If someone tells you that they have managed to make it work Windows 98 inside a toaster, the first thing is to distrust. The second thing is to imagine one of those smart toasters with a screen, very different from the one most people have at home, and think that therein lies the catch. In the video that supports this article you can see precisely thata modern toaster that, by design, already invites you to believe that anything is possible if you modify the appropriate software. But what is really engaging is not the idea, but the path behind it to turn it into something out of the ordinary, as if it had a nineties PC inside.
A toaster with Windows. As we can see in the material shared by “Throaty Mumbo”, the original hardware of the R180 Connect Smart Toasterwhich is presented as “the world’s first connected toaster,” is not prepared to run Windows 98. Instead of forcing that path, the creator opted for a two-tier architecture where the physical control of the device and the execution of the operating system live in different but coordinated environments.
Understanding hardware. Given the technical limitations, the next step was to find out how the toaster components actually communicate to find an alternative solution. To do so, the creator used a common electronics tool, a logic analyzer connected to the wiring between the touch screen and the control board. This analysis allowed us to observe the flow of internal orders and detect that the device exchanges command packets approximately every 30 milliseconds to coordinate temperature, tray movement and operating states.
Raspberry Pi Pico in control. Once the flow of internal orders was deciphered, the next move was to take control of that electronic conversation. For this, a Raspberry Pi Picowhich began to intercept the original signals and generate new ones capable of governing the behavior of the device. This type of replacement does not imply redoing the entire toaster, but rather placing yourself at the exact point where it is decided what should happen at each moment. From there it is possible to direct heat levels, tray movements and operating states, creating the necessary foundation to coordinate the actual hardware with the computing environment that will be integrated later.
Where do we install Windows 98? The answer was to add a second independent hardware block, a Raspberry Pi 5 configured as a small functional computer. This device does not replace the toaster, but rather coexists with it within the same set, providing the power and compatibility necessary to load the classic operating system. To reinforce the retro aesthetic, the entire set was integrated into a 3D printed casing with a 1990s appearance, thus closing the visual distance between the technical experiment and the experience shown on a new 7-inch screen.
toast.exe and the manual toasting ritual. With the system already in operation, the interaction is not resolved automatically, but rather through a specific program created for the project. The file, called “toast.exe”, acts as a gateway to the process and provides a step-by-step tour from the Windows 98 desktop itself. First you have to locate the executable on the screen, open it and activate the start command, and then manually control parameters such as heating, cycles and tray movement.
Windows 98 doesn’t really live inside the original toaster, but it’s not a superficial illusion either: it works thanks to an integration with several components added later. The result is a hybrid object that continues to fulfill its everyday function while recreating a computing experience from another era.
Images | Throaty Mumbo (YouTube)
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