This thread gives me warm-fuzzy feelings about my Altos 8000 running MPM (Multiple CPM) with 64k of memmory. It has the (HUGE) 5 MB HDD. The 8" floppies are "special". (PIP destination = source .....)
Hey Everyone,
Like a couple others on this thread, I'm too young to be considered "old-school."· After all, I'm only 14.· I have been raised like an old-schooler though, and have always had a bit of a knack for electronics.· I built my first RC car when I was 7.· Although, I guess what really makes me old-school are my robots.· I was planning on putting an old i486dx on a large bot I have; but unfortunatly, the bios battery had died years ago and I was forced to use a Pentium III.
Any way, just thought I'd introduce myself.
P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a BASIC compiler for Windows XP.· I'm using Python currently, but I guess I just love BASIC too much.· lol.
Hello, · ·· Every one of us Old-Schoolers started somewhere…Someone gave us ideas or encouragement or even parts!· To that end, everyone who gets something from this thread or has something to contribute is more than welcome and encouraged to share what they have done.· Personally I hope it brings out the experimenter in some of us.· Until I got into BASIC Stamps I had really stopped experimenting and everything was beginning to be a variation on the same theme.· Once the load was taken off from me on programming and interfacing I started experimenting more.· Now that the Propeller is out it rekindles that even more in me.
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rgwbr said...
P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a BASIC compiler for Windows XP.· I'm using Python currently, but I guess I just love BASIC too much.· lol.
You could go for the usual M$ package, or...
Maybe·http://www.realsoftware.com·and their RealBasic·for $99(standard edition) will work for you. (They have a demo for download, too)
Best of all, they have a choice in Windows, OS X and Linux editions.
(They'll be releasing RealBasic 2006 tomorrow which is capable of making OS X Universal Binaries)
Or at http://www.rtrussell.co.uk the BBC Basic 5.30 for Windows for $50 which also incorporates an assembler, accepting all 80486 instructions, and some Pentium instructions.
I could probably find more, but I'm a lazy bugger...
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Don't visit my new website...
Post Edited (Gadgetman) : 10/3/2006 8:06:25 AM GMT
rgwbr said...
P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a BASIC compiler for Windows XP.· I'm using Python currently, but I guess I just love BASIC too much.· lol.
You could go for the usual M$ package, or...
Maybe·http://www.realsoftware.com·and their RealBasic·for $99(standard edition) will work for you. (They have a demo for download, too)
Best of all, they have a choice in Windows, OS X and Linux editions.
(They'll be releasing RealBasic 2006 tomorrow which is capable of making OS X Universal Binaries)
Or at http://www.rtrussell.co.uk the BBC Basic 5.30 for Windows for $50 which also incorporates an assembler, accepting all 80486 instructions, and some Pentium instructions.
I could probably find more, but I'm a lazy bugger... ·
This thread is really cool to read, It brings back soo many memories that I forgot. Remember the cartridges that you had to put into your coco's or C-64, I had found a way to hack into them just using a simple assembly program and grabbed them to store them on a tape cassette for later use. Also decompiling the programs that were password protected and printing out the code on a dot matrix printer all night then going through the code and finding the loop that took it to the "enter password" and skipping that right into the main subroutine. I have to say I made allot of money that way at the time but this was so long ago I almost forgot assembly but still can read 70% of it still. I also have a Tandy 100 that has never been plugged in and still taped shut with a sticker on it for 595.99. Great stuff guy keep posting those old memories.
Jax
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If a robot has a screw then it must be romoved and hacked into..
I have to admit it was a painful blow both financially and personally the day my business changed forever when I heard the news that Commodore went out of business. Very quickly went from Apple and Commodore stuff to PC stuff. And my microcontroller projects went to Z80-based designs. Well, enjoy all the content. This is where all the Old Schoolers got to reminisce a few years ago.
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Chris, you are not the only one who had problems when Commodore went out of business. I had quite a few customers who had recently purchased instruments in the $35-40K range with Commodore computers as part of the package. They were some worried and upset folks. Luckily the computers were pretty reliable and by the time the first one failed that I could not repair there was an alternative.
