The Commodore 64 turns 30 today. Reams of copy have been written in tribute to this machine. It wasn't the first personal computer, but it truly was one that democratized them to millions of middle-class households. Releasing in August, 1982, it stepped into the breach a year later when console video gaming, as we…

Two years ago I toured the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., and if you ever have the opportunity, I very much recommend a visit. It was edifying both in what it taught me that I didn't know, and for the nostalgia that reminded me of what I once did. And on my way out that day, passing an entrance to…