ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Podcast

Latest Episodes:

ANTIC Interview 139 - Glenn Faden, Microsailing Mar 02, 2016

Show notes

Glenn Faden, Microsailing

Glenn Faden published one program for the Atari 8-bit computers: Microsailing, which was published by Atari Program Exchange. Microsailing first appeared in the Spring 1983 APX catalog.

This interview took place on January 27, 2016.

Teaser quote:

“I got a lot of interesting feedback. One of the comments that I got back from people was that it was too difficult.”

ANTIC Interview 138 - Surfer Bob, Warez Sysop Feb 29, 2016

Show notes

Surfer Bob, Warez Sysop

"Surfer Bob", real first name Carlos, ran The Pipeline BBS, an Atari bulletin board system that offered warez for download -- pirated software.

This interview took place on January 28, 2016.

Teaser quote:

"He didn't have anybody to back him up but he had a stun gun ... he had that in his pocket, and he walked up to Shlomo and grabbed him ... took out the stun gun and just, like, sparked it in his face."

ANTIC Interview 137 - David Stoutemyer, The Soft Warehouse Feb 27, 2016

Show notes

David Stoutemyer, The Soft Warehouse

David Stoutemyer was co-founder of The Soft Warehouse, a company that specialized in mathematics software for several computer platforms. The company published three programs through Atari Program Exchange. Algicalc and Polycalc first appeared in the summer 1982 APX catalog for $22.95 each. Algicalc was described as a "valuable tool for students and teachers of algebra and calculus and for professionals who want a quick way to perform operations in symbolic algebra and calculus." It won third price in the education category in that catalog.

Polycalc was described as "a computational tool for performing symbolic algebra and calculus operations. It differs from ALGICALC in that POLYCALC supports polynomials that are generalized to permit fractional and negative powers of variables, and the program can use many unassigned variables, whereas ALGICALC can use only one. However, POLYCALC is essentially a polynomial system rather than a rational expression system."

Their third Atari program was Calculus Demon, which was first available in the fall 1982 catalog. It also cost $22.95, and was described as "a comprehensive tool for automatically deriving symbolic partial derivatives and indefinite integrals of expressions."

This interview took place on January 29, 2016.

Links:

Ways to implement computer algebra compactly by David Stoutemyer: http://www.sigsam.org/bulletin/articles/178/stoutemyer.pdf

International Derive User Group: http://www.austromath.at/dug/

ANTIC Interview 136 - David Crane, Pitfall!, Atari 400/800 OS Feb 25, 2016

Show notes

David Crane, Pitfall! and Atari 400/800 OS

David Crane started his programming career at Atari, making games for the Atari 2600. He also worked on the operating system for the Atari 800 computer, as well as the games Outlaw and Howitzer, which were sold through APX. David left Atari in 1979 and co-founded Activision, along with Alan Miller, Jim Levy, Bob Whitehead, and Larry Kaplan. While at Activision, he was best known as the designer of Pitfall!

This interview took place October 23, 2015

Links

“Meet David Crane: Video Games Guru”, HI-RES Vol. 1, No. 2 / January 1984 / page 46 - http://www.atarimagazines.com/hi-res/v1n2/davidcrane.php

David Crane Interview at Good Deal Games - http://www.gooddealgames.com/interviews/int_David_Crane.html

PRGE 2015 - David Crane (Activision) - Portland Retro Gaming Expo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbinkHyWde8

ANTIC Interview 135 - Bill Rice, HYSYS Feb 23, 2016

Show notes

Bill Rice, HYSYS

Bill Rice published one program in the Atari Program Exchange catalog: HYSYS, or Hydraulic Program. It was a tool that did calculations for sizing hydraulic systems and components. HYSYS first appeared winter 1982 APX catalog.

This interview took place on January 27, 2016

Teaser quote:

"So you can imagine with something like a hydraulic program, they're like 'No we've got our scientific calculators and we look really cool punching in these numbers. We're not going to get a home computer and do that.'"