It does bring back a lot of memories and I did a LOT of coding for the Z-80 based TRS-80 Model I, III, and 4 systems. I still have some of the memory map memorized (3c00h-3fffh screen memory, etc) and spent endless hours working on those systems. There were some neat tricks. Some of the self loading bootable games were a pain so I recall just reseting the system and snatching a copy out of RAM so I could make it load from disk instead. Usually a quick search through memory for two instructions DI then LD SP,xxxxh) by using the hex codes for those instructions would show the point of entry. It was typical to set the stack where you wanted it to be before running your code and to ensure it was done correctly you would typically disable the interrupts while setting the stack pointer. Since many programmers set it at the beginning of the program it provided a pretty good clue as to where the load address would be too. If you wanted to get carried away you could even search for any instructions that did direct disk I/O (memory mapped on the Model I and port mapped on the III and 4) so that could be replaced by routines to use the normal DOS rountines. Fun Stuff!
Perhaps a few here will remember the old Pacman variant called Scarfman for the TRS-80. I remember searching through the code to find the section that counted the DOTS eaten. Once I found that I was able to make new mazes for the game and had another version I could play. That was a long time ago.... I wrote several full length games from scratch. The arcade games had buffered screens so the animation was smooth. One of these days I'd like to convert them over to the Hydra.
Chris, a few years ago we were posting on one of my threads, on the basic stamp forum, about a project I started on interfacing the commodore 64 to the Bs2 to a (sherline lath and milling machines - controllers) and my own control board, to interface these all together. You,Kramer and others helped me alot with info.
Well anyway I had to stop a few times because I left home for work reasons. I also had to buy a laser printer along with the pulsar toner papers and the GBC laminator and copper boards. Last year I bought PARALLAX'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD and got most of my soic,s for the copper boards also same ic's in dip form. Pretty much know my design info and am now ready to put parts on the PDB and run some test.
When you were giving me info on BS2 and C=64, if my memory serves me right, you asked me to let you know how this all turns out. If I get it up and running I,ll let you know.
Awesome thread, I'm glad I got to read it.
I'm going to refer back to the very first post and say that you are so right, the "hacker" crowd nowadays is more about being cool than knowing anything (the irony of which is not lost on me).
I'm definitely in the old-school crowd, which is sad, because I recall being in a board room at the first software company I owned and thinking how great it was to be the youngest person there...where did the time go? Someone ought to start a thread to capture peoples "timelines" for computers they owned. I started with a VIC-20 and PONG, and it was all downhill from there.
Funny thing is, that is what got me going here...I've been programming since I was 11, and while I don't do it professionally anymore, I tried to do it as a hobby and just can't find the challenge any more. That turned me to electronics which I always wanted to get into, but never had the time to do...so here I am. 3 weeks since I got my first MC (A BS2) and I just got my prop in the mail and started writing some multi-cog code to get a leg working on a hexapod. Its like being 11 again and trying to figure out BASIC.
Someone mentioned old games. Me...I miss sitting watching the TAPE spin on a C-64 waiting for Lode Runner to load up (only to have it puke 10 minutes into the load).
I noticed that this thread got bumped. This got me to thinking as to what I have in my DEC rack down in the basement. The DEC rack is about 6' tall, it has a PDP 11/23 bolted in, and a DEC RL01-A cartridge drive on some slide rails, for the curious, this is a 5MB drive, I think it was state of the art back in the early 80s. I also found the 5MB cartridge that the P-system came in. I wonder if I plugged it in, if the system would work. I also found the shoe box that contained the printed docs for the P-system, which is based on Pascal. Now, I am thinking, what could I do with the antique system? I guess I could start them up, and heat my basement, it looks like it has some substantial power supply units.
So, the big question is, should I start this monster up? And if I do, where is this going to take me? For some reason I have always wanted to have a mainframe in my basement, and this was as close to one as I could get. The curiosity is starting to drive me crazy, but do I want to start a new hobby? Maybe I will just go stare at it for awhile , and see what happens.
9600 baud modems?·Heck, I remember paying close to $500 in the mid 80's for a US Robotics 9600 baud modem so I could cut the time my BBS spent hauling the mail to the east coast. It paid for itself in about 6 months. I took years before I could come to grips with discarding it.
The new kids on the block probably never had to dial another modem and then put the telephone handset into the cradle on the old 300 acoustic modems. How far we have come in such a short time.
