I’m Rodrigo Copetti and I live in Scotland. I graduated in 2020 with a degree in Computing Science from the University of Glasgow and I’m currently working as a software engineer (mainly with iOS and Android).
I’ve built this website in 2019 to write about topics I like to investigate during my free time, this includes computing architecture, mobile user interfaces and some pieces of software that I wrote. This is what I have so far.
Get in touch
You can contact me by mail or by Twitter, please note that I’m not interested in placing advertisements or third-party content on this site.
Apart from those two, I don’t use any other social media platform. Although I’ve got a LinkedIn profile, but I don’t use it unless I need to update my current employment.
Casual questionnaire
Here I’ve compiled answers to questions people have asked me in the past, just in case you are curious:
About the website
How did you start this website?
I always had some sort of personal site but never manage to build a proper space to write on. After being made aware of the potential of static website generators (my last attempt used Wordpress on top of a slow hosting) and the multitude of free and easily-customisable themes, I decided to give it a go.
Why didn’t you build a dedicated site for the console architecture writings?
I originally planned to write about personal projects, but wanted to get some some practice first. Also, before the website I used to write down notes about particular inner workings of consoles that I considered worth to remember. So, after setting up the site, I decided to ‘digitalise’ my notes.
Why do you care about old hardware/consoles?
Because it’s the best way I will comprehend present (and future) technology. Current advancements don’t pop out of nowhere, they may even carry past technology that only became popular many years later. Moreover, learning the fundamentals also allows me to filter misinformation out (which I’ve seen plenty).
Apart from that, it’s food for thought.
Do I need a computing background to understand your writings?
It’s preferable but that shouldn’t stop you if you are curious about the topic. Take your own time, everyone learns at different paces.
Can you write about X?
Chances are I’d like to, however, time and budget are my main constraints.
Which is better, the PlayStation 7 Pro Max or the Xbox Series 720 Slim?
The point of the articles is so you can form an educated opinion by yourself. Although, nothing beats the Nintendo Switch U 64 OLED!
About the author
Is ‘Copetti’ Italian?
Yes, from Gemona del Friuli.
So, are you Italian?
I was actually born in Argentina, but all of my family’s ancestry is Italian (one part came to Argentina during the Italian Risorgimento and the other during World War 1). Curiously enough, before the Italian unification, Gemona del Friuli was part of the Austrian empire. It so happens that my distant-grandparents left after it became part of Italy.
In any case, I hold Italian citizenship and I consider it a very precious inheritance.
Right… so what languages do you speak?
Well…
Spanish, with a half-‘Cordobés’ half-Spanish accent…
Catalan. I went to school in Mataró (a city close to Barcelona) and they taught me Catalan there.
English, learnt from the people of Glasgow and the Kingdom of Fife (nae luck wee man).
Apart from that…
If you are looking for new stuff to watch on telly, here’re some of my most respected shows:
Mad men
Halt and Catch Fire
The Incredible Hulk (the original one from the 70s with Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and mr. McGee)
James Bond films (I’m part of the minority that favours Roger Moore).
Check out the one with Peter Sellers and David Niven too, although it may appear too messy for today’s standards… They all share John Barry for what it’s worth…
Additionally, these comedies may help you pass time if you happen to be stuck in a plane:
Come Fly with Me
The IT Crowd
The Golden Girls
Fawlty Towers
The Beverly Hillbillies
Get Smart
Derry Girls
The Windsors
Seinfeld Curb Your Enthusiasm
I wish some TV channel (or streaming service) would broadcast any of these:
Kung Fu
Miami Vice
Little House on the Prairie
The Love Boat
The Persuaders (at least for the opening…)
Super-curated repertoire
Alternatively, if you’re looking for new music…
There are good Progressive Rock bands such as Yes, Supertramp, Rick Wakeman, Alan Parsons, Focus, Pink Floyd, King Crimson/ELP and ELO.
And Pop like The Beatles, America, Simply Red, or Bee Gees (but you probably know them already).
