February 11, 2026
Calculator vs computer cage match
Hacking the last Z80 computer – FOSDEM 2026 [video]
Retro showdown: Is this grandma email box the ‘last’ Z80 or calculator fodder
TLDR: A FOSDEM 2026 talk shows how to hack the 1999 MailStation, likely the last newly designed Z80-based computer. Commenters sparred over whether TI’s Z80 calculators count, while others cheered the emulator and docs and joked about running Doom on grandma’s email box.
At FOSDEM 2026, a speaker rolled out the MailStation—an email gadget from 1999 powered by the Z80, the beloved 1980s chip—and called it “most likely the last new Z80 computer ever designed.” Cue the comment section siren. Dwedit barged in to say Texas Instruments calculators in the 2000s still used Z80s, just not “computers,” igniting a spicy debate over what even counts as a computer: if it has a keyboard, screen, and can run apps, isn’t it one? Or is it just an appliance with delusions of grandeur?
While armchair philosophers argued definitions, hackers grabbed the goodies and started plotting: an emulator, a host app for moving software over mailtransfer, and detailed hardware docs. The vibe swung between nostalgia (“grandma’s inbox gets a glow-up”) and challenge mode (“Will it run Doom?”), with jokes like “Inbox Zero on 128 KB of RAM” and “Reply-all at 12 MHz.” Some snarked that calling it the “last” Z80 is pure marketing drama; others loved the idea of turning a dial‑up email box into a tiny hacker playground. Verdict from the crowd: whether computer or calculator cousin, this thing is hackable, memeable, and begging for new firmware.
Key Points
- •The talk presents the Cidco MailStation, a 1999 Z80-based computer with a 12 MHz CPU and 128 kB RAM.
- •MailStation was designed as a dedicated email device but can run user applications and be hacked for custom software.
- •The speaker encourages community participation in documenting the machine and developing custom firmware.
- •Resources include a MailStation emulator, a host software transfer tool, and hardware documentation (GitHub links provided).
- •The MailStation is described as most likely the last newly designed Z80-based computer.