Technology

Legendary Windows Pinball developer rescues 200lb magnetic disc drive from the 1980s – requires a scissor lift to move it, only has 622 MB of storage

Source

Tom's Hardware

Published

Nov 6, 2025

TL;DR

AI Generated

Former Microsoft engineer Dave Plummer is reviving a 200lb DEC RA82 disc drive from the 1980s with just 622 MB of storage to run Unix on his DEC PDP-11/73 minicomputer. Plummer praises the drive's self-healing capabilities and unique design, highlighting its value despite modern criticisms. Despite the drive's bulkiness, Plummer successfully connects it to his PDP-11/73 and prepares it for Unix installation. The project showcases the beauty and nostalgia of vintage storage technology in a modern context, emphasizing the appeal of classic drives over modern alternatives.

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Lexar regional manager says that RAM prices are expected to double by the end of the year — 'discounts' and stabilized prices result from distributors getting rid of old stock or sourcing products from other regions

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Lexar regional manager says that RAM prices are expected to double by the end of the year — 'discounts' and stabilized prices result from distributors getting rid of old stock or sourcing products from other regions

Tom's Hardware•

1 week ago

Taiwanese startup FormulaV Line wants to break into US market with two new unique cases — company expects products to become available on Newegg later this year

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1 week ago

G.Skill explains how AMD EXPO ULL unlocks additional performance — expanded profiles allow memory makers to include subtiming tweaks for the first time

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Huawei-led team claims it post-trained DeepSeek's 1.6-trillion-parameter model — 1,000 Ascend 910C chips used in training

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1 week ago

Legendary Windows Pinball developer rescues 200lb magnetic disc drive from the 1980s – requires a scissor lift to move it, only has 622 MB of storage

TL;DR

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Lexar regional manager says that RAM prices are expected to double by the end of the year — 'discounts' and stabilized prices result from distributors getting rid of old stock or sourcing products from other regions

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Legendary Windows Pinball developer rescues 200lb magnetic disc drive from the 1980s – requires a scissor lift to move it, only has 622 MB of storage

TL;DR

Similar Articles

Lexar regional manager says that RAM prices are expected to double by the end of the year — 'discounts' and stabilized prices result from distributors getting rid of old stock or sourcing products from other regions

Taiwanese startup FormulaV Line wants to break into US market with two new unique cases — company expects products to become available on Newegg later this year

G.Skill explains how AMD EXPO ULL unlocks additional performance — expanded profiles allow memory makers to include subtiming tweaks for the first time

Huawei-led team claims it post-trained DeepSeek's 1.6-trillion-parameter model — 1,000 Ascend 910C chips used in training