test-drb July 1997

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

111 participants
442 discussions

by manney＠nwohio.com

Speaking of video games, I have 2 different sources which say that the first video game was 1)Pong 2) Asteroids. I personally believe asteroids, as the game (in my recollectopn, at least) used vector graphics, which should be faster and simpler than Pong's raster image. ...Or am I all wet? Anyone know? (Trivia -- What does "Pac" in Pac-man stand for? answer on request.)

26 years, 11 months

History of Video Games (RE: "Bally Astrocade")

by jscarter＠worldnet.att.net

At 05:06 PM 7/11/97 +0000, you wrote: >Neither - The first arcade videogame was Nutting & Associates Computer >Space, designed by Nolan Bushnell in 1971, who later designed Pong >(1972) with the profits, and founded Atari. The first home videogame >was the Magnavox Odyssey 100, in 1972. The first ROM cartridge-based >home video game title is co-owned by the Fairchild Channel F and the RCA >Studio II, which were introduced simultaneously in 1976. The first >vector graphic arcade game was Lunar Lander in 1979, followed by >Asteroids later that year. The first (and only) vector graphic home >video game was the GCE/Milton Bradley Vectrex in 1982. > >Kai IIRC, Odyssey 100 was a simple pong unit. The one you're refering to was just "Odyssey." James jscarter(a)worldnet.att.net

26 years, 11 months

farewell and COCO question and Definicon stuff and simpson meter.

by KFergason＠aol.com

In a message dated 97-07-11 10:29:07 EDT, you write: << On the contrary, I think that people are unsubscribing because in this mailing list about collecting Classic icons there is NOT ENOUGH discussion about the history of the computing boom and the hows and whys that led to it. >> I am sorry, but I was not aware that this list was about collecting classic computers. I thought this list was about classic computers, of which collecting is a part. I am not interested (well, not as much) in the "hows and whys". I want to find them, use them, fix them. I don't really collect them simply to collect. You might argue that I had to collect one to use it, but thats not necessarily the case. I could have bought my Kaypro new and simply still be using it. If this list IS about COLLECTING, then I will unsubscribe myself as well. On something more hardware related, I have a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer Controller, Cat. No 26-3129. I am assuming it is a disk controller, but can someone give me some confirmation on that? Also, if someone still needs the definicon board stuff, I finally got my PC back together, so I can read the 5.25" disks. And while I am babbling, not really classic computer, but classic test equipment related, I have a Simpson 303 that I have never been able to get to work. It seems to need the battery, and it is a rechargeable model. Kelly

26 years, 11 months

Panasonic HandHeld Update and FINAL COUNT!

