FloppyDays Vintage Computing Podcast: Recent Episodes

Randall Kindig

Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast

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Floppy Days 165 - The Sphere Computer, Part 2 with Ben Zotto

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics - https://www.8bitclassics.com/?ref=Floppydays
  • Arcade Shopper - https://www.arcadeshopper.com and https://thekeep.net

  • FutureVision Research - https://www.fvresearch.com/

  • Tuc's Workbench - https://shop.tucs-workbench.com

Hello and welcome to episode 165 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for July, 2026. My name is Randy Kindig and I'm your host for this audio and video tribute to vintage computers and computer history.

For those of you listening to these podcasts in order, this month's episode is the second part of the 2-part series on the Sphere, which was introduced in 1975; the same year as the Altair and even before the Apple 1.

Once again, I want to reiterate what the Sphere was and why do we care? The Sphere was the first "personal computer," defined as such by Byte Magazine due to its consumer focus and built-in keyboard and monitor. Many computers can claim the moniker of first "personal computer", and rightly so, but this one has the endorsement of an early, well-respected, long-running computer magazine and they have good reason for feeling this way about the Sphere. Once you hear the details, you'll see just how ground-breaking this machine was at a very early period of computer history.

Not only that, some of the personal stories behind the machine are simply downright fascinating.

Ben Zotto is the undisputed expert on the Sphere in these times, after finding an abandoned machine sitting on the sidewalk and deciding to adopt it and learn more about it. He recently wrote a comprehensive book on the Sphere called "Go Computer Now!" that Ben and I spent a lot of time talking about in the last episode -- which again was the first episode on the Sphere. This episode series actually serves two purposes: first as an interview with Ben to learn more about him and his book, and secondly as an overview of a computer I didn't cover back when I started this podcast back in 2013 with the Altair 8800 and the Apple 1.

So, as I said earlier, this will be the second part of a 2-part journey on the Sphere. Last month we talked in great detail with Ben Zotto about how he ended up going down the Sphere rabbit hole and all the great things he's done to promote an important machine that was forgotten in the annals of history. This month, Ben and I go through all the usual topics about the Sphere: history, tech specs, using the machine, current Web sites and a great deal more.

I really hope you enjoy hearing more about the Sphere and all the things that Ben has done to fill in the gap in history that used to be occupied by the Sphere!

Vintage Computer Shows

  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 30-Aug. 2 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2026-se
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 31-Aug 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - August 7-9, 2026 - Cradle of Aviation, Garden City, NY - https://liretro.com/
  • ABBUC Summer Camp - August 26-30 - Winterberg-Elkeringhausen, Germany - https://abbuc.de/summercamp
  • Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 - September 11-13 - Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, United Kingdom - https://www.facebook.com/events/25457837877216829/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Midwest - September 12-13 - Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - https://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly 2026 - October 2-4, 2026 - Cincinnati, Ohio - https://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 9-11 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 24 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • VCF Montreal - November 7-8 - Champlain College Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, QC - https://cvcfed.org/vcf-montreal-2-0/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Tech Specs

  • BASIC - https://sphere.computer/news/2026-03-28-the-secret-minicomputer-inside-your-sphere.html

Using the Machine/Tips

  • https://sphere.computer/articles/sphere-bringup-guide.html
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFOKQoWlpGk

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • Byte Magazine - https://archive.org/details/1982-10-byte-magazine-october-1-byte-magazine-21533/1975%2009%20BYTE%2000-01%20The%20Worlds%20-%20Byte%20Magazine_21693/
  • Sphere Global News newsletter; put out by Sphere Corp. - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_spherenews_1063041
  • Sphere Microcomputer Users' Newsletter - August 1977 - letter from Programma - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_spherenews7_5204616

Books

  • Stan Veit's book - https://archive.org/details/stan-veits-history-of-the-personal-computer
  • Stan Veit Podcast:
  • https://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html

  • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLUOGYbuIdClP9KoaDfHXqLvqOeaqTATQK

  • Fire in the Valley - https://www.amazon.com/Fire-in-Valley-audiobook/dp/B071YYZJG5

  • Bill Gates' memoir "Source Code: My Beginnings" - https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Source-Code-My-Beginnings/dp/B0D5KHFN6C
  • Digital Deli - https://archive.org/details/digitaldelicompr0000unse
  • Ben's book - https://gocomputernow.com/

Software

  • Games & Cassettes! on the 1975 Sphere computer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AISsrGfb9n0

Ads

  • "Why not go computer now?" - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sphere_Personal_Computer_Ad_January_1976.jpg

Modern Upgrades

  • https://sphere.computer/shop.html

Emulation

  • https://sphere.computer/emulator/

Community

  • Forums
  • AtariAge - https://www.atariage.com
  • VCFEd - https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php

Current Web Sites and Videos

  • Very old SPHERE computer doing very silly tricks, for SPHERETEMBER!!! - Ben Zotto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHALstVxdPI
  • Sphere repository at bitsavers.org - https://bitsavers.org/pdf/sphere/
  • Home repository for the Sphere-1 reconstruction by Andrew Shapton - https://github.com/Sphere-Corporation
  • https://hackaday.com/2023/03/11/a-love-letter-to-the-sphere-computer/
  • VCF West: Sphere 1: The First Modern Microcomputer — Ben Zotto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GilFixu4KY

References

  • Ben's site - https://sphere.computer/
  • Ben's book "Go Computer Now!!!" - https://shop.gocomputernow.com/products/go-computer-now
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_1
Fire in the Valley: The Birth and Death of the Personal Computer

View Details

Floppy Days 164 - The Sphere, Part 1 with Ben Zotto

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net

  • FutureVision Research

  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello!!! and welcome to episode 164 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for June, 2026. My name is Randy Kindig and I'm your host for this joy ride through the rewarding hobby of vintage computers and computer history.

I have to start off by apologizing, as I'll actually be stepping back in the computer timeline for this episode. Sometimes it happens. My goal from the beginning of this podcast was to go through computers in the approximate order they were released (at least by year). And, I've largely done that with this podcast. However, sometimes a machine comes up that I didn't know about or didn't recognize its importance at the time I put together the list of computers to cover. This month that computer is the Sphere, which was introduced in 1975. That's right, I said 1975. That was the same year as the Altair and even before the Apple 1.

What was the Sphere and why do we care? The Sphere was the first "personal computer," defined as such by Byte Magazine due to its consumer focus and built-in keyboard and monitor. Now, I know that many computers can claim the moniker of first "personal computer", and rightly so, but this one has the endorsement of an early, well-respected, long-running computer magazine and they have good reason for feeling this way about the Sphere. Once you hear the details, you'll see just how ground-breaking this machine was at a very early period of computer history.

Not only that, some of the personal stories behind the machine are simply downright fascinating.

Ben Zotto is the undisputed expert on the Sphere in these times, after finding an abandoned machine sitting on the sidewalk and deciding to adopt it and learn more about it. He recently wrote a comprehensive book on the Sphere called "Go Computer Now!" that I mentioned the last episode I had acquired. Well, I ended up reading that book cover-to-cover and really enjoying it. So much so that I decided to contact Ben and see if he would be willing to come onto the podcast to talk about his book and the Sphere Computer. Thankfully, he was. This podcast actually serves two purposes: first as an interview with Ben to learn more about him and his book, and secondly as an overview of a computer I didn't cover back when I started this podcast back in 2013 with the Altair 8800 and the Apple 1.

So, this will be a 2-part journey on the Sphere. This month we talk in great detail with Ben Zotto about how he ended up going down the Sphere rabbit hole and all the great things he's done to promote an important machine that was forgotten in the annals of history. Next month, Ben and I go through all the usual topics about the Sphere: history, tech specs, using the machine, current Web sites and a great deal more.

I really hope you enjoy hearing about the Sphere and meeting Ben Zotto!

New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To/News

  • VCFSW - https://www.vcfsw.org
  • REU Grande - https://www.go4retro.com
  • National Videogame Museum (NVM) - https://nvmusa.org/)
  • article/cover for May, 2026 Call-A.P.P.L.E. Magazine with Floppy Days Woz interview - https://www.callapple.org/
  • passing of Howell Ivy:
  • audio interview from 2022 - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-114-howell-ivy-exidy-sorcerer-and-exidy
  • video interview from 2022 - https://youtu.be/QojU9ty4q_U
  • audio interview for Byte Shop 50th - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-161-byte-shop-interviews
  • video interview for Byte Shop 50th - https://youtu.be/QlmkvVSuNbs

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • KansasFest 2026 - July 14-19 - University of Illinois Springfield (in person) - July 31-Aug. 1 (virtual) - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 30-Aug. 2 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2026-se
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 31-Aug 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - August 7-9, 2026 - Cradle of Aviation, Garden City, NY - https://liretro.com/
  • Fujiama - August 26-30 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2026
  • Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 - September 11-13 - Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, United Kingdom - https://www.facebook.com/events/25457837877216829/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Midwest - September 12-13 - Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - https://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly 2026 - October 2-4, 2026 - Cincinnati, Ohio - https://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 9-11 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 24 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • VCF Montreal - November 7-8 - Champlain College Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lambert, QC - https://cvcfed.org/vcf-montreal-2-0/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • Ben's site - https://sphere.computer/
  • Ben's book "Go Computer Now!!!" - https://shop.gocomputernow.com/products/go-computer-now
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_1

View Details

Floppy Days 163 - Interview with Charles Pfister, Apple 1 Case Designer

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net

  • FutureVision Research

  • Tuc's Workbench

New Acquisitions

  • Chalkboard PowerPad - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n10/52_The_legend_of_the_pad_of_.php
  • "Go Computer Now!!!" by Ben Zotto - https://shop.gocomputernow.com/products/go-computer-now
  • "Apple The First 50 Years" by David Pogue - https://amzn.to/4f6XJjU (sponsored link)
  • FujiNet RS-232 - https://www.fvresearch.com/product/fujinet-rs232/

Upcoming Shows (thru AUGUST, 2026)

  • VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • CORGSCON - Columbus Ohio Retro Gaming Society - June 6-7 - Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, OH - https://www.corgscon.com/
  • INIT HELLO (Apple II) - June 19-21 - System Source Computer Museum, Hunt Valley, MD - https://init-hello.org/
  • Chilliwack & Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 20 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW 2026 - June 20-21 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
  • KansasFest 2026 - July 14-19 - University of Illinois Springfield (in person) - July 31-Aug. 1 (virtual) - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 30-Aug. 2 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2026-se
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 31-Aug 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - August 7-9, 2026 - Cradle of Aviation, Garden City, NY - https://liretro.com/
  • Fujiama - August 26-30 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2026
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • EDI Insights (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/@EliteoneDesigns
  • Elite Designs (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100046369452863
  • Computer History Museum - https://computerhistory.org/
None

View Details

Floppy Days 162 - Interview with Apple Legend, Steve Wozniak

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

New Acquisitions

  • The WOZPAK Special Edition: Steve Wozniak's Apple-1 & Apple II Computers - https://www.callapple.org/documentation/books/a-p-p-l-e-announces-the-wozpak-special-edition/
  • Assembly Lines: The Complete Book by Roger Wagner (Author), Chris Torrence (Editor) - https://amzn.to/4eU23ma (sponsored link)
  • What's Where in the Apple – Enhanced Edition: A Complete Guide to the Apple II Computer - https://www.callapple.org/call-apple/callapple-production/whats-where-in-the-apple-enhanced-edition-released-by-a-p-p-l-e/

Upcoming Computer Shows (thru July, 2026)

  • VCF Europe - May 1-3 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest 2026 - May 2-3 - Tukwila Community Center, South Tukwila, WA - https://vcfpnw.org
  • VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • CORGSCON - Columbus Ohio Retro Gaming Society - June 6-7 - Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, OH - https://www.corgscon.com/
  • INIT HELLO (Apple II) - June 19-21 - System Source Computer Museum, Hunt Valley, MD - https://init-hello.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 - June 19-21 - Leigh, Wigan, United Kingdom - https://www.facebook.com/events/25457837877216829/
  • Chilliwack & Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 20 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW 2026 - June 20-21 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
  • KansasFest 2026 - July 14-19 - University of Illinois Springfield - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 30-Aug. 2 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2026-se
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 31-Aug 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • video file created for Byte Shop 50th Anniversary event - https://youtu.be/ANR1fYicwxI
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wozniak

View Details

Floppy Days 161 - Byte Shop Interviews

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello, and welcome to episode 161 of the Floppy Days Podcast for March, 2026. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this wild ride through vintage computing.

This month I have a special episode prepared. For the 50th Anniversary event of the opening of the Byte Shop that occurred in California in December, 2025, I interviewed 11 different people with some sort of ties to Paul Terrell and the Byte Shop. Prior to the event itself, I published an approximately 30-minute-long video with just sound bites from those interviews to help get the word out (https://youtu.be/ANR1fYicwxI). This month, I've taken the complete interviews (except for one) and created a longer episode out of it so you can hear the entirety of the interviews.

To be clear, each of the interviews has as its main topic the Byte Shop and Paul Terrell. However, at the same time, we're able to learn a bit about each of the people who have ties to the Byte Shop and Paul.

For this month's show, the 9 total interviews include the following people:

  • Rick Kahn, who worked at the Byte Shop of Placentia
  • Michael Tomczyk, Vic-20 Czar at Commodore
  • Rob Terrell, Paul's nephew and frequent visitor to the Byte Shop
  • Chuck Mauro, worked at Apple and Byte Shop #2
  • Lee Felsenstein, developer of the SOL and Osborne computers
  • Scott Shekels, frequent visitor to the Byte Shop
  • Teryl & Gloria Burt, Northstar distributor to the Byte Shop
  • Howell Ivy, developer of the Exidy Sorcerer and worked with Paul Terrell at Exidy
  • Paul Freiberger, computer historian

Intro

  • 30-minute video of sound bites for Byte Shop 50th Anniversary Event - https://youtu.be/ANR1fYicwxI

New Acquisitions and What I've Been Up To

  • Indy Vintage Computer Club - https://www.indyvcc.org
  • Midwest Computer Museum - https://www.midwestcomputermuseum.com
  • Power of Vintage - https://www.youtube.com/@powerofvintage9442
  • Tech Dungeon - https://www.techdungeon.xyz
  • 8bitdevices - https://www.8bitdevices.com/
  • lightboxes:
  • https://www.etsy.com/listing/4306784729/lightbox-for-retro-computer-video-games
  • https://www.ebay.com/str/techdungeon
  • https://www.ebay.com/itm/335958112556

Upcoming Shows (thru June, 2026)

  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2026 - April 25-26 - Burbank, CA - http://www.portcommodore.com/class
  • VCF Europe - May 1-3 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest 2026 - May 2-3 - Tukwila Community Center, South Tukwila, WA - https://vcfpnw.org
  • VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • INIT HELLO (Apple II) - June 19-21 - System Source Computer Museum, Hunt Valley, MD - https://init-hello.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival GB 2026 - June 19-21 - Leigh, Wigan, United Kingdom - https://www.facebook.com/events/25457837877216829/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 20 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW 2026 - June 20-21 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Feedback

  • Stewart Cheifet tribute from S.M. Oliva - https://www.computerchronicles.blog/podcast/chronicles-revisited-podcast-018-the-publics-broadcaster/

View Details

Floppy Days 160 - The KayPro, Part 4, with Matt Jones

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

YouTube Channel: https://www.YouTube.com/@floppydayspodcast

Hello, and welcome to episode 160 of the Floppy Days Podcast for February, 2026. I'm Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, we are at the tail end of a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. I was able to interview David Kay, son of the founder of KayPro, and president of the company for some time, in the first two episodes. Last month, Matthew Jones, an aficionado of the KayPro computers and owner of many of the models, helped me talk about KayPro history, tech specs, and more, through the topic of using the machine. This month Matt and I complete the KayPro series by starting with books and magazines and ending with current Web sites and a lot more content in between.

I will have a video version of this episode posted to the Floppy Days Podcast channel on YouTube (https://www.YouTube.com/@floppydayspodcast ) that will be available for everyone soon (after the early access period for Patreon supporters has expired). So, please consider becoming a subscriber on YouTube. Doing so helps support the podcast.

You will hear ads from some great vintage computer stores, themselves vintage computer fans, throughout the early part of this podcast. For all of these storefronts, when you place an order, please mention Floppy Days in the notes or comments of the order. Doing so will help support the podcast. Many thanks!!

New Acquisitions

  • Atari XF551 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_XF551

Upcoming Shows

  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • Atari Invasion 2k26 (10th Anniversary) - March 21 - Maarssen, Netherlands - https://www.atari-invasion.nl
  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2026 - April 25-26 - Burbank, CA - http://www.portcommodore.com/class
  • VCF Europe - May 1-3 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest 2026 - May 2-3 - Tukwila Community Center, South Tukwila, WA - https://vcfpnw.org
  • VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • Major September 1983 review in Byte - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro/1983_09_BYTE_08-09_Kaypro-II.pdf
  • Heavily featured in Micro Cornucopia; curated Kaypro index here - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro/kay-p13_micro-c.htm
  • First Osborne Group (FOG) - https://archive.org/details/foghornnewsletter
  • Non-Linear Systems published Pro-Files, a Kaypro users magazine - https://archive.org/search?query=collection%3Akayproprofiles&sort=-publicdate

Books

  • Chilton's Guide to Kaypro Repair and Maintenance by Gene Williams - https://amzn.to/4nQj6XV
  • Basic Kaypro for Kids Paperback by W. H. Darnell (Author), P. J. Barton (Author) - https://amzn.to/465ofFs
  • KayPro books at Amazon - https://amzn.to/4goRQgy
  • Kaypro II User's Guide (getting started, bundled software) - https://messui.polygonal-moogle.com/comp/kaypro_um.pdf
  • Dealer Quick Reference Manual - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_kayproKaypManual1982_1562045/page/n2/mode/1up
  • Using the Kaypro II personal computer by Lord, Kenniston W - https://archive.org/details/usingkayproiiper0000lord
  • The instant expert's guide to the Kaypro II by Bennett, M. D - https://archive.org/details/instantexpertsgu0000benn
  • KayPro Documentation, including KayPro Technical Manual - https://archive.org/details/the-kaypro-II-users-guide/1484-D_KayproTechnicalManual_Dec84/

Software

  • ROMs for KayPro - https://archive.org/details/KayproII_201809
  • TOSEC (The Old School Emulation Center) software collection at archive.org - https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_kayproKaypManual1982_1562045/page/n2/mode/1up
  • Software images - https://mame.spludlow.co.uk/SoftwareLists.aspx?Exact=true&List=kaypro

Ads and Appearances

  • Starring the Computer - https://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=185

Modern Upgrades

  • Floppy emulation: Gotek/FlashFloppy widely used on Kaypros - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF0L6XpRugo
  • Hard drive emulation (FreHD): - https://www.google.com/search?q=FreHD+for+kaypro
  • Replacement ROMs: Advent TurboROM and KayPLUS:
  • ROM for emulators - https://mame.spludlow.co.uk/Machine.aspx?name=kayproii
  • buying TurboROM (eBay) - https://www.ebay.com/itm/326275234269

Emulation

  • MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator):
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsFw9VejeS8&pp=ygUGa2F5cHJv

  • https://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?Main=8530&Number=107854&ubb=showflat

  • izkaypro - https://github.com/ivanizag/izkaypro

  • kobolt/kaytil - https://github.com/kobolt/kaytil
  • Virtual KayPro Computer - http://sims.durgadas.com/kaypro/kaypro.html

Buying One Today

  • replacement power supply - https://bonuslifecomputers.com/products/kaypro-meanwell-power-supply-mount?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc≺_rec_id=8d24492dc≺_rec_pid=8108848349374≺_ref_pid=7736195809470≺_seq=uniform&variant=44048046653630

Community

  • Facebook - Kaypro Computer Users group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/580355602847013/
  • Forums:
  • AtariAge - https://forums.atariage.com/search/?q=kaypro&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116
  • VCFed Kaypro discussions (active repair/usage help) - http://vcfed.com

Current Web Sites and Videos

  • Byte Magazine Sep. 1983 KayPro II Review - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro/1983_09_BYTE_08-09_Kaypro-II.pdf
  • Bitsavers: Service guides, user/dealer manuals - https://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/kaypro/1484-E_KayproTechnicalManual_Ch1-15_Jun85.pdf
  • retrocmp (Kaypro portal): Model/board variations, flyers, notes - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro/
  • OldSilicon - Overviews & photos - https://www.oldsilicon.com/kaypro-ii
  • RetroArchive — disk images, TurboROMs, utilities and preservation images - http://www.retroarchive.org/
  • MESSUI (documented user manual scans) - http://messui.polygonal-moogle.com
  • books, magazines, software - https://www.archive.org
  • Kaypro Computer Ad (1983) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uStyBfC1pYE
  • KayPro II Tour - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoK0J69C80I by Scott Lawrence
  • I Hope My Modded Kaypro Doesn't Explode by Action Retro - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsFw9VejeS8&pp=ygUGa2F5cHJv
  • Lazy Game Reviews - CP/M Vintage Goodies - Osborne 1 Computer & Kaypro IV - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLnTAYMMLOc
  • Many videos at YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kaypro&sp=CAM%253D

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaypro
  • KayPro (CP/M) information at retrocmp.de - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro
  • KayPro Journal - http://kayprojournal.com

View Details

FLOPPY DAYS 159 - The KayPro - Part 3 With Matt Jones

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello, and welcome to episode 159 of the Floppy Days Podcast for January, 2026. I'm Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, we are currently in the middle of a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. I was able to interview David Kay, son of the founder of KayPro, and president of the company for some time, in the previous two episodes. This month we'll delve into history, tech specs, and more, through the topic of using the machine. Next month we'll complete the series by starting with books and magazines and ending with current Web sites and a lot more content in between.

I will have a video version of this episode posted to the Floppy Days Podcast channel on YouTube.

You will hear ads from some great vintage computer stores, themselves vintage computer fans, throughout the early part of this podcast. For all of these storefronts, when you place an order, please mention Floppy Days in the notes or comments of the order. Doing so will help support the podcast. Many thanks!!

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

Regarding that, I've created some tiers for paid members and have come up with some ways to reward those who are generous enough to monetarily support the Floppy Days Podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays ), such as early access to videos of interviews like the one being brought to you in audio form in this episode. Visit Patreon to see more details concerning the rewards for supporters .

I just want to say that it is my intention to always make all content available to everyone at no cost, while at the same time providing some benefits for those generous enough to support the podcast. I hope you agree I've come up with a good compromise

Please let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!!

New Acquisitions

  • C64 Ultimate - https://www.commodore.net
  • Smith Corona Ultrasonic 450 Typewriter and Messenger Module - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTcWEU2UPgM

News

  • Interview with Stewart Cheifet for Floppy Days back in 2017 - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-78-interview-with-stewart-chefeit-computer-chronicles

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival Montreal - Jan. 24-25, 2026 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/
  • Tandy Retro Show 2026 - Jan. 24-25 - virtual - tandyretroshow.com
  • Vintage Electronics Expo - Jan. 31, 2026 - Oakland Expo Center, Waterford, MI - https://www.thevee.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 14-15, 2026 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2026 - April 25-26 - Burbank, CA - http://www.portcommodore.com/class
  • VCF Europe - May 1-3 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest 2026 - May 2-3 - Tukwila Community Center, South Tukwila, WA - https://vcfpnw.org
  • VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaypro
  • KayPro (CP/M) information at retrocmp.de - https://retrocmp.de/kaypro
  • KayPro Journal - http://kayprojournal.com

View Details

FLOPPY DAYS 158 - Interview with David Kay, KayPro - Part 2

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello, and welcome to episode 158 of the Floppy Days Podcast for December, 2025. I'm Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, this month I'm beginning a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. In researching Kaypro, I discovered that while Andrew Kay, the founder of the computer company, was no longer around, it turns out his son David, who ran the company for some time, was still around. I was able to contact David and he graciously agreed to talk with us for the podcast. Kaypro has a very interesting storyline and I hope you enjoy this. We talked so long that I decided to break the interview into 2 parts, so you'll hear part 2 this month, and part 1 was last month. Following that, we'll delve into episodes covering history, tech specs, etc. on the Kaypro. All the usual topics. It looks as though I'll have 2 episodes covering those topics.

I will have a video for this posted to the Floppy Days Podcast on YouTube. One note here. This is one of the last videos where I used a videoconferencing tool that just didn't do a great job. It has a tendency to not keep up with video and you may note that the mouth doesn't stay in sync with the audio sometimes during the interview. In addition, audio-wise, you may hear some low clicks throughout the interview. I've since switched to Zoom and it seems to do a better job of audio and video quality, albeit more expensive. In the meantime, friend of the show Brian Cox offered to improve the audio quality using some high-end tools he had, and thanks to him, you benefit from his work. Hopefully, the clicks are gone and the sound from both David Kay and myself is better for the interview section. Thanks, Brian!

You will hear ads from some great vintage computer stores, themselves vintage computer fans, throughout the early part of this podcast. For all of these storefronts, when you place an order, please mention Floppy Days in the notes or comments of the order. Doing so will help support the podcast. Many thanks!!

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

Regarding that, I've created some tiers for paid members and have come up with some ways to reward those who are generous enough to monetarily support the Floppy Days Podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays ), such as early access to videos of interviews like the being brought to you in audio form in this episode. Visit Patreon to see more details concerning the rewards for supporters .

I just want to say that it is my intention to always make all content available to everyone at no cost, while at the same time providing some benefits for those generous enough to support the podcast. I hope you agree I've come up with a good compromise

Please let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!!

What I've Been Up To

  • Byte 50th Anniversary Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/853596483843378
  • Byte 50th Anniversary tribute mini-podcast on the Floppy Days YouTube channel - ​​https://youtu.be/ANR1fYicwxI

New Acquisitions

  • Porta MC-10 - https://portacoco.com/
  • TRS-80 MODEL 4P GOTEK VERTICAL SLED - https://www.ebay.com/itm/157418076045

Upcoming Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival Montreal - Jan. 24-25, 2026 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/
  • Tandy Retro Show 2026 - Jan. 24-25 - virtual - tandyretroshow.com
  • Vintage Electronics Expo - Jan. 31, 2026 - Oakland Expo Center, Waterford, MI - https://www.thevee.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 14-15, 2026 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • "The Word Processing Book" by Peter McWilliams - https://amzn.to/3M6zJks
  • Andrew Kay at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Kay
  • KayPro at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaypro

View Details

FLOPPY DAYS 157 - Interview with David Kay, KayPro - Part 1

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello, and welcome to episode 157 of the Floppy Days Podcast for November, 2025. I am Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, this month I'm beginning a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. In researching Kaypro, I discovered that while Andrew Kay, the founder of the computer company, was no longer around, it turns out his son David, who ran the company for some time, was still around. I was able to contact David and he graciously agreed to talk with us for the podcast. Kaypro has a very interesting storyline and I hope you enjoy this. We talked so long that I decided to break the interview into 2 parts, so you'll hear part 1 this month, and part 2 next month. Following that, we'll delve into episodes covering history, tech specs, etc. on the Kaypro. All the usual topics. It looks as though I'll have 2 episodes covering those topics.

I will have a video for this posted to the Floppy Days Podcast on YouTube. One note here. This is one of the last videos where I used a videoconferencing tool that just didn't do a great job. It has a tendency to not keep up with video and you may note that the mouth doesn't stay in sync with the audio sometimes during the interview. In addition, audio-wise, you may hear some low clicks throughout the interview. I've since switched to Zoom and it seems to do a better job of audio and video quality, albeit more expensive.

You will hear ads from some great vintage computer stores, themselves vintage computer fans, throughout the early part of this podcast. For all of these storefronts, when you place an order, please mention Floppy Days in the notes or comments of the order. Doing so will help support the podcast. Many thanks!!

Please let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!!

What I've Been Up To

  • Byte 50th Anniversary Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/853596483843378

New Acquisitions

  • A2Pico - https://jcm-1.com/product/a2pico/
  • PicoMicroMac - https://jcm-1.com/product/picomicromac/

Upcoming Shows

  • World of Commodore 2025 - December 6-7 - Admiral Inn, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2025/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Montreal - Jan. 24-25, 2026 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/
  • Tandy Retro Show 2026 - Jan. 24-25 - virtual - tandyretroshow.com
  • Vintage Electronics Expo - Jan. 31, 2026 - Oakland Expo Center, Waterford, MI - https://www.thevee.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 14-15, 2026 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • "The Word Processing Book" by Peter McWilliams - https://amzn.to/3M6zJks
  • Andrew Kay at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Kay
  • KayPro at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaypro
None

View Details

Floppy Days 156 - Interview with Paul Schindler, Computer Chronicles

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper and https://thekeep.net
  • FutureVision Research
  • Tuc's Workbench

Hello, and welcome to episode 156 of the Floppy Days Podcast for October, 2025. I'm Randy Kindig, your host for this "retro"spective covering vintage computers of the late 70's through the 80's and the people who were on the forefront of that incredible revolution.

This month, I'm bringing you another interview episode with a tech media personality that was involved with the Computer Chronicles TV show (among many other things): Mr. Paul Schindler. Paul has a big personality and has a lot of great stories about Computer Chronicles and about the tech industry in general in those days. I really enjoyed talking with Paul and he made me laugh a lot!

As you know, if you're a regular listener, I was able to interview Stewart Cheifet some ago about Computer Chronicles. Computer Chronicles was a great way to get information about computers in those early days and I've always wanted to do some follow-up. Thanks to S.M. Oliva, who is mentioned in the resulting interview, and who runs a blog called "Computer Chronicles Revisited", I was able to get in contact with Paul.

Next up for Floppy Days will be a series of podcasts on the KayPro line of computers, for which I was able to line up an interview with a key figure from that company and was also able to find someone who knows a lot about the computer line to help me discuss the technical topics. Stay tuned for that series.

As usual, I will begin this podcast going through new acquisitions and what I've been up to, upcoming vintage computer shows and more.

Video version of the episode at YouTube:

New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To

  • Tandy Assembly - https://www.tandyassembly.com
  • TRS-80 LED sign - https://techdungeon.xyz
  • TS2068 mailing list - https://ts2068.groups.io/g/main/topics
  • Compute!'s Gazette - https://www.computesgazette.com
  • Atari Tricky Tutorial #7 Disk Utilities by Jerry White - https://www.atarimania.com/documents/Tricky-Tutorial-7-Disk-Utilities.pdf
  • TenoxVGA for Atari TT - https://www.legacypixels.com
  • Call-A.P.P.L.E. - https://www.callapple.org/

News

  • Compute's Gazette article from the October, 2025 issue about Floppy Days written by Brian Cox of FutureVision Research - https://shop.computesgazette.com/product/computes-gazette-issue-4-digital-edition-october-2025/

Upcoming Shows

  • Ami West - November 1-2, Sacramento, CA - https://www.amiwest.net
  • Atari Party 2025 - Nov. 22, 2025 (noon to 4) - Quakertown, PA Train Station - http://atariparty.org/
  • World of Commodore 2025 - December 6-7 - Admiral Inn, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2025/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Montreal - Jan. 24-25, 2026 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/
  • Tandy Retro Show 2026 - Jan. 24-25 - virtual - tandyretroshow.com
  • Vintage Electronics Expo - Jan. 31, 2026 - Oakland Expo Center, Waterford, MI - https://www.thevee.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 14-15, 2026 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • VCF East - April 17-19 2026 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 24-26 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • The Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST! - April 24-25, 2026 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview

  • Paul's general Website - https://www.schindler.org
  • Paul Website about the Computer Chronicles - http://compchron.com/
  • S.M. Oliva's Computer Chronicles Revisited
  • Paul's long-running blog
  • Paul's podcast, PS A Podcast on Things
  • Paul recounts some tales from his Chronicles days
  • Paul's YouTube channel
  • Computer Chronicles at archive.org
  • Computer Chronicles episodes on YouTube

View Details

Interview with Karl Hornell - C64 Game Developer, Cartoonist, Author

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 155 of the Floppy Days Podcast for September, 2025! I’m Randy Kindig, your host for this podcast, where we talk about the computers that got many of us started in our careers and which still hold a lot of interest for us today.

This month, I’m bringing you another interesting interview with someone who at an early age started developing commercial-grade software for the Commodore 64, which started him on an amazing trajectory with his career in software development, cartoonist, and more. His latest efforts include branching out into writing science fiction, which we will also discuss today.

The person I’m referring to is Karl Hornell (Her-NELL).

It’s also an interesting story around how this interview opportunity came to me. I’m not used to getting contacted by an ad agency. This one indicated that their client, Karl, had just recently published a book and was looking for ways to advertise the book. They suggested that Floppy Days would be a great fit based on Karl’s background and could be beneficial for both. I was skeptical at first, as I always am when I receive unsolicited, possibly spam email. However, once I researched Karl’s background it became clear that he was an accomplished Swedish developer for the C64 back in the day, with some notariety. I felt his background might indeed be of interest to you, the listeners, and so happily agreed to interviewing Karl for the podcast. I hope you enjoy Karl’s story and will consider taking a look at his new book.

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • Atari Bit Byter User Club (ABBUC) - https://www.abbuc.de
  • VCFMW - https://vcfmw.org/
  • Atari TT030 at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_TT030
  • David Anderson’s Timex Sinclair sites:
  • https://andertone.com/
  • https://www.timexsinclair.com/

News

  • Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer - https://archive.org/details/stan-veits-history-of-the-personal-computer/mode/2up
  • David Greelish’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TheComputerHistorian
  • Early chapters (1-9) of Stan Veit’s book via audio - https://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html
  • Floppy Days YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@floppydayspodcast

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Ami West - November 1-2, Sacramento, CA - https://www.amiwest.net
  • World of Commodore 2025 - December 6-7 - Admiral Inn, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2025/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Montreal - Jan. 24-25, 2026 - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 14-15, 2025 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - March 20-22 - Wyndham Indianapolis Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUdQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview Links

  • Karl at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_H%C3%B6rnell
  • Vic-Rapport Magazine (Wikipedia) - https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIC-rapport
  • “Generation 64 - How the Commodore 64 Inspired a Generation of Swedish Gamers” by Bitmap Books - https://amzn.to/3YUUlQ5 (affiliate link)
  • Karl Hornell’s Applet Center - http://www.javaonthebrain.com/
  • Retro Gamer Magazine #130 with Karl interview - https://archive.org/details/retro-gamer-raspberry-pi-buenos-aires/Retro%20Gamer%20130/page/92/mode/2up
  • “Singularity Minus Twelve” book - https://amzn.to/3S8Yr3r (affiliate link)
  • Savage Dragonbert - https://wiki.savagedragon.com/comics/savage_dragonbert_full_frontal_nerdity_01/

View Details

Floppy Days 154 - Interview with Chuck Mauro, Part 2

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • TI-55 9-Volt Battery Mod
  • 9V Battery Clip Connectors from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Clip-Hard-Electronics-I-Type/dp/B0DRZWN3BN

  • YouTube video that talks about and shows the modification - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G-OucjNgTk

  • New Compute’s Gazette - https://www.computesgazette.com/

  • C64 Ultimate - https://www.commodore.net/
  • Chroma81 - http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/ZX81/Chroma/ChromaInterface_Availability.htm

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Ami West - November 1-2, Sacramento, CA - https://www.amiwest.net
  • World of Commodore 2025 - December 6-7 - Admiral Inn, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2025/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Order Chuck’s book - https://books.by/Chuck-Mauro

View Details

Floppy Days 153 - Interview with Chuck Mauro, Part 1

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org
  • CoCo 5V USB adapter - Tim Halloran:
  • Tryout Cable at GitHub - https://github.com/hallorant/bigmit/tree/master/coco2usb#trying-out-the-usb-mod-with-the-tryout-cable
  • Tim did a talk at Tandy Assembly 2021. You can find the slides here - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19PG-rJjY0_h8iO4LEgI_-lZHJsW6ekmSQ-hHDLxJ2CU/edit?usp=sharing
  • Video of USB Conversion by Tim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfa4Db2OwE8

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/2025/03/05/vcf-west-2025-save-the-date/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Order Chuck’s book - https://books.by/Chuck-Mauro

View Details

HP-97/67 Programmable Calculator, Part 3 With Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Videos of this and other episodes at the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DQ3cyp8h373H0lXSJ8yqQ

Hello, and welcome to episode 152 of the Floppy Days Podcast for June, 2025. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m the host for this lovefest for vintage computers and programmable calculators from the late 70’s thru the 80’s. If you love old computers, you’ve found the right place!

This month, I’m completing the ongoing series of episodes about the HP 97/67 programmable calculators. This is the third and final in the series that provides us with a terrific co-host who is able to provide a lot of color about these machines: that being HP calculator historian Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz (“Vwahdek Meer-Yeng SHAY of itch”). No one knows more about HP calculators than Wlodek and all of us are honored to get his insight into these HP calculator gems.

New Acquisitions

  • HP History Book by Wlodek - “A Guide to HP Handheld Calculators and Computers” - https://amzn.to/4hl1Yq1 (affiliate link)
  • PalmPilot Personal - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PalmPilot

Upcoming Shows

  • KansasFest - July 18-20 - Virtual only - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • INIT HELLO Apple II Conference - July 26-27 - System Source Computer Museum in Hunt Valley, MD - https://init-hello.org/
  • VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/2025/03/05/vcf-west-2025-save-the-date/
  • Fujiama - August 11-17 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2025/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Feedback (videos)

  • “A 67 or 97 is a good deal” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z8UiZz2Bm0
  • “Coca cola” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FN5eCvkoPM
  • Season's greetings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=libGuLCyikY
  • Some examples of words you could show - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jXGb-CR1Tg
  • HP Poem expressing sadness the early HP's had been discontinued - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMuMz623ub4

Books

  • manuals - Can purchase document set on USB stick - https://www.hpmuseum.org/cd/cddesc.htm
  • Better Programming on the HP-67 & 97 by Richard Nelson, Kolb, Kennedy - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=Image&ItemID=94&FileID=2325
  • Wlodek’s book - A Guide to HP Handheld Calculators and Computers - https://amzn.to/4hl1Yq1 (affiliate link)
  • RCL40: Recollection, Reinvention and HP Calculators - RCL40: Recollection, Reinvention and HP Calculators

Software

  • Software available from collection at Museum of HP Calculators - https://www.hpmuseum.org/cd/cddesc.htm

Emulators

  • HP Calculator Simulators - https://www.cuveesoft.ch/
  • RPN-67/97 Pro - Apple App Store - (iOS) itms://itunes.apple.com/app/rpn-97-pro/id816249055
  • HP-97 Emulator by Michael O’Shea (Windows):
  • HP-97 - https://www.limpidfox.com/hp97.htm

  • HP-67 - https://www.limpidfox.com/hp67.htm

  • HP-97 Emulator by Michael O’Shea (Android, iOS) - https://www.limpidfox.com

Buying One Today

  • Getting one repaired:
  • waterhosko (Mark Hoskins) - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=324196333178&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211&_ssn=waterhosko
  • Mainely Calculators (Adam Jones) - https://www.ebay.com/str/mainelycalculator?_trksid=p4429486.m145687.l149267

Modern Upgrades

  • Replacement CPU Boards for HP-67 and HP-97 - https://www.Teenix.org

Community

  • Facebook
  • HP Calculator Fan Club - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hpcalculatorclub

  • Real Engineers Use HP Handheld Calculators - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hpcalc

  • Forums

  • The Museum of HP Calculators - https://hpmuseum.org/forum/index.php

  • Reddit

  • HPCalc - https://www.reddit.com/r/hpcalc/

Current Web Sites and Videos

  • Article in Byte Magazine, Vol. 3 No. 6 - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1978-06/page/n113/mode/1up
  • Article in HP Journal on the HP-67/97 - http://hparchive.com/Journals/HPJ-1976-11.pdf
  • HHC 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, showing off RPN-97 Pro - https://www.cuveesoft.ch/rpn67/img/RPN-97HHC.mp4
  • HP - https://www.hp.com/hpinfo/abouthp/histnfacts/museum/personalsystems/0041/index.html
  • Eric Rechlin's hpcalc.org - http://www.hpcalc.org
  • Craig Finseth's HPDATABase - http://www.finseth.com/hpdata/
  • The Hewlett Packard Calculator Page by Rick Furr - http://www.vcalc.net/hp.htm
  • The Calculators of HP poster - https://www.vcalc.net/poster.htm#hp
  • series of articles by Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz. They were published in DATAFILE - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jhi.htm
  • Old HP and TI Calculators by Gene Wright - http://www.rskey.org/gene/hpgene/
  • HP Calculator Internals - http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/hpcalc/
  • HP-97 at rskey.org - https://www.rskey.org/hp97

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-67/97#67
  • Museum of HP Calculators (David Hicks) - https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp6797.htm
None

View Details

Interview with James Nagle, Reboot of Compute’s Gazette Magazine

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 151 of the Floppy Days Podcast for May, 2025. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m the host for this ode to computers that only survive in our memories and our collections.

This month, I’m continuing to step aside from the ongoing series of episodes about the HP 97/67 programmable calculators to bring you a timely interview that basically constitutes current news. I don’t often do this, but this news was so exciting to me that I wanted to bring this to all my listeners as soon as possible. The interviewee is James Nagle and the topic is the sudden and welcome news that James is planning to revive the iconic Compute! magazine under the equally-iconic name Compute’s Gazette. I hope you’ll stick around to hear about James’ plans and are as excited as I am to find out where this goes.

For upcoming shows, we do have one more episode in the series on the HP97 with HP calculator historian Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz (“Vwahdek Meer-Yeng SHAY of itch”). I will air that episode very soon.

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • C64OS - https://c64os.com/
  • PiStorm:
  • https://www.hackster.io/news/hands-on-with-the-pistorm-the-ultimate-raspberry-pi-powered-accelerator-for-your-commodore-amiga-449ef0634f3e

  • https://www.amigastore.com/pistorm-edition-amiga-p-91328.html

  • Quick Reference Book - https://floppydaysqr.my.canva.site/

Upcoming Vintage Computer Shows

  • Retrofest 2025 - May 31-June1 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • KansasFest - July 18-20 - Virtual only - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • INIT HELLO Apple II Conference - July 26-27 - System Source Computer Museum in Hunt Valley, MD - https://init-hello.org/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 31-Aug. 3 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2025-se
  • VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/2025/03/05/vcf-west-2025-save-the-date/
  • Fujiama - August 11-17 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2025/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Feedback

  • HP-97S:
  • https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp97s.htm
  • https://www.johnwolff.id.au/calculators/laboratory/laboratory.htm

Interview Links

  • New Compute’s Gazette Website - https://www.computesgazette.com/
  • Compute’s Gazette collection at archive.org - https://archive.org/details/computes.gazette

View Details

Interview with David Greelish, Apple Lisa Documentary

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 150 of the Floppy Days Podcast for April, 2025. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m the host for this journey through the annals of home computer history.

This month, I’m going to step aside from the ongoing series of episodes about the HP 97/67 programmable calculators to bring you a timely interview with a good friend about an interesting topic. That friend is David Greelish, a computer historian, and the topic is his recent publication of a film documentary about the Apple Lisa, called "Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa". David tells us all about the film, why he produced it, why the Apple Lisa was an important part of home computer history, who he interviewed for the film (he had some amazing guests) and much more. It’s a great film and should interest a lot of the listeners, so please consider going out and purchasing the film in order to support David’s efforts.

For upcoming shows, we do have one more episode in the series on the HP97 with HP calculator historian Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz. I will air that episode very soon.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Indy Classic Expo - https://www.indyclassic.org
  • Vintage Computer Center - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com
  • OmniView 80 card for Atari 800 - https://archive.org/details/Atari_OMNIVIEW_manual
  • Commodore 16 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_16
  • 6502 Plus 4 upgrade for C16 from Lotharek - (https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=257

News

  • Reboot of Compute’s Gazette Magazine - https://www.computesgazette.com/iconic-computes-gazette-magazine-returns-after-35-years-expanding-focus-to-entire-retro-computing-community/

Upcoming Shows

  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 2-3, 2025 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Europe - May 3-4 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Retrofest 2025 - May 31-June1 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • KansasFest - July 18-20 - Virtual only - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West - August 1-2 - Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/2025/03/05/vcf-west-2025-save-the-date/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Documentary and Classic Computing Links

  • Classic Computing Website - https://www.classiccomputing.com/Classic_Computing/Blog/Blog.html
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psAeTDYezdo - "Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa" Full Documentary Film
  • Exidy Sorcerer at VCFSE 2 - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-17-the-exidy-sorcerer-live-from-vcfse-20
  • Stan Veit podcast - https://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html
  • Classic Computing - the book! - https://www.classiccomputing.com/Classic_Computing/My_Book.html
  • Documentary link at IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31122934/

View Details

The HP97 Programmable Calculator - Part 2 - With Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Video version of the episode at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DQ3cyp8h373H0lXSJ8yqQ

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

New Acquisitions

  • 1027 print heads - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/271589-revive1027-order-thread/
  • ABBUC (Atari Bit-Byter Users Club) - https://www.abbuc.de
  • Best Electronics - https://www.best-electronics-ca.com/
  • inexpensive keyboard available on Amazon (for domes) - https://amzn.to/3FU9ASx
  • “Atari 400/800 Student Pilot Reference Guide” by Atari - https://archive.org/details/atari_pilot-student-guide
  • PortaCoCo - https://portacoco.com/
  • Tim Halloran video on making an adapter that allows you to run much of your CoCo off of battery - https://youtu.be/6UN1XvJG-bs
  • Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 store - https://www.ebay.com/str/trs80universe

Upcoming Shows

  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 4-6, 2025 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 26-27 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 2-3, 2025 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Europe - May 3-4 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Retrofest 2025 - May 31-June1 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • KansasFest - July 18-20 - Virtual only - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

User Groups

  • HP Handheld Conference - annual conference in the US:

  • Website - https://hhuc.us/

  • YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@hpcalc
  • HHC 2024 USB Drive - https://commerce.hpcalc.org/hhcusb.php
  • Handheld and Portable Computer Club - https://www.hpcc.org/

Magazines/Newsletters

  • HPX Exchange - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=List&CategoryID=9
  • Hewlett Packard Journal:
  • journals - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=List&CategoryID=7

  • contents - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#JOURNAL

  • Hewlett Packard Personal Calculator Digest Vol. 1, 1976 - (contents) - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#DIGEST

  • HP KEYNOTES - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#KEY
  • PPC Journal - produced by the PPC group:
  • http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=List&CategoryID=14

  • available on USB drive from Jake Schwartz’ PPC Archive - http://www.pahhc.org/ppccdrom.htm

  • Datafile, the HPCC club journal:

  • https://www.hpcc.org/datafile/index.html
  • Back issues, excluding the current volume, are available on USB drive from Jake Schwartz - http://www.pahhc.org/ppccdrom.htm

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-67/97#67
  • Museum of HP Calculators (David Hicks) - https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp6797.htm

View Details

HP-97 Programmable Calculator History and Memories with Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz and Everett Kaser

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 148 of the Floppy Days Podcast for February, 2025, where computers of the late 70’s through the 80’s are the Apple of our eye! (If you got that pun, then you’re in the right place 🙂)

First off, I wanted to mention that this month is the 12th anniversary of the publication of the very first episode of Floppy Days way back in 2013. That’s right: 12 YEARS! A very small percentage of podcasts ever reach that sort of longevity. I can only think of one other podcast that’s in my sphere of listening that has been regularly produced for that long or longer (Retro MacCast). I should be so lucky to produce a podcast as long as the 18 years that James and John have done.

There are several reasons I keep doing this. I love talking about old computers, I love being able to interview incredible people that were actively part of the microcomputer revolution, I love feedback from listeners, and it keeps me out of trouble now that I’m retired from the daily grind of the workforce.

This podcast wouldn’t still be going if you weren’t listening. The listenership actually has been pretty stable for the past several years, and I’m humbled and honored that so many continue to listen and provide feedback. Thanks to you and your support, what do you say let’s keep this thing going till you and I both are tired of it?! 🙂

Okay, now onto details about this particular episode. I’ve been very focused recently on producing interviews with some amazing guests. Frankly, this will always remain an important part of this podcast, as the individuals who were the main drivers in microcomputers will unfortunately only be around for an increasingly shorter period of time. However, the main focus is, and always will be, covering the vast array of unique machines that existed in the late 70’s through the 80’s. I will admit that the amount of research and work to publish the microcomputer-specific shows is a lot; considerably more than the interview episodes. However, as I said, covering vintage computers and programmable calculators is the main impetus for this podcast. It has been a full year since we covered a vintage machine, so it’s time to remedy that.

To that end, in this episode we will be covering a vintage machine: the HP-97 and 67 programmable calculator. I speak of them as one, because, as we will cover in great detail, they are internally the same machine, with the main difference being the built-in printer for the HP-97.

I was very fortunate to get a fantastic co-host for this episode: HP calculator historian Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz (“Vwahdek Meer-Yeng SHAY of itch”) . Wlodek has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience with the HP calculators and I think you’ll find his stories and background extremely interesting and helpful as we go through the history of the HP-97/67.

In this episode, we’ll be spending a few minutes to get to know Wlodek, then together we will cover the history of the 97/67.

As another bonus, I also was able to catch up with another gentleman who has a lot of history with HP: Everett Kaser. Long-time listeners will recall that Everett worked for HP for many years on several of their calculators and desktop computers and helped with co-hosting the Floppy Days series of episodes on the HP Series 80. It turns out that Everett had spent some time at HP repairing the HP97 and he shares his memories of those times.

Based on the amount of material that was generated about this calculator, it looks as though we’re going to have 3 episodes on the 97/67, with the first being this one on history and memories, the second covering tech specs and several other topics, and a third episode to finish off coverage.

I should mention that the HP97 episodes do veer from the timeline a bit. Whereas I’ve been covering the machines that were introduced in 1982 (with the last being the Grundy NewBrain), the HP-97/67 were introduced in 1976. By rights, the HP97 should have been covered in a very early episode, just after the MITS Altair 8800 and in the same general time frame as the Apple I. However, I felt it was important to go back and pick up this machine, so I hope you will forgive me for departing from the timeline order for this.

Intro

  • Retro MacCast
  • Floppy Days Episode on the HP Series 80 with Everett Kaser - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-62-the-hp85b-computer-with-everett-kaser-and-vassilis-prevelakis

New Acquisitions

  • ABBUC - Atari Bit Byters User Club
  • Atari ST SidecarTridge - https://store.sidecartridge.com/products/sidecartridge-multi-device

Upcoming Shows

  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 4-6, 2025 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 26-27 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 2-3, 2025 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Europe - May 3-4 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 31-Aug. 3 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2025-se
  • Fujiama - August 11-17 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2025/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview with Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz

  • Wlodek’s book - A Guide to HP Handheld Calculators and Computers - https://amzn.to/4hl1Yq1 (affiliate link)

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-67/97#67
  • Museum of HP Calculators (David Hicks) - https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp6797.htm

View Details

Interview with Lorenzo Hagerty, Dynasty Computers

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

New Acquisitions

  • Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/
  • Call-A.P.P.L.E. - https://www.callapple.org/
  • TRS-80 M1 keyboard remake - http://shop.retrostack.org/
  • NEC PC-8201A Dial-A-ROM - https://www.soigeneris.com/dial-a-rom-for-vintage-computers
  • TI-74/95 RAM/Flash cart - https://www.soigeneris.com/ti-74-ti-95-mem-cart
  • TI CC-40 RAM/ROM module - https://www.soigeneris.com/ti-cc-40-ramrom-card

Upcoming Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 15-17, 2025 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 4-6, 2025 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 26-27 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 2-3, 2025 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Europe - May 3-4 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - July 31-Aug. 3 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2025-se
  • Fujiama - August 11-17 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2025/
  • VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Meet the Listeners - Carlos

  • Byte High No Limit Podcast - https://sunspotstories.podbean.com/

Interview

  • Volume 1 of Lorenzo’s chronicles. On page 121, it mentions Dynasty - https://ia601007.us.archive.org/12/items/chroniclesoflorenzovolume1a/ChroniclesOfLorenzoVolume1a.pdf
  • Lorenzo’s Website - https://www.lorenzohagerty.com
  • Lorenzo’s Books - https://www.amazon.com/Books-Lorenzo-Hagerty/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ALorenzo+Hagerty
  • podcast - Psychedelic Salon (https://psychedelicsalon.com/ )

View Details

Interview with Dan Bricklin, VisiCalc

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 146 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for December, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this podcast.

This month I’m staying with the recent interview theme, as I continue to get the opportunity for interviews with some amazing icons from the early personal computer days.

This month, that person is Dan Bricklin, co-developer of the iconic VisiCalc software that helped kickstart the sales of early personal computers like the Apple II and began the important spreadsheet software category that persists until today. I published an interview with Dan’s partner in VisiCalc (and in Software Arts), Bob Frankston, back in 2023, and now Dan adds to the story in his own words.

Please note that I do plan to get back into producing episodes covering specific vintage computers. I’ve just had an amazing run of interview opportunities in recent months, which has reduced the time I had to do the research on computers for the podcast. Coming up in 2025 will be coverage of machines like the HP97, the Lobo Max-80, the Dragon, and the C64.

New Acquisitions

  • Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 store on ebay - (https://www.ebay.com/str/trs80universe
  • Lee Felsenstein’s book “Me and My Big Ideas: Counterculture, Social Media, and the Future” at Amazon (sponsor link) - https://amzn.to/3Wh6o9h
  • Lee Felsenstein (Fel-zen-stine) interview on Floppy Days - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-90-lee-felsenstein-interview
  • Lee Felsenstein co-hosting episode on Osborne computer (history) on Floppy Days - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-91-the-osborne-1-with-lee-felsenstein
  • Forrest Mims’ book “Maverick Scientist: My Adventures as an Amateur Scientist” at Amazon (sponsor link) - https://amzn.to/3BxDuKT
  • Forrest Mims interview on Floppy Days - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-130-interview-with-forrest-mims-iii

News and Upcoming Computer Shows

  • News
  • The VintNerd (Steve Diedierch) and FutureVision Research (Brian Cox) FujiNet video - https://youtu.be/0XcsSznKbTs

  • “Priming the Pump” book by David and Theresa Welsh - Kindle version - https://amzn.to/41Nrlw0

  • Upcoming Shows

  • Virtual Tandy Retro Show (online) - January 25 - https://tandyretroshow.com
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 15-17, 2025 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 4-6, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview

  • Bob Frankston interview on Floppy Days - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-126-bob-frankston-visicalc
  • Dan Bricklin’s Website - http://www.bricklin.com/default.htm
  • Dan Bricklin's book "Bricklin on Technology" (sponsor link) - https://amzn.to/49X8DUP
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution
Bricklin on Technology
None

View Details

Episode 145 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 4

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 145 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for November, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this audio tribute to the amazing variety of home computers that existed in the late 70’s thru the 80’s, before the influence of Big Blue changed the landscape forever.

This month I’m continuing the series of interviews I’ve been doing recently with Paul Terrell. As we have discussed, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s first batches of Apple I computers for his Byte Shop. The Byte Shop was a very early computer store that was one of the few that existed in the world, at the time.

In this interview, we continue to focus primarily on The Byte Shop, how it got started, what it was like, and much more. This is part 4 of a 4-part series on just that topic with Paul. If you want to know what it was like to run a computer store in those early days, this is the interview for you! Along the way, you’ll learn even more about just what the home and hobby computer scene was like in those days.

In future episodes, Paul and I will discuss other topics around his long and distinguished career, such as the aforementioned dealings with the fledgling Apple Computer, and other ventures in which Paul was involved after the Byte Shop, including a business that rented software.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Episodes 8 (https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-8-the-trs-80-model-i-part-i) and 9 (https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-9-the-trs-80-model-i-part-2), containing interviews with David and Theresa Welsh, authors of the book “Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution”.
  • Lobo MAX-80 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max-80
  • HP-97 Calculator and repair:
  • https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp6797.htm
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-67/97
  • https://www.ebay.com/usr/waterhosko

Upcoming Shows

  • Show list I maintain for the remainder of the current year - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/current-year-vintage-computer-show-schedule)
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we
  • Atari Party 2024 - Dec. 7 (noon - 4p.m.) - Quakertown Train Station, Quakertown, PA - http://atariparty.org/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 15-17, 2025 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 4-6, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/

Interview with Paul Terrell

  • (3) Apple-1 Prototype Polaroid Photographs Given to Paul Terrell of the Byte Shop in 1976 - https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/348985606984001-steve-jobs-3-apple-1-prototype-polaroid-photographs-given-to-paul-terrell-of-the-byte-shop-in-1976/?cat=3
  • Ray Borrill’s Data Domain blog - https://www.landsnail.com/thedatadomain/remember.htm

View Details

Episode 144 - Interview with Don French and Steve Leininger, Co-Designers of the TRS-80 Model I

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 144 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for October, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this audio ode to the home computers of the past.

This month I have a special treat for you. At the recent Tandy Assembly, which I will talk about in more detail later in the podcast, not only were there a lot of great people, exhibits, vendors, and camaraderie, but we were also blessed with having Steve Leininger as one of the guest speakers along with his partner in the development of the TRS-80 Model I, Don French!

I recently had an interview with Steve Leininger (episode 142: https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-142-interview-with-steve-leininger-designer-of-the-trs-80-model-i ), thanks to his willingness to be interviewed at the recent VCF Southeast in Atlanta. That was a milestone for my podcast, as I had always wanted to talk with Steve. I also had interviewed Don French several years ago, prior to his attending Tandy Assembly in 2017, in episode 53 (https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-53-interview-with-don-french-co-designer-of-the-trs-80-model-i ). This time, however, I was able to get an interview with Don and Steve together in the same interview! That in itself was amazing and I think you’ll really enjoy the back-and-forth between the two gentlemen who are obviously and correctly proud of the work they did to bring the TRS-80 to the world and Tandy into the computer business.

Next month, I will talk about another computer rescue that came my way recently, and which is also tied into Tandy Assembly and Radio Shack computers. I’ll not go into any further detail here as I don’t want to spoil the story for you next month. But believe me, it will be fun both to tell and to listen to.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Soldering kits from FutureVision Research
  • The Soldering Basics Kit
  • The BEAM Bot Soldering Kit

  • The Demonstrator Soldering Kit

  • Tandy Assembly 2024 - https://www.tandyassembly.com/

  • Drive cable for the TRS-80 Model I from Ian Mavric - https://www.ebay.com/str/trs80universe
  • RAM card for Tandy PC2/Sharp PC1500 from Jeff Birt - https://www.soigeneris.com/sharp-pc-1500-memory-modules

Upcoming Shows

  • Retro Computer Festival 2024 - November 9-10 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, England - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/72253/Retro-Computer-Festival-2024-Saturday-9th-November/
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we
  • Show list I maintain for the remainder of the current year - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/current-year-vintage-computer-show-schedule)

View Details

Episode 143 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 3

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper
  • FutureVision Research

Hello, and welcome to episode 143 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for September, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this retro ride to the past of home computing.

This month I’m continuing the series of interviews I’ve been doing recently with Paul Terrell. As we have discussed, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s first batches of Apple I computers for his Byte Shop. The Byte Shop was a very early computer store that was one of the few that existed in the world, at the time.

In this interview, we continue to focus primarily on The Byte Shop, how it got started, what it was like, and much more. This is part 3 of a 4-part series on just that topic with Paul. If you want to know what it was like to run a computer store in those early days, this is the interview for you! Along the way, you’ll learn even more about just what the home and hobby computer scene was like in those days.

In future episodes, Paul and I will discuss other topics around his long and distinguished career, such as the aforementioned dealings with the fledgling Apple Computer, and other ventures in which Paul was involved after the Byte Shop, including a business that rented software.

View Details

Interview with Steve Leininger, Designer of the TRS-80- Model I

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune 1 min 13 sec Vintage Computer Ads 1 min 42 sec Intro 9 min 03 sec bumper - Peter Bartlett 9 min 11 sec New Acquisitions 17 min 11 sec bumper - Ian Mavric 17 min 19 sec Upcoming Computer Shows 21 min 53 sec bumper - Myles Wakeham 21 min 58 sec Meet the Listeners 28 min 37 sec Interview with Steve Leininger 1 hr 20 min 29 sec Closing

This particular episode has a special meaning for me, personally. You see, as I’ve mentioned on earlier episodes, the TRS-80 Model I from Tandy/Radio Shack was my first home computer (even though my first programmable device was a TI58C calculator). I recall the joy and wonder of playing with the machine (it wasn’t called the Model I at that time; just the TRS-80; as it was the first of the line) in the local Radio Shack store in 1977 and 1978 and the incredible rush of owning one in 1979; after my wife purchased a Level I BASIC machine for me as a gift for college graduation. That machine only had 4K of RAM and 4K of ROM (Tiny BASIC), as it was the entry-level machine, but it was a thing of beauty. I felt like I could do anything with that machine, even though my justification to the wife was that we could track our checkbook and recipes on it. I think she knew better, but went along with it anyway. The computer came with everything you needed, including a tape drive and black-and-white monitor, which was good for a poor recent college graduate. I quickly, as finances allowed with my new engineering job, upgraded the computer to 16K of RAM and Level II BASIC (a powerful Microsoft 12K ROM BASIC) and enjoyed the machine immensely, even using it in my job supporting the build-out of a new nuclear power plant back in those days.

I eventually sold off the Model I, in favor of a computer that had color graphics and sound (the Atari 800), but have always continued to have a huge soft spot for that first computer.

When I started the Floppy Days Podcast, one of the people that has always been on my bucket list to interview has been Steve Leininger, who, along with Don French while at Radio Shack designed the TRS-80 Model I, among other things. A few years back, I had the opportunity to participate in an interview with Steve for the Trash Talk Podcast, when I was co-hosting that show, but an ill-timed trip to the hospital for my son meant that I was not able to participate. While my son’s health is of paramount importance, of course, I always wanted to get another chance to talk with Steve. Not only was Steve the designer of one of my favorite home computers of all time, but he also was a fellow Purdue University Boilermaker, who graduated just a year before I started there. The thought that I could have met Steve on campus if I’d been there just a year earlier was very intriguing to me, and fueled my desire to talk with Steve even more.

In the last episode (#141 with Paul Terrell) I talked about VCF Southeast in Atlanta in July of 2024. After I had made plans to attend that show, I was flabbergasted to find out that Earl Baugh, one of the show organizers, had somehow managed to contact Steve and get him to come to the show! I have to thank Earl for the work he did to make that happen. Here was my opportunity to certainly meet Steve, and perhaps even talk with him! I prepped some questions, just in case I was able to get an interview.

While at the show, I met Steve and asked him if he would be willing to do a short interview for Floppy Days while at the show. Amazingly, he was very kind and agreed to do that. We found a quiet room and I was able to talk with Steve for almost an hour. This show contains that interview.

Another note on this: as you’ll hear in the interview, the connection to Steve is even stronger than I realized! He not only went to my alma mater, but also grew up in some of the same towns that myself and my wife did. We personally peripherally know some of his relatives. Things like this really do make you think the world is small!

One other, final, note: This interview even ties into the recent and continuing interviews I’ve been publishing with Paul Terrell. As you’ll hear in upcoming episodes with Paul, and in this interview with Steve, Steve actually worked at the Byte Shop before getting the first job with Tandy, and in fact his work at the Byte Shop directly led to him getting hired by Tandy to design the Model I.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed getting it. I am overjoyed I finally got the chance to talk to one of my vintage computer heroes, Steve Leininger!

New Acquisitions

  • C64 Sketch and Design by Tony Lavioe - sponsored link https://amzn.to/4dZGtt2
  • Compute’s Mapping the IBM PC and PC Junior by Russ Davies - sponsored link https://amzn.to/3yQmrlP
  • The Best of SoftSide - Atari Edition - https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-best-of-softside-atari-edition
  • ZX81+38 - https://github.com/mahjongg2/ZX81plus38
  • magnifying glasses - sponsored link https://amzn.to/4cBQYla
  • Japanese power adapter - sponsored link https://amzn.to/3XjeUW5

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF Midwest - September 7-8 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • VCF Europe - September 7-8 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • World of Retrocomputing 2024 Expo - September 14-15 - Kitchener, ON, Canada - https://www.facebook.com/events/s/world-of-retro-computing-2024-/1493036588265072/
  • Teletext 50 - Sep 21-22 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - https://www.teletext50.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 27-29 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 25-27 - Sacramento, CA - https://amiwest.net/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 26 - Evanston Public Library (Falcon Room, 303), Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • Retro Computer Festival 2024 - November 9-10 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, England - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/72253/Retro-Computer-Festival-2024-Saturday-9th-November/
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub

Interview

  • Steve’s Workbench at radioshack.com (archived) - https://web.archive.org/web/19980528232503/http://www.radioshack.com/sw/swb/

Transcript of Interview-Only

Randy Kindig: All right. I really appreciate your time today, Steve.

Steve Leininger: Thank you for having me, Randy.

Randy Kindig: So let's start out maybe just by talking about where You live today, and what you do?

Steve Leininger: I live in Woodland Park, Colorado, which is 8, 500 feet, right out in front of we got Pike's Peak out our front window.

Randy Kindig: Oh. Oh, that's nice.

Steve Leininger: Yeah we get snow up through about June, and then it starts again about September. But it's not as much snow as you would imagine.

Randy Kindig: I've got property in Montana, and I lived out there for a couple of years,

Steve Leininger: so there you go.

Randy Kindig: We probably got more snow up there.

Steve Leininger: Hey, you asked what I did. I'm involved with Boy Scouts, a maker space with a church based ministry firewood ministry, actually. Some people call it a fire bank. So we provide firewood to people who can't afford that.

Randy Kindig: Oh.

Steve Leininger: So it's like a food bank, but with fire, firewood.

Randy Kindig: I've never heard of that.

Steve Leininger: We source the firewood. We cut it down and we split it. Lots of volunteers involved; pretty big project.

Randy Kindig: Yeah. Okay, cool. I also wanted to mention, I'm a fellow Boilermaker.

Steve Leininger: There you go.

Randy Kindig: I know you went to Purdue, right?

Steve Leininger: I did go to Purdue.

Randy Kindig: Did you ever get back there?

Steve Leininger: Yeah, and in fact they've got a couple learning spaces named after us.

Randy Kindig: Oh, okay.

Steve Leininger: We've been donating to our respective alma maters. My wife went to IU.

Randy Kindig: Oh, is that right? Oh my.

Steve Leininger: Yeah, oh my and me. Yeah, the fact that the family who's all IU, their family tolerated me was, quite a remarkable thing.

Randy Kindig: Okay.

I find it interesting because I think you graduated in 76, is that right?

Steve Leininger: 74.

Randy Kindig: Oh, 74.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. Yeah. I was there from …

Randy Kindig: Oh yeah, you actually were gone before I started.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. So I was there from 70 to 73. 70 to 70 four. When I graduated in four years, I got both my bachelor's and master's degree by going through the summer. I managed to pass out of the first year classes because of some of the high school stuff yeah.

Randy Kindig: Okay. I started in 75, so I guess we just missed each other.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. Yeah. You're the new kids coming in.

Randy Kindig: Yeah. . So I, I found that interesting and I wanted to say that. Do you keep up with their sports program or anything like that?

Steve Leininger: Yeah, they play a pretty good game of basketball in fact, I ribbed my wife about it because she was from the earlier days, the Bobby Knight days at IU that were phenomenal.

Randy Kindig: Yeah, exactly. For those of you listening, I'm talking with Steve Leininger, who was the primary developer, if not the developer, of the TRS 80 Model I..

Steve Leininger: I did all the hardware and software for it. I'll give Don French credit for sticking to it and getting a project started. And for refining, refining our product definition a little bit to where it was better than it would have been if I would have stopped early.

Randy Kindig: Okay. And I have talked with Don before.

I've interviewed him on the podcast, and I met him at Tandy Assembly. But I'm just curious, when you were hired into Tandy and you were told what you were going to do; exactly what were you told?

Steve Leininger: They had a 16 bit microprocessor board that another consultant had developed.

And they were trying to make a personal computer out of this. It was the Pace microprocessor, which was not a spectacular success for National, but it was one of the first 16 bit processors. But they had basically an initial prototype, might have been even the second level of the thing.

No real documentation, no software, ran on three different voltages and didn't have input or output. Other than that, it was fine. I was brought in because I was one of the product one of the engineers for the development boards, the development board series for the SCAMP, the S C M P, the National Semiconductor had a very low cost microprocessor that at one point in time, I benchmarked against the 8080 with positive benchmarks and ours was faster on the benchmarks I put together, but as I was later told there's lies, damn lies, and benchmarks.

But so they said take a look at using that, their low cost microprocessor that you were working with. And it really wasn't the right answer for the job. Let's see, the Altair was already out. Okay. That was the first real personal computer. The Apple, the Apple 1 was out.

Okay. But it was not a consumer computer. Okay. They, it was just, it was like a cookie sheet of parts, which was very similar to what was used in the Atari games at the commercial games. Okay. pong and that kind of stuff at that time. And I had been working, after Purdue, I went to National Semiconductor.

There's a long story behind all that. But in the process, some of us engineers would go up to the Homebrew Computer Club that met monthly up at the Stanford Linear Accelerator. We're talking Wilbur and Orville Wright kinds of things going on. Yeah. Everyone who was in the pioneering version of computing had at one time been to that meeting.

Randy Kindig: It's very famous. Yeah.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. And Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were basically a couple guys working out of their garage at the time. I was still working at National Semiconductor, but I also had a Moonlight job at Byte Shop number 2. The second computer store in all of California.

Randy Kindig: And So you worked with Paul Terrell.

Steve Leininger: I actually worked with one of, yeah, Paul, I actually worked for Paul's I don't know if it was a partner, Todd, I don't even remember the guy's name. But I just, it was.

Randy Kindig: I was curious because I'm talking to Paul right now and getting interviews.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. I, I'm sure we met, but it wasn't anything horribly formal. Since it was the number two shop, it still wasn't the number one shop, which Paul worked out of. And so we had an Apple 1 there. I actually got the job because I when I When I went in there, they were trying to troubleshoot something with what looked like an oscilloscope that they pulled out of a tank, and so it had, audio level kind of bandwidth, but could not do a digital circuit. And I said what you really need is a, I told him, a good tectonic scope or something like that. He said do you want a job here? I ended up moonlighting there, which was, as fortune would have it, was a good deal when the folks from Radio Shack came down to visit.

Because when they came down to visit the sales guy wasn't there. We'll let the engineer talk to them, they almost never let the engineers talk to them.

Randy Kindig: So you had to talk with them.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. It was John Roach, Don French, and it was probably Jack Sellers, okay and Don was probably the; he was the most on top of stuff electronically because he was a hobbyist of sorts. The other two guys: Mr. Sellers ran the engineering group. John Roach was the VP of manufacturing. And they were basically on a parts visit. They do it once a year, once, twice a year.

And they also did it with Motorola and a couple other places. But I told him about this microprocessor and that I was writing a tiny BASIC for it. Okay. Tiny BASIC was a interpreted basic that a guy named Li-Chen Wang actually had the first thing in Dr. Dobbs, Dr. Dobbs magazine. We're talking about, we're talking about things that you don't realize are the shoulders of giants that turned out to be the shoulders of giants. And in fact, we reached out to Mr. Wang as we were working on it. We thought we had the software already taken care of because I'm jumping ahead in the story, but we were going to have Bob Uterich, and you'd have to chase that back.

We had him signed up to write a BASIC interpreter for us, but because he'd already done one for the 6800, and it was included in Interface Age magazine. on a plastic record. You remember the old plastic records you could put in a magazine?

Randy Kindig: Yeah, I did see that.

Steve Leininger: Yeah, so this was called a floppy ROM when they did it.

Yeah. So if you had the right software and everything you could download the software off of the floppy ROM and run it on 6800. I think he used the Southwest Technical Products thing. And so we'd signed him up to do the BASIC. This was independent of the hardware design I was doing. And he went into radio silence on us; couldn't find him.

And so we get to, in parallel, I was using the Li-Chen Wang plan to do at least a demo version of BASIC that would run on the original computer. And when the demo went successfully on Groundhog Day in 1977. This is the time frame we're talking about.

I I started work on July 5th, the year before it. With Tandy? Yeah. Okay. We rolled into town on the 3rd, and of course they're closed for the 4th. And on the 5th I started, and there was the wandering around in the desert at the beginning of that, and Don's probably talked about how I was moved from there to their audio factory and then to the old saddle factory.

Tandy used to be primarily a leather company before they bought Radio Shack in 1966 or something like that. And anyway, when the software didn't come out, I ended up writing the software, too. So I designed all the hardware and all the software. I didn't do the power supply.

Chris Klein did the power supply. And, a little bit of the analog video circuitry, but it was very little part of that. Because we were just making a video signal. I did all the digital stuff on that. Yeah.

Randy Kindig: So the software ended up being what was the level one ROM, right?

Steve Leininger: Yeah, the level one ROM started out as the Li-Chen Wang BASIC.

But he had no I. O. in his software, so I was doing the keyboard scanning. I had to do the cassette record and playback. Had to implement data read and data write Peek and poke, which is pretty simple. Put in the graphic statements. Yeah, oh, and floating point. Now, floating point, luckily, Zilog had a library for that, but I had to basically, this was before APIs were a big deal, so I basically had to use their interface, To what I had written and had to allocate storage, correct?

We're talking about 4K bytes of ROM. I know, yeah. Very tiny, and to put all the I. O. in there, and to make it so that you could be updating the screen, when you're doing the cassette I put two asterisks up there and blinked the second one on and off, you remember that?

Randy Kindig: Oh yeah.

Steve Leininger: Sort of as a level set.

Randy Kindig: Yeah.

Steve Leininger: And someone said, oh, you should have patented that thing. And actually I have seven or eight patents, U. S. patents, on different parts of the computer architecture.

Randy Kindig: Oh, do you?

Steve Leininger: But not the blinking asterisk, which is probably a patentable feature.

Randy Kindig: Yeah, I wish I'd had that on other machines, that I ended up having.

So that would have been nice, yeah. I liken what you've done with what Steve Wozniak did, for the Apple II. You're somebody I've always wanted to talk to because I felt like you were one of the important pioneers in their early years. What do you have to say about that?

Do you feel like what you did was ...

Steve Leininger: in retrospect, yes. And I have a greater appreciation for people like the Wright Brothers. If you think about the Wright Brothers they took all their stuff from their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop down to Kill Devil Hills. We now know it as Kitty Hawk.

But they would take the stuff down there by train, and then they would have to put it in horse driven wagons. Think about that. And people would ask them, what are you going to use the airplane for? It's what are you going to use a home computer for?

Yeah, to maintain recipes and to play games.

Randy Kindig: Do your checkbook.

Steve Leininger: Do your check, home security. There's a whole lot of stuff that we talked about. And other giants entered the field: Multiplan, which became Lotus 1 2 3, which became Excel. Not the same company, but the idea, could you live without a spreadsheet today? Very difficult for some things, right?

Randy Kindig: Yeah. Yeah, it's ubiquitous.

People use it for everything. Yeah. Yeah. So you've been, I talked with David and Teresa Walsh. Or Welsh, I'm sorry, Welsh. Where they did the book Priming the Pump.

Steve Leininger: That's very that's pretty close to the real thing.

Randy Kindig: Is it? Okay. They named their book after what you did and said; that you primed the pump for home computers. Can you expand on that and tell us exactly what you meant by that?

Steve Leininger: It again goes back to that shoulders of giants thing, and I forget who said that; it's actually a very old quote, I can see further because I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. And I think the thing that we brought to the table and Independently, Commodore and Apple did the same thing in 1977. There were three computers that came out inexpensive enough that you could use them in the home.

They all came with ROM loaded BASIC. You didn't have to load anything else in. They all came with a video output. Some had displays. Some Commodore's was built in. One of ours was a Clip on and you had to go find one for the apple. For the Apple, yeah. Apple had a superior case. Apple and Radio Shack both had great keyboards.

Randy Kindig: apple was expandable, with its...

Steve Leininger: yeah, Apple Apple was internally expandable, yeah. And, but it cost $1,000. Without the cassette. Without the monitor. It wasn't the same type of device.

Randy Kindig: I was a college student. And, I looked at all three options. It was like the TRS-80; there are Radio Shacks everywhere. You could go in and play with one; which was nice. And they were inexpensive enough that I could actually afford one.

Steve Leininger: And, Radio Shack can't duck the, if you did something wrong, you had to fix it.

Randy Kindig: That's right. Let's see here. So initially the idea was to have a kit computer by Tandy?

Steve Leininger: Yeah. I'm not sure whose idea that was. It made some kind of sense. Because that's the way the Altair was, and Radio Shack did sell a number of kits, but in the process of still kicking that around, saying it could be a possibility. I was one of the ones that said it could be a possibility.

Within the same group that I did the design work from, they also would take kits in that people had built and troubleshoot the things if they didn't work. We had a couple engineers that would see if you connected something wrong or something. If you didn't, sometimes it was a matter that the instructions weren't clear.

If you tell someone to put an LED in, yeah. You specifically have to tell them which way to put it in. And \might be an opportunity to tweak your timing. Yeah. Anyway, we get this clock in, and it was a digital clock. Seven segment LEDs probably cost 50 bucks or more.

Which is crazy. But It says, put all the components in the board, turn the board over, and solder everything to the board. And, pretty simple instructions. This had a sheet of solder over the entire bottom of the board. Someone figured out how to put two pounds of solder on the back of this thing.

And, as we all got a great chuckle out of that, You realize, oh, you don't want to have to deal with a computer like this. You really don't. And Lou Kornfeld, who was the president at the time, didn't really want the computer. But he said, it's not going to be a kit. All right. That, that, that took care of that.

great idea. Great idea.

Randy Kindig: Were there any other times when you thought the computer might, or were there any times, when you thought the computer might not come to fruition? Any snags that you had that made you think that maybe this isn't going to work?

Steve Leininger: Not really. I was young and pretty well undaunted.

Randy Kindig: Pretty sure you could,

Steve Leininger: yeah I, it wasn't any, it wasn't any different than building one at home. I'd been building kits since, night kits, heath kits, that kind of stuff, since I was a kid. And home brewed a couple things, including a hot dog cooker made from two nails and a couple wires that plugged into the wall.

Don't try that at home.

Randy Kindig: No kidding.

Steve Leininger: But, it's funny if you If you look it up on, if you look that kind of project up on the internet, you can still find a project like that. It's like what's it called? Anvil tossing, where you put gunpowder under an anvil, shoot it up in the air.

What could possibly go wrong? Don't,

Randy Kindig: It's very well documented in books like Priming the Pump, Stan Veit's book, which I assume you're familiar with, and Fire in the Valley, what your involvement was with the Model 1. But there was some mention of your involvement with the Expansion Interface and other TRS 80 projects.

What else did you work on while you were there?

Steve Leininger: The Color Computer, the Expansion Interface. The model three to a little.

Randy Kindig: Okay.

Steve Leininger: Little bit. The model two was the big one. And point I just got tired of the management there.

Randy Kindig: Did you? Okay.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. I my mind was going faster than theirs, and they made the conscious decision to do whatever IBM has done, but do it cheaper. That, to me, that's not a. Didn't say less expensively either, so the whole thing just troubled me that, we're not going to be able to do anything new unless IBM has done it.

And at about the same time the Macintosh came out and a superb piece of work. Yeah.

Randy Kindig: Okay. So what education training and previous work experience did you have at the time you got hired by Tandy that made you uniquely qualified for that project that they were looking for?

Steve Leininger: I'd been playing around with electronics since I was in the third grade.

Actually, electricity.

Randy Kindig: The third grade, wow.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. My, my mom got me a kit that had light bulbs and bells and buzzers and wire from, I think it might have been the Metropolitan Museum. They had a kit. They, they've got a, they still today have an online presence. It, of course the materials have changed, but the kit had all these parts and it had no instructions.

And I don't know if that was by design or it didn't have instructions, so I had to learn how to hook up wires and light bulbs and bells and switches to make it do things. And, in the process, I found out that if you put a wire right across the battery terminals, it gets hot. And, interesting stuff to know.

Pretty soon, I was taking this stuff in to show and tell in the third grade. Look, and I was very early in electronics. It's electricity. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then my mom would take me to the library. She was quite a voracious reader, and I'd go to the library. technical section specifically the Dewey Decimal 621, which was electronics and things like that.

Randy Kindig: you still remember that.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. And in the 590 series, there's some good stuff too. And I would usually take out a stack of books, even though I was a horrible reader because I'm dyslexic and ADD. So I have an attention span and reading problem. But the technical stuff I was reading about pipeline architecture processors while I was still in junior high.

And not that was important to where I ended up, but it was important because I understood the words and data flow, and stuff like that. And between that and building the kits and things like that, I When we moved to Indianapolis, my dad moved jobs down to Indianapolis.

Randy Kindig: Oh, you lived in Indianapolis?

Steve Leininger: Yeah. So I moved from South Bend down to Indianapolis. So I probably passed your house as . Actually we came down through Kokomo, but but yeah.

Randy Kindig: I actually grew up in that part of the state. Just south of South Bend.

Steve Leininger: Okay. So yeah La Paz, Plymouth,

Randy Kindig: yeah, Warsaw, Rochester.

Steve Leininger: Yeah, I was born in Rochester.

Randy Kindig: Oh, okay. So that's where I grew up in that area.

Steve Leininger: Okay, there you go. My dad's from Akron.

Randy Kindig: Are you serious?

Steve Leininger: I am serious.

Randy Kindig: Akron's where my wife grew up. And I was just 10 miles from there.

Steve Leininger: The general store there, Dan Leininger and Sons, that's my great grandfather.

Randy Kindig: Really?

Steve Leininger: Yeah.

Randy Kindig: I'll be darned. Okay. Okay.

Steve Leininger: So now it all makes sense.

Randy Kindig: That's amazing.

Steve Leininger: Anyway, we started a garage band. This is before Apple's garage band. And I made my own amplifier. It basically had the sun sun amplifiers back end on the thing and a Fender Showman front end on it.

Completely home brewed really loud amplifier. And I had a friend who had a guitar amplifier that was broken, and he had taken it down to the music store there. And after six weeks of not getting it back, they said we've had trouble with our technician and all that. I asked if I could go down and look at it, and in 15 minutes I had his amplifier fixed. And they said, do you want tom so you want a job? All right. Yeah, because I'd been doing, I'd had a paper route before and I don't think I was doing anything since we'd moved and ao I started working in a music store and they ended up with two music stores and then an organ store next door and I started repairing that kind of stuff.

And this was the end of my first year in college. Went to the extension in Indianapolis.

Randy Kindig: Oh, okay. And Was that I U P U I?

Steve Leininger: IUPUI, yeah. Yeah. I, yeah, I U P U I.

Randy Kindig: Huh. I went there as well.

Steve Leininger: Yeah and learned Fortran there, got all my first year classes out, and then moved on up to the campus.

And because we'd always go to the library, and because my mom would often take me to the library, the newsstand not too far from the library, and she'd get a couple magazines, but she let me get an electronic magazine. And, I didn't understand these things, pretty soon you start understanding the pic, you start understanding it.

This is a resistor, I built a little shocker box based on a design in probably elementary electronics. And It's like a handheld electric fence.

Randy Kindig: Oh, wow.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. Think hot dog cooker. Anyway, so I learned some electronics that way. A lot of that was self taught.

I learned quite a bit more by working in the music store, again, this was before I was taught any formal electronics. And actually when I moved up to campus on Purdue, I thought I was going to be a world class guitar amplifier designer. That's where I thought. And it turns out my analog gut feelings aren't, weren't as good as other people's.

Paul Schreiber does a much better job with electronics, with analog electronics than I do. But digital electronics, I understood this stuff. I would hang out in the library and I'd read the trade magazines. So I was up to date on, I was way more up to date than a typical professor would be on current electronics.

And in 1973, which was the end of my junior year, Electronics Magazine had an article on the Intel 8008. And I said, Oh, I understand this. See, I'd already been taking assembly language. Now they didn't teach assembly language programming in the electronics school. They had Fortran, but there was no way to get from Fortran to ..they weren't teaching programming languages. I had to go to the business school where I learned assembly language on the school's CDC 6600 mainframe.

Randy Kindig: Really?

Steve Leininger: Yeah.

Randy Kindig: Through the business school?

Steve Leininger: Yeah. And for those of you who have never tried assembly language programming, it looks like a foreign language until you just internalize it in your brain: there's ADD, A D and A D C for ADD with carry, and there's a whole bunch of different things.

There's different ways to move data around, but you're only doing a few really basic things, and if you do it fast enough, it looks like it's instantaneous. That's the way even your phone works today. It's because you're doing it fast enough. It fools you.

Randy Kindig: Yep.

Wow. Do you ever look back at these days, at those days, with amazement? As far as how far the industry has come?

Steve Leininger: Oh yeah. And, it's funny because you wouldn't, you couldn't probably, but you wouldn't start over again. I had to learn, I had to learn digital video. Actually the giant that I, whose shoulders I stood on there was the late Don Lancaster.

He had a book called TV Typewriter Cookbook. And actually that came out a little bit later, but he had a TV typewriter series in Radio Electronics Magazine. And basically alphanumeric display. If you think about it, just the glass teletype, the keyboard display and a serial interface at the time that the RadioShack computer came out was selling for 999.

Another 400 on top of what we were selling the whole computer for. Because we had a microprocessor in there. We didn't have a whole lot of options. We didn't have a whole lot of fluff. In fact Motorola said, send this to your schematics and your parts list and let's see if we can minimize your circuit.

And after two weeks they sent it back. He said, you did a pretty good job here. . .

Randy Kindig: Okay. Huh. You still stay in touch with people at Tandy?

Steve Leininger: A few of them. It's actually been more lately. Because it's almost more interesting now. It's like the, I don't know whatever happened to Atwater and Kent, of the Atwater Kent radio.

But, that's an old school radio that now you've got people that rebuild them and got them all polished up and all this kind of stuff. But for a while they ended up in the dump. I'm sure, there are some trash 80s that ended up in the trash.

Randy Kindig: I'm sure.

Steve Leininger: Yeah but I've gotten rid of lots of PCs that don't meet my needs anymore, right?

Randy Kindig: Sure. Yeah, we all have, somewhere along the way. It seemed like you were really quiet there for a long time and that you were difficult to get in contact with.

Steve Leininger: I wasn't really that difficult. I didn't maintain a social media presence on the thing, but things that I had my own consulting company for quite a while.

I actually came back to Radio Shack two more times after I left. One was to come back as a technologist there. The politics still didn't work out well. Then I came back as a contractor to help them with some of their online things. I actually had a website called Steve's Workbench.

Steve Leininger: And you can find it on the Internet Archive. The Wayback Machine. And it had some basic stamp projects. And we were going to do all sorts of other things. But I managed to upset the people at RadioShack. com. They didn't have a big sense of humor about someone being critical about the products that they'd selected.

And I, I did a... I was going to start doing product reviews on the kits, how easy it was to solder, whether it was a good value for the money and all that kind of stuff. And I gave a pretty honest review on it. And Radio Shack didn't appreciate the power of an honest review.

It's what makes Amazon what it is, right? You go in there and if there's something that's got just two stars on the reviews, Yeah, you really got to know what you're doing if you're going to buy the thing, right? And if you see something that's got a bunch of one star and a bunch of five star reviews Yeah, someone's probably aalting the reference at the top end.

And so I mean they had such a fit that when they changed platforms For RadioShack. com, they didn't take Steve's Workbench with it And I basically lost that position. Radio Shack should own the makerspace business right now. They at one time, one time I suggested, you ought to take a look at buying Digikey or maybe Mouser.

Mouser was right down the street from us. They already had their hands into Allied, but these other two were doing stuff, more consumer oriented, but they didn't. They were making, they were flush with money from selling cell phone contracts. And they thought that was the way of the future until the cell phone companies started reeling that back in.

At a certain point, you don't want to be paying your 5 percent or 10 percent royalty to Radio Shack for just signing someone up.

Randy Kindig: Yeah. Okay. I didn't realize you had ever gone back and worked for them again.

Steve Leininger: Yeah, twice,

Randy Kindig: and so I'm curious, did you meet any other famous figures in the microcomputer revolution while you were working at Tandy?

Steve Leininger: At Tandy, let's see.

Randy Kindig: I'm just curious.

Steve Leininger: Yeah, Bill Gates, of course. I went out when we were working on level two BASIC. And Bill Gates I think was probably a hundred- thousand- aire at that time.

And, working in a, thhey had a floor in a bank building in Seattle. He took me to the basement of his dad's law firm, and we had drinks there, and I went out to his house on the lake. This was not the big house. I've never been there. It was a big house on the lake, but it wasn't the one That he built later on.

So I knew him early on run across Forest Mims a couple times. And of course, he's the shoulders upon which a lot of electronic talent was built and some of the stuff is lost. Jameco is actually bringing him back as a… Jameco is a kinda like a Radio Shack store online. It's yeah it is, it's not as robust as DigiKey or Bower, but they've held their roots. Someone I've not met Lady Ada from Adafruit would be fun.

Randy Kindig: Yeah. Would, yeah.

Steve Leininger: I, that, that's another thing that, if we had something along those lines, that would have been cool, but the buyers weren't up, up to the task and they when you don't want criticism at a certain point you've got to quit doing things if you don't want to be criticized.

Randy Kindig: Sure. When you finally got the Model 1 rolled out and you saw the tremendous interest, were you surprised in the interest that it garnered?

Steve Leininger: I wasn't. I wasn't. In fact, there's a quote of me. Me and John Roach had a discussion on how many of these do you think we could sell? And, this is actually quoted in his obituary on the, in the Wall Street Journal. I, Mr. Tandy said you could build 3, 500 of these because we've got 3, 500 stores and we can use them in the inventory.

And to take inventory. And John Roach thought maybe we could sell, up to 5, 000 of these things in the first year. And I said, oh no, I think we could sell 50, 000. To which he said, horseshit. Just like that. And that, now I quoted that to the Wall Street Journal, and they put that in his obituary.

Yeah I don't know how many times that word shows up in the Wall Street Journal, but if you search their files you'll find that it was me quoting John Roach. So …

Randy Kindig: I'll have to, I'll have to look for that, yeah, that's funny. So you were not surprised by the interest,

Steve Leininger: no, it, part of it was I knew the leverage of the stores I'd been working, when we introduced the thing I'd been working for the company for just over a year.

Think about that. And it wasn't until just before probably, it was probably September or October when Don and I agreed on the specs. I'd keep writing it up, and he'd look at it. Don actually suggested that, demanded, he doesn't, in a, but in a good natured way, he made a good case for it, that I have, in addition to the cassette interface on there, that I have a way to read and write data.

Because if you're going to do an accounting program, you got to be able to read and write data. I actually figured out a way to do that. There were a couple other things. John Roach really wanted blinking lights on the thing. And my mechanical, the mechanical designer, there said that's going to cost more money to put the LEDs in there.

What are you going to do with them? And, Mr. Roach was, you know, familiar with the IBM probably the 360 by then? Anyway. The mainframes. Yeah, mainframes always had blinking lights on them.

Randy Kindig: Exactly.

Steve Leininger: And since it's a computer, it should have blinking lights. And Larry said, Larry the mechanical guy said what are you going to do with them?

I said, I can't, I said I could put stuff up there, It's…

Randy Kindig: What are they going to indicate?

Steve Leininger: Yeah. And then, he said, I'll tell you what, I'm going to make the case without holes for the lights and just don't worry about it. That was the end of the discussion.

Mr. Roach was probably a little disappointed, but yeah, no one else had them,

Randy Kindig: it's funny to think that you'd have blinking lights on a microcomputer like that. Yeah. Yeah. Is there any aspect of the Model one development you would do differently if you were doing it today?

Steve Leininger: Yeah, I would, I would've put the eighth memory chip in with the, with the video display so you get upper and lower case.

Randy Kindig: Yeah, there you go. Okay.

Steve Leininger: Might've put buffers to the outside world. We had the, the microprocessor was buffered, but it was, it was very short distance off the connector there. Otherwise, there's not a whole lot I would have changed. Software could have been written a little better, but when one person's writing all the software the development system that I had was a Zilog development system.

And 30 character percent a second. Decorator, line printer. The fact that I got it done is actually miracle stuff.

Randy Kindig: Yeah, and you got it done in a year, right?

Steve Leininger: And it was all written in assembly language. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Got it all done in a year.

Randy Kindig: That's a good year's work.

Steve Leininger: It is.

Randy Kindig: Building a computer from scratch, basically, and then getting it...

Steve Leininger: and back then we had to program EEPROMs. We didn't have flash memory. Okay. Didn't hardly have operating systems back then. Not that I was using one. There was something in the Zilog thing, but yeah we were so far ahead of things, we were developing a product rather than a computer.

And maybe that's the whole difference is that we had a product that you pull it up, plug it in, and it says these are TRS 80 and it wasn't the Model 1 until the Model 2 came out.

Randy Kindig: Yeah, exactly. It was just the TRS 80. Yeah. So I have to know, do you have any of the old hardware?

Steve Leininger: I've got a Model 1. I don't use it except for demonstrations now. I actually have two. I've got one that works and one that's probably got a broken keyboard connector from taking it out of the case and holding it up too many times.

Randy Kindig: Were these prototypes or anything?

Steve Leininger: They are non serial production units. I've got the, I've got a prototype ROM board that's got the original integer basic that I wrote. I don't have the video boards and all that kind of stuff that went with it when we did the original demonstration. Let's see we had four wire wrapped, completely wire wrapped industrial wire wrapped versions that we used for prototyping the software.

One went to David Lein, who wrote the book that came with the thing, the basic book. One I had at my desk and there were two others. Yeah. And they got rid of all of those. So a cautionary tale is if you do something in the future where you've got that prototype that was put together in Tupperware containers or held together with duct tape, you need to at least take pictures of it.

And you might want to keep one aside. If it turns out to be something like the Apple III, you can probably get rid of all that stuff. If it turns out to be something like the Apple II, The RadioShack computer, the Commodore PET, you really ought to, enshrine that. The original iPhone. Apple did stuff that was, what was it, can't remember what it was. They had a they had a thing not unlike the... 3Com ended up getting them. Anyway the hand of the PDAs, no one knows what a Personal Oh, digital assistant. Yeah. Yeah. We call that a, we call that a phone ...

Randy Kindig: Palm Pilot. Yeah.

Steve Leininger: Yeah. Palm Pilot. That's the one. Yeah. I've got a couple of those. I've got three model 100’s. I've got one of the early…

Randy Kindig: Did you work on the 100s?

Steve Leininger: I used it, but I didn't work on it. The design. No. Okay. That was an NEC product with Radio Shack skins on it.

Randy Kindig: Oh, that's right. That's right.

Steve Leininger: Kay Nishi was the big mover on that. Yeah. Let's see I've got an Altair and an ASR 33 Teletype. Yeah, we're talking about maybe the computer's grandfather, right?

I've had a whole bunch of other stuff. I've probably had 40 other computers that I don't have anymore. I am gravitating towards mechanical music devices, big music boxes, that kind of stuff.

Randy Kindig: Oh, okay. Cool. Interesting. Steve, that's all the questions I had prepared.

Steve Leininger: Okay.

Randy Kindig: Is there anything I should have asked about that?

Steve Leininger: Oh my,

Randy Kindig: anything you'd want to say?

Steve Leininger: Yeah, I, I've given talks before on how do you innovate? How do you become, this is pioneering kinds of stuff. So you really have to have that vision, man. The vision, I can't exactly say where the vision comes from, but being dyslexic for me has been a gift. Okay and this is something I tell grade school and middle school students that, some people are out there saying I, I can't do that because, it's just too much stuff or my brain is cluttered.

Cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what's an empty desk the sign of? Embrace the clutter. Learn a lot of different things. Do what you're passionate about. Be willing to. support your arguments, don't just get angry if someone doesn't think the way you do, explain why you're doing it that way.

And sometimes it's a matter of they just don't like it or they don't have the vision. The ones that don't have the vision, they never, they may never have the vision. I've quit companies because of people like that. But When you've got the vision and can take it off in your direction, it could just end up as being art.

And I shouldn't say just art, art can be an amazing thing. And that behind these walls here, we've got a pinball machine and gaming conference going on. And it is nutcase. But is there stuff out there you look at and say, Oh, wow. Yeah. And I do too. Keep it a while going.

Randy Kindig: Very cool. All right. That's a great stopping point, I think. All right. I really appreciate it, Steve taking the time to talk with us today.

Steve Leininger: Thanks, Randy.

Compute!'s Mapping the IBM PC and PCJR

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Episode 141 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 2

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 141 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for July, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host, as always, for this historical perspective on obsolete-but-still fun technology.

This month I’m bringing you a follow-on interview episode from last month. As we discussed then, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s first batches of Apple I computers for his Byte Shop. The Byte Shop was a very early computer store that was one of the few that existed in the world, at the time.

In this interview, we continue to focus primarily on The Byte Shop, how it got started, what it was like, and much more. There will be even more content in future episodes, as Paul and I had a pretty lengthy discussion on just this topic. If you want to know what it was like to run a computer store in those early days, this is the interview for you! Along the way, you’ll learn even more about just what the home and hobby computer scene was like in those days.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • VCF Southeast - https://gameatl.com/vintage-computing-festival-southeast/

Upcoming Shows

  • Show list I maintain for the remainder of the current year - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/current-year-vintage-computer-show-schedule)
  • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 2-3 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - Aug. 15-18 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-se
  • VCF Midwest - September 7-8 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • VCF Europe - September 7-8 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • World of Retrocomputing 2024 Expo - September 14-15 - Kitchener, ON, Canada - https://www.facebook.com/events/s/world-of-retro-computing-2024-/1493036588265072/
  • Teletext 50 - Sep 21-22 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - https://www.teletext50.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 27-29 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 25-27 - Sacramento, CA - https://amiwest.net/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 26 - Evanston Public Library (Falcon Room, 303), Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • Retro Computer Festival 2024 - November 9-10 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, England - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/72253/Retro-Computer-Festival-2024-Saturday-9th-November/
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we

Interview with Paul Terrell

  • (3) Apple-1 Prototype Polaroid Photographs Given to Paul Terrell of the Byte Shop in 1976 - https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/348985606984001-steve-jobs-3-apple-1-prototype-polaroid-photographs-given-to-paul-terrell-of-the-byte-shop-in-1976/?cat=3
  • Ray Borrill’s Data Domain blog - https://www.landsnail.com/thedatadomain/remember.htm

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Episode 140 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 1

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 140 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for June, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your guide to this journey through vintage computer goodness.

This month I’m bringing you another interview episode. Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s first batches of Apple I computers for his Byte Shop. The Byte Shop was a very early computer store that was one of the few that existed in the world, at the time. I’ve had an earlier introductory interview with Paul where numerous topics were covered in a more general manner. I also talked with Paul about his time at Exidy working on the sorcerer computer. In this interview, we focus primarily on The Byte Shop, how it got started, what it was like, and much more. Through several conversations with Paul, the interview ran quite long, so this is part I of The Byte Shop discussion. If you want to know what it was like to run a computer store in those early days, this is the interview for you! Along the way, you’ll learn even more about just what the home and hobby computer scene was like in those days.

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Episode 139 - Interview with Vic Tolomei, VP Software Development, Exidy

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 139 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for May, 2024.

This month I’m bringing you another interview episode; in the ongoing effort to document the story of Exidy and its Sorcerer computer. I’ve already talked, in previous episodes, with Howell Ivy and Paul Terrell, both principals at Exidy and in the creation of the Sorcerer computer. Those were quite popular episodes! In this episode, I also tracked down Vic Tolomei, VP of Software Development at Exidy during that same time, and got his story. If you want to know what it was like to lead a software development effort at that time, this is the interview for you!

Upcoming on the podcast, I have more interviews to share, as well as more hardware to cover. I’m actually a few months ahead with developing content, which I guess is an advantage of being retired!

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

Regarding that, I've created some tiers for paid members and have come up with some ways to reward those who are generous enough to monetarily support the Floppy Days Podcast on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays ).

First of all, all tiers ($2/month and up) will receive early access to companion videos for any interviews that are published. The audio will be published to Floppy Days immediately, as usual, while any video will be made available exclusively to all paid members for a period of time (at least 30 days) before the general public. The videos will be published for you on Patreon.com, and then moved to the Floppy Days YouTube channel after the exclusivity period is over.

Other benefits have been added for the tiers above the minimum $2 tiers, such as Floppy Days merchandise, an audio introduction for supporters, and even the option to co-host an episode!

It is my intention to always make all content available to everyone at no cost, while at the same time providing some benefits for those generous enough to support the podcast. I hope this is a good compromise.

Please let me know your thoughts. Enjoy!!

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Episode 138 - Interview with Hans Franke, VCF Europe and Computeum

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

What I’ve Been Up To

  • Indy Classic Expo - http://www.indyclassic.org
  • 8-Bit Classics - http://www.8bitclassics.com
  • 80 column card for Atari 1090XL at Tindie from Brian Reifsnyder

New Acquisitions

  • Coco MPI mention on an earlier episode (Episode 131)
  • Cloud-9 - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • Texas Instruments TI58 & TI59 calculators coverage on an earlier episode (Episode 3)
  • TI58/59 battery pack mod from Bob Wolfson
  • 2.4A power adapter for Atari XL/XE - https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/atari-xl-xe-2-4a-amp-power-adapter/

Upcoming Shows

  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 4-5, 2024 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • The Festival of Portable Computing - May 18-19 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, England - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/72231/The-Festival-of-Portable-Computing-18th-19th-May-2024/
  • CorgsCon (Columbus Ohio Retro Gaming Society) - June 1 - Kasich Hall – Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, OH - https://www.corgscon.com/
  • Game Not Over 2024 - June 8-9 - Dunstall Park Racecourse in Wolverhampton, U.K. - https://retro.directory/browse/events/326-game-not-over-2024
  • VCF Southwest - June 14-16, 2024 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Boatfest Retro Computer Expo - June 14-16 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 22 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 22-23 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Kickstart Amiga UK Expo - June 29-30 - Nottingham, UK - https://www.amigashow.com/
  • KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 16-21 (in-person), July 27-28 (virtual) - University of Illinois in Springfield, IL - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 19-21, 2024 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Nottingham Video Game Expo - July 20-21 - The Belgrave Rooms, Nottingham, U.K. - https://www.nottsvge.com/
  • Fujiama - July 23-28 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2024/
  • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 2-3 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • VCF Midwest - September 7-8 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • VCF Europe - September 7-8 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 27-29 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 25-27 - Sacramento, CA - https://amiwest.net/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 26 - Evanston Public Library (Falcon Room, 303), Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • Retro Computer Festival 2024 - November 9-10 - Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, England - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/72253/Retro-Computer-Festival-2024-Saturday-9th-November/
  • Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/current-year-vintage-computer-show-schedule

Interview with Hans Franke

  • VCF Europe (VCFe.org)
  • Computeum (Computeum )

View Details

Current Year Vintage Computer Show Schedule

View Details

Post-VCF SoCal 2024 with Paul Nurminen

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune 1 min 13 sec Vintage Computer Ads 1 min 43 sec Intro 2 min 53 sec bumper - Paul Nurminen 3 min 00 sec Discussion with Paul Nurminen 1 hr 20 min 00 sec Closing

Hello, and welcome to episode 137 of the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m Randy Kindig, the host of this show. This episode is an adjunct to and follow up to the last episode (#136) of Floppy Days. In that episode, which covered the Grundy New Brain, I alluded to the fact that in the “What I’ve Been Up To” section of the podcast, I was going to publish a separate episode just for that. I did that because I don’t like to have episodes over about 90 minutes, and having this segment in that show would have pushed it well beyond that.

So, for this episode I enlisted the aid of Paul Nurminen (aka Nurmix), who was also an attendee and exhibitor/vendor at the recent Vintage Computer Festival Southern California, to help me do a follow up discussion of that show. We discuss our exhibits, other exhibits of note, our general thoughts about the show, and a whole lot more.

I hope you enjoy this.

Links

  • VCF SoCal - https://www.vcfsocal.com/
  • Intellivisionaries Podcast - http://intellivisionaries.com/
  • White Flag Computing - https://www.whiteflagcomputing.com
  • Episode 83 of Floppy Days about the Intellivision Keyboard Component with Paul Nurminen - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-83-the-intellivision-keyboard-component
  • 1090XL expansion unit and 320K RAM board - reifsnyderb
  • Discussion - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/333084-swutils-simcheck-simtest-osdump/

  • Purchase - https://www.tindie.com/products/5cfab/1090xl-modernized-reproduction-main-board/

  • The VintNerd - https://thevintnerd.com/index.html

  • Mega65 - https://mega65.org/
  • 10-Minute Amiga Retro Cast - https://www.youtube.com/c/10MinuteAmigaRetroCast
  • Aquarius+ computer - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/352635-introducing-the-aquarius/

View Details

Grundy NewBrain Peripherals thru Web Sites with Chris Despoinidis

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune 1 min 13 sec Vintage Computer Ads 1 min 42 sec Intro 5 min 17 sec bumper - Chris Espoinidis 5 min 28 sec New Acquisitions 6 min 33 sec bumper - Gerald McMullon 7 min 16 sec Upcoming Computer Shows 12 min 01 sec bumper - Steve O’Hara-Smith 12 min 27 sec Peripherals 22 min 37 sec Using the Machine 33 min 14 sec User Groups/Newsletters 38 min 36 sec Books & Manuals 41 min 47 sec Software 44 min 11 sec Ads 46 min 45 sec Modern Upgrades 51 min 43 sec Emulation 59 min 07 sec Buying One Today 1 hr 02 min 52 sec Community 1 hr 04 min 50 sec Current Web Sites and Videos 1 hr 12 min 45 sec Closing

Hello, and welcome to episode 136 of the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m Randy Kindig, the host of this show, and I’ll be your guide to a journey back to the year 1982, when a very interesting, low-cost machine entered the market in Great Britain. This is the final episode on the Grundy New Brain, not a well-known machine, most particularly here in the United States where very few have even heard of it; let alone ever owned one.

If you want to know more, I’ve recently published interviews with John Grant, Steve O’Hara-Smith, and Gerald McMullon concerning their involvement with the New Brain back in the day. I also, in the most recent episode, discussed tech specs around the machine with my co-host.

Regarding that, in that last episode, to help me talk about the machine, I enlisted Chris Espoinidis to co-host this episode. Chris manages the New Brain Emulator site from his home in Greece. Even though Chris created one of the premier New Brain emulators in existence, and that was the primary focus of his Web site initially, his site has become one of the best places (along with Gerald McMullon’s Website) to get any and all New Brain information (which quite honestly is quite sparse).

The focus of this last episode detailing the machine, Chris and I will cover things like peripherals, Web sites, books & magazines, software, using the machine, emulators and all of the topics that have become the standard for machine coverage on Floppy Days. This episode will complete all the details we know on the New Brain, with the intent to impart every bit of information to you that I could find about this little-known machine.

Before we do that, I will talk about upcoming shows.

Upcoming Shows

  • Interim Computer Festival SPRING - March 23rd and 24th, 2024 - Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://sdf.org/icf/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 5-7 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 12-14, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 13-14 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 13-14 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • VCF Europa - April 27-28, 2024 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 4-5, 2024 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Southwest - June 14-16, 2024 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Boatfest Retro Computer Expo - June 14-16 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 22-23 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Kickstart Amiga UK Expo - June 29-30 - Nottingham, UK - https://www.amigashow.com/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 19-21, 2024 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • VCF Midwest - September 7-8 - NEW VENUE TBD - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29, 2024 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Tandy Assembly - September 27-29, 2024 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 26, 2024 - Evanston Public Library (Falcon Room, 303), Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Newsletters

  • NewBrain Online (Dutch/Netherlands) - https://retro.hcc.nl/newbrain/newbrain-online.html

Books and Manuals

  • books/manuals at archive.org - https://archive.org/search?query=grundy+newbrain

Modern Upgrades

  • NewBrain SD-Box
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G5fARz7HnM
  • https://newbrainemu.eu/new/download/nb-sd-card-box-v-2-circuit-diagram/

Emulation

  • NewBrain Emulator by Chris
  • https://newbrainemu.eu/new/download/newbrain-emulator-beta-4/
  • https://github.com/cdesp/NB-Emulator-V.3

Buying One Today

  • https://www.ebay.com/itm/325473049117 - $999 BIN (from Greece)
  • Grundy NewBrain Model AD.Complete with PSU, Manual, AZERTY !! Tested & Working!! - https://www.ebay.com/itm/334406491114 - 995 euro (from Netherlands)
  • untested, no power supply - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256162599251 - 449 pounds BIN (from UK)

Community

  • Forums
  • AtariAge - https://forums.atariage.com/search/?q=grundy&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116
  • Stardot - https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/search.php?keywords=grundy&fid%5B0%5D=45

Current Web Sites/Videos

  • https://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/
  • https://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/gerald.php
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192051/http://newbrain.hcc.nl/
  • https://www.newbrainemu.eu/
  • Article on NewBrain in Popular Computing Weekly (PCW) - https://newbrainemu.eu/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,99/Itemid,52/
  • Grundy NewBrain Model A repair
  • http://www.8bit-homecomputermuseum.at/repair/newbrain/newbrain.html

  • http://www.8bit-homecomputermuseum.at/repair/newbrain/newbrain_ad_repair.html

  • Series of videos on fixing the NewBrain from the Clueless Engineer - https://www.youtube.com/@Brfff/search?query=grundy

  • Several videos by Chris on using the emulator and many other videos - https://www.youtube.com/@CDESP072
  • NewBrain Robot Car - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6mNi2ula4

References

  • history article by Gerald McMullen - https://newbrainemu.eu/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,96/Itemid,52/
  • https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5291/Grundy-NewBrain-AD/
  • https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/8265/Grundy-Business-Systems/
  • https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=176
  • https://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/index.php
  • https://www.theregister.com/2012/07/02/newbury_labs_grundy_business_systems_newbrain_is_30_years_old/

View Details

Grundy NewBrain Tech Specs with Chris Despoinidis

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune 1 min 14 sec Vintage Computer Ads 1 min 43 sec Intro 5 min 38 sec bumper - Chris Espoinidis 5 min 51 sec New Acquisitions 16 min 32 sec bumper - Gerald McMullon 17 min 15 sec Upcoming Computer Shows 21 min 26 sec bumper - Steve O’Hara-Smith 21 min 45 sec Interview with Chris Espoinidis 36 min 23 sec Tech Specs 1 hr 12 min 07 sec Closing

Hello, and welcome to episode 135 of the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m Randy Kindig, the host of this show, and I’ll be your guide to a journey back to the year 1982, when a very interesting, low-cost machine entered the market in Great Britain. This machine, if you've been following the show, was the Grundy New Brain. This is not a well-known machine, most particularly here in the United States where very few have even heard of it; let alone ever owned one.

As you know, I’ve been hot on the trail of pioneers who were involved with development of this machine. I’ve recently published interviews with John Grant, Steve O’Hara-Smith, and Gerald McMullon concerning their involvement with the New Brain back in the day.

In this episode I move more into discussing details of the machine and its impact on the home and small business market in the 1980’s. To help me talk about the machine, I was able to track down Chris Espoinidis and convince him to co-host this episode. Chris manages the New Brain Emulator site from his home in Greece. Even though Chris created one of the premier New Brain emulators in existence, and that was the primary focus of his Web site initially, his site has become one of the best places (along with Gerald McMullon’s Website) to get any and all New Brain information (which quite honestly is quite sparse).

The focus of this episode, and the next, is to cover things like tech specs, Web sites, emulators and all of the topics that have become the standard for machine coverage on Floppy Days. This particular episode contains an interview with Chris, and then goes into great detail concerning the technical specifications of the New Brain. The next episode will cover all the other details, with the intent to impart every bit of information to you that I could find about this little-known machine.

Before we do that, I will talk about new acquisitions and upcoming shows.

View Details

VCF SoCal 2024 Preview with Organizing Team

Hello, and welcome to this bonus, interview-only episode of the Floppy Days Podcast. My name is Randy Kindig; your host. This episode is a discussion with most of the organizing team around the very first Vintage Computer Festival 2024 that is coming up February 17 & 18 in Orange, CA. You’ll hear how the show came about, why the particular location and time were selected, and what you can expect to see at the show. I’m excited to have a new VCF available in an area and time that should be fantastic to visit and be a part of.

Note that this interview occurred on Dec. 5, 2023, and you’ll hear several references to the show being “2 and a half months” away.

Links

  • VCF SoCal Website - https://www.vcfsocal.com/
  • VCF SoCal Organizers - https://www.vcfsocal.com/faq#organizers
  • The VintNerd Website (Steve and Micki) - https://thevintnerd.com/index.html
  • The VintNerd YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/thevintnerd
  • Matt’s YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@polymatt
  • Pathways to Invention Film (Levi) - https://pathwaystoinvention.org/
  • Southern AMIS Projects (Rob) - https://www.southernamis.com/
  • Video version of this interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y2zfRP8kyE&t=9s

View Details

Grundy NewBrain History with Gerald McMullon

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune

1 min 14 sec Vintage Computer Ads

1 min 43 sec Intro

6 min 33 sec bumper - Gerald McMullon

7 min 15 sec New Acquisitions

13 min 55 sec bumper - Steve O'Hara-Smith

14 min 13 sec Upcoming Computer Shows

17 min 26 sec Interview with Gerald McMullon

57 min 51 sec Closing

Hello, and welcome to episode 133 of the Floppy Days Podcast for December, 2023. I’m Randy Kindig, your host on this vintage computer retrospective.

Hard to believe we’re coming up on the end of 2023. It was Feb. 2013 when I took the first halting steps in producing a podcast, so we’re coming up on 11 years of Floppy Days very soon.

We are currently covering computers that were released in the year 1982. We are very early in that year, with lots of other computers to be covered.

This episode is about a machine that was developed in the UK. It was pretty much unknown in the United States and even in the UK didn’t get much traction. The machine I’m talking about is the Grundy NewBrain. There are a lot of unique things about this machine that you’ll discover through the history episode, these interviews and the episodes that cover the details.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to contact a few people who were involved in the development of the machine. I’ve published interviews so far with John Grant and Steve O’Hara-Smith. This episode is also an interview episode, but this time with another key member in its development: Gerald McMullon. Gerald has a lot of interesting information to share about the NewBrain, including information about its development and support of the machine after its release.

I have been able to contact some other principals in the development of the NewBrain: Basil Smith and Mike Wakefield. Unfortunately, Basil has had a lot of recent requests for interviews, so I’m waiting in line for that. However, should I be able to talk with Basil and/or Mike, I will of course bring all of that to Floppy Days in future episodes.

This current episode is the end of the interview episodes around the NewBrain at this point in time. Next month, and actually likely the next 2 months, we will be covering the details of the machine such as tech specs, emulators, software, newsletters, peripherals, web sites, etc. That will happen with a special co-host that I’m going to leave as a surprise for right now.

New Acquisitions

  • TI95 cassette interface - https://github.com/molleraj/ti95interface
  • AquariCart + 32K RAM - https://www.ebay.com/itm/124471439128
  • MC-10 3-button joystick pad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzsGst8HAiI

Upcoming Computer Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 17-18, 2024 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Interim Computer Festival SPRING - March 23rd and 24th, 2024 - Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://sdf.org/icf/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 5-7 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 12-14, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 13-14 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • VCF Europa - April 27-28, 2024 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 4-5, 2024 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Southwest - June 14-16, 2024 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Boatfest Retro Computer Expo - June 14-16 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 14-15 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Kickstart Amiga UK Expo - June 29-30 - Nottingham, UK - https://www.amigashow.com/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 19-21, 2024 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Fujiama - July 23-28 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2024/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - Aug. 15-28 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-se
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29, 2024 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Interview

  • Gerald’s Website - http://www.mcmullen.com
  • NewBrain Nutshell History by Gerald at Binary Dinosaurs - https://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/gerald.php
  • NewBrain history article by Gerald in Micro Computer Mart newsletter - https://newbrainemu.eu/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,96/Itemid,52/

View Details

Grundy NewBrain History with Steve O’Hara-Smith

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

0 Floppy Days Tune

1 min 14 sec Vintage Computer Ads

1 min 43 sec Intro

6 min 14 sec bumper - Steve O'Hara-Smith

6 min 32 sec New Acquisitions

22 min 53 sec bumper - Gerald McMullon

23 min 36 sec Upcoming Computer Shows

26 min 51 sec Feedback

30 min 19 sec Interview with Steve O'Hara-Smith

71 min 46 sec Closing

Hello, and welcome to episode 132 of the Floppy Days Podcast; a podcast about home computers in the magical years of the late 70’s through the 80’s. I’m Randy Kindig, your host on this voyage.

We are currently covering computers that were released in the year 1982; a banner year for personal computers. It’s actually going to take quite some time to get through this year in history.

This is the second episode about a computer that few in the United States know much about. It was released in the UK and even there didn’t get much traction. It was a unique beast, with its own personality and quirks; before it went quietly into the annals of history. The machine I’m talking about is the Grundy NewBrain.

As it was so relatively unknown, I’m going to be spending a lot of air time talking about its history:

  1. in the last episode (Episode 131) I summarized its history, including a short interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, whose company did some work on the machine
  2. This episode contains an very informative interview with Steve O’Hara Smith, who was involved with development of the machine
  3. The next episode will have an interview with Gerald McMullon, also having done some work on the early NewBrain, as well as support after its release
  4. Finally, there will be 1 or more episodes to cover the usual topics of tech specs, Web sites, emulators, etc. I will have a special guest co-host for that.

So, as you can see, there’s a ton of upcoming information about the NewBrain. Please join me in learning more about this unusual machine.

Before we get into this interview, I’ll let you know what I’ve been up to and have been able to acquire lately; which continues to grow seemingly beyond my control.

That brings me to some administrative news. In order to provide maximum flexibility for my listeners, I’m going to start publishing a timeline in the show notes. It will have a time marker for each section of the podcast, so that, for instance, if you want to jump straight to an interview and re-listen to just that section, you can do so. This is an easy thing to provide, with the audio editing software I use, so from now on expect to see that information in the show notes.

New Acquisitions

  • TS2068/Spectrum group - https://groups.io/g/TS2068
  • Wafadrive - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotronics_Wafadrive
  • mini-bus expansion board - https://www.andertone.com/product/ts1000-expansion-extender/
  • composite mod for TS1000/ZX81 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/175512970894
  • 64K RAM pack (Memopak) - https://www.andertone.com/product/memopak-64k-ram-pack/
  • TS1500 keyboard membrane - https://www.ebay.com/itm/304824623956

Upcoming Computer Shows

  • Atari Party 2023! - Saturday, December 2, 2023, 1pm to 4pm - Quakertown Train Station, Quakertown, PA - https://quakertowntrainstation.org - organized by Peter Fletcher
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 17-18, 2024 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Interim Computer Festival SPRING - March 23-24, 2024 - Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://sdf.org/icf/
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 5-7 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 5-7, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 13-14 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 4-5, 2024 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Southwest - June 14-16, 2024 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • Boatfest Retro Computer Expo - June 14-16 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 19-21, 2024 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Fujiama - July 23-28 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2024/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - Aug. 15-28 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-se
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - September 27-29, 2024 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Silly Venture WE (Winter Edition) - Dec. 5-8 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2024-we
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

View Details

The Grundy NewBrain History with John Grant

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 131 of the Floppy Days Podcast; where old computers get a new lease on life and have a purpose once again! I’m Randy Kindig, your host on this journey to the late 70’s through the 80’s.

We are currently covering computers that were released in the year 1982; a banner year for personal computers.

Next up is a computer that few in the United States know much about. It was released in the UK and even there didn’t get much traction. It was a unique beast, with its own personality and quirks; before it went quietly into the annals of history. The machine I’m talking about is the Grundy NewBrain. Certainly a bold and pretentious name for a computer, but memorable nonetheless.

As it was so relatively unknown, I’m going to be spending a lot of air time talking about its history. Here’s how I’m planning to cover this unique machine:

  1. in this episode I’ll be summarizing its history, including a short interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, whose company did some work on the machine
  2. a later episode will have an interview with Steve O’Hara Smith, who was involved with development of the machine
  3. yet another episode will have an interview with Gerald McMullon, also having done some work on the early NewBrain, as well as support after its release
  4. Finally, there will be 1 or more episodes to cover the usual topics of tech specs, Web sites, emulators, etc. I will have a special guest co-host for that.

So, as you can see, there’s a ton of upcoming information about the NewBrain. Please join me in learning more about this unusual machine.

Before we get into the history of the machine, I’ll let you know what I’ve been up to and have been able to acquire lately, computer and modern upgrade-wise.

New Acquisitions

  • the Commodore Room - https://www.youtube.com/@thecommodoreroom4554
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • PiKey-10 upgrade - http://www.pikey.tech/
  • NewSoft - (https://jaynewirth.wixsite.com/newsoft
  • CoCo3 512K RAM upgrade - http://www.cloud9tech.com
  • CoCo Multi-pak PAL upgrade - http://www.cloud9tech.com
  • ChromaTRS - https://www.ebay.com/str/trs80universe
  • Vintage computer printed items - https://techdungeon.xyz/
  • 48KRAM (Josh Malone) Twitch channel - https://twitch.tv/48kRAM

Vintage Computer Shows

  • Atari Party 2023! - Saturday, December 2, 2023, 1pm to 4pm - Quakertown Train Station, Quakertown, PA - https://quakertowntrainstation.org - organized by Peter Fletcher
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/
  • Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 17-18, 2024 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - vcfsocal.com
  • Midwest Gaming Classic - April 5-7 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East - April 5-7, 2024 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
  • Indy Classic Computer & Video Game Expo - April 13-14 - Indianapolis, IN - http://www.indyclassic.org
  • The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 4-5, 2024 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • VCF Southwest - June 14-16, 2024 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

References

  • history article by Gerald McMullen - https://newbrainemu.eu/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_download/gid,96/Itemid,52/
  • Grundy NewBrain history at Centre for Computing History - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5291/Grundy-NewBrain-AD/
  • Grundy articles at Centre for Computing History - https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/8265/Grundy-Business-Systems/
  • Grundy NewBrain at old-computers.com - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=176
  • Grundy NewBrain at Binary Dinosaurs - https://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Grundy/index.php
  • 2012 Article on the Grundy NewBrain at The Register - https://www.theregister.com/2012/07/02/newbury_labs_grundy_business_systems_newbrain_is_30_years_old/
  • NewBrain at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grundy_NewBrain

View Details

Interview with Forrest Mims III, Electronics Author

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Books:

  • Forrest's first memoir "Siliconnections: Coming of Age in the Electronic Era" - https://amzn.to/48wmIao
  • Forrest's best-selling book "Getting Started in Electronics" - https://amzn.to/3LDExdY
  • Forrest's upcoming book "Maverick Scientist: My Adventures as an Amateur Scientist" - https://amzn.to/3PAgP3k

Hello, and welcome to episode 130 of the Floppy Days Podcast for September 2023. I’m your host, Randy Kindig, and I’ll be bringing you this podcast as the beautiful fall weather and foliage descends on central Indiana. I love the podcast, and I love the computer shows that start popping up in the fall, which you’ll hear more about on this show.

I feel like I’ve been EXTREMELY lucky lately, in being able to get interviews with some outstanding contributors to the early home computer era of the late 70’s and early 80’s. As you know, I’ve had interviews recently published with Paul Terrell, who jump-started the early Apple Computer with his purchase of their first 50 Apple I’s. Those interviews will continue as Paul and I continue to talk. Additionally, I also recently was able to talk with one of the most prolific, impactful authors of electronics books and kits on the planet, Mr. Forrest Mims III. I would be surprised if just about every listener of this podcast hasn’t heard of Forrest and wasn’t impacted in some positive manner by his terrific tutorials on electronics. In this episode, Forrest and I talk about his early involvement with the creation of MITS and the Altair, how he got into publishing numerous books for Radio Shack, and much, much more. Forrest is still extremely busy and involved with the scientific community today and was happy to share his story. Almost as happy as we are to have been able to talk with him.

Before we talk with Forrest, I will give a short run-down of what I’ve been up to and new acquisitions (that’s where the computer show discussion comes in).

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • TS2068 Twister/HDMI board - https://www.andertone.com/product/the-twist/
  • TS2068 OS64 board - https://www.andertone.com/product/zebra-os-64-cartridge-for-timex-sinclair-2068/
  • HDMI cable - https://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Original-Master-System-Console/dp/B07Z5W7QS7/
  • 2068 Personal Color Computer User Manual - https://www.andertone.com/product/timex-sinclair-2068-personal-color-computer-user-manual/
  • T/S 2068 Basics and Beyond by Sharon Zardetto Aker - https://www.andertone.com/product/t-s-2068-basics-and-beyond/
  • The Essential Guide to Timex/Sinclair Home Computers - https://www.andertone.com/product/the-essential-guide-to-timex-sinclair-home-computers/
  • TS2068 group on groups.io - https://groups.io/g/TS2068
  • “Back Into the Storm” by Bil Herd and Margaret Morabito (autographed) - https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/back-into-the-storm-a-design-engineers-story-of-commodore-computers-in-the-1980s/
  • modern power supply for TS2068 - https://www.andertone.com/product/ts-2068-power-supply/
  • M100/T102/T200 TPDD1 boot disk - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/TPDD1-disk-26-3808/p/141211027
  • TI99 CF7+ case - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/3D-printed-case-for-CF7/p/80201708

Upcoming Shows

  • Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • Amiga38 Germany - Oct. 6-7 - Das Rote Krokodil - Kunstwerk Mönchengladbach - https://amigaevent.de/WB.html
  • The Interim Computer Festival - Oct. 7-8 - Seattle, WA - https://sdf.org/icf/
  • AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net
  • Dragon MeetUp - October 7-8 - The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge - https://www.facebook.com/events/225011523831254/?ref=newsfeed
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 14, 2023 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • Mactoberfest Bay Area Meetup - October 14, 2023 - Belmont, CA - https://www.bigmessowires.com/2023/09/03/mactoberfest-bay-area-meetup-is-october-14/
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show schedule - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Interview

  • Web site operated by Forrest - http://www.forrestmims.org/biography.html
  • History of MITS - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Instrumentation_and_Telemetry_Systems
  • Forrest at Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mims
  • “The Altair story; early days at MITS.”, CREATIVE COMPUTING VOL. 10, NO. 11 / NOVEMBER 1984 / PAGE 17, Forrest M. Mims III - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n11/17_The_Altair_story_early_d.php
  • Easy-to-understand guide to home computers by Forrest Mims III - https://archive.org/details/easy-to-understand-guide-to-home-computers
  • Digital computer book by Paul Malvino - https://www.amazon.com/Digital-computer-electronics-introduction-microcomputers/dp/0070399018/
  • Understanding Digital Computers by Forrest Mims III - https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Digital-Computers-Self-learning-Microcomputer/dp/B002E6HIAI/
  • Forrest’s articles in Popular Electronics Magazine - https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Consumer/Archive-Poptronics-IDX/search.cgi?zoom_query=forrest+mims&zoom_page=2&zoom_per_page=10&zoom_and=1&zoom_sort=0&zoom_xml=0
Getting Started in Electronics
None

View Details

Paul Terrell - Exidy Part 2

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 129 for August, 2023 of the Floppy Days Podcast, with your host, Randy Kindig!

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll know that we’re in the middle of a series of episodes where we talk with Paul Terrell. Paul has been credited with essentially jump-starting the personal computer industry in many ways, not the least of which was by buying the original Apple I computer from the just-getting-started Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and selling it in his equally-famous computer store, The Byte Shop. This was one of the first personal computer retail store chains in existence. Paul was also a member of the legendary Homebrew Computer Club and attended the West Coast Computer Faire. He was involved in the development of both the Exidy Sorcerer and BYT-8 computers and he later went on to start ComputerMania Inc. which was a chain of computer stores created with the purpose of renting computers and software.

The first episode with Paul (June 2023’s episode) was a sort of overview before Paul’s time being involved with Exidy and the Exidy Sorcerer computer. Last month was segment 1 of 2 focusing directly on Exidy and the Sorcerer. And, this month is segment 2 of 2; again focusing on Exidy and the Sorcerer. You’ll hear more about how the Sorcerer came about, hear Paul’s insight into why certain design decisions were made, and what mistakes were made. The Sorcerer was truly an early, important machine, and had impressive features for the timeframe that it came out. As a reminder, if you want to hear additional information about the Sorcerer and about Exidy, there are 2 other Floppy Days Podcasts you’ll want to listen to:

  • Episode 17, where the Sorcerer is covered in detail - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-17-the-exidy-sorcerer-live-from-vcfse-20
  • Episode 114, which features an interview with Howell Ivy. Howell was the principal designer of the Sorcerer and recollects his time at Exidy. - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-114-howell-ivy-exidy-sorcerer-and-exidy

Paul decided he would really like to be able to talk about his incredible career in its entirety, including an amazing number of industry-impacting contributions, more than just the time with Exidy, and I of course was ecstatic that he decided my humble podcast could be a good medium for that. What that means for the listener, is that you can expect an even broader series of continued podcasts with Paul in the near future, interspersed with other computer-based and interview episodes along the way.

I really hope you enjoy the Paul Terrel series in general, and this episode should give you a nice wrap-up on his involvement with Exidy and the Sorcerer!

View Details

Paul Terrell - Exidy Part 1

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, and welcome to episode 128 for July, 2023 of the Floppy Days Podcast, with your host, Randy Kindig!

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll know that we’re in the middle of a series of episodes where we talk with Paul Terrell. Paul has been credited with essentially jump-starting the personal computer industry in many ways, not the least of which was by buying the original Apple I computer from the just-getting-started Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and selling it in his equally-famous computer store, The Byte Shop. This was one of the first personal computer retail stores in existence. Paul was also a member of the legendary Homebrew Computer Club and attended the West Coast Computer Faire. He was involved in the development of both the Exidy Sorcerer and BYT-8 computers and he later went on to start ComputerMania Inc. which was a chain of computer stores created with the purpose of renting computers and software.

This guy has had an amazing career and I am truly honored to be able to bring you a series of interviews with Paul for the podcast. Paul and I will be covering his entire career, from his early beginnings, thru the Byte Shop years and his time with the nascent Apple Computer, and beyond. The first segment (last month’s episode) was a sort of overview before Paul’s time being involved with Exidy and the Exidy Sorcerer computer. This segment is part 1 of 2 focusing directly on Exidy and the Sorcerer. You’ll hear how the Sorcerer came about, hear Paul’s insight into why certain design decisions were made, and what mistakes were made. The Sorcerer was truly an early, important machine, and had impressive features for the timeframe that it came out. If you want to hear additional information about the Sorcerer and about Exidy, there are 2 other Floppy Days Podcasts you’ll want to listen to:

  1. Episode 17, where the Sorcerer is covered in detail - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-17-the-exidy-sorcerer-live-from-vcfse-20
  2. Episode 114, which features an interview with Howell Ivy. Howell was the principal designer of the Sorcerer and recollects his time at Exidy. - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-114-howell-ivy-exidy-sorcerer-and-exidy

Paul first contacted me after the interview I had with Howell Ivy and Howell’s involvement and remembrances of the Exidy Sorcerer. He really liked Howell’s interview and wanted to add a few details and give his perspective on the Sorcerer. As we talked further, Paul decided he would really like to be able to talk about his incredible career in its entirety, more than just the time with Exidy, and I of course was ecstatic that he decided my humble podcast could be a good medium for that.

I really hope you enjoy the Paul Terrel series in general, and this episode should give you a nice perspective on his involvement with Exidy and the Sorcerer!

View Details

Floppy Days 127 - James Shackel Estate Haul and Paul Terrell Intro

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • *Arcade Shopper*

Hello, and welcome to episode 127 for June, 2023 of the Floppy Days Podcast, with your host, yours truly, Randy Kindig!

I'd bet there are few listeners who don’t know the name Paul Terrell. Paul has been credited with essentially jump-starting the personal computer industry in many ways, not the least of which was by buying the original Apple I computer from the just-getting-started Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and selling it in his equally-famous computer store, The Byte Shop. This was the first personal computer retail store in existence. Paul was also a member of the legendary Homebrew Computer Club and attended the West Coast Computer Faire. He was involved in the development of both the Exidy Sorcerer and BYT-8 computers and he later went on to start ComputerMania Inc. which was a chain of computer stores created with the purpose of renting computers and software.

This guy has had an amazing career and I am truly honored to be able to bring you a series of interviews with Paul for the podcast. Paul and I will be covering his entire career, from his early beginnings, thru the Byte Shop years and his time with the nascent Apple Computer, and beyond. This first segment is a sort of overview leading up to Paul’s time involved with Exidy and the Exidy Sorcerer computer. You’ll hear a small bit about Bill Gates, the early Micro-soft, the Byte Shop, the early Apple, the Homebrew Computer Club, the West Coast Computer Faire and a whole lot more. Later episodes will be focused primarily on a single topic, such as the Sorcerer, the Byte Shop, etc.

Paul first contacted me after the interview I had with Howell Ivy and Howell’s involvement and remembrances of the Exidy Sorcerer. He really liked Howell’s interview and wanted to add a few details and give his perspective on the Sorcerer. As we talked further, Paul decided he would really really like to be able to talk about his incredible career in its entirety, more than just the time with Exidy, and I of course was ecstatic that he decided my humble podcast could be a good medium for that.

I really hope you enjoy the series in general, and this short episode should give you a taste of the things to come!

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Floppy Days 126 - Interview with Bob Frankston, Co-developer of Visicalc

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Hello, everyone! Welcome to episode 126 of the Floppy Days Podcast, with yours truly, Randy Kindig, as the host.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, listening to this podcast has surely heard of the ground-breaking application (for its time) Visicalc. Visicalc was the first spreadsheet computer program for personal computers, originally released for the Apple II by VisiCorp on October 17, 1979. It is considered the killer application for the Apple II, turning the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool, and then prompting IBM to introduce the IBM PC two years later. More than 700,000 copies were sold in six years, and up to 1 million copies over its history.

Initially developed for the Apple II computer, VisiCalc was ported to numerous platforms, both 8-bit and some of the early 16-bit systems, such as the Commodore PET, Atari 8-bit, TRS-80 (TRSDOS), CP/M, MS-DOS, and even the HP Series 80.

VisiCalc was later replaced in the market by Lotus 1-2-3 and eventually by Microsoft’s Excel, which is the dominant spreadsheet today. Spreadsheets, along with word processors, and presentation tools are still today considered one of the key applications for computing.

Bob Frankston, along with Dan Bricklin, are the co-inventors of VisiCalc. This month, we have an interview with the aforementioned Bob Frankston. Bob was kind enough to take time to talk with me about what it was like to create such a ground-breaking tool.

Before doing that, I have a few new acquisitions to discuss and I’ll tell you about upcoming computer shows.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Retro Innovations
  • Lige and the YouTube show “The Commodore Room” - https://www.youtube.com/@thecommodoreroom4554
  • Console5 (cap kits)

Upcoming Shows

  • The 64 bits or less Retro Gaming Festival - June 3-4 - Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon (sponsored by the Portland Retro Gaming Expo) - https://www.64bitsorless.com/
  • Boatfest Vintage Computer Exposition - June 23-25 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • VCF Southwest - June 23-25 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX - http://vcfsw.org
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • Kickstart Amiga UK Expo - July 1-2 - Nottingham, UK - https://www.amigashow.com/
  • KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 (in-person) - July 29–30, 2023 (virtual) - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • ZZAP! Live 2023 - August 12 - The Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, CV8 1ED - https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/category/zzap-live/
  • Silly Venture SE (Summer Edition) - Aug. 17-20 - Gdansk, Poland - https://www.demoparty.net/silly-venture/silly-venture-2023-se
  • Fujiama 2023 - Aug. 30 - Sep. 3 - Lengenfeld, Germany - http://atarixle.ddns.net/fuji/2023/
  • VCF Midwest - September 9-10 - Waterford Banquets and Conference Center, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - October 14, 2023 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html
  • Facebook show listings - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Interview

  • Bob’s Website - https://www.frankston.com/
  • New York Times article on Bricklin and Frankston joining Lotus (acquisition) - https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/10/business/business-people-former-friendly-rivals-joining-forces-at-lotus.html
  • Bob interview on TwitTV - https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/4

View Details

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Welcome to Floppy Days #125 for April, 2023. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig.

We are currently in the year 1982 for home computers. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Sinclair ZX Spectrum through all the usual topics. This is the seventh of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”, Mr. Chris Smith, the fifth covering tech specs for the Speccy with Chris, and the sixth covering the topics peripherals, using the machine, and magazines with PJ Evans, Tour Guide and Sinclair curator at The National Museum of Computing on Bletchley Park in the U.K.

The topics covered in this episode include books, software, ads, modern upgrades, emulation, buying one today, community, and Web sites. Once again, my co-host will be PJ Evans, who did a wonderful job last episode. This will be the final episode covering the ZX Spectrum, after setting the record in terms of number of episodes on Floppy Days about a single machine.

As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on any new acquisitions that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware.

Before we get started I want to mention the show sponsors for Floppy Days.

https://www.8bitclassics.com, run by my friend Corey Koltz, is a great place to get vintage computer items. This includes video cables, power supplies, PC boards, cartridges, upgrades and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms. In the New Acquisitions section I cover each month on this show, often one of the items I talk about has been ordered from 8-Bit Classics. Corey has been a friend of the show for some time and I really appreciate his support of the podcast. Check out the site… he has some great stuff.

https://www.arcadeshopper.com, run by my friend Greg McGill, is another terrific site to get vintage computer items. Greg has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms. This is another site that I do and have done a lot of shopping at and have mentioned numerous times on Floppy Days. If anything shows out of stock, just ping Greg through the contact form and he can check whether he has or can get more of the item for you.

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. This includes Chris Petzel, Tony Cappellini, laurens, Richard Goulstone, Josh Malone, Andy Collins, Simon McCullough, Jason Moore, Quentin Barnes. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • Amiga 500 Parceiro - amiga.parceiro@outlook.com
  • Atari XEP80-II Case - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/xep80-ii-by-mytek
  • FD sign and shirt - http://www.vistaprint.com
  • book - Over the Spectrum - https://amzn.to/3AmFaSZ
  • ZXPand+ Case - http://www.sellmyretro.com

Upcoming Shows

  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 29 & 30 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The 64 bits or less Retro Gaming Festival - June 3-4 - Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon (sponsored by the PortlandRetro Gaming Expo) - https://www.64bitsorless.com/
  • Boatfest Vintage Computer Exposition - June 23-25 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • VCF Southwest - June 23-25 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX - http://vcfsw.org
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start j
  • KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • ZZAP! Live 2023 - August 12 - The Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, CV8 1ED - https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/category/zzap-live/
  • VCF Midwest - September 9-10 - Waterford Banquets and Conference Center, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/

Books

  • books listed at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/books
  • Spectrum Machine Language For The Absolute Beginner by William Tang 2020 - https://amzn.to/3Ix6mn3 (Retro Reproductions)
  • Over the Spectrum by Philip Williams 2020 - https://amzn.to/3YFsbGu (Retro Reproductions)
  • Spectrum Games Bible 1982-1984 Paperback – June 11, 2008 by P Johns - https://amzn.to/3KfL0vy
  • ZX Spectrum Games Code Club: Twenty fun games to code and learn Paperback – November 23, 2015 by Gary Plowman (Author) - https://amzn.to/3EgSFGk
  • Spectrumpedia by Alessandro Grussu (2 volumes) - https://www.alessandrogrussu.it/sp.html
  • Volume I (English) - https://amzn.to/3Ek9boX

  • Volume II (English) - https://amzn.to/3IGVwet

  • The Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more Paperback – Illustrated, December 8, 2018 by Gary Plowman - https://amzn.to/3Klsan7

  • The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer Illustrated Edition by Christopher David Smith - https://amzn.to/3IwGgjU
  • Sinclair ZX Spectrum : A Visual Compendium - https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/by-system/products/sinclair-zx-spectrum-a-visual-compendium

Software

  • archive at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/archive
  • TOSEC at archive.org by Lady Eklipse - https://archive.org/details/zx-spectrum-tosec-set-v-2020-02-18-lady-eklipse
  • Top 10 games - https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/30-best-zx-spectrum-games-594151
    1. Elite – Firebird Games
    1. R-Type – Electric Dreams Software
    1. Chuckie Egg - A'n'F Software
    1. Manic Miner - Bug-Byte Software Ltd
    1. Knight Lore - Ultimate Play The Game
    1. Back to Skool - Microsphere
    1. Football Manager - Addictive Games Ltd
    1. Lunar Jetman - Ultimate Play The Game
    1. Horace Goes Skiing – Beam Software
    1. Boulder Dash – Front Runner

  • Productivity and Education Software from Sinclair Catalog (all cassette) - https://archive.org/details/sinclair-research/ZX%20Spectrum%20Software%20Catalog/mode/2up

Ads and Appearances

  • Starring the Computer - http://www.starringthecomputer.com/
  • Ad - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/Sinclair/ZXSpectrum

Modern Upgrades

  • ZX-AY external stereo audio interface for all ZX Spectrum models - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=zx-ay-external-stereo-audio-interface-for-all-zx-spectrum-models
  • ZX-HD HDMI Interface - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=zx-hd-hdmi-interface-with-ulaplus
  • DIVMMC - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/sinclair/divmmcfuture.html
  • SpectraNet - https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=spectranet-internet-interface-with-closed-case

Emulation

  • Emulator list at World of Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.net/emulators/
  • Spectaculator (paid) https://www.spectaculator.com/
  • Fuse:
  • Windows - https://sourceforge.net/projects/fuse-emulator/files/fuse-utils/1.4.3/fuse-utils-1.4.3-win32.zip/download
  • macOS - https://fuse-for-macosx.sourceforge.io/

  • Linux - http://fuse-emulator.sourceforge.net/

  • Speccy - https://fms.komkon.org/Speccy/

  • Eighty One - https://www.aptanet.org/eightyone/
  • Retro Virtual Machine (RVM) - https://www.retrovirtualmachine.org/
  • ZEsarUX - https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux/
  • ZX Spectrum 4 Android - https://www.zxspectrum4.net/android/
  • QAOP (browser-based) - http://torinak.com/qaop
  • JSSpeccy (browser-based) - https://jsspeccy.zxdemo.org/

Community

  • Facebook
  • Spectrum Forever - https://www.facebook.com/groups/491247224287188
  • Spectrum for Everyone - https://www.facebook.com/groups/400461880300289
  • World of Spectrum - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1571053279836005

  • ZX Spectrum - https://www.facebook.com/groups/164156683632183

  • Twitter

  • ZX Spectrum Code Club - https://twitter.com/zxspectrum_club

  • Mastodon

  • Sinclair ZX Spectrum Bot - https://oldbytes.space/@zxspectrumbot@mastodon.cloud

  • Spectrum User - https://oldbytes.space/@spectrumuser@toot.wales

  • Forums

  • AtariAge - https://www.atariage.com
  • https://worldofspectrum.org/forums/
  • https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/index.php

  • https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewforum.php

  • Podcasts

  • Our Sinclair: A ZX Spectrum Podcast by Amigos Retro Gaming - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-sinclair-a-zx-spectrum-podcast/id1454120857

  • Reddit

  • https://www.reddit.com/r/zxspectrum/

Web Sites

  • Byte Delight shop - https://www.bytedelight.com
  • The Future Was 8bit shop - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/
  • Power supplies for Spectrum machines at Retro Games Supply - https://en.retrogamesupply.com/collections/other
  • Dr. Steve Vickers at YouTube - https://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~sjv/
  • “The first ZX Spectrum prototype laid bare” article about John Grant - https://www.theregister.com/2019/03/05/the_first_zx_spectrum_prototype_laid_bare/
  • The official world archive for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - https://worldofspectrum.org/
  • The Spectrum Show by Paul Jenkinson - https://m.youtube.com/user/BuckingTheTrend2008
  • The MagPi - https://magpi.raspberrypi.com/issues/67
  • Interview with Steve Vickers & Richard Altwasser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLnuY3EKnWE

References

  • Retro 8-bit Computers - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
  • Old-Computers.com museum - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp
  • https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/
The Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more
ZX Spectrum Games Code Club: Twenty fun games to code and learn
None

View Details

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Welcome to Floppy Days #124 for March, 2023. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig.

We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. This is the sixth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”, Mr. Chris Smith, and the sixth covering tech specs for the Speccy with Chris.

The topics covered in this episode include peripherals, using the machine, and magazines. Next episode we will complete the ZX Spectrum coverage, by talking about books, software, ads, modern upgrades, emulation, buying one today, community, and Web sites.

As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on any new acquisitions that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware and share any feedback I’ve gotten.

Before we get started I want to mention that I now have some show sponsors for Floppy Days.

https://www.8bitclassics.com, run by my friend Corey Koltz, is a great place to get vintage computer items. This includes video cables, power supplies, PC boards, cartridges, upgrades and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms. In the New Acquisitions section I cover each month on this show, often one of the items I talk about has been ordered from 8-Bit Classics. Corey has been a friend of the show for some time and I really appreciate his support of the podcast. Check out the site… he has some great stuff.

https://www.arcadeshopper.com, run by my friend Greg McGill, is another terrific site to get vintage computer items. Greg has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms. This is another site that I do and have done a lot of shopping at and have mentioned numerous times on Floppy Days. If anything shows out of stock, just ping Greg through the contact form and he can check whether he has or can get more of the item for you.

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. This includes Chris Petzel, Tony Cappellini, laurens, Richard Goulstone, Josh Malone, Andy Collins, Simon McCullough, Jason Moore, Quentin Barnes. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • Amiga 1000 - amiga.parceiro@outlook.com
  • Commodore SX-64 repair video by The Commodore Room - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flsn_FD2zpA

Upcoming Shows

  • Midwest Gaming Classic - March 31-April 2 - Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East 2023 - Apr 14-16, 2023 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 15-16, 2023 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • 31st Annual “Last” CocoFest - April 22-23, 2023 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago, Carol Stream, IL - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 29 & 30 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • The 64 bits or less Retro Gaming Festival - June 3-4 - Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis, Oregon (sponsored by the PortlandRetro Gaming Expo) - https://www.64bitsorless.com/
  • Boatfest Vintage Computer Exposition - June 23-25 - Hurricane, WV - http://boatfest.info
  • VCF Southwest - June 23-25 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX - http://vcfsw.org
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start j
  • KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • ZZAP! Live 2023 - August 12 - The Holiday Inn, Kenilworth, CV8 1ED - https://fusionretroevents.co.uk/category/zzap-live/
  • VCF Midwest - September 9-10 - Waterford Banquets and Conference Center, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Sep. 29-Oct. 1 - Courtyard by Marriott in Springfield, Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • AmiWest - October 14-15 - Sacramento, CA - https://retro.directory/browse/events/4/AmiWest.net
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • World of Commodore - Dec. 2-3, 2023 - Admiral Inn Mississauga, Mississauga, ON - http://www.worldofcommodore.ca/

Feedback

  • Claus, webmaster at www.mtxworld.dk

Using the Machine

  • http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/Sinclair/ZXSpectrum

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ZX_Spectrum_magazines
  • https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp
  • Crash
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_(magazine)
  • Modern Crash - https://fusionretrobooks.com/collections/crash-magazine

  • articles for Crash written by Paul Evans - https://www.google.com/search?domains=www.crashonline.org.uk&sitesearch=www.crashonline.org.uk&q=paul%20evans

  • Your Sinclair

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Sinclair

  • Current blog - https://www.ys3.org/

  • Sinclair User

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_User

  • https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine?&sort=-week&page=2

  • Spectrofon

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrofon

  • Sinclair Programs

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Programs

  • https://archive.org/search?query=Sinclair+Programs∧%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22

  • ZX Magazin

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Magaz%C3%ADn

References

  • Retro 8-bit Computers - http://www.retro8bitcomputers.co.uk/
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
  • Old-Computers.com museum - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/default.asp
  • https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/

View Details

Floppy Days 123 - Amiga 1000, Parceiro and Podcast Tenth Anniversary!

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Sponsors:

  • 8-Bit Classics
  • Arcade Shopper

Welcome to episode 123 of Floppy Days for February, 2023, where classic computers are all the rage and we lovingly take you back to the days when computers were simpler and we were younger.

This is a special show for me, because this month (Feb. 17 was the publish date) marks the 10th anniversary of publishing this podcast! Man, oh, man, where has the time gone?! This podcast itself has become vintage, depending on your definition of vintage.

My original intent was to continue the coverage of the ZX Spectrum this month, but my special co-host for that show was unable to record this month. I decided this was the perfect opportunity to have a special show to in some way commemorate the 10-year anniversary. My co-host and I have scheduled the recording for the Spectrum show for early March, so I’ll publish that as early in March as I can. In the meantime, for this show I wanted to talk about how the show has changed and grown over the years and what my plans are for the future.

I apologize for not having one of my two typical formats (machine coverage or interview) for this show. Not to worry though, I’ve got what I think is an interesting story around my recent work to test and set up some Amiga 1000s that have come my way; including some information about a great upgrade for the A1000 called Parceiro II.

I do also want to mention that I now have some show sponsors for Floppy Days.

https://www.8bitclassics.com, run by my friend Corey Koltz, is a great place to get vintage computer items. This includes video cables, power supplies, PC boards, cartridges, upgrades and more for a wide variety of vintage computer platforms. In the New Acquisitions section I cover each month on this show, often one of the items I talk about has been ordered from 8-Bit Classics. Corey has been a friend of the show for some time and I really appreciate his support of the podcast. Check out the site… he has some great stuff.

https://www.arcadeshopper.com, run by my friend Greg McGill, is another terrific site to get vintage computer items. Greg has a wide variety of hard-to-find items for a large number of platforms. This is another site that I do and have done a lot of shopping at and have mentioned numerous times on Floppy Days. If anything shows out of stock, just ping Greg through the contact form and he can check whether he has or can get more of the item for you.

I also wanted to mention those listeners who appreciate the show enough to donate through patreon.com. This includes Chris Petzel, Tony Cappellini, laurens, Richard Goulstone, Josh Malone, Andy Collins, Simon McCullough, Jason Moore, Quentin Barnes. I really appreciate you guys and it helps offset the cost of running the podcast.

On a sad note, one other thing I wanted to talk about was the passing of a good friend in the community, James Shackel (aka Airshack). James passed from this earth in January of this year due to illness, and it was a shock to me to realize I would no longer have James to talk to. James came from the TI community, but was interested in a lot of the vintage machines. Over the years, I traded a Sinclair ZX Spectrum +2A to him for a TIPI network card for the TI99 and James sent me things numerous times, such as books or software. Most recently, just 3 months ago, I traded a Commodore 128 to him for an Atari 1200XL he had. He also had been a patreon donator for Floppy Days for some time. He pinged me all the time to discuss ANTIC or Floppy Days or just to let me know about some new vintage computer thing he came across. I saw James at Tandy Assembly in October last year, just the second time I had ever seen him in person, but he never told me he was ill.

James had a singular sense of humor and I will miss it, and him, very much. It reminds me that we need to appreciate the people around us while we can, as we don’t know how long they will be around. James, I will truly miss you.

Ok, let’s get on with the show. I hope you find something interesting out of this episode. Here’s to 10 more years of Floppy Days!

Intro

  • James Shackel passed away - https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/james-shackel-obituary?id=39585348

New Acquisitions

  • computer trading cards - https://www.8bitkick.cc/home-computers.html
  • Yamaha MSX AX-150 Computer - https://www.msx.org/wiki/Sakhr_AX-150
  • memory mapper + SD card interface - Arcade Shopper
  • Amiga 1000 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_1000
  • Parceiro II by David Dunklee:
  • https://bytecellar.com/2021/12/13/parceiro-an-extraordinary-upgrade-for-amiga-1000-users/
  • amiga.parceiro@outlook.com to order one

Upcoming Shows

  • Midwest Gaming Classic - March 31-April 2 - The Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
  • VCF East 2023 - Apr 14-16, 2023 - InfoAge Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 15-16, 2023 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • 31st Annual “Last” CocoFest - April 22-23, 2023 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago, Carol Stream, IL - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 29 & 30 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 24-25 - “Interim” Computer Museum, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
  • KansasFest, the largest and longest running annual Apple II conference - July 18-23, 2023 - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Southern Fried Gaming Expo - July 28-30 2023 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 13-15, 2023 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
  • http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html

10th Anniversary Special Content

  • OldComputers.net timeline - http://oldcomputers.net

View Details

NEC TREK PC-6001, Part II

Please donate at: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays. 

Welcome to Floppy Days #122 for January, 2023.  And I’m your host, Randy Kindig.

We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982.  As regular listeners will know, we’ve been covering the ZX Spectrum and the myriad of information about that machine.  While we still have more information to cover, such as emulation, Web sites, and a lot more, we are currently taking a tiny step back to pick up coverage of a machine that I recently acquired and wanted to talk about, but which came out in very late 1981.  That machine is the Nippon Electric Company (NEC) PC-6001 and its US variation, the PC-6001A, or NEC-TREK.  It actually was released in November, 1981 in Japan.  Thus, you can see that this is really a very tiny detour to go back and pick up this machine.  It’s one I didn’t know about, honestly, and when I acquired a very clean, boxed version in the Great Barn Find of 2022, not only did I decide to keep the machine but also to cover it on Floppy Days.  I hope you can forgive me this minor detour off the path of covering the machines in the approx. order they were released.  I think you’ll find this machine interesting, as I did, and enjoy hearing about it.

This is the second episode of a 2-part arc on this machine, due to the amount of material we were able to pull together and length of time it took to go through it.  Last episode we covered history and tech specs (as well as a brief interview with my co-host), and this month we will cover the remaining usual topics.

With me this month again to provide the co-hosting duties will be Carlos Camacho.  Carlos lived in Japan for a while and has a great perspective on this line of computers, as well as a lot of experience and knowledge around Japanese computers in general, which I think you’ll find interesting.  The research he did on the PC-6000 line a few years ago was a tremendous help in pulling together information for this show.  At the end of the day, if you have an interest in acquiring anything for this platform, you’ll need the information that Carlos provides on how to navigate the Japanese vintage computer market.  I know I learned a ton from Carlos.

Very soon we’ll return to ZX Spectrum coverage.

As usual, I will also talk a bit about a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way.  In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware and share any feedback I’ve gotten.

I hope you enjoy the show!

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donate at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #121 for December, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. Happy holidays to all!

We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982. As regular listeners will know, we’ve been covering the ZX Spectrum and the myriad of information about that machine. While we still have more information to cover, such as emulation, Web sites, and a lot more, we’re going to take a tiny step back and pick up coverage of a machine that I recently acquired and wanted to talk about, but which came out in very late 1981. That machine is the Nippon Electric Company (NEC) PC-6001 and its US variation, the PC-6001A, or NEC-TREK. It actually was released in November, 1981 in Japan. So, you can see that this is really a very tiny detour to go back and pick up this machine. It’s one I didn’t know about, honestly, and when I acquired a very clean, boxed version in the Great Barn Find of 2022, not only did I decide to keep the machine but also to cover it on Floppy Days. I hope you can forgive me this minor detour off the path of covering the machines in the approx. order they were released. I think you’ll find this machine interesting, as I did, and enjoy hearing about it.

With me this month to provide the co-hosting duties will be Carlos Camacho. Carlos lived in Japan for a while and has a great perspective on this line of computers, as well as a lot of experience and knowledge around Japanese computers in general, which I think you’ll find interesting. The research he did on the PC-6000 line a few years ago was a tremendous help in pulling together information for this show.

This will be a 2-part episode, due to the amount of material we were able to pull together and length of time it took to go through it.

Next month we’ll return to ZX Spectrum coverage.

As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on the The Great Barn Find of 2022, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware and share any feedback I’ve gotten.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. On that topic, I do intend to beef up the various Floppy Days offerings, including some additional content depending on the donation level at Patreon. Look for that as soon as I’ve figured out what I want to offer and how to manage it. I do want to send out a heart-felt thank you for everyone who has already contributed and continues to contribute!

I hope you enjoy the show!

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Dontate at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #120 for November, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is well.

We are currently covering the very productive year for home computers of 1982. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. I’m still unsure how many episodes we’re going to end up with in this arc. There’s so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days record for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the fifth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu, and the fourth being the interview with the author of the terrific book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”; Mr. Chris Smith.

As I don’t know of anyone who knows more about the internals of this machine than Chris, as evidenced by his book, other than maybe the original designers, Chris continues to help me with this episode and we cover the tech specs of the Spectrum.

As usual, I will also talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on the The Great Barn Find of 2022, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware and share any feedback I’ve gotten.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. On that topic, I do intend to beef up the various Floppy Days offerings, including some additional content depending on the donation level at Patreon. Look for that as soon as I’ve figured out what I want to offer and how to manage it. I do want to send out a heart-felt thank you for everyone who has already contributed and continues to contribute!

Before we get started, I want to apologize for the lateness of this episode. It’s being published a couple days into December due to my son having been in the hospital the past week. However, I’m happy to report that he’s home now and I’m delighted to be able to get this to you now. I hope you enjoy it.

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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #119 for October, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is safe and sound...

We are currently covering the prolific year (for home computers) of 1982. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. I don’t even know yet how many episodes we’re going to end up in this arc. There’s so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days records for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the fourth of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, and the second and third being coverage of the history of the Spectrum with Alessandro Grussu.

In this episode, I talk with the author of the wonderful book “The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer”; Mr. Chris Smith. I don’t know of anyone who knows more about the internals of this machine than Chris, as evidenced by his book, other than maybe the original designers. In this episode, I interview Chris about him, his book, his collection and other topics.

As usual, I will talk a bit about what I have been up to, including an update on the The Great Barn Find of 2022, attendance at a computer show, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • Apple GS monitor connector for CoCo - Mike Rojas, Facebook - (https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/392874865780089/?ref=share_attachment)
  • GFA BASIC - http://gfabasic.net/
  • “GFA BASIC Training Reboot Camp - A Beginning Tutorial for the GFA BASIC Interpreter” - https://docs.dev-docs.org/
  • “GFA BASIC Book - An intermediate programming tutorial for GFA BASIC” - https://docs.dev-docs.org/
  • GFA BASIC Atari Reference Manual
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • Vintage is the New Old with Paulo Garcia - https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/
  • Jeff Birt’s Website at Tindie - https://www.tindie.com/stores/hey_birt/

Upcoming Shows

  • Chicago TI International Worlds Faire = Oct. 29, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • World of Commodore = Dec. 3-4. - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore/world-of-commodore-2022 - Virtual and Physical!

Interview with Chris Smith

  • The ZX Spectrum Ula: How to Design a Microcomputer (ZX Design Retro Computer) Illustrated Edition
  • Chris’ Web site - http://www.zxdesign.info/indexPage.shtml
  • Harlequin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZX_Spectrum_clones#Harlequin
  • ZX Spectrum 30-year Anniversary event - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/news/23039/Celebrating-30-Years-of-the
  • MicroMen:
  • https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1459467/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIcAyFVK0gE

View Details

“The Great Barn Find of 2022!”

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #118 for September, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is doing well..

I decided to take a 1-month break from the ZX Spectrum series of episodes, of which I’m currently in the midst, in order to talk about some other vintage computer activities with which I’ve been involved lately. There has been a lot going on the vintage computer front for me, as well as some changes in my personal life that I wanted to share with all of you. I apologize that you’re just going to hear my voice for the entire show, but I’ll make sure not to drone and try to keep it lively.

I will talk a bit about what I have been up to, an amazing barn find, attendance at the largest vintage computer show of the year, and an incredible computer museum adventure, as well as a few new acquisitions (beyond the barn find) that have come my way. In addition, I’ll briefly tell you about upcoming shows of which I’m aware.

Next month, we’ll pick up where we left off with the Spectrum series. I have some additional guest hosts lined up to really dive into topics like tech specs, peripherals, books, magazines, modern upgrades, Web sites, etc. I think you’ll enjoy the remaining Spectrum topics and guests I have planned.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

What I’ve Been Up To

  • VCFMW - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Kevin Ottum and his Nu-Brick company - https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/181163469893545
  • Jim Brain and his RetroInnovations company - http://go4retro.com
  • American Computer and Robotics Museum - https://acrmuseum.org/

Upcoming Shows

  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo = Oct. 14-16, Portland, OR - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Chicago TI International Worlds Faire = Oct. 29, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • World of Commodore = first weekend of Dec. - https://www.tpug.ca/category/woc-posts/ NOT YET ANNOUNCED

View Details

https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #117 for August, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is doing well..

Thank you so much, Andy Collins, for providing your thoughts and memories about the ZX Spectrum to kick off this episode. Great work!

We are currently covering the prolific year (for home computers) of 1982. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. I don’t even know yet how many episodes we’re going to end up in this arc. There’s so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days records for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the third of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, and the second being coverage of the history of the Spectrum through about 1984.

In this episode, I once again talk with the author of the wonderful book “Spectrumpedia”; Mr. Alessandro Grussu. In this episode, Alessandro and I continue to walk through the history of the machine, covering additional models that were produced, its competition at the time, its positives and negatives, and ultimately the impression it left in home computer history books.

As usual, I will talk a bit about a few new acquisitions that have come my way in my attempt to use up every square inch of exhibition and storage room in my home, as well as bring you news about upcoming shows.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

View Details

https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #117 for August, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is doing well..

Thank you so much, Andy Collins, for providing your thoughts and memories about the ZX Spectrum to kick off this episode. Great work!

We are currently covering the prolific year (for home computers) of 1982. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. I don’t even know yet how many episodes we’re going to end up in this arc. There’s so much to talk about and so many knowledgeable people on the subject, that the Spectrum is probably going to set the illustrious Floppy Days records for the number of episodes about a single machine. This is the third of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, and the second being coverage of the history of the Spectrum through about 1984.

In this episode, I once again talk with the author of the wonderful book “Spectrumpedia”; Mr. Alessandro Grussu. In this episode, Alessandro and I continue to walk through the history of the machine, covering additional models that were produced, its competition at the time, its positives and negatives, and ultimately the impression it left in home computer history books.

As usual, I will talk a bit about a few new acquisitions that have come my way in my attempt to use up every square inch of exhibition and storage room in my home, as well as bring you news about upcoming shows.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

View Details

donate at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days #116 for July, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is staying safe.

Thank you so much, Mark Hacker, for providing your thoughts and memories about the ZX Spectrum to kick off this episode.

As mentioned in the last show, 1982 was a landmark year for home computers, as there were some significant introductions in this year. One of the most impactful computers released at this time was the ZX Spectrum; in the UK by the iconic Sir Clive Sinclair. This episode is the continuation of a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics. In fact, there’s such a rich history leading up to the introduction of the Spectrum, and through its lifetime in the market, of which many in the US may not be aware, that we’re going to be spending three (3) full episodes just on its history. This is the second of those, with the first having been the interview with John Grant of Nine Tiles, who played a part in the development of the Speccy.

As I was looking for materials to help discuss the history of the Spectrum, I had difficulty in finding books and other references that went into the full timeline, other than Wikipedia. Luckily, I happened upon a wonderful reference that covers all aspects of the machine, called “Spectrumpedia” by the Italian Alessandro Grusso. I was able to contact Alessandro and he graciously agreed to co-host on one or more topics, starting with history. His book has a wonderfully complete and detailed section about the history of the Speccy. In this episode, Alessandro and I attempt to walk through the introduction of the machine, all of the different models that were produced, its competition at the time, its positives and negatives, and ultimately the impression it left in home computer history books.

I will, as usual, talk about a few new acquisitions that have come my way in my never-ending adventures to discover new modern upgrades for my collection of old machines; as well as bring you news about upcoming shows.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

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https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Please consider donating to keep Floppy Days going!

ZX Spectrum Part 1 History with John Grant

Welcome to Floppy Days #115 for June, 2022. And I’m your host, Randy Kindig. I hope everyone is doing well.

As you know, we are generally following the timeline of computers as they were released to the world. We have arrived in the year 1982. 1982 was a landmark year for home computers, as there were some significant introductions in this year. Machines that played a critical part in the rich home computer period of the 1980’s. In particular, I’m talking about the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64 as well as some other interesting machines.

One of the most impactful computers released at this time was the ZX Spectrum; across the pond in the UK by Sir Clive Sinclair. This episode kicks off a multi-episode arc that covers the Spectrum through all the usual topics.

The first topic we always start with is history. I was able to catch up with a person who played a significant role in the history of the Spectrum through his company Nine Tiles. Of course, I’m talking about Mr. John Grant. John was kind enough to talk about the work he did on the machine and some of the stories surrounding its development and introduction. I hope you find this interesting.

I will, as usual, talk about a few new acquisitions that have come my way in my never ending quest to discover new modern upgrades for my collection of old machines; as well as bring you news about upcoming shows.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • XEP-80 II by MyTek (Michael St. Pierre)
    • MyTek Website - https://ataribits.weebly.com/xep80-ii.html
    • Purchasing XEP-80 II at The Brewing Academy - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/xep80-ii-by-mytek
  • MidiMaze cart + SIO2Midi + cart shells
    • SIO2Midi by MyTek - https://ataribits.weebly.com/midi.html
    • SIO2Midi at The Brewing Academy - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/atari-800-xl-xe-xel-xld/products/midi-for-your-atari-8-bit-400-800-xl-xe-xel-xld
    • 8-bit cartridge shells at Vintage Computer Center - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/atari-8-bit-cartridge-shells
  • OSS 4-in-1 cart - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimized_Systems_Software#:~:text=Optimized%20Systems%20Software%20(OSS)%20was,bit%20family%20of%20home%20computers
  • FujiCart + case
    • MyTek Website - https://ataribits.weebly.com/576nuc.html
    • FujiCart and case at The Brewing Academy - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/myteks-576nuc-atari-computer/products/myteks-576nuc-and-internal-fujinet?variant=39350116024422
    • Steve Boswell (Mr Robot) site - https://atari8bit.net/

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF Southeast - July 15-17 Southern Fried Gaming Expo - https://gameatl.com/
  • KansasFest 2022 = July 19–24, 2022, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West 2022 = Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • VCF Midwest = Sep 10-11, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly = Sep 30-Oct. 2, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Interview Links

  • Grant, who also worked on the guts of Sinclair's ZX80 and ZX81 (and can be heard talking about his experiences in Randy Kindig's Floppy Days podcast), donated the prototype hardware to the museum
  • “The first ZX Spectrum prototype laid bare…” at The Register - https://www.theregister.com/2019/03/05/the_first_zx_spectrum_prototype_laid_bare/

View Details

https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Please consider donating to keep Floppy Days going!

Interview with Howell Ivy, Co-founder of Exidy and Developer of Exidy Sorcerer Computer

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 114 for May, 2022. I am Randy Kindig, your host.

Again this month, I have a special interview show for you that actually has been a few years in the making. Some time ago, I had come across and had gotten initial contact with Howell Ivy, who it turns out was co-founder of Exidy and was instrumental in the development of the Exidy Sorcerer computer.

The Exidy Sorcerer is a machine that I covered clear back in 2014 in episode 17 of Floppy Days. It was a very early machine, just after the release of the home computer triad of the Commodore PET/Apple II/TRS-80 Model I and before the Atari 400/800, with great graphics, a Z-80 processor, and one of the first home computers (after the VideoBrain) to have plug-in cartridges (these based on the 8-track tape cartridges).

After the initial contact with Howell, he went silent and I was unable for the last few years to get an interview set up. Finally, recently, I was able to get a response and quickly got the interview in the books.

I also recorded a video for an interview for the first time! The link to the video interview on YouTube is in the show notes here.

Before getting into the interview, I do want to talk about some vintage hardware or modern upgrades I was able to acquire, as well as bring you information about upcoming vintage computer shows.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

Links:

New Acquisitions

  • Mattel Aquarius Aquaricart and 32K RAM "Combo Pack" - https://www.ebay.com/itm/124471439128?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
  • Apple II Yellowstone Disk Controller - Big Mess o’ Wires

Upcoming Shows

  • Boatfest Retro Computing Festival 2022 - June 24-25 - Hurricane, WV - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/boatfest-retro-computer-festival-2022-tickets-222333103297
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2022 - June 25-26 - Burbank, CA - https://portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • VCF Southeast - July 15-17 Southern Fried Gaming Expo - https://gameatl.com/
  • KansasFest 2022 - July 19–24, 2022, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West 2022 - Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • VCF Midwest - Sep 10-11, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Sep 30-Oct. 2, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Interview Links

  • The History of Exidy - http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of-exidy_24.html
  • Howell Ivy interview at RetroGamer - https://www.retrogamer.net/profiles/developer/howell-ivy/

View Details

https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Please consider donating to keep Floppy Days going!

Interview with Monte Davidoff, Developer of Altair BASIC Floating Point

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 113 for April, 2022. I am Randy Kindig, your host.

I’m going to take a break this month from covering machines in order to bring you a special interview show. Monte Davidoff worked with the very early Microsoft, while in college, when they were famously getting started by developing a BASIC for MITS and Ed Roberts for the Altair 8800. Monte developed the floating point routines for that BASIC that they so desperately needed at the time.

If you’re like me, I previously was unaware of Monte’s contributions to essentially the first BASIC developed for arguably the first personal computer.

It’s interesting to hear Monte’s perspective on how he managed to get involved with Microsoft, Bill Gates, Paul Allen and the project on which he worked with them. His recall of specifics about programming for the 8080 is pretty amazing.

Before getting into the interview, I do want to talk about some vintage hardware or modern upgrades I was able to acquire, as well as bring you information about upcoming vintage computer shows.

Finally, while I usually abstain from talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

View Details

https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays Please consider donating to keep Floppy Days going!

The IBM PC 5150 Part 5 with Jim Leonard

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 112 for March, 2022. I am Randy Kindig, your host. As a reminder, we are currently finishing up talking about computers released in 1981. This is the 5th of 5 shows covering the release of the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers. I know 5 shows about one computer seems like a lot, but it IS one of the few computer lines that actually became a standard and many of the computers we use today are based on this original architecture. Besides, it just turned out there was a lot to cover about this machine.

As on the earlier IBM PC episodes, I’m extremely happy to have Jim Leonard as co-host for this final episode on the 5150. Jim is a fount of knowledge on all topics IBM PC, so I’m honored he was able to help us take a walk through the various aspects of the machine and all of its associated information.

In this episode we will cover emulation, buying one today, Community, and Web sites.

Before we get into the main part of the show, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby.

New Acquisitions

  • Coleco Adam video cable - https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/coleco-adam-composite-av-cable/
  • Coleco Adam power supply - https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/store/#!/Adam-replacement-power-supply/p/363366783/category=17839014
  • Coleco Adam ADE Virtual Disk - https://github.com/Kalidomra/AdamNet-Drive-Emulator
  • FujiNet for multiple machines - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/331791-low-cost-fujinet-v16-includes-usb-and-coleco-adam-hardware-components/

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF East 2022 = Apr 22, 23, 24, Infoage Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • CocoFest 2022 = May 14th & 15th 2022, Elk Grove Village, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest-2022/
  • Boatfest Retro Computing Festival 2022 = June 24-25 - Hurricane, WV - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/boatfest-retro-computer-festival-2022-tickets-222333103297
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2022 - June 25-26 - Burbank, CA - https://portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • VCF Southeast - July 15-17 Southern Fried Gaming Expo https://gameatl.com/
  • KansasFest 2022 = July 19–24, 2022, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West 2022 = Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/

Emulation

  • 86box - (https://github.com/86Box/86Box)
  • IBM PC emulator for browsers - https://www.pcjs.org/
  • dosbox - (www.dosbox.com)
  • hardware emulator - https://hackaday.com/2021/07/28/emulating-the-ibm-pc-on-an-esp32/

Community

  • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/VintagePCEnthusiasts/
  • classic computing mailing lists - http://www.classiccmp.org/lists.html
  • Discord - https://discord.gg/CwhYHY2
  • Vintage Computer Federation Forums - https://forum.vcfed.org/
  • Upper Memory Block Podcast - (http://umbcast.com/
  • DOS Game Club Podcast - https://www.dosgameclub.com/
  • Adrian’s Digital Basement - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE5dIscvDxrb7CD5uiJJOiw
  • The Oldskool PC - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheOldskoolPC

Web Sites

  • over 1000 games - https://www.dosgamesarchive.com/games/
  • Winworld pc - (https://winworldpc.com/home
  • resource for troubleshooting IBM PCs, XTs and ATs - www.minuszerodegrees.net
  • magazines, books, software, emulation - http://www.archive.org

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Patreon link for supporting the show: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 111 for February, 2022. I am Randy Kindig, your host. As a reminder, we are currently finishing up talking about computers released in 1981. This is the 4th of 5 shows covering the release of the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers.

As on the earlier IBM PC episodes, I’m extremely happy to have Jim Leonard as co-host for these remaining episodes on the 5150. When Jim and I went to record what was to be the final episode on the IBM PC, it ran so long that I decided to break it into 2 episodes. That means there will be one more episode next month, for 5 total on this historic machine.

In this episode we will cover ads appearances and modern upgrades. Next month, in the final episode, we will focus on emulation, buying one today, Community, and Web sites.

Before we get into the main part of the show, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby.

One other thing I wanted to mention to the listeners is that this month coincides with the 9th anniversary of Floppy Days! That certainly makes Floppy Days one of the grand-daddys of vintage computer podcasts and makes me wonder where the last 9 years went. It’s been a fun ride and it’s a long way from over. The interest remains high from listeners, with over 300,000 downloads since it started. More importantly, my love of the topic and interest in keeping this going remains high! We have a lot more machines to talk about! 1982 & 1983 were extremely rich years for the introduction of new home computers and I want to bring all of them to you.

Finally, while I usually decline talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • SIO2MIDI - https://thebrewingacademy.com/products/midi-for-your-atari-8-bit-400-800-xl-xe-xel-xld
  • ABBUC membership - http://www.abbuc.de

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF East 2022 = Apr 22, 23, 24, Infoage Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • CocoFest 2022 = May 14th & 15th 2022, Elk Grove Village, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest-2022/
  • Boatfest Retro Computing Festival 2022 = June 24-25 - Hurricane, WV - https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/boatfest-retro-computer-festival-2022-tickets-222333103297
  • The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show 2022 = June 25-26 - Burbank, CA - https://portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
  • VCF Southeast = July 15-17 Southern Fried Gaming Expo https://gameatl.com/
  • KansasFest 2022 = July 19–24, 2022, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West 2022 = Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/

Ads and Appearances

  • Movies and TV: “Starring The Computer” - https://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=58
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
    • Halt and Catch Fire - Season 1, Episode 1, "I/O" (2014)
    • Halt and Catch Fire - Season 1, Episode 4, "Close to the Metal" (2014)
    • Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
  • IBM Ads
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPLGvI03Vrk
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQT_YCBb9ao

Modern Upgrades

  • Lo-Tech 1MB memory board (Jim’s favorite version is https://texelec.com/product/lo-tech-1mb-ram/)
  • XT-IDE - https://www.tindie.com/products/glitchwrks/glitch-works-xt-ide-rev-4a/
  • Serge Kise’s “monster-fdc project” - https://github.com/skiselev/monster-fdc
  • YouTube video for using a gotek - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTAWjtQPYF4
  • RGBtoHDMI - https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI

References

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
  • https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_birth.html
  • https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_reference.html
  • http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5150.html

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contribute to the show via Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays

The IBM PC 5150 Part 3 With Jim Leonard

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 110 for January, 2022. I am Randy Kindig, your host. As a reminder, we are currently finishing up talking about computers released in 1981. This is the third of four shows covering the release of the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers.

As announced last show, I’m extremely happy to have a co-host for these remaining episodes on the 5150. And that co-host is Jim Leonard, one of the people responsible for putting together VCF Midwest each year and a huge early PC enthusiast. Jim has an amazing amount of detailed knowledge about these machines and really enhances the podcast!

In this episode we will cover peripherals, using the machine, software, magazines, and books. Next month, in the final episode covering this venerable machine we will focus on ads, emulation, modern upgrades, Community, and Web sites.

Before we get into the main part of the show, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby and what I’ve been up to.

Finally, while I usually decline talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Apple IIc VGA - http://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=135
  • Apple IIc monitor - https://madeapple.com/apple-monitor-iic/
  • Apple IIGS RGB-to-SCART cable - https://cocoman.onlineweb.shop/Apple_IIgs_SCART_Cable/p7004829_21371801.aspx
  • VTech Precomputer 1000 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTech_PreComputer_1000
  • HP-85 EBTKS - Philip Freidin - http://www.fliptronics.com/EBTKS/index.html

Upcoming Shows in 2022

  • VCF East - Apr 22-24, Infoage Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • CocoFest - May 14-15, Elk Grove Village, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest-2022/
  • VCF Southeast - July 15-17 Southern Fried Gaming Expo - https://gameatl.com/
  • KansasFest 2022 - July 19–24, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West - Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/

Magazines/Newsletters

  • Magazine LIst - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_magazines
  • Byte - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byte_(magazine)
  • Creative Computing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Computing_(magazine)
  • Compute’s PC Magazine - https://archive.org/details/compute-magazine
  • Personal Computer World magazine - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/sec/573/Personal-Computer-World/

Books

  • Compute!'s Mapping the IBM PC and PCJR Paperback by Russ Davies - https://www.amazon.com/Compute-Mapping-IBM-PC-PCJR/dp/0942386922/

References

  • IBM Archives - https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_fact.html
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
  • Old-Computers.com - https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=274&st=1
  • Vintage Computer Federation forums - https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php
  • IBM 51xx PC Family Computers - http://www.minuszerodegrees.net
Compute!'s Mapping the IBM PC and PCJR

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IBM PC 5150 Part 2 with Jim Leonard

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 109 for December, 2021. I am Randy Kindig, your host. As a reminder, we are currently finishing up talking about computers released in 1981. This is the second of a now anticipated four shows covering the release of the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers. Back in episode 106, I covered the long and interesting history of the 5150. How it came about and why we are living today with the choices made clear back in 1981.

I’m very happy to announce that I will have a co-host for these next 3 episodes where we cover tech specs, books, magazines, Web sites, and all the usual topics. And that co-host is Jim Leonard, one of the people responsible for putting together VCF Midwest each year and a huge early PC enthusiast. Jim is a fount of knowledge about these machines and adds a ton to the podcast!

It turns out that just covering the tech specs about the 5150 alone was more than enough material to fill an entire episode, so Jim and I will focus on that in this episode. Next month we will cover peripherals, software, magazines, books, and more and in the final episode covering this venerable machine we will focus on ads, emulation, modern upgrades, Community, and Web sites.

Before we get into the 5150 tech specs, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby and what I’ve been up to.

I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate to help keep this podcast going.

New Acquisitions

  • Commodore 128 RGB to SCART - https://c128adapter.pook.nl/
  • Atari 8-bit 576NUC+ - https://thebrewingacademy.com/collections/myteks-576nuc-atari-computer/products/myteks-576nuc-and-internal-fujinet
  • Atari 8-bit ACE80XL Cart - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/ace-80

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF East 2022 = Apr 22, 23, 24, Infoage Science and History Museums, Wall, NJ - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • CocoFest 2022 = May 14th & 15th 2022, Elk Grove Village, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest-2022/
  • KansasFest 2022 = July 19–24, 2022, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West 2022 = Aug 6, 7, The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/

Interview - Jim Leonard

  • Jim interview on Floppy Days #7 at VCFMW 8.0 (2013) - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-7-vintage-computer-festival-midwest-8-0
  • Total DOS launcher - https://github.com/MobyGamer/total-dos-launcher
  • The Oldskool PC YouTube Channel - https://youtube.com/TheOldskoolPC

Reference - Tech Specs

  • https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_fact.html
  • https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php
  • http://www.minuszerodegrees.net
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
  • https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=274&st=1

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Interview with Albert Cory, author of “Inventing the Future” about the Xerox Star

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 108 for October, 2021. I am Randy Kindig, your host.

This month is a special episode based on an interview I was able to get with Albert Cory, author of the recently published book, “Inventing the Future”. This book is a semi-fictional account of what it was like to work at Xerox in the late 70’s and early 80’s, while the company was working on the concept of the “Office of the Future” and the amazing computer known as the Xerox Star.

For me, this interview and book finally pushed me into researching this incredible part of computer history; of which I had a cursory knowledge, but had never gone into any detailed research. The Xerox Star was ahead of its time and the technology that went into this computer set the stage for our modern computers in many ways.

While Xerox didn’t truly take advantage of all this amazing technology, as the Star was considered a commercial failure, many other companies took the mantle from Xerox and successfully utilized much of its technology.

Albert sits down with me and talks about what it was like to work at Xerox in those days, what prompted him to write the book, and many other topics.

I think you’ll find it interesting. I know I did!

Before getting into the interview, I do want to talk about some vintage computer shows I was recently able to attend and, of course, some vintage hardware or modern upgrades I was able to acquire.

Finally, while I usually eschew talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you to help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about. Thank you so much everyone who has contributed and continues to contribute!

Links:

New Acquisitions

  • VCF Midwest - http://www.vcfmw.org
  • ZX80/81/TS1000 ZXpand Super Serial + wireless module - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/zxpand%2B-super-serial-card-40640
  • ZX80/81/TS1000 ZX-Key: The ZX81 Mechanical Keyboard and Interface Card (Gateron Black Switches) - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/45028
  • ZX80/81/TS1000 ZX-Key main Web site - ZX81 Keyboard Adventure
  • Apple IIGS RGB-to-SCART cable - Cocoman - https://cocoman.onlineweb.shop/Apple_IIgs_SCART_Cable/p7004829_21371801.aspx
  • Microsoft BASIC I for Atari - https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=Microsoft%20Basic%20I
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • MCX32SD for Tandy MC-10 - https://thezippsterzone.com/mc-10-items-for-sale/
  • REX# for M100/T102 - Steve Adolph - https://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=Ordering_Information
  • Backpack Drive for M100/T102 - Jeffrey Birt - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3es0NLJmd2c

Upcoming Shows

  • CocoFest November 6-7 Elk Grove Village, IL https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS) November 6-7, Burbank, CA, http://www.portcommodore.com/class
  • VCF East April 22-24, 2022: Vintage Computer Festival East , Wall NJ
  • VCF West August 6-7: Vintage Computer Festival West , The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA

Interview Links

  • Albert Web site - https://www.albertcory.io/
  • Bitsavers documents - http://bitsavers.org/pdf/xerox/sdd/
  • “Inventing the Future” by Albert Cory - https://amzn.to/3EtBOO1
  • “Dealers of Lightning” by Michael Hiltzik - https://amzn.to/3w7xVM0
  • Read the reviews from the participants - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57138737-inventing-the-future
Inventing the Future
Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age

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Bill Degnan, Kennett Classic

https://www.vintagecomputer.net/ 

https://www.kennettclassic.com 

Second Annual Kennett Classic
Sept. 25, 2021
Kennett Square, PA

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The History of the IBM PC 5150

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 106 for August, 2021. I am Randy Kindig, your host. As regular listeners will remember, we are currently talking about computers released in 1981. It just so happens that the next computer up is the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers. It just so happens that this very month, August, is the 40th anniversary of the venerable IBM PC. This wasn’t planned. It just fortuitously worked out this way. I’m planning to have a couple-episode arc on this topic, starting this month with the long and interesting history of the 5150. How it came about and why are we living today with the choices made clear back in 1981?

Although I’ll be running solo this month, as Bill Gates just couldn’t free himself up to co-host with me, I will have a co-host for the follow-up episode where we cover tech specs, books, magazines, Web sites, and all the usual topics.

Before we get into the 5150 history, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby and what I’ve been up to.

Finally, while I usually eschew talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you help if you have the inclination. I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate. Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about.

New Acquisitions

  • iWoz book - https://amzn.to/2Wurftw
  • Jobs movie - https://amzn.to/3kC9IYQ
  • PCJrSD + case - https://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sdcartJR/index_en.php
  • MS-DOS 5 disks from Jim Leonard - https://www.pcjribm.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=26
  • MCX32 SD - https://thezippsterzone.com/mc-10-items-for-sale/
  • Retrocomputer Coloring Book by Quick Web Books - https://amzn.to/3zwK1iG
  • AmtixCPC Magazine - https://www.patreon.com/amtixcpcmagazine/posts

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF Midwest Sep 11-12 http://vcfmw.org/announce , Elmhurst, IL (Chicago)
  • Second Annual Kennett Classic September 25, https://www.kennettclassic.com/ , Kennett Square, PA
  • Tandy Assembly October 1-3 in Springfield Ohio, http://www.tandyassembly.com/ (play ad for Tandy Assembly)
  • VCF East October 8, 9, 10, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival East , Wall NJ
  • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS) November 6-7, Burbank, CA, http://www.portcommodore.com/class

References

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer
  • https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_birth.html
  • https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_reference.html
  • http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5150.html
JOBS [Blu-ray]
iWoz BYWozniak
Retro Computer Colouring Book: Version 1

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Floppy Days 105 - Joe Decuir - Developing the Amiga

Hello, and welcome to another interview edition of the Floppy Days Podcast for July, 2021. I am Randy Kindig. I am extremely honored to bring to you today an interview with one of the true pioneers of the personal computer, one of the designers of the Amiga 1000, a primary designer of the Atari 8-bit line and Atari 2600, and the developer of modern USB based on his work developing the SIO port for the Atari 8-bit: Mr. Joe Decuir.

I’ve interviewed Joe for Floppy Days before, but that was about his amazing work on the Atari 8-bit line. Joe was able to provide a lot of history around the development of the Atari 8-bits for the shows where I was covering the 400 and 800 computers.

The majority of this interview is around the work he did on the Amiga. Joe worked closely with Jay Miner and others to design a computer in the days when personal computers were just in their infancy. Joe shares with us the thoughts and reasoning that went into the design of the Amiga 1000 and thus brings all of us a little closer to being a part of an amazing time in computer history. Joe also mixes in some Atari 8-bit and Atari 2600 information, talks about the Apple II, has a story involving the TI-99 and numerous other tidbits.

Before diving into the interview, I will cover a few of the new acquisitions that have been added to my ever-growing vintage computer and modern upgrades collection.

I had a great time, as always, talking with Joe and learning more about what it was like back in the 70’s and 80’s as a developer of some of the most incredible hardware developed up to that time. Please enjoy!

Links:

  • Amiga .5MB upgrade - https://www.ebay.com/itm/274483642683
  • AmigaSD - ozkanocakli at gmail.com - https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/sdcard-interface-for-the-commodore-amiga
  • Amiga Addict Magazine - https://www.amiga-addict.com/
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF West August 7 & 8, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival West , The Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
    • VCFSE Aug 20-22 - https://gameatl.com/vintage-computing-festival-southeast-8-0-at-sfge/ or http://southernfriedgameroomexpo.com/ , Atlanta, GA
    • VCF Midwest Sep 11-12 - http://vcfmw.org/announce , Elmhurst, IL (Chicago)
    • Tandy Assembly October 1-3 in Springfield Ohio - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
    • VCF East October 8, 9, 10, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival East , Wall NJ
    • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS) November 6-7, Burbank, CA - http://www.portcommodore.com/class

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Floppy Days 104 - Interview with Leonard Tramiel

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 104 for June, 2021. Randy Kindig here again, as your usual host, to talk about vintage computer topics.

For this month, I have another interview for you in which Commodore and Atari fans will have special interest. One of the most iconic figures in vintage computer history, and one who was a big part of the home computer wars back in the late 70’s and into the mid-to-late 80’s was Jack Tramiel. Jack at one time owned Commodore and later Atari, and involved his sons intimately in the business. Although Jack is no longer around there are plenty of interviews available on YouTube and other places where you can see and hear Jack. For this episode, however, I was able to track down one of Jack’s sons, Leonard, and get his perspective on being involved in home computers with his father during that time. Leonard was particularly involved in the development of the Atari ST and much of this interview will revolve around that, but there is a lot of other content here as well.

For this month, I’m going to forgo any other content and just focus on the interview itself.

This interview took place February 2, 2020.

Please enjoy!

Links:

  • Leonard Tramiel, Computer History Museum profile - https://computerhistory.org/profile/leonard-tramiel/
  • Interview at Arcade Attack - https://www.arcadeattack.co.uk/leonard-tramiel/
  • The story of Commodore and the 8-bit generation | Leonard Tramiel | TEDxMidAtlantic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRBU8pEDWwY
  • Leonard Tramiel Greets Those at CommVEx 2017 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNGEd7QbLjI

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Floppy Days 103 - Kay Savetz Interviews Mark Englebardt, Wayzata Technology

Mark Englebardt was the founder of Wayzata Technology, a company that was one of the earliest publishers of CD-ROM software. The company was founded in 1991, and produced hundreds of CD-ROM titles before going out of business in 1996. The company's discs were primarily for Macintosh but many worked with all ISO-9660 compatible platforms. Its most popular product was the Wayzata World Factbook, a disc of information about countries and territories around the world. 

Downloadable versions of more than 80 of Wayzata CD-ROMs are available at the Internet Archive.

This interview took place on January 26, 2016.

Inc Magazine: Pioneer CD-ROM Maker Hit by Hardball Competition

Downloadable versions of Wayzata CD-ROMs at Internet Archive

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The BBC Micro, Part 3 with Daniel Jameson

Hello, and welcome to episode 102 of the Floppy Days Podcast for December, 2020. I just love these old machines and love to learn and talk about them. The year is 1981 and we are talking about the legendary BBC Micro or Beeb as it’s affectionately known. This is the final episode on this incredible machine, where we will be covering Ads and Appearances, Modern Upgrades, Emulators, Buying One Today, Community, and current Web Sites.

Again, as with the last episode, since the BBC Micro is a British machine I thought it only right that my co-host for these episodes should be someone from the UK. Daniel Jameson, a prominent member of the stardot forums, graciously agreed to help me with this and provide the “color” commentary during this episode. I think he adds a lot to the show.

Before getting into the details of the Beeb, I will talk a bit about new acquisitions and what I’ve been up to, a very brief mention of any upcoming shows, and then right into the meat of the episode.

New Acquisitions

  • PC Junior VGA video card - https://www.ebay.com/itm/164149429851
  • C64 TapeCart - https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Tapecart
  • FujiNet for Atari 800/800XL - https://fujinet.online/shop/
  • book “Beneath Apple DOS and ProDOS 2020” By Don Worth, Pieter Lechner - https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/pieter-lechner-and-don-worth/beneath-apple-dos-and-prodos-2020/paperback/product-g9kwzm.html?page=1&pageSize=4
  • MVT100 - https://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=VT100 - Steve Adolph
  • Apple IIC composite cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-IIc-2c-DB15-Color-Composite-Video-amp-Audio-Cable-Tested-/233772943854?nma=true&si=tHD2mKl633oUtVis3c7Y7F3AfKY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
  • ZXpand+ - https://www.sellmyretro.com/
  • MISE/FreHD cases: re490
    • https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-3D-Printed-2-color-Case-Enclosure-for-TRS-80-MISE-w-Pads-screws-NEW-/124383293703?hash=item1cf5d27107
    • https://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-3D-Printed-2-Color-Case-Enclosure-for-TRS-80-FreHD-w-Pads-screws-NEW-/124383299365?hash=item1cf5d28725

Upcoming Shows

  • April 9, 10 & 11, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival East
  • June 11-13, 2021: http://southernfriedgameroomexpo.com/
  • August 7 & 8, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival West

Feedback

  • Adam Trionfo - Computer and Videogame Collection - Video 1 - Books, Books and More... Books! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhMBeqkfB8

Ads and Appearances

  • Starring the Computer - http://www.starringthecomputer.com/
  • 1980s BBC Micro Used By Everyone/The Story of Daphne Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6GQaC4Em8E
  • ads at 8bs.com - http://8bs.com/othrdnld/manuals/ads.shtml
  • ads at vintagecomputing.com - http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/657
  • Vintage PC Ads - https://twitter.com/vintage_pc_ads
  • https://twitter.com/vintage_pc_ads/status/938943770065764355/photo/1
  • https://twitter.com/vintage_pc_ads/status/954526425599676416/photo/1
  • 4Corn Computers - http://4corn.co.uk/8bit.php

Modern Upgrades

  • RetroClinic’s “INTERNAL RASPBERRY PI 1GHz MULTI-CORE CO-PROCESSOR KIT” uses a Raspberry Pi to emulate a number of the Tube processor expansions - https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/retroclinic
  • TheFutureWas8Bit “SD2BBC BBC Micro SPI SD Card Interface” - SD2BBC
  • SPROW Ethernet Adapter - http://www.sprow.co.uk/bbc/masternet.htm
  • Acorn BBC Micro RGB SCART - Cool Novelties
  • Acorn BBC Micro RGB SCART - RetroComputerShack
  • RGB to HDMI directly using RPi Zero
    • https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=14430&start=90
    • https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20404
  • GreaseWeazle - https://github.com/keirf/Greaseweazle
  • modern USB mouse adapter - SmallyMouse - https://www.domesday86.com/?page_id=245

Emulation

  • BBC Micro emulators - Emulation General Wiki
  • B-EM - The BBC Micro Emulator , https://github.com/stardot/b-em
  • BeebEm - BBC Micro and Master 128 Emulator
  • BeebEm For Mac
  • BeebEm for UNIX - http://beebem-unix.bbcmicro.com/
  • JSBeeb:
    • JSBeeb - Javascript BBC Micro emulator
    • https://github.com/mattgodbolt/jsbeeb
    • The Complete BBC Games Archive a website holding nearly all software for the BBC Micro, most with links to play online for free in JSBeeb.
    • Matt Godbolt’s blog and videos - https://xania.org/Emulation
  • model-b, a BBC Micro Emulator for Windows
  • b2 - https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13081 , https://github.com/tom-seddon/b2/releases

Community

  • Facebook
    • Acorn Computer and BBC Micro Enthusiasts - https://www.facebook.com/groups/AcornAndBBCMicro/
  • Mailing Lists - BBC Micro mailing list - http://lists.cloud9.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/bbc-micro
  • Twitter - BBC Micro (@acornproton) - https://twitter.com/acornproton
  • Forums
    • AtariAge - http://www.atariage.com
    • stardot.org.uk
    • 6502.org - http://forum.6502.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3482

Current Web Sites

  • General Info
    • BBC Micro - Tips
    • BeebMaster
    • BeebWiki
    • BBC Micro - Wikipedia
    • Inside The Master 128 - Motherboard picture
    • mdfs.net - Software and documentation covering such subjects as Acorn BBCs, Econet and networking
    • R. T. Russell: The home of BBC BASIC
    • The BBC lives!
    • Sprow's webpages - BBC Mecca
    • The Retro-Kit Collection
    • Yellow Pigs BBC Computer Pages
    • BBC and Master Computer PD Library
    • 8 Bit Acorn Webring
    • The BBC micro as a `multi-multimeter' - https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989PhyEd..24...44T/abstract
    • Vic from the 10pence Arcade podcast recently teamed up with Kingy from the RGDS podcast presenters to talk about some of the games for the BBC Micro
    • The Press Play on Tape podcast also did an episode on Acorn a few years back
  • Stores
    • RetroClinic | eBay Stores - Mark Haysman
    • Cool Novelties - BBC Micro & Acorn - Retro Gaming, Electronics and Novelty Gifts
    • DataServe Retro - repair BBC PS - Steve Gledhill

View Details

The BBC Micro, Part 2

Hello, and welcome to episode 101 of the Floppy Days Podcast for September, 2020. The year is 1981 and we are talking about the legendary BBC Micro. In this episode and next we will fully cover this incredible machine; from tech specs, peripherals, and books/magazines/software to emulators, modern upgrades, and current Web sites.

The BBC Micro is a British machine, and I thought it only right that my co-host for these episodes should be someone from the UK. I acquired my BBC Micro, a BBC Master Series model, from my good friend and frequent contributor to the show via feedback, Andy Collins. We did an international swap, where I sent him a machine that is common in the US (the Apple IIGS) and he sent me a machine common in the UK (the aforementioned BBC Master). It would have cost each of us a not-insignificant sum of money otherwise to acquire our respective machines, as they each are rare in the country from which they did not originate. I’m very happy with the trade and thankful to Andy for helping me get a BBC Micro.

In any event, Andy agreed to co-host this episode, for which I’m grateful, and I will have another UK resident for next month’s co-host.

Before getting into the details of the Beeb, I will talk a bit about new acquisitions and what I’ve been up to, a very brief mention of any upcoming shows, and then right into the meat of the episode.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Aquisitions

  • The History of the Fortran Programming Language by Mark Jones Lorenzo - https://amzn.to/3iboEK4
  • The Atari Experience by Adrien Lamothe Jr. - https://amzn.to/36fakOh
  • The Easy Guide to Your Atari 600XL/800XL by Thomas Blackadar - https://amzn.to/36eTCyF
  • Compute!’s ST Programmer’s Guide by The Editors of Compute! - https://amzn.to/3kVLVkX
  • Elementary ST BASIC by C. Regena (Compute! Books) - https://amzn.to/2Gk4vUQ
  • Beginning Programming Using Retro Computing, Learn BASIC with a Commodore Emulator by Gerald Friedland - https://amzn.to/3jiVlqn
  • PRM-85 - Bill Kotaska - https://vintagecomputers.sdfeu.org/hp85/prm85.htm
  • H85Disk - Mike Gore - https://github.com/magore/hp85disk/tree/master/
  • groups.io HP Series 80 list - hpseries80@groups.io

Upcoming Shows

  • October 10 - 12, VCF East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ VIRTUAL + LIVE

Peripherals

  • Acorn Dual Analogue Joysticks - https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/page.cfm/content/Acorn-Analogue-Joysticks/
  • Kempston Competition Pro 500 Joystick - https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/page.cfm/content/Competition-Pro-Joystick-for-the-BBC-Micro/
  • Acorn Data Recorder - https://www.retro-kit.co.uk/page.cfm/content/Acorn-Data-Recorder-ANF-03/
  • BBC Turtle - https://www.geeksaresexy.net/2009/10/22/remembering-the-bbc-micro/

Magazines

  • BBC Micro Magazines - http://8bs.com/magazines.htm
  • BBC Micro User/The Micro User/Acorn Computing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Micro_User
  • Acorn Programs - https://archive.org/details/acorn-programs
  • BeBug - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BEEBUG
  • Disk User Magazine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_User

Books

  • 55 BBC Micro Books - http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/eug/revs/dvds/55_Bbc_Micro_Books_000.html
  • BBC-related manuals - http://8bs.com/othrdnld/manuals/applications.shtml
  • "BBC Microcomputer User Guide" by John Coll - BBC Micro User Guide [Remastered PDF]
  • "The Advanced User Guide"/"The New Advanced User Guide"
    • Advanced_User_Guide.pdf
    • New_Advanced_User_Guide.pdf
    • http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/info/electron/acornsoft_adder/The-New-Advanced-User-Guide.html
  • The "BASIC Rom User Guide" by Mark Plumbley - BASIC ROM User Guide [Remastered PDF]
  • Advanced BASIC ROM User Guide by Colin Pharo, 1984 - Advanced BASIC ROM User Guide [Remastered PDF]
  • Forth on the BBC Microcomputer by Steven Flintham - http://8bs.com/othrdnld/manuals/applications/forth-on-the-bbc-microcomputer.zip
  • LISP on the BBC Microcomputer - http://8bs.com/othrdnld/manuals/applications/LISP-doc-SBL14.zip
  • Assembly Language Programming for the BBC Micro [Remastered PDF]

Software

  • Top 20 BBC games - http://bbcmicro.co.uk/about.php
  • Educational Software Archive for the BBC Micro - http://www.flaxcottage.com/
  • ROMS!!!!!! - http://www.flaxcottage.com/BBC_ROMS/Default.asp
  • A guide to making your own ROMs - https://mansfield-devine.com/speculatrix/2019/12/making-roms-for-the-bbc-micro/
Abstracting Away the Machine: The History of the FORTRAN Programming Language (FORmula TRANslation)
The easy guide to your Atari 600XL/800XL (SYBEX computer books)
Compute's st Programmer's Guide
Elementary st Basic
The Atari Experience
Beginning Programming Using Retro Computing: Learn BASIC with a Commodore Emulator

View Details

Ed Smith, developer of the Imagination Machine

Ed Smith is an African American was born in 1954 in Brownsville Brooklyn, NY. Ed studied electrical engineering at Westinghouse High School, then computer science and marketing at Pace University.

Ed is one of only two African Americans to develop a video game system in the 1970s and the first African American to work in the design of a personal computer – The Imagination Machine.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Intro

  • Floppy Days that covered the MP1000 and IM-1 back in 2014 (episode 22) - https://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-22-the-apf-imagination-machine

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • book - Commodore the Final Years by Brian Bagnall - https://www.amazon.com/Commodore-Final-Years-Brian-Bagnall/dp/0994031033/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=flodaypod-20&linkId=2145a99d3cb6c0a9d26dc08ee0b9394f&language=en_US
  • MagPi Magazine - https://magpi.raspberrypi.org/
  • Pi4 8GB - https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/
  • Fusion Magazine - Amiga special - https://fusiongamemag.com/collections/magazine/products/fusion-amiga
  • Current Notes magazines - collection at Archive.org - https://archive.org/details/@allan52
  • Next Without For Podcast - http://www.nextwithoutfor.org/#:~:text=Welcome%20to%20Next%20Without%20For&text=Next%20Without%20For%20is%20a,or%20(b)...

Upcoming Shows

  • July 24-25, KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ (virtual) cost $20 to register
  • August 1-2, VCF West, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ - going virtual
  • Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
  • September 12-13, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • October 10 - 12, VCF East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ NOTE: You can order a t-shirt to support the VCF events at http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ for $20 + shipping
  • October 24, Chicago TI International World Faire, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • December ?, World of Commodore, Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/ - No word on the Website yet

Interview

  • Ed’s Website - https://www.imaginethat2.com/
  • article on Ed Smith, Black Enterprise, Dec. 1982 - http://books.google.com/books?id=N6pacvfrf0wC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA40#v=onepage&q&f=false
  • https://www.fastcompany.com/3063298/ed-smith-and-the-imagination-machine-the-untold-story-of-a-black-vid by Benj Edwards, Fast Company, 9/2/16
  • “Imagine That!” by Ed Smith and Benj Edwards - https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-That-Americans-personal-computers-ebook/dp/B0846535TR
Commodore: The Final Years
Imagine That!: The story of one of the first African Americans to work in the design of video games and personal computers

View Details

The BBC Micro - Interview with Hermann Hauser

Hi, everyone, and welcome to episode 99 for May 2020 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where we look at home computers of the 70’s and 80’s across the globe, not just the U.S.

This episode is one in a series of episodes on one of the iconic British machines that was so important to the home computer revolution: The BBC Micro. In episode 97, I had an interview with one of the key members of the BBC Micro team: Mr. Steve Furber. In this episode, with Steve’s help, I was able to get an interview with another key member of that team: Mr. Hermann Hauser.

Last episode (#98) I summarized the history of the BBC Micro and I don’t want to repeat that here, but I want to give you just a bit of information about Hermann to help set the stage for the interview to follow:

Chris Curry and Mr. Hauser set up a company called Acorn Computer Ltd. and in January 1979 they launched their first product: a microcomputer kit named Acorn System 75. The name Acorn was chosen because the microcomputer system was to be expandable and growth-oriented and appeared before "Apple Computer" in a telephone directory.

Their follow-up product was a microcomputer called the Atom. After it had been released into the market, Acorn (due to an idea proposed by Hermann) decided to build an improved 6502-based machine with far greater expansion capabilities: the Proton.

Hauser quickly pulled in Steve Furber (who had been working for Acorn on a voluntary basis) and Sophie Wilson to help complete a revised version of the Proton which met the specifications that the British Broadcasting Corporation was shopping around to find a partner for their planned literacy program. BBC visited Acorn and were given a demonstration of the Proton. Shortly afterwards, the literacy program computer contract was awarded to Acorn, and the Proton was launched in December 1981 as the BBC Micro.

Hermann Hauser believes that if he had had just a little more foresight all those years ago, the world would now talk about Acorn compatible rather than IBM compatible computers. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Anyway, I’m very excited and proud to have gotten an interview with Hermann and I enjoyed talking with him very much. I hope you enjoy it as well.

I’m still planning, in upcoming episodes, to cover all of the usual topics on the Beeb, such as its history in depth, tech specs, modern upgrades, Web sites and a ton of other information about this machine.

Before we jump into the interview, I’ll spend just a moment to let you know about any new acquisitions I’ve managed to get for the hobby and any hobby-related things I’ve been working on.

Please enjoy!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Heathkit ET-3400 Microprocessor Trainer - https://www.vintage-computer.com/heathkit3400.shtml
  • ET-3400 Microprocessors Book 1 - https://archive.org/details/6800-Microprocessors-Book-1and-2-Heathkit-1985
  • Oh! Pascal by Michael Clancy - https://www.amazon.com/Oh-PASCAL-Doug-Cooper/dp/0393954455
  • Software Tools in Pascal - Brian Kernighan - https://www.amazon.com/Software-Tools-Pascal-Brian-Kernighan/dp/0201103427/
  • Personal Pascal for the Atari ST
    • https://www.amazon.com/Personal-Pascal-Atari-1040-Version/dp/B000Q9VAOU
    • https://www.atarimagazines.com/v5n1/pascalandmodula2.html

Upcoming Shows

  • July 24-25, KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ (virtual) cost $20 to register
  • August 1-2, VCF West, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ - going virtual
  • Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
  • September 12-13, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • October 10 - 12, VCF East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ NOTE: You can order a t-shirt to support the VCF events at http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ for $20 + shipping
  • October 24, Chicago TI International World Faire, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • December ?, World of Commodore, Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/
Software Tools in Pascal
Personal Pascal for Atari ST 520 1040 Version 2
Oh! PASCAL!

View Details

The BBC Micro: History

Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode 98 of the Floppy Days Podcast for April, 2020!

I hope everyone is staying safe in these days of isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. One day we’ll look back at this as a strange time in all our lives.

Again, for the podcast, we are finishing up the tail-end of the year 1981 in the personal computer timeline and the primary topic of this and the next couple of podcasts will be the BBC Micro. I talked with Steve Furber, one of the primary developers of the Beeb, in the last episode concerning his part in and thoughts about those heady times. In this episode I’m going to cover a more general history of the BBC Micro to give everyone a view of why the machine was developed and its huge impact on personal and educational computer history, especially in the UK. For the UK listeners, you’ll likely be very familiar with the Beeb’s history. For the US listeners, and listeners in other parts of the world, you may be less familiar with the story. I know that until I dove into the research for this episode, I only had a cursory familiarity with this machine and had no inkling of its true place in computer history.

For future episodes, software, emulators, books, Web sites, modern upgrades, etc. will be explored.

I hope you enjoy this short excursion into the history of a machine that I’ve come to love and respect.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Thoughts and Memories - Richard Broadhurst

  • Richard’s Games on the Complete BBC Micro Games Archive - http://bbcmicro.co.uk/index.php?rt_R=&rt_B=&rt_M=&rt_P=&rt_U=&rt_W=&rt_L=&search=broadhurst&on_T=on&on_Y=on&on_P=on&on_A=on&on_G=on&on_S=on&on_Z=on&on_C=on&sort=b
  • Richard’s Games Videos on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1eiw5ttGL3ZagVI0c_vSe19KNALTwuXX

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Fusion magazines - https://fusionretrobooks.com/
  • Erebus - Oric Atmos SD Interface - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Erebus-Oric-Atmos-sd-card-flash-cart-Oric1-/174120579582
  • Home Computer Course and Home Computer Advanced Course magazines
    • https://archive.org/details/The_Home_Computer_Course
    • https://archive.org/details/The_Home_Computer_Advanced_Course_01/
  • Spectrum DIV/MMC Future - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/sinclair/divmmcfuture.html
  • HP85Disk project - https://www.tindie.com/products/hp85disk/hp85disk-disk-emulator-for-hp85-series-computers/
  • BBC Micro formatted CF card and ROM - http://www.retroclinic.com/

Upcoming Shows

  • After VCF PNW 2020 was cancelled in March, an individual allowed exhibitors to post their own videos to this website - http://www.retrofair2020.com/
  • CoCoTALK! hosted a live, virtual CoCoFEST! Saturday April 18th. You can view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qkRI1JyqU&feature=youtu.be
  • July 10 - 12, VCF Southeast, in conjunction with Southern Fried Gaming Expo in Atlanta, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
  • July 24-25, KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ (virtual) cost $20, expect to open registration on April 30th
  • August 1-2, VCF West, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Fri, Aug 14, 2020 – Sun, Aug 16, 2020, Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Portland OR - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ CANCELLED
  • Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
  • September 12-13, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • October 10 - 12, VCF East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
    • NOTE: You can order a t-shirt to support the VCF events at http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ for $20 + shipping
  • October 24, Chicago TI International World Faire, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
  • December ?, World of Commodore, Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/

References

  • There is a docudrama "Micro Men" about the early 80s and winning the joint government/BBC contract to produce a computer that would be the focus of the initiative.
  • 78 page PDF by Tilly Blyth of the Science Museum: "The legacy of the BBC Micro - effecting change in the UK's cultures of computing"
  • “Now the Chips are Down: The BBC Micro (Platform Studies)” by Alison Gazzard - https://amzn.to/2yLnYdf
Now the Chips Are Down: The BBC Micro (Platform Studies)

View Details

The BBC Micro - Interview with Steve Furber

Hi, everyone, and welcome to episode 97 for February 2020 of the Floppy Days Podcast.

This episode kicks off a series of episodes on one of the iconic British machines that was so important to the home computer revolution: The BBC Micro. This machine has an amazing history and continues to have a very large following among vintage computer enthusiasts. What better way to start off this series than by beginning with an interview with someone who was right on the front lines in the development of the machine. Those of you who aren’t familiar with Steve Furber will be much more familiar after listening to the interview that I was able to get with him for this show. Steve worked at Acorn Computers in the decade of the 1980’s where he was the principal designer of the BBC Micro and the ARM microprocessor. I’m very honored to have been able to talk with Steve for about 50 minutes and am elated that I’m able to bring this interview to you this month.

Next month, we’ll kick off some episodes to cover all of the usual topics on the Beeb (as it’s affectionately called), such as its history in depth, tech specs, modern upgrades, Web sites and a ton of other information about this machine.

Before we jump into the interview, I’m a bit behind in letting you know about any new acquisitions I’ve managed to get for the hobby and any hobby-related things I’ve been working on, so I’ll try to do some catch-up there.

Please enjoy the show and let me know what you thought of it.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/
  • SDrive MAX 810 case, Gavin at Vintage Computer Center - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/atari-810-sdrive-max
  • The SDrive MAX daughterboard and basic case idea are thanks to the great work of Steve Boswell - atari8bit.net
  • TRS-80 PC3 LCD - Robert Baruch - https://www.tindie.com/products/halfbakedmaker/lcd-replacement-for-trs-80-pc-3-sharp-pc-125x/
  • Incognito for Atari 800 - https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=275
  • BBC Micro CF formatted card and ROM - http://www.retroclinic.com/
  • BBC Micro single joystick adapter - https://www.ebay.com/itm/283745815116?ViewItem=&item=283745815116
  • Astra 1620 dual disk drive for Atari 8-bit - http://gury.atari8.info/hardware/162.php
  • “Adventures with the Atari” by Jack B. Hardy - https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-adventures-with-the-atari
  • “Atari Pilot for Beginners” by Jim Conlan and Tracy Deliman - https://archive.org/details/Atari_Pilot_For_Beginners/mode/2up
  • C64 Maxi - https://retrogames.biz/thec64

Upcoming Shows

  • March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computer:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
  • March 21, Indy Vintage Computer Club Expo, Camby, IN - https://www.facebook.com/events/188334755647918/
  • April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest
  • April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
  • July 21 - July 26, 202, KansasFest, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Fri, Aug 14, 2020 – Sun, Aug 16, 2020, Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Portland OR - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/
  • Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Feedback

  • “Micro Men” (movie) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1459467/
  • The Home Computer Course (magazine) - https://archive.org/details/TheHomeComputerCourse

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Interview with Norbert Kehrer, Flashx20

Hello, and happy 2020 to all the listeners out there. As the final episode of 2019 I’m bringing to you a bonus show on the Epson HX-20. I was able to get an interview with a gentleman who has developed a terrific piece of software that qualifies as a modern upgrade for the HX-20, called flashx20. That gentleman is Mr. Norbert Kehrer and he was kind enough to talk with me about his software and how it’s used. I think you’ll find it interesting, especially if you have a machine and can give his software a whirl.

Next month I will begin a series of episodes on one of the groundbreaking machines in the UK, the BBC Micro. I haven’t decided yet how many episodes there will be, but I was able to get an interview with an early computer pioneer involved with the development of the BBC Micro, so I intend to be as thorough as possible in the coverage of the machine. Stay tuned for more on that.

For this episode, I will talk a bit about my new vintage computer acquisitions and what I’ve been up to, as well as the usual news about upcoming vintage computer shows and a bit of feedback.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Atari: A Visual History by Darren Doyle - https://www.greyfoxbooks.com/
  • MagPi magazine issue #88 - Retro Computing with Raspberry PI 4 - https://magpi.raspberrypi.org/
  • BBC Micro Joystick Adapter - https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Acorn-BBC-Micro-Dual-Double-Atari-Amiga-Joystick-Adapter-715/124010566212
  • Compact Flash Adapter for the BBC Micro - http://www.retroclinic.com/

Upcoming Shows

  • March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
  • April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest
  • April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Interview with Norbert Kehrer

  • Norbert’s Emulators - http://members.aon.at/nkehrer/flashx20.html

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The Epson HX-20, Part 2, With Earl Evans

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 95 of the Floppy Days Podcast for November, 2019, where once again this month (in Part 2) we will continue talking about one of the world’s first portable computers: The Epson HX-20.

I’m extremely happy to again have my good friend, and vintage computer podcast legend, Mr. Earl Evans, as my co-host for this episode.

It turned out we had so much material to cover that I ended up breaking this topic into 2 parts. Last month was part 1, where Earl and I covered HX-20 history, tech specs, and peripherals. This month will be part 2, in which Earl and I will continue coverage by discussing how to use the machine, emulators, software, ads and appearances, modern upgrades, Web sites and more. In addition, I will include an interview with a gentleman who has done recent work around the HX-20 in the area of emulation, Mr. Pontus Rodling.

First, however, I will spend a few minutes talking about my recent acquisitions in the vintage computing space and what I’ve been up to, then I’ll cover upcoming shows.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Commercial

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnX7d0Ty9A4

New Acquisitions

  • book "The BBC Micro an expert guide" by Mike James - https://www.amazon.com/B-C-Micro-Expert-Guide/dp/0003831175
  • SDrive Max from Vintage Computer Center (810) for Atari 8-bit - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/atari-810-sdrive-max
  • Incognito for Atari 800 - https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=275
  • CPC 464 RGB-to-SCART cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amstrad-CPC-464-6128-High-Quality-POWERED-RGB-Scart-Cable-TV-Video-Lead/261898189777 - Retro Computer Shack
  • CPC M4 upgrade - http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/M4_Board

Upcoming Shows

  • Dec 7, 2019, World of Commodore 2019, hosted by the Toronto PET Users Group (TPUG) at the Admiral Inn Mississauga - https://www.tpug.ca/…/09/announcement-world-of-commodore-2…/
  • March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/…/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-north…/
  • April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
  • April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/…/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com

Ads and Appearances

  • http://starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=171
  • Epson announced the HX-20 to the world in this famous double page ad spread from 1982. Its compact size is obviously the big selling point here - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/creativecomp0183-2a.jpg
  • another four page ad from Epson UK. Epson apparently wanted to make it clear that only they had the foresight to devise such a compact computing platform. As depicted in the ad, the HX-20 is equally at home in the office, on the plane, in a power station and at home. - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/practicalcomputing128202a.jpg

Modern Upgrades

  • MH-20 by Martin Hepperle - https://www.mh-aerotools.de/hp/hx-20/MH-20-Display-Controller.zip
  • Flashx20 by Norbert Kehrer - http://members.aon.at/nkehrer/flashx20.html

Emulators

  • "eHC-20"-EPSON HC-20 / HX-20 emulator for Win32 (Toshiya Takeda) - http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/
  • M.A.M.E. - Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator / MAME 0.184 ROMs - https://edgeemu.net/details-25542.htm
  • HXEmu by Pontus Rodling - https://frigolit.net/projects/hxemu/

Community

  • Facebook
    • https://www.facebook.com/groups/405903130000150/
  • Forums
    • AtariAge - https://atariage.com/forums/search/?q=epson%20hx-20
    • https://stardot.org.uk/forums/index.php

Web Sites

  • An HX-20 Enthusiast Site - Julian Ward - https://web.archive.org/web/20161023223930/http://classway.com/hx20/index.html - contains FAQ, memory map, description of utilities (on WayBackMachine)
  • Epson HX-20 Programs - Courtney McFarren - http://www.geocities.ws/abcmcfarren/hx20/hx20.htm - software downloads (BASIC listings), memory map, memory dump, information on interfacing with the HX-20
  • Review in Byte Magazine Volume 8, Number 9 - https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-09/1983_09_BYTE_08-09_Portable_Computers_in_Depth#page/n201/mode/2up - compares HX-20 and TI CC-40
  • GanjaTron’s site - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/index.html - nice description of the HX-20
  • Epson HX-20 Review in Creative Computing by David Ahl - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n3/101_Epson_HX20_computer.php
  • Epson HX-20 Tips and Tricks by Martin Hepperle - https://www.mh-aerotools.de/hp/hx-20/Epson%20HX-20%20-%20Tips-Tricks.pdf
  • TV ad for the HX-20 (1982) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnX7d0Ty9A4
  • Wickensonline - information from sites now only on the Wayback Machine (archive.org) - https://web.archive.org/web/20160323052226/http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/hx-20/index.html
  • Epson HX-20 Operations Manual (from the Epson support site) - https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/hx20__/hx20__u1.pdf
  • HX-20 page at Epson - https://global.epson.com/company/corporate_history/milestone_products/13_hx20.html
  • PDF documentation for the Epson HX-20 (Tech Ref, BASIC Ref, etc.) - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/doc/index.html
  • HXTAPE software at SourceForge - http://hxtape.sourceforge.net/ - HXTape is a suite of small programs designed to read and write Epson HX-20 tapes using a sound card under Linux. Additionally, it can be used as a simple means of direct data transfer between a PC and an HX-20, by connecting the two using an ordinary audio cable.
  • The Epson HX-20: As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Esopw_KK8&app=desktop
  • The World's First Laptop - Epson HX-20 / HC-20 by RetroManCave - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-F_hL1bZsw
  • “Japanese portable has real staying power” From: PRACTICAL COMPUTING October 1982 page 40 - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/pc198210.html
  • Yet another computer museum - The Epson HX-20 - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/

References

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epson_HX-20
B. B. C. Micro: An Expert Guide

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The Epson HX-20 Part 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 94 of the Floppy Days Podcast for October, 2019, where this month we will be talking about one of the world’s first portable computers: The Epson HX-20. Thank you, Terry Stewart, for your thoughts about the HX-20 to lead off the show. For those that want more information from Terry, check out his Website and Youtube channel where he has a terrific video on the HX-20, as well as lots of information on other vintage computers.

I’m extremely happy to announce that my good friend, and one of the godfathers of vintage computer podcast, Mr. Earl Evans, will be my co-host for this topic. It’s always a thrill to have Earl join me on this podcast as he and his Retrobits podcast were the inspiration for Floppy Days. It turned out that Earl not only knows the gentleman I interviewed last month, Chris Rutkowski, but he also used to work for Epson and supported the HX-20 and its successor the PX-8. He also owns a couple of machines. As a result, Earl is able to provide great insights into the HX-20 and is a perfect color commentator for this topic. I know you’ll enjoy Earl’s contributions to this show.

It turned out we have so much material to cover that I’m breaking this topic into 2 parts. This month will be part 1, and Earl and I will cover HX-20 history, tech specs, and peripherals. Next month will be part 2, in which Earl and I will continue coverage by discussing how to use the machine, emulators, software, ads and appearances, modern upgrades, Web sites and more. In addition, I was able to get interviews with a couple of gentlemen who have done recent work around the HX-20 in the areas of emulation and modern upgrades.

So, we have a lot to cover and a short time to get there!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • Atari 8-bit modern power supplies and video cables from Corey Koltz - https://www.8bitclassics.com/
  • Nu-Brick power supplies (Kevin Ottum) - Facebook
  • Tandy PC-1 LCDs by Robert Baruch - https://www.tindie.com/products/halfbakedmaker/lcd-replacement-for-trs-80-pc-1-sharp-pc-1211/
  • Commodore The Amiga Years by Brian Bagnall - https://amzn.to/2WocDrz
  • Electronic Dreams by Tom Lean - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Dreams-Britain-Learned-Computer/dp/1472918339
  • 101 Programming Tips for the TI99 by Len Turner - https://amzn.to/2q1ylpe
  • TI’s Compute Collection Vol. I by Compute - https://amzn.to/31WpG4F
  • Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more by Gary Plowman - https://amzn.to/2NnerNl
  • Atari Projects by Jason Moore - http://www.lulu.com/shop/jason-moore/atari-projects/paperback/product-24223087.html
  • SDrive Max cases (1050 and 810) from Steve Boswell - https://atari8bit.net/sdrive-max-cases/

Upcoming Shows (https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows)

  • Nov 2, 2019, Chicago TI International World’s Faire, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/
  • Dec 7, 2019, World of Commodore 2019, hosted by the Toronto PET Users Group (TPUG) at the Admiral Inn Mississauga - https://www.tpug.ca/2019/09/announcement-world-of-commodore-2019
  • March 21 & 22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
  • April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
  • October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com
The Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more
Compute!'s TI collection (v. 1)
Commodore: The Amiga Years
Electronic Dreams: How 1980s Britain Learned to Love the Computer
101 Programming Tips and Tricks for the Texas Instruments Ti-99/4a Home Computer

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Interview with Chris Rutkowski, Epson QX10 & ValDocs

Hello and welcome to episode 93 of the Floppy Days Podcast. We’re still in the year 1981 for computer introductions and next up on the docket is the venerable Epson HX-20, oft-considered the very first laptop computer. It spawned an entire series of laptop computers from Epson, such as the PX-8 and QX-10.

In this episode, I have an interview with Mr. Chris Rutkowski. Chris worked for or at Epson during the days of the HX-20 and the other machines. Although Chris didn’t work directly on the HX-20, as he was more focused on the QX-10 and software for it (such as ValDocs), Chris has a great perspective on what it was like to work at Epson at that time.

In the next episode I will then talk in detail about the HX-20, including the usual topics of history, specs, software, magazines, ads, Web sites, emulators and more.

After talking with Chris, I was very impressed with the work that he did and impact that he made on the fledgling microcomputer industry. Not only did he work on the design of the QX-10, Chris came up with the idea for the VALDOCS software for the QX-10 that included the HASCI keyboard (Human Application Standard Computer Interface) while at Rising Star Industries.

I hope you enjoy this interview!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • AVG cart for Atari 8-bit - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/278212-avgcart/
  • Faster Than Light: Atari ST - https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-Light-16-Bit-Revolution/dp/1732355215 by Jamie Lendino
  • Endless Loop: The History of the BASIC Programming Language (book) by Mark Jones Lorenzo - https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Loop-Programming-All-purpose-Instruction/dp/1974277070
  • ZX Spectrum +2 RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260949446667
  • Run/Stop-Restore (book) by Leonard Roach - https://www.amazon.com/Run-Stop-Restore-Anniversary-Lenard-Roach/dp/1456719246

Upcoming Shows

  • Sep 7-8, Retro Computer Festival 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53612/Retro-Computer-Festival-2019-7th-8th-September/
  • Sep 14, Atari Party East, basement of Bill Lange in Somerset, NJ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/281252672436874/
  • Sep 14-15, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Sep 21-22, Acorn World Exhibition 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/54006/Acorn-World-Exhibition-2019-21st-22nd-September-2019/
  • Sep 27-29, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • Oct 18-20, Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
  • Nov 2, Chicago TI International World’s Faire, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/

Interview with Chris Rutkowski

  • VCF Pacific Northwest 2019 - Chris Rutkowski, “The birth of the Business PC – how volatile markets evolve” - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/archives-show-summaries/vcf-pnw-archives/vcf-pnw-2019/
  • October ‘82 Byte - p.291 An introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 1: Theory and Principles by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-10/page/n289
  • November ‘82 Byte - p.379 An Introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 2: Implementing the HASCI Concept by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-11/page/n403
  • "A Gathering of Magicians," from the CBC Television series "Man Alive" (1984) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRhyUp7dTE
Endless Loop: The History of the BASIC Programming Language (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
Faster Than Light: The Atari ST and the 16-Bit Revolution
Run/Stop-Restore: 10th Anniversary Edition

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Hello, welcome to Floppy Days Podcast #92, coming to you in July, 2019. This month, I’m bringing to you an interview I’ve had in my backlog for almost 2 years now. Thank goodness, most of the information on Floppy Days is timeless, so the interview is just as relevant today as it was then. Anyway, I’m very happy to present an interview with Mr. Dave Lagerquist, who was the editor of both the CLOAD cassette magazine, which was produced for the TRS-80 Model I and Model III, and Chromasette cassette magazine, which was produced for the Tandy Color Computer.

As usual, I will cover a few new acquisitions, a run-down of upcoming shows and other news, a piece of feedback, and then we’ll get right into the meat of the interview.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • C64 mini - https://www.amazon.com/C64-Mini-not-machine-specific/dp/B07GMV1X1K
  • Atari 400/800 Programmer’s Guide Poster by Steve Boswell - https://www.redbubble.com/people/choccyhobnob/works/39504539-basic-programmers-guide-from-1981?asc=u&c=1128814-wall-art&p=poster&ref=work_collections_grid
  • “Vintage Commodore 128 Personal Computer Handbook: 2019 Survival Edition” by Margaret G Morabito - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vintage+commodore+128+personal+computer+handbook+2019&crid=1158ZFH5M3RKJ
  • C64/128 composite/s-video cable - http://www.8bitclassics.com
  • C64/128 composite/s-video to Commodore 1702 monitor cable - http://www.8bitclassics.com
  • Atari USB power supply - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/32717

News

  • Atari Projects - covering Floppy Days - http://atariprojects.org/2019/06/22/listen-to-the-floppy-days-podcast-1-4-hours
  • vintage computer shows Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Upcoming Shows

  • KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/…/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Commodore Vegas Expo, August 10-11, Plaza Hotel & Casino, Desert Wind Salon, 1 Main Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
  • Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK!). Fujiama 2019 will be held at the Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. http://www.abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/
  • VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 27-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
  • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - The 37th annual Chicago TI International World Faire will take place on the weekend of November 2, 2019, in Evanston, IL

Feedback

  • Anthony Beckett - www.thepcmuseum.com
  • Andy Collins - YouTube video of prototype of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum donated to The Centre for Computing History by John and Kate Grant of Nine Tile Ltd. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPEclMvAA3A&t=340s

Interview

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromasette
  • https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/182224/games_from_the_trash_the_history_.php
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_magazines#C
retrogames The C64 Mini USA Version - Not Machine Specific

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The Osborne 1 with Lee Felsenstein

Welcome to episode 91 of the Floppy Days Podcast for May, 2019.

In the timeline for personal computer introductions, we are now in the year 1981. For this episode we are going to be talking about the Osborne 1.

The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC). It was powered by the Z80 CPU at a blazing 4MHz, weighed 24.5 lb, cost US$1,795, and ran the CP/M operating system. It was powered from a wall socket, as it had no on-board battery, but is a portable device since it can be hand-carried when packed. The computer shipped with a large bundle of software that was almost equivalent in value to the machine itself.

The Osborne 1 was the brain child of Adam Osborne and was brilliantly engineered by Lee Felsenstein. So, who better to have help me talk about the machine than Lee Felsenstein himself! For this show, we’re going to spend some time with Lee talking about the history surrounding the Osborne 1. Finally, Lee will leave us and I will cover the usual computer topics such as tech specs, emulators, Web sites, and more.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • VCF Southeast April 27, 28, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
  • VCF East May 3-5, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • TI-95 Stats Library - https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instrument-Statistics-Guidebook-Cartridge/dp/B00PHOS6SW
  • Oric Atmos cassette cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIC-1-ORIC-ATMOS-CASSETTE-TAPE-RECORDER-CABLE-LEADS/321775032876
  • Atari 800 S-video cable - https://www.8bitclassics.com/shop/computers/atari-8-bit-computer/atari-xlxe-5-pin-din-to-s-video-composite-av-cable/
  • Nunchuk 64 - https://github.com/djtulan/nunchuk64

Upcoming Shows

  • June 8-9 Pacific Commodore Expo NW (PaCommEx) at The Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex, discussion is on the forum at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
  • KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK. Fujiama 2019 will be held at the Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. Visit atarixle's Fujiama page, Krupkaj's parties photos or mathy meetings page.
  • VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 28-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
  • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - The 37th annual Chicago TI International World Faire will take place on the weekend of November 2, 2019, in Evanston, IL

Feedback

  • HT1080Z, the Hungarian School Computer - http://zimix.hu/ht1080z-the-hungarian-school-computer/

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • Portable Companion - http://www.vintage-computer.com/portablecompanion.shtml (Bill Degnan)

The entire run is on archive.org - https://archive.org/details/theportablecompanion

Also at Yesterbits - https://yesterbits.com/scans/the-portable-companion-magazine/ (Paul Hagstrom)

Books/Manuals

  • in 1984, Adam Osborne and computer industry author and columnist John C. Dvorak coauthored a book about the experience, from Adam Osborne's point of view - Hypergrowth: The Rise and Fall of the Osborne Computer Corporation.
  • Using the Osborne 1 computer Paperback – 1983 by T. G Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/Using-Osborne-computer-T-Lewis/dp/083598141X
  • Technical manual - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/osborne/o1techm.pdf
  • User’s Reference Guide - http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/osborne/osborne1/Osborne_1_Users_Reference_Guide_1981.pdf
  • Field Service Manual - http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/osborne/2F00040-00_Service2ndEdition_1983.pdf
  • Osborne CP/M User Guide by Thom Hogan - https://archive.org/details/osborne-cpm-users-guide_2nd-ed/page/n45

Ads and Appearances

  • EZ Money (2005)
  • Maniac - Season 1 (2018)

User Groups

  • FOG info at bitsavers.org - http://bitsavers.org/bits/Users_Groups/FOG/
  • FOGhorn collection at Computer History Museum - https://www.computerhistory.org/search/?q=foghorn

Modern Upgrades

  • If you really want to replace the drives, there are several designs, kits or ready to use flash-to-Shugart replacements available. An example is the Floppyflash.
  • HxC Floppy Emulators supported machines/compatibility list - https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_drive_emulator/support.htm where it lists the Osborne 1
  • Video showing GoTek floppy emulator in Osborne 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZdQVYXK2PM
  • Osborne 1 “Portable” Computer Reborn with a Raspberry Pi - https://blog.hackster.io/osborne-1-portable-computer-reborn-with-a-raspberry-pi-51fa82682f3a

Emulation

  • Z80-CP/M emulator - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/sim/z80mu52b.zip
  • Z80-CP/M simulator - boots CP/M - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/sim/myz80cpm.zip
  • For Rasperry Pi you need to download the CP/M Emulator software https://github.com/jhallen/cpm
  • http://www.archive.org in-browser emulation
  • MAME - https://www.mamedev.org/

Community

  • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/690000664701397/
  • Forums
    • AtariAge - in the Classic Computers section - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/116-classic-computing/

Current Web Sites

  • Osborne Computer Corporation. David H. Ahl. - CREATIVE COMPUTING VOL. 10, NO. 3 / MARCH 1984 / PAGE 24 - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n3/24_Osborne_Comptuer_Corporat.php
  • Osborne! The machine, the man, and the dawn of the portable computing revolution. By Harry McCracken
  • Video of Osborne 1 computer on YouTube by David Larsen
  • The Osborne 1. As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_FufKMd-lU
  • Osborne 1 (1981) – when the personal computer became portable - By RICCARDO BIANCHINI - 2018-08-05 https://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/osborne-1-1981-when-the-personal-computer-became-portable/
  • Osborne 1 - Complete History of the Osborne 1 Computer - https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Personal/Osborne.html
  • Dave’s Old Computers - Osborne - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/osborne/index.htm
  • Osborne 1 3D Model - https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/osborne-1-67f8eafe7a3a4372bde130f31a6b1776
  • Retrocomputing Archive - http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/disks/osborne/index.html
  • Transferring files to the Osborne 1 - http://www.toniwestbrook.com/archives/80
  • The Computer Chronicles - Computer Entrepreneurs (1984) - https://archive.org/details/Computer1984_5
  • VCF1 - Lee Felsenstein and Bob Marsh (1997) - https://archive.org/details/VCF1-LeeFelsensteinAndBobMarsh
  • TOSEC Collection at Archive.org - https://archive.org/details/Osborne_OSBORNE_1_and_Executive_TOSEC_2012_04_23

References

  • https://www.patreon.com/lfelsenstein
  • Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine - https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Valley-Making-Personal-Computer/dp/0071358927
  • Stan Veit’s History of the Personal Computer - https://www.amazon.com/Stan-Veits-History-Personal-Computer/dp/1566640237 by Stan Veit
Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer
Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer (Second Edition)
Using the Osborne 1 computer
None
Hypergrowth: The Rise and Fall of Osborne Computer Corporation

View Details

Episode 90 - Interview with Lee Felsenstein (Osborne 1)

Welcome to episode 90 of the Floppy Days Podcast for April, 2019.

In the timeline for personal computer introductions, we are now in the year 1981. For this episode, and actually the next couple as well, we are going to be talking about the Osborne 1.

The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation. It was powered by the Z80 CPU, weighed 24.5 lb, cost US$1,795, and ran the CP/M operating system. It was powered from a wall socket, as it had no on-board battery, but is a portable device since it can be hand-carried when packed. The computer shipped with a large bundle of software that was almost equivalent in value to the machine itself.

The Osborne 1 was the brain child of Adam Osborne and was brilliantly engineered by Lee Felsenstein. So, who better to have help me talk about the machine than Lee Felsenstein himself. To kick off this series, we’re going to spend some time with Lee talking about his time before and after the Osborne 1. And then in the next show we will talk about the history surrounding the Osborne 1 itself. Finally, we will cover the usual computer topics such as tech specs, emulators, Web sites, and more.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • BBC Micro repair/accessories - Mark Haysman http://www.retroclinic.com
  • Pi Co-processor for BBC Micro - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACORN-BBC-MASTER-128-INTERNAL-RASPBERRY-PI-MULTI-CORE-CO-PROCESSOR-KIT/264220089777
  • ZX Spectrum +2A RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum-3-2A-2B-High-Quality-RGB-Scart-Video-Cable-TV-Lead/260830045368
  • VIDHD - To order VidHD boards ($135 USD + S/H), email vidhd@blueshiftinc.com and include the desired quantity and shipping address.
  • VIDHD video - https://youtu.be/ehQpC2-NEBM
  • Exidy Sorcerer Cassette software in WAV format from Terry Stewart - https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-01-23-software-for-real-sorcerers.htm

Upcoming Shows

  • the Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS)! April 27-28, Toolbox LA (https://toolbox.la) Chatsworth, California - The CLASS website is on-line at http://www.portcommodore.com/class and discussion of CLASS is in the shared forum area with CommVEx at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=6
  • VCFSE 7.0 is scheduled for April 27, 28, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
  • VCF East May 3-5, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • June 8-9 Pacific Commodore Expo NW (PaCommEx) at The Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex, discussion is on the forum at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
  • KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
  • Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK) - Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. Visit atarixle's Fujiama page, Krupkaj's parties photos or mathy meetings page.
  • VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 28-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
  • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - Evanston, IL

Lee Felsenstein Interview

  • http://www.leefelsenstein.com/
  • https://www.patreon.com/lfelsenstein

View Details

The Apple III - Part 3 with David Fradin

Welcome to episode 89 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where we love our computers and programmable calculators of the 70’s and 80’s (and even into the 90’s).

As mentioned on the last episode, we’ve moved in to the year 1981 for computer introductions and have been discussing the much maligned but misunderstood Apple III for the past couple of shows. This episode will be the last in the series about that machine. This episode we focus on an interview with someone who was responsible for the Apple III line at Apple in his tenure there, Mr. David Fradin. David was product manager for that line and has some insights into the challenges of managing and marketing it.

Before we get to the interview, I will briefly talk about what I’ve been up to and about some new-to-me vintage computer acquisitions. I’ll also run through the upcoming vintage computer show schedule for 2019, which is pretty full, and I have a bit of feedback to share.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Lotharek store - http://lotharek.pl
  • Juiced GS - https://juiced.gs/

News

  • George Keremedjiev obituary - https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bozemandailychronicle/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=190783242
  • Barbara Keremedjiev museum plans - https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/widow-vows-to-keep-and-strengthen-bozeman-s-american-computer/article_7ce68773-e575-5b9f-9f5e-1df61bfdf61c.html
  • Floppy Days Episode 5 with George Keremedjiev Interview - http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-5-the-american-computer-museum
  • BASIC 10-Liners Contest - http://gkanold.wixsite.com/homeputerium/kopie-von-games-list-2019-1
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF Pacific Northwest 2019, March 23-24, 2019 at Living Computers: Museum+Labs in Seattle, Washington - http://www.vcfed.org/vcf-pnw
    • Midwest Gaming Classic, Milwaukee, WI, April 12-14, 2019 - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
    • Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS), April 27-28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Toolbox LA (https://toolbox.la) Chatsworth, California - CLASS website http://www.portcommodore.com/class , discussion of CLASS is in the shared forum area with CommVEx at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=6
    • VCFSE 7.0, not yet scheduled, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
    • VCF East, May 3-5, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
    • Pacific Commodore Expo NW (PaCommEx), June 8-9, The Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex, discussion is on the forum at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
    • KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
    • VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
    • Fujiama 2019 - August 26, 2019 to Sep. 1, 2019, Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. Visit atarixle's Fujiama page, Krupkaj's parties photos or mathy meetings page
    • VCF Midwest, Elk Grove Village, IL, Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
    • Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH, Sep. 28-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
    • Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Oct 18-20 - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
    • TI International World’s Faire - late Oct/Nov
  • New event page created by Chicago Classic Computing - http://chiclassiccomp.org/events.html?fbclid=IwAR3Fm5hf7PCQj0yXBxXvj9J8Mp8GDwD2w1bfD_qktpPOnNYNoQUmN_EpgB8

Feedback

  • https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/HT%E2%80%931080Z

Interview

  • “Building Insanely Great Products: Some Products Fail, Many Succeed… This is their Story: Lessons from 47 years of experience including Hewlett-Packard, Apple, 75 products, and 11 startups later” by David Fradin - https://www.amazon.com/Building-Insanely-Great-Products-Hewlett-Packard-ebook/dp/B01N7AKWWS
  • David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfradin/
  • “The Mistakes Apple Made With the Apple III” - https://spicecatalyst.com/the-mistakes-apple-made-with-the-apple/
  • “Why I Failed with the Apple III and Steve Jobs Succeeded With the Macintosh” - https://blog.aha.io/why-i-failed-with-the-apple-iii-and-steve-jobs-succeeded-with-the-macintosh/ by David Fradin
Building Insanely Great Products: Some Products Fail, Many Succeed… This is their Story: Lessons from 47 years of experience including Hewlett-Packard, Apple, 75 products, and 11 startups later

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Floppy Days Episode 88 - The Apple III - Part 2

Hi, all, and welcome to Floppy Days #88 for December, 2018. I’m your host, Randy Kindig, and it’s hard to believe that 2018 is coming to an end. I hope you all had a great year! As stated in the last show, we are into the year 1981 for computer introductions and we are covering the Apple II’s more powerful sibling, the Apple III. This is part 2 of the 2-part series and will again have Paul Hagstrom, prolific podcaster himself, to help me cover this machine. We will continue where we left off the last show, and will cover magazines, books, software, emulators, Web sites and a whole lot more. Stay tuned to learn more than you ever wanted to know about the Apple III.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Tandy Assembly 2018 - http://www.tandyassembly.com/index.html
  • Bartlett Labs (Peter Barlett) - MISE/M3SE/MIRE - http://bartlettlabs.com/
  • Ian Mavric - The Right Stuff - http://members.iinet.net.au/~ianmav/trs80/
  • Peter Cetinski - http://pski.net/category/retro/
  • Brendan Donahe - CoCoVGA - http://www.cocovga.com/
  • Jim Brain - Retro Innovations - http://store.go4retro.com/
  • Thomas McLaren - Digital Dinos - http://www.digitaldinos.com/
  • ZZap!64 Annual 2019 book - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/47744432/zzap-64-annual-2019-the-next-chapter
  • TI-59 & gummy wheel repair kit - https://www.ebay.com/itm/TEXAS-INSTRUMENTS-TI-59-CALCULATOR-CARD-READER-GUMMY-WHEEL-REPAIR-KIT/264101043234
  • Soldering Station - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D57JT3F
  • Atari 8-bit SIO cables - https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=128
  • Atari 8-bit SIO2SD p https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=58
  • Atari 8-bit S-Drive Max - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EUVJYME
  • Atari 410 Cassette Drive belt - https://www.ebay.com/itm/123508444012?ViewItem=&item=123508444012
  • Pi1541 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/PiDRIVE-Raspberry-Pi-HAT-1541-1581-Commodore-64-128-Vic-20-Emulator-OLED-Pi1541-/332860073409
  • Amiga External Drive Cable and Boot Selector - http://www.amibay.com/showthread.php?88687-Gotek-Floppy-Drive-External-ROUND-cables

Upcoming Shows

  • The Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network will have three tables at the second annual Retro City Festival, taking place January 5-6, 2019 at the famous Fairplex, Expo Hall 9, 1101 W McKinley Ave. in Pomona, California (east of Los Angeles). - http://retrocityfestival.com - a yearly celebration of video game history
  • VCF Pacific Northwest 2019 will take place March 23-24, 2019 at Living Computers: Museum+Labs in Seattle, Washington. Details can be found at http://www.vcfed.org/vcf-pnw.

Feedback

  • “Sophistication and Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer” by Steven Weyhrich - https://www.amazon.com/Sophistication-Simplicity-Times-Apple-Computer/dp/0986832278
  • Jupiter Ace resources - https://jupiter-ace.co.uk

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • Apple III Dimensions (Apple) - https://www.apple2scans.net/magazines/apple-dimensions/ - 4 issues (tied to the recall/upgrade program)
  • OnThree - https://www.apple2scans.net/magazines/on-three/ - ‘83 to ‘90 - Bob Consorti put in link to interview on Drop III Inches
  • Open Apple Gazette - https://www.apple2scans.net/magazines/open-apple-gazette/ - ‘82 to ‘84
  • Apple Orchard - http://yesterbits.com/scans/apple-orchard-magazine/ - ‘80 to ‘84
  • Call-A.P.P.L.E. - https://www.callapple.org - ‘78 to (‘90, ‘02 to ‘11, ‘15 to) present
  • Softalk - https://archive.org/details/softalkapple - ‘80 to ‘84
  • Washington Apple Pi Journal - https://www.wap.org/journal/showcase/ -‘79 to ‘94

Books

  • Osborne-McGraw Hill Guide to your Apple III - Stanley M. Miastkowski - http://www.apple2scans.net/apple-iii-documents/osborne-mcgraw-hill-guide-to-your-apple-iii/
  • Exploring Business BASIC - an almost-book by Taylor Pohlman: http://www.apple2scans.net/apple-iii-documents/exploring-business-basic/
  • "Using Apple Business Computers" by Kenniston Lord Jr - https://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Operating-Programming-Apple-III-Computers-rare-book-on-the-Apple-III-/252985598982
  • Business BASIC for the Apple III by Eddie Adamis - https://www.amazon.com/Business-BASIC-Apple-Eddie-Adamis/dp/0471883883 — http://www.apple2scans.net/apple-iii-documents/business-basic-for-the-apple-iii/
  • BASIC Keywords for the Apple III also by Eddie Adamis - http://www.apple2scans.net/apple-iii-documents/basic-keywords-for-the-apple-iii/ [nearly identical to other Adamis book, just sorted differently]

Software

  • Resource Guide for Apple III and Apple III Plus Harware and Software (Apple): http://www.apple2scans.net/apple-iii-documents/resource-guide-for-apple-and-apple-plus-hardware-and-software/
  • Software - http://apple3.org/iiisoftware.html

Ads & Appearances

  • Night Shift (1982) - Chuck, the morgue night attendant, uses Visicalc on an Apple III to keep his girls' finances in order.
  • Dick Cavett TV ads - Apple IIII easy to use - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOk-gA_j_Cw
  • Dick Cavett TV Ad - Electronic Worksheet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk80YJ0H-ZU -

Modern Upgrades

  • CFFA2 / CFFA3000 - http://dreher.net/?s=projects/CFforAppleII&c=projects/CFforAppleII/main.php , http://dreher.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=490
  • Floppy Emu - https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu/
  • SD Floppy II - http://www.a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&product_id=124
  • X/ProFile - Profile/Widget Emulator Board for Apple Lisa&Apple3 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/X-ProFile-Profile-Widget-Emulator-Board-Apple-Lisa-Apple3-Hundreds-SOLD-/202428018286 - $369.99
  • APPLE III PROFILE INTERFACE - (this is a vintage era card) - http://vintagemicros.com/catalog/apple-profile-interface-p-170.html

Emulators

  • Sara - http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/sara.html
  • MESS/MAME - https://www.mamedev.org/release.html
    See also: apple3rtr https://github.com/datajerk/apple3rtr “Ready to Run”
  • Open Emulator - https://github.com/OpenEmulatorProject/OpenEmulator-OSX ,
    Unofficial snapshot builds: https://archive.org/details/OpenEmulatorSnapshots

Buying One Today

  • Interview with Bob Cook, Founder and former President of Sun Remarketing - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-classic/classiccomputingcom-bob-cook-fmin7S5wdps/

Community

  • Facebook
    • https://www.facebook.com/groups/appleiii/
  • Twitter
    • Drop III inches (podcast twitter feed): https://twitter.com/drop_iii_inches
  • Forums
    • Applefritter - https://www.applefritter.com/forum/84 - Apple II and III forum
  • Podcasts
    • Drop III Inches - http://drop-iii-inches.com
    • Open Apple - http://www.open-apple.net - Apple II podcast but with occasional Apple III mentions

Current Web Sites

  • Centre for Computing History - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/210/Apple-III/
  • Vintage Micros - http://vintagemicros.com/catalog/apple-c-29.html
  • Apple3.org - http://www.apple3.org/ - Documents, magazines, software, emulators, ads
  • Washington Apple Pi Apple III FAQ - https://www.wap.org/a3/a3library/a3faq.html
  • Yesterbits Apple III Software and Scans - https://yesterbits.com/topics/apple-iii-software-and-scans/
  • Mike Maginnis 6502Lane - http://www.6502lane.net/
  • David T. Craig scans of a vast amount of material, internal documentation - https://archive.org/search.php?query=dtca3%2A
  • Apple ///: A New Beginning by Apple Computer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY7HRyXgeek
  • Why I Failed with the Apple III and Steve Jobs Succeeded With the Macintosh - https://blog.aha.io/why-i-failed-with-the-apple-iii-and-steve-jobs-succeeded-with-the-macintosh/ by David Fradin, Apple III Product Manager https://twitter.com/davidfradin1 https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfradin/
  • The One Thing Melinda Gates Will Keep Forever Is an Apple III - https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a22824572/melinda-gates-apple-iii
  • Archive.org - https://archive.org/search.php?query=apple+iii
  • Cult of Mac - https://www.cultofmac.com/?s=apple+iii
  • Digibarn - http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/appleIII/index.html - Apple III documentation, manuals, interviews, photos

References

  • https://www.mac-history.net/computer-history/2007-07-14/apple-iii-and-apple-iie
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III
  • http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/archives/appleii/0002.php
  • http://lowendmac.com/2015/apple-iii-chaos-apples-first-failure/
  • http://www.applelogic.org/AIIIDesignBugs.html
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer
Business Basic for the Apple III
YOCTOSUN LED Light Helping Hands Magnifier Station–3X 4.5X 25X USB Lighted Hands Free Magnifying Glass Stand with Clamp and Alligator Clips-Hobby Magnifier for Soldering, Assembly, Repair and Crafts
ELEGOO UNO R3 2.8 Inches TFT Touch Screen with SD Card Socket w/All Technical Data in CD for Arduino UNO R3

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Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com 

Ian Mavric - ianm@trs-80.com

PSKI Software - http://www.pski.net

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The Apple III - Part 1

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Episode 87 of the Floppy Days Podcast for November, 2018. In the timeline, we continue to cover machines that were released in the year 1980. The topic of this show is a machine that while it came from a very well-known computer company, was never popular enough to make a large splash in the computer market. Nevertheless, it was an important piece in the history of personal computers and I’m happy to bring it to you this month. Of course, the machine that we’re talking about, as you already know from the excellent memories intro by Mike Maginnis, is the Apple II’s more powerful brother, the Apple III.

I’m very happy to have one of the well-known members of the Apple III community today, and co-host of the Apple III podcast “Drop III Inches” as well as a cohost of the RetroComputing Roundtable Podcast, Mr. Paul Hagstrom, assist me with this month’s topic.

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • Little Darling Designs - (http://www.littledarlingdesigns.com)
  • arcade joystick from Benj Edwards - https://twitter.com/benjedwards/status/1025119835179634689
  • Mega ST-1 - https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATARI-MEGA-ST-1-WITH-GOTEK-EMULATOR-VINTAGE-RETRO-COMPUTER-FULLY-WORKING/283035614842
  • voltage up/down transformer - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MPR3XQ
  • ST trackball - atarifreakz on ebay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-520-1040-ST-STE-Mega-Falcon-computer-Amiga-500-600-1200-2000-Trackball/163273344945
  • Mega ST manual - MyAtari on eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mega-ST-Owners-Manul-New-Mint-Atari-Original/13089043845

Upcoming Shows

  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com , Nov. 10-11, Springfield, OH
  • TI International World’s Faire - http://ctiug.sdf.org/ - Nov. 10, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL
  • World of Commodore - https://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/ - December, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Feedback

  • DEC Legacy - http://declegacy.org.uk
  • 3D Monster Maze Copyright - https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2802

Peripherals

  • III Plus IIe - http://www.6502lane.net/tag/titan/

References

  • https://www.mac-history.net/computer-history/2007-07-14/apple-iii-and-apple-iie
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III
  • http://www.vectronicsappleworld.com/archives/appleii/0002.php
  • http://lowendmac.com/2015/apple-iii-chaos-apples-first-failure/
  • http://www.applelogic.org/AIIIDesignBugs.html
Simran AC-100 Voltage Power Converter Step up Down Transformer 110 Volt 220 Volt, 100 Watt, Black

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The Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81

Welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast with myself, Randy Kindig, and a whole host of vintage computers surrounding me, each one wanting their time in the limelight. This will be part 2 of the 2-part series on the Sinclair ZX80 & 81 computer line. Once again, I will have one of the grand-daddy’s of vintage computer podcasting, Earl Evans, co-hosting with me as we complete the journey through one of the historically significant computers from across the pond. We will be covering the normal topics from where we left off the last show, so we’ll be talking about peripherals, software, books & magazines, ads, emulators, Web sites and whatever else comes to mind. Before we do that, though, I do want to talk a bit about my new acquisitions and projects, let you know about upcoming shows so you can make your plans, and I might even have a little feedback.

I want to thank Ian Bucknell for providing his thoughts and memories of the ZX81.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Memories

  • Ian Bucknell’s Frankensteined ZX81 and other retro-computers - https://imgur.com/a/dD4xq

New Acquisitions/Projects

  • REX for Tandy Model 100/102 - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX
  • Atari ST RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-ST-High-Quality-RGB-Scart-Lead-Video-Cable-TV-AV-Lead-2mtr/250978089310
  • High Resolution VGA Cable for Atari ST - https://www.ebay.com/itm/142767407804
  • Sofia Atari 8-bit video board - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/274004-sophia-revc-dvi-board/

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF West - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ , August 4-5, 2018 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
  • Commodore Vegas Expo v14 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12676 , Aug. 11-12, 2018, Las Vegas, NV
  • VCF Midwest - http://www.vcfmw.org/ - September 15-16, 2018, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ - Oregon Convention Center on October 19-21, 2018
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com , Nov. 10-11, Springfield, OH
  • TI International World’s Faire - http://ctiug.sdf.org/ - Nov. 10, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL
  • World of Commodore - https://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/ - December, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Peripherals and Expansion

  • list of ZX81 Peripherals in the Centre for Computing History collection - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/cgi/archive.pl?type=Peripherals&platform=ZX81
  • Early Sinclair ZX81 peripheral adverts - http://www.retrogamescollector.com/early-sinclair-zx81-peripheral-adverts/
  • Cheetah 32K RAM Expansion
  • Memopak 16K
  • Memopak 64K
  • Memotech 48k Ram Expansion
  • ZX Panda 16K Expandable RAM for ZX81
  • Fuller FD System for ZX80/81
  • Mapsoft Keyboard for ZX81
  • Memotech ZX81 Keyboard and Buffer
  • ZX81 Keyboard Upgrade
  • ZX81 Push-Button Keyboard
  • ZX81 I/O Board
  • Sinclair ZX81 QS-Sound
  • ZX81 QS-Mother Board
  • ZON X-81
  • BASICARE Micro Systems

Magazines and Newsletters

  • Syntax ZX80 - https://archive.org/details/syntaxvol1no2
  • ZX Computing - http://magazinesfromthepast.wikia.com/wiki/ZX_Computing
  • Sync - Jan/Feb ‘81 - https://archive.org/details/syncmagazine
  • Sinclair Programs
  • Sinclair User - http://magazinesfromthepast.wikia.com/wiki/Sinclair_User
  • Timex/Sinclair User - https://archive.org/details/TimexSinclairUser
  • ZX91 Newsletter - http://zx81.de/andre/zx91/_frame_e.htm

Books

  • Mastering machine code on your ZX81 Paperback – 1982 by Toni Baker - https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-machine-code-your-ZX81/dp/0835942619/
  • The ZX-81 Pocket Book by Trevor Toms - https://www.amazon.com/ZX81-pocket-book-Trevor-Toms/dp/0835995259/
  • 49 Explosive Games for the ZX-81 by Tim Hartnell - https://www.amazon.com/explosive-games-ZX-81-Reward-book/dp/0835920860/
  • Making the Most of Your ZX-81 by Tim Hartnell - https://www.amazon.com/Making-Most-Your-Zx-81-Hartnell/dp/0835941884/
  • Timex Ts1000 Computer/Sinclair Zx-81 Computer (Sams Computerfacts) Paperback – November, 1986 - https://www.amazon.com/Timex-Ts1000-Computer-Sinclair-Computerfacts/dp/0672089696/
  • Ins and Outs of the Timex T.S.1000/Z. X. 81 Paperback – April, 1983 by Don Thomasson (Author) - https://www.amazon.com/Ins-Outs-Timex-T-S-1000-Z/dp/0861611187/
  • Fifty 1K/2K Games for the Zx 81 and Timex Sinclair 1000 by Alastair; Walsh, James and Holmes, Paul Gourlay (Author) - https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Games-Timex-Sinclair-1000/dp/0835919781/
  • Understanding Your Z. X. 81 ROM Paperback – December, 1981 by Ian Logan - https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Your-Z-X-ROM/dp/0861611039/
  • Aerospace and Communication Satellite Applications of the Z. X. 81/Spectrum Computers: Programs for Cruise Missile Trajectory Simulation and Communication Satellites Orbital Position, with GraphicsPaperback – Import, November 1, 1983 by H.S. Bluston (Author) - https://www.amazon.com/Aerospace-Communication-Satellite-Applications-Computers/dp/0907350089/
  • Turing Criterion: Machine Intelligent Programs for the 16K Z. X. 81 Paperback – November, 1982 by Dilwyn Jones (Author), etc. (Author) - https://www.amazon.com/Turing-Criterion-Machine-Intelligent-Programs/dp/0907563201/

Software

  • 3D Monster Maze
  • ZX81 Software Catalogs - http://www.retrogamescollector.com/sinclair-zx81-software-catalogues/
  • 1K ZX Chess - http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/tape/1KZXChess
  • Revival Studios (modern games) - http://www.revival-studios.com/sinclair.php
  • ZX-80 Programs site - http://zx80programs.yolasite.com/
  • TOSEC at archive.org - https://archive.org/details/Sinclair_ZX81_TOSEC_2012_04_23
  • This webiste has a very good start on creating a definitive list of ZX81 software - http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/
  • ZX81 Download Page - http://www.zx81.nl/dload/

User Groups and Shows

  • ZX-TEAM: THE active user group for the legendary Sinclair ZX81- http://www.zx81.de/zxcms/ , next international meeting March 29-31, 2019

Modern Upgrades

  • The Tynemouth Software Minstrel ZX80 clone - https://www.tindie.com/products/tynemouthsw/minstrel-zx80-clone/
  • Andy Rea’s ULA Replacement - https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2928
  • ZX-TEAM mod for 16 or 32K on the ZX81 motherboard - http://www.zx81.de/english/_frame_e.htm
  • ZXMore Complete Z80 System - https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=1696
  • ZXBlast - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/zxblast-512k-(ready-to-use)--_-ram-pack-and-usb-flash-drive-support-22781
  • ZX8-CCB for new and modern TVs like Plasma and LCD. - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/zx8-_ccb--_-video-output-for-zx81-3712
  • Chroma81 Adds Color to ZX81 - http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/ZX81/Chroma/ChromaInterface.htm
  • ZXpand, a combined SD card interface, 32K configurable memory expansion, and optional joystick port and AY sound interface

Emulation

  • XTender - https://web.archive.org/web/20141207130136/http://www.delhez.demon.nl/
  • EightyOne
    • Current - https://sourceforge.net/projects/eightyone-sinclair-emulator/
    • Original - https://web.archive.org/web/20180320020429/http://www.chuntey.com
  • ZEsarUX - https://github.com/chernandezba/zesarux/releases
  • NO$Z81 - http://problemkaputt.de/zx.htm
  • SZ81
    • Main site: http://sz81.sourceforge.net
    • macOS - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8RnV5G0TZFZRTlJbzdWemtkRm8/view
  • Spud81 - https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AM71r6k8oPHndJs&cid=4A4ECC65657FDA53&id=4A4ECC65657FDA53%21357&parId=root&action=locate
  • Clock Signal - https://github.com/TomHarte/CLK/releases
  • JTYone - http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/jtyone.html
  • jszeddy - http://rullf2.xs4all.nl/jszeddy/jszeddy.html
  • iOS ZX81 - https://zx81-ios.weebly.com
  • Other links mentioned by Kevin:
    • http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/ZX81/Chroma/ChromaInterface_Software_ZXFileConverter.htm
    • http://problemkaputt.de/zxdocs.txt

Community

  • Facebook
    • Keeping the Sinclair ZX80 and ZX81 Alive - https://www.facebook.com/groups/133345396703664/
  • Forums
    • https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/index.php
    • http://forum.tlienhard.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=2 (German)
  • User Groups
    • Timex Sinclair North American User Group - http://ncmedals.com/tsnug/index.html

Current Web Sites

  • Article in Kilobaud Microcomputing, Dec. 1980 - https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1980-12/Kilobaud_Microcomputing_1980_December#page/n169/mode/1up
  • ZX-80 at Planet Sinclair - http://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/zx80/zx80.htm
  • ZX-80 at OldComputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/zx80.html
  • Paul Farrow’s ZX-80 Software - http://www.fruitcake.plus.com/Sinclair/ZX80/
  • ZX-80 at old-computers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=262
  • Sinclair ZX81 FAQ - https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/8bits/zx81faq.html
  • http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/index.html
  • The Sinclair ZX81: As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KsuTg1qHIE
  • Sell My Retro - https://www.sellmyretro.com/category/retro-computers/sinclair/sinclair-zx81 - has many ZX80/81 upgrades/replacement parts
  • ZX81 Forever - http://zx81.de/andre/
  • ZX81 The Archive - http://www.imarshall.karoo.net/zx81/

References

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81
49 explosive games for the ZX-81 (A Reward book)
Turing Criterion: Machine Intelligent Programs for the 16K Z. X. 81
Fifty 1K/2K Games for the Zx 81 and Timex Sinclair 1000
Making the Most of Your Zx-81
Aerospace and Communication Satellite Applications of the Z. X. 81/Spectrum Computers: Programs for Cruise Missile Trajectory Simulation and Communication Satellites Orbital Position, with Graphics
The ZX81 pocket book
The Ins and Outs of the Timex Ts1000&Zx 81
Understanding Your Zx81 Rom
Timex Ts1000 Computer/Sinclair Zx-81 Computer (Sams Computerfacts)
Mastering machine code on your ZX81 by Baker, Toni (1982) Paperback

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Advertisement for Tandy Assembly 2018

November 10 & 11, 2018 in Springfield, OH

http://www.tandyassembly.com

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Interview with John Grant - Developer of the OS & BASIC for the Sinclair ZX80

In the last show Earl Evans and I covered part I of the Sinclair ZX80/81 line of home computers; its history and tech specs. Before delving into part II, we’re going to have a topic-relevant interview this month. I was able to, with the help of Kevin Palser, track down and interview Mr. John Grant, a man whose name we mentioned several times last month when going through the Sinclair ZX80 history. You see, John is literally the gentleman who wrote the operating system and BASIC for the ZX80. He still owns Nine Tiles today and still has the rights to that OS. I think you’ll enjoy this discussion with a true vintage computer pioneer.

  • Nine Tiles - http://www.ninetiles.com/
  • John Grant at LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngrantninetiles/
  • John’s current work - https://uk5g.org/discover/read-articles/packet-routing-for-the-other-two-corners/

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The Sinclair ZX-80

Hello and welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast for May, 2018, where we remind everyone of the days when everyone knew how to program a computer, not just use it for social media. My name is Randy Kindig and I host this podcast.

We are coming near the end of the computers to be covered on this podcast that were introduced at the beginning of the 8-bit era, when things really started to take off, that being the year 1980. This month, we will be talking about a limited, inexpensive, but definitely historically significant line of computers known as the Sinclair Z80, ZX81, and Timex Sinclair 1000 and 1500.

I was very happy to get an old friend, and vintage computer podcasting legend, Earl Evans to help me host this episode. Earl does a great job of researching and discussing vintage computers and his help was great. In addition, I was able to get some members of the Sinclair ZX80/81 community to provide memories and to help provide information, as well as assisting with going through the topic of emulation. As a result, there turned out to be so much information to present that it turned into 2 episodes. So, this month we will cover the history of the ZX80 computer line and tech specs and next month we will cover the remaining topics such as peripherals, software, emulation, magazine & newsletters, Web sites and more. I’m also working on a special interview with someone key to the development of the ZX80 that I’m hoping will come to fruition.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I’ve Been Up To

  • VCF Southeast 6 - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
  • Streaming video and audio on an Atari 8-bit (from Nir Dary) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ9RllBv1pg
  • Michael Tomczyk interview on Floppy Days - http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-70-michael-tomczyk-vic-20
  • Sofia RGB board for Atari 8-bit - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/258702-new-development-gtia-in-cpld/page-1
  • F18A (TI-99) - http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-8-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0

Upcoming Shows

  • Pacific Commodore Expo NW - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex - June 9-10, Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington
  • KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ , July 17-22, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri
  • VCF West - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ , August 4-5, 2018 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
  • Commodore Vegas Expo v14 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12676 , Aug. 11-12, 2018, Las Vegas, NV
  • VCF Midwest - http://www.vcfmw.org/ - September 15-16, 2018, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ - Oregon Convention Center on October 19-21, 2018
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com , Nov. 10-11, Springfield, OH
  • TI International World’s Faire - http://ctiug.sdf.org/ - Nov. 10, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL
  • World of Commodore - https://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/ - December, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Feedback

  • Memotech MTX sites from Claus Baekkel
    • www.mtxworld.dk
    • http://www.nyangau.org/memotech/memotech.htm
    • http://www.primrosebank.net/computers/mtx/mtx512.htm
    • http://www.primrosebank.net/computers/cpm/cpm.htm

Interview with Earl Evans

  • Pi1541 - https://cbm-pi1541.firebaseapp.com/

History

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX80
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81

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This is a special promo episode of Floppy Days for the upcoming VCF East XIII show, May 18-20, 2018.  I speak with VC Federation Executive Director Evan Koblentz about the show.

Please attend if you can!

VCF East Web Site

Connor Krukosky Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45X4VP8CGtk 

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The Intellivision Keyboard Component

Hello everyone and welcome to Floppy Days #83 for April, 2018. My name is Randy Kindig and I host this little retrospective on vintage computers. I’m stepping outside the normal timeline for this particular episode in order to cover a vintage gaming console and an upgrade that could be purchased for it that turned it into a home computer. The gaming console is the Intellivision and the upgrade was called the Intellivision Keyboard Component. This system falls roughly into our current timeline, which sits currently at 1980, in that the Intellivision Master Componenet was released in 1979 and the Keyboard Component while work was started on it in 1978 it was never officially released except for about 4,000 units before it was officially canceled in 1982.

Paul Nurminen, aka Nurmix, of the Intellivisionaries Podcast, came to me some time ago and suggested that we collaborate on a podcast about this system as he thought it might be interesting to Intellivisionaries and Floppy Days listeners alike. I agreed with him and we set about to pull together information and guests about this gaming/computing machine, code-named the Blue Whale, or whimsically occasionally called the Intelliputer. To that end, Paul was able to contact two gentlemen with intimate knowledge of the keyboard component. The first is Dave Rolfe, who was involved in the development of the keyboard component. The second is Frank Palazzolo, who is working on emulating the keyboard component.

Paul will be co-hosting this show with me and we have a lot of information to pass on to you that I hope you find interesting. I’ll first go over a few new acquisitions and upcoming shows and then we’ll jump right into the interview with David, followed by Frank.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Introduction to BASIC Programming, Steven L. Mandell, 1979 - https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-BASIC-Programming-Steven-Mandell/dp/0314680829/
  • BASIC: A Guide to Structured Programming, Instructor’s Manual by Dwyer, Crutchfield, Shore, and Kaufman, 1985 - https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Structured-Programming-Thomas-Dwyer/dp/0395356539
  • F18A (TI-99) - http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-8-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0
  • Sofia RGB board for Atari 8-bit - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/258702-new-development-gtia-in-cpld/page-1
  • CoCo3 RGB to SCART cable - https://boysontech.com/
  • SCART to HDMI converter box - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scart-HDMI-to-HDMI-adapter-720-1080P-HD-Video-Converter-Box-for-HDTV-DVD-STB-BH-/183032163582?var=&hash=item2a9d912cfe

Upcoming Shows

  • CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ , April 21-22, HERON POINT CONVENTION CENTER, Lombard, IL
  • VCF Southeast - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/ , April 21 & 22, 2018, this year at the new location for the Computer Museum of America Roswell, GA
  • TI Fest West - https://www.facebook.com/events/1857301137678595/ - Saturday, April 28 at 10 AM - 5:30 PM PDT, 901 C St, Vancouver, WA
  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ , When: May 18-20, 2018, Where: InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ
  • KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ , July 17-22, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri
  • VCF West - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ , August 4-5, 2018 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
  • Commodore Vegas Expo v14 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12676 , Aug. 11-12, 2018, Las Vegas, NV
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com , Nov. 10-11, Springfield, OH
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ - Oregon Convention Center on October 19-21, 2018
  • other shows that will definitely occur but not yet announced:
    • VCF Midwest - Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.vcfmw.org/ , September
    • TI International World’s Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/ - November
    • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/ , December - Toronto

Interview with Frank Palazzolo

  • Frank Palazzolo - Keyboard Component - Knarfian on AtariAge, frank@avoidspikes.com
  • https://youtu.be/y7QjvgwThFA - Frank on emulating vintage computers
  • http://www.avoidspikes.com/dsplib/intv/index.html - Frank’s Web site

Ads

  • Keyboard Component ads - http://www.intvfunhouse.com/gte/cat/

Community

  • Mailing Lists
    • Intellivision programming mailing list - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/intvprog/info
  • Forums
    • AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/125-intellivision-aquarius/

Current Web Sites

  • Keyboard Component information at intellivisionlives.com - http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/hardware/keyboard_tech.html
  • KC at Intellivision Wiki - http://wiki.intellivision.us/index.php?title=Keyboard_Component
  • Papa Intellivision - http://papaintellivision.com
  • Joe z's website - http://spatula-city.org/~im14u2c/images/kbd/
  • Mattel Electronics Intellivision Master Component System and Keyboard Component commercial - https://youtu.be/UdveJuwHuGM
  • Intellivision® Keyboard Demonstration Cassette - https://youtu.be/mvsT7ZI4ikU
Basic: A Guide to Structured Programming
Introduction to BASIC Programming

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The Acorn Atom and the Fifth Year of Floppy Days

1980 was a very prolific year for the development of personal computers around the globe and we continue to cover machines made in that year. This month’s topic is a machine that was never made available in the United States. It was popular in parts of Europe and particularly in the Netherlands. The machine: The Acorn Atom. This is the first non-US machine I’ve covered and I have plans to cover other machines that were made outside of North America.

I want to start out by thanking Walter Miraglia and Andy Collins for providing their thoughts and memories of the Acorn Atom. I have zero personal experience with the Atom, never having seen one or even heard of it prior to doing some recent research on non-US personal computers and deciding to cover it. So, it was great to have a couple of people who do have some experience with the machine volunteer to share their memories.

To help me cover this machine, I found one of the foremost Atom experts on the forums, Mr. Roland Leurs, out of the Netherlands. He was kind enough to agree to provide his insight and expertise for this show. As you will hear, he knows this computer very well and really helps us understand its nuances. I think you will enjoy the knowledge he shares with us.

As usual, I’ll also talk about new acquisitions and what I’ve been up to, a bit of news, and a modicum of feedback before we get into the main topic.

Before moving into new acquisitions, I wanted to stop for a moment and reflect on the 5th year anniverary of the show this month. It’s really hard to believe that it’s been 5 years and 82 shows since I first pulled out a microphone and took my first halting steps into podcasting. It’s been a fun ride. The thing that I enjoy the most of anything about doing the podcast is the feedback, comments, emails, and more that I get. Every time someone says hi at a vintage computer show and tells me that they listen to the podcast, it gives me a thrill. When I see an episode get downloaded over 3,000 times, it amazes me. The friends that I’ve gained as a result of this hobby have been incredible. Every person who has come onto the show to help me cover a computer, talk with me for an interview, or provide thoughts and memories has become part of my circle of friends. I consider this a collaborative show. This is not Randy Kindig talking for an hour about a computer. Just about every show has had involvement from others in the community. I want you all to know how much all of those things are appreciated. I can definitively tell you I don’t have any plans to end the podcast any time soon. If it ever quits being fun, then maybe, but you’re stuck with me for a while yet.

thank you everyone.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/
  • Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton - https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Game-Consoles-Commodore-Platforms/dp/0415856000
  • Indy Vintage Computer Club - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082702455167563/

News

  • C64 mini - http://www.techguide.com.au/news/now-can-relive-retro-computing-memories-mini-commodore-64/#

Upcoming Shows

  • CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ , April 21-22, HERON POINT CONVENTION CENTER, Lombard, IL
  • VCF Southeast - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/ , April 21 & 22, 2018, this year at the new location for the Computer Museum of America Roswell, GA
  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ , When: May 18-20, 2018, Where: InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ
  • KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ , July 17-22, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri
  • VCF West - https://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/ , August 4-5, 2018 - Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
  • Commodore Vegas Expo v14 - http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12676 , Aug. 11-12, 2018, Las Vegas, NV
  • Tandy Assembly - http://www.tandyassembly.com , Oct. 13-14, Springfield, OH
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ - Oregon Convention Center on October 19-21, 2018
  • other shows that will definitely occur but not yet announced:
    • VCF Midwest - Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.vcfmw.org/ , September
    • TI International World’s Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/ - November
    • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/ , December - Toronto

Feedback

  • Ken Partridge - pictures from Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA (Facebook and Instagram) - search #floppydayschm

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • Acorn Programs Magazine - https://archive.org/details/acorn-programs
  • Acorn User - https://archive.org/details/acornuser

Books

  • list of books at stardot - http://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6791
  • Acorn Atom Technical Manual by Roger Wilson (??) - Publisher: Acorn Computers - PDF Scan - Hoglet's 2013 edition
  • Atomic Theory and Practice - Author(s): David Johnson Davies - Publisher: Acorn Computers - PDF Scan - Hoglet's 2013 edition
  • Splitting the Atom - A manual for Informed Users - Author(s): J. R. Stevenson and J. C. Rockett - Publisher: Procyon - HTML Version - PDF Scan Part 1 and PDF Scan Part 2
  • Practical Programs for the BBC Computer and Acorn Atom - Author(s): David Johnson Davies - ISBN: 0905104145 - Publisher: Sigma Technical Press - Keith Howell's reconstruction

Software

  • Atom Software Archive - http://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6544
  • Here is the latest version of the archive - AtomSoftwareArchive_20151119_V9.zip
  • Here is the latest spreadsheet that details each title, including instructions for running, and links to any scans of original documentation - AtomSoftwareCatalog_20151119_V9.xls
  • Retro Games Collection (Drew Turpin) - https://drewturpin.wordpress.com/category/acorn-atom/

User Groups

  • Dutch Acorn Atom User Group - http://www.acornatom.nl/sites/atominpc/aclindex.htm

Emulation

  • Atom in PC - Roland Leurs - http://members.casema.nl/hhaydn/atomhw.html
  • http://floooh.github.io/virtualkc/
  • Atomulator - http://acornatom.co.uk/ - A free, open source Acorn Atom emulator for Windows, Linux, OSX and Raspberry Pi
  • Acorn Atom Emulator (DOS) - http://www.stairwaytohell.com/atom/wouterras/

Community

  • Forums
    • AtariAge - http://www.atariage.com
    • StarDot Forums - http://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/
    • 6502.org - http://www.6502.org

Current Web Sites

  • Yet Another Computer Museum - https://fjkraan.home.xs4all.nl/comp/atom/index.html
  • Atom Review - http://members.casema.nl/hhaydn/index-uk.html
  • Atom BASIC, Assembler, and the OS - http://members.casema.nl/hhaydn/index-uk.html
  • Acorn Atom in FPGA - http://members.casema.nl/hhaydn/howel/logic/acorn_atom_project.htm
  • The Atom Revisited - http://www.acornatom.nl/
  • Atom area at YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/AtomsUp/videos
  • Programs for the Atom from AcornSoft - https://fjkraan.home.xs4all.nl/comp/atom/Control_Universal_catalogue_html/Acornsoft/Acornsoft.htm
  • PDF scans and HTML documentation Acorn Atom - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/atom/doc/index.html
  • Build Your Own Acorn Atom by Roland Leurs - http://diy.acornatom.nl/
  • A brief history of Acorn home computers, including the Atom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUnRaldq8PA
Vintage Game Consoles

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David Needle, technology reporter

David Needle is a technology reporter and editor based in Silicon Valley. He has worked for a variety of publications including:

  • Computer World
  • InfoWorld
  • Personal Computing
  • Information Week
  • Computer Currents

He has interviewed many technology giants of the early computer days, such as:

  • Steve Jobs
  • Bill Gates
  • Dan Bricklin
  • Jack Tramiel
  • Nolan Bushnell
  • Steve Leininger

This interview occurred on November 3, 2016

Links:

  • Dave interviews Steve Leininger - https://books.google.com/books?id=yS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=steve+leininger+tandy&source=bl&ots=SOhJ_VmIPk&sig=rkv-wpHfieMH5rlOfSsNTu5kSaI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjw1MGU6pDQAhWB6YMKHVgYCAMQ6AEIITAB#v=onepage&q=steve%20leininger%20tandy&f=false

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Tandy Pocket Computers, Part 2

Welcome to episode 80 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for December, 2017!

This episode is part 2 of the coverage of the TRS-80 pocket computer line. In the timeline we’re still in the year 1980, with the first of the pocket computer line, the PC-1, having been released in that year. Again, the TRS-80 icon known as Ian Mavric will be walking through various aspects of that computer line with me. We will be covering newsletters, magazines, emulation, Web sites, modern upgrades and much more.

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • CoCoSDC - http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/
  • REX - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX
  • NADSBox - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=NADSBox
  • Model 100 Disk/Video Interface - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n12/89_Tandy_DiskVideo_Interfac.php
  • Paleotronic Retro-Technology Magazine Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paleotronic/paleotronic-retro-technology-magazine-microm8-3d-e/description

News

  • Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution by David and Theresa Welsh - http://www.microcomputerpioneers.com/prime/order.html

Upcoming Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest/ When: Saturday February 10th and Sunday February 11th, 2018 Where: Living Computers: Museum+Labs, 2245 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA

  • CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ , April 21 & 22, 2018, Heron Point Convention Center, 645 West North Avenue, Lombard, IL

  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ When: May 18-20, 2018 Where: InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ

  • KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ , July 17-22, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri

  • other shows that will definitely occur but not yet announced:

    • VCF Southeast - Roswell, GA - April
    • VCF Midwest - Elk Grove Village, IL - September
    • Tandy Assembly - OH - October
    • TI International World’s Faire - Chicago - Oct/Nov
    • World of Commodore - Toronto - Dec
    • Atari Party - keep eye open

Magazines/Newsletters

  • Pocket Computer Newsletter - http://www.pc-1500.info/
  • Status1500 - http://www.pc-1500.info/
  • TRS-80 Microcomputer News - http://www.os9projects.com/MAGAZINES/MicroNews/MicroNews.html
  • Compunotes - ads in Interface Age Magazine (could not find any links to these)

Books

  • 62-2086 TRS-80 Pocket Computer Programs, by Jim Cole ($1.95), published by Radio Shack - https://archive.org/details/119practicalprog00john
  • 62-2312 Problem Solving on the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, by Don Inman and Jim Conlan, published by Radio Shack ($9.95) - https://www.amazon.com/Problem-solving-TRS-80-Pocket-Computer-Self-teaching/dp/0471092703
  • 119 Practical Programs for the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, TAB Books, by John Clark Craig - https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programmes-TRS-80-Pocket-Computer/dp/0830613501
  • 26-3620 Getting Started on the PC-2, by HC Pennington, Gary Camp, Ralph Burris, published by Radio Shack ($12.95) - https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Sharp-Radio-Shack/dp/0936200111

Ads

  • Isaac Asimov ad for PC-1 - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/t80ppc/ad82a.jpg
  • PC-2 ad - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/t80ppc/h/pc2cat83.jpg
  • PC-2/PC-3/PC-4 combined ad - https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2178/2468545035_68bb455023_b.jpg

Emulation

  • Pock'Emul Multi pocket computers emulator
  • Forever1500 Sharp pockets emulator project in HTML5/JavaScript
  • PC-1500A emulator
  • MESS - http://www.mess.org/

Modern Upgrades

  • http://www.tramsoft.ch/sharp_erweiterungen/index_en.html
    • Toolkit: Four program-packages to extend the operating system DISCONTINUED
    • E-Box: Allows to connect up to four devices to a PC-1500/A or CE-150
    • Parallel/Floppy-Interface: Allows to connect a printer and a floppy drive DISCONTINUED
    • A/D Converter Standard Version: Eight channel 12-bit analog to digital converter for mobile data acquisition
    • Memory module: Increase the memory (RAM) to 32K

Community

  • Community
    • Mailing Lists
      • PocketComp@yahoogroups.com
    • Forums
      • AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/174-tandy-computers/

Web Sites

  • http://www.pc1500.com/
  • Tandy! Pocket! Mania! @ Floodgap Retrobits - http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/tpm/ - Cameron Kaiser
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Pocket_Computer
  • All and more about the Sharp PC-1500 and PC-1600 - http://www.pc-1500.info/
  • http://www.trs-80.com/trs80-models-pocket.htm
  • http://pocket.free.fr/html/tandy/tandy_e.html
  • http://radioshackcatalogs.com
Getting Started on the Sharp 1500 & Radio Shack PC-2
119 Practical Programs for the Trs-80 Pocket Computer
Problem-Solving on the TRS-80 Pocket Computer

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Tandy Pocket Computers, Part 1

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Amiga RGB to SCART cable - http://amigakit.amiga.store/catalog/
  • SCART to HDMI converter - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scart-HDMI-to-HDMI-720P-1080P-HD-Video-Converter-Monitor-Box-For-HDTV-DVD-STB-BK/322819178099

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Stewart Cheifet, Computer Chronicles

Links:

  • Stewart Cheifet Productions - http://cheifet.com/
  • Email - stewart@cheifet.com
  • Twitter - www.twitter.com/cheifet
  • Facebook - www.facebook.com/cheifet
  • Watch episodes of COMPUTER CHRONICLES - http://www.archive.org/details/computerchronicles
  • Watch episodes of NET CAFE - http://www.archive.org/details/netcafe
  • Stewart’s interview on Triangulation with Leo Laporte - https://twit.tv/shows/triangulation/episodes/114

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The Commodore Vic-20, Part II

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Vic-20 Final Expansion - http://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65219&sid=967941d7fa89090f137792181226c3b3
  • Vic-20 Cartzilla! - http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/vic20/Cartzilla.html
  • Amiga mouse - new mint from MyAtari (B&C ComputerVisions, Atari Sales & Service) - http://myatari.com/
  • Amiga power supply - Ray Carlsen - http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/
  • Amiga emulator - Amiga Forever 7 - https://www.amigaforever.com/

News

  • VCF Midwest 12 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Evan Wright - http://mrwrightteacher.net/index.php
  • Evan Wright’s Cross Platform Text Adventure Generator - https://github.com/evancwright/Lantern
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Tandy Assembly - October 7-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • 35th Chicago TI International World’s Faire - October 14, Evanston, IL Public Library, 9-4 - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
    • World of Commodore - December 9-10, 2017 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - http://www.tpug.ca/world-of-commodore-2017/about/

Feedback

  • Museum of Computing History's Retrofest - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/43210/Retro-Computer-Festival-2017-16th-17th-September-2017/
  • Classic Game Fest - http://classicgamefest.com/

Magazines

  • Commodore Free - http://www.commodorefree.com/

Books

  • “Commodore, A Company on the Edge” by Brian Bagnall - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0973864966/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “The home computer wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942386752/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “The First Home Computer: 30 Years Later” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.academia.edu/2242039/The_First_Home_Computer_30_Years_Later
  • Commodore VIC 20: A Visual History by Giacomo Vernoni (Kickstarter)

Software

  • (R) VIC-20 Cartridge Rarity & Gameplay listing by Ward Shrake and Paul LeBrasse - http://www.commodore.ca/manuals/funet/cbm/vic20/Cartlist.html
  • (R) VIC-20 Cartridge Software Reviews a.k.a. Cartzilla! - http://www.commodore.ca/manuals/funet/cbm/vic20/Cartzilla.html

User Groups and Shows

  • World of Commodore - World of Commodore - December 9 & 10 - Toronto - http://www.tpug.ca/
  • CommVex - Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
  • Pacific Commodore Expo at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle on June 10-11 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1171192169619276/

Modern Upgrades

  • VIC-VODER (Raspberry Pi)
  • Jim Brain’s memory card - UltiMem VIC-20 Memory Expansion Cartridge - http://store.go4retro.com/ultimem-vic-20-memory-expansion-cartridge/
  • Vic-20 Mega-Cart - https://www.commodoreserver.com/CommodorePhotoDetails.asp?PID=55CD0F98F23E440782584E4E6C807A82
  • Behr-Bonz cart - http://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56288
  • Final Expansion cart - http://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65219&sid=967941d7fa89090f137792181226c3b3
  • Penultimate Cart - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/index.php/penultimatecart
  • Vic-20 Midi cartridge (Jim Brain) - http://store.go4retro.com/vic-20-midi-cartridge/
  • Commodore VIC-20 Expansion Port Cart Breadboard Breakout for Development - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Commodore-VIC-20-Expansion-Port-Cart-Breadboard-Breakout-for-Development/332147938040
  • Commodore VIC-20 VIC20 cartridge development board-Atmel/Microchip/Arduino - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Commodore-VIC-20-VIC20-cartridge-development-board-Atmel-Microchip-Arduino/332146114579
  • Commodore User Port Breadboard Breakout for C64 VIC-20 Development - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Commodore-User-Port-Breadboard-Breakout-for-C64-VIC-20-Development-/332147938038
  • Joystick Breadboard Breakout for C64 VIC20 Atari 2600 VCS Development - http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Joystick-Breadboard-Breakout-for-C64-VIC20-Atari-2600-VCS-Development-/332147938039

Connectivity to Modern Computers

  • Chris Osborne Raspberry Pi 1541 Emulator - http://www.insentricity.com/a.cl/208/C64PiVideo
  • Chris Osborne Teensy XUM1541 - http://www.insentricity.com/a.cl/201/turning-a-teensy-into-a-floppy-controller
  • UNO2IEC - https://github.com/Larswad/uno2iec/wiki/About-Uno2IEC,-the-Arduino-1541-emulator-Wiki-and-HowTo
  • C64HDD - https://www.64hdd.com/index_en.html
  • X1541 - http://sta.c64.org/xcables.html

Emulation

  • VICE - http://vice-emu.sourceforge.net/ - VICE is now considered by many to be the best VIC 20 emulator available. Windows, OSX, DOS
  • Javascript Vic-20 by Matt Dawson - https://www.mdawson.net/vic20chrome/vic20.php
  • MESS (Multi-Emulator Super System)/MAME - http://www.mess.org/
  • Power20 - Mac - shareware - http://www.infinite-loop.at/Power20/index.html

Community

  • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/commodoreVIC20/
  • Forums
    • AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/172-commodore-8-bit-computers/
    • http://www.sleepingelephant.com/denial/ - forums, wiki, software
    • Lemon64 - http://www.lemon64.com/
    • Melon64 - http://www.melon64.com
    • Vintage Computing Forum - http://www.vcfed.org/forum
  • Podcasts
    • Chicken Lips Radio - http://www.chickenlipsradio.org/
    • Press Play on Tape - https://pressplayontape.podbean.com/
    • The Immortal C64 - http://www.akumadesigns.com/ic64/

Web Sites

  • YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vic20
  • Zimmers.net (pictures, software, list of all carts and tapes, tons of information) - http://www.zimmers.net/commie/index.html
  • Vic-20 Listings - http://www.vic20listings.freeolamail.com/index.html
  • “The Commodore Vic-20: A First Look”, COMPUTE! ISSUE 11 / APRIL 1981 / PAGE 26 - http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue11/12_1_THE_COMMODORE_VIC-20_A_FIRST_LOOK.php
  • Commodore Vic-20 Tribute Page by Rick Melick - http://www.geocities.ws/cbm/ - history, interviews, magazine indexes and companion disks, documentation and manuals
  • Starring the Computer - http://www.starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=65 - The Vic-20 was in shows/movies like The Philadelphia Experiment, What Waits Below, Airplane II (running Mission Control), Knight Rider
  • The Ultimate Vic-20 Website - http://vic-20.appspot.com/ - geared towards information about Vic-20 emulation

References

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_VIC-20
  • http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki/index.php?title=VIC-20
The Home Computer Wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel
Commodore: A Company on the Edge

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This is a special set of ads for the Tandy Assembly show coming to Chillicothe, OH October 7 & 8.

Thank you to all our sponsors.

http://www.tandyassembly.com 

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Interview with Ian Mavric, TRS-80 Recycler

This is an interview-only episode of Floppy Days. I was able to catch up with someone well-known in the TRS-80 community, Mr. Ian Mavric, or Mav for short. Mav bills himself as a TRS-80 recycler who also sells a lot of upgrades for the TRS-80 line of computers, including the FreHD, hi-res boards, the Quinnterface and others. He’s also a member of the TRS-80 Trash Talk Podcast and writes for the TRS8BIT newsletter. Mav is very active in the TRS-80 community and I was very happy to be able to sit down with him and talk about everything in which he’s involved.

Links:

  • Mav’s web site - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/
  • To order FreHD parts - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator
  • To order FreHD Clearly Superior sets - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/clearlysuperior/
  • TRS-80 Model 4 Hi-Res boards - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/hires/hires.htm
  • Fred Vecoven, Inventor of FreHD - http://www.vecoven.com/trs80/trs80.html

Mav can be found on the following internet Tech Forums:

  • VCFEDs TRS-80 Forum - http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?46-Tandy-Radio-Shack
  • Yahoo TRS-80 Group - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/TRS-80/info
  • Yahoo TRS-80 Club Group - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/trs80club/info
  • Usenet comp.sys.tandy - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/comp.sys.tandy
  • Mav writes a quarterly column in TRS8Bit Newsletter - http://trs-80.org.uk/index.html

Sites which may interest TRS-80 Purists:

  • SYDTRUG - Sydney TRS-80 User’s Group - http://sydtrug.org/
  • Pascal Holdry’s TRS-80 en France - http://prof-80.fr/
  • Ira Goldlkang’s TRS-80.Com - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/
  • TRS-80 Trash Talk Podcast - http://www.trs80trashtalk.com/

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Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 5.0 Post-show

Hi, everyone and welcome to episode #75 of the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m your host, Randy Kindig. It’s July, 2017, and I have a special episode for you where I cover the VCFSE 5.0 show that took place April 29-30 this year in Roswell, Georgia. When I say I “cover” the show, what I really mean is that I give you a limited perspective of the show from my eyes, as an exhibitor at the event. I will be talking about the exhibit I was a part of, some of the people I met, and purchases or sales that I made. The largest part of this episode, however, are the interviews that I was able to get at the show. They were interesting and fun for me. I hope you enjoy it, and if you were not able to make it to VCFSE this year, please consider attending next year. It’s well worth the effort to get there.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

  • VCFSE 5 presentation videos - https://vimeo.com/user50868990
  • The Guru Meditation - http://www.thegurumeditation.org/
  • Video of meeting Bill & Anthony of the The Guru Meditation for the first time at VCFSE 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=KKxc4Irm5mw&index=3&list=PLhK8ZGIwZnnNFbpeNWUGghFx8C2VQLqET
  • Bob Payne’s store on eBay with NOS TRS-80 items - http://stores.ebay.com/intenseenergy/
  • Video by Nir Dary of Multi-Dash game using Multi-Link hardware - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhA40kM3O4o
  • “Don’t Mess with Texas” TI-99 Demo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhSUhE03XFw
  • Bill Lange's Atari light pen article - http://atari8bitads.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-light-pen-is-here-and-now-its-gone.html

00:00 Theme Song

01:23 Ads

01:52 Intro

03:11 Exhibit Discussion

08:47 Tandy Assembly Ad

09:35 My Acquisitions, items sold, or give-aways

16:57 Thomas Liebert Interview

28:45 Jon Guidry Interview

49:44 Amiga Bill & Anthony Interview

1:41:54 Conclusion

1:44:52 Out-takes

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Interview with Giacomo Vernoni, author Commodore Vic 20: A Visual History

Hello and welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m Randy Kindig, your host. This is a special interview-only episode. I was able to track down Giacomo Vernoni(Jockamo VERnoni), a computer historian who recently published a book called “Commodore Vic 20: A Visual History”. As I’ve been covering the Vic-20 on recent shows, it thought it was very timely and that it would be great to interview someone who is very familiar with the machine and liked it well enough to publish a book about it. It was awesome to catch up with Giacomo and talk with him for a little while.

This interview took place on April 1st, 2017.

Links:

  • Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/958354463/commodore-vic-20-a-visual-history-hardback-book
  • Giacomo’s site - www.oldcomputr.com
  • Giacomo’s older Italian site - http://vecchicomputer.com

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The Commodore Vic-20, Part I

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Episode 73 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where modern computers are simply considered peripherals to the classic computers. My name is Randy Kindig. In the computer timeline, we’re still squarely in the year 1980. In that year, a breakthrough computer, with a great keyboard, color graphics and sound was announced for under $300. Of course, if you’ve been listening to the last few episodes of the podcast, you know that we’re talking about the Commodore Vic-20. William Shatner said it best in the TV ads of the time: “The wonder computer of the 1980’s: The Commodore Vic-20”. So far on Floppy Days, we’ve covered the history of the machine from the perspective of three different gentlemen: Brian Bagnall, historian; Neil Harris, member of the Vic Commando Team; and Michael Tomczyk, leader of that same Vic Commando Team and assistant to Jack Tramiel. In this episode, friends and fellow podcasters Jeff Salzman and Todd George, help me go through tech specs, peripherals, books, magazines, emulators, Web sites, and more for this groundbreaking machine. As there was a lot of material to cover, rather than making an extra-long episode, I’m breaking this topic up into 2 different shows. So, I hope you enjoy part 1 of this episode about the Vic-20.

Before we do that, I want to thank Brent Santin and Peter Cetinski for sharing their memories of the Vic-20. Later in the episode Brent has some additional memories that he shares with us as well.

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • ZX Spectrum - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_Spectrum
  • TRS-80 Quick Printer II - http://www.trs-80.org/trs-80-quick-printer/
  • TRS-80 Assembler/Editor - https://books.google.com/books?id=VjAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34

News

  • ZX Spectrum BASIC Jam - https://itch.io/jam/zx-spectrum-basic-jam
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Pacific Commodore Expo at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle on June 10-11 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1171192169619276/
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
    • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 5-6, 2017, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
    • VCFMW - September 9-10, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfmw.org/ , https://www.facebook.com/events/805945506224113/
    • Tandy Assembly - October 6-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - October 15, Evanston, IL - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
    • World of Commodore - first weekend in December - Toronto - http://www.tpug.ca/
  • Indy-area Vintage Computer Get-together - https://www.facebook.com/events/418655208501577/

Feedback

  • Mauricio Vives photos from VCF Southeast on Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/gp/mvives/N02Q99
  • Computer Chronicles episode with the correct pronunciation of Tramiel - https://youtu.be/AMD2nF7meDI?t=262
  • NY Times article on correct pronunciation of Tramiel - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/technology/jack-tramiel-a-pioneer-in-computers-dies-at-83.html
  • ASVARO Electronics Flea Market - http://www.electronicsfleamarket.com/

Peripherals

  • http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki/index.php?title=Peripherals

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Interview with Neil Harris, Member of the Vic Commando Team

Welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast, where classic computers will always have a home. My name is Randy Kindig. This is the final of four consecutive episodes where I talked to gentlemen who were either involved with the development of the historically significant Commodore Vic-20, or who have written books on its history. In this episode Neil Harris is my guest. Neil was a key member of the Vic Commando Team within Commodore, the team that was responsible for the introduction of the Vic-20 and helping it to become the first home computer to sell 1 million units. Neil also later worked for Atari, when the Tramiels left Commodore and purchased Atari from Warner. Neil helps me walk through the history of the Vic through the eyes of someone on the front line. I think you’ll find this interesting.

Before we get to that, I have a few housekeeping items to cover and then we’ll get into the meat of the podcast.

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • VTech PreComputer 1000 - http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/324

News

  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF Southeast 5.0 - April 29 & 30, 2017, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
    • TI Fest West - Saturday April 29th from 9 am to 5 pm, Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland, Washington - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260465-fest-west-2017/
    • Pacific Commodore Expo at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle on June 10-11 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1171192169619276/
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
    • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 5-6, 2017, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
    • VCFMW - September 9-10, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfmw.org/ , https://www.facebook.com/events/805945506224113/
    • Tandy Assembly - October 7-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - October 15, Evanston, IL - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
    • World of Commodore - first weekend in December - Toronto - http://www.tpug.ca/

Feedback

  • Bally Alley Astrocast Podcast (Adam Trionfo and others) - http://www.ballyalleyastrocast.libsyn.com/

Interview

  • Neil Harris interview for the Antic Podcast - http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-188-neil-harris-commodore-atari-genie

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Interview with Brian Bagnall, Author “Commodore, A Company on the Edge”

Welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast, where old computers survive to tell another tale. My name is Randy Kindig. In the previous couple of episodes, I covered the history of the Vic-20 computer with the help of Neil Harris, Brian Bagnall, and Michael Tomczyk. Although I used some audio clips from each of those gentlemen to walk through the history timeline, I actually have a full-blown interview with each that I want to share with you over the span of three episodes. I’ve already published the interview with Michael Tomczyk, leader of the Vic Commando Team and assistant to Jack Tramiel. Next up, I am publishing the interview with Brian Bagnall, author of the book “Commodore, A Company on the Edge” and who is working on the follow-up book “Commodore: The Amiga Years”.

Before we get to that, I will very briefly cover upcoming shows and a bit of feedback, but then we will get right into the interview with Brian Bagnall.

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: floppydays@gmail.com

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

News

  • Over 150 Commodore VIC-20 Cartridges In Under 1½ Hours by Kieren Hawkin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej5CS4Wv9UE
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/, March 31-April 2, 2017, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ
    • CoCoFest - April 22 & 23, 2017 - Lombard, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
    • VCF Southeast 5.0 - April 29 & 30, 2017, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
    • TI Fest West - Saturday April 29th from 9 am to 5 pm, Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland, Washington - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260465-fest-west-2017/
    • Pacific Commodore Expo at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle on June 10-11 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1171192169619276/
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
    • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 5-6, 2017, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
    • VCFMW - September 9-10, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfmw.org/ , https://www.facebook.com/events/805945506224113/
    • Tandy Assembly - October 6-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - October 15, Evanston, IL - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
    • World of Commodore - first weekend in December - Toronto - http://www.tpug.ca/

Feedback

  • Atari XEGS Cart by Cart Podcast - http://xegs8bit.com/

Interview

“Commodore, A Company on the Edge” by Brian Bagnall - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0973864966/?tag=flodaypod-20

Commodore: A Company on the Edge

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Interview with Michael Tomczyk, Vic-20 Commando Team Leader at Commodore

Welcome to the Floppy Days Podcasts, where old computers are the best computers and new old computers are even better. Last month, I covered the history of the Vic-20 computer with the help of Neil Harris, Brian Bagnall, and Michael Tomczyk. Although I used some audio clips from each of those gentlemen to walk through the history timeline, I actually have a full-blown interview with each that I want to share with you over the span of three episodes. For this episode, I will be publishing the interview with Michael Tomczyk. Michael was with Commodore for some time, was an assistant to none other than Jack Tramiel, and was the leader of the team known as the Vic Commando Team. He was happy to talk about his time at Commodore and turned out to be a very interesting interview and a great guy with which to talk.

Before we get to that, I do have a few housekeeping items to cover, such as a few new acquisitions, some brief news, and a bit of feedback.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Ultimate 1MB - http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=67
  • “Atari DOS 2.5:1050 Disk Drive Owner’s Manual” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_DOS
  • “Art of Atari” book by Tim Lapetino - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1524101036/?tag=flodaypod-20

News

  • BASIC 10-liners contest - http://gkanold.wixsite.com/homeputerium/basic-10liners-2017
  • RetroChallenge 2017/04 - http://retrochallenge.tuxdriver.com/
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/, March 31-April 2, 2017, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ
    • CoCoFest - April 22 & 23, 2017 - Lombard, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
    • VCF Southeast 5.0 - April 29 & 30, 2017, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
    • TI Fest West - Saturday April 29th from 9 am to 5 pm, Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland, Washington - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260465-fest-west-2017/
    • Pacific Commodore Expo at the Living Computer Museum in Seattle on June 10-11 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1171192169619276/
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
    • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 5-6, 2017, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
    • VCFMW - September 9-10, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfmw.org/ , https://www.facebook.com/events/805945506224113/
    • Tandy Assembly - October 6-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - October 15, Evanston, IL - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
    • World of Commodore - first weekend in December - Toronto - http://www.tpug.ca/

References

  • “The home computer wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942386752/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “The First Home Computer: 30 Years Later” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.academia.edu/2242039/The_First_Home_Computer_30_Years_Later
Art of Atari
The Home Computer Wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel

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The Commodore Vic-20 - History, with Brian Bagnall, Michael Tomczyk, and Neil Harris

Welcome to episode 69 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where our computers may be old, but that’s why we love them.

In the vintage computer timeline, we are in 1980. The next computer I want to discuss that debuted that year is the Commodore Vic-20. The Vic-20 is significant because it was the first color computer to sell for less than $300, at a time when other home computers with color graphics were 2 to 4 times that amount. It also was the first home computer of any type to sell over 1 million units.

In this first episode about the Vic-20, I want to cover the history of this machine: why it was developed, some of the stories around its development, what happened after its release, and when it was canceled. To that end, I contacted some notable persons that were involved with the roll-out and support of the Vic-20, as well as a person who was involved in documenting Commodore’s history. The first person I contacted was Michael Tomczyk, who was an assistant to Jack Tramiel at Commodore and who led the so-called “Vic Commando Team”. Michael was intimately involved in the marketing and support of the Vic. In addition, a key member of his team, Neil Harris, agreed to help with this episode as well. And, finally, I talked with Brian Bagnall, who you might recognize as the author of “Commodore: A Company on the Edge”. This is an amazing line up of people who are very familiar with the Vic-20 and its history and I’m very lucky to have been able to get their assistance with telling its story.

Before we jump into that, I will cover a few new vintage computer items I’ve acquired, cover a bit of news, and cover a bit of feedback I’ve received.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • NADSBox - http://www.club100.org/catalog.html
  • “Now the Chips Are Down: The BBC Micro (Platform Studies)” Hardcover by Alison Gazzard - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0262034034/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Compute’s Gazette - https://archive.org/details/compute-gazette
  • “33 challenging computer games for TRS-80/Apple/PET Paperback” by David Chance - https://www.amazon.com/challenging-computer-games-TRS-80-Apple/dp/0830612750
  • “Atari Playground” by Fred D’Ignazio - https://www.amazon.com/Atari-playground-Fred-DIgnazio/dp/0810457709
  • Fred D’Ignazio Interview on ANTIC - http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-53-fred-dignazio-prolific-writer
  • Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/

News

  • Vintage Computer Party in Indy - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260834-indianapolis-area-vintage-computer-club/?hl=%2Bindy#entry3668612
  • Vintage is the New Old - http://www.vintageisthenewold.com
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/, March 31-April 2, 2017, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ
    • CoCoFest - April 22 & 23, 2017 - Lombard, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
    • VCF Southeast 5.0 - April 29 & 30, 2017, Roswell, GA - http://vcfse.org/
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
    • VCFMW - September
    • Tandy Assembly - October 6-8, 2017 - Chillocothe, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/https://www.facebook.com/events/671911082972172/
    • Chicago TI International World’s Faire - November
    • World of Commodore - first weekend in December - Toronto

Feedback

  • Andy Collins’ blog about the Interak-1 - http://www.randomorbit.co.uk/?cat=122

References

  • “Commodore, A Company on the Edge” by Brian Bagnall - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0973864966/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “The home computer wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942386752/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “The First Home Computer: 30 Years Later” by Michael Tomczyk - http://www.academia.edu/2242039/The_First_Home_Computer_30_Years_Later
Now the Chips Are Down: The BBC Micro (Platform Studies)
The Home Computer Wars: An Insider's Account of Commodore and Jack Tramiel
Commodore: A Company on the Edge
33 challenging computer games for TRS-80/Apple/PET
The Atari playground

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Interview with Bill Kemper, HP Employee and HP Series 80 Software Engineer

Hello, again, and welcome to episode 68 of the Floppy Days Podcast.  This will be a fairly short, interview-only show.  As a final piece of the recent series of podcasts on the HP Series 80 family of machines, I was able to sit down and talk with Mr. William Kemper.  Bill worked directly on software for the HP Series 80 and later was the manager of software engineering for the line until it was canceled.  He then continued on for some time with HP until the merger with Compaq around 2002.  In the interview, we discuss Everett Kaser, who worked for Bill, and who was one of my co-hosts for the HP Series 80 podcasts.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

HP Series 80 Forum at groups.io - https://groups.io/g/hpseries80

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The HP Series 80 (HP83/85/86/87)

This episode is the third and final in a series about the Hewlett Packard HP-85 computer, or more accurately, the entire line of similar computers known as the HP Series 80. Once again, I have the tremendously knowledgeable duo of Everett Kaser and Vassilis Prevelakis helping me impart information to you about that venerable line of historically significant desktop computers. In this episode, we will primarily be covering tech specs, peripherals, expansion, magazines and newletters, books, emulation, modern upgrades, connectivity to modern computers, buying one today, community and Web sites. Wow, now that I list this out, it’s obvious we have a lot to cover. In addition, I will briefly talk about my new vintage computer acquisitions, feedback and perhaps a little news.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Vic-20 Behr-Bonz Cart - http://sleepingelephant.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7513
  • TI-59 Gummy Wheel Repair Kit - http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEXAS-INSTRUMENTS-TI-59-CALCULATOR-CARD-READER-GUMMY-WHEEL-REPAIR-KIT-/262695021491
  • TI Calculator Keyboard - https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-Keyboard-Graphing-Calculators/dp/B00007K7JE
  • Atari Macro Assembler - http://mixinc.net/atari/amac.htm
  • TI-99 Multi-Plan, Porting from Excel - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/245707-porting-from-ms-excel-spreadsheets-to-ms-multiplan-on-the-ti99/
  • new C64 podcast - Reset magazine - https://soundcloud.com/reset-magazine/reset-podcast-e01-the-hewson-episode
  • Upcoming Shows
    • VCF East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/, March 31-April 2, 2017, InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ, 07719
    • KFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/, Rockhurst University, July 18th-23rd
    • Commodore Vegas Expo v13 - July 29-30, 2017, California Hotel & Casino, 12 E. Ogden Ave., downtown Las Vegas, Nevada - http://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=6
    • Tandy Assembly - Chillicothe, Ohio, The event will tentatively be held on the weekend of 6-8 October 2017

Tech Specs

  • Audio of William Tell Overture from Vassilis Prevelakis recorded as his HP-85B was playing the piece - HP85-WilliamTell.mp3
  • Speech-Synthesis card - article in Professional Computing - V1N1 page 45 “Series 80 Talks Back” by Loren Koehler - https://groups.io/g/hpseries80/files/Professional%20Computing%20Magazine/Professional%20Computing%20V1N1-1984.pdf

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

  • HP’s Basic Exchange Newsletter - available from Museum of HP Calculators document archive or at HP Computer Museum - http://www.hpmuseum.org/software/swcdp.htm#be
  • Professional Computing - for Hewlett Packard Personal Computer Users, 1984-1985 - https://groups.io/g/hpseries80/files/Professional%20Computing%20Magazine
  • News 80s - until late ‘84 migrating readers to Professional Computing - http://www.biblewitness.org/technical/HP_Series-80/

Books/Manuals

  • HP 85 Owner's Manual and Programming Guide - http://www.series80.org/PDFs/HP85-MainBW.pdf
  • The Introduction to the HP-86B - http://www.series80.org/PDFs/HP86B-Intro.pdf
  • The Introduction to the HP-87 - http://www.series80.org/PDFs/Intro87.pdf

Software

  • The Forth ROM was recovered with the help of Everett Kaser and Don Person, but was written by Larry Woestman. The following ZIP file contains source code as well as image files for the HP-85 and HP-87: HP-85 / HP-87 Forth ROM: HP_Series_80_Forth.zip
  • André Koppel wrote some utilities for the HP-87 called SYSEXT, which he transferred to a ROM. This can be downloaded together with a manual in German from http://www.akso.de/index.php?id=hp_series_80&L=1

Modern Upgrades

  • expansion - PRM-85 (Bill Kotaska (USA), with support from John Shadbolt (UK)) e-mail if interested
  • HP85 recreation with an FPGA - FPGA HP85B
  • SD or CF card interface - HP85DISK - HP-85 Disk Emulator using AVR and MicroSD card for classic HP series 80 computers - https://github.com/magore/hp85disk by Mike Gore

Connectivity to Modern Computers

  • Transferring diskette images from an HP-86/7 to a PC via a serial connection - based on an article by Pete Goffinet published in the PPC Computer Journal (V3N1, January/February 1984) - http://www.series80.org/Articles/uploading-disk-images.html
  • transfer data from an HP85 computer with 5.25" double floppy drive to DOS or UNIX - http://www.series80.org/Articles/xfer-to-dos.txt

Emulation

  • Series 80 Emulator by Everett Kaser - http://www.kaser.com/hp85.html
  • Series 80 Emulator by Oliver De Smet - https://sites.google.com/site/olivier2smet2/hpseries80
  • go87 - Free HP 87 emulator for android - https://sites.google.com/site/olivier2smet2/home/go87

Community

  • https://groups.io/g/hpseries80
  • http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/

Current Web Sites

  • http://www.kaser.com/hp85.html
  • http://www.series80.org/index.html
  • Museum of HP Calculators - Dave Hicks - http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp85.htm - lots of manuals for the Series 80
  • HP Computer Museum - http://hpmuseum.net/ Jon Johnston, founder and curator lost his life in April 2016
  • HP Memory Project - http://www.hpmemoryproject.org/
  • Larry Atherton's HP-85 refurbishment site. Larry completely rebuilds HP-85 computers , replacing the tape drive with a reliable QIC drive. - http://myworld.ebay.com/la-tech-renewal
  • “Hewlett Packards New Personal Computer, the HP-85”, Byte Magazine V5N3 - http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-03/1980_03_BYTE_05-03_Computers_in_the_Labratory#page/n63/mode/2up
  • HP-85 tear-down video (EEVblog) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5SzKM7g5Ds
  • Dave Jones - Aussie - Electronic Engineering Video Blog
  • HP-85 demo video (EEVblog) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yac6YByAcRc
  • Repairing the HP-85 Computer (EEVblog) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14KncLx5frg
  • CuriousMarc's 16-volume video series on testing and repairing different parts of the HP-85 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrOKgf0Js8A&list=PL-_93BVApb5-EQPTni9sjxKhQsb2BzvWR
  • Article from Byte Magazine about the HP-85 - http://www.series80.org/ByteArticle/index.html
  • HP86B page by Guillaume Tello - http://gtello.pagesperso-orange.fr/hp86_e.htm
  • HP Series 80 Links - http://vintagecomputers.site90.net/hp85/links.htm
Texas Instruments Full Keyboard for TI Graphing Calculators

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Welcome to Episode 66 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where we try to relive our youth by talking about computers nearly as old as we are. Vintage Computer Festival Midwest #11 recently happened on Sep. 10 and 11, 2016 in Elk Grove Village, IL and I managed to find my way there again this year. Once again, I had an incredible time at the event and thought I’d share some of it with you. I managed to get a few interviews, meet several people I had never met before, catch up with old friends, and come home with far more items than I left with. So, I plan to give you a quick run-down of the event through my eyes and I hope you find this interesting.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

  • my presentation, you can find it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNTiEZl30Fg
  • Edladdin controllers - http://www.edladdin.com
  • Podcast on the Exidy Sorcerer - http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-17-the-exidy-sorcerer-live-from-vcfse-20
  • Peter Bartlett - http://bartlettlabs.com/
  • Evan Wright - http://mrwrightteacher.net/
  • Transkey II - http://ataribits.weebly.com/transkey-ii.html
  • John Strong - http://strongware.net/
  • Jim Brain - http://store.go4retro.com/
  • Chicago TI-99/4A User Group - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=HomePage
  • Cosmac Elf - http://www.cosmacelf.com/news/win-an-elf-at-vcfmw.html

00:00 Theme Song

01:20 Ads

01:49 Intro

02:34 CoCo Crew Ad

03:21 Presentations Discussion

05:53 My Presentation (audio)

27:56 My Exhibit

31:21 Intro to Peter Bartlett Interview

32:00 Peter Bartlett Interview

34:54 Intro to Evan Wright Interview

35:35 Evan Wright Interview

44:41 Intro to Simon Wells Interview

45:18 Simon Wells Interview

59:26 My Purchases

1:07:36 What I didn't buy, TI-99 UStream, and Cosmac Elf Exhibit

1:11:19 Conclusion

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Welcome to Episode 65 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where a summer computer camp for middle-aged geeks is the highlight of our year. My name is Randy Kindig. This is a very special edition of Floppy Days produced and contributed by my good friend Mike Whalen and it includes sound bites from many of the attendees of this year’s annual week-long KansasFest Apple II event that always happens in Kansas City, Missouri. Mike is a long-time Apple II and retro-computer fan and one of the hosts of the currently-dormant Electric Dreams BBS Podcast. I met Mike at the one-and-only KansasFest event that I’ve been able to attend thus far, that being in 2014. I would certainly recommend the event to anyone that enjoys getting together with a large number of vintage computer nuts for an entire week, living the college dorm life, and generally immersing themselves in the out-of-date-but-still-loads-of-fun Apple II computer. It’s one of things that you must experience at least once, although for most people it tends to be like Lay’s Potato Chips: no one can stop at just one.

I’m amazed at the effort and quality Mike put into this podcast. I want to thank him and the Apple II KFest community for allowing me to air this ode to KFest on Floppy Days.

Enjoy!

KansasFest Website - http://kansasfest.org

KansasFest talks on Internet Archive - https://archive.org/details/kansasfest

KansasFest HackFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/hackfest/

KansasFest Door Contest from 2015 - http://www.kansasfest.org/2016/07/door-signs-2015/

YouTube playlist of Dr. Steven Weyrich's KFest-related Parody Songs - http://bit.ly/2dkQfvc

Twitter Accounts for some of the folks involved:

@a2fan -- Sean Fahey

@the_jongleur -- Michael Mulhern

@quinndunki -- Quinn Dunki

@callapple -- Call A.P.P.L.E.

@retroconnector -- Charles Mangin

@kevinsavetz -- Kevin Savetz

@CT6502 -- Chris Torrence

@textfiles -- Jason Scott

@65816guy -- Dagen Brock

@ultramagnus_tcv -- Mike Whalen

Call-A.P.P.L.E. - http://www.callapple.org

Call-A.P.P.L.E.'s "Nibble Viewpoints - Business Insights From The Computing Revolution" by Mike Harvey

Reactive Micro - http://reactivemicro.com/wiki/Main_Page

8-Bit Weapon - http://8bitweapon.bandcamp.com/

Bits With Byte - http://8bitweapon.bandcamp.com/album/bits-with-byte

BlipTastic by ComputeHer - http://8bitweapon.bandcamp.com/album/bliptastic

Charles Mangin's RetroConnector - http://retroconnector.com/

Quinn Dunki's Blog - http://quinndunki.com/blondihacks/

Nibble Magazine - http://www.nibblemagazine.com/

Mike has provided links in the show notes for Web sites that can help you find out more about the attendees you heard in this episode and about KFest itself ; just go to floppydays.com for the full list. If you wish to contact Mike about this episode, you can find some contact information for him in the show notes.

I very much encourage you to provide feedback for the show at iTunes or on the Web site, via email at floppydays@gmail.com, via Twitter at @floppydays or on Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays . I also want to mention that Floppy Days is also a member of the Throwback Network, a network of retro-themed podcasts. Check it out at http://www.throwbacknetwork.net. For one more way to listen, Floppy Days is also available for streaming at stitcher.com.

Until the next show, pull out a vintage computer and compute as if it were yesterday.

Bye!

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The HP-85B Microcomputer, Part 2

Hello, and welcome to episode 64 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where old computers come to live. I’m Randy Kindig and I’m happy to bring you this episode this month. This episode is Part 2 about the HP Series 80 line of microcomputers. Last month I interviewed 2 well-known members of the HP Series 80 community, Everett Kaser former HP engineer who worked on the Series 80 and runs kaser.com and Vassilis Prevelakis of series80.org. This month, they are back to help me talk about the history of these fabulous machines. It’s a fascinating conversation with two gentlemen who have a lot of love of and knowledge about these machines.

I want to thank Everett for providing the intro to this episode with his memories of the Series 80.

Before getting into the meat of the program, I do intend to talk briefly about any new vintage computer acquisitions, upcoming shows and feedback.

Ok, let’s fire up the ol’ HP-85 and see what we can learn.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Co-hosts

  • Everett Kaser Website - http://www.kaser.com/hp85.html
  • Vassilis Prevelakis Website - http://series80.org

New Acquisitions

  • Compute’s Atari Collection Volume 2
  • Edladdin Joystick - http://www.edladdin.com/
  • Book - Microcomputer Experimentation with the Intel SDK-85 by Lance Leventhal and Colin Walsh - https://www.amazon.com/Microcomputer-Experimentation-Intel-Sdk-85-Leventhal/dp/013580860X

Shows

  • VCFMW - September 10-11, 2016, Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/independent-festivals/vintage-computer-festival-midwest/
  • Chicago International Faire - Saturday, October 15th, Evanston Public Library - Contact Faire Chairman Hal Shanafield for more info.
  • VCFe-CH - Vintage Computer Festival Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, November 19-20, 2016 - http://vcfe.ch

Feedback

  • Andy Collins blog - http://www.randomorbit.co.uk/?p=50
  • List of TRS-80 Clones - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TRS-80_clones
  • Modern kit computers:
    • Breil Computers, the australian MicroBee (http://www.microbeetechnology.com.au/)
    • http://rc2014.co.uk/ (Via Tindie)
    • https://hackaday.io/project/9077-trs-80-model-1-on-a-pic32
    • https://hackaday.io/project/5565-trs-80-compatible-clone
    • https://hackaday.io/project/75-z80-microcomputer-system
Microcomputer Experimentation With the Intel Sdk-85

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Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 11, Sep 10-11, 2016, Elk Grove Village, IL

This a special interview show to help get the word out about an upcoming event: Vintage Computer Festival Midwest. This will be the eleventh iteration of this event and I talk with Jason Timmons, one of the main organizers of the event. He tells us all about the event, including guest speakers that will be there, exhibits, vendors and much more. If you can make it to the Chicago area the weekend of September 10 & 11, 2016, I highly recommend that you drop in and enjoy the show.

Links

  • VCF Midwest home page - http://vcfmw.org
  • VCF Midwest 11 Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/events/1552273738417440/
  • VCF Midwest Twitter - https://twitter.com/vcfmidwest
  • ECCC home page - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/
  • Jim Brain, Retro Innovations - http://store.go4retro.com/
  • GoFundMe page for show donations - https://www.gofundme.com/vcfmw

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Welcome to episode 62 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where a little smoke once in a while is a hazard of the hobby. In the vintage computer timeline, we are still in the 1979 to 1980 timeframe. This month we are covering the HP-85 desktop computer, or actually the entire series of which the HP-85 was a part known as the HP Series 80.

I struck gold when I found the two gentlemen who are co-hosting this episode with me. First is Everett Kaser, who worked for HP for 20 years and was intimately involved in the development and support of the HP-85. Secondly, we have Vassilis Prevelakis, who runs one of the best resources about the HP Series 80 in existence today, hpseries80.org. Once we started talking, and I interviewed the two gentlemen, I realized we were going to need a multi-part show to cover the large amount of information and history around this significant platform. So, the first show will be the interview with Everett and Vassilis and next month we will get into history, tech specs, emulation, Web sites, and all of the other information I like to cover.

Before we get into that, however, I will cover new acquistions, a little news, and some feedback I’ve received.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been Up To

  • American Computer Museum, Bozeman, MT - http://www.compustory.com/
  • Micropendium (TI99 Magazine) Site - http://www.99er.net/micropendium.html
  • HP41 PPC ROM - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-3SI5jRHv8
  • HP Calculator Poster at VCALC.NET - http://vcalc.net/#posters
  • Museum of HP Calculators - Museum Document Sets on Flash Drive - http://www.hpmuseum.org/cd/cddesc.htm

News

  • VCF West - August 6-7, 2016, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
  • VCFMW - September 10-11, 2016, Holiday Inn Elk Grove Village, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/independent-festivals/vintage-computer-festival-midwest/
  • Chicago International Faire - Saturday, October 15th, Evanston Public Library - Contact Faire Chairman Hal Shanafield for more info.
  • VCFe-CH - Vintage Computer Festival Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, November 19-20, 2016 - http://vcfe.ch

Feedback

  • List of modules for the HP-41 - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=View&ItemID=1232

Interview

  • Everett Kaser Website - http://www.kaser.com/hp85.html
  • Vassilis Prevelakis Website - http://series80.org

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VCF West Official Site - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/

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Welcome to episode 60 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where vintage in the term vintage computers simply means “cool”. My name is Randy Kindig. I am happy to bring you this month the follow-up or second of two episodes on the HP41C programmable calculator. Once again, I have two stellar members of the HP41 community, Richard J. Nelson and Gene Wright, with me to bring you all the information you care to know about the HP41. That includes a wrap-up to the history of the machine, tech specs, books, software, newsletters, modern upgrades, emulation, current Web sites, and so much more. Before that, I do want to discuss a few new acquisitions that have come my way, as well as some feedback I’ve received from listeners.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Books

  • “Easy Course in Programming The HP-4”1 by Ted Wadman and Chris Coffin, illustrated by Robert Bloch - http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Course-Programming-HP-41/dp/0931011094
  • “Programming the TI-59 and HP-41 Calculators” by Paul Garrison - http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Ti-59-Hp-41-Calculators-Garrison/dp/0830624422
  • “Extend Your HP-41” by W.A.C. Mier-Jedrzejowicz - http://www.amazon.com/Extend-Your-Hp-41-W-Mier-Jedrejowicz/dp/0951073303
  • A Guide to HP Handheld Calculators and Computers by W.A.C. Mier-Jedrzejowicz

Modern Upgrades

  • The new HP 41CL webpage: http://www.systemyde.com/hp41/
  • Clone Calculators - http://www.swissmicros.com/
  • HHP-16K EPROM Emulator - http://www.embeddedcomponents.com/blogs/category/component-projects/hp-41-ppc/

Emulation

  • emulation site - http://www.hp41.org/Emulation.cfm
  • V41 (Windows) by Warren Furlow - https://www.educalc.net/326089.page
  • SIM41W (Windows) by Alvaro Gerardo Suárez
  • VB41CX .NET (Windows) by Ron van Tilburg
  • i41CX and i41CX+ (iOS) by Antonio Lagana on Apple App Store
  • Calc41C (iOS) by Jonathan Watmough on Apple App Store
  • X-41 (Mac OS X) by Frederic Bronner - https://sourceforge.net/projects/x-41/
  • GENESIS-41 (Mac OS X) by Laurent Spohr - http://www.laurent-spohr.com/Main/HP-41CX_Emulator.html
  • my41cx (Mac OS X) by Miroslav Perovic - http://www.my41cx.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/1-my41cx-microcode-emulator
  • Android 41CV by Martin Hansen
  • go41c (Android) by Olivier De Smet

Web Sites

  • HHC (HP Handheld Computer) Conference - http://hhuc.us/
  • TI-58/59 Failures and Maintenance Tips Web site (Gene Wright) - http://www.rskey.org/gene/calcgene/59diag.htm
  • “The HP-41 System – 30 Years Old” by Richard J Nelson - http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/downloads/The%20HP-41%20System%20V3.pdf
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-41C
  • HP41.org - http://www.hp41.org/Intro.cfm by Warren Furlow
  • HP site by Matthias Wehrli - http://www.hp-collection.org/ a lot of information about accessories for the HP-41
  • HP-41 Scientific Calculator Fan Club on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/hp41fanclub/
  • HPCC.org - http://www.hpcc.org/calculators/hp41.html
  • HP Calculator Repairs - http://www.fixthatcalc.com/index1.php
  • Rick Furr’s vcalc.net Calculator Reference - http://www.vcalc.net - has purchaseable “Calculators of HP” poster for $25 with shipping in the U.S.
  • Retrobits Podcast on the HP-41C by Earl Evans - http://retrobits.libsyn.com/show-070-the-hp-41c-programmable-calculator
  • Jake Schwartz’ PAHHC Handheld Electronics - http://www.pahhc.org/ - has HP calculator calendars for sale, PPC DVD
  • Jean-Marc Baillard’s HP-41C programs - http://hp41programs.yolasite.com
  • Programmable calculators (Victor Toth) - http://www.rskey.org/CMS/
  • The Museum of HP Calculators (Dave Hicks) - http://www.hpmuseum.org/hp41.htm

Museum Document Sets - http://www.hpmuseum.org/cd/cddesc.htm

Programming the Ti-59 & the Hp-41 Calculators
Extend Your Hp-41
An Easy Course in Programming the HP-41

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Hello, all, and welcome to the next installment of the podcast that says “vintage electronics: I WANT IT”. I’m Randy Kindig and I’m your host. This episode is the first of a 2-parter on the Hewlett Packard HP-41 line of programmable calculators. The HP-41 is a seminal example of programmable calculators from the late 70’s and into the 80’s and is still very desirable and sought after today. I was lucky enough to find 2 gentlemen to co-host who are well-known among the active HP calculator community that exists today: Richard J. Nelson, who has written, edited, and published as much HP-41 material as anyone ever. And Gene Wright who is on the HP Handheld Conference Committee and he was a TI fan before becoming “hooked” on the HP-41. In this first part on the HP-41, I interview the co-hosts and then we cover the history of the calculator line in detail. Next month, with the same co-hosts, we will cover Web sites, emulation, software, and much more.

To start out, as usual, I will cover my new vintage computer acquisitions, a little news, and some feedback.

I hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you think.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Kim UNO - http://obsolescence.wix.com/obsolescence
  • SpartaDOS X Supercart - https://www.bitsofthepast.com/?product=super-spartados-cartridge

News

  • New TI Newsletter - Yesterdays News by Ralph Rees - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/251850-yesterdays-news/?hl=%2Byesterdays+%2Bnews#entry3507067
  • https://storybundle.com/tech - “Nerd History Bundle”
  • A Microsoft Life by Stephen Toulouse - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0557735297/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Gates by Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0671880748/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Fire in the Valley by Michael Swaine and Paul Freiberger - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071358927/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Terrible Nerd by Kevin Savetz - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1939169003/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Irregularity by Jared Shurin - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0992817218/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • The Google Way by Bernard Girard - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1593271840/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Priming the Pump by David Welsh and Theresa Welsh - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979346800/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Book site for Priming the Pump - http://www.microcomputerpioneers.com/

Upcoming Shows

  • Last Chicago CocoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ April 23 & 24, 2016, Heron Point Convention Center, Lombard, IL
  • KansasFest - July 19-24, 2016 - https://www.kansasfest.org
  • Atari Party - Saturday, July 30, at 12 PM - 5 PM in PDT, Mary L. Stephens Davis Branch Library, 315 E 14th St, Davis, California 95616 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1069851796370777/
  • VCF west - Aug 6-7 - http://www.vintagecomputerfederation.org/uncategorized/vcf-west-is-back/
  • VCF midwest — Sep 10-11, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-midwest/
  • PRGE Oct 21-23 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
  • TI International World’s Faire - Sat. Oct. 15 at Evanston Public Library

Feedback

  • a two-minute pitch video for The Secret History of Gaming on the Mac being written by Richard Moss - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tL2kC3QqeU
  • The Secret History of Gaming on the Mac Web site - https://unbound.co.uk/books/macgaming

Interview and History

  • Gene’s TI-58/59 Failures and Maintenance Tips Web site - http://www.rskey.org/gene/calcgene/59diag.htm
  • Contains probably the most information about the HP 41 series out there: http://hp41.org/
  • The HP 41CL replacement CPU board web page: http://www.systemyde.com/hp41/
  • Keith Jarett, "HP 41 in Orbit," Personal Computing (October/November 1984), pp. 50-54. - http://web.archive.org/web/20000621003759/http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/dsh/artifacts/GC-hewlett-.htm
  • HHC (HP Handheld Computer) Conference - http://hhuc.us/

References

  • “The HP-41 System – 30 Years Old” by Richard J Nelson - http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/downloads/The%20HP-41%20System%20V3.pdf
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-41C
Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer (Second Edition)
The Google Way: How One Company is Revolutionizing Management As We Know It
Irregularity
Terrible Nerd
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution
A Microsoft Life
Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry and Made Himself the Richest Man in America

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Ralph Rees, Editor, VAST TI-99 Newsletter

Hi, everyone and welcome to episode 58 of the Floppy Days Podcast.  I’m Randy Kindig.  To sort of finish off the TI-99 series of episodes I’ve been running, I have an interview-only show for you this month.  This interview is with Ralph Rees, president and newsletter editor of the VAlley of the Sun TI-99ers (VAST) back in the 1990’s.  He produced his high quality newsletter directly on a TI-99 system and received quite a few compliments about it while it was still being published.  Ralph still has an extensive TI-99 collection today.

This interview was conducted on June 7, 2015.

Links:

The Western Horizon Technologies FTP server - ftp://ftp.whtech.com

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Welcome to this special episode of Floppy Days, live from Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 4.0!  A group of podcasters at the show got together and did this fun little podcast.  Learn more about the show and about your favorite podcasters.

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Welcome to episode 56 of the Floppy Days Podcast where old computers come to life again. I’m Randy Kindig. I want to thank Ian Baronofsky and Rick Reynolds for providing their thoughts and memories of the TI-99 computer. This is the fifth and final installment in a series of episodes on the TI-99/4A home computer. This episode will cover TI-99 ads, user groups and shows, emulation, buying one today, community, and Web sites. My very special co-hosts for this episode are again two well-known figures in the TI-99 community: Chris Schneider, who produces the SHIFT838 newsletter and Rich Polivka, who manages the popular 99er.net Web site. They provide a ton of information about the amazing TI-994/A home computer. I hope you enjoy this.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Juiced.GS Apple II Newsletter - https://juiced.gs/
  • Commodore 64 Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner by Danny Davis - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0861611454/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • The ZX81 Pocket Book by Trevor Toms - http://www.amazon.com/dp/095073022X/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Introduction to Machine Code for Beginners (Usborne Computers & Electronics) - Lisa Watts, Mike Wharton - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0860207358/?tag=flodaypod-20

News

  • Bill Degnan’s “History of Commodore Computers” Poster - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/poster_detail.cfm
  • Floppy Days Logo Contest Poll - https://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays/permalink/1699121653679601/?qa_ref=qd
  • TRS-80 Trash Talk Podcast with Peter Cetinski - http://www.trs80trashtalk.com
  • Stan Veit’s History of the Personal Computer Podcast with David Greelish - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html
  • VCF Southeast 4.0 - April 2 & 3 2016, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
  • VCF East - April 15-17, 2016 - InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ, 07719 - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
  • 25th Annual Last Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ - April 23 & 24, 2016, Heron Point Convention Center, Lombard, IL, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3
  • TI Fest West 2016 - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/248617-pnw-ti-994a-fest-west-2016-april-30th/ - April 30, Centralia WA
  • KansasFest, 28th edition - https://www.kansasfest.org/ - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, from Tuesday, July 19, through Sunday, July 24
  • Atari Party = http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/atariparty/ - Saturday, July 30th, 2016, 12 p.m -5 p.m., Yolo County Public Library, Davis, CA
  • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 6-7 at the Computer History Museum, in Mountain View, California. - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
  • VCF MIDWEST 11 September 10-11, 2016, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.vcfmw.org/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - 11th annual Expo at the Oregon Convention Center on October 21-23, 2016 - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/

Feedback

  • Retrocomputer Museum - http://retrocomputermuseum.co.uk/
  • Web browser project on the TI written by Stuart Conner - http://www.avjd51.dsl.pipex.com/ti/ti.htm#internet_web_browser
  • TI game that allows people to play chess against each other on the web by Corey Anderson - http://myti99.com

Ads

  • “TI’s Home Computer. This is the one!” Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlU4HTefxmc
  • Another Bill Cosby video ad - $100 rebate (1983) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nB71Ndmvs
  • Another video ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trNcXw6nRU0

User Groups and Shows

  • Chicago TI-99/4A Users Group - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • Rich attended the 18th faire in 2000 - http://www.99er.net/chicago/chicago.html
  • TI99ers On-Line User Group - http://www.ti99ers.org/news.php
  • TI-99 Club in Vienna, Austria still has regular meetings - http://ti99blog.webs.com/
  • TI User Group (UK) - In operation for 27 years - http://www.ti99ug.co.uk/index.php
  • TI-99 Italian User Club - http://www.ti99iuc.it/

Emulation

  • Classic99 by Harmless Lion - www.harmlesslion.com/software/classic99
  • MESS (Multiple Emulator Super System) - http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/MESS
  • Using MESS along with TIIMAGETOOL - http://www.ninerpedia.org/index.php/TIImageTool
  • Win994a - TI99/4A Simulator for Windows by Cory Burr - http://www.99er.net/win994a.shtml
  • ‘ASM994A’ program - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/229206-using-asm994a/
  • TI-99 For Windows (TI99W) by Fred Kaal - http://www.ti99-geek.nl/
  • JS99er - http://www.js99er.net
  • V9T9 Emulator - http://eswartz.github.io/emul/
  • TIGAMEROOM - http://www.ti99iuc.it/web/go?94RUNC
  • PC99 from CaDD electronics - http://www.cadd99.com

Community

  • TI 99er’s Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209774843/
  • 99er.net Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/The-Ti-994a-Home-Computer-Page-196432643721232/timeline/
  • Yahoo Online Groups - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ti99-4a/info , https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/TI994A/info
  • AtariAge - http://ti99.atariage.com/
  • Google+ - TI99 Videos (YouTube) - https://plus.google.com/+Globeron-TI99VIDEOS/videos

Web Sites

  • TI Magazines - http://www.mainbyte.com/ti99/micro/micro.html
  • TI-99/4A Home Computer Page (Rich Polivka) - http://www.99er.net/ (or .org, but not .com)
  • Bill Gaskill’s TI Timeline - http://www.ti99ers.org/timeline/ , http://www.99er.net/hist1.html
  • TI-99/4A Home Computer Book Archive - http://www.hexbus.com/tibooks/
  • Archive.org - http://archive.org
  • Mainbyte - http://mainbyte.com - great reference site for TI-99/4A material hardware and command references as well as hardware projects for building and upgrades
  • Video Game House - http://www.videogamehouse.net/ - Covers game carts for the TI; Manuals, boxes, screenshots, trivia
  • TI Tech Pages - http://www.nouspikel.com/ti99/titechpages.htm - Architecture, processor, memory, peripherals, upgrades, programming.
  • TI-99/4A Game Shelf - http://tigameshelf.net/ - Collection of disk/cassette images for use with emulators. Frequently updated, good instructions.
  • WikiPedia for the TI-99 - http://Ninerpedia.org
  • Hexbus - http://www.hexbus.com/TI-99_4A_Home_Computer_Page/The_TI-99_4A_Home_Computer_Page.html - John Guidry’s site for hardware and software for the TI-99/4a
  • TI99 Geek - http://www.ti99-geek.nl/ - Fred Kaals site. Designer of the HDX upgrade (store files on a PC via serial connection); many good projects and programs.
  • Arcade Shopper - http://www.arcadeshopper.com Original carts (Rasmus), cartridge boards, eproms
  • Tex*In Treasures - http://www.texintreasures.com/ - Used to have NOS & used TI and CC40 items. Site still available, but has been showing maintenance message for months.
  • Rabbit Engineering - http://www.rabbitengineering.com/ has mini TI99 ‘models’
  • Zazzle - http://www.zazzle.com/jchildre has Alpiner and Wumpus shirts/hats; Cafe press stores (search TI-99)
  • Terry Stewart (Tezza) video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6VjsVwRXYk
  • The TI99ers Online User Group - http://www.ti99ers.org. It is intended to be a "clearinghouse" for TI-99/4A and compatibles information.
  • TI99ers Hall of Fame - http://www.ti99hof.org/
  • The Western Horizon Technologies FTP server - ftp://ftp.whtech.com - maintained by Don O'Neil and, through the efforts of many but most notably Charles Good, has become the premiere archive of TI-99 and related material
  • TOSEC collection at archive.org - https://archive.org/details/Texas_Instruments_TI-99_4a_TOSEC_2012_04_23
Commodore 64 Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner
Z. X. 81 Pocket Book
Usborne Introduction to Machine Code for Beginners

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Hello, welcome to Floppy Days Podcast #55.  This a special interview show to help get the word out about an upcoming event: Vintage Computer Festival Southeast version 4.  My special guest is Earl Baugh of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society.  He tells us all about the event, including special guest speakers that will be there, exhibits, gaming areas, a workshop where you can learn to solder and much more.  If you can make it to Roswell, Georgia, the weekend of April 2 & 3, 2016, I highly recommend that you drop in and enjoy the show.

Links

VCF East 4.0 - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/

Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/302393381/help-fund-the-vintage-computer-festival-southeast-1 

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Hello and welcome to a special episode (#54) of the Floppy Days Podcast. For this episode, I am announcing involvement in a new podcast that I’m very excited about. Peter Cetinski, a well-known figure in the TRS-80 community as a result of some great software that he’s written for the platform, contacted me and others about doing a podcast about the TRS-80 line. This is a major line of historically significant computers and has sorely needed its own podcast. I wanted to help kick off the new podcast and promote it, so I invited all the members of the podcast to come onto Floppy Days and talk about it. Please enjoy.

Links

  • Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/trs80trashtalk/
  • Web Site - http://www.trs80trashtalk.com/
  • Pete Cetinski’s TRS-80 Software Page - http://pski.net/category/retro/
  • Peter Bartlett’s Web Site - http://bartlettlabs.com/
  • Ian Mavric’s Web Site - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/

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This is a special interview-only episode. I’m very happy to announce that my special guest for this show is Don French, co-designer of the TRS-80 Model I computer and long-time Tandy employee. Don has a long and storied history with Tandy. The TRS-80 Model I, the machine that saved Tandy and spawned a long line of historically significant computers, was his brainchild. He worked closely with Steve Leininger to develop the Model I. In addition, you’ll hear that he worked with Bill Gates, Paul Allen and many other giants of the microcomputer industry. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed talking with Don.

Links

  • “Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution” by Welsh, Theresa; Welsh, David (2011-02-23). The Seeker Books. - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P8JNIS/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Q&A With Don French at Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/interviews/
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution

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Welcome to episode 52 of the Floppy Days Podcast where we talk about our beloved old computers like some guys talk about their old cars. I’m Randy Kindig. I want to thank Michael Glaser for providing his thoughts and memories of the TI-99 computer. No, this hasn’t suddenly turned into a TI-99 podcast. However, this IS the fourth in a series of what now will be 5 episodes on the TI-99/4A home computer. There just turned out to be so much material on this very interesting machine and so much interest in the community, that this turned out to be quite an extended series. Having already covered history and technical topics on previous episodes, I had originally intended this episode to cover everything from software and magazines to Web sites, but by the time my co-hosts and I had gotten through the material it turned out to be over 2 hours of audio and I decided to break it into 2 parts. This episode will cover TI-99 software, books, magazines, ads and user groups while the next one will cover emulation and Web sites. My very special co-hosts for this episode are two more luminaries in the TI-99 community: Chris Schneider, who produces the SHIFT838 newsletter and Rich Polivka, who manages the popular 99er.net Web site. They provide a very interesting perspective on the TI-99 and I think you will enjoy this show.

One final thought. It was 3 years ago this month, on Sunday, Feb. 17, that I posted the very first episode of Floppy Days. It’s incredible to think that here we are 51 episodes later, still going strong. I was new to the podcasting game at that time, unsure how well the show would be received or if anyone would care, but determined to do this because it seemed like a tremendous amount of fun to learn about all the old computers from the 70’s and 80’s. I’ve been blown away by the interest and support from the community and have made an awful lot of friends along the way. I honestly and deeply want to thank everyone who helped me produce this show, provided an interview, or simply provided words of encouragement. Who would have thought that there would be 1,000 or so geeks like me out there who would care enough about old computers to listen to me ramble on month after month. All I can say, is thank you so much, and please keep listening because I have a lot of ideas for interesting shows for some time to come.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • “The Atari Book Volume 2” - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKS5SHU/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “Kids and the Commodore 64” by Edward H. Carlson - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942386779/?tag=flodaypod-20

News

  • Bill Degnan’s “History of Commodore Computers” Poster - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/poster_detail.cfm
  • Floppy Days Logo Contest Poll - https://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays/permalink/1699121653679601/?qa_ref=qd
  • VCF Southeast 4.0 - April 2 & 3 2016, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
  • VCF East - April 15-17, 2016 - InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ, 07719 - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
  • 25th Annual Last Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ - April 23 & 24, 2016, Heron Point Convention Center, Lombard, IL, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3
  • TI Fest West 2016 - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/248617-pnw-ti-994a-fest-west-2016-april-30th/ - April 30, Centralia WA
  • KansasFest, 28th edition - https://www.kansasfest.org/ - Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, from Tuesday, July 19, through Sunday, July 24
  • Vintage Computer Festival West - August 6-7 at the Computer History Museum, in Mountain View, California. - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west-xi/
  • VCF MIDWEST 11 September 10-11, 2016, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.vcfmw.org/
  • Portland Retro Gaming Expo - 11th annual Expo at the Oregon Convention Center on October 21-23, 2016 - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/

Feedback

  • F18A Video Upgrade by Matthew Hagerty - http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-7-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0
  • ArcadeShopper.com by Gregory McGill - http://www.arcadeshopper.com/

Interview With Co-Hosts

  • SHIFT838 newsletter by Chris Schneider - http://shift838.wix.com/shift838
  • Rich Polivka’s 99er.net - webmaster@99er.net

Magazine/Newsletters

  • Repository of newsletters, magazines, books, software - ftp://ftp.whtech.com

Books

  • Bill Gaskill’s “Cartridge Collection Kit” - http://www.99er.net/cartkitreview.html

Software

  • Turbo Forth for the TI-99/4A by Mark Wills - http://turboforth.net
  • Extended BASIC 2.7 Suite Cartridge by Tony Knerr - http://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/?page_id=11#!/Extended-Basic-2-7-Suite/p/44354005/category=15846004
The Atari Book Volume # 2
Compute!'s Kids and the Commodore 64

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The TI-99/4A - Tech Specs, Peripherals, Modern Upgrades with Tursi

This show is a continuation of the on-going series about the TI-99/4A computer. In the last couple of episodes, I had TI-99 fans Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills on the show and interviewed them about their experiences with the TI-99 and then we covered the history of the machine. In this show, I have a new co-host, Mike Brent, better known as Tursi or Harmless Lion, the creator of the Classic 99 emulator and so much more. After a short interview with Tursi, we discuss the technical aspects of the TI-99, including the tech specs, peripherals, modern upgrades, and connectivity to modern computers. It’s an information-filled show, so I hope you enjoy it.

Before we get into that, I’ll discuss a few new vintage computer-related acquisitions that have come my way, give you the scoop on upcoming shows, and share with you a few pieces of feedback I’ve received about the show from listeners.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Intro

  • Bill Degnan’s VintageComputer.net - http://www.vintagecomputer.net
  • Bill Degnan’s “History of Commodore Computers” Poster - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/poster_detail.cfm

New Acquisitions

  • “The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga (Platform Studies)” - Jimmy Maher, The MIT Press - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0262017202/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Tiny Pascal for the TRS-80 Model I - https://archive.org/details/Tiny_Pascal_1982_Tandy

News

  • Amigospodcast - http://www.amigospodcast.com/
  • TRS-Box - Dropbox client for MISE/M3SE equipped TRS-80 - http://pski.net/trs-box/

Upcoming Shows

  • VCF Southeast 4.0 - April 2 & 3 2016, Roswell, GA
  • VCF East - April 15-17, 2016 - InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ, 07719 - http://www.vintagecomputerfederation.org/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • 25th Annual Last Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ - April 23 & 24, 2016, Heron Point Convention Center, Lombard, IL, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-3
  • VCF Midwest 11 September 10-11, 2016, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.vcfmw.org/

Feedback

  • TI-99 Beginner’s Video by Roland - https://youtu.be/I-S-BmJCV_c
  • Roland’s YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/VectrexRoli/

Interview with Co-host

  • Tursi’s Web Site - http://www.harmlesslion.com
  • Classic 99 Emulator by Tursi - http://www.harmlesslion.com/cgi-bin/showprog.cgi?search=Classic99
  • PS/2 Keyboard Adapter for the TI-99 by Tursi - http://atariage.com/forums/blog/567/entry-11851-a-ps2-keyboard-on-a-ti-994a/
  • UberGROM Simulator by Tursi - http://www.harmlesslion.com/cgi-bin/showprog.cgi?search=uber

Modern Upgrades/Connectivity

  • F18A Video Upgrade by Matthew Hagerty - http://codehackcreate.com/store#!/F18A-V1-7-Video-Board/p/14022176/category=0
  • Extended BASIC 2.7 Suite Cartridge by Tony Knerr - http://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/?page_id=11#!/Extended-Basic-2-7-Suite/p/44354005/category=15846004
  • Turbo Forth for the TI-99/4A by Mark Wills - http://turboforth.net
  • FBForth by Lee Stewart - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/210660-fbforthti-forth-with-file-based-block-io-post-1-updated-12082015/
  • NanoPEB and CF7+ - http://webpages.charter.net/nanopeb/
  • HDX update for the RS232 card by Fred Kaal - http://www.ti99-geek.nl/

Reference

  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A
The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga (Platform Studies)

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The TI-99/4A - History, with Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills

This is the second in a multi-part series on the TI-99/4A computer. For this history segment, I was lucky enough to find a couple of people who have an incredible history with the TI-99, Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills. Jim has an extensive, multilingual library of all things TI and possesses some very interesting hardware items related to the TI-99. Mark is the author of TurboForth for the TI-99/4A and has been involved in the TI-99/4A scene pretty much since 1983. He’s also English, living in the UK, so he has a rather British take on the home computer wars. I will cover TI-99 history with the help of these two gentlemen. I think you will find this very interesting!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Intro

  • Bill Degnan’s VintageComputer.net - http://www.vintagecomputer.net
  • Bill Degnan’s “History of Commodore Computers” Poster - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/poster_detail.cfm

New Acquisitions

  • Tricky Tutorial #5 (Player/Missile Graphics for the Atari - http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-tricky-tutorial-no--5-player-missile-graphics_28271.html
  • Tricky Tutorial #6 (Sound and Music) for the Atari - http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-tricky-tutorial-no--6-sound-and-music_28278.html
  • Tricky Tutorial #11 (Memory Map) for the Atari - http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-tricky-tutorial-no-11-memory-map-tutorial_28283.html
  • Atari Logo - http://www.atarimagazines.com/v2n6/logo.html
  • Atari 130XE Package from Ron Luks - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208571288938997&set=gm.1662349070709066&type=3&theater
  • REX for M100 - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX
  • Club 100 - Club for the TRS-80 Model 100 - http://www.club100.org/
  • TRS-80 Model 100 Mailing List Subscription Page - http://lists.bitchin100.com/listinfo.cgi/m100-bitchin100.com
  • HP-85B Owner’s Guide and Programming Manual - http://www.greendyk.nl/hp85/

News

  • Stan Veit Audiobook Podcast, published by David Greelish - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CCPodcasts/Stan_Veit/Stan_Veit.html
  • RetroChallenge 2016/01 - http://www.retrochallenge.org/
  • The M3SE Project by Peter Bartlett - http://bartlettlabs.com/M3SE/
  • Vintage is the New Old - http://vintageisthenewold.com
  • VCF Southeast 4.0 - April 2 & 3 2016, Roswell, GA
  • VCF East - April 15-17, 2016 - InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://www.vintagecomputerfederation.org/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
  • 25th Annual Last Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ - April 23 & 24, 2016, Heron Point Convention Center, Lombard, IL

Feedback

  • Quantum Link - https://www.tinytickle.co.uk/quantum-link/

History

  • Bill Gaskill’s TI-99 Timeline - http://www.ti99ers.org/timeline/timeline.htm
  • Ron Albright’s “Orphan Chronicles” - https://archive.org/details/tibook_the-orphan-chronicles
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_TI-99/4A

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The TI-99/4A - History, Interview with Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills

In the home computer timeline, I’m currently covering computers released in the era from 1979 to 1980. Next up is the TI-99/4A. When I went to research the TI-99 I found an incredible amount of information about the machine and an involved, vibrant community surrounding it. As a result, I pulled in as many experts as I could find to be involved in providing information about this very interesting machine. I got so much involvement, and found so much information, that I will be covering the TI-99 for the next several shows. That will include the typical topics, such as history, tech specs, modern upgrades, emulation, Web sites and much more, as well as interviews with some TI luminaries. As I typically like to cover the history of the machine first, that will be the topic of the first couple of shows. For the history segment, I was lucky enough to find a couple of people who have an incredible history with the TI-99, Jim Fetzner and Mark Wills. Jim has an extensive, multilingual library of all things TI and possesses some very interesting hardware items related to the TI-99, as you will hear. Mark is the author of TurboForth for the TI-99/4A and has been involved in the TI-99/4A scene pretty much since 1983. He’s also English, living in the UK, so he has a rather British take on the home computer wars. Since the interview piece I typically do with the co-hosts before covering the main topic took so long and turned out to be so interesting in it’s own right, I decided to break out the interview into its own show and the next show will then cover just the TI-99 history with the help of these two gentlemen.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Mark’s Forth for the TI-99/4A - http://turboforth.net

Tursi’s (Mike Brent) Website - http://harmlesslion.com

Classic99 TI-99 Emulator - http://www.harmlesslion.com/cgi-bin/showprog.cgi?search=classic99

F18A video upgrade - http://codehackcreate.com

SID Master 99 Card - Marc Hull - http://www.dsapsc.com/what-is-sid.html

ForTI - Forth-driven sound card - http://www.unige.ch/medecine/nouspikel/ti99/forti.htm

ninerpedia - http://ninerpedia.org/index.php/Main_Page

FTP Site at whtech.com - ftp://whtech.com/

Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire

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Welcome to a special interview-only episode of the Floppy Days Podcast. For this show, we have an interview conducted by Kevin Savetz, interviewer-extraordinaire from the Antic Podcast. Kevin conducted this interview 2 years ago. Since the interviewee and topic are not Atari-related, but are very much vintage computer related, Kevin and I thought perhaps Floppy Days would be a good medium for publishing this interview.

Wayne Green, Computer Magazine Publisher

Wayne Green was founder of 73 magazine; Byte magazine; Kilobyte, which became Kilobaud, then Kilobaud Microcomputing; 80 Micro magazine for the TRS-80; Hot Coco for the TRS-80 Color Computer; Run for the Commodore 64, inCider magazine for the Apple II; and several other computer magazines.

This interview took place over Skype on January 29, 2013, when I was doing research for a book about the very first personal computer magazines — Byte, Kilobyte, and Creative Computing. Although I've decided not to write the book, I am publishing the interviews that I did for them.

Wayne Green died on September 13, 2013, eight months after we did this interview.

Teaser quotes:

"Sharing is the big deal for me. When I find something fun, interesting, I have to share it."

"Steve Jobs ... I heard about the Apple computer so my wife and I stopped by to visit him. ... He took me out to the garage and showed it to me. He says, 'What do you think?' I said 'I think you've got a winner. There's a first computer conference is going to be in Atlantic City in two weeks. Be there.' He says 'Oh, I can't afford to fly.' I said, 'Take a bus. Be there.'"

"Amelia Earhart kept her plane at my dad's airport. ... I used to play in that when I was a kid. ... I'm one of the few people who knows exactly what happened to her."

Links:

Obituary: http://www.arrl.org/news/ham-radio-publications-pioneer-visionary-iconoclast-wayne-green-w2nsd-sk

An article remembering Wayne: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2474900/windows-pcs/goodbye-wayne-green--and-thanks-for-the-memories.html

Wayne Green FBI file: https://archive.org/details/Wanye_Green_FBI_FOIA_Request_Response

Kilobaud Microcomputing issues: https://archive.org/details/kilobaudmagazine

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This episode is part 3 of a 3-part series on the Tandy Color Computer, also known as the CoCo. I have special guest hosts to help me again this month: John Linville and Neil Blanchard of the “CoCo Crew Podcast”. Join us as we discuss Coco magazines, books, software, modern upgrades, emulation, Web sites and much more.

I also go over my new acquisitions, tell you about upcoming vintage computer shows and cover some podcast feedback.

Finally, we also have audio segments from no less than 4 different CoCo fans who share with us their memories and thoughts about the Tandy Color Computer. Thank you to Michael Moore, Rick Adams, Jon Day, and Tony Cappellini for your contributions.

Note that Floppy Days now has a Facebook page where you can discuss the show or vintage computers in general. Search for “Floppy Days” on Facebook.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Intro

  • Bill Degnan’s Historical Computers and Vintage Computer Restoration - http://www.vintagecomputer.net
  • “History of Commodore Computers” poster by Bill Degnan - http://vintagecomputer.net/poster_detail.cfm

New Acquisitions/What I’ve been Up To

  • Floppy Days Podcast Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1556099237981844/
  • Floppy Days Discussion Thread on AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/238436-floppy-days-podcast-discussion-thread/
  • Upcoming Floppy Days Show Schedule - http://floppydays.libsyn.com/webpage/category/Upcoming%20Show%20Schedule
  • Intellivision Entertainment Computer System (ECS) - http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/ecs.shtml

Upcoming Shows

  • AmiWest 2015 - http://www.amiwest.net/ Oct. 14-18, Sacramento, CA
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL
  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/ Dec. 4-6, 2015, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • VCF SE 4.0 - April 2nd and 3rd, 2016, Roswell, GA

Feedback

  • Bill Degnan’s GE television for vintage computers - http://vintagecomputer.net/ge/GE_Computer-Monitor-Television.jpg
  • George Phillips’ Doctor Who Video done on a TRS-80 4P - http://members.shaw.ca/gp2000/drwho.html
  • Vintage Computer Forum for the TRS-80 - http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?46-Tandy-Radio-Shack

Magazines/Newsletters

  • Chromasette - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromasette
  • Compute! - http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/
  • Hot CoCo - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Documents/Magazines/Hot%20CoCo%20(Searchable%20image)/
  • Micro 80 - http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/system-80/literature_magazines_micro-80_archive.htm
  • TRS-80 Microcomputer News - http://www.os9projects.com/MAGAZINES/MicroNews/MicroNews.html
  • 80 Micro - https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine
  • The Color Computer News
  • The Color Computer Magazine - https://archive.org/details/color-computer-magazine
  • CoCo Nutz! Magazine - http://www.os9projects.com/MAGAZINES/NUTZ/Nutz.html
  • Rainbow Magazine - https://archive.org/details/rainbowmagazine

Books

  • book archive with a lot of the mentioned books - https://sites.google.com/a/aaronwolfe.com/cococoding/home/docs
  • Getting Started with Color BASIC (Tandy)
  • Going Ahead with Extended Color BASIC (Tandy)
  • TRS-80 Color Computer Assembly Language Programming by William Barden, Jr.
  • Color Computer Graphics by William Barden, Jr.
  • TRS-80 Color Computer Graphics by Don Inman
  • “Unravelled” series by Spectral Associates:
  • Color BASIC
  • Disk BASIC
  • Extended BASIC

  • Super Extended BASIC

  • The Complete Rainbow Guide to OS-9 by Dale L. Puckett and Peter Dibble

  • The Complete Rainbow Guide to OS-9 Level II by Dale L. Puckett and Peter Dibble
  • Tandy’s Little Wonder by F.G. Swygert - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Tandy's_Little_Wonder
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer” by Boisy G Pitre, Bill Loguidice - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20

Software

  • Dungeons of Daggorath - https://www.facebook.com/DungeonsOfDaggorathForum
  • Castle of Tharoggad - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Castle_of_Tharoggad
  • Downland - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Downland
  • Cave Walker - http://www.mobygames.com/game/cave-walker
  • Rescue on Fractalis! - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Rescue_on_Fractalus
  • Koronis Rift - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Koronis_Rift
  • FahrFall - https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_coco_fahrfall
  • Editor/Assembler - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/EDTASM%2B
  • Logo - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Documents/Manuals/Programming/TRS-80%20Color%20Logo%20(Tandy).pdf
  • Super Logo - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Disks/Programming/Super%20Logo%20(Tandy).zip
  • eForth - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Disks/Programming/eFORTH%20(Frank%20Hogg%20Laboratory).zip
  • Color File - https://archive.org/details/Color_File_1981_Tandy
  • Color Scripsit - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/coco/Documents/Manuals/Applications/Color%20Scripsit%20(Tandy).pdf
  • Spectaculator - https://archive.org/details/coco2cart_Spectaculator_1983_26-3104_Tandy
  • Robot Odyssey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_Odyssey
  • Deskmate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptiEv_Sh-NI

Ads

  • Isaac Asimov - “Get an out of this world deal on my favorite color computer” - http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/300/retro-scan-of-the-week-isaac-asimovs-favorite-color-computer

User Groups and Shows

  • RainbowFest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEnPg1qPegI
  • Glenside CoCo Club - http://www.glensideccc.com/
  • Last Chicago CoCoFest - April 23 & 24, 2016, Lombard, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml

Modern Upgrades

  • Triad 512K RAM Upgrade - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • CoCo SDC - http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/
  • 6309 upgrade - http://richg42.blogspot.com/2014/02/coco-3-upgrades-hitachi-6309-cpu-512kb.html
  • NitrOS9 - http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/
  • Donkey Kong modified for the 6309 and 512K (Sock Master) - http://users.axess.com/twilight/sock/dk/
  • PS/2 keyboard adapter - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • mini-Flash - 4 16K banks of Flash - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • CoCo3FPGA - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CoCo3FPGA/info

Connectivity to Modern Computers

  • Drivewire - https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/

Emulation

  • MESS (Mac/Windows) - Multi-Emulator Super System - http://www.mess.org/
  • Jeff Vavasour’s CoCo 2 and CoCo 3 emulators (DOS) - http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#coco3
  • XROAR (Dragon and CoCo 1/2) - http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/
  • VCC (Windows) - http://www.coco4.com/vcc/index.shtml by Joseph Forgione
  • VCC at SourceForge - http://sourceforge.net/projects/vcce/ Version 2.0 8/26/15
  • Mocha - http://www.haplessgenius.com/mocha/mocha_original.html

Community

  • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/
  • Mailing List - Coco@maltedmedia.com , https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
  • AtariAge CoCo Forum - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/174-tandy-computers/
  • Forum at tandycoco.com - http://www.tandycoco.com/forum/index.php
  • The CoCo Crew Podcast - http://cococrew.org/
  • Coordinated CoCo Conference - http://www.coco4.com/podcasts/cococo.shtml
  • Google+ (with links to YouTube videos) - https://plus.google.com/+Tandycoco6809/videos

Current Web Sites

  • TandyCoCo.com - http://www.tandycoco.com/
  • The TRS-80/Tandy Color Computer COCO SuperSite! - http://www.coco3.com/community/
  • CoCoCoding Website (Aaron Wolfe) - https://sites.google.com/a/aaronwolfe.com/cococoding/home/
  • The NitrOS9 Project - http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/
  • OpenCoCo.net - http://opencoco.net/gf/
  • A set of Coco 1/2/3 web pages by L. Curtis Boyle - http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/index.html
  • CoCo4 Website (Steve Bjork) - http://www.coco4.com/index.shtml
  • CoCo/OS9 Archive - http://os9projects.com/index.html
  • Cocopedia - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
  • Tandy Color Computer Games - http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/coco_game_list.html
  • Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/
  • TRS-80 Color Computer Archive - http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/
  • TOSEC (The Old School Emulation Center) software collection at archive.org - https://archive.org/details/Tandy_TRS80_Color_Computer_TOSEC_2012_04_23
  • CoCo Central - http://coco-central.com/
  • Sock Master - http://users.axess.com/twilight/sock/
  • Cloud9 - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Color_Computer
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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History of Commodore Computers poster

I want to mention a special sponsor for this show: Bill Degnan and his vintagecomputer.net Web site. Vintagecomputer.net is the place to go for information about Historical Computers and Vintage Computer Restoration. Bill has a blog where he discusses various vintage computer topics and projects and it’s a great reference site.

Bill also has put together a poster he calls “the History of Commodore Computers” which is the culmination of three years of work and research. The Commodore systems have been professionally photographed specifically for this poster and the photos appear nowhere else. This poster is ideal for any vintage computer fan, Commodore Computer collector, classic or vintage memorabilia display. This is a limited edition poster and will not be re-printed. Poster Dimensions are 24" x 36" and it includes hi-resolution images of common AND rare and hard-to-find systems including the KIM 1, PET 2001, PET 4016, PET 8032, VIC-20, C-64, C-64C, SX-64, C-128, C-128D, B-128, Plus/4, C-16, Amiga 500 and more plus selected diskette drives. The cost is $19.99 + shipping, depending on where you’re located. Check it out. It really is a great poster whether you’re a huge Commodore fan, or whether like me, you just like vintage computers in general.

Bill also donated one of these posters to the show to use for a contest of my choosing, so by the next show I will announce how that will work. Stay tuned for more information about that and thanks, Bill, for the donation of the poster.

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This episode is part 2 of a 3-part series on the Tandy Color Computer, also known as the CoCo. I have special guest hosts to help me this month: John Linville and Neil Blanchard of the “CoCo Crew Podcast”. Join us as we discuss Coco tech specs, peripherals and pulling it out of the box.

I also go over my new acquisitions, a short overview of VCF Midwest 10 that occurred on August 29 & 30, tell you about upcoming vintage computer shows and cover some podcast feedback.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Intro

  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer” by Boisy G Pitre, Bill Loguidice - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20

New Acquisitions

  • Atlanta Historical Computing Society (AHCS) - http://atlhcs.org/
  • HP-85B - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_series_80
  • VCF Midwest 10 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Peter Bartlett’s Model I System Expander (MISE) - http://bartlettlabs.com/
  • Ian Mavric’s FreHD Hard Drive Emulator - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator

News - Upcoming Shows

  • AmiWest 2015 - http://www.amiwest.net/ 10/14 - 10/18, 2015, Holiday Inn Express, Sacramento, CA
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL
  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/ 12/4 - 12/6, 2015
  • VCF SE 4.0 - April 2-3, 2016

Interview

  • CoCo Crew Podcast - http://www.cyberears.com/index.php/Show/audio/6139
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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Hello, welcome to a bonus interview-only edition of the Floppy Days Podcast, the podcast about the obsolete computers of the late 70’s through the 80’s, but which we love anyway. I’m Randy Kindig, the person who brings you this nostalgia on a monthly basis. I’ve had many vintage computer authors on Floppy Days in the past and I like to discuss new books when they come out, one: because books on vintage computing are rare and two: I like to help and encourage new books on my favorite hobby. My special guest today is Evan Koblentz. Evan’s here to discuss his new book, “From the abacus to smartphone: The evolution of mobile and portable computers.” Evan will tell you all about why you should run, not walk, and go get this interesting book. Enjoy!

Links

Evan’s Web Site - http://www.snarc.net/

Book Web Site - http://abacustosmartphone.com

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Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Floppy Days, the show about home computers of the late 70’s through the 80’s. The next machine up to cover on the timeline is the Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer, affectionately known as the CoCo. Since there’s SOO much information to cover about this interesting machine, it will be a multi-parter, with the first episode covering the history of the CoCo. I was lucky enough to get one of the authors of THE CoCo history book, my good friend Boisy Pitre, to come on the show and co-host this with me. We’re going to cover the history of the CoCo from before its inception, through its introduction, until its eventual cancellation. Boisy provides a fantastic perspective on the life and career of this machine and I think you’ll enjoy it.

Before delving into the main part of the show, I’ll cover a little bit of news, new acquisitions and feedback.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • FreHD - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator
  • BEST Electronics - http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/

News

  • Uthernet II Order Page - http://www.a2retrosystems.com/order.htm
  • Uthernet II FAQ - http://www.a2retrosystems.com/support.htm#faq
  • Video from Terry Stewart on the Amstrad CPC 464 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOuPuE194fo&feature=em-subs_digest
  • VCF Midwest 10 - August 29-30, 2015, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL

Feedback

  • WinUAE - http://www.winuae.net/
  • picture of Brent Santin’s Vic-20 setup - http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki/images/d/d4/VIC-20_80_column_setup.jpg
  • VIC-20 information Wiki - http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki/index.php?title=DenialWIKI_Home
  • VIC-20 Mega-Cart - http://mega-cart.com
  • Doug Crawford’s blog for vintage activities: https://abitoutofplace.wordpress.com/
  • Tomy Tutor Information - http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/tomy/
  • The Trash Compactor - http://www.trs-80.org/norcom-tc-iii/

Interview with Co-host Boisy Pitre

  • CoCoRx - https://github.com/boisy/CoCoRX
  • “Swift for Beginners: Develop and Design” by Boisy Pitre - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0134044703/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Twitter - @boisypitre
  • Email - coco@toughmac.com
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer” by Boisy G Pitre, Bill Loguidice - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Boisy’s Blog - http://latenightcoco.blogspot.com
Swift for Beginners: Develop and Design
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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Hello, welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast. My name is Randy Kindig and this a special interview show to help get the word out about an upcoming event: Vintage Computer Festival Midwest. This will be the tenth iteration of this event and I talk with Jason Timmons, one of the main organizers of the event. He tells us all about the event, including guest speakers that will be there, exhibits, vendors and much more. If you can make it to Chicago, IL the weekend of August 29 & 30, 2015, I highly recommend that you drop in and enjoy the show.

Links

VCF Midwest home page - http://vcfmw.org

VCF Midwest Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/events/820722747964784

VCF Midwest Twitter - https://twitter.com/vcfmidwest

ECCC home page - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/

Jim Brain, Retro Innovations - http://store.go4retro.com/

GoFundMe page for show donations - http://www.gofundme.com/vcfmw10

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The TRS-80 Model III and 4

On the personal computer timeline, we’re currently in the 1979 to 1980 time frame. I do apologize that this month’s topic, the TRS-80 Model III and 4, is being presented slightly out of order in that there were a couple of machines introduced a little prior to this that I plan to cover. However, as I already had this one recorded I decided to present it now rather than hold up publishing an episode just to maintain a precise order.

As usual, I have a short preamble before we get into this month’s topic, covering new acquisitions, upcoming shows, and a little bit of feedback.

I was lucky enough to get author and vintage computer collector Michael Nadeau to agree to co-host this episode with me, so this should be a fun and interesting episode.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

News

  • New book from Evan Koblentz "Abacus to smartphone, The evolution of mobile and portable computers” - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1514810301/?tag=flodaypod-20, https://www.createspace.com/5596053
  • Retro Computing News, Stuart Williams, Editor & Publisher - http://retrocomputingnews.com
  • VCF Midwest 10 - http://vcfmw.org/ August 29-30, 2015, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL

Interview with Co-Host - Michael Nadeau

  • Michael’s Classic Tech Site - https://classictech.wordpress.com/
  • Collectible Microcomputers” by Michael Nadeau -http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764316001/?tag=flodaypod-20

Magazines/Newsletters

  • TRS8BIT - http://trs-80.org.uk/Tandy_Page_2x.html - current magazine produced today
  • 80-U.S. Journal - http://www.trs-80.org/80-us-journal/
  • TRS-80 Microcomputer News - http://www.trs-80.org/trs-80-microcomputer-news/
  • 80 Microcomputing/80 Micro - https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine

Books

  • “Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution” by Welsh, Theresa; Welsh, David (2011-02-23). The Seeker Books - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P8JNIS/?tag=flodaypod-20

Modern Upgrades

  • FreHD TRS-80 Hard Drive Emulator - http://www.vecoven.com/trs80/trs80.html
  • Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 Store - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator
  • Hi-Res Graphics Board (HRG) - Improved Grafyx HRG board - Ian Mavric (Australia) - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/hires/hires.htm

Emulation

  • TRS32 - http://www.trs-80emulators.com/ - Matthew Reed's emulators, utilities, and development tools for TRS-80 Models 1/3/4. Windows and DOS
  • XTRS - http://www.tim-mann.org/xtrs.html - Tim Mann’s TRS-80 Model I/III/4/4P Emulator for Unix
  • SDLTRS - http://sdltrs.sourceforge.net/index.html

Current Web Sites

  • Matthew Reed’s web site - http://www.trs-80.org
  • Terry Stewart video of Model 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjkjIN1pe_A
  • vwestlife video of Model 4D - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycjNyud0RMc
  • TRS-80 Model 4p movie streaming Dr. Who from floppy (gp2k00) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SkfJgMuERo
  • TRS-80 on Wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80
  • Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/trs-80-computer-line/model-iii/
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution
Collectible Microcomputers (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Abacus to smartphone: The evolution of mobile and portable computers

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Jason Scott Presentation at VCF Southeast 3.0 in Roswell, GA, May 2, 2015.

This is the Floppy Days Podcast on vintage computing and my name is Randy Kindig. This is a special episode featuring Jason Scott of archive.org fame. Many of you will be familiar with Jason Scott and the work he does in helping to preserve media and content, including content associated with our beloved vintage computers. You may or may not be as familiar with the work also being done to emulate vintage computers and vintage gaming platforms in a browser.

On May 2, 2015 Jason Scott gave a presentation to the crowd at VCF Southeast entitled “Every Computer in Your Browser-The Internet Archive Emulated Software Collection.” Jason and the VCFSE organizers were kind enough to agree to allow me to rebroadcast this presentation on Floppy Days to help get the word out about all the great work being done to preserve our machines. Jason also had presentation material to go along with the talk that I am posting on the Floppy Days site for your enjoyment.

Jason Scott is a Free-Range Archivist at the Internet Archive (archive.org), home of the Wayback Machine and 20 petabytes of saved media and content, provided for free for all. As the software curator, he is responsible for JSMESS project and integration into the Internet Archive's seemingly-endless pile of software, making it playable. He lives in Hopewell Junction, NY, mere hundreds of feet from where the CPUs of Nintendo 64s were manufactured. Jason is also a filmmaker. He is the creator of a 2005 documentary film about BBSes, BBS: The Documentary, and a 2010 documentary film about interactive fiction, GET LAMP.

Links

Presentation material - http://imgur.com/gallery/cNX4E

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Welcome to part 3 of the now 3 part episode covering the Atari 400 & 800 computers. This episode will cover Web sites, emulation, books, software, modern upgrades, connectivity to modern computers, and much more. I’m very happy to have pretty much the entire Atari 8-bit podcasting group as special guest hosts helping me cover these topics. This includes Wade from Inverse Atascii (http://inverseatascii.info/ ) , Rob of Player/Missile (http://playermissile.com/ ), Jack of RCR (http://rcrpodcast.com/ ), Kevin from Antic (http://ataripodcast.com/ ), and Brad from Antic (http://ataripodcast.com/ ). Enjoy!!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • “Atari Player-Missile Graphics in BASIC” by Philip C. Seyer - http://www.amazon.com/Atari-player-missile-graphics-BASIC-Philip/dp/0835901122
  • “All About the Commodore 64, Volume Two” by Craig Chamberlain - http://www.amazon.com/All-About-Commodore-Craig-Chamberlain/dp/0942386450
  • “Inside Atari DOS” Compiled by Bill Wilkinson, OSS - http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Atari-DOS-Bill-Wilkinson/dp/0942386027
  • “Presenting the Atari ST, Volume I” - http://www.amazon.com/Presenting-the-Atari-St/dp/091643933X
  • “The VisiCalc Book, Atari Edition” by Donald H. Beil - http://www.amazon.com/Visicalc-Book-Donald-H-Beil/dp/0835983943
  • BASIC XL for the Atari - https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=Basic%20XL
  • Action! for the Atari - https://atariwiki.org/wiki/Wiki.jsp?page=ACTION

News

  • Commodore Vegas Expo - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex July 18-19, 2015, Plaza Hotel & Casino, 1 Main Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
  • 27th Annual KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/ July 14 –19 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • Amiga 30th Anniversary Event https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/890300835/amiga-30th-anniversary-in-california Saturday, July 25 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. Kickstarter runs until April 18
  • VCF Midwest 10 - http://vcfmw.org/ August 29-30, 2015, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL
  • Interview transcript site (Kevin Savetz) - http://computingpioneers.com

Feedback

  • “32 Basic Programs for the Apple Computer” by Tom Rugg - http://www.amazon.com/32-BASIC-programs-Apple-computer/dp/0918398347

Books

  • PDFs of so many Atari 8-bit books - http://www.atarimania.com/documents-atari-atari-400-800-xl-xe--books_1_8.html
  • Atari Inc. Business is Fun - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0985597402/

User Groups and Shows

  • SPACE: St Paul Atari Computer Enthusiasts - http://www.spaceweb.us/wiki/Main_Page
  • Circa 1994 list of user groups - http://www.atarimax.com/freenet/freenet_material/6.16and32-BitComputersSupportArea/3.ReferenceDesk/35UserGroupListing.php
  • big list of newsletters from various clubs - http://mcurrent.name/magslist.html
  • 400/800 debut announcement in Winter 1979 - http://mcurrent.name/atarihistory/wci_games.html
  • Atari Bit Byter User Club (ABBUC) - http://www.abbuc.de/

Modern Upgrades

  • Ultimate 1MB - http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=67
  • 4MB Flash Megacart - http://herale.org/4MB_FLASH_MEGACART
  • 8-bit stereo upgrade - http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=45
  • Dragon cart - http://www.atari8ethernet.com
  • Randy’s review of all the storage alternative options on Antic Episode 17 - http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-episode-17-the-atari-8-bit-podcast-holiday-special
  • Side 2 - Compact Flash cartridge - http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=68
  • SIO2SD - SD interface - http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=49
  • MyIDEII - CF cartridge from AtariMax - http://www.atarimax.com/

Connectivity to Modern Computers

  • SIO2PC (AtariMax) - http://www.atarimax.com/sio2pc/documentation/
  • SIO2PC (Lotharek) - http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=98
  • Contiki for Atari - http://sourceforge.net/projects/ataricc65lib/
  • Contiki configurator / image download - dsk format - http://contiki.cbm8bit.com
  • Wades ASP Server source for Null modem connection - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/222959-xm301-modem-to-x86-pc-for-file-transfer/?p=2959967

Emulation

  • Windows: Altirra - http://www.virtualdub.org/altirra.html or Atari800 - http://atari800.sourceforge.net/
  • Mac: Atari800MacX - http://www.atarimac.com/
  • Linux: Atari800
  • Android: Colleen
  • iOS: see iOS Atari Emulation Guide at Antic site by Chris Olsen - http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/webpage/category/IOS%20Atari%20Emulation%20Guide
  • In Browser - https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_atari

Web Sites

  • Vendors
  • BEST Electronics (Brad Koda) - http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/
  • B&C ComputerVisions (Bruce Carso) - http://www.myatari.com/
  • Video 61 & Atari Sales (Lance Ringquist) - http://members.tcq.net/video61/index.html

  • Eight-Bit Fix (Paul Westphal) - http://www.eightbitfix.com/

  • Others

  • AtariMania (books, magazines, software) - http://www.atarimania.com/
  • AtariAge (news, forums) - http://www.atariage.com
  • Archive.org - https://archive.org/
  • AtariArchives (books, magazines) Kevin Savetz - http://www.atariarchives.org/
  • Atari FTP Archive (software) - http://ftp.pigwa.net/
  • Fandal (software) - http://a8.fandal.cz/
  • Atari Museum (Curt Vendel) - http://www.atarimuseum.com/
  • Bits of the Past - http://www.bitsofthepast.com/ RAM upgrades, 4-in-1 OS adapter boards
  • Atari 8-bit FAQ (Michael Current) - http://faqs.cs.uu.nl/na-dir/atari-8-bit/faq.html
  • Atari 8-bit FTP Search Engine (Bill Kendrick) - http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/xlsearch/
  • Atari 8-bit at Reddit - http://www.reddit.com/r/atari8bit
  • Atariteca (Spanish) - http://atariteca.blogspot.com/
  • Atari 8-bit Forever (Bostjan Gorisek from Slovenia) - http://gury.atari8.info
  • Atari.org, the Definitive Atari Resource - http://www.atari.org/
  • 8-bit GUI project, The Last Word, and more (Jonathan Halliday) - http://atari8.co.uk/
  • WUDSN IDE for 8-bit development (Peter Dell) - http://www.wudsn.com/index.php/ide
  • USB Joystick - http://www.syzygycompany.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50
  • Atari 800 Best Game Pack - http://atari800.tistory.com/category/Download
Atari Inc.: Business is Fun
Inside Atari DOS
Atari player missile-graphics in BASIC
32 BASIC programs for the Apple computer
The Visicalc Book: Atari Edition
All About the Commodore 64
Presenting the Atari St

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In this special joint podcast, live from VCF Southeast 3.0, we discuss our favorite parts of the show, play a game of “Never Have I Ever”, and more!

Podcast Title: “Inverse Antic Personal Computing Floppy Maccast”

Hosts:

Antic - Randy Kindig, Kevin Savetz, Brad Arnold

Floppy Days - Randy Kindig

Inverse Atascii - Wade Ripkowski

History of Personal Computing - David Greelish

RetroMacCast - James Savage

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Hi Everyone, and welcome to this special edition of The History of Floppy Days… uh, I mean, One o’clock, Two o’clock, Three o’clock Personal Computing! No, that’s not right… No… wait, it’s the combo podcast of Floppy Days AND The History of Personal Computing podcast! We’re live, here at the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast and I’m your host, David Greelish! Please join me in welcoming my co-hosts, Jeff Salzman and Randy Kindig!

We have three significant machines to discuss on this special podcast, as we’re celebrating three significant milestones in the history of personal computing this year. First, it’s the fiftieth anniversary of the DEC pdp-8, then it’s the fortieth anniversary of the Altair 8800, and lastly, it’s the thirtieth anniversary of the Commodore Amiga.

Links:

PDP-8

  • Bernhard Baehr's PDP-8/E Simulator for Macintosh - http://www.bernhard-baehr.de/pdp8e/pdp8e.html
  • Willem van der Mark's PDP-8/E Simulator in Java - http://www.vandermark.ch/pdp8/index.php?n=PDP8.Emulator
  • A very portable simulator for PDP-8, works on virtually any modern OS - http://simh.trailing-edge.com/
  • PDP-8 at Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-8

Altair 8800

  • “Remembering Ed Roberts” at Classic Computing - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CC/Blog/Entries/2010/10/10_Remembering_Ed_Roberts.html
  • “What Both of the Big Computer Museums Forgot to Mention…” at Classic Computing - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CC/Blog/Entries/2015/2/1_Both_Big_Computer_Museums_Forgot_to_Mention....html

Podcast Links

  • The History of Personal Computing podcast
  • Electric Dreams BBS podcast

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Welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m your host. This is an interview-only episode of Floppy Days. I was recently at Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 3.0 in Roswell, GA, and I had a chance to sit down with John Linville. John is a legend in the Tandy Color Computer circles and has produced a cartridge for the CoCo containing a fun game called Fahrfall. This is an exciting development for the CoCo community and John tells us all about it.

Links

Internet Archive link, where you can play Fahrfall - https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_coco_fahrfall

Fahrfall blog - http://fahrfall.blogspot.com/

John’s Other Blogs - http://vdgtricks.blogspot.com/, http://retrotinker.blogspot.com/

Most up-to-date Fahrfall gameplay video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc3iKXOxUH8

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Welcome to part 2 of the now 3 part episode covering the Atari 400 & 800 computers. This episode will cover Web sites, emulation, books, software, magazines, tech specs, and much more. I’m very happy to have pretty much the entire Atari 8-bit podcasting group as special guest hosts helping me cover these topics. This includes Wade from Inverse Atascii, Rob of Player/Missile, Jack of RCR, Kevin from Antic, and Brad from Antic. We also have memories from Bill of Antic. Enjoy!!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • MCX-128 for MC-10 (YouTube, FozzTexx) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW5d5C2F-88
  • CoCo List - coco@maltedmedia.com
  • “Z80 Microcomputer Handbook” by William Barden, Jr. - http://www.amazon.com/Z-80-Microcomputer-Handbook-William-Barden/dp/0672215004
  • Juiced.GS (Quarterly Apple II Journal) - https://juiced.gs/
  • “Fundamentals of TI-99/4A Assembly Language” by M.S. Morley - http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-TI-99-4A-assembly-language/dp/0830617221

News

  • Fahrfall - new cartridge game developed for the CoCo by John Linville - http://fahrfall.blogspot.com/ , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k5do3j7eb4

  • VCF SE 3.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2015/southeast/ - Saturday, May 2 & Sunday, May 3, 2015 Kings Market Shopping Center, Roswell, Georgia

  • Commodore Vegas Expo - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex July 18-19, 2015, Plaza Hotel & Casino, 1 Main Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
  • 27th Annual KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/ July 14 –19 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • Amiga 30th Anniversary Event https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/890300835/amiga-30th-anniversary-in-california Saturday, July 25 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. Kickstarter runs until April 18
  • VCF Midwest 10 - http://vcfmw.org/ August 29-30, 2015, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL

Feedback

  • Rama operating his computer (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPR76sWm8U8
  • Andy Collins blog - www.randomorbit.co.uk

Peripherals

  • Cassette Specs/Usage - http://www.atariarchives.org/dere/chaptC.php
  • SIO Specs - http://www.atarimax.com/jindroush.atari.org/asio.html
  • Disk Specs - http://www.atarimax.com/ape/docs/DiskImageFAQ/

Magazines

  • Atari User - http://atariuser.com/portal/
  • AtariMagazines.com - http://atarimagazines.com
  • for more, see http://playermissile.com/magazines.html
The Z-80 microcomputer handbook
Fundamentals of TI-99/4A assembly language

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Hello, welcome to the Floppy Days Podcast. My name is Randy Kindig and this a special interview show to help get the word out about an upcoming event: Vintage Computer Festival Southeast. This will be the third iteration of this event and I talk with Earl Baugh, of the Atlanta Historical Computing Society. He tells us all about the event, including special guest speakers that will be there, exhibits, gaming areas, a workshop where you can learn to solder and much more. If you can make it to Roswell, Georgia, the weekend of May 2 & 3, 2015, I highly recommend that you drop in and enjoy the show.

Links

VCF East 3.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2015/southeast/

Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/20859909/help-fund-the-vintage-computer-festival-southeast-0

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Hello, welcome to Floppy Days Episode #34. This is a special bonus episode and the topic of this show is the upcoming (as of this podcast) 2015 24th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest on April 25 & 26 at the Heron Point Convention Center in Lombard, IL. I interview Bob Swoger, secretary of the Glenside Computer Club, which sponsors the show. He talks all about the show and he gives the scoop about what you can expect to see there. Although the intent of this episode was to primarily cover the CoCoFest, it turns out that Bob has a very interesting and storied history with vintage computers.

One final note: The "Man from Canada" mentioned by Bob several times is Markus Blumrich of Grandora, SK, Canada.

I hope you enjoy it.

Links:

Glenside Computer Club - http://ncmedals.com/glenside/index.htm

Cloud9, Cool Stuff for Your CoCo - http://www.cloud9tech.com/

CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts - http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco

LogiCall - http://ncmedals.com/glenside/LogiCall.html

Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 6.0 2011 LogiCall (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-R4UfU9_Cw

Casey’s Restaurant & Bar - http://www.caseysrestaurant.com/home.aspx

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I’m particularly excited to be bringing you this 2-part episode because I will be covering the Atari 400 & 800 computers. This first episode will cover the history of these machines and next month I will cover Web sites, emulation, books, software, magazines, tech specs, and much more. Even more exciting, for both episodes I have several special guest hosts helping me cover these topics. I think you’re going to enjoy these.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Raspberry Pi - http://www.raspberrypi.org/
  • A2CLOUD - http://appleii.ivanx.com/prnumber6/category/a2cloud/
  • A2SERVER - http://appleii.ivanx.com/a2server/
  • Apple II Pi - http://schmenk.is-a-geek.com/wordpress/
  • Arduino - http://www.arduino.cc/
  • “Collectible Microcomputers” by Michael Nadeau - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764316001/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Network cartridge for the Atari 8-bits by Mark Dusko and Dan Winslow - Antic Interview #21 - (http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-21-the-atari-8-bit-podcast-dan-winslow-mark-dusko-atari-8-bit-ethernet-project
  • “Landmarks in Digital Computing: A Smithsonian Pictoral History” by Peggy A. Kidwell and Paul E. Ceruzzi - http://www.amazon.com/LANDMARKS-DIGITAL-COMP-PB-KIDWELL/dp/1560983116
  • Paul Ceruzzi in episode 30 of Floppy Days - http://floppydays.libsyn.com/floppy-days-episode-30-paul-ceruzzi-smithsonian
  • “Apple Assembly Language Programming” by Malcolm Whapshott - http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Assembly-Language-Programming-Wapshott/dp/0810471205

News

  • Electric Dreams BBS Podcast - http://www.edbbspodcast.com/ - Mike Whalen and Jeff Salzman
  • From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years! - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1195082866/from-bedrooms-to-billions-the-amiga-years?ref=nav_search

Upcoming Shows

  • Midwest Gaming Classic - http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/ April 11 & 12, 2015, Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel
  • VCF East X - http://www.vintage.org/2015/east/April 17-19, 2015, Wall, New Jersey
  • The 24th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ April 25 & 26, 2015, Heron Point Convention Center, 645 West North Avenue, Lombard, IL
  • VCF SE 3.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2015/southeast/ - Saturday, May 2 & Sunday, May 3, 2015 Kings Market Shopping Center, Roswell, Georgia
  • Commodore Vegas Expo - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex July 18-19, 2015, Plaza Hotel & Casino, 1 Main Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
  • 27th Annual KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/ July 14 –19 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • Amiga 30th Anniversary Event https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/890300835/amiga-30th-anniversary-in-california Saturday, July 25 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. Kickstarter runs until April 18
  • VCF Midwest 10 - http://vcfmw.org/ August 29-30, 2015, Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire October 31, 2015, Evanston, IL

References

  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_8-bit_family
  • “Atari Inc.:Business is Fun” by Marty Goldberg and Curt Vendel - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0985597402/?tag=flodaypod-20
Atari Inc.: Business is Fun
Collectible Microcomputers (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
LANDMARKS DIGITAL COMP PB
Apple Assembly Language Programming for Apple Ii, Iiplus, Iie, and IIC (Dr. Watson Computer Learning Series)

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Evan Koblentz comes on and talks all about the upcoming Vintage Computer Festival East 10.0.

Special co-hosts Earl Evans (Retrobits & RCR) and Michael Mulhern (RCR).

