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

Topic: Nostalgia, Inc.

Some brands/companies generate nostalgia and warm fuzzy feelings even
apart from any specific products they created.
Things you see on eBay, and always pause over.
Or things for which you just have a benevolent attitude.
Who were the good companies?

Topic and Feedback links:

• NewerTech
• Gorilla Banana Printer ad
• Centech
• FlashFloppy
• External adapter for Amiga and Gotek drive
• Kit version of external adapter for Amiga and Gotek drive
• Lot of 5,694 PC CD DVD Computer games
• Age of Gaming YouTube channel
• CB2 micro kit

Retro Computing News:

• The ZedRipper: a 16-core, 83 MHz Z80 computer
• Ben Heck’s new Atari 2600 Junior Single Chip Portable
• Retro Recipes: Amiga movie magic
• Titanic Amiga hard disk images
• Auction for the physical Titanic Amiga items
• Macintosh System Tools disk with Steve Jobs signature sells for $84,000
• Was expected to sell for $7,500
• SillyVenture 2019 on YouTube
• Sillyventure 2K19 official site
• Timex-Sinclair 2068 complete but for the manual
• TS2068 Yahoo group disintegrates
• Archiveteam page
• Will damage the ability to transfer UK phone numbers.
• Verizon blocking archivists from preserving Yahoo Groups content

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• VCF Pacific Northwest. March 21-22, Seattle. Living Computer Museum + Labs.
• The 29th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFest. April 18-19, 2020. Elk Grove Village, IL
• VCF East. April 24-26, 2020. InfoAge. Wall, NJ..

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• TI Professional computer
• Atari XL setup

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego handheld game

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Computer Lib
  • The Electric Pencil for TRS-80
  • The L.E.A.D. 2.5 Word Processor
• Paul: Apple graphics tablet complete
  • Direct 825 terminal
  • See also: RCR Episode 20, featuring the Direct 831 terminal
  • See also: Computerworld Dec 13 1982 about 831 and 800 line
  • VCR Companion
  • See also: VCR Companion manual
  • See also: VCR Companion 4am crack
  • MacPlay board games gift box
  • TI Portable Professional Computer
  • See also: TI Professional computers
  • Kenbak-1 replica
  • Xetec Expander 4
  • Grounded anti-radiation filter

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, Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Which old games are truly timeless?

What might a kid of today (truly) enjoy? What games hold up?

Topic and Feedback links:

• Apl2bits: Which Apple II Games are Timeless?
• Zylon Defenders
• RetroManCave: Software on Vinyl
• Bytecellar post: How I got started in vintage computing
• Octojam 6
• Making a new Adam power supply
• Turbo Rascal Syntax error, “;” expected but “BEGIN”. C64 development environment.

Retro Computing News:

• Co Co Co! Merry Christmas!
• FujiNet
• FujiNet code on Github
• Strange origin of a 1990s computer game font
• Prince of Persia on A8
• Non-HTTPS sites for testing vintage computer connections

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• VCF Pacific Northwest. March 21-22, Seattle. Living Computer Museum + Labs.
• The 29th Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFest. April 18-19, 2020. Elk Grove Village, IL
• VCF East. April 24-26, 2020. InfoAge. Wall, NJ..

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• Scrooge meets PCjr
• Apple IIc vs. IBM PCjr
• IBM PCjr response

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Dust cover for C64

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Sperry-Univac technician’s case
  • EnBASIC Authoring System
  • “Wood Grain” Apple II
• Earl: IBM 3476 Infowindow Monitor,1395660 keyboard
• Paul: IBM PCjr
  • Stumpy //c monitor
  • Apple //c MultiPack
  • IBM printer stand
  • 17 minutes of the Empire Strikes Back on Super 8
  • TS-2068 update
  • See also: TS-2068 update on the Internet Archive
  • Urgent C64 case
  • Amiga DCTV
  • See also (Carrington’s contribution, thanks Carrington): Canadian Version
  • Sinclair ZX-81 kit
  • See also: Zebra Systems Timex-Sinclair page
  • Minstrel Issue 3

Closing comments:

• Atari: A Visual History

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, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Jack, the Wimpy Time Travel Genie

You get to command a wimpy time travel genie, who can be sent back in time, once, to advise your former self about something (retrocomputing related) to buy or not buy. What do you instruct this genie to do?

Topic and Feedback links:

• John Romero interviewed on Dev Game Club podcast

Retro Computing News:

• A Love Letter to My Website
• CoCo port of The Oregon Trail
• TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo) Facebook page
• RetroGameDev
• RetroGameDev Patreon
• Canonical list of vintage and obsolete Apple computers
• TRS-80 Model III Papercraft
• Lisa 1 Papercraft
• Zaxxon for the TRS-80 Model I

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• WOzFest 14.25045 MHz. Sat Nov 23, 2019. Sydney.
• VCF Pacific Northwest. March 21-22, Seattle. Living Computer Museum + Labs.
• VCF East. April 24-26, 2020. InfoAge. Wall, NJ..

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• Oregon Trail parody trailer
• US Robotics 56K modem commercial

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Space Invaders board game
• Space Invaders board game Kickstarter details

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Apple 1
  • Mountain Computer Expansion Chassis for Apple II
  • Worst SE/30 ad ever
• Earl: Black Case Atari 800 Computer
  • Atari Joytyper 400
• Paul: Amiga 500/1200 Gotek Extension board
  • TG Select-A-Port
  • Sharp PC-1250A and CE-125
  • IIc bag
  • Potentially cheap Audrey
  • Potentially cheap Adam
  • US Robotics Visual Nostalgia Trigger

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, Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: To mod or not to mod

To mod, or not to mod, vintage hardware. People downvote videos where people do a non-reversible mods. Should you care? Should you do such mods? How about Retrobrite? Video hacks? Etc.

Topic and Feedback links:

• Pro(c) Atari Magazine
• AtariAge 8-bit high score club
• T2point1 Sega Menacer light gun replacement

Retro Computing News:

• SpellWielder, new game for Apple II
• Team 6502
• Acorn DOOM
• NuType mechanical keyboard for MacBook
• 35-year-old C64 program hidden on a vinyl LP as an easter egg
• XKCD Emulation
• KansasFest 2014 – Mark Pilgrim – Emulator detection

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• WOzFest 14.25045 MHz. Sat Nov 23, 2019. Sydney.
• VCF Pacific Northwest. March 21-22, Seattle. Living Computer Museum + Labs.
• VCF East. April 24-26, 2020. InfoAge. Wall, NJ.

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• Radio Shack CueCat
• BBC Micro Electron

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• MOS 6502 tote bag

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Macintosh SE with stand
  • New (maybe) Macintosh Quadra 650
  • Original CueCat Reader (from WIRED)
  • MITS Altair 680 case
  • MITS Altair 680 case with switches and lights
  • Museum Graphic: Gavilan Computer
  • Gavilan Computer ML5
  • See also: What Ever Happened to the Gavilan Computer?
  • IBM Mainframe Control Panel
• Earl: Commodore 64 keyboard (colored GREEN) from DS Retro Garage
• Paul: Four Apple-related magazines
  • Apple II system specification
  • See also: Pascal Spoke Here shirt ad
  • Contact 5 sample
  • Apple II Business Graphics
  • Instant infestation (many mice)
  • LogoWriter, probably for the IBM PC
  • Apple MIDI interface
  • DEC Pro 350
  • A large lot of yellow things

Closing comments:

• Calamityware
• The RetoReads podcast
• Downcast
• Plex

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

Topic: Computer store memories

What memories do you have of computers stores of the past? Places to browse, to hang out, to get new information? How has all of this changed?

Topic and feedback notes:

• Paul’s TV database about page

Retro Computing News:

• Video Games Then and Now
• The Air Force has finally stopped using 8-inch floppies to store the nuclear launch codes
• Paul’s tweet about 8″ disks
• The Earliest Unix code: An Anniversary Source Code Release
• Apple II machines are still ticking at the heart of the Lenin Museum in Russia

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• WOzFest 14.25045 MHz. Sat Nov 23, 2019. Sydney.
• VCF Pacific Northwest. March 21-22, Seattle. Living Computer Museum + Labs.
• VCF East. April 24-26, 2020. InfoAge. Wall, NJ..

Vintage Computer-related Commercial:

• ThinkPad 701
• Doom II

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Vintage Computer Cufflinks

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Sharp MZ-811
  • Silhouette Trackball in box
  • Kodak Displaymaker
  • Could’ve had it for $10
  • LGR of Kodak Displaymaker
• Paul: VIC-1211M super expander
  • Quadport IEC bus
  • Apple Network Server
  • Cassette A-Letter
  • Atari Portfolio
  • Epson HX-20 in case
  • ThinkPad 701C
  • See also: Video of ThinkPad 701C keyboard

Closing comments:

• Obscure Atari 8-bit Halloween games

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), Bill Degnan, David Greelish, Paul Hagstrom, Michael Mulhern, and Jack Nutting

Topic: Bicentepisodial review

This is episode 200 of a podcast whose first episode was almost exactly 9 years ago (October 23, 2010). A lot has changed since then, but also not much has changed since then. But we are now almost a decade wiser (and, yes, maybe we’ll do another milestone episode in a year, when the podcast itself becomes, by some definitions, “retro”). So, this might be an opportune time to look back on what has happened in the past nine years in the retrocomputing endeavor. How has your own relationship to it changed personally? What advances have had the most impact? What does it portend for the future?

Topic and feedback notes:

• RCR epiosde 001

Retro Computing News:

• Big Mess O Wires – Floppy Emu
• Retro Innovations, Glitchworks, XT-IDE
• What was the first computer?
• Atanasoff–Berry Computer
• Adam Rosen obituary
• Cult of Mac remembers Adam Rosen
• Still talking about the ABC vs ENIAC, 199 episodes later
• 8-Bit Guy and Commander X16: (Part 1)
• 8-Bit Guy and Commander X16: (Part 2)
• RetroChallenge RC2019/10
• CHIP-8

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• Honey Nut Cheerios / TI 99/4a
• Apple Lisa (1983)

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• AdaBox subscription

Auction Picks:

• Bill: CFFA3000 for Apple II computer
• David: Apple Lisa 2/10
• Earl: Commodore Bildschirmtext BTX Decoder Cartridge
• Michael: MOS KIM-1
• Paul: Exatron stringy floppy for TRS-80
  • MBX expansion system from TI 99/4a

Closing comments:

• Kennett Classic
• Before Macintosh – The Apple Lisa 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: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Jack Nutting, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Vintage Computer Upgrades

What upgrades have you have done to vintage computers, then or recently?

Topic and feedback notes:

• ITAPPMONROBOT
• Atari Projects book
• Atari Projects
• Epic Apple II versus Commodore 64 Chess Match
• Colossus 4 Chess Tournament results (Dec. 2000)

Retro Computing News:

• Back To Borregas Ave: Finding Atari’s Lost World Headquarters
• Paged-out, new online magazine
• Clear Apple II plus Kickstarter
• Wombat ADB-to-USB adapter
• Cases for the Atari SDrive-Max
• Hidden messages in Amiga games
• 33-year-old easter egg in Gumball
• Darklord (Apple II) developer messages

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• 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-related Commercials:

• TRS-80 Computer 1978
• ZX Spectrum +2 James Bond edition

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Atari joystick controller pendant

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Hot Wheels Apple VW Bus
  • Radio Shack Introduces the World of Computing
  • Radio Shack Executive Decision Maker
  • 1977 Radio Shack Managers’ Catalog
  • Radio Shack Electronic TV Scoreboard Game
• Paul: Commodore calculator
  • SOL-10?
  • See also: SOL-20 on oldcomputers.net
  • Osborne 1 with external screen
  • Net board
  • Spectrum emulator for TS 2068
  • ZX Spectrum James Bond action pack

Closing comments:

• Computer Stupidities

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, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Older but better?

What obsolete technology or device do you wish was actually still in use today?

Topic and feedback notes:

• IBM 5150 Papercraft design
• The Amen Break

Retro Computing News:

• A Conversation with my 35-year-old Chatbot
• RetroManCave – Exploring the MiSTer & DE-10 Nano FPGA
• MOnSter 6502
• Writing a Lunar Lander Game For An Actual Lunar Lander
• Atari Computer Camp documentary
• Atari Computer Camp documentary (trailer)
• Easter Egg found in 1977 Channel F game
• An Illustrated History of Easter Eggs

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• 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 Commercials:

• Tunnel Runner
• Atari camp on Today show, July 1982

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Karateka Enamel Pins

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: dBASE WristWatch
  • Macintosh Performa LC476
  • “Radio Shack Turns Me Off” boycott button
  • See also: Radio Shack 1979 female-lead strike in Barrie, Ontario
• Earl: Motorola Micro Systems CDM 1000
  • Exorset 100
• Paul: Equitrac AlphaCopy
  • See also: Ad for Equitrac AlphaCopy
  • Kevin’s BeBox
  • Crystal Quest had a box
  • NEC PC-8300. Maybe I won’t buy this one

Closing comments:

• History of Computing Timeline
• GopherCon wasn’t about Gopher
• Phlogs are a thing
• Gopher Proxy

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), 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:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed