Going through some old stuff...

[StickJock]

I'm finding things that I didn't even know I had!

 

One box was filled with binders full of documentation.  Each binder had a handwritten table of contents sheet in front.  Most of the docs are photocopies, or printed out Soft Docs, but there is also a good amount of original material as well.  There are also a lot of handwritten notes & maps from various adventure games.

 

For example, I had no idea that I owned an original Sams ComputerFacts for the 800.  And inside the jacket, along with the 800 ComputerFacts, was a photocopy of Sams ComputerFacts for the 130XE.

 

I knew that I had an Atari Assembler/Editor cartridge, but don't remember where I got it from.  Apparently, I must have purchased it since I have the printed manual for it as well.  Mac/65 was what I mainly used back in the 80's , though.

 

I found 1050 manuals for both Dos II and Dos 3.  About the only thing that I know that I had that I cannot find is the SpartaDos book that came with my US Doubler.  I actually have the sleeve from it with the two pieces of styrofoam that held the new ROM & RAM (currently holding the original ROM & RAM), but the book itself is missing.

 

One thing that I found particularly interesting was that tucked in the front flap of one of the binders, I found the receipts for my modems.  I ordered an Avatex 1200 in September of 1986 from Black Patch Systems in Maryland for $79 + $3 shipping for a total of $82.  Then, in February of 1988, I ordered an Anchor 2400 External from Nickel City Electronics in NY for $149.95 + $7.95 shipping for a total of $157.90.  I am positive that I ordered both of these from ads in magazines.  IIRC, I offset the cost of the 2400 baud modem by posting flyers in the engineering buildings at university and selling the 1.5 year old 1200 baud modem for $100.  ?

 

Anyway, it's funny what you come across when you unpack boxes that you packed up nearly 30 years ago!

 

 

 

[Brentarian]

20 minutes ago, StickJock said:

I'm finding things that I didn't even know I had!

 

One box was filled with binders full of documentation.  Each binder had a handwritten table of contents sheet in front.  Most of the docs are photocopies, or printed out Soft Docs, but there is also a good amount of original material as well.  There are also a lot of handwritten notes & maps from various adventure games.

 

For example, I had no idea that I owned an original Sams ComputerFacts for the 800.  And inside the jacket, along with the 800 ComputerFacts, was a photocopy of Sams ComputerFacts for the 130XE.

 

I knew that I had an Atari Assembler/Editor cartridge, but don't remember where I got it from.  Apparently, I must have purchased it since I have the printed manual for it as well.  Mac/65 was what I mainly used back in the 80's , though.

 

I found 1050 manuals for both Dos II and Dos 3.  About the only thing that I know that I had that I cannot find is the SpartaDos book that came with my US Doubler.  I actually have the sleeve from it with the two pieces of styrofoam that held the new ROM & RAM (currently holding the original ROM & RAM), but the book itself is missing.

 

One thing that I found particularly interesting was that tucked in the front flap of one of the binders, I found the receipts for my modems.  I ordered an Avatex 1200 in September of 1986 from Black Patch Systems in Maryland for $79 + $3 shipping for a total of $82.  Then, in February of 1988, I ordered an Anchor 2400 External from Nickel City Electronics in NY for $149.95 + $7.95 shipping for a total of $157.90.  I am positive that I ordered both of these from ads in magazines.  IIRC, I offset the cost of the 2400 baud modem by posting flyers in the engineering buildings at university and selling the 1.5 year old 1200 baud modem for $100.  ?

 

Anyway, it's funny what you come across when you unpack boxes that you packed up nearly 30 years ago!

 

 

 

It's fun when you open up a time capsule.  I remember Black Patch Systems well -- it was a tiny store.  I bought an Avatex 1200hc there also, along with a P:R: Connection around that same time.  I spent a lot of money there and at Toad Computers, also in Maryland.

[StickJock]

3 minutes ago, Brentarian said:

It's fun when you open up a time capsule.  I remember Black Patch Systems well -- it was a tiny store.  I bought an Avatex 1200hc there also, along with a P:R: Connection around that same time.  I spent a lot of money there and at Toad Computers, also in Maryland.

