It's #retrofest2026 very soon indeed - just over a week! Saturday is SOLD OUT, but there's still tickets for Sunday - www.retrofest.uk/tickets.php - and it is, obviously, going to be awesome! Here's a few more photos from last year to get us in the mood ...

🤣 at myself for the message i left for me... Plugged an old 32Mb (yes Mb not Gb!) PC Card into a reader and found this on sector zero!

It's 2026 and to this day the whole of the Quantel community knows of no working #Quantel Henry systems. These were $1/4 million machines 20 years ago. They were so bleeding edge at the time they did not survive 🤯

Well it's done, after 6567km walked my Zygarde is now maxed out at 4093cp, best buddied and has three moves. It's taken about three years 😮 #pokemongo

What does this big empty space need? Well, it needs lots and lots of vintage computers - and YOU! It's just 5 weeks to Retrofest 2026 (gulp) and tickets are selling fast. Buy yours now and do your bit to fill this big empty space! www.retrofest.uk/tickets.php

This MeanWell RS-15 is so small and cute! 🥰

I challenge anyone to beat getting four networked #Quantel machines at the same time in 2026...

Thursdays 😵‍💫

Three artworks painted on a #Quantel DPB-7001 Digital Paint Box by Martin Holbrook. These were made during the early period of the DPB Paintbox in the 1980s. There are only TWO working DPB Paintboxes worldwide, one will be at #Retrofest in Swindon, UK on May 30th and 31st. bsky.app/profile/shor...

I love the older parts and buildings of #manchester 😍. This is on Port Street.

Dated 1997, could this be any more 1990s and #Quantel HAL influenced? 😂 #bykergrove

#Quantel 2103-87 Clipnet P2. Allowed the Quantel Henry and Editbox to share video from another machine in real time over a 1Gbit fiber network. Looks to be dated around the middle of 2000. 14 layer PCB too which is impressive!

Been playing Pokémon Go since August 2016 so i am coming up to my 10 year anniversary 😱. Today i hit Level 70 😱😱. 85+ million xp, 19,500 km walked and 81,000 pokemon caught. @pokemongoapp.bsky.social

@antanddec.com Some original GFX from ITV, dated 2004 🤷

30 years ago this amount of Quantel would have set you back £1/3 million! In 2026 it's 50p, a Kia Ora Orange and an old Conker.

Powering on a 1980s Quantel DPB-7001 wearing an 808 State T-Shirt, with an Atari ST and a Panasonic ENG tube camera in the background. Could this be any more retro? It's a shame the #Quantel explodes though!

Taking care of business. We need to do this and move on.

Back in 2016... #sony

Something you don't see often! A commercial SMD Hard Disk Emulator. The Arraid EID-1C, emulates many SMD hard disks and writes out to a SCSIFLash by SolidStateDisks. The EID-1C is the caching version which caches all the data in RAM. This one is configured for my Quantel DPB-7001 Paintbox.

#Quantel DPB-7001 Digital Paint Box from 1987 says hello!

SCSIFlash 37.13 Made in England! 😲 Some of the date codes imply it's circa 2001?

Time to check and test the #quantel DPB-7001 before Retrofest Swindon!

My wife is fucking awesome 😍

Since the IOC created a rule for trans athletes to compete in 2003, over 84,000 people have become Olympians. Out of those 84,000 a total of 2 have been trans women & one came dead last the other came 37th out of 42. Neither were from 🇺🇸 or the 🇬🇧 youtu.be/B8CzqxhZk7I?...

I have been out vinyl shopping today and found this compilation from 1982. Whoever had this before cut out this section and made a new picture for Duran Duran 😍

@circuitbenders.co.uk do you fancy bending a Quantel? i am sure a bit of inside knowledge and some creative ideas might make something interesting 🤔 I have always been tempted to do it...

The Quantel community has discovered another new unseen video from the very early days of the #Quantel Paintbox. Thanks go out to @quantelpaintbox.bsky.social for making this available to be digitised. youtu.be/k36Y8IBW-UM?...

@laurenblighton.bsky.social i thought you might appreciate this 😉

Calling all broadcast video people! Do you fancy the chance to see and have a go on a working original Quantel DPB-7001 'Classic' Paintbox? Your chance will be available in Swindon on May 30/31. www.retrofest.uk

This is probably more of a diary entry than a blog post, but it does have a link to the museum's video which'll give you more of an idea what went on over that weekend. Looking forward to the next one in Swindon in May.

The true definition of multi-tasking in the 1990s, Quake in Voodoo 2 SLI while painting on a Quantel Paintbox. The XP machine waits in the background for, the future...

Absolutely the coolest (if least practical) remote control of all time.

Quake on Voodoo2 SLI from 1996 anyone?

8100 working a treat..

Listening to some music from 1977 on a 20 year old music player in 2026 😱🤯🫣

It's my birthday weekend so i am in the pub. Cheers 🍺

It's 2026 and i am formatting actual physical floppy disks while listening to Stakker Global Humanoid on vinyl.

@stinkyox.bsky.social please please let me get your #Quantel Paintbox working, i will do it for nothing, DM me.

Bad Capacitor graveyard 🪦

Well the entire world seems to be coming to an end but i still have a working Quantel Paintbox so that makes me feel ok.

Strange how one of the most obscure singles from the 1980s can be a thing that just gets you. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYx...

There are some remote controls which look neat but back in the 1990s we had proper remote controls with EL backlights and touch pens. This one is still kicking after 27 years. #pioneer #1990s

MCoG 👍

How I’m turning up to the Bluesky Christmas party. Did anything significant happen in 2025? No? Oh well... i will play with my Paintbox then... happy days!

A good friend of the community is making a modern interpretation of the #Quantel Paintbox UI and painting modes that were used on the Classic DPB and later V-Series machines from Quantel. Please take a look! www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoCW...

Split screen, slow motion, #Quantel ?

Just one final thing - someone filmed some of my departure speech after Monkey Cage last night (I should make it clear no one knew I was going to do it) and it has been put up here - i cannot deny i was very emotional #science #comedy www.chortle.co.uk/news/2025/12...