·When I worked on the TRS80 Model 1's and up; we had those occasions where the customers would send in their accoustically coupled modems. Since it was forbidden to use an actual phone line for an actual test, we had telephone line simulators (for testing and repair of telephone answering devices or TAD's.) and we'd whistle up the 300 baud connection, while running a crude terminal program written in Radio Shack Basic or Qmodem. *I found a quick method of determining which ram chip was defective on the TRS80 mainboard-thumbprint. If the chip was hot enough for you to leave a thumb print and a blister on your thumb, you found the defective ram chip...*
One time we had a Color computer that had a strange board in it, so we called the store, and he in turn called the customer. Turns out, the customer installed a bubble memory array in it. We didn't remove it, however, we told him he had voided his warrenty. He was cool with that, but, he did manage to fry a couple of communications IC's (RS232) while attaching another yet as determined device to his system. Needless to say, he was quite happy to have his "Co-Co" back in working order.
Back in the early eighties the small (Commodore) computer shop where I worked started to see the writing on the wall (re: Commodore's imminent demise) and we started bringing in the Sanyo 550 series and, as I recall, the Eagle. The Sanyo deal was set up at the CES in January 1984. I remember the date because I had just started working there - the first week of December '83. The owner had no less than 400 complete C64 systems stacked up along one (long) wall. You remember the 3 components: the C64, the 1541 drive, and the big square color monitor. He said to everyone there, "If we sell all these before Christmas, I'll fly everyone down to the computer show next month." I figured this guy must be off his rocker, but as I was the new hire - not exactly a newbie though (I had actually done a brief stint at IBM 15 years before) - I thought, "Well, there's a hell of a lot of early-adopters out there, but still - 400 systems??!!" Sure enough, 2-3 weeks later there was nothing but a few scraps of paper blowing around where that stack of C64s used to be. And about 20 of us - sales, service, admin, wives, girlfriends - were on our way for a week in Vegas. I'm thinking to myself, "How long has this game been going on?" But, as some of you may recall, that may have been the last REALLY big Christmas rush, at least as far as Commodore/Atari was concerned. The "game", at least as far as this store was concerned, had been going on since the spring of 1976, when the two partners opened up with really nothing to sell, except some MITS(?) kits and some homebrew board-level stuff. The store was almost the very first computer store anywhere - but that's another story. For many years, it was almost certainly the oldest computer store in the world, operating continuously on the same location. (It finally folded only about 2-3 years ago). Anyway, back to the Sanyo - a single 5.25 floppy drive system with 256K and a nice propietary green mono monitor selling for $2500. A steal when a similarly configured IBM-PC was selling for over 5K. No hard drive, of course. Which brings me to point of this diatribe. Dave L. and Jim Ewald mentioned shelling out the big bucks for those modems. We were all there - hundreds of $$$ first for a 1200, then hundreds again a little later for the 9600, and so on. But the real sticker shock, of course, was in the mass storage arena. We had actually configured a few Commodore PETs with those enormous hard drives that took all day to set up and were super-expensive and super-unreliable. Things weren't a whole lot different with the Sanyo. We bought in a few but they didn't exactly fly out the door. Hey, what COULDN'T you do when you upgraded the Sanyo to TWO DOUBLE-SIDED floppies running the new DOS 2.0??? The Sanyo drive was about the size of a shoe-box - pretty compact by the standards of the day - and was a real bear to set up. We sold all but one, and then it sat around for another month or two. Finally, the owner bit the bullet and told us to clear it out at cost (a rare occurrence in those halcyon days of solid 40pt margins). I remember, like it was yesterday, the operator of the local Fidonet BBS, hair down to his waist, GLADLY counting out $3000 in CASH for that 10MB drive. That Fidonet was really humming along after that. As I sit here looking at my 2GB thumb drive GIVEN to me as a promotion by my local Safeway store, I'm wondering if there is enough decimal places on my calculator to display the cost-per-megabyte multiple between then and now - a mere 25 years. Doesn't seem like such a long time until you realize that over half the people you dealt with then had to be convinced that PC's weren't just expensive doorstops, and that perhaps only about a hundred of us in city of a million knew what an IP address was, and that the period was pronounced "dot".
The first computer I worked on (but didn't own) was an Apple II+ at school. They I bought a Timex Sinclair 1000, best friend got a CoCo, we shared so I learned alot about both of them. Then at the same time (I was in 9th grade, he was in 7th I think) we both discovered assembly language.
Two years later when we both went to the same school we would compare hand written assembly program (with the hex code looked up and jumps calculated by hand). Mine was Z80 and his was 6809. I'd hate to know how many hex digits I typed into that TS1000 with it's crappy keyboard.
