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

Topic: Decade

It’s been just days over 10 years since the first episode of this podcast, so we reflect a bit on the podcast, the community, our starts.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Episode 1
• Episode 30, live at KansasFest 2012
• Live streaming video from Mac Plus
• ScuzzyGraph
• Mini-MPI
• NitrOS-9 Ease of Use (EOU) Project

Retro Computing News:

• Usenet archive UTZOO Online
• Tapes to PostgreSQL using Python 3.8
• Volley for Two (new Commodore 128 game)
• Inside stacked RAM modules
• Looking Back on 35 Years as an Amiga User

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• 1984 BBC Micro Acorn Electron Home PC Advert

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Commodore 64 Patent Print

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Three Cray Research Posters: MPGS, Y-MP EL, Y-MP C90
  • VTech Laser 110
  • VTech Laser 310
  • See also: VTech Laser 200 (Wikipedia)
• Earl: COMPU GLO Neon Dot Matrix Computer Paper
• Paul: Apple Interactive TV Box
  • See also: AITB (Higher Intellect wiki)
  • Better Working (Spinnaker) Power C for C64
  • Sony Magic Link development system
  • Apple III disk drive
  • Mac OS X Snow Leopard install DVD
  • HP 2647A terminal
  • See also: HP 2640A (HP Computer Museum)
  • See also: HP 264x terminals (CuriousMarc)

Closing notes:

• Wind-up Gramophones (Techmoan)

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

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

Topic: Repurposed Tech

This time we talk about existing technology repurposed for use with computers. Cassette tapes, CDs, TVs. Though it wound up being kind of more tangent than topic this time.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Think-a-Tron review
• Precursor (FPGA phone)
• TEDuino, a Commodore cassette unit replacement

Retro Computing News:

• Sacrifice Zone: IBM’s abandoned country club
• Bill Herd visits former MOS Technologies factory
• VCF East
• VCF East on YouTube
• VCF East schedule
• Crazy Blaster: new Amstrad CPC game
• Joshua Stein live-coding IMAP client on Mac 512Ke in Think C

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• Clue, Clue II, and Let’s Go To The Races VCR games

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• 10 Print Coffee mug
• COFFEE mug

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Robocom Bitstick for Apple II CAD
  • See also: Bitstick write-up
  • See also: Original Robocom CAD-1 setup
  • MacHandwriter pen gestures for classic Macs
  • Hyper Electronics 91 Function Apple Mouse
  • Apple Resource Directory floppy disks
  • Apple Video News #1 VHS tape
  • Apple lunch bag with AM/FM radio
• Paul: PC Transporter
  • Make your own murder party on the Zinderneuf
  • Sealed Apple brochures
  • Portable 128D
  • iMac DV/SE
  • QuickLink cable organizer
  • Mac DeveloperEd box
  • Old Mac/Lisa disks

Closing notes:

• Algarve Portugal escape rooms
• Galavant

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), Earl Evans, Quinn Dunki, Jack Nutting, Michael Mulhern, Blake Patterson, and (briefly) Carrington Vanston

Topic: Regrets and unregrets

What’s something you regret buying, doing, selling, dumping, investigating, etc. in the context of the retrocomputing hobby AND what’s something that you bought, did, sold, dumped, investigated, etc. that led to an unexpectedly positive outcome?

Retro Computing News:

• Atari 8 bit bot
• Apple II bot
• Fujinet 1.0
• Fujinet purchase
• Fujinet purchase (from Poland)
• Thomas Cherryhomes demonstrates a cool new disk swapping feature of Fujinet (YouTube)
• Programming for the Colecovision and Adam (forthcoming book)
• F18A
• Peter Neubauer’s Apple-II/F18A thoughts, including KansasFest 2016 talk

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• Epson 1984 Commercial

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Mini-PET

Auction Picks:

• Blake: (Mostly) TI CC-40 development artifacts:
  • CC-40 Plus prototype
  • TI 64K cartridge development simulator
  • Hexbus 3.5 Microdisk manual
  • CC-40 Hexbus video interface protoype
  • CC-40 Hexbus wafer tape drive prototype
  • Anderson Jacobson acoustic data coupler
• Earl: Epson QX-10
• Michael: CP/M Fortran S-100 MemTech APU 8″ disk disk 1979 vintage programming software
  • Vintage 1980 Heathkit Zenith Complete Microcomputing Course w/ Cassette Tapes
• Paul: CBM 256-80
  • See also: Commodore B128
  • See also: Secret Weapons of Commodore
  • Monitor III manual etc.
  • Ohio Scientific Superboard II batcomputer
  • Novation Apple Cat II
  • “Apple II” Versa EZ Port
  • Teleport manual/folder (Apple II game, Mike Abbott)

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), Quinn Dunki, Jack Nutting, Carrington Vanston… and (eventually) Michael Mulhern

Topic: Second computers

What was your second computer? How did lessons learned with your first affect your choice of second?

Topic/Feedback links:

• Cool-Retro-Term
• C64 mini monitor 3D printed
• Building a 3270 terminal controller
• Intel MDS development system (Centre for Computing History)
• Joe’s Intel MDS-800 development system

Retro Computing News:

• Retrocomputing Spray Paints
• OpenFlops USB floppy drive emulator (GoTek alternative)
• 8086 Microcode Disassembled
• Ken Shirriff’s 8086 transistor photograph

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• IBM 3279 color terminal

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• M.U.L.E. The Board Game

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Ultimate 80s desk accessories:
  • 1985 Hallmark computer desk plaque plus tie
  • Computer pencil holder with ‘dirty’ jokes
  • 1980s computer programmer tchotchke
  • 1980s business card holder by same tchotchke maker
  • See also: Adele’s II in Encino, CA (Los Angeles Daily News)
• Michael: Wifi car backup camera
• Paul: Brimstone and the terribleness of the world
  • Apple Aristotle menu software
  • Novation CAT
  • Mac 128K bag
  • Alternative Mac 128K bag
  • Mac Portable bag
  • Evolution of Apple iconography
• Quinn: //c Carrying bags
  • Example 1 missing inside cover
  • Example 2 missing strap

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

Panelists: Earl Evans (hosting), Paul Hagstrom, and Blake Patterson

Topic: Unexpected Bonuses

Along the way as we collect things, strange things turn up in what we get. We talk a bit about unexpected bonuses in amongst our finds.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Charles finds whimsical characters on chips
• TRS-80 Model I (article, Nuts and Volts, May 2002)
• Adding Color to the Commodore PET (preview, Nuts and Volts, Sep 2015)

Retro Computing News:

• Total Replay v4.0-alpha 3
• Septandy
• Ample MAME launcher
• Crash and Burn: The Amiga ST Story
• The Augmentation of Douglas Englebart (YouTube)
• The Augmentation of Douglas Englebart (Amazon)
• Curt Vendel (VintageIsTheNewOld)
• Curt Vendel (Jason Scott, Twitter thread)

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• Tandy PC from 1988

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Making Games for the Atari 2600
• See also: 8bitworkshop.com

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Olympia EX 100 Typewriter Extension CP/M Computer Word Processor
  • Atari PC4
  • IBM 9331-011 8″ External Floppy Drive
  • See also: IBM 9331-012 5.25 External Floppy Disk Drive – AS/400 (Walmart)
• Earl: Osborne 1 with monitor
• Paul: IBM PC/AT
  • Mac LC 475, with ethernet
  • DCA IRMAprint
  • See also: AppleLine and Apple Cluster Controller sales reference guide (on bitsavers.org)
  • See also: AppleLine (on vintagecomputing.com)

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

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Jack Nutting, and Blake Patterson

Topic: Terminals

For episode 220 (Think: VT-220), we talk about our various experiences with terminals.

Topic/Feedback links:

• VirtualColussus is working on a 3D simulation
• Intel 8080 ICE development system
• ZX Spectrum Next 2nd kickstarter

Retro Computing News:

• Game Controller – H.A.L. Labs Gizmo – Cloning the Cloner
• Super Taxman 2 video
• Taxman video
• The Infinity Modules Player: Never Turn Off Your Amiga Again
• Russell Kirsch, inventor of the pixel, dies in his Portland home at age 91
• High Score (Netflix)
• ESP32 Altair Emulator improvement
• C74 project

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• BBC Tomorrow’s World Home Computer Terminal 20 Sep 1967

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• C-Jump Computer Programming Board Game

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Fairchild Video Entertainment System
  • NEC PC M580 teletex terminal 1986
  • Maxed out Apple IIGS computer
• Paul: Apple BASIC Programming manual (printed in Korea)
  • See also: Apple BASIC Programming manual (on archive.org)
  • See also: Apple IIe User Interface Guidelines
  • Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego?
  • See also: WINDICS (on archive.org)
  • See also: Article about WINDICS from gamehistory.org
  • Apple Computer Inc. faux friendmaking bag
  • Dithertizer II PCB only
  • VT-220 fixer-upper
  • Atari Portfolio with all the extras
  • IBM Think Pad

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

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

Topic: Databases

For episode 0xdb, we talk about our experiences with dedicated database programs, what some of us learned and didn’t learn while studying computer science, employment as consultants, and other marginally related things.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Self-contained tape loader for the ZX Spectrum
• Mini-PET update
• Myst documentary kickstarter
• Portable CP/M
• iz-cpm on Github
• Unicomp keyboards
• The ubiquitous little plotter (e.g., CGP-115)
• Fixing the plotter gears

Retro Computing News:

• Worms Armageddon updated after 21 years
• Apple II Augmented Reality Chess Board
• Windows Task Manager Runs Doom
• This Week in Retro podcast
• Durgod Fusion, retro-inspired keyboards
• Mac OS 8 in Javascript
• oldweb.today, historical browsery
• Making a modern TRS-80 Model I clone
• Write-up on the TRS-80 model I clone (Hackaday)
• FujiNet

Vintage Computer-related commercial:

• Lotus 123 and Symphony Commercial 1984

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• The Altair-duino
• See also: Demo build of the Altairduino

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: PowerBook 140-180c Car Adapter
  • Soviet BYTE ZX-Spectrum clone
  • BBC Acorn Computer Kit
• Earl: TRS-80 Model 4P
  • See also: FreHD
  • See also: M3SE
• Paul: Micromodem II
  • Newton Fax Modem
  • Newton 2100 and many extras
  • Epson PX-8 replacement keyboard
  • Very complete Epson HX-20 set
  • Shopping bag for encouraging social distancing (WordPerfect 8)
  • MPF IP
  • “VisiCalc III”, which requires VisiCalc III
  • See instead: VisiCalc III and training pak
  • Arfon Micro VIC-20 expander
  • See also: Arfon Micro expander announcement (Compute! magazine)
  • See also: Commodore VIC-1020 expansion box
  • Microsoft binder

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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KansasFest 2020 Megapodcast

Welcome to Retro Open Poly Roundtable Chicken Missile Lines Drop Museum Gruecast.
The annual “megapodcast” from KansasFest, this time conducted virtually. Note: Reading the links below could be “spoilers” for the game.

Participants:

• Quinn Dunki (Blondihacks,
  Open Apple,
  Retrocomputing Roundtable)
• Earl Evans (Retrocomputing Roundtable,
  Next Without For,
  Retrobits)
• Ken Gagne (Polygamer,
  Transporter Lock,
  Retrocomputing Roundtable)
• Paul Hagstrom (Retrocomputing Roundtable,
  Drop III Inches)
• John Leake (RetroMacCast)
• Charles Mangin (How II)
• Rob McMullen (Player/Missile)
• Blake Patterson (Retrocomputing Roundtable)
• Kay Savetz (ANTIC: The Atari 8-Bit Podcast,
  Eaten By A Grue)
• Kate Szkotnicki (RetroMetal: Old Games on Old Machines)
• Carrington Vanston (Retrocomputing Roundtable,
  Eaten By A Grue)

Game-related links:

• KansasFest
• KansasFest (YouTube channel)
• National Dairy Council Grab A Byte
• Ancient Tarot
• Canadian Tire Complimentary Cassette
• The Missing Ring
• Softline Mar/Apr 1984
• Magic Knight Rayearth
• Gertrude’s Secrets
• Conan: Hall of Volta
• Apple Cider Spider
• Firebug
• Old Timers: MUSE Software (KansasFest 1992)
• Three Mile Island
• Senseless Violence 1 and 2

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

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Architecture shifts

Apple announced that it will be shifting its processor architecture from Intel to ARM. This has happened before, not just at Apple, but, well, mostly Apple or Apple-adjacent. We try to think of some other examples as well.

