See http://www.retrobits.com/2014/10/show-147-jeff-ledger-and-micromite.html for show notes!

This feed is NOT 404.

Welcome to Show #145!  This episode's topic: The Vintage Computer Festival East 9.1!

The Vintage Computer Festival (VCF) East 9.1 information page!

Tune in to the sometimes rowdy Retro Computing Roundtable Podcast, Next Without For or Chicken Lips Radio for more retro goodness!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retro Podcast section at the Vintage Computer Forums.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Old Computers. Me Likey.

Welcome to Show #144!  This episode's topic: Raiders of the Lost Shrinkwrap!

Tune in to the sometimes rowdy Retro Computing Roundtable Podcast - http://rcrpodcast.com/
Next Without For and Chicken Lips Radio coming soon!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retro Podcast section at the Vintage Computer Forums.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Give us a listen. We don't byte.

Welcome to Show #143!  This episode's topic: An Interview with Bob Armstrong of Spare Time Gizmos!

Links for Spare Time Gizmos and the SBC6120:

Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sparetimegizmos/
SBC6120 on the Spare Time Gizmos page: http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Hardware/SBC6120-2.htm
ELF2K on the Spare Time Gizmos page: http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Hardware/Elf2K.htm
Spare Time Gizmos Wiki documentation for recent things: http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/wdoc/index.php?title=Main_Page

New podcasts coming:

Chicken Lips Radio (not a poultry show) for Commodore topics...
Next Without For - a podcast about programming retro computers!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retro Podcast section at the Vintage Computer Forums.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

And, We're Back.  Again!  Yoi otoshi o!

Welcome to Show #142!  This episode's topic: An Interview with Kevin Savetz!

Here's the site for Kevin Savetz' new book, Terrible Nerd!
Tune in to the sometimes rowdy Retro Computing Roundtable Podcast - http://rcrpodcast.com/
Want to know more about Reversi?  Check out the Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retro Podcast section at the Vintage Computer Forums.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

And, We're Back.

Welcome to Show #141!  This episode's topic: My Reversi Game Adventure, Part I!

Tune in to the sometimes rowdy Retro Computing Roundtable Podcast - http://rcrpodcast.com/
Hang with us at the Vintage Computer Forums - http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/forum.php
Specifically, you can find us in the Retro Podcast section on that forum - http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?83-Retro-Podcasts-Discussion
Apple2Online – the online resource for Apple II documentation, software, and more – celebrating their 2 year anniversary - http://apple2online.com/
 This year’s Vintage Computer Festival East 8.0 looks to be the biggest and best ever - http://www.vintage.org/2012/east/ - May 5th and 6th, 2012
If you’re a Color Computer Fan, check out the 21st annual “Last” Chicago CoCofest 2012 - http://www.glensideccc.com/ - May 19th and 20th, 2012
The RCR is in the house at this year’s KansasFest 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri, July 17th through the 22nd, 2012 - http://www.kansasfest.org/
Learn more about the Commodore Flyer Internet modem and disk drive emulator - http://www.retroswitch.com/products/flyer/
Want to know more about Reversi?  Check out the Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

For online discussions on Retrobits Podcast topics, check out the Retro Podcast section at the Vintage Computer Forums.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Hooray, it's Tax Day... (for U.S. listeners...)

Welcome to Show #140!  This episode's topic: The Vintage Computer Festival (VCF) East 7.0!

In this episode, I'm joined by Evan Koblentz of the Mid Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists, who talks about the upcoming VCF East 7.0.

You can find information about the VCF East 7.0 here, and also on Facebook!  Also, you can contact Evan Koblentz at evan@snarc.net.
MARCH has recently acquired an IBM 1130 mainframe - check out more info on the IBM 1130 at ibm1130.org...

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to Show #139!  This episode's topic: My SFD-1001 drive adventure!

In this episode, I discuss the Commodore SFD-1001 disk drive, IEEE-488 interface technology, and my related Retrochallenge 2011 Winter Warmup entry!

Find information on the rebuilding of EDSAC (CNET link) at the U.K. National Museum of Computing site...
See a video tour from Robert Scoble of the new Revolution exhibit at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California!
Visual 6502 - a transistor level simulator (and a LOT of info) for the 6502 microprocessor!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Happy Holidays!

Welcome to Show #138!  This episode's topic: The PDP-8 Minicomputer!

In this episode, I provide an introduction to the PDP-8 Minicomputer, released by Digital Equipment Corporation in 1965.  The PDP-8 was the first commercially-produced and widely available minicomputer, and launched a new era in computing.

The new generation of Commodore?  Check out the new Commodore 64 - a modern PC in a C64 replica case...
The Diamond operating system - the Atari 8-bit GUI OS!
The Retro Computing Roundtable (RCR) is a new podcast hosted by David Greelish, now on episode #4!  Find out more at the Classic Computing blog...
It's time for this year's Retrochallenge Winter Warmup!  Get your retro game face on!
The Cult Of Mac website covers the Vintage Apple news for 2010...
The IEEE Computer Society launches a new feature - Computing Then!
Keynote speaker announced for this year's KansasFest...more info at their site...
Check out the PDP-8 FAQs at faqs.org, and also the Doug Jones PDP-8 resource site!
Cool PDP-8 video on YouTube (video will begin playing immediately) from TNMOC, and also the PDP-8 playing music!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

A personal computer with 64K of RAM for only $595????

Welcome to Show #137!  This episode's topic: The Commodore 64, Part III!

In this episode, I conclude our examination of the Commodore 64, covering the variants of the C64, some popular hardware and software add-ons, and of course, modern day fun.

"The Woz" recently gave a preview tour of the Computer History Museum's upcoming permanent exhibit - "Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing".
Check out the Retro Computing Roundtable podcast on iTunes or at the Classic Computing blog site!
Hear real SID tunes at the SOASC (Stone Oakvalley's Authentic SID Collection) web page.
Want to know more about the GEOS operating system for the C64?  Check out the awesome GEOS FAQ!  You can download GEOS for the C64 at the CBM Files site.
Check out Jeremy Reimer's blog entry on Personal Computer Market Share, 1975-2009.  It is VERY informative.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Bits are bits.

Welcome to Show #136!  This episode's topic: KansasFest 2010 with Ivan Drucker!

Ivan Drucker, attendee at this year's KansasFest 2010 event, gives us the scoop on sessions, activities, and related fun!

(Part III of the Commodore 64 series coming soon!)

For info on this and next year's KansasFest, visit www.kansasfest.org!
Also, check out KansasFest videos (search for "KansasFest") on vimeo.com.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

3.2 GHz hexacore, and my GIGO goes faster!

Welcome to Show #135!  This episode's topic: The Commodore 64, Part II!

In Part II of this series on the Commodore 64, I talk about two of the chips in the Commodore 64 that really set it apart from the competition - the VIC-II graphics chip, and the SID sound/synthesizer.

300 Baud Magazine - what a great title!  Check it out at their website...
Linus Åkesson does some great stuff with chiptunes and demos!
Results are in for Retrochallenge 2010!  See them here...
Happy 25th birthday Amiga!  Want to read a cool retrospective at the Technologizer website?
Dates are set for KansasFest 2011!  Time to start counting the days...
At Bletchley Park, they're teaching computing old skool.  See this article on BBC News!
Wow, the 2600 game doesn't look like the game art!  Really?  Rundlc.com has a great post on this...
Lots of info on the C64 "SID" chip at sid.kubarth.com...
Wikipedia to the rescue for the VIC-II!  Make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Five Year Anniversary coming up!

Welcome to Show #134!  This episode's topic: An Interview with Stewart Cheifet, Part II!

In part II of this interview, Stewart Cheifet and I discuss more about the Net Café television program, the effort to bring Computer Chronicles to the Internet Archive, more about the Internet Archive including its work with NASA, and some parting shots on the computing industry in general.

(Note: The Commodore 64 series will resume after this two-parter with Stewart Cheifet.  Stay tuned...)

The Internet Archive site for NASA, as mentioned by Stewart Cheifet on the podcast!
Check out Stewart Cheifet’s website at www.cheifet.com.
Two new retrocomputing users groups in my area - Commodore Computer Club - Vancouver, WA – USA:, and the Portland Commodore Users Group!
Retrochallenge 2010 starts in just one week!  Sign up at retrochallenge.org!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to earl@retrobits.com.

The Retrobits Podcast blog can be found at www.retrobits.com.  You can follow the podcast on Twitter @RetroEarl.

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Run.  Stop.  Restore.

Welcome to Show #133!  This episode's topic: An Interview with Stewart Cheifet, Part I!

In part I of this interview, Stewart Cheifet discusses the genesis and some favorite moments from the Computer Chronicles program, which he anchored for two decades.

(Note: The Commodore 64 series will resume after this two-parter with Stewart Cheifet.  Stay tuned...)

Want a full-featured command-line based mail agent?  Check out Heirloom Mailx!
Talk Geek to Me, an Internet Radio program by Deepgeek.
A Tandy CoCo, connected to the Internet as a client and server?  You bet...
Some very nice retro computing photos on Time magazine's site!
15 enjoyable vintage tech ads on IT World...

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Computers for the masses, not the classes...

Welcome to Show #132!  This episode's topic: The Commodore 64, Part I!

In part I of this series on the Commodore 64, I cover my initial experiences with the machine (back in "the day"), and also provide an overview of the C64 hardware specifications.

Have an old 680x0 based Mac?  Interested in them?  If so, be sure to visit the 68K Macintosh Liberation Army site!
Commodore reborn, again?  Have a look at the article on The Register, and the website itself at Commodore USA, LLC, and you be the judge...
Read "The Bob Chronicles", and remember one of the most famous software failures of all time!
KansasFest 2010 is open for registration!
Join in on PET Alive!, a 10-day event to celebrate the Commodore PET!

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Yay!  We're BACK!

Welcome to Show #131!  This episode's topic: Ten Years Of Retrocomputing!

In this episode, I discuss some observations on the time that I've spent in the retrocomputing hobby, which coincidentally turns out to be 10 years.  It's been a fun ride, and more fun to come!

The SIDStick is a portable SID chiptunes player.  More information at the Gadget Gangster website...
Old retro plastics yellowed with age?  Take a look at Retr0bright to see if it might be a solution!

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

I found the Enter key.  Where's the Exit key?

Welcome to Show #130!  This episode's topic: Enhancing the TRS-80 Model 100!

In this episode, I cover two add-on products for the Tandy Model 100/102/200 computers - the REX flash module, and the NADSBox SD-card storage system.

Both of the products discussed in this episode can be found at the Club100 site!

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

Have you hugged your retro computer today?

Welcome to Show #129!  This episode's topic: Connecting with the Atari 800!

In this episode, I cover several of the Atari 8-bit add-on products from Atarimax, including the SIO2PC/ProSystem adapter, the Atari Peripheral Emulator for Windows software package, and the MaxFlash 8 Mbit flash memory cartridge!  It's loads of 8-bit modern day fun.

The full range of Atarimax products can be found here, at their website...
A new game for the Atari 8-bit systems, Kolony 2106, available for download, with manual!
The game was announced at the AtariAge forums, where information is available on purchasing the special collector's edition...

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

Hi there Retrocomputing fans!

I wanted to post a quick note and let everyone know that more episodes of Retrobits are on the way soon!  I've had some challenges dragging on my heels the last few weeks, but things are getting back to normal.

Thanks for staying tuned!  Chat with you soon...

- Earl

Part IV!

Welcome to Show #128!  This episode's topic: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part IV!

In this final, part IV of the interview series with Chuck Peddle, he discusses being among the first to bring hard drive technology to personal computing, portable hard drive systems, industry trends, and his current endeavors with flash memory.  He ends with a tribute to many of the engineers and industry players that he worked with throughout the years.

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 just in at the news desk - computers are cool!

Welcome to Show #127!  This episode's topic: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part III!

In part III of this interview series, Chuck Peddle discusses further market considerations for the Commodore 8-bit machines, and leaving Commodore to produce business-class personal computers at Victor/Sirius.

Look for Part IV, the conclusion, sometime around August 31st!

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

We will serve no bits before their time.

Welcome to Show #126!  This episode's topic: The Vintage Computer Festival East 6.0!

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

Hi again!

Welcome to Show #125!  This episode's topic: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part II!

In this episode, Chuck Peddle, lead creator of the 6502 microprocessor and the Commodore PET, continues our conversation on the early history of the 6502 and Commodore computers, and the market dynamics of the day!  It's a great conversation.

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

Press Enter to exit...

Welcome to Show #124!  This episode's topic: KansasFest 2009 Special Report!

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

Hi there!

Welcome to Show #123!  This episode's topic: An Interview With Chuck Peddle, Part I!

