Retro Computing Roundtable

By Retro Computing RoundtableNews Tech News

Retro Computing Roundtable episodes

December 08, 2022RCR Episode 260: Recommended Standard 232 and Programmed Data Processor-1
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Blake Patterson
Topic: Recommended Standard 232 and Programmed Data Processor-1
1960 brought us RS-232 and the PDP-1, more COBOL, and curly braces.
Topic/Feedback links:
Recommended Standard 232
A proposal for character code compatibility.
The great curly brace trace
Demo of the Digirule 2A
Digirule 2U
Legacy OS 2200
Floppy disk assembly line
Elephant: The Secrets of Perfect Memory
Retro Computing News:
Mega 65 first look on Retro Recipes
Mega 65
A Lisa 1 starting up
Vintage Computer(-related) commercial:
PS/2 (it)
Lisa (alone)
PS/2 (college)
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
Epson LX-350
See also: Continuous paper
Auction Picks:
Blake:
Discovery Cartridge from Happy Computers For The Atari ST Computer
Earl:
IBM PS/2 Microchannel 77s (9577-BNB)
See also: John C. Dvorak (PC Magazine) bested by the PS/2 (Computer Chronicles)
Paul:
MCT Speed Demon
Micro Professor II
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr260.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
2 hr 10 min
November 23, 2022RCR Episode 259: Little bit taller, COBOLler
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Little bit taller, COBOLler
We consider 1959, and mostly come up with COBOL, then spend some time in an engagement-generating excercise, not quite remembering a remarkable number of things.
Topic/Feedback links:
COBOL at Britannica.com
COBOL at Smithsonian.
Grace Hopper on Letterman
Gorilla Banana, a rebranded Seikosha GP-100 (same as VIC-1525)
Retro Computing News:
TRS-80 Model I/III diagnostic ROM
Behind the scenes at Berkeley Softworks
Open Apple #52
Hell’s Halls type-in program for TI-99/4A
Hells’ Halls cassette with game and variant
How Apple I video memory worked
Vintage Computer(-related) commercial:
Joust and Moon Patrol (Atari)
Commodore VIC-20
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
Joust board game
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Playskool Play and Learn Computer
Avalon Hill Class Struggle game
See also: The Story of Class Struggle, America’s Most Popular Marxist Board Game
Paul:
Bell & Howell II+/-
Echo II set
Rocketry software
Griffin iMate selling for what now?
Brand new IBM PC, moldy box
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr259.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 44 min
October 09, 2022RCR Episode 258: Tron and Perceptron
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Tron and Perceptron
In 1958, the Perceptron arrived and Lisp was defined. We talk a bit about things we came across that were associated with 1958.
Topic/Feedback links:
Setting up Genera in Linux
Bell Labs 101 modem
Tennis For Two
Perceptron
Open Worm
Deviant Oliam on opening wristbands and removing tamper-proofing stickers
LEO: The story of the World’s First Business Computer
Lyons Electronic Office
Retro Computing News:
The Lost TRON Documents
CP/M’s open source status clarified
The CP/M Email
CP/M is now freer than it was (Hackaday)
YouTube on a PET
system.css
98.css
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:
Blip
Tron home video game
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
MYST vinyl soundtrack
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Remarkable computer auction
Steve Jobs’ original Apple 1 prototype
Steve Wozniak’s Apple Rainbow Glasses
Bill Gates’ Tandy Model 100 with note
Atari Video Music (Model C240) still sealed in box
Apple IIe prototype with French external keyboard
Croix de Apple medal
Apple Color Plotter
Paul:
Sirius 1982 retail/dealer price list, displays
MacPhone
Apple III
TRS-80 appliance and light controller
E-Z Key 60
See also: Different E-Z Key 60
See also: E-Z Key 60
Closing notes:
Where Wizards Stay Up Late
Proving Ground
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr258.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 42 min
August 14, 2022 RCR Episode 257: The dot matrix impact
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston Topic: The dot matrix impact Spending some time revisiting the calmer, quieter days when our printing was done by forcefully slamming pins through an ink ribbon onto perforated paper, pushed along by rotating spikes. Topic/Feedback links: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Trailer Multimedia HyperGuide: A Windows … Continue reading RCR Episode 257: The dot matrix impact →
1 hr 53 min
August 03, 2022RCR Episode 256: Keep calm and carry on
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Keep calm and carry on
Episode 0 has arrived.
Topic/Feedback links:
The 6502 overflow flag explained
The 6502 overflow flag explained mathematically
The 6502 overflow flag explained at the silicon level
ZX80 8K BASIC ROM upgrade
Floppy Days 114: Howell Ivy, Exidy
The Gaming Chronicles (Kickstarter)
Robert Henke, CBM 8032 AV
Retro Computing News:
How to use an Apple II as a dumb terminal for a modern Mac
Reverse-engineered AOL
International Research Conference on the History of Computing. 1976
DOOM ported to A/UX
Encyclopedia Britannica picks an odd Apple
Apple museum tour by Woz from 1984
Vintage Computer(-related) commercial:
AOL commercial (1997)
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
MOS 6502 poster
See also: MthreeL (etsy store)
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Screenies monitor frame
Q3 Monitor Mobile
1965 Shazam System Reference Manual
Earl:
Osborne 1
Paul:
MicroProfessor II
Cray catalog
Novation modems
ELF II
ELF II (continued)
See also: ELF II
ZX microdrive
See also: ZX Microdrive (Wikipedia)
Closing notes:
Dotti
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr256.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 43 min
June 05, 2022RCR Episode 255: The One With All The Ones
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Blake Patterson
Topic: The One With All The Ones
The Retrocomputing Roundtable has reached the end of its 8-bit run.
Topic/Feedback links:
Byte
8-bit computing
Nibble
Big boxes history video
Traveler (Wikipedia)
Traveler (Imperial Encyclopedia)
Traveler (Mongoose Publishing)
Mayday 2022
Manhunt
Wonderful Things (story about Manhunt)
Open Apple 41 (November 2014). Seek to 2:03.
Identify II v2.01
Retro Computing News:
Tweeting from the Teletype, April 2020
Tweeted from the Teletype
FASTRAND (Powerhouse Collecttion)
FASTRAND (Univac memories)
FASTRAND (Computer History Archives Project)
FASTRAND (Wikipedia)
Kenbak-1 Emulator
HP9830a Repair
The Apple Boogie
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials etc.:
Elephant Memory Systems mini micro floppy disk (Italian)
Laser Computer (Katja Schuurman, Dutch)
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
8 bit game cartridge cutting board
Auction Picks:
Blake:
Laser 386SX/3
Y2K Bug
Earl:
Altair 8800
Ventana World Wide Web Kit
See also: Ventana (PC Magazine review)
Paul:
Elephant mug
Intel inside
MPF-1P
MPF-Ib
See also: MPF-I (Wikipedia)
See also: Flite interview (Elektor)
Tomy Tutor
ZX-80
HHC set
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr255.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
2 hr 20 min
April 26, 2022RCR Episode 254: Fortran, for better or for worse
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Fortran, for better or for worse
The year 1954 brought us Fortran (not named after the year though) to help us with our math, and development of SAGE to scan the skies for threats.
Topic/Feedback links:
IBM 650
Drum memory
Wurlizter SideMan (not 1954, but related via tangent)
SAGE (Gizmodo)
SAGE (Wikipedia)
Fortran
Fortran 2018, 202x
Retro Computing News:
system7.app
macos8.app
Tech details for system7.app, macos8.app
Return to Monkey Island
ACM opens first-50-years backfile
Game of pong in a single sprite
Sprite pong video
SWTPC 6800 rescue
SWTPC 6800 fan site
ADB makes fun of the IIGS manual
University of Saskatchewan self guided computer history tour
A2stream, audio server
A2stream demo
AppleWin with Uthernet II
a2stream file for this very episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr254.a2stream
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials etc.:
IBM SAGE (1960)
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
Atari sneakers
See also: Atari NFT sneakers
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Apple Credit salesperson’s kit
Apple branded radio lunchbag
Earl:
MMD-1 8080A Trainer
See also: MMD-1 (Oldcomputermuseum)
Paul:
Funniest CD of the century
The drive of a new generation
USB evangelism mouse
Companion diskette
Astra 1620 dual drive for Atari
VM 4209
A2Stream file:
a2stream file for this episode: http://yesterbits.com/media/a2s/rcr254.a2stream
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 46 min
April 18, 2022RCR Episode 253: Prebricked drives
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Earl Evans, Michael Mulhern, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Prebricked drives
Episode 253 relates to 1953. Core memory begins its long dominance of the RAM space, the IBM 701 is introduced. A year that was kind of between things, so as one might expect the conversation keeps sliding into a discussion of beverages.
Topic/Feedback links:
Magnetic core memory
Advent of Computing, episode 77
The Thinking Machine (1961)
IBM 701
Williams tube
Jeffries tube
Exploring the Amiga series, assembly language programming
Brief tour of the PDP-11
Top 20 C64 games from 2011-2021
Commodore 64 turns 40
Retro Computing News:
SystemSix desk calendar
SWTPC 6800 rescued (Adrian’s Digital Basement)
Jobs for the boys?
The ultimate multics project
A quarter century of Unix. Peter Sallas. 1994 Addison-Wesley
The evolution of the Unix time sharing system
Compatible time sharing system
Incompatible time sharing system
Easter Egg found in Windows 1.0.
Mariupol Computer Museum in Ukraine
Club it8bit
A Brick for Some Bytes: My First Hard Drive (Byte Cellar)
One of the Biggest Frauds in Tech History – The Miniscribe Brick Fiasco (Tech Time Traveler)
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials etc.:
Tab
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
The Art of Point and Click Adventure Games
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
MCM/70
About the MCM/70
Earl:
IBM Core Memory
See also: Core memory shield for Arduino
Michael:
RCA Selectron 256bit
See also: Selectron tube
Paul:
QuickLetter
Murder Party
CA Simply Tax 1993
eMate pin
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
2 hr 8 min
April 15, 2022RCR Episode 252: UNIVAC liked Ike
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: UNIVAC liked Ike
Episode 252 relates to 1952. The year when UNIVAC correctly called the election early and nobody believed it. The year the paper introducing the Huffman code compression algorithm was published. And the 50th anniversary of all the things that happened in 1902.
Topic/Feedback links:
UNIVAC predicts the 1952 election
CBS news election coverage, 1952
A method for the constructions of minimum-redundancy codes (Sep 1952, Proceedings of the I.R.E.)
The Huffman algorithm, and family
Stuffit end of life announcement
Mac Folklore Radio, Raymond Lau (Stuffit) interviews
RetroMagazine World, issue 13 (EN)
David Ahl’s magazine auctions, some signed
The Capacitor Plague
The Lost Sectors, playthrough of Deathlord
Retro Computing News:
Monmouth College typewriter class
TubeTime’s QuadLink repair and reverse engineering project
Apple patenting the home computer?
The Amiga Show
Apple II video to HDMI using Raspberry Pi Zero/Pico
Teardown of a Minitel terminal
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials etc.:
Remington Quiet-riter
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
The Colouring Book of Retro Computers
Highlighters for reproducing yellowing
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Computer Bug
1990s Tech Stock Bubble in a can
Paul:
Woz near Steve Jobs
Tim Cook near Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs Rare
Just Stuffit World Tour shirt
AutoDoubler
PKZIP 2.70
Multiputer
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 53 min
March 27, 2022RCR Episode 251: Memories of Whirlwind I
Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Charles Mangin, and Carrington Vanston
Topic: Memories of Whirlwind I
It’s been 71 years since 1951. So, we talk about some things kind of loosely related to 1951, including computer music, the Whirlwind I, and memory technology.
Topic/Feedback links:
Whirlwind I
Jim Butterfield C64 training tape
David Ahl’s BASIC Computer Games, ANIMAL
3D construction kit (Spectrum, Sam Coupé)
Retro Computing News:
BASIC Computer Games book programs updated to modern languages
Laurie Spiegel, Music Mouse
See also: AlphaSyntauri
Million Perfect Letters
Hello World collection
The Hobbit (IF50)
The Hobbit (Digital Antiquarian)
The Hobbit (Internet Archive)
The Hobbit (eBay)
The Hobbit (eBay)
Deathlord Relorded
Deathlord Relorded (GitHub)
Vintage Computer(-related) commercials etc.:
Pac-Man cereal
Whirlwind interview
Corncob
Retro Computing Gift Idea:
Floppy disk coasters
And storage box
Auction Picks:
Carrington:
Remington Rand UNIVAC sales brochure
Codewriter for Apple II
See also: Codewriter in COMPUTE’s Gazette, Sept 1985
Charles:
Pac-man rug
Pac-Man lunchbox
Pac-Teacher pin
See also: Museum Character Hall of Fame induction for Pac-Man
Paul:
MEK6800D2
See also: MEK6800D2 (Wikipedia)
See also: photos of unbuilt MEK6800D2 kit
See also: Apple-1 motherboard
See also: 6800 running on an Apple-1
See also: 74154
Tractor feed option kit
See also: Hardware Wars
Computer Shopper July 1988
See also: Computer Shopper on Internet Archive
See also: Computer Shopper debut
Gigabyte me
Softsel product encyclopedia 1985
See also: Everything project spreadsheet
Commodore 64 reset switch
Feedback/Discussion:
@rcrpodcast on Twitter
Vintage Computer Forum
RCR Podcast on Facebook
Throwback Network
Throwback Network on Facebook
Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars
Listen/Download:
1 hr 47 min