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TPA5

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Posts posted by TPA5

  2. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    Stupid? Another way to frame the question could be, "Why are some people so judgemental and arrogant?"

     

    Pardon me folks, but one persons 'stupid' is another persons 'working man' without all the time in the world, like the proverbial teenager in his mother's basement, spending uncounted hours a day on code to become a proficient 'Uber Programmer'. Many of us work for a living and do not have the time to bring ourselves up to some level arbitrarily set by another.

     

    Some of the so-called 'programming elitists' might not know the first thing about biochemistry, brain surgery or rocket science, but that does not make them any more 'stupid' than the other guy.

     

    The computer used to be a hobby box. On average people spend more time on a hobby than they do with their microwave. The personal computer has become an appliance, like a toaster. It's only natural that a larger percentage of the users would not appear to be as awestruck with a toaster or care to learn it's inner workings.

     

    Now those who do have a genuine interest come to these threads to look around AND LEARN might get turned off by the attitudes. Who wants to hang out at a place where a newbie feels or is quite literally called 'stupid'? Will that newbie risk asking a 'stupid' question or will he just go away, never learning what could be?

     

    We were all IGNORANT at one point. Ignorance is not stupidity. It's a shame that some lose sight of where they have been, and look down upon others... and what they used to be.

     

    Just my humble opinion.

     

    This times 1000.

     

    My mom is a great example of the merits of accessible technology. My dad was at the forefront of electronics and computers as they emerged. He built the kits, got the electronics mags, played with circuits, he was a nerd. He eventually ended up in the IT market and now manages huge systems for healthcare. He is a smart guy, and I know I'll never have even half of the knowledge that man has stashed away in his brain, and I respect him hugely.

     

    My mother, bless her, has never gotten along with technology. My dad affectionately refers to many stories of her inability to work technology. She is a music major, she's always been more creative than geeky. However, eventually my dad got her onto an iMac, and she started to learn to use it. Now, because she's a naturally intelligent person and because the system was so easily workable, she actually managed to pick it up rather quickly. Now, she bounces all over the web for recipes, crochet patterns, uses email to keep in touch with her sister a province away, and reads up on things that interest her (classical music, etc). Eventually my dad got her an iPad, and she picked that up even faster than the iMac. She loves being able to call up recipes on her iPad and have it sitting in the kitchen while she bakes and cooks. She loves having it set up playing Netflix while she folds laundry. She loves reading books on it, playing Bejewled, looking up weather info, and listening to online radio. Those devices were made accessible to someone who is intelligent, but not savvy with technology.

     

    So my feeling is this...

     

    Is it good to have an elitist attitude about those "dumb" PC users that need to be catered to? I look at people like my mom, who is very intelligent, but not savvy when it comes to technology. Because the computing market was made easy to use, people like my mom (and I know there's many like my mom) can use all the resources of technology to add to their lives without needing a degree. Lot's of people in this world are intelligent, just not with computers. I have a friend who is so good with engines it's almost frightening, but he can't work a computer to save his life. Is he "stupid"? No, he just needs technology he can understand, because he's a genius with things that aren't computers and tech. So his iPad lets him look up manuals, videos, and other resources while he's working on vehicles, because it's easy to use.

     

    I think to a certain extent the PC market did lose some of it's excitement to people like us, who think vintage computers have an ingenious charm and level of expertise to them. But to treat the everyday PC (and by PC I mean tech in general) user as if they're stupid because they want easy to use, easy to run tech is elitist. This is of course also only my opinion, and I do not wish to offend with it.

     

    I'm just glad my mechanic friend doesn't treat me like I'm stupid when I don't understand the in's and out's of cams, pistons, timing, engine retard rates, and fuel flow.

