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Prehistory

Everything before anyone wrote it down, reconstructed from what they left.

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Wheel

The wheel did not invent transport — it relocated friction, and nothing since has undone that bargain.

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10:53

Amiga 500

Commodore · 1987

The Amiga 500 is a pivotal hardware milestone—not because it introduced new silicon, but because it delivered proven multitasking and colour graphics to mainstream retail at a time when competitors treated those features as optional or impossible in home systems. Its success relied on reuse, repackaging, and distribution—not invention.

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11:18

BBC Micro

Acorn Computers · 1981

The BBC Micro was a procurement win first, an educational tool second. It succeeded because it met rigid broadcast and policy constraints—not because it was inherently superior to alternatives. Its architecture prioritised demonstrable compliance over user flexibility. Its dominance was guaranteed by subsidy rules, not market preference.