FROM CAPE TOWN, WITH NOSTALGIA

Old-school soul.
New-school
tools.

Beige computers. Tangled cables. An internet connection that needed the whole house to cooperate.

I’m Barry. Some things have changed.
The tech still has an attitude.

Watch the latest Meet Barry

Barry is a fictional AI character. The nostalgia is very real.

Barry in his warm retro-tech studio, with beige computers and a Cape Town sunset

BARRY / TECHIE / STORYTELLERStill keeping that cable.
Just in case.

01 / STORIES FROM THE STUDIO

Same Barry.
Another tech problem.

All videos on YouTube ↗

LATEST • EP04 ABOUT 16 SECONDS

It’s now safe to turn off your computer.

We used to wait for permission to switch it off. Now we wait for updates. Progress, apparently.

15 November 2026

EP03 / PRINTER PROBLEMS

The printer has trust issues.

It’s right there. It’s switched on. It’s offline.

EP02 / DIAL-UP DAYS

Get off the phone!

One phone call. One very interrupted download.

EP01 / THE CABLE COMEBACK

Wired is back.
Barry never left.

Apparently the junk drawer is a boutique now.

MORE THAN THE LATEST FOUR EPISODES

There’s a whole story
before this one.

From the first modem memories to Barry’s introduction, six Max Fixed It adventures and the newest episodes. Watch all 22 videos in the order the story unfolded.

Start from the beginning

01 / THE EARLY DAYS02 / MEET BARRY03 / MAX FIXED IT04 / SIX EPISODES LATER05 / BACK TO BARRY

MORE THAN THE LATEST FOUR EPISODES

There’s a whole story
before this one.

From the first modem memories to Barry’s introduction, six Max Fixed It adventures and the newest episodes. Watch all 22 videos in the order the story unfolded.

Start from the beginning

01 / THE EARLY DAYS02 / MEET BARRY03 / MAX FIXED IT04 / SIX EPISODES LATER05 / BACK TO BARRY

MORE THAN THE LATEST FOUR EPISODES

There’s a whole story
before this one.

From the first modem memories to Barry’s introduction, six Max Fixed It adventures and the newest episodes. Watch all 22 videos in the order the story unfolded.

Start from the beginning

01 / THE EARLY DAYS02 / MEET BARRY03 / MAX FIXED IT04 / SIX EPISODES LATER05 / BACK TO BARRY

02 / BARRY’S RETRO FINDS

Old-school appeal.
Still worth a look.

A few things with the right kind of nostalgia. These are editorial picks to explore, not hands-on reviews.

Links below go to the manufacturers. No affiliate commission is earned from these links. Check current prices, compatibility and delivery to your country before buying.

FOR THE CABLE KEEPERS

Koss Porta Pro

The wired headphone design that fits Barry’s cable comeback. Look for the exact wired model and check your device’s connector.

Explore at Koss ↗

FOR THE BEIGE DESK

8BitDo Retro Keyboard

Modern desk kit with a familiar look. Explore the range and check the edition, keyboard layout and supported devices.

Explore at 8BitDo ↗

Barry, the fictional presenter of Techie of the 90s

MEET YOUR HOST / BARRY

03 / THE STORY BEHIND THE SPECS

A fictional face.
A familiar feeling.

Techie of the 90s is a corner of the internet for the technology we grew up with, the things we used to fix, and the things that still refuse to work.

Barry brings the dry humour. Cape Town brings the backdrop. Modern AI tools help bring the character and his studio to life.

“Old tech. Modern problems.
Same look of disbelief.”

Barry is a fictional AI presenter. Illustrations and recreated scenes are part of the storytelling. Product picks are identified separately from hands-on reviews.

KEEP THE NOSTALGIA GOING

What was your
first computer?

Come for the old tech. Stay for the stories in the comments.

Old-school soul.
New-school
tools.