Topic/Feedback links:

• New Golden Age for Computer Architecture
• Communications of the ACM
• John Cocke (Wikipedia)
• Dimension 68000 ad (auction)
• Dimension 68000 review (Creative Computing)
• InfoWorld: “Jack of All Trades, But Master Of None” (Dimension 68000)
• Dimension 68000 review (YouTube)
• Altair 8800 in Unity
• Swipecard retro game loader
• RetroSwiper (GitHub)
• 68K coprocessor for Apple II being revived
• 68K coprocessor design for Apple II

Retro Computing News:

• TI Silent 700 Model 703
• Miniature IBM 1401 Datacentre
• 6502b (@miniatua) on Instagram
• Virtual Colossus
• Mini PET
• Finding an Old Friend

Vintage Computer-related commercials (or, well, chunk of audio):

• IBM promotional film (from about 1970)

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Colour Maximite 2
• See also: 8-bit Guy demo of Colour Maximite 2

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Apple-1
  • Targa graphics card
  • Olympus America DS-1 / 300-01 Floppy Disc Computing Device Video
  • Inside NeXT book
  • See also: Blake’s NeXT photo (in book)
• Carrington: MacWeek cloth bag
  • The Gutenberg for Apple II and III
  • Cyborg for Apple II (NOS)
• Paul: Popular Electronics, Jan 1975
  • SX-64s and a reminder of our mortality
  • Assembled Altair-duino
  • ERE I AM JH. Macnifier
  • See also: Macnifier ad
  • xu1541 nano
  • See also: Applesauce
  • PX-8, MU64
  • Personal Portable Computer, model 16BC
  • Apple II+ in its box
  • See also: A Labor of Labels (blog post about Apple II serial numbers)

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

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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Earl Evans, Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Home v. Hobby

How have you kept the home/hobby balance? What has allowed you to remain friends/married/peaceful? Boundaries? Shared interest?

Topic/Feedback links:

• Byte Cellar panorama
• Stitching together with QuickTime VR Studio 1.0
• QTVR file of the panorama
• Collapse OS
• Basic mechanisms in gun control computers (US Navy, part 1)
• Basic mechanisms in gun control computers (US Navy, part 2)
• Analog Computation in a Digital World (lecture, Dr. Corey Malay)
• Mythbusters Big Rig episode
• Riptide pilot
• Captain Kirk’s PET
• Applefritter’s eWorld reboot

Retro Computing News:

• Geekring webring
• It’s now safe to turn off your computer
• Imagine That (Ed Smith, autobiography)
• Ed Smith and the Imagination Machine: The Untold Story of a Black Video Game Pioneer (Fast Company, interview)
• Mini PET
• The mysterious origins of an uncrackable video game
• Entombed: An archaeological examination of an Atari 2600 game (academic paper)
• Retrogame Archaeology (John Aycock, academic monograph)
• Retrogame Archaeology (John Aycock, lecture)
• Double Low Res amper-library for enhanced Apple II

Vintage Computer-related commercials (or, well, chunk of audio):

• Bill Gates talks about Microsoft and the Altair 8800

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• KansasFest 2020

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Timex FDD3000 computer
  • See also: Timex FDD3000 (Wikipedia)
  • Medical Graphics Microloop 1100 Spirometer
  • Lotus JAZZ Pin Badge
  • See also: Memphis Group design examples
• Carrington: The Works by First Star Software
  • See also: First Star Software
  • See also: Kay Savetz interview with Fenando Herrera
• Earl: Altair MITS 8800 CPU Parts Kit
  • Epson PX-4
• Paul: IIc bag in nice shape
  • Another IIc bag
  • Light pen new in box, rescued from the Titanic
  • TRS-80 Model III in its box
  • Microsoft… Office…
  • Red Book Blue Book
• Tobias: RCA COSMAC VIP

Closing words links:

• Smart Enough To Know Better
• Next Without For

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