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

Topic: Coprocessors (Part 1)

We all love coprocessors, but does anyone use them? Did you have any, did you use them? Do you have any, do you use them? What would you use them for now?

Topic/Feedback links:

• Jif peanut butter labels
• Unofficial Retrochallenge
• Retrochallenge (canonizing the unofficial one, happened after we recorded)

Retro Computing News:

• Swift on Mac OS 9
• More progress on Prince of Persia for Atari 8-bit computers
• ZX Spectrum prototype ROM available for download
• New Jersey urgently needs COBOL programmers

Vintage Computer-related Commercial:

• Power Macintosh (Windows/DOS compatibility)
• Grace Hopper at MIT (MIT Lincoln Laboratory, 25 April 1985)
• New Jersey and You

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Developers Developers Developers Developers shirt

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Intacorp Button And Badge Maker for Apple II
  • Apple HD concept prototype
• Paul: Whistler TRS-80 X-10
  • Norton Utilities 3
  • Apple logo stuff
  • Super Elf
  • Digi-Comp I
  • See also: 3D-printable Digi-Comp I on Thingiverse
  • DOS compatibility card
  • Applied Concepts The Mate chess game
  • APMSX card
  • See also: apple2.net
  • See also: Review of APMSX on Finapple
  • TRS-80 Program pak file

Closing words links:

• Apple IIc Plus Accelerator Control
• Quinn Dunki: Spelunking the IIc Plus KansasFest 2016

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, Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: Computer viruses

What experiences did you have in the “retrocomputer era” with computer viruses or related malware? Which ones do you remember? Any that caused a memorable headache? Any that you wrote? Any that had interesting technology? Do you remember antivirus software causing memorable headaches? Did you write any antivirus software? Did you write any antivirus software to eliminate a virus that you also happened to have written?

Topic/Feedback links:

• Someone had a Destructivity disk
• PLA20V8, a cheap PLA replacement for C64
• PLA20V8 video on YouTube
• Interact with Atari’s 6502 in BASIC

Retro Computing News:

• ASCII art + permadeath: The history of roguelike games
• Cult of Mac iOS / Mac Brogue article
• Brogue homepage
• Beneath Beneath Apple Manor (KansasFest 2019 talk)
• Relax, It’s On Us: free music from 8 Bit Weapon
• How Prince of Persia Defeated Apple II’s Memory Limitations
• How Prince of Persia Defeated Apple II’s Memory Limitations (video)
• Command Line Heroes – Floppies: The Disks That Changed the World
• The 80×25 terminal size
• Commodore Los Angeles Super Show postponed
• Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego

Vintage Computer-related Commercials:

• Mac: Viruses
• Norton: Chicken vs. Dokken

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• The Making of Prince of Persia (Jordan Mechner)

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Original Commodore Big Eyed Mouse
  • GGLABS 2MB MACSIMM
  • Super Boulder Dash (Atari)
• Carrington: Serpentine for Apple II
  • Rescue On Fractalus for Tandy Co-Co
  • Apple II with DuoDisk and Color Monitor 100
• Earl: ORCA/Integer BASIC compiler for Apple IIGS
  • See also: Opus II from Juiced.GS
• Paul: Duodisk 3.5” prototype
  • See also: A rare glimpse of a memorial Apple prototype display at Frog
  • Apple II/e dual 6522 GPIO PCB kit
  • Clear case //c
  • Lisa 2 bezel with box
  • “Fully Operational Apple I Computer”
  • SCRG Extend-a-slot

Closing words links:

• Make It With Punched Cards (1971 book)
• Going back to EDASM
• Retro Computing forum

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

Topic: Work-study credit and a satisfying kerchunk

We continue to survey our panelists’ first computer jobs, this time focusing on first jobs in which we used a network wiring tool that made a satisfying kerchunk and/or got work-study credit.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Minesweeper
• ABB keyboard from a more modern setup

Retro Computing News:

• Canon object.station 41
• HP Color Recovery
• Larger demo of Blake’s NeXTSTEP HP
• WINGINE Graphics Subsystem
• VCF Pacific Northwest cancelled due to COVID-19
• Atari hotels
• Atari hotels news article
• 6800 CPU with nMigen
• Spotify for Atari 8-bits
• Spotify for Atari 8-bits (Github)

Vintage Computer-related Commercial:

• Compuserve

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Meggy Jr RGB Soldering Kit from Evil Mad Scientist

Auction Picks:

• Blake: APPLE 1 Original 1976 Computer System 1st Steve Wozniak designed computer and L@@K!!
  • Lisa 1 Mouse and poster
  • Microsoft Office Pro 97 CD from 1997
  • Apple II Quantum Leap SmartChip Card
• Earl: Radio Shack TRS-80 II Software Lot of 18
• Paul: Metrowerks art shirt
  • Metrowerks BSC shirt
  • Base Two flashcards
  • Epyx 500XJ joystick
  • IIe Card Y-cable
  • FoxPro 2.5 upgrade
  • ET-3400, ETA-3400

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: Why BBS?

Why would anybody BBS now that we have the internet?

Topic/Feedback links:

• Telnet BBS guide
• Syncterm
• ZOC
• BBSing Resource Page (Bytecellar)
• Original Think-A-Dot prototype
• The Unofficial Apple Archive article (9to5mac)
• Liber809
• Cloud-9
• Bytecellar article on Liber809
• Article on DTACK Grounded
• Techmoan on the Wikireader

Retro Computing News:

• Larry Tesler has passed away
• RC2014 Z-80 homebrew kit
• TIPI
• Raspple II
• MIDI 2.0: An update to a 37-year-old protocol
• BBC Microbot on Twitter
• Tiny Emulators: play vintage 8-bit computer games online
• KansasFest 2020 Keynote speaker: Robert Woodhead

Upcoming Shows/Gatherings:

• CANCELED: 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
• KansasFest. July 21-26, 2020. Kansas City, MO

Vintage Computer-related Commercial:

• Atari XEGS

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Computer Lib t-shirt

Auction Picks:

• Blake: Insane ABB keyboard with keys aplenty
  • See also: Keyboard data sheet
  • TeleRay terminal
  • See also: Teleray 10 on Terminals wiki
  • Brady Writer II Industrial Printing System
  • See also: NEC PC-8201
  • See also: Okidata Microline 182
  • TI Model 707
  • See also: TI Silent-700 series
• Carrington: Mac Paint Mate
  • Apple Credit Plan Calculator
• Paul: Marathon Infinity
  • See also: Aleph One
  • Microscopic space fleet (bag only)
  • Apple II Extended 80 column card supplement
  • Arrow 1000
  • Softalk magazine issues
  • Mac Portable bag
  • A Personal Guide to Personal Computers
  • See also: The making of the APGtPC book
  • See also: Raw footage from the making of the AGPtPC book
  • Joyboard for Atari
  • See also: Joyboard on Wikipedia

Closing notes:

• CodeWarrior

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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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), and Carrington Vanston

Topic: First computer job

When was the first time you got paid for doing something computer-related?

Retro Computing News:

• The (Unofficial) Apple Archive (offline already at time of episode posting)
• Cabel notices a thread on IE 5 for Mac
• Jimmy Grewel reflects on developing IE 5 for Mac on its 20th anniversary
• Royal Mail Classic UK Video Game Stamps
• TMRC on Omnibus
• Frank Gehry No Longer Allowed To Make Sandwiches For Grandkids

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:

• Royal Mail
• Commodore 64
• Password Plus (Sep 18, 1979)

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Royal Mail Video Games Postcards

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Apple II “worked with Steve Jobs”
  • Infocom Without Infocom: Sherlock Holmes
  • Steve Woz Bobblehead
  • 1972 Computer Sports Games
  • Lot of 5 AppleLink pins
• Paul: Commodore 64 breadbin model
  • ZX Spectrum toastrack
  • Muppet learning keys
  • Disk holders
  • Cheap NeXTstation, expensive to ship

Closing notes:

• Password Plus videos with Margot Comstock (Tommervik)
• Softalk for the IBM PC
• 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
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

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

Topic: 2020, thumb-by-thumb

Retro New Years Resolutions (retro plans for the new year, and old resolutions you never kept)

Topic and Feedback links:

• Captain’s Quarters BBS and AE line
• mTCP page (with, perhaps, some pages still being served by a PCjr)

Retro Computing News:

• Chuck Peddle
• The Legendary Chuck Peddle
• Hackaday honors Chuck Peddle
• Retrobits: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part I
• Retrobits: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part II
• Retrobits: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part III
• Retrobits: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part IV
• Silas Warner, the man who made Wolfenstein
• Silas Warner at KansasFest 1992
• Silas Warner and Muse Software, The Digital Antiquarian
• Silas Warner memorial site
• Silas Warner memorial site (at Internet Archive)
• MUSE and ABM (at yesterbits.com)
• Adam Rosen’s vintage Macs find new home at American Computer Robotics Museum
• Tech Luminaries We Lost in 2019
• Bushfire Charity eBay Auction (Mr. Lurch’s Things)
• Mike Harvey of Nibble magazine passed away
• John Leake and Brian Wiser interview Mike Harvey
• Nibblemagazine.com
• Y2.02K Bug in Classic Mac OS Date & Time Control Panel
• SetDate utility
• History of the TI-MBX expansion system
• Atariage thread containing specs for TI-MBX in message 5
• Borland/Turbo C++ flavor ui for VIM

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 Commercial:

• Radio Shack TRS-80 Computer Commercial (1978)

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Tiny 3D-printed TRS-80s

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Steve Wozniak life-size standee
  • Hartley Courseware cassette control device
  • See also: Description of Hartley CCD in Resources in Education Vol 18 No 12
  • Spot On advanced formatting utility for Mac
  • Apple IIe with Cascade Graphics Development thingy
• Earl: Titan III plus IIe
• Michael: Heathkit EE-3101 DC Electronics Educational Systems Course
• Paul: DTACK Grounded board
  • See also: Discussion with Don Burtis on Drop III Inches. 1:28 in
  • See also: DTACK Grounded newsletter issue #1
  • TI MicroExplorer
  • See also: MicroExplorer brochure
  • Sealed Apple II disks
  • Exidy Sorceror
  • HP Integral Personal Computer
  • See also: Inforworld article on the HP Integral Personal Computer
  • Think-a-Dot computer game from 1965
  • Wheels for the G3/G4
  • Cassette programs for the Apple II written by Silas Warner, Ed Zaron, and Bob Bishop

Closing notes:

• Blake Patterson’s NMSspot (No Man’s Sky)

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 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
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

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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
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed