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

Topic: Computers and advertising

In honor of the Big Sports Game in the US, we attempt to talk about computers and advertisements. What advertisements made an impression on you, caused you to buy something? Were advertisements really mostly aimed at kids? Or were those just the ones we saw because we were kids? How have things changed? Did Carrington appear in a Quark ad campaign?

Topic and feedback notes:

• Typography in 8-bit fonts

Retro Computing News:

• The Life of David Kelley, According to His Shelves
• BASIC 10Liners Contest
• TX_Dj vintage computer videos
  • TX_Dj Patreon
  • TX_Dj FAQ (modems, telnet, BBSing)
• Caper in the Castro: the first (?) LGBTQ computer game
  • CitC Stack on Archive.org
  • Article about CitC from Motherboard
• Apple II+ Mini
  • Apple II+ Mini writeup on callapple.org
  • Apple II+ Mini Facebook page
  • Apple II+ Mini video demo
• ZX Spectrum Next laptop project

Vintage Computer Commercial

• Atari VCS 1982 (Stick with me, Grampa)

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Altair 8800 iPhone case
• Altair 8800 on eBay

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Star Saga: Two, The Clathran Menace for Apple IIgs
• Paul: MacRecorder
  • Echo PC+
  • 3.5″ semi-automatic disk labeler
  • IBM sorter control panel
  • NeXT Cube case
  • Mimic Spartan
  • HP-85
• Jack: HP 5036A trainer

Closing notes:

• Aleph One
• 1994 Paul is impatient to hear about Marathon
• Midwest Pirates’ Guild, Greg Schaefer Interview (raw footage from The BBS Documentary)

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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Panelists: Earl Evans (hosting), Paul Hagstrom, Michael Mulhern, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Retrocomputing Goals for 2018

What are some of your retrocomputing goals and projects for the coming year?

Topic and feedback notes:

• ZX-Modules development tools going away
  • ZX-Modules page
• Realms of Quest V (VIC-20 RPG in development):
  • Thread on VIC-20 Denial forum
  • Thread on RPGCodex

Retro Computing News:

• The Night a UNIVAC Computer Predicted The Next President
• Ultimate Apollo Guidance Computer talk
  • Hackaday write-up on AGC talk
  • DSKY/kit instructable
• Lisa OS source code to be released
  • Gizmodo write-up on Lisa source code release
  • Announcement on LisaList
• France’s 1983 Minitel




• Xerox Alto zero-day crack
• The Culture of Tech Podcast (Benj Edwards)
• Classic Computing Show podcast (David Greelish)
• Jason Scott Talks His Way out of It podcast (Jason Scott)
• Soviet control rooms, analogue panels

Vintage Computer Commercial

• It’s An Atari Christmas! – 80’s Commercials

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Donation to the Internet Archive – an investment in our digital heritage!

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: PET 2001-8 C
• Earl: 4x Gold DIP Carriers for 1960s Logic Chips
• Michael: PDP-8
  • Millionaire II – Stock Market Simulation
  • Eye Com 1000 Microfilm Viewer
  • See also: Source for new Eye Com microfilm viewers
• Paul: Lisa 1
  • Osborne 3
  • “You might have a problem” Mac lot
  • Complete TI 99/4a system
  • Instant retrocomputer collection
  • NEC PC6001 mkII

Closing notes:

• DSE CAT info
• ST.Mac

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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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Ian Baronofsky, and Jack Nutting

Topic: 2017

YEAR++

Topic and feedback notes:

• Edladdin
• Retro_gaming (Instagram)
• “The Great Apple II BBS Tour” contest:
  • telnet://a80sappleiibbs.ddns.net:6502 (A 80’s Apple II BBS)
  • telnet://cqbbs.ddns.net:6502 (Captain’s Quarters)
  • telnet://dura-bbs.net:6359 (Dura-Europas)
• PDP-8/L renovation (page in Swedish)
• ABC80 archive (page in Swedish)

Retro Computing News:

• Doug Engelbart’s Mother of All Demos excerpts from a lecture from 1986
  • Vintage excerpts begin at 25:33
  • Full 1968 video
• Chris Osborn (FozzTexx) plays the Lucy & Linus song on an IMSAI 8080 via AM radio interference




• BMOW working on Apple II FPGA disk controller card
• The story of Tetris Max
• BMOW RetroUSB/Wombat (ADB-USB)
• Joe’s Computer Museum (Joe Strosnider) review of Retro USB
• Carte Blanche II
• OPL2LPT AdLib compatible parallel port board
  • OPLL2LPT review on The 8-bit Guy’s youtube channel
• Blake Patterson’s 8-bit holiday demos for 2017
  • Santa demo from The Voice (MUSE, Apple II)
  • Cows are cool (Paul as a kid recording his voice with The Voice)
• Dave Cheney dives into C. Gordon Bell’s “What Have We Learned from the PDP-11 paper” from 1976
• Olivetti Programma 101 early computer, nunmber game being played
• Ken Shirriff gets an IBM 1401 mainframe to create a Christmas card
  • The IBM 1401 wishes you a Merry Christmas (video)
  • Bitcoin mining on IBM 1401
• Skool Daze ported to Atari 8-bit

Some upcoming shows/gatherings:

• Retrogathering 2018 Vintage Computer Edition, January 27 2018, Västerås, Sweden
• VCF Pacific Northwest, Feb 10-11 (2018), Seattle, WA at LCM+L
• Retrocomputing devroom CfP for FOSDEM, February 3-4, 2018, Brussels, Belgium

Vintage Computer Commercial

• Olivetti Programma 101

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• 5.25-inch floppy pillow

Auction Picks:

• Ian: Fujitsu FM-8
  • Byte Magazine May 1982 issue review of Japanese personal computers
• Paul: 3COM Audrey (Ocean)
  • Big orange DEC VMS manuals
  • LOBO MAX-80
  • Trockball
  • S-100 paper tape reader pre-order

Closing notes:

• C64 Cynthcart
• Funko Pop! figures staged on a NeXTstation TurboColor, punnilly captioned for an exceedingly narrow audience
• Kevin scanned an Apple brochure in which the colors are weird
• Large version of original Apple II ad
• The evolution and history of the Apple logo

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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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Jack Nutting (not hosting)

Topic: 3-Smooth

3x3x3x3x2.

Feedback notes:

• 7 Classic Home PC Follow-Up That Were Never Released

Retro Computing News:

• Atari shows off new joystick




• A digital clock implemented in Life
  • StackExchange notes on creating the clock
  • Conway’s Game of Life
• NASA fires Voyager-1’s thrusters for first time in 37 years




• CARDIAC (CARDboard Illustritive Aid to Computation)
  • 1969 article (Cardboard “Computer” “Helps” Students)
  • Python CARDIAC simulator
  • Python CARDIAC assembler
  • CARDIAC example code
• Paleotronic Magazine
  • MicroM8 emulator
  • Paleotronic Magazine Kickstarter

Vintage (Computer) Commercial(s)

• Voyager
• The Game of Life
• Commodore VIC-20

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Retro Pi Cases

Auction Picks:

• Jack: Avon Beauty Vision Personal Color Computer
• Paul: Otrona Attache
  • Macrotronics Terminall
  • NEC PC-8200
  • Intellivision computer module
  • Burroughs 8” Floppy drive
  • C64 WiFi modem

Closing notes:

• Advent of Code
• Glenda Adams’ Ultima 1 cross-stitch
• Cross-stitch detail

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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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Cynde Moya, and Jack Nutting

Topic: Living Computers: Museum + Labs

This week we are joined by Cynde Moya, collections manager, and chair of the acquisitions committee for the Living Computers: Museum + Labs in Seattle. We discuss various topics, including some of the new exhibits and acquisitions, philosophy of restorations, challenges in cataloging, availability of time sharing accounts, and lots more.

Topic notes:

• Search LCM+L’s catalog
• Get an account to log into LCM+L’s various time-sharing computer systems
• Start a discussion about using these systems
• Read LCM+L engineer’s restoration stories
• Multics, now on Raspberry Pi
• Multics simulator
• Honeywell 6180 Maintenance Panel is being driven by a Xilinx BASYS3, running this Multics emulation.

Feedback notes:

• RCR videos from #30 (July 2012) to #57 (September 2013)
• New ZX-81 emulator for iOS

Retro Computing News:

• 1088XEL




• 1088XEL Mini-ATX board assembly video




• Floppy Days interviews Stewart Chefeit




• Reviving the Atari 1027




• Terry’s Rubber Rollers




• HP archives destroyed in Santa Rosa fires (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
• Loss of HP archive a wake-up call for computer historians (IEEE Spectrum)
• Bitsavers.org
• Ted Nelson’s junk mail collection (so far)
• Ted Nelson junk mail scanning costs spreadsheet
• The Friendly Orange Glow: The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture (Brian Dear, 2017)
• cyber1 PLATO simulator online
• Software Preservation Network
• Minimal Computing thought pieces (see especially Old Machines Running Old Languages)

