Retro Computing Roundtable

RCR Episode 280: Cheap home computers

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1980 In 1980, Commodore introduced the VIC-20, Sinclair introduced the ZX80, Tandy introduced the Color Computer, and HP tried to breed a computer out of calculators. Also other things happened. Which we discuss! Topic/Feedback links: VIC-20 Sinclair ZX80 See also: MicroAce (timexsinclair.com) HP-85 See also: Tandy PC-4 Tandy Color Computer Intel 8087 Pac-Man Epson MX-80 Retro Computing News: ​​Apple’s best keyboard reimagined (YouTube) Update on the Business IIGS (original auction gone, but: Incider Jan 1989 cover) Daily news from a dot matrix printer APFram. APFram Atari Portfolio It was all Boris Vallejo Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Pac-Man Cereal VIC-20 Timex/Sinclair 1000 Retro Computing Gift Idea: Inflatable Pac-Man costume Auction Picks: Carrington: The Usurper, one of the last text adventures The Odyssey, one of the worst named adventure games Paul: Apple-Cat II with expansion box Starring the Computer: Vacation (1983) Apple IIGS upgrade Blank floppies Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Grundy NewBrain” See also: Grundy NewBrain Timex/Sinclair 1000 with box Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Jupiter Ace” See also: Jupiter Ace A moment of silence for the keyboards that have been parted out OCC-2 See also: OCC-2 16K RAM chips sans RAM A2Stream file: a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr280.a2stream Feedback/Discussion: feedback@rcrpodcast.com rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon rcrpodcast.com on bluesky Vintage Computer Forum RCR Podcast on Facebook Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John XShow audio files hosted by CyberEars Listen/Download:

RCR Episode 279: A spree de Calc

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1979 In 1979, VisiCalc’s rampage began, and models 400, 800 (Atari), II (TRS-80), and 4 (TI 99) arrived. Topic/Feedback links: Wordstar VisiCalc TI 99/4 Intellivision Asteroids Atari 400/800 MUD1 StarMud review TRS-80 Model II Motorola 68000 Compu$erve CB Simulator Robert Williams becomes first human killed by a robot Retro Computing News: Unicode 16.0 adds more Symbols for Legacy Computing Existing Unicode symbols for Legacy Computing Unicode symbols for Legacy Computing working group document Unscii font Grace Hopper lectures archived and released Warhol’s lost Amiga art, found Wallops: a modern IRC client for classic Mac OS Famous Computer Cafe Computerland audio commercials (with gaps for filling in local deals) Mol (Baldur’s Gate demake for TRS-80 Model 100 and ZX Spectrum) Dungeons & Dragons Systems Reference Document RadioShack catalog archive Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Radio Shack Intellivision Retro Computing Gift Idea: Insert Coin keychain See also: iBot G3 Auction Picks: Carrington: Mockingboard in box (Auction gone, but here’s a similar WorthPoint image) InvisiCalc Scanned at MOCAGH Paul: Business IIGS (original auction gone, but: Incider Jan 1989 cover) Amdek Color-I (original auction ended, here is similar one) ZuluSCSI See also: http://zuluscsi.com/ TI 99/4a replacement power supply ZX81/TS1000 keyboard replacement SE / SE/30 replacement power supply Video for installing the SE/SE/30 replacement PSU (YouTube) SIO2PC USB-C See also: Set up RespeQT for SIO2PC (Atariprojects.org) A2Stream file: a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr279.a2stream Feedback/Discussion: feedback@rcrpodcast.com rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon rcrpodcast.com on bluesky Vintage Computer Forum RCR Podcast on Facebook Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John XShow audio files hosted by CyberEars Listen/Download:

RCR Episode 278: Words and Lasers

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting) and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1978 In 1978, we got WordStar and LaserDisc. Not VisiCalc. Topic/Feedback links: Wordstar (Wikipedia) VisiCalc (Wikipedia) almost! Laserdisc Exidy Sorceror lot discussed in episode 182, November 2018 DEC VAX (Wikipedia) again? Retro Computing News: Grace Hopper lecture found but can’t be released Living Computer Museum will start auctioning things Gen One (Christie’s) Legends of Adventure: The Story of Sierra On-Line Unboxing an Apple-1 (YouTube) Apple-1 number 18 Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Wordstar commercial (Computerland) Lotus 123 running alongside your good applications Coleco Adam scholarship Retro Computing Gift Idea: SC131 SC131 (YouTube) Auction Picks: Carrington: X*Press X*Change Apple Bunny key repeater Dancing Baby screensaver Paul: Math Sequences Fix your Apple Plotter (auction long gone) FujiNet for Adam (different auction, and also ended) Atari power cube Apple //c power cube (mozzwald) Another Atari power cube (mozzwlad) NABU RomWBW option card (auction long gone, but see below) NABU forums post about the RomWBW option card Newton 2000/20001 internal USB-C connectivity board (auction long gone, but see below) Newtonsales Model 100/102 ROM Model 200 ROM Atari 2600 power adapter Model 100 set July 1978 Disk II notes A2Stream file: a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr278.a2stream Feedback/Discussion: feedback@rcrpodcast.com rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon Vintage Computer Forum RCR Podcast on Facebook Throwback Network on Facebook Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John XShow audio files hosted by CyberEars Listen/Download:

RCR Episode 277: Trinity

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1977 In 1977, XMODEM, VAX, and FAT arrived. And the Atari VCS (2600). And the TRS-80 Model 1, Commodore PET, and Apple II. Topic/Feedback links: Atari 2600 (Wikipedia) Atari 2600 Pac-Man (Wikipedia) Tod Frye discusses Pac-Man 8K homebrew (YouTube) TRS-80 Model 1 (Wikipedia) TRS-80 Model 1 (trs-80.org) Commodore PET (Wikipedia) Commodore PET (commodore.ca) Apple II (Wikipedia) XMODEM (WIkipedia) FAT (Wikipedia) DEC VAX (Wikipedia) UNIVAC (Wikipedia) Retro Computing News: Electromechanical Lunar Lander Tim Hunkin (YouTube channel) Apple II emulator on the CoCo3 (GitHub) Apple II emulator on the CoCo3 (YouTube) Michael Mahon’s Burroughs 220 emulator (KansasFest 2016 presentation) Michael Mahon’s Burroughs 220 emulator Choplifter reverse engineered Using fountain pens with pen plotters The Graphics Scientist Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Atari 2600 Pac-Man TRS-80 VIC 20 vs Atari and Intellivision The Choplifter Pac-Man and other MB board games Retro Computing Gift Idea: Ben Eater’s World’s Worst Video Card World’s Worst Video Card (YouTube, part 1) Auction Picks: Carrington: Defender ENTEX Defender MB (auction long gone) Popeye Pooyan Turbo Turtles Board games based on 8-bit arcades (boardgamegeek.com) Paul: TRS-80 model 1 set PET 2001 Home security sticker (HERO robot) Western Union Telefax receiver Bull Questar 200 Bull Questar Groupe Bull List of Groupe Bull products Micral: First personal computer using a microprocessor Micral at MO5 “A talk with the father of computing” (Wired) Computer Museum Catalog of Personal Computers A2Stream file: a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr277.a2stream Feedback/Discussion: feedback@rcrpodcast.com rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon Vintage Computer Forum RCR Podcast on Facebook Throwback Network on Facebook Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John XShow audio files hosted by CyberEars Listen/Download:

RCR Episode 276: Press P to proceed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1976 In 1976, Bill Gates wrote a letter, and the Queen sent an e-mail. Two 1s (Apple- and Cray-) appeared on the scene. Topic/Feedback links: Zilog Z80 (Wikipedia) CP/M (Wikipedia) Incidental mention: Kaypro 2000 An Open Letter to Hobbyists (Wikipedia) Apple-1 (WIkipedia) Cray-1 (Wikipedia) The Queen sent an email 5.25″ Floppy Disk (computerhistory) Public Key Cryptography Retro Computing News: Riven (Digital Antiquarian) RealMyst Atari 2600 Myst Demake Atari 2600 Myst Demake Longplay (YouTube) Atari (not really) acquires Intellivision (not really) ICQ is shutting down USB-C power for the Apple //c JQuickTake Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Space games:Intellivision vs. Atari Apple QuickTake Retro Computing Gift Idea: Core16 Interactive Core Memory Kit Auction Picks: Blake: NeXT NU I/O Sound box in 3d Printed Case Carrington: New ALPS mechanical keyboards for Apple IIe Paul: Apple CTW titles (auction long gone) See instead: Compute! magazine review (1983) Lo and Behold & Ringmaster (auction long gone) A2Stream file: a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr276.a2stream Feedback/Discussion: feedback@rcrpodcast.com rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon Vintage Computer Forum RCR Podcast on Facebook Throwback Network on Facebook Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John XShow audio files hosted by CyberEars Listen/Download: