13 Sep
2015
13 Sep
'15
9:59 a.m.
I do a regular contest on RetroBattlestations called BASIC Week which is a sort of tribute
to the days when it was common for programs to be published in books and magazines and
people would type them into their computers. One of the neat things about distributing
software through type-in listings is that there?s no need for working disk drives or tape
drives, or to do complicated things like get a serial connection working and find a way to
transfer files. If a computer has built-in BASIC just turn it on and start typing!
Past programs have displayed vector graphics, silly text screen animations, and a couple
of games. This time around the program is called Winchester Drive and the concept is to
explore a mansion to see what you can find. I decided this time around to try out true
sprites and made a version for both the Apple II and Commodore 128.
I wanted to do a Commodore 64 version but couldn't find any line drawing routines
written in assembly anywhere! I thought for sure in the last 33 years some book or
magazine somewhere would have written a couple of simple routines to clear the graphics
screen and draw some lines that you could POKE in and then call with SYS. Oh well, I will
leave the C64 version to someone else. :-)
The challenge is more about honor and glory and getting an excuse to show off old
computers and/or skills with porting, but I do give out vinyl decals & stickers for
prizes (http://imgur.com/a/iAS5T).
I know that the TI-99/4A, Atari 400/800, Coleco Adam, MSX, and maybe some others also had
sprites. Sprites aren?t really needed for porting to other systems, they?re just an easy
way to move the player around the screen. The program could definitely be ported to
systems that use simple character graphics or even plain text screens.
The complete source code has been posted to github, and you can see the full rules and
check out other submissions here:
https://redd.it/3ko0nd
--
Follow me on twitter: @FozzTexx
Check out my blog: http://insentricity.com
13 Sep
13 Sep
11:39 a.m.
On Sun, Sep 13, 2015 at 10:59 AM, Chris Osborn <fozztexx at fozztexx.com> wrote:
and you can see the full rules and check out other
submissions here:
https://redd.it/3ko0nd
"At the end of the week I'll randomly choose two redditors from the
entire week's submissions that will win 3 months of gold, and 5
runner-ups that will win their choice of 2 retro stickers."
I know that this is for fun, and I don't need either reddit gold nor
stickers, but the winners being chosen randomly seriously dampens my
enthusiasm for participating.
11:51 a.m.
On 09/13/2015 11:39 AM, Eric Smith wrote:
I know that this is for fun, and I don't need
either reddit gold nor
stickers, but the winners being chosen randomly seriously dampens my
enthusiasm for participating.
Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be
interesting, but to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one calls
"BASIC" anymore.
Can you run "Visual BASIC" on, say, a PDP-8?
--Chuck
12:14 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck
Guzis
Sent: 13 September 2015 19:51
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: It's BASIC Week again!
On 09/13/2015 11:39 AM, Eric Smith wrote:
Isn't that a Retro Question ? I seem to remember it being asked about GFA basic ..
I know that this is for fun, and I don't need
either reddit gold nor
stickers, but the winners being chosen randomly seriously dampens my
enthusiasm for participating.
Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be interesting, but
to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one calls "BASIC" anymore.
Can you run "Visual BASIC" on, say, a
PDP-8?
I doubt it, but Visual Basic covers a multitude of sins. There was a VB for DOS .... and
6 versions for Windows before we switched to VB.NET
.. but the competition requires sprites so you would need something special... and I think
its DOS based on a PC ...
--Chuck
Dave
1:07 p.m.
On Sun, Sep 13, 2015, Dave G4UGM wrote:
It doesn't require sprites. It specifies that even character graphics
would work.
--
Eric Christopherson
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck
Guzis
Sent: 13 September 2015 19:51
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: It's BASIC Week again!
On 09/13/2015 11:39 AM, Eric Smith wrote:
Isn't that a Retro Question ? I seem to remember it being asked about GFA basic ..
I know that this is for fun, and I don't need
either reddit gold nor
stickers, but the winners being chosen randomly seriously dampens my
enthusiasm for participating.
Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be interesting, but
to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one calls "BASIC" anymore.
Can you run "Visual BASIC" on, say, a
PDP-8?
I doubt it, but Visual Basic covers a multitude of sins. There was a VB for DOS .... and
6 versions for Windows before we switched to VB.NET
.. but the competition requires sprites so you would need something special... and I
think its DOS based on a PC ...
1:11 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Eric
Christopherson
Sent: 13 September 2015 21:07
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: It's BASIC Week again!
On Sun, Sep 13, 2015, Dave G4UGM wrote:
Isn't that a Retro Question ? I seem to remember it being asked about GFA
basic ..
but the
competition requires sprites so you would need something special...
and I think its DOS based on a PC ...
It doesn't require sprites. It specifies that even character graphics would
work.
So it is possible it might work on a PDP-8. Might try it on my SBC6120. Not sure if that?s
true vintage...
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of
> Chuck Guzis
> Sent: 13 September 2015 19:51
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: It's BASIC Week again!