Upcoming show notes:

• VCF Pacific Northwest, Feb 10-11 (2018), Seattle, WA at LCM+L
• Retrocomputing devroom CfP for FOSDEM

Vintage Computer Commercial

• IBM Sage and missile defense

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Floppy Disk Bag

Auction Picks:

• Paul: System/360 front panel
  • COBOL coding forms
  • COBOL for C128
  • NeXTdrive
  • Packard Bell Corner Computer
  • IBM Aptitude Test for Programmer Personnel (1964)
  • HERO-1 (missing side panels)
• Cynde: DisplayWrite 4 word processing software
  • 1973 Vector Pak System Bread Boarding Catalog
  • Interdata model 80 with a lot of 16-bit software on paper tape
  • IBM 1401 console

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

Host’s Topic: The Final Frontier

160. $A0. A high-ASCII space. LDY. Space bars. Keyboards? Places to put things? Yeah, we got nothing.

Feedback notes:

• Micro Computer Machines of Canada MCM/70
• Mac Portable ejects a floppy disk in space
• FitalyStamp for Palm

Retro Computing News:

• Steve Wozniak launches Woz-U
• Cross Chase, massively multiplatform game
• Cross Chase in play
• The infinitely profitable program
• Orca/C, Linker, and OrcaLib library available on GitHub
• 6502 Badge from VCF Midwest
• 6502 Badge build video
• Rob Justice and Apple’s SOS-internal DRM support

Vintage Computer Commercial

• Alan Greenspan promotes the Apple //c

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Floppy Disk Notebook

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Apple Letter Quality Printer
  • See also: Printing graphics with Apple daisy wheel printer
• Jack: Atari Fossil Centipede Watch
  • Atari Fossil Asteroids Watch
• Paul: DEC cart
  • Intellivision computer module in box
  • Apple II random number generator card
  • Model 100 with DVI and monitor
    • “DVI” stands for “Disk/Video Interface”. Not “Digital”. Whatever. We’re not re-recording it.
  • TRS-80 Space Warp tape

Closing notes:

• Welcome to Macintosh – 12
• The story of Audion
• Steven Frank’s online Beagle Bros. museum
• Early Winter 1987 DAK Catalog

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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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Mark Lemmert, Michael Mulhern, and Carrington Vanston

Host’s Topic: Retro Gaming Evolution

What changes are there in game development with old hardware in a new context? Use modern hardware enhancements? Modern advancements in computer science, user interface, programming environments? To what extent is there still something left to squeeze out of these machines?

Retro Computing News:

• Nox Archaist Kickstarter
• Nox Archaist main page, 6502workshop
• Open Apple 74 (featuring Mark Lemmert, Nox Archaist)
• Open Apple 70 (featuring Mark Lemmert, Nox Archaist)
• Assembly Lines 54 (featuring Mark Lemmert, Nox Archaist)
• Unknown Realm
• TRS-80 Video Player
• Retro Roundup
• Ken’s blog entry describing Retro Roundup launch
• Transporter Lock Star Trek: Discovery podcast (Ken Gagne and Sabriel Mastin)
• Vintage is the New Old
• 44 years of Computer Weekly donated to TNMOC
• Computer Weekly (modern site)
• Ken Shirriff dives into fake RAM
• Play SG-1000 and Colecovision games on Apple IIe
• CP/M Turbo 7 card for Apple II
• PC-RETRO reproduction IBM 5150 motherboard
• Easy6502 interactive tutorial site
• Using 6502 Assembly Language (Randy Hyde) (pdf)

Vintage Computer Commercial

• Colecovision. Sorry, Atari

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Altair-duino kit

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Infocom Witness for DEC Rainbow
• Michael: Apple IIc Mouse
  • See also: Kevin Costner uses a Lisa mouse
  • Compton’s CD ROM
  • Leonardo – The Inventor CD ROM
  • Tandy RC Van
• Paul: Northstar Horizon, box
  • Sony Series 35 Model 10
  • Dancing Demon
  • “The Information Revolution” 16mm 1982 documentary
  • Quadram Quadlink

Closing notes:

• RetroChallenge RC2017/10

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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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Earl Evans, Ken Gagne, Jack Nutting, and Steven Weyhrich

Host’s Topic: The Retropocalypse

What might drive computing to go back “off-line”—massive infrastructure or privacy/secturity disaster? What kind of advantages are there to the limited/isolated machines of the olden-days? Is there a difference between obsolete and just retro? Might data/privacy disasters (even if not structural) lead to new uses of older tech?