by manney＠nwohio.com

Please reserve 2 handhelds for me -- thanks. Manney(a)nwohio.com

26 years, 11 months

What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers View

by thedm＠sunflower.com

Actually, I collect for the sake of collecting, I make no money off it, ask my wife :) I collect so in 10 more years, I can play with toys I played with 20 years ago. That and to watch everyone freak when they see my dinosaurs alive and feeding on a daily basis. On a subnote, you all are intelligent people, but man, I think some folks need to lighten up and enjoy the water. But I guess, one part of me just can't relate to, is the "cost of downloading" mail, but I suppose there are situations where that is a problem, me, I have a cablemodem, so im spoiled rotten. As far as knowing what we all have, maybe we should add to our rescue list, a non fancy, listing of what everyone has, not for trading, but just as a reference. Then when I'm at my next flea market...etc. I can say, "Hey, I know John dosn't have a Coco1, maybe he'd like one, it's 2 bucks, Heck, I just grab it." Cya in the funny papers. Bill G. ---------- > From: Brett <danjo(a)xnet.com> > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> > Subject: What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers View > Date: Thursday, July 10, 1997 8:34 PM > > > First - if you don't want to hear my opinion - stop now! I am going to > get pretty detailed about what the list is/should be about. I may hurt > some feelings - but well hell - that's life! > > First from Enrico - > > > On the contrary, I think that people are unsubscribing because in this > > mailing list about collecting Classic icons there is NOT ENOUGH > > discussion about the history of the computing boom and the hows and > > whys that led to it. To just limit the discussion to the mere hardware > > is narrow minded and shows the kind of attitude which leads to consider > > "the other" (the one which begs to differ) as an enemy or at least as > > an intruder. The "dont' bother us as we know what we should be talking > > about" attitude might be legal and understandable but is it wise? > > No it is NOT wise! However - it is *as you said* understandable. Each > person is a collection of feelings and memories, sometimes refered to > as a *pile of the past*. Each of us has had different experiences in > EVERYTHING we do. No two people view life the EXACT same way. > > Currently, this list is set on the aquistion of hardware. One reason > is to get it before it's GONE. Another, is the ECONOMY of collecting. > (I buy it for 10 and sell it for 15 Sam 8-) The point being, in two > years, if we did nothing - you may NEVER be able to buy it because > someone junked it! Nothing wrong with making hay while the sun shines. > > The history of computing doesn't lend itself to the IMMEDIACY of hardware. > The history of computing IS. There is no cost in learning it, > understanding it, and aquiring it. > > Now, if everybody on the list had an Apple, an Amiga, an Altair, an Imsai, > a DEC 11/24, an IBM 360, two Commodore 64s, a BBC, etc,etc,etc THEN we > might sit down and discuss the history. We can discuss it now - but I > would rather be gathering all the hardware I can get my hands on NOW and > think about the history. > > I would probably die if someone wanted to give me the Intellec MDS that > Gary wrote CPM on. That is too much to hope for in this world 8-) > > > As already said here several times, computers are bits of metal and > > plastic. They are important for the sentiments and the feelings they > > managed to raise in each and everybody (and soul) of us. You keep your > > hardware (and I will keep mine so that I can leave it to future > > generations) but I will keep my principles and if this will mean I > > will have to do without you, then (I will be sorry but) be it. > > As said before, we are all different. I will gladly discuss the history > of computing. However, if I stray from why I think Turing was a genius > to WOW I JUST GOT MY RL02 TO BOOT MY 11/23 - you will have to forgive me. > I'm just that kind of guy. > > On the other hand tho - WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? I have seen > the messages from you in the last two weeks and you have not mentioned > *history* at all! You have mentioned the social and psychological impact > of why we collect individual machines - it the same with cars - it the > same with ANY collectable. But it is NOT what I call - History. Nobody > NEEDS a twenty year old computer! Not in the USE sense - they NEED them to > remind them of the good times in the past. That spark of WONDER or GLORY > or FULLFILLMENT they got from that item. The same as ANY collectable. If > you have no sense of wonder or glory or fulfillment - you don't collect > for the sake of collecting - you are collecting for the ECONOMICS of > collecting. > > On Thu, 10 Jul 1997, Kai Kaltenbach wrote: > > > You're absolutely, terribly correct. In our benighted shortsightedness > > we have been ignoring the core, the soul, nay, the very existentialism > > of the historical man-machine interface and the personal hygiene of Gary > > Kildall. These bits of metal and plastic have become a zen-like cyborg > [snipped but saved] > > becoming no more than Waldos while Charles Babbage's heart is ripped > > from his chest by ravens dark as toner, eight claws upon each talon. > > > > Kai > > Beautiful! I have not (except for Bill's bathroom story) been so > wonderfully entertained and amused by posts to the list than this! > You've gone up a notch in my book. > > Glenn Roberts wrote: > > > > I for one certainly support Bill's efforts to keep this list on target. > > Enrico replied > > Yes, agreed, BUT the pint being made here is WHICH is the target? Just > hardware OR history of the machines as well? > > Pint! Oh point 8-( > I think Bill summed it up - go ahead - but don't *expect* anyone to > discuss it with you. The list hasn't been around long enough to develop > a *personality*. (Did I speak to late!?!?) > > The list doesn't HAVE a POINT. But the people on it do. > > We gather here and there in the faint glow of Cathode Ray Tubes connected > throughout the world by the wonder of modern man - The Internet - and > discuss computers that are older than 10 years. Some will never again > be seen as useful. As some say - "They can have my DEC, when they pry it > from my cold dead hands!" Some will use them, some will sell them, some > will lurk in the dark corners, some will boil to the surface with an > explosion of estatic joy and/or humor, some will solder little > thingmajiggies together, some will droll on and on about some favorite > piece of hardware or software, some will leave and others will come. It's > called "community" - the one thing man has over all other animals. It > isn't easy, and it isn't hard. There is give and take. Those who give > constantly will be consumed, Those that only take - will eventually be > bored. > > The problem - currently - is Enrico. You have not either explained what > you want (I certainly don't understand) or what you want isn't here. If > you can explain - in terms we can understand - I am sure that your desires > can be fullfilled by this list as well as Sam's (sorry Sam - I see you as > a hardware mogul - more more more 8-) It is usually best, I have found, to > walk into a group and listen to what is being said. If an opportunity > presents itself, interject a question. (I remember that you did this very > well Enrico) Then if the current discussion recognizes your question, in > a positive way, you should then be permitted to state your case. This did > not happen! You should then wait for another opportunity. There is no > rule that if someone shows interest, you can not start you OWN > conversation. Just don't keep it on the list - take it to EMail. If > something important is discussed in private EMail, by all means, if all > concerned agree - put it on the list. This then becomes more than a > single observation and then the impact upon the group has more weight. > > I also get a little perturbed when people state "This Weekends Haul". > I really don't have the time or inclination to read about all the neat > stuff I DID NOT get. I understand the joy and amazement of those of you > who do make great deals (Sam Grrrrrr....) but it only makes me feel more > or less - left out! I usually get one machine (my biggest haul was 12 > clone motherboards - not even NEAR on topic!) and then gather all the > info I can to get it to work the way it was supposed to. Then every six > months I get antsy and fire them all up - just to make sure - and then > spend another month getting them all to work right again. And two months > paying off the electric bill. BUT - I DO want to know what everybody has! > If I need help - I will know who to go to! Right now - I just fire out a > question and get the responses. That is because this is a community. > > Things to remember - every community has a town drunk, a town clown, > a town cop, and a town fool. It wouldn'tbe a community without them. > > BC

