# 8088 MPH

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/8088-mph/

5 people recommended 8088 MPH in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** A DOS demo for the original IBM PC that shows how much graphics and effects the old 8088 hardware can produce, which people point to as proof of what old machines could do.

Summary written by Claude from 4 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Shows unexpected capability of old hardware (1 comment in the sample): "It always amazes me when people discover functionality in old hardware" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48139000))
- Impressive CGA colours and effects (1 comment in the sample): "1k colours in CGA, and a bunch of other impressive stuff" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49703703))
- Better than earlier PC demos (1 comment in the sample): "a really good one didn't happen until 8088mph came out" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49145973))
- Cited as proof in discussions (1 comment in the sample): "See the linked "8088 MPH" video for proof" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45829694))

## What people recommend instead

- [Second Reality by Future Crew](https://hackerapproved.com/p/second-reality/): 9 recommend, 1 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "8088 MPH", https://hackerapproved.com/p/8088-mph/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.