11 Jul
1997
11 Jul
'97
8:06 a.m.
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
----------
From: PG Manney
Reply To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
Sent: Friday, July 11, 1997 6:59 AM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Re: "Bally Astrocade"
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.)
11 Jul
11 Jul
8:20 a.m.
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997 10:06:44 -0700, 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.
Recently, I found the history of video games at one of zdnet's sites :
www.videogamespot.com/features/universal/hov/hov01.html
where hov01.html can go up to hov10.html
Don't know if the link is still value tho'.
Ben
8:59 a.m.
New subject: Modem Collection
Just curious (again!) if anyone is collecting the early modems used on
computers and what might have been the earliest commercial phone modem.
I have several devices that are called modem eliminators and I believe
these are basically serial cable boosters to increase the permissible
cable length. My guess is that the earliest modems were accousticle
(sp?) modems where the coupling was where the phone was laid onto the
modem rather than a direct connect to the computer. Was there anything
earlier or other type of device?
9:39 a.m.
New subject: Modem Collection
Just curious (again!) if anyone is collecting the
early modems used on
computers and what might have been the earliest commercial phone modem.
I have several devices that are called modem eliminators and I believe
these are basically serial cable boosters to increase the permissible
cable length. My guess is that the earliest modems were accousticle
(sp?) modems where the coupling was where the phone was laid onto the
modem rather than a direct connect to the computer. Was there anything
earlier or other type of device?
The earliest modems were actually for radio work, and started sometime in
the 1930's. By the end of World War Two, FSK radio modems were used with
radioteletype by the government. I have the receiver half of an early FSK
modem, called model FRA by the U.S.Navy. Made by RCA, it is probably
heavier than just about any home computer ever made (Of course the actual
radio transmitter tips the scale at 1100 pounds). The transmitter half of
the FSK set is just about as big, yet still eludes me.
Later, both Teletype and Kleinschmidt teleprinters could be fitted with
modems, either for radio or telephone use. The first ones are still
fairly huge, but use transistors. Western Union was an early user of
telephone modems, for use with type 33 teleprinters.
William Donzelli
william(a)ans.net
10:24 a.m.
New subject: Modem Collection
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11:39 p.m.
New subject: Modem Collection
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Marvin wrote:
Just curious (again!) if anyone is collecting the
early modems used on
computers and what might have been the earliest commercial phone modem.
I have several devices that are called modem eliminators and I believe
these are basically serial cable boosters to increase the permissible
cable length. My guess is that the earliest modems were accousticle
(sp?) modems where the coupling was where the phone was laid onto the
modem rather than a direct connect to the computer. Was there anything
earlier or other type of device?
I always run into big ugly old modems that are, alas, what I draw the
line at as far as collectible. I find these at swap meets, thrift shops,
surplus shops, etc. They are everywhere, and it seems just about
everyone made one.
Sam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
9:05 a.m.
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Kai Kaltenbach wrote:
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
I seem to recall spending many many hours (and quarters) with my roommate
playing a vector graphic arcade version of Space War when we were fresh
out of the USAF back in 1978 and spending loose hours at the Saint James
Infirmary in Sunnyvale.
--
Ward Griffiths
"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within
the system, but too early to shoot the bastards." --Claire Wolfe
8:58 a.m.
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Ward Griffiths and/or Lisa Rogers wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Kai Kaltenbach wrote:
I remember that machine too. (I don't remember the year, though.) It had
a wonderful sub-woofer in the cabinet that you could feel when you hit the
thrust button. It did take a while to get used to the controls though,
five buttons, 'rotate left', 'rotate right', 'thrust',
'fire',
'hyperspace'. The interesting thing was you didn't play against the
machine... only against another person. IIRC, you were given a fixed
amount of time for your money, rather than '10 lives' or one game or
whatever.
ttfn
srw
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
I seem to recall spending many many hours (and quarters) with my roommate
playing a vector graphic arcade version of Space War when we were fresh
out of the USAF back in 1978 and spending loose hours at the Saint James
Infirmary in Sunnyvale. 
9:03 a.m.
At 06:05 PM 7/11/97 +0000, you wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jul 1997, Kai Kaltenbach wrote:
You are correct. Space War was the world's first vector game in '78.
Lunar Lander was Atari's first vector game.
James
jscarter(a)worldnet.att.net
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
I seem to recall spending many many hours (and quarters) with my roommate
playing a vector graphic arcade version of Space War when we were fresh
out of the USAF back in 1978 and spending loose hours at the Saint James
Infirmary in Sunnyvale.
--
Ward Griffiths
9850
days inactive
9851
days old
8 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
bluesky6＠ix.netcom.com -
dastar＠crl.com -
gram＠cnct.com -
jscarter＠worldnet.att.net -
kaikal＠MICROSOFT.com -
marvin＠rain.org -
scott＠saskatoon.com -
shoppa＠alph02.triumf.ca -
william＠ans.net