Panelists: Earl Evans (hosting), Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Ancient languages and modern usage

What “old” programming language will you still be using this year?

Topic and feedback notes:

• What “old” programming language will you still be using this year?

Retro Computing News:

• ][-Vision: streaming video and audio for the Apple II
• NetDisk and the Archive.org Disk Browser
• Total Replay
• The The C64 site
• THEC64 — Coming December 2019 (video promo)
• Turing on the new 50 GBP note
• The underappreciated power of the Apollo Guidance Computer

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• VCF West. Mountain View, CA. Aug 3-4, 2019
• Fujiama 2019, Lengenfeld, Germany, Aug 26-Sep 4, 2019
• Tandy Assembly 2019. Springfield, OH. Sept 27-29, 2019
• Retrogathering. Västerås, Sweden. Sept 28, 2019

Vintage Computer-adjacent Commercial:

• Sony Audio Tapes

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Sony Boombox

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Digital VK-100 GIGI Graphics Terminal
  • Apple IIe in Clear Case
  • Apple Data Language 8.5″ Reel
• Earl: Microsoft FORTRAN Compiler MS DOS Version 3.20 programming software

Closing comments:

• Why rappers love Grey Poupon

Feedback/Discussion:

• @rcrpodcast on Twitter
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• Throwback Network
• Throwback Network on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X – link
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This is the annual group “megapodcast” recorded at KansasFest, from July 2019. The event draws quite a few podcasters, so we all sit in a room and talk for an hour.

The KansasFest event itself is an annual gathering of Apple II enthusiasts, along with some others, for almost a week of “retrocomputing camp.” It is held at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, where everyone lives in a dorm room, socializes in common areas, goes to presentations held in the basement, participates in various events, works on projects of their own or observes projects others are doing.

We discuss this year’s event itself, then play a game where each podcaster closes their eyes and tries to guess what object has been handed to them. Perfect for podcast listeners, who also can’t see the objects. And we spend more time thinking about being stuck alone on desert islands.

There were three microphones in the middle of a room (though we really only used the audio from one of them), and the audio quality is what you would expect from a microphone in the middle of a room full of talking and laughing people.

The participants were (clockwise from Kevin):

• Kevin Savetz (ANTIC: The Atari 8-bit Podcast, Eaten By A Grue)
• Chris Torrence (Assembly Lines)
• Charles Mangin (How II)
• Mike Whalen (Retro Reads Podcast)
• Brian Wiser (podcast pending)
• Joe Strosnider (Joe’s Computer Museum)
• Jason Scott (Jason Scott Talks His Way Out of It)
• Ken Gagne (Retrocomputing Roundtable, PolyGamer, Transporter Lock)
• Paul Hagstrom (Retrocomputing Roundtable, Drop III Inches)

The “Chicken Missile” name no longer makes sense this year, since neither of those words appear in any of this year’s participants’ podcast titles. But like it made sense before. Come on.

Feedback/Discussion:

• @rcrpodcast on Twitter
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• Throwback Network
• Throwback Network on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X – link
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Michael Mulhern, Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Desert island computer

If you had to use a single retro computer exclusively for a full year as your only computer at home, what would you choose?

Topic and feedback notes:

• IBM Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
• Stardot forum for Acorn and BBC Micros
• Graphically Speaking (enhanced edition)
• Procedural planetary exploration across the decades
• ZX-HD

Retro Computing News:

• Restored Apollo Mission Control Center reopens for public viewing
• Restoring the Apollo Mission Control Center (Houston We Have a Podcast, episode 96)
• 50 Years on the Moon: The Evolution of Lunar Lander Games
• Project Egress
• Video about Project Egress, with Adam Savage
• MIT Museum “Moon Shots”.
• Copy protection in the 80s, showcased by classic game Dungeon Master
• Video describing copy protection in Dungeon Master (Modern Vintage Gamer)
• 10 (or more???) Apple 1s to be at VCF West
• 30th anniversary note to Prince of Persia fans
• A Photo History of Frog Design
• Frog Design virtual gallery
• Keep it Simple: The Early Design Years of Apple (Hartmut Esslinger, 2014)

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• KansasFest, Kansas City, MO, Jul 15-21, 2019
• VCF West. Mountain View, CA. Aug 3-4, 2019
• Fujiama 2019, Lengenfeld, Germany, Aug 26-Sep 4, 2019
• Tandy Assembly 2019. Springfield, OH. Sept 27-29, 2019

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• IBM SAGE

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Bletchley Park prints

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Apple Modem 1200
  • CH Products Mach IV+ Mac joystick
  • Apple IIGS for the Servicing Technician
  • Apple IIe and IIc+ for the Servicing Technician
  • SAGE II computer
  • Apple February 1983 logo print on vellum
• Michael: 1982 Dungeons of Daggorath
  • Amiga 500/2000 VXL30 Accelerator 68030
• Paul: Vintage computer dont no if works
  • PET 2001
  • TRS-80 Model 4P
  • NEC PC-8300 that I might have already bought
  • Visual Almanac
  • Apple II accessories box
  • VT100 manual

Closing comments:

• Darkstar Unhinged by Snacking On Software is available for pre-order
• Darkstar Unhinged gameplay video

Feedback/Discussion:

• @rcrpodcast on Twitter
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• Throwback Network
• Throwback Network on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X – link
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

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Panelists: Earl Evans (hosting), Paul Hagstrom, Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Challenges of the more recently obsolete. A bunch of older computers can almost interact with the modern environments, but not quite. For example eMates, old iMacs, etc. have wireless capabilities but require network protocols that are increasingly unsupported. What kinds of things have you tried to work with these more recently obsolete computers, what has worked, what hasn’t?

Topic and feedback notes:

• WiFi connection for Newton 2×00 and eMate 300
• Writing with the Alphasmart Dana
• Netatalk
• A2server
• Memofest Recaps
• Exapunks
• Computing Britain podcast series
• vintagecomputer.ca

Retro Computing News:

• This TRS-80
• CP/Mish, an open-source reimplementation/clone of CP/M 2.2
• Cool demo of coding on a late-model Z80 laptop
• New Hampshire has now installed the BASIC historical marker
• The origin of the blink tag
• Video stream of the 8-bit symphony
• Main site for the 8-bit symphony

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• KansasFest, Kansas City, MO, Jul 15-21, 2019
• VCF West. Mountain View, CA. Aug 3-4, 2019
• Fujiama 2019, Lengenfeld, Germany, Aug 26-Sep 4, 2019
• Tandy Assembly 2019. Springfield, OH. Sept 27-29, 2019

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Atari Space Invaders 1980 TV commercial

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Vintage Tech Stickers

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Franklin Ace 500
  • SD DuoDisk Floppy Disk Drive Emulator
• Earl: Vintage Intel C8702A (1702) EPROM Gold Ceramic Case
• Paul: Most recent Apple Workstation card sold on eBay that I could find, none currently listed
  • Alphasmart Dana Wireless
  • Very nice PX-8 set with a lot of stuff including the disk drive
  • PX-8 software set
  • 3D printed PX-8/PX-4 ROM cradles
  • Rockwell AIM-65 in an EMP-proof case

Closing comments:

• Mechanical Binary Counter
• The Base.cs Podcast
• TinyFPGA

Feedback/Discussion:

• @rcrpodcast on Twitter
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• Throwback Network
• Throwback Network on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X – link
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed