Retro Computing Roundtable

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Earl Evans Topic: 1989 Several things happened during the final year to begin prior to The Simpsons hitting the airwaves. For example, Sim City and PKZIP came out. Tim from CERN proposed an information sharing architecture. Everyone on the bus started playing with Game Boys. Topic/Feedback links: SimCity Mac Office (Word 4, Excel 2.2, PowerPoint...

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...

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/F...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Jack Nutting, and Blake Patterson Topic: 1986 IDE, IMAP, IIGS, and even some other things that do not begin with “I” were introduced in 1986. Topic/Feedback links: Apple IIGS MacBook Wheel SCSI-1 IDE IBM PC XT/286 IMAP ShaderGlass Retro Computing News: The Myst Graph: A New Perspective on Myst (and Part II ) Postage-stamp-sized Atari 8-b...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Blake Patterson Topic: 1985 The year of the Amiga arrives, NeXT is founded, the first .com site appears, Quantum Computer Services begins its journey toward becoming AOL. Topic/Feedback links: Commodore Amiga   Installing FS-UAE on Mac   Amiga Forever Ample NeXT   symbolics.com symbolics.com museum Symbolics Aldus PageMaker Apple LaserWriter   E...

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 fid...

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...

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 follo...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Blake Patterson Topic: 1981 In 1981, we started communicating with AT commands and Kermit. Timex/Sinclair released the 1000/ZX-81. We got the BBC Micro and the ABC 800. IBM introduced the PC, for business, no fun allowed. And MS-DOS. And more. Topic/Feedback links: Sony 3.5 drive Quick, hide in this closet! (folklore.org) IBM PC “Atari” design M...

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 al...

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 r...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting) and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1978 In 1978, we got WordStar and LaserDisc. Not VisiCalc. Topic/Feedback links: Wordstar (Wikipedia) VisiCalc (Wikipedia) almost! Laserdisc Exidy Sorceror lot discussed in episode 182, November 2018 DEC VAX (Wikipedia) again? Retro Computing News: Grace Hopper lecture found but can’t be released Living Computer Museum will sta...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1977 In 1977, XMODEM, VAX, and FAT arrived. And the Atari VCS (2600). And the TRS-80 Model 1, Commodore PET, and Apple II. Topic/Feedback links: Atari 2600 (Wikipedia) Atari 2600 Pac-Man (Wikipedia) Tod Frye discusses Pac-Man 8K homebrew (YouTube) TRS-80 Model 1 (Wikipedia) TRS-80 Model 1 (trs-80.org) Commodore PET (Wik...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1976 In 1976, Bill Gates wrote a letter, and the Queen sent an e-mail. Two 1s (Apple- and Cray-) appeared on the scene. Topic/Feedback links: Zilog Z80 (Wikipedia) CP/M (Wikipedia) Incidental mention: Kaypro 2000 An Open Letter to Hobbyists (Wikipedia) Apple-1 (WIkipedia) Cray-1 (Wikipedia) The Queen sent an email 5...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Michael Mulhern, and Blake Patterson Topic: 1975 In 1975 we got the Altair 8800, Micro-Soft. Topic/Feedback links: MITS Altair 8800 (Wikipedia) History of Microsoft (Wikipedia) 6502 (Wikipedia) Retro Computing News: A1222+ “Tabor” Now Available for Purchase KansasFest 2024 registration opens Z80 EOL announcment Z80 EOL (hackster.io) Z80 EOL (techspo...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 197 4 1974 brought us the SCELBI 8H, SQL, and the Captain Crunch whistle. Topic/Feedback links: SCELBI (Wikipedia) The SCELBI-8H, Probably the First Advertised Personal Computer Sold in Kit Form The SCELBI Mini-Computer (Mike Willegal) Build your own SCELBI 8H (Mike Willegal) Mike’s Hobby Blog, category: 800...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Earl Evans Topic: 1973 1973 brought us Ethernet and the TV Typewriter, and more. Topic/Feedback links: Ethernet (Wikipedia) TV Typewriter (deramp.com) Retro Computing News: Greaseweazle v4 Apple II pendulum clock (GitHub) Chips to Lode Runner (Eric Badger, YouTube) Ben Eater 6502 kits Vintage Computer(-related) commercials: Atarisoft radio ad 19...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1972 1972 brought us C (good enough for us), Pong, Magnavox Odyssey, and more. Topic/Feedback links: Dennis Ritchie on the development of C (ACM SIGPLAN Notices, March 1993) Pong released (Wikipedia) Atari founded (Wikipeda) A history of Syzygy/Atari (Michael Current) Magnavox Odyssey (Wikipedia) Retro...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1971 1971 brought us Computer Space, the Intel 4004, the Kenbak-1, and Email. Topic/Feedback links: Computer Space It’s the year 2022, let’s play Computer Space (YouTube) Intel 4004 Kenbak-1 (“arguably the first personal computer”) Ray Tomlinson of BBN sent the first email message in 1971 Retro C...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1970 In 1970, (Unix) time and Life began. Also, Pascal was “published,” Forth was first used by other programmers, Shakey the robot shook, DRAM appeared. Topic/Feedback links: Recollections about the development of Pascal (Niklaus Wirth) The evolution of Forth (forth.com) Shakey the Robot (YouTub...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Carrington Vanston Topic: 1968-1969 In 1968 and 1969, we had SHRDLU, the Mother of All Demos, Go To being considered harmful, and Unix. Topic/Feedback links: SHRDLU SHRDLU in action (YouTube) Terry Winograd’s PhD thesis . How SHRDLU got its name . Douglas Englebart’s Mother of All Demos (YouTube) Douglas Englebart’s Mother of A...

Various podcasters who attended the KansasFest 2023 or virtual A24eVR event relate their experiences and thoughts, in the annual “megapodcast” tradition. Participants: Paul Hagstrom Retrocomputing Roundtable Drop /// Inches Ron Ron’s Computer Videos Kat (LadyAiluros) Retro Metal Javier Rivera Retro Repair Roundtable Chris Torrence Assembly Lines Josh 48KRAM on Twitch Ken Gagne Ju...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Blake Patterson Topic: 1967 1967 gave us Logo and the floppy disk, so we talk about that, and then many other things. Topic/Feedback links: Logo (Wikipedia) LogoWriter tape 1 (The Daily Papert) LogoWriter tape 1 (Vimeo) Logo Week (ByteCellar) TurtleSpaces JSLogo History of the Floppy Disk (Wikipedia) Ejecting a floppy in space Retro...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Blake Patterson, with guest Laine Nooney Topics: 1966, and The Apple II Age Two topics this time: First, some things from 1966, and then, a discussion with Laine Nooney on their newly published book The Apple II Age: How the Computer Became Personal . Topic/Feedback links: The Apple II Age: How the Computer Became Personal (University of Chicago Pre...

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Blake Patterson, and Carrington Vanston Topic: Poolside computing arrives We look back on a few highlights of 1965, including the Programma 101, the PDP-8, Moore’s Law. We talk analog computers, Visual BASIC, sticky mice, and more. Topic/Feedback links: Moore’s Law (Wikipedia) Moore’s Law (NYT) PDP-8 The incredible story of the fir...