    • Like 4

  3. Posted

    Oh it all went downhill after the Altair 8800! Stupid marketing companies and they're fancy "terminals" running "graphics". Hah! Flipping bytes and outputting on teletype machines, THAT was before computing was real stupid. Back when only people with incredibly complex math skills could run computers, before the miserable unwashed masses starting putting their filthy miserable paws over MY computing industry. The utter GALL of people wanting technology to be accessible and available in their homes. Those rotten bastards wanting to use computers to make their lives simpler, without actually having time to read hundred of pages of manuals to get up and running. Why those entitled jerks, wanting to have a machine in their home that streamlines their lives while not being a difficult thing to learn to use. Heck, while I'm on it, remember back when the auto market wasn't stupid? Those good old Model T's that didn't pander to the masses with their forsaken "seat belts" and "airbags". Back before all these stupid people had to have "air conditioning" and "radios". I miss the days before the marketing buggers got their stinking hands all over the auto industry with "efficient" engines. It's all just hell in a hand basket now that MY industries have been taken over by OTHER people who think they have some right to use the technology that so obviously should only be used by people with computer science degrees. Those ungrateful wretches.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ;)

    • Like 4

  4. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    Anything that becomes mass produced suffers from a blending effect, a by product of the market turning into something that everyone can digest. However, had the market not exploded as it did, technology could not have accelerated at the rate it has. The masses that buy those "retarded" parts as you put them, pump billions into the industry, thus allowing companies to put great gobs of money into R&D. Is the special spark of early computing gone? Yes I think so, but I don't think it's quite as awful as you seem to think it is. I respect your opinion of course, and I think you raise a valid point. But to imply that the industry went to hell seems rather strong.

    • Like 3

  7. Posted

    Sounds like you wouldn't buy new old stock either. Just kidding.

    If it acks 100 percent the same, with the same hardware bugs as the original, why not. Just face it, those machines we love will not have an ethernal live. Eventually u have to go the emulated road. Let's hope they will get 100 percent working emulated machines, before there are no original machines left.

    But i'm pretty sure, most original hardware can outlive members of the forum when taken care of.

    Actually I don't buy new old stock haha. I did that once with a Sega Genesis, and it sucked because I couldn't bring myself to open it and 'ruin' it, but I am a user-collector, I use what I collect. So I ended up trading it to my friend. It's true I'm sure one day the emulated road will be the only one! I do truly hope the generations of tomorrow have the opportunity to have preserved original hardware.

  8. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    If you can't tell the difference in an ABX test, then of course you'd enjoy it the same.

     

    But if you knew that it was being emulated, would you enjoy it the same? The question is would you enjoy it the same, personally. Not would others enjoy it the same ;)

     

     

     

    The nice thing about "Retro Computing" is that is can be so many things to so many different people. Some like to collect, others are into the hardware, still others are into programming the old stuff, and yes others just like to play games.

     

    My answer is no. My PERSONAL experience is that no emulator is 100% perfect on everything. Some work with some programs but not others, some cannot use printers correctly or the RS-232, still others have timing or hang up issues. Some emulators are better than others and some are just a 'Mess'. ;)

     

    For me, I'm not into the headaches of trying to get something to work or be 'just as good', so I figure, "Why not go for the real thing?" On the real thing I can run ALL the software, the way it was intended to run, without all issues or headaches that get in the way of my enjoyment.

     

    I'm not a 100% purist either, I LOVE to see what things I can get "The Old Box" to do that it was not capable of before. I've done a VGA upgrade, hooked it up to my PC as a file server and other things like that, but it's still "REAL IRON".

     

    You make a good point when you point out that you make "The Old Box" (I like that phrase!) do things it couldn't do previously. Your changing the original intent of the machine, but as you said your still using "Real Iron" (That's two phrases I'm going to use from now on!)

  9. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    Oh no, they're terrible, you should send it to me ;)

     

    They were (if I can recall correctly from the research I've been doing on vintage joysticks) pretty decent sticks. I know some guys that do combat sim flying still use them, just mod them for USB support I believe. I'm not sure the value these days. There's abit of info here: http://www.thommos.com/wiki/index.php?title=Talon_and_SFS

     

    If you're doing a retro build, it would be a sweet stick to use on older games like Comanche and the like. If you can mod it for USB support it should be a good flight stick to use these days also.

     

    But seriously if you don't want it and I could afford it, I'd be interested. Could be perfect for my retro DOS/Win9x build.