For Country/Folk you have Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Willy Nelson or Carly Simon.
And in the Electronic world I enjoy Vangelis, Wendy Carlos and Jean-Michel Jarre.
If you like New Age you could listen to Andreas Vollenweider (when is he going to tour by the way?).
Also, let me mention a couple of bands from Latin America:
Such as Café Tacvba in Mexico.
Aterciopelados in Colombia.
All the classic Bossa Nova in Brazil (Vinícius, Toquinho, Mendes, Jobin… too many to mention!) along with a modern one (Tribalistas).
And of course, from the Argentinian Rock world, I personally enjoyed Charly Garcia’s projects (Sui Generis, La máquina, Seru Giran and his solo work) and Vox Dei.
Finally, here’s a super-curated list of 80s tunes that will make you lose any remaining respect you had for my good taste in music:
Years of listening to 80s radios came down to this
Only proceed with caution!
Catchy / To-play-in-the-car type
A Flock Of Seagulls - Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You)
Down under - Men At Work
Hall and Oates - Private Eyes
Hall and Oates - I Can’t go for that
Rod Stewart - Some Guys Have All the Luck
Talk Talk - It’s My Life
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
Michael McDonald - Sweet Freedom
Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie
Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
ABC - Poison Arrow
Wham! - Everything She Wants
Billy Ocean - Loverboy
(Many from Level 42, Tears For Fears, Pet Shop Boys or Depeche Mode… Ok ok… and Duran Duran)
Soft Pop / Good for multi-tasking
Don Henley - Boys of summer
Eagles - One of These Nights
Prince - Raspberry Beret
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn’t It Be Good
Joe Jackson - It’s Different For Girls
Joe Jackson - Steppin’ Out
Hall and Oates - Out of Touch
Billy Joel - Allentown
Olivia Newton-John - Magic
Oran “Juice” Jones - The Rain
Paul Carrack - Don’t Shed A Tear
Mr. Mister - Kyrie
Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
Fat Larry’s Band - Zoom
Scritti Politti - Wood Beez
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Stranglers - Golden Brown
‘Hard’ Rock (Van Halen style)
Def Leppard - Photograph
Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine
Belinda Carlisle - Leave a Light On
Van Halen - Jump (indeed)
Dance / Workout ?
Madness - Our House
Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination
Genesis - Land of Confusion
Milli Vanilli - Baby Don’t Forget My Number
A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
Mel & Kim - Respectable
Billy Ocean - Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
The Communards - Never Can Say Goodbye
Gloria Estefan - Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
Gloria Estefan - Dr. Beat
Black Box - Ride on Time
Inner City - Good Life
Bored / To wake up
Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride
Big Country - In A Big Country
Animotion – Obsession.
Howard Jones - Pearl In The Shell
Exposé - Come Go with Me
Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better
Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You
King - Love & Pride
Huey Lewis & The News - Jacob’s Ladder
Erasure - A Little Respect
Erasure - Chains of Love
Go West - Don’t Look Down - The Sequel
Donna Summer - This time I know it’s for real
Follow-up / Ran out of tunes
J. Geils Band - Centerfold
Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra
Gary Numan - Cars
Eurythmics - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)
Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers - Islands In the Stream
Paul McCartney - My Brave Face
I don’t know where to put this
Rod Stewart - Infatuation
Thompson Twins - Lay Your Hands On Me
Deniece Williams - Let’s Hear It for the Boy
Sheena Easton - 9 to 5 (Morning Train)
Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok
Elvis Costello - Veronica
Ultravox - Vienna
It’s not strictly 80s but I must leave it written somewhere
Barry Gibb, Frankie Valli - Grease
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
The Kinks - A Well Respected Man
The Doobie Brothers - Listen to The Music
The Youngbloods - Get Together
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
The Rolling Stones - She’s A Rainbow
The Windows 95/98 OST:
The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
Edie Brickell - Good Times
10cc - I’m Not in Love
Don’t judge me! 🧐
Still reading?
Thanks! Don’t forget to check out my writings, I like to collect lots of research.