I'm glad that I could bring back some memories for you.  I had never heard of these stores before or since.  As I said, I must have found them by ads in magazines.  I subscribed to Byte for most of the 80s (probably where I ordered my ZX81 from), and I think I may have had either an Antic or Analog subscription in the mid to late 80s, but I'm not positive.  I haven't found it yet, but I think I have a box full of old Atari magazines & newsletters.

 

The price sticker on my Atari 850 box says $95.00, but IIRC, I got either 25% or 50% off.  I got it at the PX and was a special sale, where they would ring up your stuff, and then you would draw a tag out of a big stocking (must have been Christmas time in 1983 or 1984 - probably '84) that would have a discount amount on it.  IIRC, they were mostly 10%, with a few larger values.  I was lucky enough to get the big one!  I don't remember if this is when I got my second 1050 or not.  It came in a white box with plain red lettering saying "Atari 1050".  It doesn't even identify it as a disk drive!  One end of the box has a white sticker that says, in red, "Reconditioned".  The other end of the box was sealed shut with a yellow sticker bragging about how they have replaced DOS 3 with DOS 2.5. ?

 

[bfollowell]

24 minutes ago, Brentarian said:

It's fun when you open up a time capsule.  I remember Black Patch Systems well -- it was a tiny store.  I bought an Avatex 1200hc there also, along with a P:R: Connection around that same time.  I spent a lot of money there and at Toad Computers, also in Maryland.

 

Ahhhh... Toad Computers. I remember getting their catalogs in the early nineties. They were like the Sears Wish Book of Atari retailers. I actually came across an old Toad Computers catalog when I was going through Atari magazines to send to The Doctor a few months ago. It was in great condition. I may have to scan it one of these days.

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by bfollowell

[StickJock]

BTW:  I found a loose sheet of paper in the binder of Adventure Games that has notes translating taste to words.  Does anyone know what game this is from so that I may file it appropriately?

 

My notes have a section that looks like this:

 

(sweet/sl.bitter) (sweet/very-sour)

(sweet/very sweet) (sour/bland/bland/sour) (very salty) (very sweet/bland/sour)

  (bland) (bland/salty/sour) (bitter/sour/very sour) (slightly sour) (bitter/salty/bitter)

(very sweet/bland/sour) (bland) (bland/salty/sour) (bitter/sour/very sour) (slightly sour) (bitter/salty/bitter)

 

Does this "taste" familiar to anyone?  Maybe an Infocom game?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

[+Allan]

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1991

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1995

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1994

https://archive.org/details/toadcomputers1996catalog

[evilmoo]

1 minute ago, StickJock said:

Does this "taste" familiar to anyone?  Maybe an Infocom game?

Reminds me of Alternate Reality potions.

[Kylev]

That is exactly what that list is.

[bfollowell]

52 minutes ago, Allan said:

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1991

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1995

https://archive.org/details/ToadComputersCatalog1994

https://archive.org/details/toadcomputers1996catalog

Thanks!

 

I think the one I found was either the 1995 or the 1996 catalog. I'll have to download those.

 

[+slx]

On 6/20/2020 at 11:10 PM, bfollowell said:

 

Ahhhh... Toad Computers. I remember getting their catalogs in the early nineties. They were like the Sears Wish Book of Atari retailers.

 

No recollection about how I found out about Toad and if I ordered anything else from them but I still have their ‚My other Computer is an Atari‘ T-Shirt which I must have bought between 1990 and 1995. 

[StickJock]

So I've still been going through stuff and throwing away a lot.  Like all of my notes & tests from all of my EE & CS classes in the 80s.  One amusing (to me) thing that I came across was a datasheet for the Intel 8088, which was marked "Preliminary".  I was amused because I don't even remember having this, and my first job out of university was doing BIOS development on an 8088 PC!

 

Anyway, among boxes & boxes of old schoolwork, I came across 8 Byte magazines, dated May 1985 (Vol 10, No 5) to December 1985 (Vol 10, No 13).

The September 1985 issue has an article "The Quarter-Meg Atari 800XL" by Claus Buchholz, whom I am assuming is @ClausB.

 

I'm reading an article right now in the June issue, "6502 Tricks and Traps" by Joe Holt.

 

Anyway, if anyone wants these, they can have them for the cost of shipping.  Otherwise, they are getting thrown out as part of my long overdue spring cleaning.

 

 

Sorry about the glare on the left side of the pic.  I didn't notice it until I uploaded the pic here.

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by StickJock
Sorry about the glare