  10. Posted

    I was listening to the Retro Computing Roundtable podcast, and they posed an interesting question I thought might be fun to chat about here.

     

    The question was, if there came a time where you could get a system, whether it be a Commodore, Atari, TI, etc, where it looked 100% original, but was a "new" machine with basically an emulator inside, would you enjoy it as much as a true original system? So the machine would be absolutely authentic outside, and inside would just be a small computer that emulates the machine completely indistinguishably from the original. For the sake of discussion, we are assuming that is emulates everything perfectly, so this is not a discussion about the feasibility of said machine, simply a question of could you enjoy a machine like that as much as a true original?

     

     

    Personally, I could not. It's why I work to collect. I think emulation does have a place, and I think the massive efforts to dump cartridges, floppies, and more is important. However for myself personally, part of the draw for me in terms of classic computers and classic gaming is the history behind it. That your using a machine 15, 25, even 30 years old or more fascinates me to no end. The real soul of those machines is the thousands of keystrokes they've stood up to, the thousands of hours of use, the programming, the gaming, the spreadsheets, the family budgets. To me, classic computing is about living history with these machines. Using an emulated version, even one that's indistinguishable, would take that away from me. That's why I'm working at building retro DOS and Win9x machines, and why I refuse to just "use emulators" to play 2600 games, or use DOS Box for my favorite PC games. I understand the importance and merit of emulation of those systems, especially since in the years to come they'll become more and more scarce. Still, for me I try my very best to acquire the original machines, carts, cassettes, and diskettes.

     

    So how about you fine folks? Could you live with a "perfectly emulated" system, right down to the case and keyboards with a little computer inside running the guts, or do you prefer running on true hardware?

    • Like 1

  11. Posted

     

    I have a Tandy flight joystick, its a two button with rudder and whatever the side sliders does to wings, hardly ever use it, 1 owner tall with a heavy base, holler if interested, its mostly a dust catcher cause all my vintage pc's are laptops, including my dos machine which has a pcmcia usb card and no game port heh

     

    also have a CHEAP tandy hand held joystick, works with apple II and PC, 2 buttons, crappy sliders on plastic for pots, already glued one down, seems to work fine for now, you can have that for postage (though I am in the states)

    Thanks for the reply! Could I see a picture of the Tandy Flightstick? I can't seem to dig much info up about it on Google.

  13. Posted

    An Atari 400, as far as I can remember. That was back in 93, so way past the prime of the Atari, but my dad's always had a soft spot for his Atari, so when I was a wee nip of about 3 he got me playing and using the 400. Other then that, around the same era it was a MS-DOS PC he built. That's the reason I love my 400 today and I'm working on building vintage Pentium PC's from that era and a little later. So many great memories playing Commander Keen, King's Quest, and Roger Wilco with my dad. Those really were great days of gaming and PC use for me, everything was exciting and new.

    • Like 1

  18. Posted · Edited by TPA5

    I use a gravis gamepad pro for games with digital controls. e.g. Commander Keen.

     

    *removed image for quote*

     

    And a Thrustmaster "Top Gun" for games that require analog. e.g. Wing Commander.

     

    *removed image for quote*

     

    It gets tricky once you get into Windows 95 era games, as a lot of "digital" joysticks that use the game port will not work on DOS. Generally, anything with 2 axes and 4 buttons will work in any DOS game. DOS games that use more buttons are generally coded to specifically support Thrustmaster or CH flight sticks. Any other joystick probably requires Windows 95. If you want to use such a joystick in a DOS game, you'll have to run it in a DOS window underneath 95.

     

    I recommend finding a thrift store that prices old joysticks cheaply, and buy a lot of them until you find one you like and works with the games you want to play.

     

    Thank you for the suggestions and the information about joysticks under Win95! That flight stick looks fantastic, I'd love to use one of those. I'll keep my peepers peeled for joysticks at my local thrift, they do usually price them very cheaply if they aren't USB. Thanks again!

     

     

     

    Misread the thread.

    I also used the gravis gamepad snes style for platform games back in the day.

    For flight games i used a wide variety of analog controllers until i got the Thrustmaster "Top Gun" together with the Thrustmaster Attackstick and a programmable mfd.

    For racing games i had a great steering wheel. It had a metal shaft, formule 1 style steering wheel, with pedals.

     

    That Gravis Gamepad looks so familiar, I think my friend had one. It had a stick you could thread into the directional pad if I recall correctly? You reminded me, a steering wheel would be something cool to snag as well. Thanks for the info!

     

     

    Thanks everyone for your replies so far, I love collecting info like this!

  21. Posted

    Well, I am not the serious "must have everything" type of collector, I only keep the consoles / computers that I have nostalgia for or personally really enjoy and believe it or not I like even the much hated 3DO and CDi systems over these lol, but more importantly I simply do NOT have the room and the more I think about it the more I am thinking BOTH my Ti's and my CoCo are going to need to go at some point by selling or trading. Closets over taken with gaming and computing is one thing but my collection has gotten out of hand with boxes and bins under the bed, in the corners of the bedroom and even behind the living room couch, my dear wife indulges me and does not complain which makes me feel even more guilty, it has gotten out of hand and even I know I have more than I can maintain or possible give attention to the stuff so sacrifices have to be made simple as that.

     

    This 1 bedroom condo is ours until the end so there will not be a bigger place in the future and I want it to be comfortable and presentable for the both of us. So both will go at some point, I just don't have the time or motivation to deal with it now, last year I shipped 5 packages between the US and even the Netherlands , free items and I covered postage which cost me a shocking amount in total but I have been out of work far too long and living off savings so as good as doing that felt obviously I cannot keep doing that as it hurts me even more financially. I just never been good at the trading selling thing (even though I had the buying down to perfection lol) but I hope to change that over the coming months / years.

     

     

    If you do decide to get rid of some of those vintage computers, and dependent on price and such, I wouldn't mind having a look. I noticed you and I both share the rough geographic location of the Great White North, so maybe shipping wouldn't kill us both.

  22. Posted

    Hey guys,

     

    I'm looking for your input on what you think were some of the best/your favourite game pads and joysticks are from the game port era? I'm building a vintage gaming rig, and a game port, uh, port is what the machine will have. Back when I was a young whip gaming away in DOS and then Win95, we never had joysticks or game pads so I am not sure what a good one is and what a crummy one is. What would your folks top picks be?

     

    Thanks!

  23. Posted

    I think tensions are running a little higher than they need to be in this thread. I should clarify that I think OldSchool does make valid points. Some failsafes would at least keep the lazier scammers away, but more than that having clear rules in place is something that's needed. Like requiring photos on a post, requiring a location perhaps (state, province, etc), etc. At the very least it clears up some of the less involved people trying to scam, and it makes it way less of a pain in the behind when people make others request photos. That's really irritating. As for the other scammers? It does come back down to using caution. But also we need to try to not scare new guys away I think, but I also agree they need to prove themselves before expecting people to jump on their sales.

     

    At the same time, we're all friends here, so let's not bicker

    • Like 2

  24. Posted

     

    Wow WHAT AWESOME IDEAS ! 

    I agree with your suggestions, might be good if such suggestions were readily available in, oh I don't know, maybe a pinned post or something in the Marketplace!  ;)

    Haha oh OldSchool, you made me chuckle.

     

    But I actually do have to agree with you, I should have agreed with you more clearly in my other post. I think you're correct, having a pinned post could clear up a few headaches. It's like a terms of use, it's a handy thing to point people to when they either have questions, or when they try to bend or break the rules.

  25. Posted

    As an example of how this honestly won't work, following your guidelines: 

    You made this thread worth entering, Daytona.

     

     

    I think letting OldSchool yell at them is probably the best option. I've been on a lot of forums in a lot of marketplaces for everything from video games to paintball, and some of them have had positively draconian counter measures for scammers. Ultimately, people still got scammed. The best way to not get scammed is to simply exercise caution, and use common sense. Instead of blowing up threads with yelling, cussing, photoshopped pictures, and accusations of scamming, which only increases the exposure of those possible scam artists, just let the threads die. It's up to people to use their own good sense to avoid getting scammed.

    • Like 5
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