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History of computing: videos Hacker News recommends
Computing history: early computers, mainframes, Bletchley Park, ENIAC, Xerox PARC, Unix history, minicomputers, personal computer revolution, historical lectures and museum restorations. Below: every video in this topic that at least three HN users linked with real commentary, in at least three different months (58 demos, 46 documentarys, 39 talks), best-scored first, with the comments on each video page.
- 12 HN recommenders 15 months 2014–2026HN repeatedly calls it the clearest introduction to waves and transmission-line behavior, better than modern explainers.
- 15 HN recommenders 14 months 2015–2026G gimpymoo · documentaryHN recommends it often as an entertaining and authentic dramatization of Sinclair versus Acorn, the story from which ARM grew.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2021–2026T TNMoC · lectureHN calls it mandatory viewing on the AGC, praising the speaker's enthusiasm and the clear account of restartable, robust software design.
- 13 HN recommenders 12 months 2014–2025E Excelsior10000 · documentaryHN commenters repeatedly recommend it as a beautiful, approachable explanation of analog mechanical computation, and many have rewatched it.
- 13 HN recommenders 12 months 2015–2026T The Documentary Network · documentaryHN commenters recommend it as an intimate, embedded look at late-90s web history and the spirit of building something important under pressure.
- 12 HN recommenders 11 months 2017–2026J Joey Reid · talkHN treats it as a classic, near-mandatory talk on how programming tools and paradigms stagnated and which older ideas deserve revival.
- 10 HN recommenders 11 months 2012–2026P powerfuloutlet · talkA staple on must-watch lists, recommended as a starting point for Kay's thinking and for why software is often poor and ahistorical.
- 11 HN recommenders 10 months 2019–2025V Vintage Computer Federation · interviewHN commenters recommend it for Thompson's funny, first-hand Unix history stories, some of which even Kernighan had not heard.
- 11 HN recommenders 11 months 2018–2026P PeriscopeFilm · tutorialHN treats it as the classic demonstration of how analog mechanical computation works, especially the differential gear section.
- 7 HN recommenders 10 months 2016–2025HN returns to it again and again as a demonstration of how programmable and composable 1970s systems were compared with today's.
- 8 HN recommenders 8 months 2013–2026M Marcel · demoHN treats it as an essential piece of computing history that shows how many modern interface ideas were already solved in 1968.
- 10 HN recommenders 8 months 2013–2026HN points people to it as the clearest primary-source explanation of Unix pipes and the small-tools philosophy, straight from the creators.
- 9 HN recommenders 7 months 2018–2025Repeatedly called the best and most comprehensive AGC talk, with commenters rewatching it and treating it as foundational computer architecture learning.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2015–2025HN repeatedly cites it as a thought-provoking talk on reducing software complexity and on the state of computing research.
- 4 HN recommenders 7 months 2016–2023F FOAM · explainerCited constantly in threads on microservices, composability and the Unix philosophy as a compact explanation of why small interoperable pieces win.
- 8 HN recommenders 6 months 2019–2024HN people recommend the whole AGC restoration series as a deeply nerdy look at real Apollo-era hardware, including core rope memory.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2023Commenters recommend the series whenever Fourier analysis or analog computing comes up, praising Hammack's clear explanations and the short episodes.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2010–2026HN commenters call it a favorite introduction to Valley history and cite it whenever government and military funding of tech comes up.
- 3 HN recommenders 7 months 2018–2024It is HN's standard answer to questions on creativity, finding problems and PARC history, valued for Kay's thinking about thinking.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2026D DRS_Education · documentaryHN commenters strongly recommend it for its account of how the Jacquard loom and punch cards led to computers.
- 7 HN recommenders 5 months 2018–2024HN repeatedly recommends the series for its extraordinary craftsmanship and its credible demonstration of how the mechanism could have been made.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025HN keeps citing it as proof of how advanced a GC-based systems language and integrated workstation were decades ago, and as a model for what desktop OSes could be.
- 3 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2024Frequently suggested in Ask HN threads on finding ideas, creativity and why incumbents like Xerox missed what they invented.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025HN commenters love it as a vivid demonstration of terminal history, explaining why tools like ed and the tty echo model work the way they do.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025I Interface Studies · demoHN returns to it as a striking demonstration that core GUI, CAD and constraint-programming ideas existed in the 1960s.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2026P Posy · explainerHN treats it as the definitive, short, well-made video on mouse cursors and pulls it out whenever cursor design, pixel perfection or the tilted arrow comes up.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2026HN commenters strongly recommend it as a fun alt-history of the web and bring it up whenever people muse about how the web could have been different.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025F funbury · lectureHN uses it to illustrate physical latency limits and why performance and distance matter in computing.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2011–2022P photonhunter · demoRecommended as the shortest way to grasp Nelson's idea of referential content and how the web could have been different.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2014–2026Repeatedly recommended as a favorite tech talk and a great example of digital preservation work.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2021–2025Recommended in threads on analog computing, photonic chips, AI hardware and tide prediction as an engaging history of Kelvin's machines.
