September 2025 - cctalk - classiccmp.org

by Tony Duell

Some months back I started working on a Philips P3800 computer, there was a long discussion here about the power switch and its unusual cylinder lock. At least one person was interested enough in the lock to say they would like to see it with a view to making a key At the time I didn't want to post the lock anywhere as I could have been left with a incomplete and unrepairable machine. Other projects, some of them classic-computer related got in the way. but over the last few days I've gone back to the P3800 and have made a spindle to effectively replace this lock and allow the power switch to be knob-operated (security is not an issue in my workshop :-)). Thus I could manage without the lock if I have to. So if the offer is still open I would consider posting the lock somewhere (preferably in .uk) Obviously it's 'work on it as and when you feel like it'. There's a lot of electronics for me to work on, and I'll probably take many months to sort that out. -tony

1 month, 3 weeks

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Datapoint 2200 needing a home (and restoration)

by Steve Lewis

Just relaying a message here, for those who maybe don't requent the VCF forum itself. A 1st-post person says he's original owner of a Datapoint 2200, and is looking to find a good owner (museum) for it. Not sure where he is presently located, but the CRT of this DP needs attention - and I'm fairly useless in that department. In the Genre|Others section. https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/new-datapoint-2200-owner.1244800/… May be a pre "A" or "B" version, since it has the original tape decks at top? In any case, likely a pre-1974 model for sure. -Steve

1 month, 3 weeks

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BASIC

by Murray McCullough

I read that B. Gates has released 'BASIC for 6502 Microprocessor - Version 1.1' that has 6955 lines of assembly language code. I would say this qualifies as a major event in the classic computing world. Happy computing! Murray 🙂

1 month, 3 weeks

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Compaq Presario?

by Van Snyder

This might be the wrong list to ask, but here's the question: I have a Compaq Presario gathering dust in my garage. Does anybody want it? Shipping might cost more than its value, but local pickup is OK with me. Van Snyder La Crescenta, CA

1 month, 3 weeks

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Do not miss your chance to exhibit at VCF Montreal in 2026!

by Jeffrey Brace

The show is Jan 24-25, 2026. Info here: https://vcfed.org/vcf-montreal/ Exhibit Registration is here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4dnGLg9Ubt3gSxNNcOukTIhTNZZK2dQB… Ne manquez pas votre chance d’exposer au VCF Montréal en 2026 ! #VCFMTL https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4dnGLg9Ubt3gSxNNcOukTIhTNZZK2dQB… Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President VCF East Showrunner VCF/MARCH Fundraising Manager VCF Evangelist Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/>

1 month, 3 weeks

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IBM Punched Card Equipment

by Brian L. Stuart

Apologies in advance to anyone who gets this multiple times. I know a number of you are on more that one of these lists. I'm looking for some information on a couple of the early IBM unit record devices, in particular the Type 512A and the Type 518. Ideally, I'd like to get the mechanical dimensions in enough detail to create a CAD model. The background is that I'd like to improve the model that I'm using in my ENIAC simulator and I'm involved with a school in Arizona that's working on a project to build a full-scale model of the ENIAC. There's a letter from IBM in the ENIAC archives that suggest the use of the 512A and the 518. So I'm pretty sure those are the ones they used, but I haven't really been able to find any details about them. We've found a fair amount of information on the Type 513, and from photographs, the punch used on the machine seems similar to the 513, but is smaller. Thanks in advance, BLS

1 month, 3 weeks

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Bringing BASIC back: Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC is now Open Source

by Christian Liendo

Looks like Microsoft is opening their 6502 Basic https://opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2025/09/03/microsoft-open-source-hist… Today, we’re opening the vault—for real. For decades, fragments and unofficial copies of Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC have circulated online, mirrored on retrocomputing sites, and preserved in museum archives. Coders have studied the code, rebuilt it, and even run it in modern systems. Today, for the first time, we’re opening the hatch and officially releasing the code under an open-source license. Discover the newly open-sourced Microsoft 6502 BASIC code Microsoft’s first products: From the Altair to the Commodore 64 Microsoft BASIC began in 1975 as the company’s very first product: a BASIC interpreter for the Intel 8080, written by Bill Gates and Paul Allen for the Altair 8800. That codebase was soon adapted to run on other 8-bit CPUs, including the MOS 6502, Motorola 6800, and 6809. You can learn more about this time and hear directly from Bill Gates on the Microsoft Learn Website’s History of Microsoft video series or by visiting Bill Gates’ blog. The 6502 port was completed in 1976 by Bill Gates and Ric Weiland. In 1977, Commodore licensed it for a flat fee of $25,000, a deal that placed Microsoft BASIC at the heart of Commodore’s PET computers and, later, the VIC-20 and Commodore 64. That decision put Microsoft’s BASIC at the heart of Commodore’s machines and helped millions of new programmers learn by typing: 10 PRINT “HELLO” 20 GOTO 10 This is BASIC M6502 8K VER 1.1, the 6502 BASIC lineage that powered an era of home computing and formed the foundation of Commodore BASIC in the PET, VIC-20, and the legendary Commodore 64. This very source tree also contains adaptations for the Apple II (“Applesoft BASIC”), built from the same core BASIC source. The original headers still read, “BASIC M6502 8K VER 1.1 BY MICRO-SOFT”—a time capsule from 1978. The version we are releasing here—labeled “1.1”—contains fixes to the garbage collector identified by Commodore and jointly implemented in 1978 by Commodore engineer John Feagans and Bill Gates, when Feagans traveled to Microsoft’s Bellevue offices. This is the version that shipped as the PET’s “BASIC V2.” It even contains a playful Bill Gates Easter egg, hidden in the labels STORDO and STORD0, which Gates himself confirmed in 2010. The enduring appeal of the MOS 6502 CPU The MOS 6502 was the CPU behind the Apple II, Commodore 8-bit series, Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, and many more. Its simplicity, efficiency, and influence still inspire educators, hobbyists, and hardware tinkerers today. In 2025, interest is as strong as ever. The retro-computing scene is thriving, with FPGA-based re-creations, emulator projects, and active development communities. The Commodore brand has returned with the announcement of a new FPGA-powered Commodore 64, the first official Commodore hardware in decades. Reconstructing and preserving Microsoft BASIC Over the years, dedicated preservationists have reconstructed build environments and verified that the historical source can still produce byte-exact ROMs. Notably, Michael Steil documented and rebuilt the original BASIC process for multiple targets. He has ported the code to assemblers like cc65, making it possible to build and run on modern systems. This open-source release builds on that work, now with a clear, modern license. It follows Microsoft’s earlier release of GW-BASIC, which descended from the same lineage and shipped in the original IBM PC’s ROM. That code evolved into QBASIC, and later Visual Basic, which remains a supported language for Windows application development to this day. From the blinking cursor of 1977 to FPGA builds in 2025, BASIC still fits in your hand. Now, for the first time, this influential 6502 version is truly yours to explore, modify, and share.

1 month, 3 weeks

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List of PDP-8 omnibus boards available at VCFMW or shipped.

by Paul Anderson

M1705 M518 M7741 M8342 M835 M8350 M8360 M8357 M8365 M8366 M837 M839 M841 M847 M849 M860 M8650 M8659-YA M865 M8652 M8653 M8655 M866 M868 M884 M885 M880//H241 MR8E-EC Also CR8- an actual DEC card reader interface, dec industrial control equipment,EMEX paper tape interfaces, and other dec compatible boards including memory.

1 month, 4 weeks

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2025

2024

2023

2022

cctalk September 2025