ANTIC Episode 30 - Robots Have Taken Over! Feb 21, 2016

Show notes

On this episode of ANTIC the atari 8-bit podcast: I cause a robot invasion in Portland, Bill Kendrick goes ultra-mega-retro gaming with Game ‘N Watch inspired games for the Atari, Randy wraps up the retrochallenge, and we still manage to keep the podcast under 3h 21m.

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

What we’ve been up to

“The Atari Book Volume 2” - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BKS5SHU/?tag=ataripodcast-20
BASIC Tenliners Contest 2016 - http://atariage.com/forums/topic/247971-basic-tenliners-contest-2016/
Axlon Andy Robot, ANTIC VOL. 3, NO. 12 / APRIL 1985 - http://www.atarimagazines.com/v3n12/profiles.html

Interview Discussion

Luis Baeza transcribed Glenn the 5200 man - http://computingpioneers.com/index.php/Glenn_The_5200_Man

News

Atari SuperBowl Ads (article)
Atari SuperBowl Ads (video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iuh58zxuMk
Usborne releases 80’s computer books
Star Raiders II source code (multiple versions) - https://archive.org/details/StarRaidersII_Wilmunder
Star Raiders II Design Docs
Star Raiders II Program Notes
Atari 1050 2.5" Hard Drive Case by xlrone - Thingiverse - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1310706

Atari 1050 SD Card reader - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:625606
Omnivore
Omnivore Blog - http://playermissile.com/omnivore/
Wade created a new map for Getaway using it - http://playermissile.com/blog/
Atari Vault brings over 100 classic arcade games to Steam in Spring 2016
Rainbow Walker Ported to 5200
PC Mag - The Golden Age of Atari Home Computers by Benj Edwards
Season 13 of the 8-bit Atari High Score Club on AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/60-8-bit-high-score-club/
Atari Board - http://atari.boards.net/
The Strong Museum Acquires Collection of Atari Design Materials
Bomber Deluxe edition - http://www.proc-atari.de
RetroChallenge - http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/retrochallenge-2012sc/
Upcoming Shows:

VCF Southeast 4.0 - April 2 & 3 2016, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-southeast-4-0/
VCF East - April 15-17, 2016, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://www.vintagecomputerfederation.org/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
KansasFest - July 19-24, 2016, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org
VCF West - August 6-7, Mountain View, CA - http://www.vintagecomputerfederation.org/uncategorized/vcf-west-is-back/
Chicago CoCoFest - April 23-24 - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/

New at Archive.org

APX Correspondence - https://archive.org/details/APX_Programmer_Correspondence
An Introduction to Selling the Atari 400 Computer System - https://archive.org/details/AnIntroductionToSellingTheAtari400ComputerSystem

Bill’s Modern Segment

ArSoft Corporation - http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/
Interview with Arkadiusz "Larek" Lubaszka - http://www.retronagazie.eu/wywiad-arkadiusz-larek-lubaszka/
Game & Watch

Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_%26_Watch
Nintendo Wikia entry - http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Game_%26_Watch
Super Mario Wiki entry - http://www.mariowiki.com/Game_%26_Watch
Gunpei Yokoi @ Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpei_Yokoi

Octopus

Official page: http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/programy.htm#octopus
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9nC6vzJSZk
Nintendo Wikia entry for original: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Octopus
Super Mario Wiki entry for original - http://www.mariowiki.com/Octopus_(Game_%26_Watch)

Parachute 2011

Official page: http://www.arsoft.netstrefa.pl/programy.htm#parachute2011
Atarimania: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-parachute-2011_27759.html
Nintendo Wikia entry for original: http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Parachute
Super Mario Wiki entry for original: http://www.mariowiki.com/Parachute

Feedback

Reverse-engineered, extensively documented assembly language source code of STAR RAIDERS directly from the binary file of the ROM cartridge by Lorenz Wiest - http://github.com/lwiest/StarRaiders

ANTIC Interview 134 - Jerry Falkenhan, Finance Software Feb 20, 2016

Show notes

Jerry Falkenhan, Finance Software

Jerry Falkenhan had three programs published by Atari Program Exchange: Family Cash Flow, Family Budget, and Family Vehicle Expense. Atari bought Family Cash Flow and Family Budget and packaged them as an Atari-branded product, Family Finances.

