RetroFox
@retrofox8bit.bsky.social
All things old computers, video games/consoles, geeky. Avid flea market and yard sale hunter of electronic goodies.
Looking around the drive, I noticed a Nintendo folder - fitting to find Nesticle, ZSNES, and a Genesis emulator on a PC of this vintage. Had to tool around with some totally legitimate backups. :)
November 9, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Looking around the drive, I noticed a Nintendo folder - fitting to find Nesticle, ZSNES, and a Genesis emulator on a PC of this vintage. Had to tool around with some totally legitimate backups. :)
Backed up/imaged the drive from the Compaq just in case (10gb Quantum) and gave the computer a test. It booted up, 96mb RAM, PIII 450 mhz, S3 Savage4 GT 8mb Video, and Win98 (which reports the CPU as PII) Not a bad start.
November 9, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Backed up/imaged the drive from the Compaq just in case (10gb Quantum) and gave the computer a test. It booted up, 96mb RAM, PIII 450 mhz, S3 Savage4 GT 8mb Video, and Win98 (which reports the CPU as PII) Not a bad start.
Picked up this Nuby Sniper PlayStation light-gun today at the flea for $5. It’s pretty grungy and unknown if it works but figured I’d enjoy cleaning it up and testing it out for that price. (Also bonus power adapter wrapped around it).
November 9, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Picked up this Nuby Sniper PlayStation light-gun today at the flea for $5. It’s pretty grungy and unknown if it works but figured I’d enjoy cleaning it up and testing it out for that price. (Also bonus power adapter wrapped around it).
Surprisingly, the dust isn’t too bad inside considering the seal being intact points to not having been opened. Love to see an AGP port (with card), too! Looks to be a 450MHz PIII if I’m reading the CPU right. Time to blow the dust out and test it!
November 8, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Surprisingly, the dust isn’t too bad inside considering the seal being intact points to not having been opened. Love to see an AGP port (with card), too! Looks to be a 450MHz PIII if I’m reading the CPU right. Time to blow the dust out and test it!
Been a dry spell at the flea market recently - but a family member fished this Compaq tower out of bulk garbage for me. Shame it is missing the drive bays cover door, but looks to be unspoiled and even has FireWire ports.
November 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Been a dry spell at the flea market recently - but a family member fished this Compaq tower out of bulk garbage for me. Shame it is missing the drive bays cover door, but looks to be unspoiled and even has FireWire ports.
Of course there was a blue Dell P4 tower out there, too. I was half tempted at the $5 price just as a test box - it was chock-full of dust and while it seemed intact inside, the lack of at least an AGP slot (only 3 PCI) was ultimately a pass.
October 24, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Of course there was a blue Dell P4 tower out there, too. I was half tempted at the $5 price just as a test box - it was chock-full of dust and while it seemed intact inside, the lack of at least an AGP slot (only 3 PCI) was ultimately a pass.
Didn't see much this Flea Market Friday beyond the usual unremarkable laptops that are everywhere. Did see this very crusty Dell Inspiron E1705. I can only imagine the horror inside the thing - fitting with Halloween so close :)
October 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Didn't see much this Flea Market Friday beyond the usual unremarkable laptops that are everywhere. Did see this very crusty Dell Inspiron E1705. I can only imagine the horror inside the thing - fitting with Halloween so close :)
I kept thinking the Pismo was suspiciously quiet - nice little bonus inside, someone swapped in a SSD drive (also it's been upgrade to 1 GB of RAM and dual boots OS9 and OSX). Over the weekend, I watched videos about it and loaded/played some Mac games on it. Enjoying it! :)
October 20, 2025 at 1:54 PM
I kept thinking the Pismo was suspiciously quiet - nice little bonus inside, someone swapped in a SSD drive (also it's been upgrade to 1 GB of RAM and dual boots OS9 and OSX). Over the weekend, I watched videos about it and loaded/played some Mac games on it. Enjoying it! :)
Fresh set of batteries and it’s jamming out :)
October 19, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Fresh set of batteries and it’s jamming out :)
Found this cute i-Dog Amp'd for $5 at the flea market today. Batteries were dead but thankfully, it seems I got to it just in time. Only one had just started getting a little crusty. The plastic is yellowing, which is common for these but overall it's in good shape, I'd say!
October 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Found this cute i-Dog Amp'd for $5 at the flea market today. Batteries were dead but thankfully, it seems I got to it just in time. Only one had just started getting a little crusty. The plastic is yellowing, which is common for these but overall it's in good shape, I'd say!
I've been told by a reliable source the Mac laptop is the G3 'Pismo' - has firewire ports. All I know is I didn't have a black Mac laptop and it has a really nice keyboard (I got to try one at a previous VCF event). Guy said it worked and so it does!
October 18, 2025 at 6:31 PM
I've been told by a reliable source the Mac laptop is the G3 'Pismo' - has firewire ports. All I know is I didn't have a black Mac laptop and it has a really nice keyboard (I got to try one at a previous VCF event). Guy said it worked and so it does!
