction?

References for the complexity of the COBOL language

What is the most rudimentary input method a platform has ever been programmed in?

What "unusual" syntax assembly languages are/were there?

What caused the demise of BASIC/BASICA in the late 1980's?

Why are these DOS console drivers wasting precious bytes?