ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Podcast

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ANTIC Interview 260 - Ben Smith, Atari sales and service Jan 02, 2017

Show notes

Ben Smith, Atari sales and service

This interview is part of the set of interviews we've done where we talk to many of the people still out there providing hardware, software, and/or support for our favorite computer. This interview is with Ben Smith, of Bravo Sierra Computers. As you will hear during the interview, Ben has been in the business of selling, servicing and supporting Atari items for about 32 years as of the recording of this episode. I hope you find this interview interesting and let Ben know that you appreciate all he has done and continues to do for the Atari community.

This interview took place on March 26, 2016.

Links:

Bravo Sierra Computers - http://www.aracnet.com/~atari/
http://www.atari.org

ANTIC Interview 259 - Wynn Smith, Mosaic Electronics Dec 28, 2016

Show notes

Wynn Smith, Mosaic Electronics

Wynn Smith was co-founder of Mosaic Electronics, a company that produced memory upgrade cards for the Atari 400 and 800 computers, as well as the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. He started at Tektronix, where be wrote code for the OEM graphics division at the age of 17. After Mosaic, he worked on memory upgrades for Intel.

This interview took place on December 27, 2016.

"It became obvious to me that if you put the wrong boards in the wrong order, not only do they not work, but there's a danger of blowing out some chips."

Mosaic memory board flyer

AtariMania list of Mosaic Electronics games

VintageTEK Tektronix museum: http://www.vintagetek.org

ANTIC Episode 38 - Christmas 2016 Buying Guide Dec 20, 2016

Show notes

In this episode of Antic the Atari 8-bit podcast...

Recurring Links

Floppy Days Podcast

AtariArchives.org

AtariMagazines.com

Kevin's Book "Terrible Nerd"

New Atari books scans at archive.org

ANTIC feedback at AtariAge

Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge

ANTIC Facebook Page

AHCS

What we've been up to

Bard Ermentrout's disks
Virtuoso Play Mode Sampler - Virtuoso Play Mode Sampler on Atari 8-Bit
Kyroflux - http://www.kryoflux.com/
C64 microfiler + cross-compiled version
Harry Stewart's printouts: Atari PILOT Source Code , Atari PILOT II Source Code, Atari 400/800 Shepardson Contracted Math Package, Atari WSFN Source Code, Atari 400/800 Operating System Source Code
Bill Wilkinson Articles - Atari
Optimized Systems Software - Scans And Pictures
Eaten By A Grue podcast - http://monsterfeet.com/grue/
Amiga video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws3DJF7MbMU

News

Megaoids Released - posted by peteym5 (Peter Meyer) on Atari Age
Laser Blast X at Video 61 - http://members.tcq.n...deo61/main.html
MAD Studio by Gury on AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/258728-mad-studio/
Dual Right Angle XL/XE Cart Expansion - Dropcheck (Bits of the Past)
Gardner Pomper — co-founder of Games Computers Play — has died. 2015 interview
Stan Ockers is in hospice care
Upcoming Shows where you might see Atari computers
- Feb. 18, 2017 - "Atari Invasion", Marsveen, Holland - http://atari-invasion.nl/
- VCF East - March 31 through April 2, 2017 - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
- VCF Southeast

Holiday Gift Guide

Lotherek Rapidus Card $170EU - http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=107
Best Elec 600XL 256k Memory and Composite kits both for $49.95 - http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/
Joystick from Edladdin controllers - http://edladdin.com/
AtariAge homebrews for the Atari 8-bit - https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_list&c=45
Art Of Atari by Tim Lapetino $25 - http://amzn.to/2hrX54h
Coming in April: Atari of Atari Poster Collection $19 - http://amzn.to/2hd2wTI
3-D Printed Atari 800 from Rabbit Engineering $10 - https://www.etsy.com/listing/457193354/mini-atari-800-3d-printed
Bill Lange - printable Atari 8-bit poster and Atari 8-bit 2017 calendar

New at Archive.org

Nir Dary Segment - SilliVenture 2016

Closing

END OF SHOW MUSIC - Virtuoso Play Mode Sampler

ANTIC Interview 258 - Bruce Frumker: APX Memory Match, Cleveland Museum of Natural History Dec 02, 2016

Show notes

Bruce Frumker: APX Memory Match, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Bruce Frumker is author of Memory Match, a memory game that was published by Atari Program Exchange. It was first available in the winter 1982-1983 APX catalog. As part of his job at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Bruce created interactive, laser-disc based exhibits that used Atari 8-bit computers. He wrote an article about that project, "An Atari-based Interactive Laser Videodisc System", which appeared in the March 1989 issue of A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing magazine. Bruce was also co-founder of the Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Cleveland.

