This episode features PLATO and PLATOTerm.

Podcast: Download

HardwareImage of a CDC 1604 on which early PLATO systems ran:

Image of a PLATO IV terminal:

AdvertisementsAd from 1983:

Ad:

PLATO in ActionAtari 8 Bit PLATOTerm v1.0 (Irata Online):

• Dialing Atari 8 Bit PLATOTerm v1.5 (Irata Online):

FujiNet enabled.

• w/ Mouse (Joystick) Atari 8 Bit PLATOTerm v1.3 (Irata Online):

• w/ mouse (Joystick)

• w/ mouse (ST Mouse)
• Dialing
• Login
• Menu
• Bulletins (from Main Menu option)
• Author Mode
• Author Mode help
• Editor help
• Courseware Subjects
• Index of the subject
• Extended information of the subject
• Viewing the subject
• < End of joke subject screenshots >
• An education course.
• < End of education screenshots >
• Games
• < End of games screenshots >
• Notes Menu
• Using the Talk feature
• 6 channels available
• 5 users per channel
• Using Personal Notes
• Some Fun Stuff
• BASIC Language Simulator
• DO READ the instructions.
• Program editor
• Cheesy sample program.
• Test execution of cheesy program.
• Saving the cheesy program.
• Running the Rose program.

• Accessing built in terminal HELP. Note that Return maps to NEXT. Macintosh (Modern)

• Connecting to CYBIS.

• Connecting to Irata Online.
• Help
• Main Menu
• Game title screens can be full of color.
• Sea Battle as played on Mac for comparison against Atari 8 bit (previous section above).
• Courseware catalog.
• Subject index.
• Obligatory research.

• Mac Help FilesFiles from the Atari PLATOTerm 1.0 disk:

• Show Links* Wikipedia PLATO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLATO_(computer_system)

• Atari Wiki: https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=PLATO
• Irata Online: https://www.irata.online/
• Cyber 1: https://cyber1.org/
• CDC 1604 (@ WikiPedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_1604
• CDC 6000 (@ WikiPedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_6000_series
• Atari 8 Bit PLATOTerm 1.3: https://github.com/tschak909/platoterm-atari-cart/tree/master/dist/1.3
• Atari 8 Bit PLATOTerm 1.5 (FujiNet): https://github.com/FujiNetWIFI/fujinet-apps/tree/master/platoterm/atari
• The Learning Phone (@ AtariMania): http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-learning-phone-_32571.html
• PLATO Rising (Antic Magazine July 1984): https://www.atarimagazines.com/v3n3/platorising.html
• PLATO User Manual 1981: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/cdc/plato/97405900C_PLATO_Users_Guide_Apr81.pdf
• Thomas Cherryhomes Interview (Antic Podcast): http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-57-thomas-cherryhomes
• Thomas Cherryhomes Interview (Jakub Denecki): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYDh0D2ezLE
• Thomas Cherryhomes Interview (Into The Vertical Blank Podcast): https://intotheverticalblank.com/2020/09/24/s3e19-interview-with-thomas-cherryhomes-how-fujinet-and-irataonline-give-plato-new-life/
• Why Irata Online Exists (Thomas Cherryhomes @ YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAj73mw-Hc
• Irata Online Demo (Thomas Cherryhomes @ YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM7T2G-V3So
• Irata Online One Community 13 Platforms (Thomas Cherryhomes @ YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9f8Vy9g7yM
• PLATO for Atari Getting Started (Thomas Cherryhomes @ YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3jML6x8yKU
• Book: The Friendly Orange Glow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/545610/the-friendly-orange-glow-by-brian-dear/
• Toledo Edison PLATO ad featuring nuclear reactor control room: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/vintage-computers-and-software-ads-of-the-1980s-page-6–101331060344726881/

Bit Rating withheld. Listen to episode for reasoning.

Intro music is an excerpt from a chip tune by Wizwars named 8 Bit Raceway. It is used under Creative Common license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States.