8088 MPH
Computer demo
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.
5 people recommended 8088 MPH in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026.
Summary written by Claude from 4 comments.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- mixed feelings
- 0
- warn against or regret it
- 0
The record
Recommended in 5 of 12 months
In 5 different threads.
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 12 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
- Recommended in 5 threadsNeeds 5 or more, met.
- The biggest thread supplies 20% of its recommendersNeeds half or less, met.
The same rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. Mixed feelings count toward neither side. How the badge works
What people say about it
Reasons grouped from a sample of 4 of the 5 opinions about it, picked in proportion to how many people recommend it, have mixed feelings and criticize it. Each mark is one comment in the sample. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Shows unexpected capability of old hardware
“It always amazes me when people discover functionality in old hardware”
Comment from 14 May 2026 in “60fps Video on a CGA? – The GlyphBlaster” Impressive CGA colours and effects
“1k colours in CGA, and a bunch of other impressive stuff”
Comment from 14 Sep 2026 in “A 386 PC for Your RP2350” Better than earlier PC demos
“a really good one didn't happen until 8088mph came out”
Comment from 2 Aug 2026 in “Fasttracker II clone in C using SDL 2” Cited as proof in discussions
“See the linked "8088 MPH" video for proof”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “A Lost IBM PC/at Model? Analyzing a Newfound Old Bios”
What people recommend instead
The same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Mixed | Criticize | Approval | Months | Had for | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Reality by Future Crew | 9 | 1 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
| 8088 MPHThis page | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 5 opinions about it, picked in proportion to the three counts, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“1k colours in CGA, and a bunch of other impressive stuff”
“a really good one didn't happen until 8088mph came out”
“It always amazes me when people discover functionality in old hardware”
“See the linked "8088 MPH" video for proof”
Counts come from 1,791,911 Hacker News comments labeled by Claude, November 2025 to October 2026, with data through October 31, 2026. Counts updated 2 Nov 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.