ONE CHRISTMAS. ONE GAME. A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES.
In 1980, an eight-year-old boy in Northern Ireland discovered a television PONG game. That small moment became a lifelong passion for old computers, consoles and games — and, in 1999, The Old Computer was born.
A preservation project built by enthusiasts, kept alive by its community.
The Old Computer began in 1999 as one collector's obsession. It grew into a community archive for the software, machines and memories that shaped an entire generation.
Our mission is to preserve ROMs recovered from old computers, consoles, handhelds and arcade systems, alongside the emulators that can bring them back to life. We also keep the surrounding history: manuals, box art, books, disk labels, magazines and other pieces that are so easily lost.
There are no adverts or clickbait. The archive survives through the generosity of its members and the hard work of contributors, curators and volunteers. Donations go towards keeping the website online and preserving its collections.
In 2003 I wrote the Computer Collectors' Code of Conduct to encourage responsible collecting, repairing machines where possible and sharing knowledge with fellow enthusiasts.
These are the seven commitments from that original code. They still capture what I believe collecting should be about: preservation, respect and helping each other.
See how you can helpTHE ORIGINAL SEVEN COMMITMENTS
As a serious collector, I follow the Computer Collector's Code of Conduct (CCCC).
Six chapters from Hot Trout's original account of how this adventure began.
A television game arrives one Christmas in rural Northern Ireland. Eight-year-old Hot Trout discovers squash, competition and the thrill of making a machine do something wonderful.
Another Christmas brings a ZX81. BASIC, experiments and the joy of programming are now part of the story — and there's no turning back.
The C64 and Datapac become the centre of five years of gaming, code, machine language and inventive hardware projects — including a homemade autofire joystick built from Meccano.
More than 1,500 Amiga games, involvement with groups including RSI and The Untouchables, and the short but lively ICRUS group. A deep love of the Amiga takes hold.
From a Commodore PC1 and dBase to a 486 DX2-66 with 4 MB of RAM, the hobby becomes part of a computing science degree and a lifelong collection of hardware and software.
One person's collection becomes a public resource. Over the years, forum members, curators, supporters and countless visitors help turn it into the archive we know today.
HOT TROUT // FOUNDER & COLLECTOR
THE ORIGINALCollector. Programmer. Lifelong retro computer obsessive. And the person who started this whole wonderful thing.
I was born in 1972 and grew up in rural Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Despite everything going on around us, I had a wonderful childhood. I was always curious about how things worked, and spent a fair amount of time taking them apart to find out.
My first PONG game arrived at Christmas in 1980, followed by a Sinclair ZX81 the next year. But the big turning point was a Commodore 64 with a Datapac at Christmas 1982. For the next five years I used it for just about everything: playing games, learning BASIC and machine code, and dreaming up gadgets. I even made an autofire joystick from Meccano parts and a homemade interface.
Then came the Amiga. I fell completely in love with the machine and the creative scene around it, collecting more than 1,500 games and joining groups such as RSI and The Untouchables. I formed my own group, ICRUS, too. Its life was short, but we had fun making demos and sharing them.
By 1990 I was also exploring PCs, beginning with a Commodore PC1 and programming in Clipper and dBase III and IV. My first proper IBM-compatible machine was a 486 DX2-66, with 4 MB of RAM, a 120 MB hard drive and a 15-inch colour monitor. It felt like a monster at the time, and helped me compile software for my computing science degree. In 1993 I started my own computer business, working with servers and other systems.
Meanwhile, the collecting never stopped. Over the years my collection reached more than 250 different types of machine, from hulking DEC VAX systems and Dictaphone word processors to Nintendo Game & Watch handhelds and unusual prototypes. Among my favourites are the Amiga A3000T and A4000T, and an early-production Atari 2600.
I still enjoy modern games, but there's always time for an Amiga, a Dreamcast or a classic console. If you'd like to get in touch, please use our Contact page. You can also find me on The Old Computer Discord server.
The characters who helped shape TOC over the years, and the people still helping to keep the community connected today. Some credits celebrate historical roles.
A lifelong collector of computers, handhelds, consoles and everything retro. HT is also a serious gamer across several decades, from the 1980s to the present day. These days I am planning my succession and the survival of this site for future generations.
Keeping the emulator collection in order, and helping members with technical questions.
Community spirit, helpful advice, blog contributions — and the occasional ban hammer for spammers.
Sadly, in 2015 Hugh, aka Crusty, passed away after a long illness. He is sadly missed by all at the site, particularly in the forum and blog. His collection remains a thing of wonder, and his presence is felt across the site.
Unix enthusiast, music fanatic and curator of the Retro Game Music collection.
A long-serving, good-humoured helping hand for forum members. Nobody quite knows what Mooks does. :)
A tireless hunter of rare systems, unusual ROMs and forgotten platforms.
Our resident social media manager, helping share TOC's stories, keep our channels lively and connect fellow retro-computing enthusiasts.
Recognised on the original site for their generosity, their forum contributions and their steadfast support.
They say everyone gets fifteen minutes of fame. Well, here's mine.
Back in April 2002, a researcher from Outline Productions got in touch. They were making a fly-on-the-wall documentary series about modern life, culture and the rise of video gaming and computing. One episode would look at people like me and the things we collect. The programme was called How Weird Are You?
Enter Hot Trout and his unfeasibly large collection of computer crap! The filming took place at my house, among the computers I had collected over the years. The photographs below are the originals from that day, with my notes and memories.
The show aired on BBC Choice via Sky Digital in 2004, and was repeated later that year. TOC also appeared in Esquire in 2004 and has supplied old machines for television and film props.
Filming took place at my house in a large shed used to store the computer collection. Most of the machines were actually boxed up, but they all came out for the cameras.
Setting up some lighting for a shot.
No, that isn't for drying your hair... it's a very, very hot light. Now leave that alone, Wellsy!
Here's the cameraman putting some material onto tape. You can spot a Famicom in the foreground and an Atari 2600 heavy sixer on top of the shelf to the right. The big A4-style monitors came from an old networked office word-processing system.
A good shot of some of the Commodore PET series from my collection. You can see a few Amigas in the foreground, too.
Ah yes, the sound man. As luck would have it, my brother decided to tune his Kawasaki ZZR 1100 that very day, much to the sound engineer's annoyance. He's probably swearing under his breath here. Incidentally, the microphone I was wearing cost over £2,500. The thing the sound guy's holding, which looks like a badger on a stick, is in fact... a badger on a stick. Odd sense of humour, sound people!
The whole process took all day, from 8:00 in the morning until 7:30 that evening. It was great fun, but very hard work. You start to feel like a prat after repeating yourself to a camera for the seventh time... but practice makes perfect!
I take my hat off to everyone who works in television, both in front of and behind the camera. Hello to everyone in these pictures—you know who you are—and a special “leave that alone!” to Wellsy. No other films coming out in the near future, but I'm still available for TV appearances, shows, stage and events.
TOC is still here because people care enough to preserve, contribute and pass along what they love. If this site means something to you, you're already part of the story.