29 Apr
1997
29 Apr
'97
5:44 p.m.
From: hellige <jeffh(a)eleventh.com>
To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Atari prob, etc.
One thing about Atari 8bit stuff is a lot of it tended
to use it's own
power rating on the power supply, and not really interchangeable
between most of it, it seems.
I'll check the ratings on the 1200 xl in the FAQ maybe that was the
problem... :/
---------
From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)crl.com>
Subject: yo
First Annual Classic Computer Collector Conference
Why?
BECAUSE! Does any hacker need a reason (well maybe the tried and true,
"Because they say it's impossible.")
Next question...
Where?
Livermore, California (tentative...actual venue TBD)
I could handle that. Hey
that's were alot of the companies started.
When?
Late Summer 1997 (possibly August)
Who?
Organizer: Sam Ismail
Sponsors: Pending (targeted sponsors will be
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and
other computer manufacturers in the local area
and Silicon Valley).
Apple could use a little more good P.R... (wink, wink, nudge,
nudge)
What?
The Classic Computer Collector Convention is
slated to be the premier computer faire to
attend to meet with fellow classic computer
collector geeks, buy/sell/trade classic computer
stuff, exchange classic computer software and
classic computer hints and tips, attend
workshops on classic computer preservation and
restoration, and of course see classic
computers.
Some show features:
Classic Computer Spotlight - every year a
legendary system is chosen to be heralded as the
classic computer of the year (nominees for the
first show are Altair 8800; Apple ][; Commodore
PET; ???).
Hey how about a demo contest too? Have you ever seen those european
groups' parties, (search the web there are some good pages about them)
looks pretty cool to me. Kinda like a hackerfest.
Classic Computer Pioneer - every year an
individual from the annals of computer lore will
be chosen as the Classic Computer Pioneer of the
year. This would be someone who had a lasting
legacy or made a historical impact on the
computer industry, but is not necessarily active
anymore (ie. this precludes Bill Gates from
qualifying). Nominees: Gary Kildall, creator of
CP/M; Steve Wozniak; ???
As I said Apple could use the P.R. (maybe get the
Steves...)
Unfortunately Gary Kildall (creator of CP/M) died a couple years back
(but would be a kick to honor him), Chuck Peddle was the creator of the
6502 microprocessor and Commodore PET among other things.
Classic Computer Museum - A classic museum will
be set-up on-site to allow interested public to
see what classic computers are all about.
Attendees will be encouraged to submit their
favorite classics for display during the show.
Better have tight security there if
we bring our 'babies' to sow off.
The success of the show will depend on
attendance. Admission will be enough to cover
the costs of running the show (including lease
of the venue, advertising, etc). Although there
won't be much of a vending atmosphere (unless
people want to haul their stuff from all over
the country) space will be sold for such
purposes.
That sounds reasonable.
More details as I come up with them. I would
really appreciate feedback from the patrons of
this discussion group. Any ideas, comments,
suggestions are welcome (please suggest a better
name!)
The only computer show I attended was the World of Commodore in San
Francisco in 1987, since then most of the shows have been feeding
frenzies for developers and not at all interested in the computer
classics. I would attend and I'm sure I could get others in the area
interested.
----------
From: Doug Spence <ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca>
Subject: Re: Old Computer Books (was Re: Pets & Silly Game)
...But the only PET books this library has are things
like
collections of type-in programs for the PET, and books on using the PET in
an educational environment. Nothing good and technical.
The technical ones are
some of the hardest to locate, some of mine
came from a Commodore Group weeding out their library, I bought them via
mail. The most PET books I've come across are old college and school
textbooks (anyone see "Hands-On BASIC with the Commodore PET?" yuk.)
---
Subject: BBSes on old hardware and SuperVIC
(re: VIC-20) I'd put at least 32K in it, with a
memory
protection toggle on the RAM so that it could run images of cartridges
from disk.
There is a file I think on funet.fi's FTP that describes and
internal
mod that does just that. :)
---
Subject: PETs etc.
If only I could find such things. I suspect that if I
took a trip to
Toronto I'd have much better luck in all of my searches for old computer
hardware, software, and books, but the chances of finding PET stuff in
particular would go up a hundred fold. (What with TPUG, the Toronto PET
Users Group, etc.)
True, that was a very good Commodore region.
I have a feeling that computer ownership wasn't
nearly as common in
Montreal in the early days as it was in most other major North American
cities...
I would believe that, I think it depnds on what stores, groups were in
the area as well as what computers were first brought in. (Keeping up
with the Jones')
(re-piggybacking chips)
Uh... was he looking for data redundancy or something? ;)
No he had some dead RAMS
and got tired of swapping chips, and figured if
he piggybacked two he would at least get one good one out of it. :/
I intend to write the software on my own, but fast
serial routines might
come in handy. I want to at least get 2400bps out of the thing.
