Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Floppy Days 98 - The BBC Micro History Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

The BBC Micro: History

Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode 98 of the Floppy Days Podcast for April, 2020!

I hope everyone is staying safe in these days of isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. One day we'll look back at this as a strange time in all our lives.

Again, for the podcast, we are finishing up the tail-end of the year 1981 in the personal computer timeline and the primary topic of this and the next couple of podcasts will be the BBC Micro. I talked with Steve Furber, one of the primary developers of the Beeb, in the last episode concerning his part in and thoughts about those heady times. In this episode I'm going to cover a more general history of the BBC Micro to give everyone a view of why the machine was developed and its huge impact on personal and educational computer history, especially in the UK. For the UK listeners, you'll likely be very familiar with the Beeb's history. For the US listeners, and listeners in other parts of the world, you may be less familiar with the story. I know that until I dove into the research for this episode, I only had a cursory familiarity with this machine and had no inkling of its true place in computer history.

For future episodes, software, emulators, books, Web sites, modern upgrades, etc. will be explored.

I hope you enjoy this short excursion into the history of a machine that I've come to love and respect.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Thoughts and Memories - Richard Broadhurst

Richard's Games on the Complete BBC Micro Games Archive - http://bbcmicro.co.uk/index.php?rt_R=&rt_B=&rt_M=&rt_P=&rt_U=&rt_W=&rt_L=&search=broadhurst&on_T=on&on_Y=on&on_P=on&on_A=on&on_G=on&on_S=on&on_Z=on&on_C=on&sort=b
Richard's Games Videos on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1eiw5ttGL3ZagVI0c_vSe19KNALTwuXX

New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To

Fusion magazines - https://fusionretrobooks.com/
Erebus - Oric Atmos SD Interface - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Erebus-Oric-Atmos-sd-card-flash-cart-Oric1-/174120579582
Home Computer Course and Home Computer Advanced Course magazines
- https://archive.org/details/The_Home_Computer_Course
- https://archive.org/details/The_Home_Computer_Advanced_Course_01/
Spectrum DIV/MMC Future - https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/sinclair/divmmcfuture.html
HP85Disk project - https://www.tindie.com/products/hp85disk/hp85disk-disk-emulator-for-hp85-series-computers/
BBC Micro formatted CF card and ROM - http://www.retroclinic.com/

Upcoming Shows

After VCF PNW 2020 was cancelled in March, an individual allowed exhibitors to post their own videos to this website - http://www.retrofair2020.com/
CoCoTALK! hosted a live, virtual CoCoFEST! Saturday April 18th. You can view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qkRI1JyqU&feature=youtu.be
July 10 - 12, VCF Southeast, in conjunction with Southern Fried Gaming Expo in Atlanta, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
July 24-25, KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ (virtual) cost $20, expect to open registration on April 30th
August 1-2, VCF West, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
Fri, Aug 14, 2020 – Sun, Aug 16, 2020, Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Portland OR - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/ CANCELLED
Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
September 12-13, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
October 10 - 12, VCF East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
- NOTE: You can order a t-shirt to support the VCF events at http://vcfed.org/wp/t-shirts/ for $20 + shipping
October 24, Chicago TI International World Faire, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/faire/
October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
December ?, World of Commodore, Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada - https://www.tpug.ca/

References

There is a docudrama "Micro Men" about the early 80s and winning the joint government/BBC contract to produce a computer that would be the focus of the initiative.
78 page PDF by Tilly Blyth of the Science Museum: "The legacy of the BBC Micro - effecting change in the UK's cultures of computing"
"Now the Chips are Down: The BBC Micro (Platform Studies)" by Alison Gazzard - https://amzn.to/2yLnYdf

Floppy Days 97 - The BBC Micro, Interview with Steve Furber Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

The BBC Micro - Interview with Steve Furber

Hi, everyone, and welcome to episode 97 for February 2020 of the Floppy Days Podcast.