Flight Sim 3 was one of my first computer games I had on my old Vendex PC - this is version 4, but close enough and so neat to have boxed. I'm going to have to try the upgrade pack as well. Just one of those nice to have complete of the few games I had. :)
October 18, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Flight Sim 3 was one of my first computer games I had on my old Vendex PC - this is version 4, but close enough and so neat to have boxed. I'm going to have to try the upgrade pack as well. Just one of those nice to have complete of the few games I had. :)
This was my modest haul from the VCF East Swap Meet: Mac Laptop w/ charger -$20, Flight Sim and upgrade - $10, couple USB cards -$5 each, 2 video cards and SB Live card -free, a $2 lenovo PSU (didn't fit the W701ds, sadly), D&D Char Creator CD -$1, and a Lumix LX5 for $20!
October 18, 2025 at 6:22 PM
This was my modest haul from the VCF East Swap Meet: Mac Laptop w/ charger -$20, Flight Sim and upgrade - $10, couple USB cards -$5 each, 2 video cards and SB Live card -free, a $2 lenovo PSU (didn't fit the W701ds, sadly), D&D Char Creator CD -$1, and a Lumix LX5 for $20!
I would have to say, this was the table to be at if you wanted Mac stuff today. Guy was selling cheap - That boxed red iMac was $30, the boxed PowerBook under the table was the same price iirc. I didn't take too many photos, too busy at my table, but I'll share an album later.
October 18, 2025 at 6:15 PM
I would have to say, this was the table to be at if you wanted Mac stuff today. Guy was selling cheap - That boxed red iMac was $30, the boxed PowerBook under the table was the same price iirc. I didn't take too many photos, too busy at my table, but I'll share an album later.
Called it a day at the VCF Swap Meet - I’d call it a big success! Sold all but two small items and picked up few things (more on that later). Turnout was good. Prices ranged as usual but there were some deals to be had.
October 18, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Called it a day at the VCF Swap Meet - I’d call it a big success! Sold all but two small items and picked up few things (more on that later). Turnout was good. Prices ranged as usual but there were some deals to be had.
Packing up for the VCF East Swap meet tomorrow. Come check it out if you can (and buy some stuff)!
October 17, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Packing up for the VCF East Swap meet tomorrow. Come check it out if you can (and buy some stuff)!
If there’s such a thing as having too many IBM ThinkPads, I feel like I’m well on my way to that point.
October 14, 2025 at 9:56 PM
If there’s such a thing as having too many IBM ThinkPads, I feel like I’m well on my way to that point.
Amazingly the battery holds a charge, I let the little PSU charge that up enough to get into Windows. Win 7 Ultimate (32bit), 2 GB RAM, ATI X1600 Graphics and 'High Definition Audio Device' - so helpful, thanks. And some interesting apps and VM software and VM images in a folder.
October 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Amazingly the battery holds a charge, I let the little PSU charge that up enough to get into Windows. Win 7 Ultimate (32bit), 2 GB RAM, ATI X1600 Graphics and 'High Definition Audio Device' - so helpful, thanks. And some interesting apps and VM software and VM images in a folder.
There's also a bonus Apple branded DVD-R in the drive - I'll have to check that out later as well.
October 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
There's also a bonus Apple branded DVD-R in the drive - I'll have to check that out later as well.
Looks like I spoke to soon - went through the bin of PSUs on a hunch that the laptop might not like my universal. It /did/ like another universal for whatever reason - We have boot! The PSU is half the watts, so I can't get fully into Windows before it shuts off but it's a start!
October 10, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Looks like I spoke to soon - went through the bin of PSUs on a hunch that the laptop might not like my universal. It /did/ like another universal for whatever reason - We have boot! The PSU is half the watts, so I can't get fully into Windows before it shuts off but it's a start!
Sadly, I did try plugging it up with my universal charger and there's just nothing - no life at all. It happens sometimes, there's always that chance things are just DOA. I may try to tinker with it a little, but laptops are such a pain to tear into.
October 10, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Sadly, I did try plugging it up with my universal charger and there's just nothing - no life at all. It happens sometimes, there's always that chance things are just DOA. I may try to tinker with it a little, but laptops are such a pain to tear into.
Also, this HP/Compaq nw8440 caught my eye for a few reasons. First being the Xirrus label on it, second being the ATI FireGL and Workstation labeling, third it has firewire ports - uncommon on PC laptops. No charger (broke my rule, again) but took a chance for $10...
October 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Also, this HP/Compaq nw8440 caught my eye for a few reasons. First being the Xirrus label on it, second being the ATI FireGL and Workstation labeling, third it has firewire ports - uncommon on PC laptops. No charger (broke my rule, again) but took a chance for $10...
Time for Flea Market Friday - couple pickups today. This Tandy branded power switch caught my eye because Tandy, of course. This will hopefully be passed on to someone else that has a Tandy computer to match (it'll be at the VCF Swap Meet next weekend -if it functions-)...
October 10, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Time for Flea Market Friday - couple pickups today. This Tandy branded power switch caught my eye because Tandy, of course. This will hopefully be passed on to someone else that has a Tandy computer to match (it'll be at the VCF Swap Meet next weekend -if it functions-)...
The CD Mavica reads and writes to CD! It's a shame the battery is no good, but that's mostly to be expected (especially at this point). Thankfully I have others to use in it.
October 3, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The CD Mavica reads and writes to CD! It's a shame the battery is no good, but that's mostly to be expected (especially at this point). Thankfully I have others to use in it.
Also, a quick video of testing the cart slot.
October 3, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Also, a quick video of testing the cart slot.