26 years, 11 months

What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers View

by allisonp＠world.std.com

26 years, 11 months

What Classic Computer are All About - A Lovers View

by rcini＠msn.com

Allison: >>Seriously I've put may posts here anout the history and lineages of many of the old machines. I collect, but I admit is has to make some sense to me as in useful or have some specific linkage to my place in this >>history. This is so true. In fact, this is how I started collecting. Admittedly, I don't remember many of the early computers; I was too young to remember any of it first-hand. When the Altair came out, I was 8; Bill Gates was 20. I only got to "know" Gary Kildall and Ed Roberts through the books that I read as background for my MBA business case on Microsoft and the computer software industry. Back then, I used the Commodores. In high school, I used {shudder} the Mac (and understood that better). In college, I used PCs, but didn't understand the architecture. I started collecting Commodores because this is the machine that I grew-up on. Then, it snowballed. The Tandy Model 1; Model 100; Datamaster; Apple IIs. Now, almost anything. Since I'm behind the knowledge power curve, I have a lot of catching-up to do! I love hearing about other people's hauls. It inspires me. It makes me want to take back more room in the basement than what was alotted to me by "the boss." It's about the elegant simplicity of design; the basic, nuts-and-bolts usefulness. It's about runnung an OS and an application in 4k of RAM. It's all about preserving the early computer history, so that people like me, people on the fringes of early computers, people who know nothing about where their P233 came from, can see what it was like in the stone-age of computing. Just my $0.02. ------------------------------------------------- Rich Cini/WUGNET e-mail: rcini(a)msn.com - ClubWin Charter Member (6) - MCPS Windows 95/Netowrking

26 years, 11 months

classic software for sale

by manney＠nwohio.com

Please send me a pricelist. Also, where (physically) are you? I'm in northern Ohio. Thx Manney

26 years, 11 months

c16/Plus4

by 107765.1161＠compuserve.com

Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu >User support here was either through PLUG (Plus/4 Users Group), or Jim Hehl in Anchorage. Plug provided a list of European distributors and Jim was into program conversion (Such popular 64 programs like Speedscript were converted).< Has anybody heard from Jim Hehl recently? Last I heard, he was burned out of his cabin by an Alaskan wildfire! That was probably 1-2 years ago now. Does he still produce for Jack Vanderwhite's publication? >The major bummer about European Plus/4 stuff is alot of it is compressed and locked into PAL mode and thus unviewable on NTSC displays. (Jim & Jack Vandewrwhite had converted some though, I think they are available on funet.fi's FTP., I think the series is called 'ceepee4' something...)< If this stuff is available somewhere, I'd be interested in a full address. Gil Parrish <

26 years, 11 months

HHC

by 107765.1161＠compuserve.com

Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu >Remember, there are 400 of these HHCs available. Tell a friend!< Sorry, I just got here. What the heck are you talking about?

26 years, 11 months

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test-drb July 1997