---
title: "The State of the Eight: 8-Bit Computers – Alive and Running"
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url: "http://localhost/article/the-state-of-the-eight-8-bit-computers-alive-and-running/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/the-state-of-the-eight-8-bit-computers-alive-and-running.md"
published_at: "2026-02-06T01:38:31+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-02-06T01:38:32+00:00"
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excerpt: "With the same incredulity, we often hear similar statements of disbelief: \"I can’t believe IT!\" \"Weren't 8-bit machines dead two years ago?’ ‘Who in their right mind would still be using one of those things?’ These are some typical statements often made by members of the ‘mainstream’ computer press. Especially when they find out that…"
category:
  - name: "The Data Expansion"
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indiv:
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publication_r:
  id: 50143
  title: "The Data Expansion"
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authors_r:
  - name: "David Baulch"
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volume: "5"
issue: "5"
issues_articles:
  - id: 50247
    title: "The Data Expansion v5 n5"
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    url: "http://localhost/issue/the-data-expansion-v5-n5/"
pages: "18-19"
pubdate: "May 1988"
archive_link: false
---

# The State of the Eight: 8-Bit Computers – Alive and Running

With the same incredulity, we often hear similar statements of disbelief: “I can’t believe IT!” “Weren’t 8-bit machines dead two years ago?’ ‘Who in their right mind would still be using one of those things?’ These are some typical statements often made by members of the ‘mainstream’ computer press. Especially when they find out that a magazine the size of Computer Shopper not only devotes a large section of the magazine to 8-bit computers every month, but that the section is still growing!