This interview took place on September 15, 2016.

"...Sounds really Rube Goldberg, but the thing worked and it produced a series of exhibits that visitors enjoyed ... all controlled by the Atari."

Memory Match in the winter 1982-1983 APX catalog

Memory Match at AtariMania

Bruce's Laserdisc article in A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing

ANTIC Interview 257 - Steve Panak, Game Reviewer Nov 29, 2016

Show notes

Steve Panak, Game Reviewer

Steve Panak was a prolific writer of Atari computer game reviews. He wrote the Panak Strikes! column in A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing magazine, and also wrote reviews for Antic magazine and ST-Log magazine.

This interview took place on November 28, 2016.

"Companies were just sending me games to review there at the end, so I was just getting buried in games."

ANTIC Interview 256 - Bev and Bryan Wilkinson, Optimized Systems Software Nov 26, 2016

Show notes

Bev and Bryan Wilkinson, Optimized Systems Software

Bev and Bryan Wilkinson were part of Optimized Systems Software, the company that brought DOS XL, Mac/65, Action!, BASIC XL, BASIC XE, and other products to Atari computer users.

Bill Wilkinson was founder of OSS. Bev was his wife, and Bryan his son. I interviewed Bill in December, 2014, and he died in November 2015. As a small family-owned business, Bev and Bryan were involved with the day-to-day running of the company.

This interview took place on September 25, 2016 in my dining room in Portland, Oregon.

"And Bill would carry these tomes, books to the bathroom with him, and he'd read these books in the bathroom. I said 'Why are you doing that in the bathroom?' He said, 'It's the only room in the house that has a lock on the door.'"

Photos, brochures, and art from OSS: https://archive.org/details/OptimizedSystemsSoftware

Complete collection of Bill Wilkinson articles: https://archive.org/details/BillWilkinsonArticles

Bill Wilkinson interview

Steven Lawrow interview

ANTIC Interview 255 - Dale Lemke, Compu-Cable Systems Nov 23, 2016

Show notes

Dale Lemke, Compu-Cable Systems

Dale Lemke is founder of Compu-Cable Systems, a company that created the SpectraView and SpectraView II Graphic Generator Cartridge, information display systems for use by television stations and cable companies, which ran on Atari 8-bit computers.

The company is still in business: today it is called Display Systems International, it specializes in character generators and television program listings.

This interview took place October 18, 2016.

"We had an Atari in Trump's Castle in New Jersey for a while ... We had an Atari in Museum of History in Chicago — they were using it with their ticket kiosks."

YouTube demo of SpectraView II cart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cAlaGUoYNI

AtariAge discussions of SpectraView II: 1 2

Display Systems International: http:/www.displaysystemsintl.com

ANTIC Interview 254 - Paul Berker: Adventure in Time and Birth of the Phoenix Nov 19, 2016

Show notes

Paul Berker: Adventure in Time and Birth of the Phoenix

Paul Berker was a programmer for Phoenix Software, where he coded Birth of the Phoenix and Adventure In Time, which were both released for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computers; and Queen of Phobos, which was released on the Apple II only.

This interview took place on September 30, 2016. After the interview, Paul sent me several floppy disks with the Apple II and Atari source code for Birth of the Phoenix and Adventure In Time.

"Got an advance of like $2,000, and spent it all just acquiring an Atari 800 with two floppy drives..."

Source code courtesy of Paul

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/0kXWKV1mpiY

AtariMania's list of Phoenix Software games

Gaming After 40 Walkthough of Birth of The Phoenix

Paul's web site: http://slasherworld.com

ANTIC Interview 253 - Charles Clinton, Atarilab Nov 12, 2016

Show notes

Charles Clinton

Charles Clinton was a contractor who worked on AtariLab, which was developed at Swarthmore College.

This interview took place on August 14, 2016 at Vintage Computer Festival West XI. In it, we discuss Priscilla Laws, whom I previously interviewed.

Priscilla Laws interview

ANTIC Interview 252 - Paula Polley, Copywriter Nov 10, 2016

Show notes

Paula Polley, Copywriter

Paula Polley started at Atari in 1982, where she worked as a copywriter. She wrote marketing for product boxes and wrote for Atari Connection magazine.

This interview took place on August 14, 2016 at Vintage Computer Festival West XI.

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