Then I got an Amstrad PC 8086 (not 8088) it was a great system. The PC power supply was part of the monitor, so you HAD to use the included CGA monitor. But the monitor was nice so no big deal.
Then I almost got a 286 system, but the 386sx had JUST come out, so I got the 386sx. I'm glad I did. I bought a copy of Turbo Pascal 3.0 at Sears for $50 and learned it well.
I never was one to get the latest and greatest. Our family didn't have alot of money (okay we were poor). So my computers were purchased by getting loans and lasted me many years.
I still have a special place in my heart for the Timex Sinclair 1000 (my first computer). I spent many an hour typing on that thing...
Bean.
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ·The next time you need a hero don't look up in the sky...Look in the mirror.
Softex, ·That 3K he spent out for that harddrive was it one of the big 8" platters or the smaller 5.50" form factors? I remember replacing one of those huge beasts when a customer had blown cigarette smoke into his Tandy Model 12. The big Ooops occurred and he lost nearly 40k in income from that one particular "incident". (He also attempted to blame Tandy for marketing such "junk" as he put it. He lost when he read the fine print.). I will say this much, when the Model 12's ran, they ran good, and if you didn't use the supplied software, they ran even better. Pickles and Trout C/PM was the bees' knees' for these computers..
Dave
Looking back, that's actually one of the better elements of my childhood. I would never have gotten into half the stuff I did, if it were as simple as just buying stuff.
I didn't know their was so many old school programmers out their
I started out with a TRS80 in 82' or 83', I was just a Kid, But I wrote some killer code. Most of the stuff I did back then was Graphic related. I made games and I coded and Animation of a 4stroke motor with cams and lifters, push rods, and valves opening and closing, the piston running up and down the cylinder etc.
Later I bought a speech engine from RadioShack, I spent hour after hour with this speech engine.Since I was into Ham Radio and had a Tech. license in Ham radio, the speech engine was really fun.I could mimic the voices of the enemy solders from Battle Star Galactica.
I can also remember written a text to Morris code program that I would use on occasion
I found PowerBasic3.5 a few years back. and It lets Me program just like I did 27 years ago(It doesn't work well with Vista, But what does?)
_________$WMc%_______don't // VOID \\ the &$BASIC%___
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
Hello all, I have a picture to sent to this thread of a Mattel Electronics INTELLIVISION game console. My niece was doing a job for a woman last year and after she was finished she was given the game. My niece used it for about a night or so and then gave it to me.
I remember back in the early eighty,s, I played my intellivision game until I wore it out. I played it on a tv and I think it left an inprint on the picture tube some what. When I was watching regular tv some times it seemed to me that I saw some of the game characters mixed in with the show that was being aired. Maybe it was just my eyes where I was playing the game so long at a time. I'll send pictures when my batteries charge up for the camera.
regards from allie.
I'm too young to have worked with some of the big iron, or even acoustic couplers,
but I recall running my first BBS off a C=64, tape drive (which had to be resaved at the
end of the night to retain the messages) and a 300baud VIC modem. (NOT auto answer).
{The Micro Kingdom BBS 813-334-3686 '86-'89} Amazing how some things you don't forget.
I also recall when a friend of mine was busted for phone phreaking, and suddenly a bunch
of us decided that it wasn't such a good idea to hack the telephone networks. [noparse];)[/noparse] I tell young
people today that if the telecommunications laws were what they are today, most of us
would have been arrested for domestic terrorism. Simple times in technology, great memories.
Thanks again for finding this thread, a good read.
