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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Earl Evans

Topic: 1988

In 1988, NeXT introduced its cube, bundled with Mathematica 1.0. IRC was developed. Sound Blaster changed gaming. Microsoft Office was announced. Lots of software was developed, and hardware incrementally improved.

Topic/Feedback links:

• NeXT cube

• Laser 128EX/2

• Mathematica

• Celebrating 35 Years of Mathematica (YouTube, first few sections show it in action on an SE/30)

• The Mathematica Story – A Scrapbook

• Sound Blaster (but 1990? 1989?)

• Microsoft Office (announced 1988, shipped 1990)

• IRC developed – /me likes this

• Apple IIc Plus – last 8-bit computer introduced by Apple?

• IBM PS/2 Model 70

• Lemonamiga games for 1988

Retro Computing News:

• Video of production of new Commodore 64s in the factory
• Ken Shirrif repairs a Commodore PET

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Amstrad Portable PC
• Microsoft Office System: It’s Showtime

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Viking Electronics DLE-200B Two-Way Phone Line Simulator

• See also: Open House H650 Integrated Voice Networking System

Auction Picks:

• Earl:

• Altos 580 Computer, Z80 system, supported multi-user MP/M, could accommodate hard drives, 4 RS232 ports

• See also: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/altos/580_Series_5/

• Paul:

• NeXT Cube

• NeXT Video Cable

• Amstrad PPC 640

• Adventure International Buckaroo Banzai

• Akalabeth

• Contributed Programs

• See also: Street Life (Apple II disk image)

Closing notes:

• Ivan Loves the 80s
• Steve Jobs Unveils the NeXT Computer

Other ways to experience this episode:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr288.a2stream
• YouTube episode 288

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Blake Patterson

Topic: 1987

The Acorn Archimedes became the first computer sold based on the ARM chip. Even today, the last does not appear to be in sight. 1987 also bought us Perl, the IBM PS/2, VGA, Hypercard. CompuServe gifted us GIF. Beyond 1987, we talk BBC BASIC, Quantum Link, and more about the Commodore Colt than you ever wanted.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Acorn Archimedes
• IBM PS/2
• VGA
• Larry Wall wrote Perl
• Bill Atkinson designs Hypercard
• CompuServe introduced a proprietary graphics interchange format. Great. Took off like gangbusters. Like a gift to the online world.
• So Far; The First 10 Years of a Vision (Apple turned 10)

Retro Computing News:

• The Commodore acquisition happened
• One line Tetris (Rheolism) (Hackaday)
• Rheolism
• How Rheolism works

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Commodore Colt at Best Buy
• Acorn Electron
• IBM PS/2

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• The Apple II Age: How the Computer Became Personal (Laine Nooney)

• See also: INIT HELLO wrap-up discussion (YT)

• See also: RCR episode 266 with Laine Nooney

Auction Picks:

• Paul:

• Commodore Colt

• Spectravideo Compumate VCS keyboard

• CompuMate (Wikipedia)

• I turned my Atari 2600 into a REAL COMPUTER (YT, 8-Bit Show And Tell)

• Actual Quantum Link software package

• Alternate universe (to Apple users) SoftDisk: LoadStar

• Cf: SoftDisk

Closing notes:

• INIT HELLO

Other ways to experience this episode:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr287.a2stream
• YouTube episode 287

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

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Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Blake Patterson, and Kay Savetz

Topic: 1984

Apple introduced the Macintosh and Apple //c in 1984, IBM introduced the PCjr, HP introduced the LaserJet, and FidoNet began distributing mail.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Apple //c

• IBM PCjr

• Christmas 1984: The Great Apple //c vs. PCjr Battle

• Macintosh

• The 1984 Superbowl ad (YT)

• The 1984 Superbowl ad

• FidoNet

• fidonet.org

• FidoNews

• Subtext (classic Mac BBS with FidoNet support)

• HP LaserJet

• LaserJet in HP’s own Virtual museum (warning: QuickTime 5 required)

• CHM discusses Lisa source code with Bill Atkinson

Retro Computing News:

• SyncTerm

• Playing with toy interfaces – Rich Gold, Mattel Toys

• Video Game History Foundation Library opens

• Storing data on cassette with a modem

• KCS modem

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Apple //c
• IBM PCjr
• Macintosh

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Tiny TV

Auction Picks:

• Blake:

• Atari SC1224 Vintage Color Monitor (specifically, red)

• RDKL Inc’s YT video about this collection

• Kay:

• Vintage The Microperipheral Corporation Computer Speech Synthesizer?

