Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Reliving a Childhood Dream: Restoring an IBM PS/1 2168

2025-05-18

The author, captivated by computers since 1993, always longed for an IBM PS/1 2168. In winter 2024, he fulfilled his childhood dream by restoring one and maxing out DOOM. The article details the journey of sourcing, acquiring, and meticulously restoring this 30-year-old classic, including selecting a keyboard and screen, installing PC-DOS 7, and upgrading the CPU and cache. It showcases the author's passion for retro computing and technical expertise.

Beyond "Hello, World": A Deep Dive into Executable Creation

2025-05-05

The author reminisces about the pleasant experience of learning C and C++, but contrasts it with the painful process of turning programs into executables. This led to this series of articles aiming to fill the gap in existing programming textbooks regarding the compilation process. The articles will delve into core compiler concepts, validating claims with reproducible steps using bintools and driver verbose mode (-v). Ultimately, it aims to equip readers with a complete mental map of executable creation, freeing them from the frustration of mysterious LNK2019 and LNK4002 errors.

fastDOOM: Unlocking the Speed of DOOM on a 486

2025-03-04

This article delves into the remarkable performance optimizations achieved by the fastDOOM project, boosting the classic game DOOM's speed by 30% or more on a 486 processor. The author meticulously benchmarks various fastDOOM versions against the original, analyzing code changes and Git history to uncover the secrets behind the speed improvements. These include code reduction, function inlining, rendering optimizations (handling Mode Y and Mode 13h differently), and CPU/bus-specific tweaks. The author also explores the performance implications of different video modes (Mode Y vs. Mode 13h) and discusses unsuccessful optimization attempts. The article concludes with heartfelt praise for Victor Nieto, the creator of fastDOOM, for his impressive work.