This episode kicks off a series of episodes on one of the iconic British machines that was so important to the home computer revolution: The BBC Micro. This machine has an amazing history and continues to have a very large following among vintage computer enthusiasts. What better way to start off this series than by beginning with an interview with someone who was right on the front lines in the development of the machine. Those of you who aren't familiar with Steve Furber will be much more familiar after listening to the interview that I was able to get with him for this show. Steve worked at Acorn Computers in the decade of the 1980's where he was the principal designer of the BBC Micro and the ARM microprocessor. I'm very honored to have been able to talk with Steve for about 50 minutes and am elated that I'm able to bring this interview to you this month.

Next month, we'll kick off some episodes to cover all of the usual topics on the Beeb (as it's affectionately called), such as its history in depth, tech specs, modern upgrades, Web sites and a ton of other information about this machine.

Before we jump into the interview, I'm a bit behind in letting you know about any new acquisitions I've managed to get for the hobby and any hobby-related things I've been working on, so I'll try to do some catch-up there.

Please enjoy the show and let me know what you thought of it.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

Juiced.GS - https://juiced.gs/
SDrive MAX 810 case, Gavin at Vintage Computer Center - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/atari-810-sdrive-max
The SDrive MAX daughterboard and basic case idea are thanks to the great work of Steve Boswell - atari8bit.net
TRS-80 PC3 LCD - Robert Baruch - https://www.tindie.com/products/halfbakedmaker/lcd-replacement-for-trs-80-pc-3-sharp-pc-125x/
Incognito for Atari 800 - https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=275
BBC Micro CF formatted card and ROM - http://www.retroclinic.com/
BBC Micro single joystick adapter - https://www.ebay.com/itm/283745815116?ViewItem=&item=283745815116
Astra 1620 dual disk drive for Atari 8-bit - http://gury.atari8.info/hardware/162.php
"Adventures with the Atari" by Jack B. Hardy - https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-adventures-with-the-atari
"Atari Pilot for Beginners" by Jim Conlan and Tracy Deliman - https://archive.org/details/Atari_Pilot_For_Beginners/mode/2up
C64 Maxi - https://retrogames.biz/thec64

Upcoming Shows

March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computer:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
March 21, Indy Vintage Computer Club Expo, Camby, IN - https://www.facebook.com/events/188334755647918/
April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest
April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
July 21 - July 26, 202, KansasFest, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
Fri, Aug 14, 2020 – Sun, Aug 16, 2020, Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Portland OR - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/
Aug. 20 - Aug. 23, 2020, Fujiama, Lengenfeld, Germany - http://abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/2020/
October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Feedback

"Micro Men" (movie) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1459467/
The Home Computer Course (magazine) - https://archive.org/details/TheHomeComputerCourse

Floppy Days 96 - Epson HX-20 Bonus, Norbert Kehrer Interview Dec 31, 2019

Show notes

Interview with Norbert Kehrer, Flashx20

Hello, and happy 2020 to all the listeners out there. As the final episode of 2019 I'm bringing to you a bonus show on the Epson HX-20. I was able to get an interview with a gentleman who has developed a terrific piece of software that qualifies as a modern upgrade for the HX-20, called flashx20. That gentleman is Mr. Norbert Kehrer and he was kind enough to talk with me about his software and how it's used. I think you'll find it interesting, especially if you have a machine and can give his software a whirl.

Next month I will begin a series of episodes on one of the groundbreaking machines in the UK, the BBC Micro. I haven't decided yet how many episodes there will be, but I was able to get an interview with an early computer pioneer involved with the development of the BBC Micro, so I intend to be as thorough as possible in the coverage of the machine. Stay tuned for more on that.

For this episode, I will talk a bit about my new vintage computer acquisitions and what I've been up to, as well as the usual news about upcoming vintage computer shows and a bit of feedback.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

Atari: A Visual History by Darren Doyle - https://www.greyfoxbooks.com/
MagPi magazine issue #88 - Retro Computing with Raspberry PI 4 - https://magpi.raspberrypi.org/
BBC Micro Joystick Adapter - https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Acorn-BBC-Micro-Dual-Double-Atari-Amiga-Joystick-Adapter-715/124010566212
Compact Flash Adapter for the BBC Micro - http://www.retroclinic.com/

Upcoming Shows

March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest
April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/

Interview with Norbert Kehrer

Norbert's Emulators - http://members.aon.at/nkehrer/flashx20.html

Floppy Days 95 - The Epson HX-20 Part 2 With Earl Evans Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

The Epson HX-20, Part 2, With Earl Evans

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 95 of the Floppy Days Podcast for November, 2019, where once again this month (in Part 2) we will continue talking about one of the world's first portable computers: The Epson HX-20.

I'm extremely happy to again have my good friend, and vintage computer podcast legend, Mr. Earl Evans, as my co-host for this episode.

It turned out we had so much material to cover that I ended up breaking this topic into 2 parts. Last month was part 1, where Earl and I covered HX-20 history, tech specs, and peripherals. This month will be part 2, in which Earl and I will continue coverage by discussing how to use the machine, emulators, software, ads and appearances, modern upgrades, Web sites and more. In addition, I will include an interview with a gentleman who has done recent work around the HX-20 in the area of emulation, Mr. Pontus Rodling.

First, however, I will spend a few minutes talking about my recent acquisitions in the vintage computing space and what I've been up to, then I'll cover upcoming shows.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

Commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnX7d0Ty9A4

New Acquisitions

book "The BBC Micro an expert guide" by Mike James - https://www.amazon.com/B-C-Micro-Expert-Guide/dp/0003831175
SDrive Max from Vintage Computer Center (810) for Atari 8-bit - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/atari-810-sdrive-max
Incognito for Atari 800 - https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=275
CPC 464 RGB-to-SCART cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Amstrad-CPC-464-6128-High-Quality-POWERED-RGB-Scart-Cable-TV-Video-Lead/261898189777 - Retro Computer Shack
CPC M4 upgrade - http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/M4_Board

Upcoming Shows

Dec 7, 2019, World of Commodore 2019, hosted by the Toronto PET Users Group (TPUG) at the Admiral Inn Mississauga - https://www.tpug.ca/…/09/announcement-world-of-commodore-2…/
March 21-22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/…/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-north…/
April 18-19, 2020, CoCoFest, Elk Grove Village, IL - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/…/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com

Ads and Appearances

http://starringthecomputer.com/computer.html?c=171
Epson announced the HX-20 to the world in this famous double page ad spread from 1982. Its compact size is obviously the big selling point here - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/creativecomp0183-2a.jpg
another four page ad from Epson UK. Epson apparently wanted to make it clear that only they had the foresight to devise such a compact computing platform. As depicted in the ad, the HX-20 is equally at home in the office, on the plane, in a power station and at home. - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/practicalcomputing128202a.jpg

Modern Upgrades

MH-20 by Martin Hepperle - https://www.mh-aerotools.de/hp/hx-20/MH-20-Display-Controller.zip
Flashx20 by Norbert Kehrer - http://members.aon.at/nkehrer/flashx20.html

Emulators

"eHC-20"-EPSON HC-20 / HX-20 emulator for Win32 (Toshiya Takeda) - http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/
M.A.M.E. - Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator / MAME 0.184 ROMs - https://edgeemu.net/details-25542.htm
HXEmu by Pontus Rodling - https://frigolit.net/projects/hxemu/

Community

Facebook
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/405903130000150/
Forums
- AtariAge - https://atariage.com/forums/search/?q=epson%20hx-20
- https://stardot.org.uk/forums/index.php

Web Sites

An HX-20 Enthusiast Site - Julian Ward - https://web.archive.org/web/20161023223930/http://classway.com/hx20/index.html - contains FAQ, memory map, description of utilities (on WayBackMachine)
Epson HX-20 Programs - Courtney McFarren - http://www.geocities.ws/abcmcfarren/hx20/hx20.htm - software downloads (BASIC listings), memory map, memory dump, information on interfacing with the HX-20
Review in Byte Magazine Volume 8, Number 9 - https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-09/1983_09_BYTE_08-09_Portable_Computers_in_Depth#page/n201/mode/2up - compares HX-20 and TI CC-40
GanjaTron's site - http://www.ganjatron.net/retrocomputing/epson-hx20/index.html - nice description of the HX-20
Epson HX-20 Review in Creative Computing by David Ahl - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n3/101_Epson_HX20_computer.php
Epson HX-20 Tips and Tricks by Martin Hepperle - https://www.mh-aerotools.de/hp/hx-20/Epson%20HX-20%20-%20Tips-Tricks.pdf
TV ad for the HX-20 (1982) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnX7d0Ty9A4
Wickensonline - information from sites now only on the Wayback Machine (archive.org) - https://web.archive.org/web/20160323052226/http://www.wickensonline.co.uk/hx-20/index.html
Epson HX-20 Operations Manual (from the Epson support site) - https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/hx20__/hx20__u1.pdf
HX-20 page at Epson - https://global.epson.com/company/corporate_history/milestone_products/13_hx20.html
PDF documentation for the Epson HX-20 (Tech Ref, BASIC Ref, etc.) - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/doc/index.html
HXTAPE software at SourceForge - http://hxtape.sourceforge.net/ - HXTape is a suite of small programs designed to read and write Epson HX-20 tapes using a sound card under Linux. Additionally, it can be used as a simple means of direct data transfer between a PC and an HX-20, by connecting the two using an ordinary audio cable.
The Epson HX-20: As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Esopw_KK8&app=desktop
The World's First Laptop - Epson HX-20 / HC-20 by RetroManCave - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-F_hL1bZsw
"Japanese portable has real staying power" From: PRACTICAL COMPUTING October 1982 page 40 - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/pc198210.html
Yet another computer museum - The Epson HX-20 - http://electrickery.xs4all.nl/comp/hx20/

References

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epson_HX-20

Floppy Days 94 - The Epson HX-20 Part 1, with Earl Evans Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

The Epson HX-20 Part 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode 94 of the Floppy Days Podcast for October, 2019, where this month we will be talking about one of the world's first portable computers: The Epson HX-20. Thank you, Terry Stewart, for your thoughts about the HX-20 to lead off the show. For those that want more information from Terry, check out his Website and Youtube channel where he has a terrific video on the HX-20, as well as lots of information on other vintage computers.

I'm extremely happy to announce that my good friend, and one of the godfathers of vintage computer podcast, Mr. Earl Evans, will be my co-host for this topic. It's always a thrill to have Earl join me on this podcast as he and his Retrobits podcast were the inspiration for Floppy Days. It turned out that Earl not only knows the gentleman I interviewed last month, Chris Rutkowski, but he also used to work for Epson and supported the HX-20 and its successor the PX-8. He also owns a couple of machines. As a result, Earl is able to provide great insights into the HX-20 and is a perfect color commentator for this topic. I know you'll enjoy Earl's contributions to this show.

It turned out we have so much material to cover that I'm breaking this topic into 2 parts. This month will be part 1, and Earl and I will cover HX-20 history, tech specs, and peripherals. Next month will be part 2, in which Earl and I will continue coverage by discussing how to use the machine, emulators, software, ads and appearances, modern upgrades, Web sites and more. In addition, I was able to get interviews with a couple of gentlemen who have done recent work around the HX-20 in the areas of emulation and modern upgrades.

So, we have a lot to cover and a short time to get there!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions and What I've Been Up To

Atari 8-bit modern power supplies and video cables from Corey Koltz - https://www.8bitclassics.com/
Nu-Brick power supplies (Kevin Ottum) - Facebook
Tandy PC-1 LCDs by Robert Baruch - https://www.tindie.com/products/halfbakedmaker/lcd-replacement-for-trs-80-pc-1-sharp-pc-1211/
Commodore The Amiga Years by Brian Bagnall - https://amzn.to/2WocDrz
Electronic Dreams by Tom Lean - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Dreams-Britain-Learned-Computer/dp/1472918339
101 Programming Tips for the TI99 by Len Turner - https://amzn.to/2q1ylpe
TI's Compute Collection Vol. I by Compute - https://amzn.to/31WpG4F
Micro Kids: An 80s Adventure with ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more by Gary Plowman - https://amzn.to/2NnerNl
Atari Projects by Jason Moore - http://www.lulu.com/shop/jason-moore/atari-projects/paperback/product-24223087.html
SDrive Max cases (1050 and 810) from Steve Boswell - https://atari8bit.net/sdrive-max-cases/

Upcoming Shows (https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows)

Nov 2, 2019, Chicago TI International World's Faire, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/
Dec 7, 2019, World of Commodore 2019, hosted by the Toronto PET Users Group (TPUG) at the Admiral Inn Mississauga - https://www.tpug.ca/2019/09/announcement-world-of-commodore-2019
March 21 & 22, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest, Living Computers:Museum+Labs in Seattle,Washington - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest
April 24-26, 2020, Vintage Computer Festival East, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east
October 30 - November 1, 2020, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com

Floppy Days 93 - Chris Rutkowski, Epson QX10, ValDocs Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Interview with Chris Rutkowski, Epson QX10 & ValDocs

Hello and welcome to episode 93 of the Floppy Days Podcast. We're still in the year 1981 for computer introductions and next up on the docket is the venerable Epson HX-20, oft-considered the very first laptop computer. It spawned an entire series of laptop computers from Epson, such as the PX-8 and QX-10.

In this episode, I have an interview with Mr. Chris Rutkowski. Chris worked for or at Epson during the days of the HX-20 and the other machines. Although Chris didn't work directly on the HX-20, as he was more focused on the QX-10 and software for it (such as ValDocs), Chris has a great perspective on what it was like to work at Epson at that time.

In the next episode I will then talk in detail about the HX-20, including the usual topics of history, specs, software, magazines, ads, Web sites, emulators and more.

After talking with Chris, I was very impressed with the work that he did and impact that he made on the fledgling microcomputer industry. Not only did he work on the design of the QX-10, Chris came up with the idea for the VALDOCS software for the QX-10 that included the HASCI keyboard (Human Application Standard Computer Interface) while at Rising Star Industries.

I hope you enjoy this interview!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

AVG cart for Atari 8-bit - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/278212-avgcart/
Faster Than Light: Atari ST - https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-Light-16-Bit-Revolution/dp/1732355215 by Jamie Lendino
Endless Loop: The History of the BASIC Programming Language (book) by Mark Jones Lorenzo - https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Loop-Programming-All-purpose-Instruction/dp/1974277070
ZX Spectrum +2 RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260949446667
Run/Stop-Restore (book) by Leonard Roach - https://www.amazon.com/Run-Stop-Restore-Anniversary-Lenard-Roach/dp/1456719246

Upcoming Shows

Sep 7-8, Retro Computer Festival 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/53612/Retro-Computer-Festival-2019-7th-8th-September/
Sep 14, Atari Party East, basement of Bill Lange in Somerset, NJ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/281252672436874/
Sep 14-15, VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
Sep 21-22, Acorn World Exhibition 2019, The Centre for Computing History, Cambridge, UK - http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/54006/Acorn-World-Exhibition-2019-21st-22nd-September-2019/
Sep 27-29, Tandy Assembly, Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com
Oct 18-20, Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
Nov 2, Chicago TI International World's Faire, Evanston, IL - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/

Interview with Chris Rutkowski

VCF Pacific Northwest 2019 - Chris Rutkowski, "The birth of the Business PC – how volatile markets evolve" - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/archives-show-summaries/vcf-pnw-archives/vcf-pnw-2019/
October '82 Byte - p.291 An introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 1: Theory and Principles by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-10/page/n289
November '82 Byte - p.379 An Introduction to the Human Applications Standard Computer Interface, Part 2: Implementing the HASCI Concept by Chris Rutkowski - https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1982-11/page/n403
"A Gathering of Magicians," from the CBC Television series "Man Alive" (1984) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heRhyUp7dTE

Floppy Days 92 - Dave Lagerquist Interview, Editor CLOAD and Chromasette Jul 06, 2019

Show notes

Hello, welcome to Floppy Days Podcast #92, coming to you in July, 2019. This month, I'm bringing to you an interview I've had in my backlog for almost 2 years now. Thank goodness, most of the information on Floppy Days is timeless, so the interview is just as relevant today as it was then. Anyway, I'm very happy to present an interview with Mr. Dave Lagerquist, who was the editor of both the CLOAD cassette magazine, which was produced for the TRS-80 Model I and Model III, and Chromasette cassette magazine, which was produced for the Tandy Color Computer.

As usual, I will cover a few new acquisitions, a run-down of upcoming shows and other news, a piece of feedback, and then we'll get right into the meat of the interview.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

C64 mini - https://www.amazon.com/C64-Mini-not-machine-specific/dp/B07GMV1X1K
Atari 400/800 Programmer's Guide Poster by Steve Boswell - https://www.redbubble.com/people/choccyhobnob/works/39504539-basic-programmers-guide-from-1981?asc=u&c=1128814-wall-art&p=poster&ref=work_collections_grid
"Vintage Commodore 128 Personal Computer Handbook: 2019 Survival Edition" by Margaret G Morabito - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vintage+commodore+128+personal+computer+handbook+2019&crid=1158ZFH5M3RKJ
C64/128 composite/s-video cable - http://www.8bitclassics.com
C64/128 composite/s-video to Commodore 1702 monitor cable - http://www.8bitclassics.com
Atari USB power supply - https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/32717

News

Atari Projects - covering Floppy Days - http://atariprojects.org/2019/06/22/listen-to-the-floppy-days-podcast-1-4-hours
vintage computer shows Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/VintageComputerShows/

Upcoming Shows

KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/…/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
Commodore Vegas Expo, August 10-11, Plaza Hotel & Casino, Desert Wind Salon, 1 Main Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. - http://www.portcommodore.com/commvex
Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK!). Fujiama 2019 will be held at the Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. http://www.abbuc.de/~atarixle/fuji/
VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 27-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
Chicago TI International World's Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - The 37th annual Chicago TI International World Faire will take place on the weekend of November 2, 2019, in Evanston, IL

Feedback

Anthony Beckett - www.thepcmuseum.com
Andy Collins - YouTube video of prototype of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum donated to The Centre for Computing History by John and Kate Grant of Nine Tile Ltd. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPEclMvAA3A&t=340s

Interview

Floppy Days 91 - The Osborne 1 with Lee Felsenstein May 30, 2019

Show notes

The Osborne 1 with Lee Felsenstein

Welcome to episode 91 of the Floppy Days Podcast for May, 2019.

In the timeline for personal computer introductions, we are now in the year 1981. For this episode we are going to be talking about the Osborne 1.

The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation (OCC). It was powered by the Z80 CPU at a blazing 4MHz, weighed 24.5 lb, cost US$1,795, and ran the CP/M operating system. It was powered from a wall socket, as it had no on-board battery, but is a portable device since it can be hand-carried when packed. The computer shipped with a large bundle of software that was almost equivalent in value to the machine itself.

The Osborne 1 was the brain child of Adam Osborne and was brilliantly engineered by Lee Felsenstein. So, who better to have help me talk about the machine than Lee Felsenstein himself! For this show, we're going to spend some time with Lee talking about the history surrounding the Osborne 1. Finally, Lee will leave us and I will cover the usual computer topics such as tech specs, emulators, Web sites, and more.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To

VCF Southeast April 27, 28, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
VCF East May 3-5, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
TI-95 Stats Library - https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instrument-Statistics-Guidebook-Cartridge/dp/B00PHOS6SW
Oric Atmos cassette cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIC-1-ORIC-ATMOS-CASSETTE-TAPE-RECORDER-CABLE-LEADS/321775032876
Atari 800 S-video cable - https://www.8bitclassics.com/shop/computers/atari-8-bit-computer/atari-xlxe-5-pin-din-to-s-video-composite-av-cable/
Nunchuk 64 - https://github.com/djtulan/nunchuk64

Upcoming Shows

June 8-9 Pacific Commodore Expo NW (PaCommEx) at The Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex, discussion is on the forum at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK. Fujiama 2019 will be held at the Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. Visit atarixle's Fujiama page, Krupkaj's parties photos or mathy meetings page.
VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 28-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
Chicago TI International World's Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - The 37th annual Chicago TI International World Faire will take place on the weekend of November 2, 2019, in Evanston, IL

Feedback

HT1080Z, the Hungarian School Computer - http://zimix.hu/ht1080z-the-hungarian-school-computer/

Popular Magazines/Newsletters

Portable Companion - http://www.vintage-computer.com/portablecompanion.shtml (Bill Degnan)

The entire run is on archive.org - https://archive.org/details/theportablecompanion

Also at Yesterbits - https://yesterbits.com/scans/the-portable-companion-magazine/ (Paul Hagstrom)

Books/Manuals

in 1984, Adam Osborne and computer industry author and columnist John C. Dvorak coauthored a book about the experience, from Adam Osborne's point of view - Hypergrowth: The Rise and Fall of the Osborne Computer Corporation.
Using the Osborne 1 computer Paperback – 1983 by T. G Lewis - https://www.amazon.com/Using-Osborne-computer-T-Lewis/dp/083598141X
Technical manual - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/osborne/o1techm.pdf
User's Reference Guide - http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/osborne/osborne1/Osborne_1_Users_Reference_Guide_1981.pdf
Field Service Manual - http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/osborne/2F00040-00_Service2ndEdition_1983.pdf
Osborne CP/M User Guide by Thom Hogan - https://archive.org/details/osborne-cpm-users-guide_2nd-ed/page/n45

Ads and Appearances

User Groups

FOG info at bitsavers.org - http://bitsavers.org/bits/Users_Groups/FOG/
FOGhorn collection at Computer History Museum - https://www.computerhistory.org/search/?q=foghorn

Modern Upgrades

If you really want to replace the drives, there are several designs, kits or ready to use flash-to-Shugart replacements available. An example is the Floppyflash.
HxC Floppy Emulators supported machines/compatibility list - https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_drive_emulator/support.htm where it lists the Osborne 1
Video showing GoTek floppy emulator in Osborne 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZdQVYXK2PM
Osborne 1 "Portable" Computer Reborn with a Raspberry Pi - https://blog.hackster.io/osborne-1-portable-computer-reborn-with-a-raspberry-pi-51fa82682f3a

Emulation

Z80-CP/M emulator - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/sim/z80mu52b.zip
Z80-CP/M simulator - boots CP/M - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/sim/myz80cpm.zip
For Rasperry Pi you need to download the CP/M Emulator software https://github.com/jhallen/cpm
http://www.archive.org in-browser emulation
MAME - https://www.mamedev.org/

Community

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/690000664701397/
Forums
- AtariAge - in the Classic Computers section - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/116-classic-computing/

Current Web Sites

Osborne Computer Corporation. David H. Ahl. - CREATIVE COMPUTING VOL. 10, NO. 3 / MARCH 1984 / PAGE 24 - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n3/24_Osborne_Comptuer_Corporat.php
Osborne! The machine, the man, and the dawn of the portable computing revolution. By Harry McCracken
Video of Osborne 1 computer on YouTube by David Larsen
The Osborne 1. As seen in Tezza's classic computer collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_FufKMd-lU
Osborne 1 (1981) – when the personal computer became portable - By RICCARDO BIANCHINI - 2018-08-05 https://www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/osborne-1-1981-when-the-personal-computer-became-portable/
Osborne 1 - Complete History of the Osborne 1 Computer - https://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Personal/Osborne.html
Dave's Old Computers - Osborne - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/osborne/index.htm
Osborne 1 3D Model - https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/osborne-1-67f8eafe7a3a4372bde130f31a6b1776
Retrocomputing Archive - http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/disks/osborne/index.html
Transferring files to the Osborne 1 - http://www.toniwestbrook.com/archives/80
The Computer Chronicles - Computer Entrepreneurs (1984) - https://archive.org/details/Computer1984_5
VCF1 - Lee Felsenstein and Bob Marsh (1997) - https://archive.org/details/VCF1-LeeFelsensteinAndBobMarsh
TOSEC Collection at Archive.org - https://archive.org/details/Osborne_OSBORNE_1_and_Executive_TOSEC_2012_04_23

References

https://www.patreon.com/lfelsenstein
Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine - https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Valley-Making-Personal-Computer/dp/0071358927
Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer - https://www.amazon.com/Stan-Veits-History-Personal-Computer/dp/1566640237 by Stan Veit

Floppy Days 90 - Lee Felsenstein Interview Apr 26, 2019

Show notes

Episode 90 - Interview with Lee Felsenstein (Osborne 1)

Welcome to episode 90 of the Floppy Days Podcast for April, 2019.

In the timeline for personal computer introductions, we are now in the year 1981. For this episode, and actually the next couple as well, we are going to be talking about the Osborne 1.

The Osborne 1 was the first commercially successful portable microcomputer, released on April 3, 1981 by Osborne Computer Corporation. It was powered by the Z80 CPU, weighed 24.5 lb, cost US$1,795, and ran the CP/M operating system. It was powered from a wall socket, as it had no on-board battery, but is a portable device since it can be hand-carried when packed. The computer shipped with a large bundle of software that was almost equivalent in value to the machine itself.

The Osborne 1 was the brain child of Adam Osborne and was brilliantly engineered by Lee Felsenstein. So, who better to have help me talk about the machine than Lee Felsenstein himself. To kick off this series, we're going to spend some time with Lee talking about his time before and after the Osborne 1. And then in the next show we will talk about the history surrounding the Osborne 1 itself. Finally, we will cover the usual computer topics such as tech specs, emulators, Web sites, and more.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

BBC Micro repair/accessories - Mark Haysman http://www.retroclinic.com
Pi Co-processor for BBC Micro - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACORN-BBC-MASTER-128-INTERNAL-RASPBERRY-PI-MULTI-CORE-CO-PROCESSOR-KIT/264220089777
ZX Spectrum +2A RGB to SCART cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum-3-2A-2B-High-Quality-RGB-Scart-Video-Cable-TV-Lead/260830045368
VIDHD - To order VidHD boards ($135 USD + S/H), email vidhd@blueshiftinc.com and include the desired quantity and shipping address.
VIDHD video - https://youtu.be/ehQpC2-NEBM
Exidy Sorcerer Cassette software in WAV format from Terry Stewart - https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-01-23-software-for-real-sorcerers.htm

Upcoming Shows

the Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS)! April 27-28, Toolbox LA (https://toolbox.la) Chatsworth, California - The CLASS website is on-line at http://www.portcommodore.com/class and discussion of CLASS is in the shared forum area with CommVEx at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=6
VCFSE 7.0 is scheduled for April 27, 28, Roswell, GA - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southeast/
VCF East May 3-5, InfoAge Science Center, Wall, NJ - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/
June 8-9 Pacific Commodore Expo NW (PaCommEx) at The Living Computers: Museum + Labs, Seattle, Washington - http://www.portcommodore.com/pacommex, discussion is on the forum at https://www.commodore.ca/forum/viewforum.php?f=14
KansasFest, July 15-21, 2019, Kansas City, MO - https://www.kansasfest.org/
VCF West, Aug 3-4, Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View, California - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-west/
Fujiama 2019 - Monday, August 26, 2019 to Sunday Sep. 1, 2019 (ONE WHOLE WEEK) - Schützenhaus, Lengenfeld, Germany. Visit atarixle's Fujiama page, Krupkaj's parties photos or mathy meetings page.
VCF Midwest, Elmhurst, IL - Sep. 14-15, 2019 - http://vcfmw.org/
Tandy Assembly - Springfield, OH, Sep. 28-29, 2019 - http://www.tandyassembly.com
Portland Retro Gaming Expo Oct 18-20 http://www.retrogamingexpo.com
Chicago TI International World's Faire - Nov 2, 2019 - http://chicagotiug.sdf.org/ - Evanston, IL

Lee Felsenstein Interview

Floppy Days 89 - The Apple III - Part 3 with David Fradin Feb 03, 2019

Show notes

The Apple III - Part 3 with David Fradin

Welcome to episode 89 of the Floppy Days Podcast, where we love our computers and programmable calculators of the 70's and 80's (and even into the 90's).

As mentioned on the last episode, we've moved in to the year 1981 for computer introductions and have been discussing the much maligned but misunderstood Apple III for the past couple of shows. This episode will be the last in the series about that machine. This episode we focus on an interview with someone who was responsible for the Apple III line at Apple in his tenure there, Mr. David Fradin. David was product manager for that line and has some insights into the challenges of managing and marketing it.

Before we get to the interview, I will briefly talk about what I've been up to and about some new-to-me vintage computer acquisitions. I'll also run through the upcoming vintage computer show schedule for 2019, which is pretty full, and I have a bit of feedback to share.

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions/What I've Been Up To