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

Host’s Topic: Retrocomputing TMI

It seems like the retrocomputing hobby is gaining traction. Hooray! Except now it’s so easy to scan things, post things, take videos—information is coming in at a rate that’s too hard to manage. How do you keep up?

Retro Computing News:

• BCS videos posted by CHM
• Memoirs of a Spectrum Addict trailer
• John Calhoun releases source code to his classic Macintosh shareware games
• Continuum 1.04 download and source
• Macross 6502, an assembler for people who hate assembly language
  • Macross on github
• Marvin Minsky obituary
  • Minskytron at masswerk.at
  • Most useless machine at Web of Stories
• Bill Fernandez: Apple employee #4, on Triangulation
• The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack
• VCF East Exhibitor Registration opens
  • VCF East XI, April 15-17, 2016
• 25th annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFest (event April 23-24, 2016)
• PoC||GTFO
• FlippyBit for Atari VCS source
• Quinn Dunki decelerates the IIc Plus on Blondihacks

Vintage Computer “Commercial” (sort of):

• Um.

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Amiga boing beachball
  • Perry Bible Fellowship, Beach Closing

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Back panel cover for Mac Color Classic “Mystic”
  • John Dvorak (then contributing editor with PC magazine) demonstrates how easy the modular IBM PS/2 is to take apart, on Computer Chronicles
• Jack: True Vintage 80s ATARI Puffer Vest Nylon
• Paul: Tandy 6000
  • VIC-Relay

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

Host’s Topic: Are retrocomputing vendors held to different standards?

Retro Computing News:

• WWIV BBS software is alive and well, and recently updated
  • WWIV BBS
• Emulating a BBC Micro in Javascript
  • BBC Micro emulator
• BASIC Tenliners competition
• KansasFest 2016 keynote announced – Mike Harvey
• Eighty-One
• GeekFest 2015 Berlin audio
• How Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s words were freed from 200 old floppy disks
• What computer did Gene Roddenberry use?
• How Bob McGwier used a Cray-2 to decode ham radio transmission in Star Trek IV
• Retrochallenge 2016 halfway done
  • Global Thermonuclear War, a CoCo 2 / 3 game over the Internet!
  • Maze War – Olivetti M10 versus NEC PC-8201A
  • BASIC programming on the Tandy MC-10
• Atari Game Designer – graphics library for A8 machines
• Video Game Hall of Fame nominations
  • Nina Smith wants dad’s Lode Runner in
• ‘Commodore Free’ Magazine Issue #90
• K&A Plus Issue 3
• Floppy Emu B out, A cheaper
• John Romero releases a new level for Doom
• “Hoodlum scientist” Dr. Christopher Evans and The Mighty Micro
• Deskthority wiki for human interface devices
  • Entries on different Alps switches
• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch
• 37

Vintage Computer “Commercial” (sort of):

• Ty Roberts later of Gracenote on the built-for-Bowie Verbasizer

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Matias Tactile Pro 3 keyboard
  • Plotkin on Tactile Pro 3
  • Unicomp

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Blue Chip D20/10 daisywheel printer
• Earl: Rare Seattle Computer Products CPU Module Model 220A Board
• Jack: Too many copies of Combat, Defender, and Asteroids for Atari 2600
• Ken: Big Tip Book
• Michael: Sharp ElsiMate EL-8048 Best of both worlds
• Paul: PET 2001-8, shiny.
  • Cursor/uncrasher for PET
  • Palm VII
  • Palm VIIx you can unwrap
  • Lab-Volt 6502 trainer
  • Classic Mac cover, handmade

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Panelists: Michael Mulhern (hosting), Ken Gagne, Paul Hagstrom, and Jack Nutting

Host’s Topic: Would you make a irreversible upgrade/mod to one of your retro computers?

Anything from adding a 3.5mm audio jack, “dremeling” a hole or slot in the case to feed a cable through. Cutting a trace, or adding a jumper or any other change that although could be “reversed”, but not to original condition . . . . How far would you go upgrading a retro machine?

Retro Computing News:

• Range of new RPN calculators modelled on classic HPs
• RetroChallenge is back with the “Winter Warmup 2016”
• Many VCF East 5, 6, and 9.1 videos up!
• RetroVGS is now a Coleco console
• Put a Vampire in your Amiga 600
  • Kipper2K Amiga Hardware Page
• Vector retrogaming, with an oscilloscope
• Jimmy Maher’s Digital Antiquarian e-book
• Adding composite video to a Sinclair ZX81
• Original web browser on emulated NeXTstep 1.0 (on oldweb.today)

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Sinclair Calculators
• Sharp ELSI-80

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Orange Pi

Auction Picks:

• Jack: Incredible Musical Keyboard for C64
• Michael: Interestime Computer
• Paul: Beautiful TI CC40 set, with history
  • 3D printed eject gear
  • 3D printed Supercard Pro case

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

Host’s Topic: 2016, Here We Come

What are your big retro plans for 2016? Writing something, building something, fixing something, selling something?