>
> On 09/13/2015 11:39 AM, Eric Smith wrote:
>
> > I know that this is for fun, and I don't need either reddit gold
> > nor stickers, but the winners being chosen randomly seriously
> > dampens my enthusiasm for participating.
>
> Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be
> interesting, but to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one calls
"BASIC"
anymore.
Can you run "Visual BASIC" on, say, a
PDP-8?
I doubt it, but Visual Basic covers a multitude of sins. There was a
VB for DOS .... and 6 versions for Windows before we switched to VB.NET ..
--
Eric Christopherson
14 Sep
14 Sep
12:04 p.m.
New subject: Various Software and Documentation for shipping + donations
All,
I'm trying to help Cindy find homes for some of what's left from her warehouse. I
can hold them only temporarily, but if any of this interests you please contact me ASAP
via Private (not list) email at mtapley at swri.edu.
If you do want something, send me your shipping address and exactly what you want.
I'll get back to you with estimated shipping costs (USPS media rate where possible) as
soon as I can. You send me payment (any method is acceptable; USPS does not recommend cash
in the mail) and I will ship when payment arrives. If you want Fed-Ex or something
different from USPS media let me know at your first contact and I will price that for you.
If you can afford to send slightly more than costs, I'll collect up the surplus for
Cindy.
If more than one person wants the same thing, it goes to the person sending me the
earliest time-tagged email.
If Al K. wants anything for Bitsavers, he gets priority (even if his is not the first
email) up until it leaves my hands.
There will be multiple sets of email from me, each with a short list of things.
Thanks for your attention!
- Mark
This one is all software in (apparently) complete sets, including manuals. I have not
tested install media in any way.
SCO Open Server Enterprise System Manual Set Release 3.0 (SCO, for 386/486 on ISA, EISA,
MCA buses)
Release Notes
Installation/upgrade Guide
Administrator's Guide
Tutorial
Hardware Configuration Guide
Graphical Environment Administrator's Guide
User's Guide
Administrator's Guide and Reference
Overview
INSTALL MEDIA: Tape Cartridge
Mike Ditka Ultimate Football (Accolade, for IBM AT, 100% compatibles, VGA, MCGA, 640k,
hard drive, 16 MHz)
Manual
decoder wheel
INSTALL MEDIA: 3.5" floppy
Mental Blocks (Avantage, for IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, others; requires 256k OR Commodore
C64/C64C/C128)
Single sheet install/use guide
registration and advertizing materals
INSTALL MEDIA: 5.25" floppy (one floppy, labelled for Commodore or PC)
SuperStor Personal Edition (addstor, for MS-DOS/PC-DOS version 3.2 or later, 640k, 2 MB
hard drive)
User's Guide
INSTALL MEDIA: 3.5" floppy
SuperStor Personal Edition (second copy) (addstor, for MS-DOS/PC-DOS version 3.2 or later,
640k, 2 MB hard drive)
User's Guide
INSTALL MEDIA: 3.5" floppy
Disk Manager Hard Disk Installation Utility (Ontrack, for DOS, OS-2/Warp, Windows
3.x/95/NT)
Clever disk folder/install/use card
INSTALL MEDIA: 3.5" floppy
The following two are in shrink-wrap which I have not opened, so I can't verify
install media present.
SPI WindowBase Version 2.0 (Zenith Data Systems, version 2.001-77) (in shrink-wrap, manual
plus cardboard)
Users' Guide
Cardboard fold-up, possibly including media, etc.
CheckFree Electronic Bill Payment System (Tandy, for "PC-Compatible", requires
512k, modem) (in shrink-wrapped box)
Software
User's Guide
Enrollment Information
One month of Free Service :-)
7 Nov
7 Nov
12:22 p.m.
New subject: Various Software and Documentation for shipping + donations (round 2, much delayed)
All,
Sometimes my wheels turn slowly. Work, life, etc. intervened since last Sept. but I?m
back to this task for a while.
I'm trying to help Cindy find homes for some of what's left from her warehouse. I
can hold them only temporarily ( :-) ), but if any of this interests you please contact me
via Private (not list) email at mtapley at swri.edu.
If you do want something, send me your shipping address and exactly what you want.
I'll get back to you with estimated shipping costs (USPS media rate where possible) as
soon as I can. You send me payment (any method is acceptable; USPS does not recommend cash
in the mail) and I will ship when payment arrives. If you want Fed-Ex or something
different from USPS media let me know at your first contact and I will price that for you.
If you can afford to send slightly more than costs, I'll collect up the surplus for
Cindy and get it to her.
If more than one person wants the same thing, it goes to the person sending me the
earliest time-tagged email.
If Al K. wants anything for Bitsavers, he gets priority (even if his is not the first
email) up until it leaves my hands.
There will be multiple sets of email from me, hopefully at a faster cadence, each with a
short list of things, unless/until someone asks me to quit. (I think I tried to send this
in July but never saw it come back nor got any answers; if it did go out and this is a
re-send, please let me know and accept my apologies for the spam.)
