MartyPC
martypc.blogspot.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2023
The author of the MartyPC IBM PC emulator writes about vintage PC hardware, emulation accuracy, and floppy disk copy protection schemes.
What HN saysHN commenters recommend the floppy copy protection series, especially the interview with Quaid Software's Robert McQuaid, and the hardware-validating emulator post.
17HN people shared it
4linked it in comments
32stories submitted
518story points
3 months agolast shared
2023people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1PC Floppy Copy Protection: Vault Prolok3 people · 64 points · first shared 2024 · 8 comments on HN
- 2PC Floppy Copy Protection: An Interview with Robert McQuaid3 people · 1 points · first shared 2024 · discussion on HN
- 3PC Floppy Copy Protection: Softguard Superlok2 people · 131 points · first shared 2024 · 46 comments on HN
- 4Emulator Debugging: Area 5150's Lake Effect2 people · 75 points · first shared 2025 · 9 comments on HN
- 5PC Floppy Copy Protection: Formaster Copy-Lock2 people · 68 points · first shared 2024 · 20 comments on HN
- 6PC Floppy Copy Protection: Electronic Arts Interlock2 people · 34 points · first shared 2024 · 1 comments on HN
- 7Bus Sniffing the IBM 51502 people · 4 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 860fps Video on a CGA? – The GlyphBlaster2 people · 2 points · first shared 2026 · discussion on HN
- 9Emulator Debugging: Pianoman 3.02 people · 2 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 10The Complete Bus Logic of the Intel 80881 people · 82 points · first shared 2024 · 8 comments on HN
- 11Exploring the NEC V20 CPU1 people · 24 points · first shared 2024 · 2 comments on HN
- 12PC Floppy Copy Protection: Xemag Xelok1 people · 10 points · first shared 2024 · 5 comments on HN
- 13Executable Emoji1 people · 5 points · first shared 2026 · discussion on HN
- 14Hacking the Book8088 for better accuracy1 people · 4 points · first shared 2023 · discussion on HN
- 15Exploring 16-bit Bus Access on the PC/AT1 people · 4 points · first shared 2025 · discussion on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
progbits · 2024-09-08
Another great article from the same author that I found when browsing their blog after the previous article:
https://martypc.blogspot.com/2023/06/hardware-validating-emulator.html…
Probably should be a separate HN submission at some point.
badsectoracula · 2026-02-07
The accompanying interview with the founder of Quaid Software who defeated the Vault Prolok is also very interesting:
[0] https://martypc.blogspot.com/2024/09/pc-floppy-copy-protection-intervi…
anyfoo · 2026-02-02
Yes, it was apparently very visible: https://martypc.blogspot.com/2024/09/pc-floppy-copy-protection-vault-p…
But as I mentioned in a sibling comment, I’m not sure it was ever confirmed that it was really a laser that made that mark.
LeoPanthera · 2024-10-02
Don't miss the interview with Robert McQuaid, a fascinating read:
https://martypc.blogspot.com/2024/09/pc-floppy-copy-protection-intervi…