In this episode, I'm happy to bring you the first part of an interview with Chuck Peddle, lead designer of the 6502 microprocessor, Commodore PET, and many other innovations in the computing industry.  In Part I, Chuck talks about his early history in computing, distributed intelligence, and the development and launch of the 6502.

Enjoy!

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

High level languages sold here.  No assembly required.

Welcome to Show #122!  This episode's topic: A Brief History Of Programming!

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

: podcast prepare record upload listen ;

Welcome to Show #121!  This episode's topic: The Forth Programming Language, Part II!

Check out www.zophar.net, an interesting emulator resource!
Don't miss out on the Commodore Vegas Expo (CommVEX) 5.0, happening July 25-26 2009 at the Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas, NV...
Looking for Atari retro resources and discussions?  Then hop on over to AtariAge!
The book "Starting Forth" by Leo Brodie is a Forth language classic, and Thinking Forth is the excellent sequel!
An account of the history of Forth can be found on the Forth, Inc. site - "The Evolution Of Forth"!
Modern day Forth systems include Win32Forth and GForth...

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

No computers were harmed in the making of this podcast.

Welcome to Show #120!  This episode's topic: The Forth Programming Language, Part I!

Check out the excellent Commodore 64 laptop project by Ben Heck!
To the moon Alice!  Here's an emulator for the Apollo AGC system, the computer for the Apollo spacecraft...
Computers are in movies all over the place, including many of our retro computer favorites.  For full coverage, check out the "Starring the Computer" site!
The Breakpoint 2009 demo party is over, but videos, photo collections, and reports are there for those of us who couldn't attend...
The book "Starting Forth" by Leo Brodie is a Forth language classic, and one of the best programming introductions for any language...
An account of the history of Forth can be found on the Forth, Inc. site - "The Evolution Of Forth"!

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 podcast produced with WYHIWYG (what you hear is what you get).

Welcome to Show #119!  This episode's topic: Retro Roundup!

The 8-bit TV Computer - 6502 based, Famicom/NES compatible, programmable, on the Maker Shed site...
Playpower is promoting the use of the 8-bit TV Computer as an educational game development system!  After having a look at their site, check out this Wired article on what Playpower is up to...
Have a look at the Rare and Old Computers blog, where you can see information on production numbers and current sales of rare and old computers!
Ancient UNIX?  You bet...how about...First Edition?  Download it at the unix-jun72 Google Code project site, then run it on the awesome SIMH simulation system...
If you're a Commodore fan, check out Commodore Free - the freely downloadable magazine!
The Woz can help jump-start the computing industry, but...can he dance?  Find out at his website page covering the "Dancing With The Stars" event, and at Woz TV on YouTube!

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

Two announcements:

 First, a new Retrobits episode will be online tomorrow.

Second, The Retrobits Podcast is re-launching on a regular schedule, every two weeks.  A weekly podcast is not working out at the moment, and the schedule is all over the place.  I'm switching to bi-weekly to get back on track.

Thanks for listening and for your patience, and chat with you soon!

- Earl

(A)bort, (R)etry, (S)mash with large hammer? _

Welcome to Show #118!  This week's topic: The Commodore PET 2001!

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

"TI's new Compact Computer. It takes over your work, not your desk."
(an ad from 1983)

Welcome to Show #117!  This week's topic: The Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40!

Radio Shack catalogs of the past!  Too cool!
The Ultimate Commodore 64 presentation - video and notes...
Tex*In Treasures - a great place to find your TI 99/4A and TI CC-40 gear!
Here is some general info on the CC-40 from 99er.net...and from Wikipedia...
...and more detailed technical info at this FTP site!

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

The Apple IIGS - a computer with appeal.

Welcome to Show #116!  This week's topic: The Apple II, Part 3 (the Apple IIGS)!

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

Sorry for the delay!  All work and no play makes my podcast late...

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

"What kind of man owns his own computer?"
(Apple II ad, 1980)

Welcome to Show #115!  This week's topic: The Retro Spirit - Part II!

Check out the Pandora project - a handheld computing/gaming unit designed by the community!
The One Laptop Per Child "XO" is an example of modern day innovation in personal computing...here is the Wikipedia page...
Rob Barnaby, developer of WordStar, visits the Digibarn!

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

I don't really want to "surf" the web.  The idea of the web crashing down on me is, honestly, frightening...