Links and stuff:

  • VCF East at vintage.org - vintage.org/2015/east/
  • VCF East Facebook - facebook.com/vcfeast
  • VCF East Twitter - twitter.com/vcfeast

Evan’s book project:

  • the campaign - https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/3wNcc
  • Facebook - facebook.com/abacustosmartphone
  • Twitter - twitter.com/abacustophone

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I wanted to bring to you this month a special interview-only episode which is a bit different. My guest on this show is Mr. Eric Enge, who was an executive at Phoenix Technologies, most well-known as the company that clean-roomed an IBM PC compatible ROM BIOS and helped spark an era of IBM PC clones. This is a piece of computer history that may not be particularly well-known, but was an important milestone nonetheless. Enjoy.

Links:

Phoenix Technologies - http://www.phoenix.com/

Phoenix Technologies at wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Technologies

Stone Temple Consulting (Eric’s site) - https://www.stonetemple.com/about-eric-enge/

Eric at LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericenge

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Hi, everyone and welcome to a special interview-only episode of Floppy Days. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m the host of this podcast. This interview is with Paul Ceruzzi, curator of Aerospace Electronics and Computing at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C and author of several computer history books. Those books include “A History of Modern Computing”, “Computing: A Concise History”, “Landmarks in Digital Computing: A Smithsonian Pictorial History” and more. Paul also sits on the Honorary Council of the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

Links

  • Paul’s personal website - http://www.ceruzzi.com/
  • The MIT Press Catalog of Paul Ceruzzi - http://mitpress.mit.edu/authors/paul-e-ceruzzi
  • Computer History Museum Honorary Council - http://www.computerhistory.org/honorary/?fn=Paul&ln=Ceruzzi
  • Paul E. Ceruzzi Collection on Konrad Zuse - http://discover.lib.umn.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=umfa;cc=umfa;rgn=main;view=text;didno=cbi00219
  • http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0262032554/flodaypod-20 - “A History of Modern Computing” by Paul E. Ceruzzi, The MIT Press

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Hello and welcome to episode 29 of Floppy Days. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m the host of this podcast. This is a special interview-only episode of Floppy Days. I’m very excited to have with me today the authors of the various editions of the computer history book entitled “Fire in the Valley”; that being Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine. I think a majority of the listeners will be familiar with the book. I have mentioned it several times before on this podcast and have used it as a reference for the vintage computers I’ve covered. Many listeners will also be familiar with the movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley” starring Anthony Michael Hall as a young Bill Gates and Noah Wyle as a young Steve Jobs which was made based on the book. I was amazed when I recently contacted the authors about coming onto Floppy Days and both of them immediately responded that they would be happy to. Pay special attention to our conversation at the end of the interview, which may hint at something special to come on Floppy Days. Before we begin, I do want to warn you that the Skype quality for this interview was not the best at times. Nevertheless, I think you will enjoy it!!

Links:

“Fire in the Valley” 2nd Edition at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0071358927/?tag=flodaypod-20

“Fire in the Valley” 3rd Edition at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937785769/?tag=flodaypod-20

“Fire in the Valley: The Birth and Death of the Personal Computer, Third Edition” by Michael Swaine and Paul Freiberger at the Pragmatic Bookshelf - https://pragprog.com/book/fsfire/fire-in-the-valley

“The Pirates of Silicon Valley” at IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_38

“The Pirates of Silicon Valley” at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009NSCS0/?tag=flodaypod-20

Paul Freiberger’s Site - “Fire in the Valley: the Making of the Personal Computer” - http://www.paulfreiberger.com/book/fire-valley-making-personal-computer/

Swaine’s World - Michael Swaine’s Blog on Writing and Technology - http://www.swaine.com/wordpress/category/about/

Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/FireInTheValley

Paul Freiberger Contact Information:

paul.freiberger@gmail.com

Michael Swaine Contact Information:

Blog: www.swaine.com

Email: mike@swaine.com

Twitter: @pragpub or @mswaine

Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer (Second Edition)
Fire in the Valley: The Birth and Death of the Personal Computer
Pirates of Silicon Valley (DVD)

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Main Topic: The TRS-80 Model II

At this point in the podcast run, we are still in the late 1970’s time frame, and the TRS-80 Model II falls into that time frame for its release. As usual, we’ll cover the history, technical specs, peripherals, Web sites, books, emulation and much, much more. I am joined by special guest host Myles Wakeham who will help me cover this machine. But first, I’ll cover new acquisitions, news, feedback, and an interview with Myles before diving into the TRS-80 Model II.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

  • Holmes Engineering IM-2 TRS-80 Model I Memory Upgrade - http://www.trs-80.org/holmes-internal-memory/

News

  • CoCo Coding Contest - http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/CoCoCoding_1980_Contest
  • The MISE Project - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/
  • DynoSprite - https://www.github.com/richard42/dynosprite
  • RetroChallenge - http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/retrochallenge-2012sc/
  • VCF East X - http://www.vintage.org/2015/east/exhibit.php

Feedback

  • OSI Challenger advertisement on the back cover of the Dec 1980 Byte magazine - https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1980-12/1980_12_BYTE_05-12_Adventure#page/n403/mode/2up

Magazines/Newsletters/Books/Manuals

  • manual for the TRS 80 Model II in PDF - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/doc/Model_2_Operation_Manual_(19xx)(Tandy).pdf
  • Trs-80 Means Business: Trs-80 Model II, With 64K (Diskette and Book) Hardcover – July, 1982 by Ted G. Lewis - http://www.amazon.com/Trs-80-Means-Business-Model-Diskette/dp/0471875651
  • User's Handbook to the Trs-80 Model II Computer Paperback – June, 1983 by Jeffrey R. Weber - http://www.amazon.com/Users-Handbook-Trs-80-Model-Computer/dp/0938862014/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418176303&sr=1-5&keywords=trs-80+model+II
  • VisiCalc for the TRS-80 model II and model 16 computers (Microcomputer power series) 1982 by Edouard J Desautels - http://www.amazon.com/VisiCalc-TRS-80-model-computers-Microcomputer/dp/0697099555/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418176303&sr=1-7&keywords=trs-80+model+II

Ads

  • Marketing brochure for the Model II - http://www.trailingedge.com/trs80/TRS80Mod2.pdf

Modern Upgrades

  • FreHD hard drive emulator - http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator

Emulation

  • MESS - http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/system.php?machine=trs80m2

Videos

  • Model II Ramblings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0ABstKl4Q
  • Unboxing a TRS-80 Model II by Devin2277 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTc7ceIwREA
  • Reassembling the TRS-80 Model II (4 parts) by Devin2277 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKtbOwDVed0

Current Web Sites

  • oldcomputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/trs80ii.html
  • home page of Kees Stravers - http://home.iae.nl/users/pb0aia/cm/modelii.html
  • Ira Goldklang’s TRS-80 Revived Site @ trs-80.com - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/trs-80-computer-line/model-ii/
  • VanNatta Computer History - http://www.vannattabros.com/history2.html
  • old-computers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=243
  • Dave’s Old Computers - http://classiccmp.org/dunfield/trs80/index.htm
  • Digibarn Computer Museum - http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/trs80-model2/
  • PDF documentation for the Tandy TRS-80 model II - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/doc/index.html
  • Bill Degnan’s Model II Restoration Project - http://www.vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=184
  • Computer Museum of FJKraan (Yet Another Computer Museum) - http://fjkraan.home.xs4all.nl/comp/trs80m2/

References

  • Wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80#Model_II_and_12
User's Handbook to the Trs-80 Model II Computer
VisiCalc for the TRS-80 model II and model 16 computers (Microcomputer power series)
Trs-80 Means Business: Trs-80 Model Ii, With 64K (Diskette and Book)

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Main Topic: The OSI Challenger series of computers

At this point in the podcast run, we are still in the late 1970’s time frame, and the OSI machines fall into that time frame for their release. No vintage computer historical journey would be complete without including these very important machines. As usual, we’ll cover the history, technical specs, peripherals, Web sites, books, emulation and much, much more. I am joined by special guest host Terry Stewart of the Classic Computers website who will help me cover these machines. In addition, we are joined by OSI aficionados Mark Csele and David Fenyes who share their first-hand memories of the OSI. But first, I’ll cover new acquisitions, news, and feedback before diving into the OSI.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I’ve Been up to

  • TI-99 Extended BASIC Suite cartridge - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Extended-Basic-v2-7-Suite-Cartridge-/231378985072
  • Microsoft BASIC II for the Atari 8-bit - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Microsoft_BASIC
  • CoCo SDC SD Card Interface for the TRS-80 Color Computer - http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/

News

  • CSDB intro competition - http://csdb.dk/event/?id=2286
  • Ben Heck’s Apple 1 Replica - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwO8CTSLTkiiDKhVfiUXyuzfbHMPOYVPj
  • VCF East 10.0 - http://www.vintage.org
  • Donkey Kong Junior for C64 - http://csdb.dk/release/?id=134342
  • Another Apple-1 Goes for Auction - http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/03/us-auction-apple-idUSKBN0IN0ZX20141103
  • Atari: Game Over Movie - http://video.xbox.com/movie/atari-game-over/4B8575C6-BD05-48E8-92C9-C61BA57E8025
  • C64 Reset Magazine - http://reset.cbm8bit.com/

Ads

  • COMPUTE! ISSUE 1 / FALL 1979 / PAGE 101 - Review of the Challenger 1P - http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue1/3227_2_REVIEW_THE_CHALLENGER_1P.php

Software

  • ad from Micro magazine, August 1981 - http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/images/osiImages/AardvarkAd-Aug1981Micro.jpg
  • Aardvark - http://www.lysator.liu.se/adventure/Aardvark.html
  • price list at osiweb.org - http://www.osiweb.org/ads_and_catalogs/OSI%20software%20list.pdf

Books

  • SAMS C4P Service Manual - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/SAMS-C4P-Service-Manual.pdf
  • Micro on the OSI - http://www.osiweb.org/books/Micro_on_the_OSI.pdf
  • Third Book of OSI - http://www.osiweb.org/books/Third_Book_of_OSI.pdf

Manuals/Catalogs

  • OSI Catalog - circa 1980 - http://www.osiweb.org/ads_and_catalogs/OSI_brochure.pdf
  • OS65D v3.0 User Manual - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/OS-65D_V3.0_usermanual.pdf
  • OS65D Tutorial and Ref Manual - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/OS65D%20Tutorial%20and%20Ref%20Manual.pdf
  • OSI 8K BASIC in ROM MANUAL - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/OSI_8K_Basic_in_ROM.pdf
  • The C4P User's manual. Shipped with C4P systems - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/c4man.pdf
  • OS-65D V3.2 Dissasembly Manual - http://www.osiweb.org/manuals/OS65D_Dissasembly_Manual.pdf

Emulation

  • WinOSI Emulator for Win32 - http://osi.marks-lab.com/
  • OSI JavaScript Emulator - http://www.pcjs.org/devices/c1p/
  • MESS - http://www.mess.org

Buying and Using One Today (eBay and replicas)

  • Notes on modern replacements for hard-to-find OSI components - http://www.osiweb.org/misc/osi-replacement-parts.txt
  • Briel Computers Superboard III Replica - http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=39

Current Web Sites

  • Dave’s OSI Repository (David Fenyes) - http://www.osiweb.org/
  • OSI Forum - http://www.osiweb.org/osiforum/
  • Mark's Ohio Scientific/Compukit UK101 Archive - http://osi.marks-lab.com/
  • Ohio Scientific Instruments Company facts and history - http://superboard.com.sapo.pt/seite4.html
  • Professor Mark Csele - Ohio Scientific Computers - http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/OhioScientific.html
  • The Ohio Scientific C4P Page at 6502.org - http://www.6502.org/users/sjgray/computer/osi-c4p/
  • oldcomputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/osi-600.html - some information about the various OSI models
  • old-computers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=572&st=1
  • The Ohio Scientific Inc. Challenger 1P and 4P: As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUhFoBDGT0
  • Tezza’s OSI C4P Adventure - http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2014-06-30-fixing-C4P-ram-expansion-board.htm
  • Wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_Scientific

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This is a special interview-only show with none other than Terry Stewart, aka Tezza, of the classic-computers.org.nz Web site. Terry is long-time member of the vintage computing community and has done the community a great service by producing excellent videos about each member of his extensive vintage computer collection. If you haven’t had a chance to see any of Terry’s videos, you definitely should check them out; they’re on YouTube and you can subscribe to his channel. You should also check out his Web site, which has tons of useful information about each machine as well as troubleshooting tips, a forum, and much more.

Terry was kind enough to co-host the Floppy Days episode on the OSI Challenger series of computers and since the episode ran a little long I decided to pull out the interview into its own show.

Please enjoy and let Terry know that you appreciate the great work that he does.

Terry’s Classic Computers - http://classic-computers.org.nz

New Zealand Computer Museum - http://www.techvana.org.nz/

New Zealand winds - http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/63231922/140kmh-winds-leave-path-of-damage

A bit on the roaring 40s - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Forties

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Special interview-only episode with Pepe Tozzo, author of Retro-Electro: Collecting Technology from Atari to Walkman.

Book "Retro-Electro: Collecting Technology from Atari to Walkman" at Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0789313022/?tag=flodaypod-20

Retro-Electro: Collecting Technology from Atari to Walkman

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News, upcoming vintage computer shows, feedback. Special co-host Jim Battle of compucolor.org and audio clips from Graham and Garry Epps!

Main topic: The CompuColor II

Links Mentioned in the Show:

What I’ve Been Up To/New Acquisitions

  • VCF Midwest - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/, https://www.facebook.com/events/257907004391707/
  • TI CC-40 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments_Compact_Computer_40
  • TI PC-200 Printer - http://www.datamath.org/Sci/Galaxy/PC-200.htm

News

  • Kickstarter Funded ‘Commodore 64: A Visual Compendium’ Hits Online Stores - http://www.funstock.co.uk/commodore-64-a-visual-commpendium-c64-book
  • SpeccyJam website - http://www.speccyjam.com/
  • SpeccyJam 2014 Games page - http://www.speccyjam.com/games/
  • The Living Computer Museum is hiring a Sr. Vintage Software Developer - http://www.livingcomputermuseum.org/TemplateMain.aspx?contentId=45
  • Reddit’s Retrobattlestations BASIC week is back on its 3rd edition - http://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/2fn1zq/basic_week_3_under_the_sea/
  • Dartmouth BASIC Simulator - http://dtss.dartmouth.edu
  • Glenside Color Computer Club - http://glensideccc.com/newindex.shtml
  • Dartmouth BASIC Contest initial information - http://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/2ee4l5/cocofest_dartmouth_time_sharing_system_contest/
  • Amstrad CPC-464 Contest happening in Spain - http://concursocpc.byterealms.com/concurso2014/
  • Vintage Is The New Old - http://www.vintageisthenewold.com or http://www.vitno.net
  • Commodore is Awesome - http://awesome.commodore.me
  • History of Personal Computing Podcast - http://www.historyofpersonalcomputing.com/
  • 32nd Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • VCF East 10.0 - http://www.midatlanticretro.com/

Emulation

  • JavaScript CompuColor II Emulator by Jim Battle - http://compucolor.org/emu/ccemu.html
  • MESS (emulation) - http://www.mess.org/

Current Web Sites/Links/Mail Lists

  • Computer Closet - http://www.computercloset.org/CompuColorII.htm
  • OldComputers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=560&st=1
  • OldComputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/compucolor-ii.html
  • Instruction Manual - http://oldcomputers.net/Compucolor-II-Instruction-Manual.pdf
  • Programming and Reference Manual - http://oldcomputers.net/Compucolor-II-Prog-Ref-Manual-rev-1.pdf
  • Software Library Newsletter - http://oldcomputers.net/Compucolor-II-Library-Newsletters.pdf
  • ComputerWorld, May15, 1978 - http://books.google.com/books?id=ycJb-Oo9BoIC&lpg=PA73&ots=7ZVosHzlhr&dq=compucolor%20georgia&pg=PA73#v=onepage&q=compucolor%20georgia&f=false
  • CompuColor.org - A tribute to the CompuColor II (Jim Battle) - http://www.compucolor.org/
  • CompuColor II video on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_jWcgwgmwg
  • CompuColor ad at vintagecomputing.com - http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/580/retro-scan-of-the-week-compucolor-ii
  • Earl Evans’ episode about the CompuColor II on the Retrobits podcast - http://retrobits.libsyn.com/show-092-a-close-encounter-the-compu-color-ii
  • Chess on the CompuColor at the Chess Programming Wiki - https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Compucolor+Chess
  • DiskVacuum project reads and explores Compucolor II disks (Jim Battle) - http://www.gadgetfactory.net/2014/01/diskvacuum-project-reads-and-explores-compucolor-ii-disks/
  • THE GIANNA GIAVELLI BLOG - interesting discussion on why the Apple II succeeded and the CompuColor failed - http://thegiannagiavelliblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/apple-falling-apart-without-jobs.html
  • CompuColor’s used at the EPCOT Universe of Energy for Ride Operator Consoles - http://progresscityusa.com/energy/tech_console.htm

References

  • Wikipedia - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compucolor_II

Closing

  • Throwback Network - http://www.throwbacknetwork.net

Jim Battle Links

  • Two videos Jim recorded to help sell his compucolor on ebay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_jWcgwgmwg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkjYM2bXhrM

  • Longer tour of the machine- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibRA6fcwBpc

  • Demonstration of what it looks like when you delete a file - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RNl5C_4ZGY

  • ISC portion of bitsavers.org - http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/intelligentSystemsCorp/

  • Jim Battle website, with email link and links to his other vintage computer sites - http://www.thebattles.net

  • Page with all Jim’s vintage computer stuff - http://thebattles.net/jimsjunk.html

  • Jim’s Wang 2200 Site - http://www.wang2200.org

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KansasFest 2014 through the eyes of a first-timer!

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News, upcoming vintage computer shows, feedback.

Main topic: The APF Imagination Machine

Links Mentioned in the Show:

News

  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org
  • Book “Apple Files” by David Miller - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0835901912/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Book “Apple II the DOS Manual Disk Operating System” by Apple Computer - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QTD2SA/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • CFFA3000 - http://dreher.net/?s=projects/CFforAppleII&c=projects/CFforAppleII/main.php
  • Book “The HP Way - How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company” by David Packard - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0097V3ELU/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Model I System Expansion (MISE) - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/
  • F18A VGA for the TI-99/4A - http://codehackcreate.com/archives/30
  • VCF Midwest - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/, https://www.facebook.com/events/257907004391707/
  • VCF East 10.0 - http://www.midatlanticretro.com/

Feedback

  • RetroChallenge 2014 Summer Challenge - http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/retrochallenge-2012sc/
  • Terry Stewart’s RetroChallenge Entry - http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2014-06-30-fixing-C4P-ram-expansion-board.htm

Emulation

  • APF emulator for the PC (Enrique Collado of Spain) - http://www.nausicaa.net/~lgreenf/apf0308.zip
  • MESS (emulation) - http://www.mess.org/

Current Web Sites/Links/Mail Lists

  • Yahoo Mailing List - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/apf_consoles_and_computers
  • Archive.org Console Library for the APF - https://archive.org/details/apfm1000_library
  • APF Imagination Machine Owner’s Manual - http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/Manuals/78_APF_Imagination_Machine-Manual.pdf
  • APF Technical Reference Manual - http://classictech.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/1980-apf-imagination-machine-technical-reference-manual-1-80.pdf
  • APF BASIC Language Reference Manual - http://hcvgm.org/Static/Manuals/APF/APF%20BASIC%20Language%20Reference%20Manual.pdf
  • APF Imagination Machine BASIC tokenized file - http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/wiki/APF_Imagination_Machine_BASIC_tokenized_file
  • commented APF BIOS by Adam Trionfo - http://hcvgm.org/Static/Hacking/Roms/APF_ROM.zip
  • Digital Press Video Game Database - http://www.digitpress.com/faq/apf.htm
  • Orphaned Games (Adam Trionfo) - http://www.orphanedgames.com/APF/
  • The Old Computer ROMs - http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=APF/Imagination-Machine
  • APF Imagination Machine Demo at YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekzppKYQzcQ
  • Old-computers.com - http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=584
  • Homebrew Software - http://www.orphanedgames.com/APF/homebrew_cartridges/homebrew_cartridges.html
  • Newsletters/User Groups - http://hcvgm.org/APF_UserGroup.html
  • Info World May, 1980 - http://books.google.com/books?id=XT4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT13#v=onepage&q&f=true
  • Popular Science May, 1980 - http://bit.ly/1oKpRF1
  • article on Ed Smith, one of the designers of the APF, Black Enterprise, Dec. 1982 - http://bit.ly/1vUPSu2
  • Popular Science November, 1981 - http://bit.ly/1pv8pED

References

  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APF_Imagination_Machine
  • APF Page (Larry Greenfield) - http://www.nausicaa.net/~lgreenf/
  • Home Computer and Video Game Museum (Lance Squire) - http://hcvgm.org/APF_Imagination_Machine.html

Closing

  • Throwback Network - http://www.throwbacknetwork.net
Apple Files
Apple II the DOS Manual Disk Operating System
HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company

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In this special joint podcast, live from KansasFest 2014, we discuss our favorite parts of KFest, play a game of 2 Truths and 1 Lie, and more!

Podcast Title: “Retro Open ANTICHertz Mac Quarter Poly Floppy Drop”

Hosts:

Antic - Randy Kindig, Kevin Savetz

Drop III Inches - Mike Maginnis, Paul Hagstrom

Floppy Days - Randy Kindig

IndieSider - Ken Gagne

No Quarter - Carrington Vanston, Mike Maginnis

1 MHz - Carrington Vanston

Open Apple - Mike Maginnis, Quinn Dunki

Polygamer - Ken Gagne

Retro Computing Roundtable - Carrington Vanston, Paul Hagstrom, Steve Weyhrich

RetroMacCast - John Leake

Intro Song - “Lazy Hazy Crazy KFest” lyrics created and sung by Steve Weyhrich

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Bonus episode. Interview with Peter Bartlett, TRS-80 Model I enthusiast and creator of the Model I System Expander (MISE).

MISE is a fantastic device that gives the TRS-80 hi-res graphics, VGA, compact flash storage, joystick port, networking and more.

Links mentioned in the episode:

  • The MISE Project - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/
  • Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site - http://trs-80.com/
  • 80-GRAFIX high-resolution add-on for the Model I - http://www.trs-80.org/80-grafix/
  • Alpha Products joystick for the Model I - http://www.trs-80.org/alpha-joystick/
  • Armored Patrol (joystick game) - http://www.trs-80.org/armored-patrol/
  • Elliot Burton - http://www.pressherald.com/2014/03/20/death_takes_a_generous__colorful_thread_from_fabric_of_portland_/

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Bonus episode this month. Interview with Apple II Enthusiast Ken Gagne about KFest, Open Apple Podcast, Juiced.GS and more.

  • Open Apple Podcast - http://www.open-apple.net/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/

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Main topic: The VideoBrain Family Computer. Special guest host Jeff Salzman (Vintage Volts)!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

News

  • EasyFlash 3 - http://skoe.de/easyflash, http://go4retro.com/products/easyflash
  • TRS-80 MISE - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/
  • Kfest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF Midwest - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/, https://www.facebook.com/events/257907004391707/
  • A2CLOUD - http://appleii.ivanx.com/prnumber6/category/a2cloud/
  • A2SERVER - http://appleii.ivanx.com/a2server/
  • ProTERM is now officially free - http://lostclassics.apple2.info/announcements/19/proterm-a2/
  • ADTPro - http://adtpro.sourceforge.net/
  • Raspple II - http://appleii.ivanx.com/rasppleii/
  • Apple II Pi - http://schmenk.is-a-geek.com/wordpress/

Intro Jeff Salzman

  • RetroChallenge 2014 Summer Challenge - http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/retrochallenge-2012sc/

Bumper

  • Clip of VideoBrain from Today Show in 1978 with Jane Pauley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmxrtUuZa-4

Tech Specs

  • Fairchild F8 Microprocessor - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_F8
  • Fairchild Semiconductor Website - http://www.fairchildsemi.com/
  • Fairchild Semiconductor on WikiPedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Semiconductor
  • Fairchild Channel F System - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairchild_Channel_F
  • APL Programming Language on WikiPedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APL_(programming_language)
  • “A Programming Language” Book on Amazon by Kenneth Iverson - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0471430145/?tag=flodaypod-20

Emulation

  • Multi-Emulator Super System (MESS) - http://www.mess.org/
  • FPGA Implementation of the VideoBrain - kevtris on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac49BKNNlCo

Current Web Sites

  • Bill Loguidice, Armchair Arcade - http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/taxonomy/term/1135
  • AtariProtos.com - http://www.atariprotos.com/othersystems/videobrain/videobrain.htm
  • Article from Interface Age - http://bit.ly/1rBJMvi
  • November 1978 Popular Science ad for the VideoBrain - http://bit.ly/1nzsTMU
  • VideoBrain video on YouTube (Glankonian) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4GgAMdWN4Q
  • The Old Computer Museum - http://oldcomputermuseum.com/videobrain.html
  • Yahoo group - https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/channel_f_and_videobrain/info
  • VideoBrain info at orphanedgames.com - http://www.orphanedgames.com/videobrain/
  • The Old Computer.com ROM’s - http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=VideoBrain/Family-Computer-101
  • VideoBrain Unwrapped by Kevin Horton - http://blog.kevtris.org/blogfiles/videobrain/videobrain_unwrapped.txt
  • Sean Riddle’s VideoBrain Info - http://www.seanriddle.com/videobrain.html

References

  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videobrain
  • “Stan Veit’s History of the Personal Computer” by Stan Veit on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1566640237/?tag=flodaypod-20

Closing

  • Throwback Network - http://www.throwbacknetwork.net
  • Vintage Volts Website (Jeff Salzman) - http://vintagevolts.com/
A Programming Language
Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer

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Recorded live from VCFSE 2.0 in Roswell, GA! Main topic: The Exidy Sorcerer. Special guest host David Greelish!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Books

  • 32 BASIC Programs for the Exidy Sorcerer by Tom Rugg - http://www.amazon.com/32-BASIC-programs-Exidy-Sorcerer/dp/0918398355

Emulation

  • JSorcerer - Java based - http://www.liaquay.co.uk/sorcerer/
  • Multi-Emulator Super System (MESS) - http://www.mess.org/

Current Web Sites

  • The Exidy Sorcerer as seen in Tezza’s Classic Computer Collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEnsYJOjh2k
  • Exidy Sorcerer Hardware Review from Creative Computing - http://www.trailingedge.com/~dlw/comp/exidyrv.html
  • Exidy Sorcerer at oldcomputers.net - http://oldcomputers.net/sorcerer.html
  • The Trailing Edge - Exidy Sorcerer information (documentation, catalogs, price lists, ROMs) - http://www.trailingedge.com/exidy/
  • The Exidy Sorcerer at DigiBarn - http://www.digibarn.com/collections/systems/exidy-sorcerer/
  • The Center for Computing History - history, books, magazine articles - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/5396/exidy-sorcerer-ii/
  • Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Exidy-Sorcerer-Computer/153210461406202
  • The Old Computer ROM and Emulation Site - downloads of many Sorcerer programs and ROMs - http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=Exidy/Sorcerer
  • Archive.org - https://archive.org/search.php?query=exidy%20sorcerer
  • Sorcerer ROMs at NitroROMS - http://nitroroms.com/list/Exidy%20Sorcerer/by-name/page-1

References

  • Golden Age Arcade Historian Blog - http://allincolorforaquarter.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-ultimate-so-far-history-of-exidy_20.html
  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exidy_Sorcerer

Closing

  • Throwback Network (http://www.throwback.net)
  • Classic Computing Website (David Greelish) - http://www.classiccomputing.com
32 BASIC programs for the Exidy Sorcerer

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Third part on the Apple II:

  • News
  • New acquisitions
  • Feedback
  • Books, Software, Modern Upgrades, Online Stores, Emulation, Current Web Sites
  • Special guest host Carrington Vanston!!

Items mentioned in this episode:

News

  • Throwback Network - http://www.throwbacknetwork.net
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer” by Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “West Of Eden, The End of Innocence at Apple Computer" by Frank Rose - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615278841/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • "Ready Player One: A Novel” by Ernest Cline - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307887448/?tag=flodaypod-20

New Acquisitions

  • “Color Computer Graphics” by William Barden, Jr. - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006Y3B06/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “Complete Rainbow Guide to OS-9” by Dale Puckett and Peter Dribble

Vintage Computer Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival East:
  • http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • http://sturgeon.css.psu.edu/~mloewen/Oldtech/VCF-East2014/
  • http://wsudbrink.dyndns.org:8080/images/VCFE91/

  • http://www.go4retro.com/2014/04/11/back-from-the-vintage-computer-festival-east-9-1/

  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml

  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Southest 2.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2014/southeast/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • VCF Midwest 9.0 Website - http://www.vcfmw.org/
  • VCF Midwest 9.0 More Info - http://starbase.globalpc.net/eccc/
  • VCF Midwest Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/events/257907004391707/

Books

  • Compute’s First, Second and Third Book of Apple
  • Apple II User’s Guide by Lon Poole
  • Programming Surprises & Tricks for your Apple II/IIe Computer by David L. Heiserman
  • AppleSoft Tutorial from Apple, Inc. - based on Apple II BASIC Programming Manual by Jef Raskin; rewritten for AppleSoft by Caryl Richardson
  • Beneath Apple DOS by Don Worth and Peter Lechner - Beneath Apple DOS is intended to serve as a companion to Apple's DOS Manual, providing additional information for the advanced programmer or the novice Apple user who wants to know more about the structure of diskettes.
  • Apple II/IIe Computer Graphics by Ken Williams, founder and CEO of Sierra On-Line Inc
  • AppleSoft BASIC Toolbox by Larry Wintermeyer
  • Apple Graphics Games by Paul Coletta
  • Machine Language for Beginners by Richard Mansfield
  • Micro Adventure is the title of a series of books for young adult readers, published by Scholastic, Inc.
  • Golden Flutes & Great Escapes by Delton Horn
  • Sophistication and Simplicity, the Life and Times of the Apple II Computer by Steve Weyhrich, 2013 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986832278/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • The New Apple II User’s Guide by David Finnegan, 2012 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615639879/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It, by Steve Wozniak and Gina Smith, 2006 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393061434/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, 2011 - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451648537/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • WOZPAK Special Edition - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1304231321/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • What’s Where in the Apple by Prof. William F. Luebbert - http://www.whatswhereintheapple.com/

Software

  • VisiCalc - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visicalc
  • AppleWorks - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppleWorks
  • Apple Writer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Writer
  • ProTerm - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proterm
  • Zork Series - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork
  • Apple Invaders - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS5JZulzFQE

Modern Upgrades & Connectivity Options

  • ADT Pro - http://adtpro.sourceforge.net/
  • Apple II Game Server - http://sourceforge.net/projects/a2gameserver/
  • CFFA3000 - http://www.dreher.net/
  • Apple II Pi - http://schmenk.is-a-geek.com/wordpress/?p=167, https://ultimateapple2.com/
  • A2Server - http://appleii.ivanx.com/a2server/
  • A2Cloud - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYkOxe4mjHg
  • RaspApple - http://appleii.ivanx.com/
  • Uthernet Card - http://a2retrosystems.com/
  • a2mp3 card - http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=21
  • Nishida Radio http://tulip-house.ddo.jp/DIGITAL/english.html
  • SDFloppy II from Bulgaria http://www.ebay.com/bhp/apple-disk-ii

Online Stores

  • 16sector - http://16sector.com
  • Ultimate Apple II - https://ultimateapple2.com/
  • Option8 - https://www.tindie.com/stores/option8/
  • Nishida Radio http://tulip-house.ddo.jp/DIGITAL/english.html
  • Syndicomm - http://store.syndicomm.com/

Emulation

  • Virtual II - http://www.virtualii.com/
  • Open Emulator - https://code.google.com/p/openemulator/
  • AppleWin - http://applewin.berlios.de/, http://sourceforge.net/projects/applewin.berlios/?source=recommended
  • JACE - http://sourceforge.net/projects/java-ace/
  • Virtual Apple II - Apple II in a browser - http://www.virtualapple.org/
  • MESS/JSMESS - Multi-Emulator Super System http://jsmess.textfiles.com/messloader.html?module=apple2e&scale=2

Current Web Sites & Other Forums

  • Terry Stewart video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENno_zzst2U
  • A2Central - http://www.a2central.com
  • MacGUI - http://www.macgui.com/
  • comp.sys.Apple2 - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/comp.sys.apple2
  • Facebook group Apple II Enthusiasts - https://www.facebook.com/groups/5251478676/
  • IRC chat - http://widget02.mibbit.com/?server=irc.a2central.com:6667&channel=%23a2c.chat
  • Apple Fritter - http://www.applefritter.com/
  • Open Apple Podcast - http://www.open-apple.net/
  • Apple Archives - http://applearchives.com/
  • Apple II Scans - http://www.apple2scans.net/
  • Apple II Game Server Online - http://asciiexpress.net/gameserver/
  • Apple II Disk Server - http://asciiexpress.net/diskserver/
  • Brutal Deluxe Software - http://www.brutaldeluxe.fr/projects/cassettes/index.html
  • Every Apple Ad - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7JtADjbou7JBD9Ly_w3Mz9RTVVY2T_hy
  • Apple II Online - http://apple2online.com/index.php
  • The A2 Home Page for Apple II downloadable software! - http://www.a2-web.com/a2netsoft.html
  • Archive.org Apple II Disk Image Collection - https://archive.org/details/apple-ii-disk-collection
  • The Apple II Lost Classics Project - http://lostclassics.apple2.info/
  • Asimov software repository - http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/ftp.apple.asimov.net/

Other Books/Sites Used for Reference

  • Apple II on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_ii
  • “Sophistication and Simplicity” Book by Steven Weyhrich - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986832278/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Steve Weyhrich’s Apple II History Site -http://apple2history.org
Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
The New Apple II User's Guide
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer
Ready Player One
iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It
Color computer graphics
The WOZPAK Special Edition: Steve Wozniak's Apple-1 & Apple ][ Computers
West of Eden: The End of Innocence at Apple Computer
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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Hello, welcome to Floppy Days Episode #15. This is a bonus episode and the topic of this show is the upcoming (as of this podcast) 2014 Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 2.0 near Atlanta Georgia on May 3rd and 4th. I interview Lonnie Mimms and Flash Corliss about the show and they give you the highlights about what you can expect to see there. I hope you enjoy it.

  • VCFSE 2.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2014/southeast/
  • Computer Museum of America - http://www.computermuseumofamerica.com/
  • VCFSE 2.0 Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/20859909/help-fund-the-vintage-computer-festival-southeast?ref=live
  • Atlanta Historical Computing Society - http://atlhcs.org/

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This is a special bonus episode and the topic of this show is the upcoming (as of this podcast) 2014 23rd Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest.  I interview John Mark Mobley about the show and he gives the scoop about what you can expect to see there.  

  • Glenside Computer Club - http://glensideccc.com/newindex.shtml
  • Cloud9, Cool Stuff for Your CoCo - http://www.cloud9tech.com/
  • CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts - http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco

View Details

Second part on the Apple II:

  • New acquisitions
  • News
  • Tech specs, peripherals, magazines, user groups, shows
  • Special guest host Carrington Vanston!!

Items mentioned in this episode:

New Acquisitions

  • CoCo SDC card - http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/
  • Review of CoCo SDC card - http://tandycoco.com/blog/archives/401
  • 80 Micro’s Review Guide - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0913531006/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Radio Shack BASIC Computer Language by David Lien - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VA0WF2/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • TRS-80 User’s Manual for Level 1 by David Lien - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00072VR44/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • TRSDOS & Disk BASIC Reference Manual
  • Machine Language Disk I/O and Other Mysteries by Michael J. Wagner
  • BASIC Computer Games TRS-80 Edition by David Ahl - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EWUL8WI/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • The Custom TRS-80 and Other Mysteries by Dennis Kitsz - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0936200022/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • TRSDOS 2.3 Decoded and Other Mysteries by James Farvour - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0936200073/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Microsoft BASIC Decoded and Other Mysteries by James Farvour - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0936200014/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Juiced GS - http://juiced.gs

Vintage Computer Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Southest 2.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2014/southeast/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/

Magazines

  • A+
  • Compute! Apple
  • InCider
  • Nibble - http://www.nibblemagazine.com/
  • SoftDisk
  • SoftTalk - http://www.softalkapple.com/
  • Apple Assembly Line - http://www.txbobsc.com/aal/
  • Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine/newsletter - http://www.callapple.com/
  • Juiced GS - http://juiced.gs

User Groups

  • Washington Apple Pi - http://www.wap.org/
  • A.P.P.L.E. - Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange - http://www.callapple.com/

Shows

  • Kansasfest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Oz Kfest - http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/6314728/www/ozkfest.net/The_Event.html

Other Books/Sites Used for Reference

  • Apple II on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_ii
  • “Sophistication and Simplicity” Book by Steven Weyhrich - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986832278/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • Steve Weyhrich’s Apple II History Site -http://apple2history.org
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer
Trsdos 2.3 Decoded and Other Mysteries
Basic Computer Language: It's Easier Than You Think
Microsoft Basic Decoded and Other Mysteries
Basic Computer Games TRS-80 Edition
User's manual for level 1 Radio Shack TRS-80 microcomputer system
Eighty Micro's Review Guide
Custom Trs-80 and Other Mysteries

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Special Bonus episode! Interview with Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice about their new book "CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer."

Links:

  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer” by Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • CoCo book Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/cocobook/
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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1 year anniversary of Floppy Days!! Special Bonus Episode! I talk with Evan Koblentz of MARCH, who gives us a preview of the upcoming VCF East 9.1.

Links and Info:

VCF East 9.1 - http://www.midatlanticretro.org
Evan Koblentz email - evan@snarc.net

NOTE: Evan misspoke about Bil Herd's Friday session. It is not just CRT repair. It's overall video issues, of which CRT is just one part.

View Details

First part on the Apple II:

  • Personal memories of the Apple II.
  • New acquisitions.
  • News.
  • Feedback.
  • History of the Apple II.
  • Special guest host Steve Weyhrich, the man who literally wrote the book on Apple II history!!

Links mentioned in this episode:

New Acquisitions

  • “Sophistication and Simplicity” Book by Steven Weyhrich on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986832278/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer” Book by Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • BASIC Faster and Better and Other Mysteries - http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/books/#andothermysteries
  • Compute’s Atari Collection, Book 1 - http://www.atarimania.com/documents-atari-atari-400-800-xl-xe--books_1_8.html

Vintage Computer Shows

  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • Vintage Computer Festival Southeast 2.0 - http://www.vintage.org/2014/southeast/
  • KansasFest -http://www.kansasfest.org/

Feedback

  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/
  • Paul Quirk Blog Covering World of Commodore - http://blog.retro-link.com/2013/12/world-of-commodore-2013.html

Other News

  • David Greelish Historically Brewed ebook - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CC/HB_Book.html

History

  • Steve Weyhrich’s Apple II History Site - http://apple2history.org
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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The intro theme song is a parody of the Happy Days theme (all rights reserved) sung and produced by Dr. Steven Weyhrich. The lyrics were developed jointly by Steve and Randy.

Altair, Apple, Floppy Days,

Commodore, Tandy, Floppy Days,

Atari, TI, Floppy Days,

The weekend comes, the disk drive hums

Ready to code for you!

These days were all

Happy and free (those floppy days)

The games we played,

You shared with me (those days)

Motorola, Intel, 6502

Graphics and text are there to view

Composite color or RGB

Program fun for you and me!

(instrumental)

IMSAI, PC, Floppy Days,

ST, Amiga, Floppy Days,

Junior, Sinclair, Floppy Days

Classic days, micro ways

Geekin' all week with you!

These days were all,

Happy and free (those floppy days)

The games we played

You shared with me (those days)

These Floppy Days are yours and mine

(These Floppy Days are yours and mine)

Floppy Days!

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This schedule is subject to change

November, 2015: TI-99 Interview with Jim Fetzner & Mark Wills

November, 2015: TI-99 Part 1, History

December, 2015: TI-99 Interview with Ralph Rees

December, 2015: TI-99 Part 2, Tech Specs/Modern Upgrades

January, 2016: TI-99 Part 3, Websites and More

February, 2016: HP-41C Programmable Calculator, Part 1

March, 2016: HP-41C Programmable Calculator, Part 2 

April, 2016: HP-85

May, 2016: Acorn Atom

June, 2016: TRS-80 Pocket Computer

July, 2016: Sinclair ZX-80

August, 2016: Vic-20

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Second part on the TRS-80 Model I:

  • Personal memories from Terry Stewart (Tezza).
  • Second part on the history of the machine, beginning with its introduction.
  • Second part of the interview with David and Theresa Welsh of Priming the Pump.
  • News, tech specs, peripherals, software, books, magazines, emulation, Web sites, modern-day upgrades.
  • Special guest host Earl Evans!!

Links mentioned in this episode:

New Acquisitions

  • CFFA3000 CF interface for the Apple II -http://www.dreher.net
  • SIDE 2 CF interface for Atari 8 bits - http://www.lotharek.pl
  • MyIDE II CF interface for Atari 8 bits - http://www.atarimax.com

Vintage Computer Shows

  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/
  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/

Other News

  • “Sophistication and Simplicity” Book by Steven Weyhrich on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0986832278/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer” Book by Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • “Vintage Volts” Podcast by Jeff Salzman - http://vintagevolts.com

Magazines

  • TRS8BIT - http://trs-80.org.uk/Tandy_Page_2x.html

Books

  • “Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution” by Welsh, Theresa; Welsh, David (2011-02-23). The Seeker Books - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P8JNIS/?tag=flodaypod-20

Modern Upgrades

  • SVD, Semi Virtual Diskette - http://www.thesvd.com/SVD/index.php
  • Model I System Expander (MISE) - http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/
  • FreHD TRS-80 Hard Drive Emulator - http://www.vecoven.com/trs80/trs80.html
  • Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 Store http://ianmav.customer.netspace.net.au/trs80/emulator
  • Alan Page Using the Raspberry Pi to emulate the TRS-80 floppy drive - http://virtualfloppy.blogspot.com/

Emulators

  • TRS32 - http://www.trs-80emulators.com/
  • XTRS - http://www.tim-mann.org/xtrs.html
  • SDLTRS - http://sdltrs.sourceforge.net/index.html

Popular Websites

  • Terry Stewart Model I video on YouTube - http://youtu.be/wgKWV8C3e7M
  • Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site - http://www.trs-80.com
  • The Humongous TRS-80 Archive - http://www.classiccmp.org/cpmarchives/trs80.php
  • Newsletter and manual downloads at TRS-80.ORG.UK - http://trs-80.org.uk/Tandy_Page_1x.html
  • TRS-80.ORG - http://trs-80.org
  • PlanetEmu TRS-80 Software Site - http://www.planetemu.net/roms/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-1
  • MarmotKing TRS-80 Software Site - http://vintage.marmotking.com/trs80_m1/categories.html
  • OLDCOMPUTER.COM - http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=Tandy-Radio-Shack/TRS-80-Model-I/Various/

Other Sites Used for Reference

  • TRS-80 Model I on Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_I
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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News, reviews, and a discussion of the TRS-80 Model I:

  • personal memories
  • history up to its introduction
  • interview with David and Theresa Welsh (Part I), authors of "Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Start the PC Revolution"

Links Mentioned in the Show:

  • VCF Midwest - http://vcfmw.org
  • 2013 Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/
  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • CFFA3000 - http://www.dreher.net
  • “CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer” Book by Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • "Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time." by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMYW6T4/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • TRS-80 Model I Vintage TV Ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psA0vmQOoCI
  • Computer Timeline @ OldComputers.net - http://www.oldcomputers.net
  • F18A Graphics Board for TI-99/4A - http://codehackcreate.com/archives/30
  • TurboForth for the TI-99/4A - http://www.turboforth.net/
  • Forth Warrior for the TI-99/4A - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/213150-a-new-fun-way-to-learn-forth-forth-warrior/
  • TI-99/4A Game Shelf - http://tigameshelf.net/
  • TRS-80 Model III Vintage TV Ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR7R42S31xs
  • “Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution” by Welsh, Theresa; Welsh, David (2011-02-23). The Seeker Books. -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P8JNIS/?tag=flodaypod-20
Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution
Vintage Game Consoles
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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News and a completion discussion of VCF Midwest 8.0:

  • personal memories
  • feedback
  • new acquisitions
  • upcoming shows
  • new vintage computer books
  • overview of VCFMW
  • interviews with attendees of the show (Jim Leonard and Jason Timmons)

Links Mentioned in the Show:

  • VCF Midwest - http://vcfmw.org
  • 2013 Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • World of Commodore - http://www.tpug.ca/category/woc/
  • Vintage Computer Festival East - http://www.midatlanticretro.org/
  • Chicago CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/index.shtml
  • Vintage Computer Festival Europa - http://www.vcfe.org/E/
  • KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • Suburban Chicago Atarians (SCAT) - http://www.scatarians.org/
  • Toronto PET User's Group (TPUG) - http://www.tpug.ca/
  • Southwest Regional Association of Programmers (SWRAP) - http://swrap.org/
  • Glenside TRS-80 Color Computer Club - http://glensideccc.com/newindex.shtml
  • CFFA3000 - http://www.dreher.net
  • Cloud 9 CoCo Products - http://www.cloud9tech.com
  • CoCo Book on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/dp/1466592478/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • "Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time." by Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton -http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMYW6T4/?tag=flodaypod-20
  • PC Junior Vintage TV Ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaLXHjI9VWM
  • Retro Innovations (Jim Brain) - http://store.go4retro.com/
  • Tandy Color Computer Vintage TV Ad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2jRuh1bAxw
Vintage Game Consoles
CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy’s Underdog Computer

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News, reviews, and a discussion of the Commodore PET:

  • history
  • peripherals
  • tech specs
  • books/magazines/software
  • emulation
  • user groups
  • current Web sites

Links mentioned in the show:

  • Better World Books - http://www.betterworldbooks.com
  • VCF Midwest - http://vcfmw.org
  • 2013 Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • World Longest Yard Sale - http://www.127sale.com
  • Historically Brewed book by David Greelish - http://www.classiccomputing.com/CC/HB_Book.html
  • The Commodore Pet at wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_pet
  • Commodore's version of PET history - http://www.commodore.ca/products/pet/commodore_pet.htm
  • Book, Commodore a company on the edge by Brian Bagnall - http://www.amazon.com/Commodore-Company-Edge-Brian-Bagnall/dp/0973864966
  • VICE Emulator - http://sourceforge.net/projects/vice-emu/?source=directory
  • Chicago B128 Users Group (CBUG) software archive - http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/b/CBUG/
  • Toronto PET User's Group - http://www.tpug.ca/
  • World of Commodore – http://www.worldofcommodore.ca
  • Terry Stewart (Tezza) video demonstration of PET 2001 - http://youtu.be/bBJNSX_DKvo
  • Port Commodore - http://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=larry:comp:commodore:pet:start
  • Edward Shockley's Pet B&P-series Website - http://www.insectria.org/b128.html
  • CBM Pet File Archive - http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/pet/index.html
  • PET Index at 6502.org - http://www.6502.org/users/andre/petindex/index.html
Commodore: A Company on the Edge

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New podcasts, upcoming vintage computer shows, new additions to my vintage computer collection, listener feedback, my stories about the American Computer Museum, and an interview with George Keremedjiev (director of the American Computer Museum)

Links mentioned in the show:

  • ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Podcast - https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/
  • Next Without For Podcast (Earl Evans) -http://www.cyberears.com/podcasts/podcast_6066.xml
  • Chicken Lips Radio Podcast (Earl Evans) -http://www.cyberears.com/podcasts/podcast_6067.xml
  • 2013 KansasFest - http://www.kansasfest.org/
  • 2013 Commodore Vegas Expo - http://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=commvex:start
  • 2013 Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 8.0 - http://vcfmw.org/
  • 2013 Chicago TI International World Faire - http://www.chicagotiug.com/tiki-index.php?page=Faire
  • Indiana Computer Museum on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IndianaComputerMuseum?hc_location=stream
  • Indiana Computer Museum Indiegogo Campaign - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indiana-computer-museum/
  • Apple II History Websiste - http://apple2history.org/
  • Book “ Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life & Times of the Apple II Computer" by Steven Weyhrich - http://www.amazon.com/Sophistication-Simplicity-Times-Apple-Computer/dp/0986832278
  • MyTechBrief - http://www.mytechbrief.com/hardware/vintage-computers
  • American Computer Museum - http://www.compustory.com/
  • American Computer Museum - http://www.compuseum.org/
  • American Computer Museum at Bozemannet.com - http://www.bozemannet.com/history_museums/computer_robotics_museum.php
  • Forbes Interview with George Keremedjiev Concerning an Apple 1 Auction - http://www.forbes.com/sites/lynndouglass/2013/06/24/first-apple-computer-expected-to-sell-for-at-least-500000/
Sophistication & Simplicity: The Life and Times of the Apple II Computer

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Links mentioned in the show:

  • wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_I
  • Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer, by Stan Veit -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1566640237
  • Fire in the Valley, The Making of the Personal Computer, by Freiberger & Swaine -http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071358927
  • Steve Wozniak talks Apple I (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3cpgwcQCYc
  • Leo Laporte & Sellam Ismail highlight the Apple I (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNd9t0oLtFk
  • (Cnet.com) Wozniak: $666.66 seemed like a good idea - http://news.cnet.com/1606-2-5937610.html
  • Briel Computers Replica 1 - http://www.brielcomputers.com/wordpress/?cat=30
  • MESS Emulator - http://www.mess.org/
  • OpenEmulator - http://www.openemulator.org/
  • Mike Willegal's Apple I Registry - http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-originals.htm
  • Mike Willegal's Mimeo Replica - http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1-kit.htm
  • Mike Willegal's Apple I Information Website - http://www.willegal.net/appleii/apple1.htm
  • Book: iWoz by Steve Wozniak - http://www.amazon.com/iWoz-Computer-Invented-Personal-Co-Founded/dp/0393330435
  • Book: Apple I Replica Creation: Back to the Garage by Tom Owad and Steve Wozniak - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/193183640X/applefritter-20
  • Apple I Auctions (Computer World) - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238865/Rare_working_Apple_1_computer_to_hit_auction_block_this_month
  • May, 2013 Apple I Auction (NPR) - http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/05/26/186710754/apple-1-computer-fetches-671-000-at-auction
  • Classic Computing Blog (David Greelish) - Lonnie Mims Interview -http://www.classiccomputing.com/CC/Blog/Entries/2012/12/10_Record_Breaking_Price_Paid_At_Auction_For_First_Apple_Computer_-_But_This_Collector_Owns_Two_Of_Them!.html
  • CFFA1 Compact Flash Interface - http://dreher.net/?s=projects/CFforApple1&c=projects/CFforApple1/definition.php
  • Apple I Owner's Club - http://www.applefritter.com/apple1
  • Joe Torzewski's Apple I Page - http://torzewski.tripod.com/apple1computer/
iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It
Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer
Fire in the Valley: The Making of The Personal Computer (Second Edition)

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Personal memories, history, technical specs, peripherals, magazines/books/software, fun with the machine, modern upgrades & repairs, emulation, current Web sites, letters from listeners.

Links mentioned in the show:

  • TI-59 email list - ti59@lists.ti59.com
  • TI58/59 manuals at rskey.org - http://www.rskey.org/CMS/index.php/the-library/12
  • TI59 compiler by Guillaume Tello - http://gtello.pagesperso-orange.fr/ti58_e.htm
  • TI59 emulator by GemTree Software - http://www.ti59.com/ti59.exe
  • TI58c/59 site by Pierre Houbert, including TI58c emulator - http://83.156.189.247/ti58c/index.php?langue=EN
  • Vertigo java-based emulator - http://www.n3times.com/vertigo/#
  • TI59 emulator by Alain Zanchetta - http://www.zanchetta.net/
  • Programming The TI-59 and HP-41 Calculators by Paul Garrison - http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Ti-59-Hp-41-Calculators-Garrison/dp/0830624422
  • Sourcebook for Programmable Calculators by Texas Instruments - http://www.amazon.com/Sourcebook-Programmable-Calculators-Texas-Instruments/dp/0895120259
  • Personal Programming – A Complete Owner's Manual for TI Programmable 58/59 - http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Programming-Complete-Owners-Programmable/dp/0895120275
  • Programming Programmable Calculators by Harold S. Engelsohn - http://www.amazon.com/Programming-programmable-calculators-Harold-Engelsohn/dp/0810451050
  • TI59.com – http://ti59.com
  • TI59 presentation at Vintage Computer Festival Europe 2007 by Bernd Ulmann - http://fafner.dyndns.org/~vaxman/publications/ti-59.pdf
  • TI59 site by Bernd Ulmann - http://www.vaxman.de/my_machines/texas_instruments/ti-59/ti-59.html
  • Battery repair at Datamath Calculator Museum - http://www.datamath.org/Batteries/BP1_Repair.htm
  • Disassembly and cleaning instructions - http://www.marekczeszek.com/sitemap/homepage/ti-59-how-to/ti-59-how-to.htm
  • TI59 Failures and Maintenance Tips - http://www.rskey.org/gene/calcgene/59diag.htm
  • PPX-59 Software & Newsletter archive - http://www.datamath.org/Sci/WEDGE/PPX59-Newsletter.htm
  • PPC Notes Newsletter - http://www.rskey.org/CMS/index.php/the-library/14
  • Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TI-59
Programming the Ti-59 & the Hp-41 Calculators
Personal Programming: A Complete Owner's Manual for TI Programmable 58C/59
Sourcebook for Programmable Calculators
Programming programmable calculators

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Bill Gates' recollections of the Altair and Altair BASIC, history of the machine, specifications, peripherals, cost of the machine, magazines/books, connectivity to modern computers, emulation, simulation, replicas, current Web sites.

Links mentioned in the show:

  • wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altair_8800
  • Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer, by Stan Veit - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1566640237
  • Gates' memories of the Altair on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqAg0GJLPGk
  • David Greelish, "Ed Roberts Interview With Historically Brewed Magazine" - http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Historically-Brewed-David-Greelish/dp/0615538126
  • Computer Notes - http://www.virtualaltair.com/virtualaltair.com/vac_comp_notes.asp
  • The Tenth anniversary of the Altair 8800, with Forrest Mims III (helped form MITS), January, 1985 Computers & Electronics - http://www.1000bit.it/support/manuali/altair/pe0185er.pdf
  • Cracking Open the Altair 8800, Cnet - http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-6204753.html
  • Altair Peripheral Emulator - http://home.comcast.net/~forbin376/
  • Altair32 Emulator - http://www.classiccmp.org/altair32/
  • Altair 8800 demonstration on YouTube, by Don Russ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAhp_LzvSWk
  • Virtual Altair Museum - http://www.virtualaltair.com/
  • SIMH Altair 8800 Simulator - http://www.schorn.ch/altair.html
  • iAltair and iAltairHD Emulator for the iPhone/iPad, by Peter Schorn - http://www.schorn.ch/ialtair.html
  • Hack A Day - http://hackaday.com/2010/04/26/altair-8800-pc-case-can-emulate-the-original-hardware/
  • Briel Computers (Altair replica) - http://www.brielcomputers.com/
  • Altair Group on Yahoo - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/altaircomputerclub/
Classic Computing: The Complete Historically Brewed
Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer

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Discussion of what's to come in this new vintage computing podcast.  Also, a discussion of the vintage computers in the host's collection.