Feedback notes

• AmigaOne A1222 preview
• Captain’s Quarters BBS
• WiFi232
• Syncterm

Retro Computing News:

• Atari is releasing Tempest 4000, made by Jeff Minter




• Tempest 4000 preview




• Alan Turing’s lost papers discovered




• Zork deep dive and carrying too many things
• The enduring legacy of Zork
• Zork on the Computer History wiki
• Saving Every Apple Video
• Unofficial Apple Archive
• Tezza’s Adventures with an 8″ disk drive

Vintage Computer Commercial

• DEC takes us from past to future

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• 1958 PAPAC-00 paper computer
• A built (not really working) PAPAC-00
• Digi-Comp II
• CHM PDP-1 restoration team (includes Peter Samson, creator of SADSAC II mentioned on pages prior to description of PAPAC-00)

Auction Picks:

• Earl: SIDEWAYS for IBM PC
• Ken: Atari 2600 games
• Steve: Unitron Apple II clone
  • See also: Unitron page on applelogic.org
  • Low serial number Apple II
• Paul: Kaypro 2000
  • IMSAI 8080 in a desk
  • Handheld paper tape punch
  • Two Epson PF-10 disk drives
  • Apple-1 (Schoolsky Apple-1) auction
  • See also: David Larsen’s Apple-1 (Schoolsky Apple-1)

Closing notes:

• Minecraft Apple IIe (to download)

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

Host’s Topic: eBay and retrocomputing

“Atari 800 – RARE – $1,000 – L@@K!!1!”. Why do such listings exist? They are becoming more and more common. Does anyone ever accidentally buy from these outrageous listings? Memorabilia – especially recent-ish (90s, 2000s). Sometimes the vintage section of eBay is absolutely cram-packed with this stuff. Does anyone buy it? Is there value to having these items listed, or is it just yard sale stuff cluttering up the category? (Super common with Apple stuff.) “Not tested” – why not? Some items may indeed be difficult to test, but in other cases, it would be simply “hook it to the TV”. Do we assume that the alleged “cannot test it…” items are broken? Books – often overpriced on eBay. Should always check to see if the used Internet bookstores (including Amazon) have a lower price. Total junk – 4X internal CD-ROM units. Why? Among all the noise, decrease of actual interesting stuff that isn’t selling for 5x the price it should go for.

Feedback notes

• Ricki’s palmtops and retrotech blog
• The Arcade Experience (Centre of Computing History, Sept 2)
• Converting the 6510 as a replacement for the 8501
• Adobe Audition
• Audacity

Retro Computing News:

• The Virtual Museum of Computing (with many 3D Blender models)
• Alan Kay on Steve Jobs’ visit to Xerox PARC (Quora)
• Putting CoCo3 BASIC programs on an autoloading cartridge
• Earl’s experience at VCF West
  • MOnSter 6502
  • Xerox Alto restoration video blog (Marc Verdiell)
  • Neohabitat
• Amiga A-EON X5000
• Hypercard on the Internet Archive
• RetroGathering, Sep 30, Västerås, Sweden

Vintage Computer Commercial

• Sun Microsystems 1997

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Antikythera Mechanism pendant

Auction Picks:

• Earl: Commodore PET 2001
• Paul: SuperPET
  • Heathkit ET6800
  • Microace kit
  • See also: Kodetroll’s first computer
  • Apple Interactive Television Box
  • Palm IIIxe and Landware keyboard

Closing notes:

• Changing the “ROM” in the Mac IIe card
• Halt and Catch Fire

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 2017. The event draws quite a few podcasters, so we all sit in a room and talk for an hour.

This year’s podcast involves the obligatory discussion of the KansasFest event itself (which 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 the event itself, play a version of “Celebrity” with figures from geek culture or computing history, and generally have a grand time.

This was one microphone in the middle of a room, so the audio quality is what you would expect from one microphone in the middle of a room. Also, this same audio appeared on the Open Apple podcast feed, so if you heard it there already, you are excused from listening to it again (unless you want to).

The participants were (clockwise from Quinn):

• Quinn Dunki (Open Apple)
• Paul Hagstrom (Retrocomputing Roundtable, Drop III Inches)
• John Leake (Retro MacCast)
• Chris Torrence (Assembly Lines)
• Kevin Savetz (ANTIC, Eaten By A Grue)
• Ken Gagne (Retrocomputing Roundtable, PolyGamer)
• Charles Mangin (How II)
• Carrington Vanston (Retrocomputing Roundtable, Eaten By A Grue)
• Michael Mulhern (Retrocomputing Roundtable)

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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