alt.hn

8/16/2026 at 12:16:21 PM

A True Telnet BBS on a Casio Calculator

https://ei3lh.eu/2026/08/16/a-true-telnet-bbs-on-a-casio-calculator/

by austinallegro

8/16/2026 at 7:46:11 PM

Just reminded me of my favorite toy as a kid, the IR-7000 [1]. I convinced myself I was Ethan Hunt riding around on my bike with it in my pocket.

Cool to see this working.

[1] https://segaretro.org/IR_7000_Communicator

by rglover

8/16/2026 at 3:42:27 PM

I love this, but feedback to the author: the combination of a quirky font and quirky colours make this incredibly hard to read.

by nizmow

8/16/2026 at 7:13:36 PM

I think it’s the contrast that’s the problem, rather than the choice of font (although serif fonts can be slightly harder to read). Lighten the background slightly, and darken the text slightly, and it would be much more readable.

(But I too love the project, and am interested to see the result when the BBS is available via packet radio.)

by bartread

8/16/2026 at 3:26:24 PM

I just ordered a Cardputer Adv on a similar interest. I saw the Cardputer Zero is sold out on Kickstarter! I miss my LG Phenom :(

by josh-wrale

8/16/2026 at 4:20:16 PM

I really enjoy this format. Like reading a story from the authors life. Like you might read in an autobiography.

I don’t think I write this way very often, but I enjoyed reading it.

My takeaway is to write a bit like a journal more often.

by codazoda

8/16/2026 at 3:06:47 PM

A Casio FX-730P got me through secondary school. Sitting there programming during every lesson instead of paying attention.

by qingcharles

8/17/2026 at 8:34:34 AM

I love these little calculators. How amazing it would be if we could carry a text-only local model with no network access in this format? Kind of like a pocket companion. Not too different from a phone, but a lot cooler nonetheless (with much better typing).

by glimshe

8/16/2026 at 5:23:56 PM

That "AI-generated fake magazine advert" for the VX-4 is glorious.

by lysace

8/17/2026 at 5:56:14 AM

These are not calculators, but pocket computers. Different markets (one crashed, the other still exists) with different hardware.

by manytimesaway

8/16/2026 at 3:36:40 PM

Man, one of these was my fever dream as a kid.

by barrenko

8/16/2026 at 3:06:31 PM

This is so awesome.

by clickety_clack

8/17/2026 at 5:24:10 AM

What a wonderfully hacky project. That's what's possible when hardware is not deliberately made unusable by planned obsolescence.

by zombot

8/17/2026 at 12:31:28 AM

[dead]

by aaron695