Retro Computing News:

• MIST FPGA
• Pictures from World of Commodore 2015
  • Pictures from World of Commodore 2015
• EDSAC Update – Two new videos
  • BBC News article on the EDSAC Project
• (Largely complete) Star Raiders II released
  • Star Raiders source code
• S100 Z80-based single board computer
• The Internet Archive Telethon
  • Internet Archive donations
• Teensy-based 6502 Logic analyzer
  • Teensy logic analyzer highlighted on Hackaday
• Jingle Disk comparison

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• IBM PCjr

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Tesla Watch

Auction Picks:

• Earl: Z80 Microprocessor Kit
  • PDP 8/I
• Michael: C64 Diagnostic Dead Test Cartridge
• Paul: BASIS 108
  • Something
  • Mac Color Classic, ready for Mystic Upgrade
  • Dark Forces (Mac)

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

Host’s Topic: The great acquisitions of 2015

Looking back on 2015, what was your favorite retrocomputing acquisition?

Retro Computing News:

• C64 Preservation Project
  • 10th anniversary collection on archive.org
• Getting a 1992 Sparc Classic running in 2004
• Interview with Tom Persky of floppydisk.com
• Building Tetris on the C64 in 6502 assembler, DevDef blog series
• C64 WiFi modem
  • C64 WiFi, video
• The Infocom Cabinet
  • A Cabinet of Infocom Curiosities
  • The Rest of the Infocom Cabinet
  • Open Apple show 47 (Jason Scott)
• Raspberry Pi Zero
• Pis…In…Space!
• Kickstarter for LattePanda
• The Telharmonium
  • Coverage in McClure’s Magazine, July 1906
• Oscar Vermeulen on Hacakday: Experiences in Developing an Electronics Kit
  • Video of Oscar’s talk

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Commodore Plus 4 Commercial 1986

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Pixel Vision, hand-crafted handheld videogame emulator (Kickstarter) (4000 SEK, 470 USD)

Auction Picks:

• Paul: HERO 1
  • Educator 64
  • TI 99ER Virginia license plate
  • Old Datasette (black)
• Earl: Apple III Plus with monitor (Seattle pickup only)
• Jack: Melty, crafty, costly Atari 800
• Paul: Timex-Sinclair 1000 set for those with superfluous money
• Michael: Tandy MC-10
  • Matra Alice 90
  • Jim Gerrie’s MC-10 blog
  • Screenshots of and downloadable BASIC programs

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

Host’s Topic: Internet of Dumb Things

Are our 8-bit programming skills going to be relevant again? In this upcoming Internet of Things world, underpowered is back. The IoT and the return of 8-bit computing

Retro Computing News:

• Ken Olsen, DEC documentary (20 minutes)
• 10 computers time forgot
• Jupiter Ace emulator (iOS)
• Gene Amdahl dies at 92
  • Oral history CHM Bill Asprey interview, 2000
• Start a petition at change.org
• Polycade retro arcade cabinet
• Top 11 Soviet PCs
• Gauntlet “ported” to Atari 2600 (actually, Dark Chambers)
• CFFA3000 run 4, over 75% of 500 are already sold
• VCF East XI, April 15-17. Stewart Cheifet is giving Saturday keynote

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Vectrex

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Codebug

Auction Picks:

• Paul: Atari AT-FS2 specialized joysticks
  • ZX Spectrum +
  • iMac G4 Cube
  • Apple Interactive Television Box
• Jack: Unisex Retro Trendy Pixel 8 Bit Glasses Pixelated Style Square Sunglasses
  • Space Invaders-themed belt with integrated iPhone holder!

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Panelists: Earl Evans (hosting), Ken Gagne, Paul Hagstrom, and Michael Mulhern

Host’s Topic: Let’s sum it up

Your non-retro enthusiast friend asks “why do you collect, play with or learn about old computers? Fifty words or less! Well, after that challenge, I’m sure we’ll find some more words. But can we give the “elevator speech” on what the hobby is about?

Retro Computing News:

• Atari 800XL flyover/through
• State of Electronics (trailer)
• BASIC comes to the Nintendo 3DS
• The XPL0 Programming Language
• Coleco: The Complete History
• Lego meets Babbage
• History of Computers LEGO project
• Obituary for Chuck Forsberg, creator of ZMODEM
  • ZMODEM spec
  • ProTERM 3.1 manual, Zmodem discussion at p.256
• WUDSN IDE for 6502-based machines
  • WUDSN tutorials
• Computer.show
• Virtual Keypunch
• Virtual cardreader
• PDP 8/e simulator
• Bil Herd will narrate the 8-bit Generation documentary
  • Dinosaur Den channel (Bil Herd and Fran Blanche)
• Call-A.P.P.L.E. resumes publication again

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Timex Sinclair 1000 Computer TV Commercial 1982

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Star Wars Mouse Pad

Auction Picks:

• Paul: OCC2
  • TRS-80 Model I, with cases
  • Walnut Mac 128K/Mini
  • Hero Jr.
• Earl: TI-99/4A 32K Memory Expansion Card
• Michael: Amstrad PPC640

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Panelists: David Greelish (hosting), Earl Evans, Paul Hagstrom, and Michael Mulhern

Host’s Topic: How has the retro scene changed in five years?