But then again, what defined a "hacker"? To me, it was to take disparate parts that the original manufacturer, put them to together with other parts to create something that the designers of both never A. Never envisioned or B. Did not have the funding (or time) to explore fully on their own. It also defined, to me, that to take apart something, look at it's inner workings, find those "gems" that are capable of being utilized for purposes that either extended the device's capability or functionality and made it better. Of course, that's the "mad scientist" in me... ·Now, I remember those days when we'd sit in the tech area, take the computer, a UART, write some code, interface it to a CB (yeah, I know..I "graduated" from CB to Ham) and learned to control the channel changing, R.F. power up, Down and Push to talk functions. All this was done on either a Model III or the CoCo. ·But, you know something? When all was said and done, and as we put down our coffee cups and put out the last cigarette, we were truly amazed by what a little bit of knowledge, effort and sheer enjoyment we got out of doing things like that. Just because. As I look at the newer equipment today, and see where I was at back then (I didn't learn electronics in the military-I was a 1371) I realize one thing: Everything that is old is new, and all that is new is old. A lot of the new is built upon the principles and disciplines of the basic fundimental theorems and devices "of the day" and were transformed into the "modern marvels" of today. I was asked the other day if I were an expert. I told the other that I was not, just had a lot of experience in an eclectic fashion. (T.V.'s, Stereos, C.B., Commercial Two-Way systems, Sat-Com, Personal Computers, etc.) ·As I sit here with my coffee, I have a copy of "The History of 2600" hardcopy sitting on the nightstand. It mirrors nearly everything we've seen in this thread. I wonder, is Goldstein reading these forums? If so, my hat is off to you sir; thanks for writing an interesting volume. (Those that might remember the papernet pamphlets of TAP?)
Do I use the knowledge gained from my·experiences to perform·nefarious deeds of·evil? Nah, I don't relish the idea of having·"fun" in a 6x6 "room" with no view. I prefer to use my skills for work, which, is also my hobby. Which is probably one of the best·employment options·to have, to get paid for having fun.
Dave L.·
Yeah, Dave L., agree with you on CP/M. Kaypro (remember that one?) - a "transportable" they called it - ran everything at the speed of light. That was a big hit for a while. Nothing like hardware fonts to propel Wordstar from page to page as fast as your finger could hit <PageDn>. Your mention of 8" HD platters reminds me of the big floppies and specifically the North Star Dimension (made in Canada I think). The "floor standing" model. It was made in the form of a small desk, and as I recall, actually had a small writing surface built right in. Used those 8" floppies - looked like an LP record - and, well, REALLY floppy.
Dave,
You guys are really making me feel OLD!. The first system I ever got my hands on was a Burroughs in 1966. I as taking an introduction to engineering course in summer school (high school juniors). Although it was intended to be an overview of engineering, it was hosted by the Electrical Engineering Dept at one of the local universities. I spent most of my summer programming tic-tac-toe in 3d. Electronics and programming became my hobby and love, although my degree and profession was in other areas of engineering. It wasn't until 25 years ago that I got dragged into IT, I figure they wanted me where I would have to fix problems instead of causing them, or at least they could keep an eye on me. I want to thank you all for this wonderful stroll down memory lane.
Let the Altair live forever.
This thread is rather interesting as it does bring back many memories. My first programming was with an application on a TRS-80 called Turtle. You could program different commands in it to draw various things on the screen. (funny, the programming is very similar in concept to RS-274 gerber data for PCBs, which may explain how I can edit RS-274 with notepad) From there I learned BASIC on a Commodore 64 (which as of last weekend is setup in the den so my wife can play Jumpman Jr). Glad to hear I am not the only geek that started very early.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
IT / Web / PCB / Audio
Post Edited (WBA Consulting) : 1/26/2009 8:43:04 AM GMT
· I had a TI-99 4A and my friend had a Vic-20.· We used to argue about who had the best computer (we didn't know anything).· The one guy who did know what he was talking about used to tell us to "put a REM in front of everything you say".
I wish I had been born a few years earlier. My first computer was a pentium, sure would've been nice to know about QBASIC back then.
My first real programming was basic on my TI-86 calculator. I didn't do any other programming until I started college for software dev. I switched to automation after making my millionth payroll program for homework.
I'm really excited about the prop II, I feel like it's going to be like all those old computers. A stand alone system.
I may have missed out on the home computer revolution, but I'm going to live through the home robot revolution I think. Hopefully we'll see kids starting robot companies in their parents garages.
Its funny, but I keep coming back to read this thread, and this time around in the back of my mind I could hear this old voice saying
"In MY day, we walked to school...in the snow...uphill both ways!"
I'm not sure when my generation crossed that line, but apparently we did. Young whippersnappers and their crazy facebook and phones with 100,000x more processing power and memory than my first computer that was the size of this ROOM!
Ah! a walk down memory lane. My first microprocessor was a Z-80 S-100 PollyMorphics8800, closely followed by a SolSystemIIb, then a northstar and Cromemco. All were s-100 Bus machines and I started getting them in 1975. 300 baud was normal and 1200 baud was heaven. To me, the NorthStar operating system was the best ever. I chose it over the standard C/PM.
