>
>At the risk of turning you into more of an appreciator, here is how to
run
>Trek80 on your SOL:
>
>1. Assuming that you have your cassette player properly attached to the
SOL,
>press the "play" button - the tape won't start until the SOL tells it
to.
>2. Make sure your CAPS LOCK in on. Then at the '>' prompt enter XEQ
><return>.
>3. Alternatively, enter GET. After a few moments the SOL will respond
with
>something like 'TREK80 0000 23AB' (the beginning and end addresses).
Then
>enter EX 0 and you are aboard the Enterprise.
>
>BTW, I would make a copy of the tape rather than using the original.
Old
>tape literally get flakey, and I've had to replace the pressure pad on
>several of my original PT tapes.
>
>And if you like Trek80 as an arcade game, you must try TARGET by Steve
>Dompier. It was almost always used as an attention getter in its demo
mode
>by PT dealers. You fire missles at 'airplanes' and if you play an AM
radio
>nearby, you can hear the sound effects of missle launches, explosions,
and
>falling debris.
>
>email me with your address if you would like xerox copies of Trek80,
Target,
>or most SOL documentation (though I don't have FOCAL docs or a copy of
that
>tape - are you listening, Frank?)
>
>Bob Stek - Keeper of lost SOLs
>
>bobstek(a)ix.netcom.com
Thanks, Bob. Looks like you may be getting me aboard the
Starship Enterprise after all. I will give it my best shot.
I have the SOL docs somewhere in this nightmarishly cluttered
and disorganized museum I live in. May have TARGET too.
I will take your advice and copy the Trek 80 cassette.
I am curious about one thing. Is the Trek 80 among the
very earliest examples of game software for microcomputers?
Bob Wood
>
>
>
______________________________________________________
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Yesterday I picked up an Osborne 1 from the dump. It seems to be in
relatively good physical condition apart from a missing CAPS LOCK key
(which I luckily found nearby). Unfortunately, it had been rained on. The
keyboard was separate from the main unit, and it was full of water. The
main unit seems to be slightly better off (at least water didn't pour out
of it when I picked it up). I haven't pulled either apart yet, so I
haven't seen what condition the internals are in.
Can anyone give me some hints on restoring this machine? What's the best
way to clean mud off circuit boards and electronic components? I'm going
to check the power supply separate disconnected from the main unit, so will
it need a dummy load? Is there anything in particular I should check on
the Osborne 1?
Finally, is it possible to make a boot disk using a PC to CP/M program like
Alien or 22Disk? Where can I find a boot disk image?
Thanks in advance.
| Scott McLauchlan |E-Mail: scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au |
| Network Services Team |Phone : +61 2 6201 5544 (Ext.5544)|
| Client Services Division |Post : University of Canberra, |
| University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA | ACT, 2601, AUSTRALIA. |
I just grabbed a portable terminal called an Informer. It says its from
Los Angeles and is model #207P Serial #55861 -4055
Anyone know anything about it before I try to fire it up?
colan
I am wondering if anyone knows of a good source of Radio Shack
TRS-80 Pocket Computer information. I just picked up a Pocket
Computer (presumably the 'model 1', as it doesn't say Pocket
Computer II, etc.). It is catalog 26-3501.
Anyway, it came complete with the Printer/Cassette Interface
unit.... which you snap the computer into, and the 'expansion unit'
has cassette interface plugs, as well as a small calculator-like
printer. Pretty snazzy little unit. Looks like it has never been
used, and works like a charm. Also, I got the little guy for free!!
Here's my question: It starts up to BASIC. And there are several
modes of operation.... DEF, RUN, PRO, RESERVE. With a little
tinkering, I have managed to figure out that the PRO mode is to
program in BASIC programs. And, the RUN mode is to run them, etc. I
am curious for full information on these modes. I also am wondering
how to access the printer. Say, listing a BASIC program to it, or
printing messages, etc., to the printer. On first guess, I figured
it might use the LLIST and LPRINT type commands such as other early
TRS-80 BASICs did (back in my days of adventure game making :-) ....
but, I have been unable to get them to work. It seems whenever I
enter those commands (or other incorrect commands), I get a
1................................ up on the screen, this seems to be
some type of syntax error.