• No, almost certainly a Sofcast Shuttle Communicator

• Interview with Michael Darland, Microperipheral Corporation and Sofcasting

• Paul:

• AnDATAco front panel

• AnDATAco

• Speech recognition processor for Hero 1 and Apple II

• New overpriced belts

• ITT 2020

• US ZX-81 (auction long gone)

• Timexsinclair.com on ZX-81

Closing notes:

• Super Impulse Space Invaders (eBay search)

Other ways to experience this episode:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr284.a2stream
• YouTube episode 284

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Kay Savetz, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: 1983

In 1983, Apple gave us Lisa, the ImageWriter, and the Apple //e. Atari gave us the XL line, Microsoft gave us (Multi-Tool) Word, Lotus gave us 1-2-3, David Lightman gave us wardialing. The era of it being always DNS began.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Apple Lisa

• Apple ImageWriter

• iOMEGA Bernoulli Box

• Demo of Bernoulli Box A220

• Bernoulli Box brochure

• PCMag review of the Bernoulli Box

• MIDI

• ANTIC interview 447: Robert Moore and Paul Rother (Hybrid Arts MIDIMate)

• ANTIC interview 448: Frank Foster (Hybrid Arts MIDIMate)

• Microsoft Multi-Tool Word

• Multi-Tool Word in Infoworld May 30, 1983

• Microsoft Word in PC World Nov 1983

• Lotus 1-2-3

• TRS-80 Model 100

• Apple //e

• Atari 1200XL

• DNS

• It’s always DNS

• MSX

• WarGames

• The WarGames IMSAI etc.

• History Lesson

Retro Computing News:

• Z80-sans

• 50 years of Oregon Trail

• Angry Robots! New puzzle game for 68K Macs

• Bill Atkinson accidentally doxxed Douglas Adams on The Computer Chronicles

• FlatMac (Hackaday)

• FlatMac build video

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Lotus 1-2-3 rocks
• Atari XL home computer
• TRS-80 Model 100

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Brew Atari

Auction Picks:

• Carrington:

• Portal (different auction)

• Kay:

• TELEVIDEO 990 Terminal 63 Units (in a field!)

• TEC Micro-Tec Model 70 X CRT VDT Terminal

• Paul:

• Keep your vintage computers from looking crappy by using dust covers

• Symantec Bedrock

• Bedrock (framework)

• Inside NeXT 2024 edition

• This Apple-1 tape does not look authentic to me

• Bernoulli Box 10+10

Closing notes:

• ANTIC interview: Robert Leyland: AtariArtist, KoalaPainter, Murder on the Zinderneuf, The Dragon’s Eye

Other ways to experience this episode:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr283.a2stream
• YouTube episode

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Michael Mulhern, and Kay Savetz

Topic: 1982

In 1982, Commodore launched the Commodore 64, GCE launched the Vectrex, Brøderbund launched a rescue helicopter. Computers reached TV, and Flynn drove a light cycle.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Commodore 64

• MAX Machine in Japan (Ultimax elsewhere), formerly VICKEY

• Spawned RUN magazine, but people failed to follow this advice in droves

• Tron

• Apple III

• Choplifter

• Choplifter: The Complete History (YouTube, Slopes Game Room

• Pitfall!

• Classic game postmortem GDC 2011

• Vectrex

• The Computer Programme (10 part BBC series) first broadcast in January 1982

• The Computer Programme BBC archives

• Bits & Bytes

• Computer Chronicles IBMS PS/2 (1987)

• Minitel

• NABU

• The Sketch Show, Secretary, series 1 episode 2

• The Sketch Show

Retro Computing News:

• AltStore

• Mini vMac4ios

• Action Retro installs Mini vMac4ios

• The Commodore Thermostat (Commodore History, YT)

• Commodore Thermostat on eBay

• A 9958 in your C64

• The V9958 is a bad design. No, really (Andy Hu, YT)

• http://bsky.app

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Timex/Sinclair 1000
• Tron sweepstakes
• Vectrex

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Atari joystick decanter set

• Atari 2600+

• Atari 400 mini

• Atari 7800+

• Plaion

• ANTIC interview 439: Making modern Atari hardware

Auction Picks:

• Michael:

• Four APC magazines

• Paul:

• MAX Machine

• On Mercari via buyee

• On Mercari via Zenmarket

• Apple II+ from Pirates of Silicon Valley

• QX-16 (not QX-10 as labeled) (auction long gone)

• Epson QX-10

• Softside 1983, Relaaax issue (auction long gone)

• Softside 1983 Relaaax on IA

Closing notes:

• ANTIC interview 446 Mary Eisenhart (Microtimes magazine)

• ANTIC Mary Eisenhart interview, video version

• Homeputerium 10 line programming contest

A2Stream file:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr282.a2stream
• YouTube episode

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• RCR Podcast on YouTube

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: 1980

In 1980, Commodore introduced the VIC-20, Sinclair introduced the ZX80, Tandy introduced the Color Computer, and HP tried to breed a computer out of calculators. Also other things happened. Which we discuss!

Topic/Feedback links:

• VIC-20

• Sinclair ZX80

• See also: MicroAce (timexsinclair.com)

• HP-85

• See also: Tandy PC-4

• Tandy Color Computer

• Intel 8087

• Pac-Man

• Epson MX-80

Retro Computing News:

• ​​Apple’s best keyboard reimagined (YouTube)
• Update on the Business IIGS (original auction gone, but: Incider Jan 1989 cover)
• Daily news from a dot matrix printer
• APFram. APFram
• Atari Portfolio
• It was all Boris Vallejo

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Pac-Man Cereal
• VIC-20
• Timex/Sinclair 1000

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Inflatable Pac-Man costume

Auction Picks:

• Carrington:

• The Usurper, one of the last text adventures

• The Odyssey, one of the worst named adventure games

• Paul:

• Apple-Cat II with expansion box

• Starring the Computer: Vacation (1983)

• Apple IIGS upgrade (finished at $720, 11 bids)

• Blank floppies (finished at $111.50, 9 bids)

• Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Grundy NewBrain” (bought now at $850)

• See also: Grundy NewBrain

• Timex/Sinclair 1000 with box (finished at $15, 1 bid)

• Because we all want to be able to say “And over here, this is my Jupiter Ace”

• See also: Jupiter Ace

• A moment of silence for the keyboards that have been parted out

• OCC-2 (bought now at $499)

• See also: OCC-2

• 16K RAM chips sans RAM

A2Stream file:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr280.a2stream

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: 1979

In 1979, VisiCalc’s rampage began, and models 400, 800 (Atari), II (TRS-80), and 4 (TI 99) arrived.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Wordstar

• VisiCalc

• TI 99/4

• Intellivision

• Asteroids

• Atari 400/800

• MUD1

• StarMud review

• TRS-80 Model II

• Motorola 68000

• Compu$erve

• CB Simulator

• Robert Williams becomes first human killed by a robot

Retro Computing News:

• Unicode 16.0 adds more Symbols for Legacy Computing
• Existing Unicode symbols for Legacy Computing
• Unicode symbols for Legacy Computing working group document
• Unscii font
• Grace Hopper lectures archived and released
• Warhol’s lost Amiga art, found
• Wallops: a modern IRC client for classic Mac OS
• Famous Computer Cafe
• Computerland audio commercials (with gaps for filling in local deals)
• Mol (Baldur’s Gate demake for TRS-80 Model 100 and ZX Spectrum)
• Dungeons & Dragons Systems Reference Document
• RadioShack catalog archive

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Radio Shack
• Intellivision

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Insert Coin keychain

• See also: iBot G3

Auction Picks:

• Carrington:

• Mockingboard in box (Auction gone, but here’s a similar WorthPoint image)

• InvisiCalc

• Scanned at MOCAGH

• Paul:

• Business IIGS (original auction gone, but: Incider Jan 1989 cover)

• Amdek Color-I (original auction ended, here is similar one)

• ZuluSCSI

• See also: http://zuluscsi.com/

• TI 99/4a replacement power supply

• ZX81/TS1000 keyboard replacement

• SE / SE/30 replacement power supply

• Video for installing the SE/SE/30 replacement PSU (YouTube)

• SIO2PC USB-C

• See also: Set up RespeQT for SIO2PC (Atariprojects.org)

A2Stream file:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr279.a2stream

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

Listen/Download:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

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