Why would anybody miss 3.5Mhz CPU speed, 16k of RAM, No EEPORM, Cassette drives, Daisy wheel printers, Ear plugs for the Daisy wheel printer. Short printer cables that wouldn't make it to that near by closet to put that Daisy wheel printer in. RF Modulators to hook up to a TV. The yearning for that High Dollar 5 1/4" Floppy drive. And A phone modem with no one to connect with!
But I do , Kind of··
_____TRS80_________$WMc%______________
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
Comments
Like a couple others on this thread, I'm too young to be considered "old-school."· After all, I'm only 14.· I have been raised like an old-schooler though, and have always had a bit of a knack for electronics.· I built my first RC car when I was 7.· Although, I guess what really makes me old-school are my robots.· I was planning on putting an old i486dx on a large bot I have; but unfortunatly, the bios battery had died years ago and I was forced to use a Pentium III.
Any way, just thought I'd introduce myself.
P.S. Does anyone know where I can get a BASIC compiler for Windows XP.· I'm using Python currently, but I guess I just love BASIC too much.· lol.
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NerdMaster
For
Life
·
·· Every one of us Old-Schoolers started somewhere…Someone gave us ideas or encouragement or even parts!· To that end, everyone who gets something from this thread or has something to contribute is more than welcome and encouraged to share what they have done.· Personally I hope it brings out the experimenter in some of us.· Until I got into BASIC Stamps I had really stopped experimenting and everything was beginning to be a variation on the same theme.· Once the load was taken off from me on programming and interfacing I started experimenting more.· Now that the Propeller is out it rekindles that even more in me.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
Maybe·http://www.realsoftware.com·and their RealBasic·for $99(standard edition) will work for you. (They have a demo for download, too)
Best of all, they have a choice in Windows, OS X and Linux editions.
(They'll be releasing RealBasic 2006 tomorrow which is capable of making OS X Universal Binaries)
Or at http://www.rtrussell.co.uk the BBC Basic 5.30 for Windows for $50 which also incorporates an assembler, accepting all 80486 instructions, and some Pentium instructions.
I could probably find more, but I'm a lazy bugger...
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Don't visit my new website...
Post Edited (Gadgetman) : 10/3/2006 8:06:25 AM GMT
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NerdMaster
For
Life
Jax
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If a robot has a screw then it must be romoved and hacked into..
Chris just got mega points this direction for being such a C= guy. [noparse]:)[/noparse]
OBC
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New to the Propeller?
Check out: Protoboard Introduction , Propeller Cookbook 1.4 & Software Index
Updates to the Cookbook are now posted to: Propeller.warrantyvoid.us
Got an SD card connected? - PropDOS
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
It does bring back a lot of memories and I did a LOT of coding for the Z-80 based TRS-80 Model I, III, and 4 systems. I still have some of the memory map memorized (3c00h-3fffh screen memory, etc) and spent endless hours working on those systems. There were some neat tricks. Some of the self loading bootable games were a pain so I recall just reseting the system and snatching a copy out of RAM so I could make it load from disk instead. Usually a quick search through memory for two instructions DI then LD SP,xxxxh) by using the hex codes for those instructions would show the point of entry. It was typical to set the stack where you wanted it to be before running your code and to ensure it was done correctly you would typically disable the interrupts while setting the stack pointer. Since many programmers set it at the beginning of the program it provided a pretty good clue as to where the load address would be too. If you wanted to get carried away you could even search for any instructions that did direct disk I/O (memory mapped on the Model I and port mapped on the III and 4) so that could be replaced by routines to use the normal DOS rountines. Fun Stuff!
Perhaps a few here will remember the old Pacman variant called Scarfman for the TRS-80. I remember searching through the code to find the section that counted the DOTS eaten. Once I found that I was able to make new mazes for the game and had another version I could play. That was a long time ago.... I wrote several full length games from scratch. The arcade games had buffered screens so the animation was smooth. One of these days I'd like to convert them over to the Hydra.
Robert
Well anyway I had to stop a few times because I left home for work reasons. I also had to buy a laser printer along with the pulsar toner papers and the GBC laminator and copper boards. Last year I bought PARALLAX'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOARD and got most of my soic,s for the copper boards also same ic's in dip form. Pretty much know my design info and am now ready to put parts on the PDB and run some test.