I guess I just don't know much about this part of the TRS-80
timeline and am looking for any help. Accessing the printer, error
codes, mode explainations, cassette commands in BASIC, etc.
Thank you,
CORD COSLOR
--
____________________________________________________________
| Cord G. Coslor : archive(a)navix.net |\
| Deanna S. Wynn : deannasue(a)navix.net | |
| on AOL Instant Messenger: DeannaCord | |
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At 04:32 PM 8/16/98 -0500, Doug wrote:
>One of the earlier better-known microcomputers was the Scelbi-8H (1973).
>Scelbi stopped making hardware in 1974, and supposedly went into the
>software and book-writing biz. I know he wrote a book on games for the
>8008, but I don't know the year.
>
It was 1976 and the games were "Space Capture", "Hexpawn", and "Hangman".
Of course the 8008 code was written earlier, in 1976 Scelbi was in the book
biz as you said, not hardware. The book has 8080 code added for each game,
looks like a translation mostly of the 8008 code with a few exceptions. The
games were not real time, (of course).
All the other magazines and newsletters sound interesting! At least "The
Computer Hobbyist" I think I have found all of them. Hal Chamberlin had a
vector CRT display, and "pong" was one of the games. Steve Ciarcia
redesigned it in an early issue of BYTE. Will also be interested in the VCF
2 program on these!
-Dave
At 09:34 AM 8/16/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Wow, I've thrown out a couple dozen VT100/102/131s in the last 5 years at
>work. I guess they were pretty nice 20 years ago coming from a VT52 ;) If
>anyone has fondness for them, I've got a bunch more that will probably be
>hitting the dumpster soon.
>
> -wayne
So... the obvious question for the shipping challenged, where would these
be starting from?
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
Try do search for information about the CASIO PB100 I believe they were the
same machines. The PB100 was my first pocket computer, I sold it to buy a
Sinclair ZX81 back in 1985 and I've missed it greatly since then.
Francois
-------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the desperately in need of update
Sanctuary at: http://www.pclink.com/fauradon
-----Original Message-----
From: Cord Coslor & Deanna Wynn <archive(a)navix.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, August 16, 1998 9:31 PM
Subject: TRS-80 Pocket Computer questions....
>I am wondering if anyone knows of a good source of Radio Shack
>TRS-80 Pocket Computer information. I just picked up a Pocket
>Computer (presumably the 'model 1', as it doesn't say Pocket
>Computer II, etc.). It is catalog 26-3501.
>
>Anyway, it came complete with the Printer/Cassette Interface
>unit.... which you snap the computer into, and the 'expansion unit'
>has cassette interface plugs, as well as a small calculator-like
>printer. Pretty snazzy little unit. Looks like it has never been
>used, and works like a charm. Also, I got the little guy for free!!
>Here's my question: It starts up to BASIC. And there are several
>modes of operation.... DEF, RUN, PRO, RESERVE. With a little
>tinkering, I have managed to figure out that the PRO mode is to
>program in BASIC programs. And, the RUN mode is to run them, etc. I
>am curious for full information on these modes. I also am wondering
>how to access the printer. Say, listing a BASIC program to it, or
>printing messages, etc., to the printer. On first guess, I figured
>it might use the LLIST and LPRINT type commands such as other early
>TRS-80 BASICs did (back in my days of adventure game making :-) ....
>but, I have been unable to get them to work. It seems whenever I
>enter those commands (or other incorrect commands), I get a
>1................................ up on the screen, this seems to be
>some type of syntax error.
>
>I guess I just don't know much about this part of the TRS-80
>timeline and am looking for any help. Accessing the printer, error
>codes, mode explainations, cassette commands in BASIC, etc.
>
>Thank you,
>
>CORD COSLOR
>
>--
> ____________________________________________________________
>| Cord G. Coslor : archive(a)navix.net |\
>| Deanna S. Wynn : deannasue(a)navix.net | |
>| on AOL Instant Messenger: DeannaCord | |
>| http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4395 | |
>|------------------------------------------------------------| |
>| PO Box 308 - Peru, NE - 68421 - (402) 872- 3272 | |
>|------------------------------------------------------------| |
>| If you don't have AOL (like us) but want a great instant | |
>| chat feature, just go to http://www.aol.com/aim | |
>|____________________________________________________________| |
>\_____________________________________________________________\|
>
>
If I remember right, NeXT computers are not that expensive. I think mine
was $450 including computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and sound box
(NeXT Station Color Turbo W/400MB hd and 8mb of RAM)
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Jenkins [mailto:adam@merlin.net.au]
> Sent: Friday, August 14, 1998 2:31 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Re: Altair - A different perspective
>
>
>
> >Exactly, the Altair helped kick-off the hobbiest movement by
> being cheap.