Thanks for your attention! More coming soon.
- - Mark
???
These are documentation or book only.
Orion Blue Book Computer Spring 1998
book only; hardbound
Frontier Technologies Super-TCP for Windows
book only; softbound, shrink-wrap intact.
Novell Netware 5.1 Administration Student manual
book only; softbound, highlighter/pen/pencil markings inside.
Drum Jansen Using PFS: First Choice Tutorial and Applications
book only; softbound
Epson Stylus COLOR 760/860 Printer Basics
book only; softbound
Epson Setup Guide for Stylus COLOR 400
book only; softbound
Toshiba CD-ROM Drive Safety Instruction manual (XM-5702B, xx/XM5701B xx/XM-3801B
single sheet of paper in english + single half-size sheet in Japanese
Jaton VIDEO-67P/VIDEO-67TV Quick start guide
Single sheet multi-fold pamphlet
Output Technology Corporation OTC 2100 Series Printers Setup and Operation
book only; spiral-bound
???
2:28 p.m.
On 09/13/2015 01:18 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
I didn't want to bring up TRUE BASIC, as I suspect not a lot of "other"
BASICs would understand it.
How about BASIC-E or CBASIC? And what's this DOS stuff? Was there an
official IBM BASIC for DOS/360? How about my own creation, STAR BASIC?
I've still got a T-shirt and manual for it (and some source code
somewhere)...
--Chuck
>> Well,
participating in such an event for the fun of it might be
>> interesting, but to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one
>> calls "BASIC" anymore.
Does it have to be TRUE BASIC, or are street BASICs accepted? 
3:03 p.m.
It was thus said that the Great Chuck Guzis once stated:
On 09/13/2015 01:18 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
I didn't want to bring up TRUE BASIC, as I suspect not a lot of "other"
BASICs would understand it.
How about BASIC-E or CBASIC? And what's this DOS stuff? Was there an
official IBM BASIC for DOS/360? How about my own creation, STAR BASIC?
I've still got a T-shirt and manual for it (and some source code
somewhere)...
Per the rules (linked to in a previous message), as long as you get a
picture of it running on the machine itself (no emulators), then it should
be fine.
-spc (As far as I understand the rules ... )
>>Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be
>> interesting, but to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one
>>calls "BASIC" anymore.
Does it have to be TRUE BASIC, or are street BASICs accepted? 
3:24 p.m.
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 09/13/2015 01:18 PM, Fred Cisin wrote:
I didn't want to bring up TRUE BASIC, as I suspect not a lot of "other"
BASICs would understand it.
How about BASIC-E or CBASIC? And what's this DOS stuff? Was there an
official IBM BASIC for DOS/360? How about my own creation, STAR BASIC? I've
still got a T-shirt and manual for it (and some source code somewhere)...
If your BASIC of choice can produce a program for the contest, who the
hell cares what dialect or platform it's for? As long as it's
"vintage",
run with it.
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!
>>
Well, participating in such an event for the fun of it might be
>> interesting, but to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one
>> calls "BASIC" anymore.
Does it have to be TRUE BASIC, or are street BASICs accepted?
7:12 p.m.
On 09/13/2015 03:24 PM, geneb wrote:
If your BASIC of choice can produce a program for the
contest, who
the hell cares what dialect or platform it's for? As long as it's
"vintage", run with it.
I suppose that's why the winner will be chosen by random drawing. The
winner could well be a Cambridge Z88 with its little LCD screen, right?
--Chuck
1:26 p.m.
On Sun, 13 Sep 2015, Dave G4UGM wrote:
If the disks are still good, I've actually got a copy of GFA Basic for
DOS. :)
g.
--
Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007
http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind.
http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home.
Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies.
ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment
A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes.
http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!
Well,
participating in such an event for the fun of it might be interesting, but
to be perfectly frank, I don't know what one calls "BASIC" anymore.
Isn't that a Retro Question ? I seem to remember it being asked about
GFA basic ..
5:24 p.m.
On Sun, Sep 13, 2015, Chris Osborn wrote:
The complete source code has been posted to github,
and you can see the full rules and check out other submissions here:
https://redd.it/3ko0nd
What format is the Commodore-sprites.spd file in?
--
Eric Christopherson
6:01 p.m.
On Sep 13, 2015, at 5:24 PM, Eric Christopherson <echristopherson at gmail.com>
wrote:
What format is the Commodore-sprites.spd file in?
SpritePad
http://www.subchristsoftware.com/spritepad.htm
--
Follow me on twitter: @FozzTexx
Check out my blog: http://insentricity.com
2966
days inactive
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15 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
cclist＠sydex.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com -
echristopherson＠gmail.com -
fozztexx＠fozztexx.com -
geneb＠deltasoft.com -
mtapley＠swri.edu -
spacewar＠gmail.com -
spc＠conman.org