This interview took place on January 26, 2016.

Teaser quote:

"I get my first royalty check. I'll never forget: $35,000. I go down to Wells Fargo and they wouldn't cash the darn thing."

Picture of Jerry during our Skype session: http://i.imgur.com/5y2yFMc.png

Inverse ATASCII podcast on Atari Family Finances:

http://inverseatascii.info/2015/01/27/s1e9-atari-family-finances/

Inverse ATASCII podcast on Family Vehicle Expense:

http://inverseatascii.info/2015/10/13/s2e02-apx-family-vehicle-expense/

ANTIC Interview 133 - Bill Louden, CompuServe and GEnie Feb 18, 2016

Show notes

Bill Louden, CompuServe and GEnie

Bill Louden was part of the team that built CompuServe, the first consumer online service, where he was director of the computing, games, entertainment, e-mail, chat, and forum products. He went on to be the founder of the GEnie online service (General Electric Network for Information Exchange.)

This interview took place October 15, 2015.

Teaser quotes:

"You know, we expected at CompuServe customers to spend $10 to $15 a month. ... We never expected people to come online and spend $1,200, $2,000 a month playing MegaWars."

"We're there to serve the customer so I want [a name] that sort of embodies a service configuration, and it's magical. It's something new. And the best name they came up with was Albert, for Albert Einstein. This cost me $50,000. I literally came home from that meeting crying."

ANTIC Interview 132 - Jerry Jewell, co-founder of Sirius Software Feb 16, 2016

Show notes

Jerry Jewell, co-founder of Sirius Software

Jerry Jewell was co-founder of Sirius Software. Sirius published many Atari titles including Alpha Shield, Capture the Flag, Fast Eddie, Gruds in Space, Sneakers, Wavy Navy, and Wayout. The company was probably best known in the Apple ][ world, but also published software for the Commodore and other platforms - more than 160 titles in all.

This interview took place October 15, 2015.

Teaser quotes:

"In the latter days it got down to where a game would sell for two weeks, three weeks, and then it would die."

"It was like the boys hadn't discovered girls yet and my job was to keep them from doing that ... Whatever it took to keep these guys off the streets and away from alcohol and women, it would keep them busy, you know? Keep them programming."

On-Line and Sirius Finalize Merge Plans: https://books.google.com/books?id=Hj0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA6

AtariMania's list of Sirius software for Atari: http://www.atarimania.com/list_games_atari-400-800-xl-xe-sirius-software_publisher_1418_8_G.html

ANTIC Interview 131 - Bob Polaro, Atari Programmer Feb 14, 2016

Show notes

Bob Polaro

Bob Polaro was an Atari employee from 1978 through 1984, where he wrote several programs for Atari Program Exchange — very early programs in the APX catalog: Lemonade, Mugwump, Preschool Games, Reversi, Space Trek, and Dice Poker. He also wrote the States & Capitals and European Countries & Capitals educational programs for the Atari computers, both published by Atari. He programmed several games for the Atari 2600, including Defender and RealSports Volleyball.

This interview took place on January 22, 2016.

Teaser quote:

“At that time they were starting to request that we put in easter eggs, which kind of took the whole idea away. It was supposed to be hidden, and yet, it ended up being part of the design at some point.”

Links:

Bob’s web site: http://www.polaro.com

Lemonade in Antic magazine: http://www.atarimagazines.com/v4n6/lemonade.html

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