Most of the BASIC
boards I have is up to 1200 baud, I know for 2400 you
probably have to tweak the timing registers, cause the computer does not
provide decent numbers.
I don't think that'll be a problem for the
VIC-20, as it's faster at I/O than the
64. I'll probably have to put in a lot of RAM, though, to act as buffers
for the slow disk drives. :)
There have been a bunch of articles for adding 256k to
1 meg internally
to the 64 and bank-switching, not sure if that's possible on the VIC
though, they may be adaptable.
Do you mean the music teacher's programs, or the
Cursor tapes? :)
YES! YES!
I think I have copies of tapes #1 to #8, plus a couple
of games from later tapes.
I wish I had the originals... but these were copies made from the high
school music teacher's subscription. :)
Mine are also from High School and I
can say I have programs from 13 to
into the 20s I think. No originals here either *sniff*
Ouranos! is an awesome game, BTW. I had the PET print
up the listing and I
intended to port it to the Amiga, but I never got around to it. I don't
think it'd be the same, though, on anything but another PET with glaring
white screen.
Weather War II for the Commodore-64 is a re-write of Ouranos! nifty
little character graphic castles, SID sound, sprites were used to add
some foliage (just for looks)
What's the serial number on that machine?
Gotta go to storage and read it... Not in the 'original documentation'
envelope.
I have a feeling it's a lot older than this PET.
Both of my PETs have quite
ordinary-looking ROMs.
(The one with the mini keyboard has the 1.0 BASIC ROMs, with the '***
COMMODORE BASIC ***' message and the other one has upgrade ROMs.)
My
'calculator keyboard' PET has 1.0 too. I have the schematics and
diagnostics for it too... Has been modified with a reset switch has
ability to use a skyles add-on keyboard (you have to load and run a
program first), and of course, expandamem.
Um... hold it... how are the 4116's arranged? You
probably said, but of
course I can't go back into my mailbox to read that while I'm replying to
this one (I knew there was a reason I should my system to do this
locally!). If they're 16K by 4, then that certainly WOULD be more than
8K. :)
I think those are only 8kx1. I did look at my expandamem board and the
chips with the plates on them had (c)Mostek written.
(RE: Visible Memory Board deveoped for KIM-1 first.)
Wow, that's incredible. Not only did I not think that PETs that old could
do high-res graphics in any way, but to learn that one could do so on the
KIM-1! I'm flabberghasted. ;)
The KIM is something I'd really like to find somewhere.
So would I.
I have this terrible fear, though, of coming across
one in some electronic surplus
shop and not recognizing it. :)
I had nightmares about coming across an incredible
Commodore stash in
some store and not having any money. *gasp!*
(re: MTU visible memory ad)
BTW, I'd love a copy of that ad. Send it to:
Doug Spence
85 Devon Road
Baie d'Urfe, Que.
H9X 2X3
CANADA
Heck I'll toss in some disks full of other goodies too. But don't
hold
your breath I tend to froget doing things (like mailing stuff) for a
spell.
----------
From: "Mr. Self Destruct" <more(a)camlaw.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Re: weekend additions
The plus/4 could run *some* very simple basic programs
from 64/vic-20 land
but even that was a chore if I remember correctly because of the different
ways the computers "tokenized" basic.
I think the main difference was
between the 128 and the Plus/4s extended
BASIC, but was compatible with the 64.
There was also a "parallel" drive for this
computer (well I think there was) called an SFX-1??? something or other.
The
parallel one was the 1551; the SFX 1001 was a 1 meg floppy drive the
the PET using an IEEE-488 interface (esentally an 8250 with only one
disk drive.)
----------
From: "Mr. Self Destruct" <more(a)camlaw.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Funky looking mouse and other TCF stuff...
1 CBM 8032 $5
(this things got some kind of memory board that plugs into the CPU
socket and a parallel interface)
Wait a minute here, are you sure it's not
a RS-232 interface?
It could be an 8032 upgraded to a SuperPET. If it is a SuperPET there
would be a 6809 processor as well as the 6502 in there and you have 96k
of RAM accessible (via bank switching). Keyboard my have some odd
characters on it too (to support the languages it could run such as APL,
Fortran, COBOL, etc.) Of course to run the languages you would need the
disks and a drive. (I don't have them)
Otherwise the daughterboard could be memory to bring it up to 96k (via
bank switching) or as I mentioned a visible memory board - the
indication for it is that the monitor will plug into the daughter board
and then the daughterboard plugs into the motherboard's video output
connector. - :) BTW REALLY GOOD PRICE!
Larry Anderson
P.S. I think I'm gonna start writing a FAQ about the Commodore PET.
Will let you guys now when I get it on-line.
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