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