> >The Mark-8 did this earlier, but it was so slow and buggy that it was
> >pretty much a non-starter. The Altair was an improvement,
> but it was also
> >pretty much a non-starter that fizzled after about 10,000 units. The
> >Altair was the grandfather of the S-100 bus and CP/M, both of which
> >fizzled and left only a minor mark on MS-DOS, which didn't fizzle.
>
> I think that to say that the S-100 Bus and CP/M "fizzled" is
> to seriously
> understate the value of both. :) I'm sure you don't mean to
> suggest that
> they were without value, but keep in mind that 6 years of
> dominance (which
> is probably the minimum that one would give to CP/M and the
> S100) is an
> incredibly long time in the fledging personal computer
> field. True, it
> doesn't stand up that well to 15+ years of Microsoft, but it was the
> dominate architecture on teh market.
>
> >Low prices, enabled by the microprocessor, is one of the
> elements that got
> >us to where we are today. A high-degree of interactivity is another.
> >Computer graphics is another. The desktop form-factor is
> also a strong
> >survivor. So, if somebody were really looking at collecting
> Altairs as the
> >machine that "started it all", I think they have been misled
> and would be
> >better off collecting the IBM PC, early Apples, early HP
> desktops, the
> >PDP-8, and all of the PDP-1's they can find :-)
>
> I don't support these high prices, and I'm another of the
> collectors who
> wants to save and use, rather than simply buy and store their
> systems. I
> don't have, nor do I particularly desire, an Altair (but I do
> really want a
> NeXTCube), but the significance of the Altair and the
> hobbiest movement
> should not be measured in terms of computers sold. :) My view
> is that the
> Altair made it clear to hobiests that they could own a
> computer, and so
> even if they didn't buy one it started them dreaming about
> one. (And yes,
> I know it was not the first). This is much the same as with
> the Lisa -
> people didn't necessarily buy them, and indeed they ignored
> them in great
> numbers - but without the Lisa then I doubt the Macintosh
> would have been
> as successful. First you have the great implementation of a
> grand concept
> that you can never own, and then you follow it with an
> affordable version.
> Anyway, the point is that the Altair led to the hobbists, while the
> hobbists pushed the tech both in hardware and software, creating the
> potential for personal computers to move into new markets.
> True, this was
> a marketing dream of many of the computer companies before
> the Altair, but
> the Altair is definitly one of the most important systems. That's my
> opinion, anyway.
>
> As to prices, well I come form a number of collecting backgrounds, and
> prices are never increased so much by rarity or actual value, but by
> perceived value. When people started thinking Teddy Bears were worth
> money, the prices lept ahead - but only in the brands which
> the collectors
> recognised. The Altair is recognised as significant, is relativly
> uncommon, and every article on computer history sings it's
> praises. You
> could almost guarentee that the prices would go up.
>
> If only Apple IIc's were worth a fortune - then I could
> finally get my NeXT. :)
>
> Adam.
>
>
>That paddleboard connector on the VT100 is one of the cleverest pieces of
>design I've seen from DEC. The pins are supposed to short between the 2
>sides when there's nothing in the connector, thus linking the terminal
>logic signals to the DB25 on the back. Insert a paddleboard, and you
>disconnect them, allowing the paddleboard to connect separately to the
>VT100 logic and the outside world.
It is neat... I used that info to create my own sort of paddleboard
attachment which allowed me to have the terminal EIA/20ma
switch-selectable... I mounted a DPDT switch in the plastic panel which
goes on the back of a VT100 20ma option and wired it so it either routed
the signals through to the EIA port or shunted them off to the 20ma
option... only needed to intercept 4 signal lines, if I remember
correctly.. (or was it three).
I still have the 'option' in a drawer at work...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg world.std.com |
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