- 6 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2024HN commenters recommend it as a demonstration of the Unix philosophy, with small tools composed through pipes.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2016–2025HN commenters recommend it whenever the Selectric comes up, as a short, excellent explanation of its internals.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2019–2023The standard recommendation for MiniDisc history, especially as a non-American counterpoint to the failed-format story.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2014–2024K Kalman Reti · demoThe go-to demo whenever HN discusses what Lisp machines were like and what modern shells and editors lack.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2024Recommended as a long, rich first-hand account of Mach, NeXT and Apple history and of working for Steve Jobs.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2014–2026HN recommends it to anyone interested in text adventures, Infocom, MUDs and early computer gaming history.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2015–2017Recommended as a well-researched piece of computing history on Amiga FPS games and Doom's impact.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2026HN calls it one of the best explanations of how atomic clocks actually work.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2025J Jason Scott · documentaryHN commenters recommend the series as the definitive history of BBS culture and its Fidonet roots, especially for nostalgia and the origins of the demoscene.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2026T Tim Callinan · documentaryRecommended whenever outages and cascading failures come up, as a classic on interdependent systems.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2025HN commenters recommend it as the authoritative, firsthand account of how X came to be and why it isn't GPL.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2026R Red Martian · demoHN cites it as a startling example of how advanced Lisp machine interactive graphics were, often in Lisp and REPL-driven development discussions.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2025Recommended as a vivid look at live, interactive programming environments and what Xerox PARC built on very limited hardware.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2022HN people recommend it as a reading list of historical CS ideas worth knowing, and as a favorite among Armstrong's talks, especially after his death.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2024Cited in threads about Python's rise as a first-hand, entertaining account of why it won in scientific computing.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2025HN points to it as a short, clear explanation of why Enigma was breakable and how search-space elimination works.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2021I Imperial College London · demoRecommended as a charming, from-zero introduction to APL and a window into early interactive computing.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024T The Centre for Computing History · lectureHN commenters recommend it as an excellent deep dive on the real Colossus, full of stories about unsung engineers.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2021HN commenters point to it as the author's own short explanation of Xanadu's core ideas, usually in threads on hypertext, linking and decentralizing the web.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2016T textfilesdotcom · talkHN points to it whenever a company shuts down a service and wipes user content, as an entertaining case for digital preservation.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024N NCommander · documentaryRecommended as the detailed, entertaining history of why 3D Pinball vanished from Windows.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2024D David Carroll · demoHN points people to it as the canonical demo of early interactive graphics, constraints and objects, and as one of Alan Kay's favorite things to show.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2022HN shares it as an accessible window into Ted Nelson's vision of Xanadu and linking, which commenters say gains meaning with historical context.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024D Dartmouth · documentaryHN recommends it as the definitive documentary on BASIC's origins, and it resurfaces whenever BASIC or Kurtz comes up.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2026C c102030 · videoHN commenters post it as a favorite scene about IBM's reputation and sales psychology.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2017C Cynthia Solomon · lectureRecommended to anyone unfamiliar with Papert as a glimpse of his vision for computers in education.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2017B bsdconferences · talkRecommended as an engaging, non-technical history of Unix and BSD from someone who was there, and cited for specific stories like the TCP/IP stack.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2023Recommended as a rare, inspiring history of the foundry business and the relationship between Chang and Huang.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2023–2026Recommended as a long, excellent first-hand interview with a legendary OS designer, though some note it is light on technical detail.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021C CH1LLW4VE · demoHN recommends it as a charming, concise demonstration of what makes Erlang special, from the people who built it.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024HN recommends it in Voyager threads as a good talk on how these old computers have proved durable and adaptable.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2013–2024HN likes it for Nelson's habit of reframing computing history so that past decisions look arbitrary.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2024U University of Utah · talkHN points to specific segments, especially Sutherland's SFQ talk and graphics pioneers, rather than the full seven hours.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024D DragonFartOutLoud · documentaryMentioned alongside The Cuckoo's Egg as the screen version of an early computer-security detective story.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2020Y Yin Wang · documentaryRecommended as a short documentary that shows the human side of Dijkstra.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2024HN recommends it as a good starting point on practical Enigma cryptanalysis with modern hardware.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2015–2022HN recommends it to see what Kildall was like in real life and as a tribute to an influential figure.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2024Recommended in note-taking and personal wiki threads for its enthusiasm about granular, densely linked notes and TiddlyWiki.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022R RC286 · documentaryRecommended in documentary and semiconductor-history threads as a detailed look at Japan's chip industry.
