Varvara and Uxn

The Varvara personal computer system with its Uxn virtual stack machine hosts programs that are inevitably ascetic and must prioritize usability over feature creep due to the limitations of the virtual hardware. However, it throws out fundamental advances in making computers more approachable like accessibility, internationalization, and data loss resiliency in the face of crashes. On the spectrum between Varvara minimalism and mainstream maximalism, there’s likely room for a more forgiving middle ground that still conforms to Varvara’s build-it-in-a-weekend litmus test.