How was it like to WORK 8 hours on a retro computer?

[JamesD]

On 12/13/2021 at 5:21 AM, IntelliMission said:

Just to provide some context to non-Amstrad conoisseurs, the Amstrad thing he scored was an Amstrad PC 1512, not an Amstrad CPC or Amstrad PCW (the most successful models). I checked the specs a couple of years ago and it was basically a PC with a couple of "improvements" to the CGA mode.

We used to sell those.  8086 cpu, added the same (similar?) graphics mode as PC Jr, and Tandy, though I'm not sure they were 100% compatible.

 

[mdh]

My first computer was a TRS-80 Model I, eventually with two disk drives, a printer, and a home made modem (300 baud, could go up to 600 baud, but lots of errors, and the only one I could talk to was a friend who built the same modem…). Next computer was a Big Board II with two 8 inch drives, CP/M, monitor and cobbled together keyboard. Next computer was an IBM 5150, two disk drives, CGA. Eventually got a small hard disk, that wound up sitting on a piece of foam where one of the floppies used to be. Used that computer through college, studied computer science, wound up working for one of my professors at a local company, developing software for Windows 2.0… so, I used a computer lots through the 80s, and in 88 started professionally on 286 pcs I think, for many years.  Still doing software development, just completely different concepts and languages. My cell phone today is more powerful than all of the computers I used through the 90s, and probably through to the 2000s.  Recently back to the beginning, I have the following TRS-80 models now: Model I, Model III, Model 4 and a 4P, Model 100, and a color computer 3. Got a programmer for EPROMs, EEPROMs, GALs and other stuff I need. So far, only the Model 4s are working.  
 

oh yea, I have a Tandy 1400 laying around too…

[ClausB]

At PDI in 1984 I wrote eduware in BASIC for the Atari, Apple, and c64. Much of the time was tedious entry of questions and answers into hundreds of DATA statements, the same ones for all 3 machines! I couldn't bear it for long so I built serial cables and sent the data from the Atari to the others. Much more satisfying!

 

The Atari 850 to Apple cable was straightforward but the c64 cable needed a diode/resistor circuit to cut the RS 232 voltages down to TTL. The boss was a little annoyed seeing me soldering instead of typing, but once it was up and running, the 'network' saved a lot of time.

Edited February 18, 2022 by ClausB

[+selgus]

I got my first ATARI 800 back in the early 1980's and I did a lot of BASIC programming on it to start, got the ASM/Editor cartridge and learned 6502, and started writing games. This started me on my programming career in video games, working at Catapult doing the XBAND modem, Z-Axis LLC, Midway Games, High Voltage Software and to EA, where I've been for over 16 years. The ATARI was what set me on this track.

 

I was programming a bit before this at school, first on a CompuColor II 8080 based machine, which I wrote my first PacMan game in assembly, and the DECsystem PDP-10 minicomputer where I wrote lots of communication and mail software in MACRO-10 assembly.

 

For me it was a pleasure writing code directly on the ATARI keyboard, and didn't think anything about how little disk storage I had on my 810 drive, or how limiting 48K was. It taught me great skills and ways to look at problems that have stayed with me to this day. I write a fair share of 6502 code still, mixed with my hardware projects.

[Markimus of K.]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:55 AM, zzip said:

I think my ST worked fine in my college days,  it could dial-in and interact with the VAXes, but also exchange disks with the PCs since it used the FAT format.  The PC labs were often crowded at crunch time, so I could write papers on my ST, and take them down to the lab for printing.

 

Also in college my roommate became a very early adopter of Linux (early 90s).   He installed it on his computer and suggested I wire my ST up as a 'terminal'.  We did.   I wasn't sure what to do with Linux at first,  but then I got an idea.   It had always annoyed me that my ST didn't have a battery-backed up clock, so it's time would always reset at boot.   So I wrote a program that logged into his linux server, checked the time, and set the ST clock accordingly and had it run at boot.   I think it annoyed him though, that his awesome Linux machine was being used for such a trivial task

OMG, that is freaking genius! I spent like $30 CDN back in the day for a memory balanced op clock card for my ST. No dic

[zzip]

On 2/21/2022 at 1:21 AM, Markimus of K. said:

OMG, that is freaking genius! I spent like $30 CDN back in the day for a memory balanced op clock card for my ST. No dic

I always wanted a hardware clock for my ST, especially after I got a hard drive for it.   But it was one of those things I couldn't justify the cost of with my limited funds back then.   $30 CDN actually sounds cheap though,  I thought they cost more than that.

[Frozone212]

On 2/2/2022 at 5:47 PM, mdh said:

My first computer was a TRS-80 Model I, eventually with two disk drives, a printer, and a home made modem (300 baud, could go up to 600 baud, but lots of errors, and the only one I could talk to was a friend who built the same modem…). Next computer was a Big Board II with two 8 inch drives, CP/M, monitor and cobbled together keyboard. Next computer was an IBM 5150, two disk drives, CGA. Eventually got a small hard disk, that wound up sitting on a piece of foam where one of the floppies used to be. Used that computer through college, studied computer science, wound up working for one of my professors at a local company, developing software for Windows 2.0… so, I used a computer lots through the 80s, and in 88 started professionally on 286 pcs I think, for many years.  Still doing software development, just completely different concepts and languages. My cell phone today is more powerful than all of the computers I used through the 90s, and probably through to the 2000s.  Recently back to the beginning, I have the following TRS-80 models now: Model I, Model III, Model 4 and a 4P, Model 100, and a color computer 3. Got a programmer for EPROMs, EEPROMs, GALs and other stuff I need. So far, only the Model 4s are working.  
 

oh yea, I have a Tandy 1400 laying around too…

off topic, but in the walking dead season 7 Episode New Best Friends, there is a TRS80 model 3 in the trash. it's hard to spot but it's there.