Abstract
Fans have traditionally been defined in relation to various kinds of media content, such as books, films, TV shows or digital games. However, the relationship of many user communities to hardware artifacts and computer brands can also be described in terms of fandom, e.g. people have been described as "Nintendo fanboys".
Using an example from 1980s Czechoslovakia, this chapter focuses on the moments when home computer users switch platforms and argues that platform transition is a complex process on both individual and social level, involving the questions of community, technicity, brand loyalty, and nostalgia. The chapter draws from the 1990-1995 issues of ZX Magazine, other contemporary sources and interviews with users active in that era.
It shows how 8-bit computers, 16-bit machines, and platform transition were portrayed and defined in the 1990s Czechoslovakia, and how the transition was experienced by the authors of games for 8-bit platforms.