When you were giving me info on BS2 and C=64, if my memory serves me right, you asked me to let you know how this all turns out. If I get it up and running I,ll let you know.
allie
I'm going to refer back to the very first post and say that you are so right, the "hacker" crowd nowadays is more about being cool than knowing anything (the irony of which is not lost on me).
I'm definitely in the old-school crowd, which is sad, because I recall being in a board room at the first software company I owned and thinking how great it was to be the youngest person there...where did the time go? Someone ought to start a thread to capture peoples "timelines" for computers they owned. I started with a VIC-20 and PONG, and it was all downhill from there.
Funny thing is, that is what got me going here...I've been programming since I was 11, and while I don't do it professionally anymore, I tried to do it as a hobby and just can't find the challenge any more. That turned me to electronics which I always wanted to get into, but never had the time to do...so here I am. 3 weeks since I got my first MC (A BS2) and I just got my prop in the mail and started writing some multi-cog code to get a leg working on a hexapod. Its like being 11 again and trying to figure out BASIC.
Someone mentioned old games. Me...I miss sitting watching the TAPE spin on a C-64 waiting for Lode Runner to load up (only to have it puke 10 minutes into the load).
So, the big question is, should I start this monster up? And if I do, where is this going to take me? For some reason I have always wanted to have a mainframe in my basement, and this was as close to one as I could get. The curiosity is starting to drive me crazy, but do I want to start a new hobby? Maybe I will just go stare at it for awhile , and see what happens.
One time we had a Color computer that had a strange board in it, so we called the store, and he in turn called the customer. Turns out, the customer installed a bubble memory array in it. We didn't remove it, however, we told him he had voided his warrenty. He was cool with that, but, he did manage to fry a couple of communications IC's (RS232) while attaching another yet as determined device to his system. Needless to say, he was quite happy to have his "Co-Co" back in working order.
Dave
-Dave
Two years later when we both went to the same school we would compare hand written assembly program (with the hex code looked up and jumps calculated by hand). Mine was Z80 and his was 6809. I'd hate to know how many hex digits I typed into that TS1000 with it's crappy keyboard.
Then I got an Amstrad PC 8086 (not 8088) it was a great system. The PC power supply was part of the monitor, so you HAD to use the included CGA monitor. But the monitor was nice so no big deal.
Then I almost got a 286 system, but the 386sx had JUST come out, so I got the 386sx. I'm glad I did. I bought a copy of Turbo Pascal 3.0 at Sears for $50 and learned it well.
I never was one to get the latest and greatest. Our family didn't have alot of money (okay we were poor). So my computers were purchased by getting loans and lasted me many years.
I still have a special place in my heart for the Timex Sinclair 1000 (my first computer). I spent many an hour typing on that thing...
Bean.
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·The next time you need a hero don't look up in the sky...Look in the mirror.
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Dave
Looking back, that's actually one of the better elements of my childhood. I would never have gotten into half the stuff I did, if it were as simple as just buying stuff.
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Safety Tip: Life is as good as YOU think it is!
I started out with a TRS80 in 82' or 83', I was just a Kid, But I wrote some killer code. Most of the stuff I did back then was Graphic related. I made games and I coded and Animation of a 4stroke motor with cams and lifters, push rods, and valves opening and closing, the piston running up and down the cylinder etc.
Later I bought a speech engine from RadioShack, I spent hour after hour with this speech engine.Since I was into Ham Radio and had a Tech. license in Ham radio, the speech engine was really fun.I could mimic the voices of the enemy solders from Battle Star Galactica.
I can also remember written a text to Morris code program that I would use on occasion
I found PowerBasic3.5 a few years back. and It lets Me program just like I did 27 years ago(It doesn't work well with Vista, But what does?)
_________$WMc%_______don't // VOID \\ the &$BASIC%___
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA
Post Edited ($WMc%) : 1/25/2009 4:08:41 AM GMT
I remember back in the early eighty,s, I played my intellivision game until I wore it out. I played it on a tv and I think it left an inprint on the picture tube some what. When I was watching regular tv some times it seemed to me that I saw some of the game characters mixed in with the show that was being aired. Maybe it was just my eyes where I was playing the game so long at a time. I'll send pictures when my batteries charge up for the camera.
regards from allie.