How have things changed for us personally, in the communities? What hasn’t changed? What should have changed?

Retro Computing News:

• History of Personal Computing podcast
• About David Greelish
• Chicken Lips Radio
• Drop /// Inches
• Computer History Quiz
• IEEE for the VIC-20! Kickstarter completed with 250% of their goal. Modern day replica of the VIC-1112 cartridge
• Do historical inaccuracies matter in new ‘Steve Jobs’ film?
• From the Film Australia Collection – “Get With I.T. The Information Technology Challenge.”
• Floppy Days / Kevin Savetz interviews Wayne Green
• History of Personal Computing, episode 12 (Magazines)
• Charles Mangin’s video, modeling the Apple ///
• RicBit’s MSX vault.
• Call-A.P.P.L.E. resumes publication again

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• William Shatner promotes the Commodore VIC-20

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Apple Lisa Raspberry Pi case

Auction Picks:

• Related: Brainiac K-30
• Paul: Univac ashtray
  • Commodore 2031 single PET-style drive
  • Commodore DX-64, probably
  • NeXTstation Mono, kbd, mouse, monitor
• Earl: IBM PS/2 Model 70
• Michael: Tandy Colour Computer 3
  • Attack of the Clones
• David: Sharp Electronic Organizer Wizard OZ-9600 II

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Panelists: Michael Mulhern (hosting), Paul Hagstrom (vice hosting), and Charles Mangin (not hosting)

Host’s Topic: 3D Printing

Perhaps your keyboard broke, or you’re missing a drive door. Perhaps you have a Raspberry Pi without a retrocomputer-shaped enclosure. Is 3D printing the answer? If so, where do you start?

Retro Computing News:

• Tetris easter egg on HP 54600B oscilloscope
• TI-82/etc calculator tracker/sequencer
• Tezza has fun servicing an Amstrad FD-1 3” External Floppy Drive
• Steve Jobs introducing the “Think Different” campaign, but with remarkable animation
• Reading Retro: The Z1
• Ben Heck revisits the ZX Spectrum project (from 2014)
  • Part-1 September 25th
  • Part-2 October 9th
• Blake Patterson on the Mockingboard
• RetroConnector (Charles’ easy store) Lisa/Mac XL available, Apple /// coming soon, custom requests can be made through the contact link.

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Epson, every 10 seconds
• The sadness of competitors to the Amstrad 464

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Disk II Styled USB SD card reader

Auction Picks:

• Michael: ZX Spectrum Clone, blue
  • ZX Spectrum Clone, red
• Charles: austingoodwillcomputerworks
• Paul: TechStep
  • see also TechStep site on ForcedPerfect.net
  • see also also Diagnostic thing
  • Plamen Vaysilov’s new Apple II gear

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

Host’s Topic: Lottery

You won the lottery! Now, money is no object. You can pick one – just one – vintage computer system with all the fixings. Which one do you add to your collection, and why?

Retro Computing News:

• Floppy Days Episode 24 – the CompuColor II
• The Retrobits Podcast show 092: A Close Encounter – The CompuColor II
• RCR episode 013, when there was a CompuColor II on eBay
• “The 6502 Gets Microprogrammable Instructions,” Dennette A. Harrod, Byte Oct 1980
• Ferranti Atlas computers
• Video about the Atlas computers
• Gray Chang’s Claim Jumper development notebook
• Atari releases LGBT-themed “Pridefest” game
• Z80 Membership card
• Gofundme page for Sean’s Garage Giveaway (KansasFest)
• 25 years ago a working party started something so pervasive today – IEEE802.11
• The Superheroines of Computing
  • Grace Hopper Documentary
  • Grace Hopper interview on Letterman
• Build a 6502, 6809, or Z80 computer hardware emulation using FPGA development boards and a few external parts. Neat stuff!
  • Cyclone IV
  • Grant Searle’s FPGA Pick-and-mix
• Retro VGS
• JKL museum
• MEGA65

Vintage Computer Commercial:

• Epson Featuring Kent Dorfman from Animal House

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Black and White Keyboard Box

Auction Picks:

• Carrington: Apple IIc covers
  • Blazing Paddles for Apple II
• Earl: Vintage Texas Instruments 99/4 Peripheral Expansion System
• Michael: Extra RAM for your VIC-20
  – See also: tech info (ftp link)
  • Epson CX-20 Portable Acoustic Coupler
• Jack: Mattel Aquarius
  • Aquaricart
  • 32k cartridge
• Paul: Your CompuServe account has been suspended
  • Model 100, disk drive, ROMs, manuals, software.
  • Floppy traveling case
  • Apple plotter
  • Keyboards one and two
  • North American source of SCSI2SDs
    • See also: Compatible computers

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