24 August 2024

All This to Play the Original Empire?

In a case of having WAY too much free time, former Microsoft Engineer Dave Plummer has reconstructed a DEC PDP-11 minicomputer from has spare parts bin.  (The multiplayer world conquest game Empire first ran on a PDP-11 in 1972)

Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer took a trip down memory lane this week by building a functioning PDP-11 minicomputer from parts found in a tub of hardware.

It's a fun watch, especially for anyone charged with maintaining these devices during their heyday. Unfortunately, Plummer did not place his creation in a period-appropriate case, and one might argue he cheated a bit by using a board containing a Linux computer to present boot devices.

Nonetheless, the build will undoubtedly bring back memories, both good and bad.

I have to admire his dedication, and no one got killed in the process, unlike, for example, the unfortunate (albeit fictional) crew of the Pequad.

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