Post Edited (allie) : 1/25/2009 5:51:07 AM GMT
but I recall running my first BBS off a C=64, tape drive (which had to be resaved at the
end of the night to retain the messages) and a 300baud VIC modem. (NOT auto answer).
{The Micro Kingdom BBS 813-334-3686 '86-'89} Amazing how some things you don't forget.
I also recall when a friend of mine was busted for phone phreaking, and suddenly a bunch
of us decided that it wasn't such a good idea to hack the telephone networks. [noparse];)[/noparse] I tell young
people today that if the telecommunications laws were what they are today, most of us
would have been arrested for domestic terrorism. Simple times in technology, great memories.
Thanks again for finding this thread, a good read.
OBC
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New to the Propeller?
Check out: Protoboard Introduction , Propeller Cookbook 1.4 & Software Index
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Post Edited (Oldbitcollector) : 1/25/2009 5:01:10 PM GMT
·Now, I remember those days when we'd sit in the tech area, take the computer, a UART, write some code, interface it to a CB (yeah, I know..I "graduated" from CB to Ham) and learned to control the channel changing, R.F. power up, Down and Push to talk functions. All this was done on either a Model III or the CoCo.
·But, you know something? When all was said and done, and as we put down our coffee cups and put out the last cigarette, we were truly amazed by what a little bit of knowledge, effort and sheer enjoyment we got out of doing things like that. Just because. As I look at the newer equipment today, and see where I was at back then (I didn't learn electronics in the military-I was a 1371) I realize one thing: Everything that is old is new, and all that is new is old. A lot of the new is built upon the principles and disciplines of the basic fundimental theorems and devices "of the day" and were transformed into the "modern marvels" of today. I was asked the other day if I were an expert. I told the other that I was not, just had a lot of experience in an eclectic fashion. (T.V.'s, Stereos, C.B., Commercial Two-Way systems, Sat-Com, Personal Computers, etc.)
·As I sit here with my coffee, I have a copy of "The History of 2600" hardcopy sitting on the nightstand. It mirrors nearly everything we've seen in this thread. I wonder, is Goldstein reading these forums? If so, my hat is off to you sir; thanks for writing an interesting volume. (Those that might remember the papernet pamphlets of TAP?)
Do I use the knowledge gained from my·experiences to perform·nefarious deeds of·evil? Nah, I don't relish the idea of having·"fun" in a 6x6 "room" with no view. I prefer to use my skills for work, which, is also my hobby. Which is probably one of the best·employment options·to have, to get paid for having fun.
Dave L.·
-D
You guys are really making me feel OLD!. The first system I ever got my hands on was a Burroughs in 1966. I as taking an introduction to engineering course in summer school (high school juniors). Although it was intended to be an overview of engineering, it was hosted by the Electrical Engineering Dept at one of the local universities. I spent most of my summer programming tic-tac-toe in 3d. Electronics and programming became my hobby and love, although my degree and profession was in other areas of engineering. It wasn't until 25 years ago that I got dragged into IT, I figure they wanted me where I would have to fix problems instead of causing them, or at least they could keep an eye on me. I want to thank you all for this wonderful stroll down memory lane.
Let the Altair live forever.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
IT / Web / PCB / Audio
Post Edited (WBA Consulting) : 1/26/2009 8:43:04 AM GMT
My first real programming was basic on my TI-86 calculator. I didn't do any other programming until I started college for software dev. I switched to automation after making my millionth payroll program for homework.
I'm really excited about the prop II, I feel like it's going to be like all those old computers. A stand alone system.
I may have missed out on the home computer revolution, but I'm going to live through the home robot revolution I think. Hopefully we'll see kids starting robot companies in their parents garages.
"In MY day, we walked to school...in the snow...uphill both ways!"
I'm not sure when my generation crossed that line, but apparently we did. Young whippersnappers and their crazy facebook and phones with 100,000x more processing power and memory than my first computer that was the size of this ROOM!
I know the feeling.
Why would anybody miss 3.5Mhz CPU speed, 16k of RAM, No EEPORM, Cassette drives, Daisy wheel printers, Ear plugs for the Daisy wheel printer. Short printer cables that wouldn't make it to that near by closet to put that Daisy wheel printer in. RF Modulators to hook up to a TV. The yearning for that High Dollar 5 1/4" Floppy drive. And A phone modem with no one to connect with!
But I do , Kind of··
_____TRS80_________$WMc%______________
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The Truth is out there············································ BoogerWoods, FL. USA