Matthew Sparby
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Matthew Sparby
@cloudscout.com
2K followers 320 following 580 posts
VintageComputing/RetroComputing enthusiast. Foster parent. Dog rescuer. Lived in California, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin & Bengaluru. Now back in Minnesota.

He/Him/Mr. Sparby if you're nasty.

ATDT Shirts: http://spar.by/atdt

https://youtube.com/cloudscout
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cloudscout.com
Matthew Sparby @cloudscout.com · Jul 26
Look, you hired me for my ability to see things from a different perspective and find new solutions to your organization's problems. So maybe you should be more open-minded, respect my experience and consider the possibility that it's actually YOU who's been pronouncing your name wrong.
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
polpo.org
Are you ready for #PicoIDE? It seems to be telling me it's ready. Coming soon: ATAPI optical disc emulation and IDE hard drive emulation. picoide.com
A beige computer front with a PicoIDE (also in beige) in the 3.5" drive bay. The PicoIDE has a OLED screen showing the PicoIDE logo, a full progress bar, and the text "Ready!" There is a LED showing a cyan color, up/down/cancel/ok buttons, a microSD slot, and a 3.5" headphone jack.
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM
cloudscout.com
I can't believe my old 40GB iPod still works. I need to go dig out my original 5GB iPod to see if I can get it working, too.
A 40GB iPod being held in a hand. The display shows it is playing "Il Pleure" from The Art of Noise album "The Seduction of Claude Debussy".
November 9, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
linnybobinny.bsky.social
if you are food insecure for both the humans and pets in your household there is a tool called Pet Help Finder that can help locate pet food banks nearby and other free or reduced price assistance and supplies for pets.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
cloudscout.com
This sucks. I finally got a PAL VIC-20 (VC-20, actually) a while back and finally got around to testing it tonight. It would seem that the MOS 6561 VIC chip in it is bad. Getting messed up colors in games. Here's an example from Cheese and Onion.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing
Screenshot of VIC-20 game "Cheese and Onion" with subtle color problems. Specifically, white pixels are missing.
November 9, 2025 at 4:57 AM
cloudscout.com
Four dollars and one cent.
November 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
cloudscout.com
It's a comfort food kind of day. Mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy. My kitchen smells like my grandma's kitchen right now.
A hand holding up a bowl of mashed potatoes with hamburger gravy.
November 7, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
textfiles.com
Here's a fast one. Is anybody somewhat nearby york, pennsylvania? I have a somewhat unique estate sale that ends this afternoon that I would love your assistance in checking out.
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 PM
cloudscout.com
Oh, the simple joy of having a significant chunk of my home infrastructure connected via ethernet instead of wifi.
November 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
ronscompvids.bsky.social
From our better late than never department:

No matter how much time and planning you put into a project, sometimes, it just doesn't work out. #MARCHintosh #Apple

youtu.be/ghIq05vDg3s
Not every project is a success... (#MARCHintosh edition)
YouTube video by Ron's Computer Videos
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 6:11 PM
cloudscout.com
For a moment, I thought that was a picture of Robin Askwith.
Actor Robin Askwith
November 3, 2025 at 2:42 AM
cloudscout.com
This device at a local thrift store today made me do a double take... apparently no relation to @factorofmatt.bsky.social
A "FRACTOMAT" service from Hartrun Corporation. A "FRACTOMAT" service from Hartrun Corporation.
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 AM
cloudscout.com
I'm hoping to have time this week to recap my Amiga CD32. I was going to do it today but decided to un-bury a 3D printer so I can print an expansion cover for it. That's progress, at least.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing
Picture of a 3D printer making a CD32 expansion cover.
November 3, 2025 at 12:38 AM
cloudscout.com
How is it already November?
November 1, 2025 at 9:03 PM
cloudscout.com
I enjoy racing games but I have never really followed professional racing. That's why I'm amused by the only non-burned game I have for my CD32... Nigel Mansell's World Championship. To me, he's just a wax dummy abused by Jeremy Clarkson, et al.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing #RetroGaming #Amiga
CD jewel case for the Amiga CD32 game "Nigel Mansell's World Championship". Screenshot from an episode of The Grand Tour showing Jeremy Clarkson in the driver's seat of a car and a wax dummy of Nigel Mansell in the passenger seat.
October 30, 2025 at 1:30 AM
cloudscout.com
My SMD soldering skills are lacking so I decided to practice on this horribly battery-bombed Macintosh IIsi. The caps came off pretty easily but then I wanted to see if I could remove the destroyed VLSI chip. Not as many missing pads as I expected.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing
A badly damaged Macintosh IIsi motherboard showing the place where the VLSI chip goes before and after cleanup work.
October 26, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
retrofrog.bsky.social
Price drop. $300 shipped
retrofrog.bsky.social Todd Gill - Retro Frog @retrofrog.bsky.social · Oct 6
I have up for sale a TF1260 accelerator for the #Amiga 1200. Has a full fat Rev 1 68060 running at 50Mhz with 128MB ram.

Running the latest firmware on the board. Recently upgraded to a Pistorm, so this is for sale.

$400 shipped and insured inside the US.
October 24, 2025 at 6:14 PM
cloudscout.com
Ahh, those quality mid-90s SMD caps...

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing #Amiga
A look into the opening of an Amiga 1200 floppy drive showing apparent electrolyte leakage from an SMD capacitor.
October 24, 2025 at 1:10 AM
cloudscout.com
@whatkatedoes.bsky.social just saw the cruise video. One of my favorite ships. Got married on its twin, Freedom of the Seas. Hope you had a great time!
October 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
cloudscout.com
"This is ponderous, man. Really ponderous."

www.bbc.com/news/article...

#DoYouSeeWhatImSaying #2nu
Customers sue over 'embarrassing' squeaky On Cloud shoes
Athletic shoe company On is facing a lawsuit from customers who claim that its sneakers produce annoying squeaks.
www.bbc.com
October 19, 2025 at 3:50 PM
cloudscout.com
White text on a blue background that says, "The world would be a better place if all the leaders of all the great nations would spend a little more time sitting on the potty."
October 17, 2025 at 1:21 AM
cloudscout.com
Xfinity service has been down for 3.5 hours. They estimate another 4+ hours before it's fixed. Looking forward to December when the new fiber provider lights up their service to my house.
October 16, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Matthew Sparby
spatch.bsky.social
[stepping out of library stacks with record in hand, squinting at name on request slip] uh, I don't know who needs to hear this, but
October 14, 2025 at 3:06 AM
cloudscout.com
I used to be the one my friends would call when they needed somebody else's phone number.
bleary.off-the-records.com bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 28d
If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.
Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing? 2? Questions I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up. Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?
October 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
cloudscout.com
Mabel and Sophie had a great time down on the farm today.

#dogs
Two black dogs sitting next to a pumpkin patch.
October 12, 2025 at 2:50 AM
cloudscout.com
Woo-hoo! I finally found an Amiga 1200 for a reasonable price... and from a local seller! And it has a GVP A1230 Turbo+ 68030 accelerator in it. Bring on that sweet AGA action.

#VintageComputing #RetroComputing
Amiga 1200 "Amiga Magic" box. An Amiga 1200 computer in its box along with a pair of Epyx 500XJ joysticks. Inside of an Amiga 1200 computer showing a GVP A1230 Turbo+ accelerator installed.
October 7, 2025 at 2:59 AM