The only problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes trouble shoots back. Welcome to Show 092! This week's topic: A Close Encounter - The CompuColor II! Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)... Gamasutra's History Of Zork can be found here... And, an alternate history of Zork , written by Tim Anderson and Stu Galley, from The New Zork Times, 1985! Jason Scott, creator of the BBS Documentary , is making a documentary, called "Get Lamp" on text-based interactive...
Jul 09, 2007•22 min
"...you might like to come to a gathering of people with likeminded interests. Exchange information, swap ideas, talk shop, help work on a project, whatever..." - excerpt from the original Homebrew Computer Club newsletter, March 15, 1975 Welcome to Show 091! This week's topic: The Users Group! Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)... Here's info on the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest 3.0 , coming up July 14th and Sunday, July 15th! Be sure to send any comments...
Jul 02, 2007•30 min
Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window. -Steve Wozniak Welcome to Show 090! This week's topic: Random Bits (a variety show)! Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)... ADTPro (Apple Disk Transfer Pro) goes 1.0! Read about it here! Need a USB-based solution for connecting your 8-bit Atari system to your PC? They've got just the thing at AtariMax... Only a few lucky people were original owners of a Kenbak-1, recognized by many as the first personal compu...
Jun 25, 2007•18 min
I keep hitting the "Home" key, but I'm still not home. Welcome to Show 089! This week's topic: A Book Review - "iWoz" If you're having trouble getting to the PETSCII Forums (including the Retrobits Forum), here's an alternate link... SNOBOL? Yep, back when we used Fortran and loved it, SNOBOL was moving strings ahead, getting us ready for more sophisticated string processing in languages and tools to come. Have a look at the SNOBOL4 site for some more info! Be sure to send any comments, question...
Jun 12, 2007•26 min
Is it the espresso or OS/2 Warp Connect? (from a 1995 IBM marketing ad...) Welcome to Show 088! This week's topic: My OS/2 Adventure! Can you find retrocomputing items on the Freecycle mailing list? You can, I did! Plus, it looks to be a very good resource in general! Changing the world, one gift at a time... The history of OS/2 is long and respectable. Have a look! Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, ch...
Jun 07, 2007•30 min
A floppy saved is a floppy earned. Welcome to Show 087! This week's topic: Retro Project Time! Steve Wozniak - always a treat to see him speak. Here's a recent presentation by the Woz himself, on YouTube. Want to see the insides of an ASR 33 teletype ? I thought you did! Digibarn has just the video for you. Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums pa...
May 28, 2007•35 min
10 Characters Per Second - Terminal Velocity. Welcome to Show 086! This week's topic: My Favorite Terminals! Zork, on a cell phone? Yep, check it out here ... Erik Klein's Vintage Computers site - a great resource, and be sure to check out the forums! Wikipedia's page on the ASR33 terminal (be sure to check out the bigger picture that they link to...) Another good info resource on the ASR33 , on the PDP8.net site! The DECwriter II LA36 - now that's my kind of printing terminal. Here's some DECwr...
May 14, 2007•25 min
Warning: OHS Error at line 10 (Operator Head Space) Welcome to Show 085! This week's topic: PC Support Memories! Check out the RetroMacCast, a great show where great old Macs live again! Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan . Thanks for listening! - Earl This work is licensed un...
May 07, 2007•40 min
FOR retrobits = 1 to 84: NEXT ]_ Welcome to Show 084! This week's topic: A Book Review: Basic APPLE BASIC! Gaby's Homepage for CP/M and Computer History - a source for information on CP/M and more! A remake of Colossus - The Forbin Project ? Really? Will the humans get to win this time? Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is...
Apr 30, 2007•30 min
Show Complete - Ctrl-K D X A>_ Welcome to Show 083! This week's topic: WordStar! Star Voyager - an NES game that looks like, hmmm, Star Raiders? See for yourself... Here's are some TI 99/4 videos , including a programming video presentation for the aspiring 99er! Want some help getting your Lisa Emulator up and running? Have a look at this step by step guide...if you need StuffIt Expander, check here ... WordStar.org has some interesting history and other resources for modern WordStar users! ...
Apr 25, 2007•29 min
Is that a Zylon behind you? LOOK OUT! Welcome to Show 082! This week's topic: Star Raiders! Which of the top 6 best buys in personal computing (from January 1982) is right for you? Have a look at this old article from Popular Mechanics to find out! Star Raiders, one of the top ten most important games of all time , has a tribute page here , and Wikipedia page here ... Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, ...
Apr 16, 2007•32 min
To err is computer. Welcome to Show 081! This week's Topic: Yad Sloof Lirpa! No topics or links were discussed in this week's podcast. Why? Heh, you've got to listen to find out... Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan . Thanks for listening! - Earl This work is licensed under a ...
Apr 02, 2007•14 min
"Where a calculator on the Eniac is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps weigh 1-1/2 tons" - Popular Mechanics, March, 1949 Welcome to Show 080! This week's Topic: The UNIVAC I! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... What are the 10 worst PCs of all time? See what PC World thinks... Wikipedia has a page on the UNIVAC I - thanks as always for their great info...also check out the page on the innovative mer...
Mar 26, 2007•27 min
A chocolate VIC-20? Yum! Welcome to Show 079! This week's Topic: The Commodore 16! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Commodore Gaming plans to release a new line of super-powered gaming systems - check it out at their web site ... Retro Roundup - a one-stop site for retro computing and gaming news! Atari 2600 programming? You bet! With Batari BASIC ... Commodore 16.com and Plus/4 World - two great sites with Commodore 16 and Plus/4 information, games, forums, the works! Want to emulat...
Mar 19, 2007•31 min
There's no key like Home. There's no key like Home. Welcome to Show 078! This week's Topic: A Book Review - 10 Starter Programs From Family Computer! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Check out Evan Koblentz's new blog on ComputerWorld! And new episodes of the Boring Beige Box Podcast ! Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Th...
Mar 12, 2007•24 min
$110 per megabyte. That's when we walked to school uphill. 10 miles. In the snow. Welcome to Show 077! This week's Topic: Retro Roundup! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Aprigliano's blog entries on his father and the (formerly) mysterious CDC machine can be found here , and the Commodore 129 remix of the Bach tune that Commodore used in the 80s can be found here ... DTACK Grounded? A helicopter? No, a 68000 information newsleter, of course, with archives here ... C4 Expo 2007 info T...
Mar 05, 2007•26 min
Faster than a speeding mainframe! More powerful than a uniprocessor! It's the SuperPET! Welcome to Show 076! This week's Topic: The Commodore SuperPET, and the APL Programming Language Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Wikipedia's page on APL, some good info and links here... Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is...
Feb 26, 2007•27 min
World's First Minicomputer Kit to Rival Commercial Models... "Altair 8800" (1975...what a year!) Welcome to Show 075! This week's Topic: The Year 1975! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... A new full-color book for the Commodore 64 is available for pre-order - have a look at this site for more details. Brought to you by the same folks as the ZX Spectrum Book ! Check out online videos of some PET programs in action! I love to hear Woz tell the tales of the old days - here is a show on IT ...
Feb 12, 2007•24 min
Hi there, Retrobits is taking a break this week. Be sure to tune in next week for more retrocomputing goodness!
Feb 05, 2007•14 sec
Gooey and Whizzywhig. Don't they sound like ice cream flavors? Welcome to Show 074! This week's Topic: The Apple Lisa! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... A Commodore 64 PDA? Excellent! Can it sync with my e-mail system? No, but it is way cool! Visit a website hosted by a real Lisa 2 ! No kidding! For a great multimedia resource on the Lisa , have a look at the Graphical User Interface Gallery site ! Want to read the Lisa user's manual? You can, but watch out - this is a 60+ Mb PDF down...
Jan 29, 2007•25 min
SHOW = RND(0) * TOPICS Welcome to Show 073! This week's Topic: Retro Roundup (Variety Show)! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Visit a website hosted by a real Lisa 2 ! No kidding! This is a bonus link, I didn't talk about it on the show... By the way, this is a hint at next week's podcast... Why is my vintage computer turning yellow? Find out from this fantastic write-up on vintagecomputing.com ! Want to turn your retro computer into a information kiosk? Now you can! Check out startt...
Jan 24, 2007•18 min
It's sunny and cold here! Perfect weather for a podcast... Welcome to Show 072! This week's Topic: An Interview with Rob O'Hara, Author of Commodork: Sordid Tales From A BBS Junkie, Part II! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... The official site for the book "Commodork: Sordid Tales From A BBS Junkie"! BBSMates - where you can rejoin your lost comrades from the BBS generation! Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits...
Jan 15, 2007•46 min
Yippee, it's a New Year! Happy 2007! Welcome to Show 071! This week's Topic: An Interview with Rob O'Hara, Author of Commodork: Sordid Tales From A BBS Junkie, Part I Topics and links discussed in the podcast... The official site for the book "Commodork: Sordid Tales From A BBS Junkie"! Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum on the PETSCII Forums page! Our Theme Song is...
Jan 08, 2007•44 min
A show on a calculator? Yep, it all adds up. Welcome to Show 070! This week's Topic: The HP-41C Programmable Scientific Calculator! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... What's Dan Bricklin, creator of VisiCalc, up to these days? Find out in an online interview at LowEndMac.com! Check out the HP41 page on The Museum of HP Calculators for a good write-up on the 41! The HP41.org site has emulators, software, manuals and more! HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A FANTASTIC NEW YEAR! See you in 2007! Be sure...
Dec 18, 2006•30 min
What we have here is a successful way to communicate. Welcome to Show 069! This week's Topic: Perspectives On Networking! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Check out the 8bitsunplugged blog, another happy retrocomputing spot on the World Wide Web... Apple II Forever? You bet! Computer Chronicles had it right all along... Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com . For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retrobits Podcast forum...
Dec 11, 2006•33 min
Our friends up north are having a party! (Well, they're north of me...) Welcome to Show 068! This week's Topic: The World Of Commodore 2006, from Toronto, Canada! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... The "Atari Landfill" legend - fact or fiction? You decide! All the details uncovered (unfortunately, none of the cartridges can ever be "uncovered"...) Have a look at the DOS section of the Paterson Technology site, and take a look at this page for info on the humble beginnings of MS-DOS! Be...
Dec 03, 2006•24 min
It's Retro Deja Vu all over again... Welcome to Show 067! This week's Topic: Retro Mix (a variety show)! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Want to test your Amiga skill and cunning? Then take the Amiga Quiz ! Let us know how you do. I scored a 37%. It's not pretty, but I confess it anyhow. When you're ready to hook up your Commodore drives to your Windows or Linux system, make sure you look at the OpenCBM software package! About Woz, by Woz - iWoz , the new autobiography. I must read ...
Nov 27, 2006•21 min
"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development." (Aristotle) Welcome to Show 066! This week's Topic: Great Inventions In Computing! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... Play the adventure that started it all - The Colossal Cave Adventure ! Commodore 128 fan? Then check out Commodore 128 Alive ... PBS had a show on the Transistor called " Transistorized" - their site has lots of info on that device that changed the world! The 4004 ( Wikipedia page and Intel p...
Nov 20, 2006•31 min
Floating point numbers keep it real. Welcome to Show 065! This week's Topic: The C Programming Language, Part II! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... The World of Commodore 2006 is coming on Dec 2, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada ! Check out the info at the TPUG web site . If you want to try C/C++ (or C#, or VB.NET), have a look at the free Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions from Microsoft. Another great option for C/C++ on Windows and DOS is OpenWatcom ! If C for the 6502 is your goa...
Nov 13, 2006•38 min
Integers just don't get the point. Welcome to Show 064! This week's Topic: The C Programming Language! Topics and links discussed in the podcast... The October edition of the 1 MHz podcast is out. Don't miss it! Wikipedia, as usual, a good place to start - this time, on the C Programming Language. Here's an article written by Dennis Ritchie on the history of C . Nothing like getting your history straight from the source! Here's some info on the book: The C Programming Language - note the various...
Nov 06, 2006•31 min