- 1 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2026T Thierry Hubert · demoHN links it in spreadsheet-reinvention threads as the clearest look at what Improv did differently, with a distinctive NeXTstep aesthetic.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021HN calls it a superb, funny and engaging talk, and links it often after Armstrong's death as one of his best.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2017S Seth Morabito · documentaryRecommended as a glimpse of Papert's vision of computers as tools for learning, shared especially after his death.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2023Recommended as the definitive retrospective on 3dfx, with first-hand stories about engineering hacks and design philosophy.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2024HN commenters share it as a rare, atmospheric look at what working at an early computing center was actually like, including how code was submitted and processed.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2021Recommended as an eye-opening look at pre-computer automation and relay logic.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2013–2024J Jecel Assumpção Jr · demoHN uses it as the canonical demo of Self's integrated, direct-manipulation environment whenever prototypal inheritance or live programming comes up.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2025HN brings it up in threads on warez, cracktros and the demoscene as a funny, informative history of the piracy scene.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2025V Vincent Gable · demoHN points to it as proof that the 1960s already had modeless, sketch-based interfaces that remain impressive today.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2022HN recommends it as a superb, personal long-form look at Knuth's life and work habits.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2014–2019B bbsers · documentaryRecommended as a great documentary on FidoNet's rise, with interviews with figures like Tom Jennings.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2024Recommended as a fantastic talk, valued both for its parallelism ideas and for the punch-card story.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2026HN commenters recommend it as the deepest explanation of how AGC rope memory works and how it differs from core memory.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2019HN people point to it as Nelson's candid, first-person overview of his life, Xanadu's failure, and the lessons he drew, a historical record from the man himself.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2025G General Magic and the Soul of Tech · documentaryHN recommends the documentary itself as a story of an epic early failure in mobile computing, and the trailer is the linked entry point.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2019Recommended as a wonderful overview of the AGC architecture, though one commenter found it uninspiring.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022E erg0steur · interviewPraised as a lesson in explaining technology to non-technical people and as a window into early Mac design.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2020Linked in Spacewar and vintage computing threads as a charming demo on real hardware.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024Recommended as a rare long-form interview with a legendary operating system designer, though some find it light on technical detail.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2019–2021T thoughtupquick · demoLinked as the clearest view of the legendary structural editor in threads about Lisp environments and structure editing.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2025S SHARE Association · talkHN commenters cite it as an entertaining example of a teenager buying, hosting and booting a real mainframe.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2024Shared in threads on window systems and X11 history as a primary-source talk on why NeWS was technically ahead of X.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2026C Catherine Lathwell · interviewRecommended as a vintage TV segment on APL's origins, and quoted for Iverson's view of APL as notation.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2024–2025Recommended as a great example of early VR and pre-computer simulation.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2012–2022K koyhoge · demoHN people cite it as evidence of how fast and responsive a well-designed microkernel desktop could be on modest hardware.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2024Recommended alongside the original paper and Unix history threads as an engaging account of the typesetter hack.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2019G GBPPR2 · documentaryHN lists it among favorite nerdy documentaries and enjoys hearing Stoll tell the story himself.
- 1 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2025HN points to it as a period view of HyperCard and a source for its history and influences.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2022–2026HN recommends it as a detailed, accurate explanation of why Betamax lost, and cites it in debates over whether VHS was actually the worse format.
- 3 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2026G Gravitas Documentaries · documentaryRecommended as a fun and illuminating watch on early mobile computing, especially in threads about Bill Atkinson and Telescript.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 231. Use search to find the rest.
Questions
What is the most recommended history of computing video on Hacker News?
AT&T Archives: Similiarities of Wave Behavior (Bonus Edition) by AT&T Tech Channel: HN repeatedly calls it the clearest introduction to waves and transmission-line behavior, better than modern explainers.
How is this history of computing list ranked?
By HackerTube's score: the number of distinct months in which an HN comment recommended the video, plus half a point for every month with a strong recommendation. One viral thread counts less than steady recommendations over years.
Where do the videos come from?
From every Hacker News comment between 2007 and 2026 that linked a YouTube video, labeled by an AI model as a recommendation, a citation, a joke or a criticism. The list is published by HackerTube under ODC-By 1.0; this edition adds indexable pages and the comment context.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.