Welcome to Show #114!  This week's topic: The Retro Spirit - Part I!

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

Computing is as computing does.

Welcome to Show #113!  This week's topic: The Apple II - Part 2!

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

I'm back!

Welcome to Show #112!  This week's topic: The Apple II - Part I!

Want to build a digital computer with not much more than paper clips?  Have a look at these plans from June 1967...
New development on the VIC-20?  Absolutely!  And check out the Denial site, a fantastic resource for the VIC-20!
Up for a retro challenge?  Then check out Retrochallenge 2008 - happening next month!  Sign up soon...

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

Binary - you either like it, or you don't.

Welcome to Show #111!  This week's topic: The Epson HX-20 portable computer!

Have a look at this BBC article and video regarding the reunion of the creators of the BBC Micro!
Using a PX-8 laptop as a terminal for Mac OS X?  Leave it to Byte Cellar...
Back In Time Live Stockholm 2008 is coming up in September!  If you are into the Commodore 64 music scene, check out the website for more info!
For a user-supported information resource on the Amstrad CPC, have a look at the CPCWiki...

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

There are two ways to write error-free programs; only the third one works.

Welcome to Show #110!  This week's topic: My Scott Adams Adventure Adventure!

Check out the Scott Adams official site, where you can download Scott Adams adventure games to play on your Windows system!
Or, play the games directly online at the ifiction.org website...

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

Binary - for those who try a bit harder.

Welcome to Show #109!  This week's topic: Building Blocks!

An Apple //c, new in the box?  And now it's opened?  Here are the pictures...
Jump aboard the Mac Mothership for a variety of Apple historical info!

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

DOWN WITH CYBERCRUD!!!

Welcome to Show #108!  This week's topic: Book Review: What The Dormouse Said

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

C:\>WIN

Welcome to Show #107!  This week's topic: Windows 3.0!

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

HAPPY Y2K8!

Welcome to Show #106!  This week's topic: Random Bits (a variety show)!

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

Happy Birthday C64!  Many happy returns...

Welcome to Show #105!  This week's topic: The 68000 Microprocessor!

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

cat retrobits.txt > /dev/listener

Welcome to Show #104!  This week's topic: The Unix Operating System!

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

Amiga gives you a creative edge.  (From a 1985 ad...)

Welcome to Show #103!  This week's topic: The Commodore Amiga!

How did we view computers in the 1960s?  Not too much differently than today!  See for yourself in this YouTube video...(will start playing on launch of the URL).
The Computer History Museum will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Commodore 64 in December - the lineup includes Jack Tramiel, founder and CEO of Commodore.  More info here on the Museum's events page.
The full-blown, unabridged history of the Amiga can be found on the Amiga History Site...there's lots of material, ranging from the beginning years to fairly recently.
Emulate the Amiga in style with the Amiga Forever package from Cloanto!

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

Beware the Chickenhead!

Welcome to Show #102!  This week's topic: An Interview with Bil Herd, former Commodore Engineer (Part III)!

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

All Hail the Chickenhead!

Welcome to Show #101!  This week's topic: An Interview with Bil Herd, former Commodore Engineer (Part II)!

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

Long live the Chickenhead!

Welcome to Show 100!  Thanks for another great year!

This week's topic: An Interview with Bil Herd, former Commodore Engineer (Part I)!

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

Remember, wherever you went, there you were.

Welcome to Show 099!  This week's topic: The 2007 State Of The 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 Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

We're BACK!!!

Welcome to Show 098!  This week's topic: My Koala Pad Adventure!

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

I pressed the End key, and it was all over.

Welcome to Show 097!  This week's topic: Ethernet!

Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)...
Have a look at the site for the Dick Smith System 80 (a TRS-80 clone, but with a style of its own!)

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

Beauty is only case-deep.

Welcome to Show 096!  This week's topic: Retro Computer Style!

Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)...
There's a new Commodore free online magazine - Commodore Free!  Have a look - downloadable PDF, text, or D64 (disk image) versions available.

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

Relax...it's only 1s and 0s...

Welcome to Show 095!  This week's topic: Retro Computer Restoration!

Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)...
These Sharp pocket computers sure are fun - like the Sharp Pocket Computer PC-1211...
An Amiga cooked up in an FPGA circuit?  Cool!  Check out the Minimig!
Writing games for a retro computer is good for you.  Entering a contest is even better, like the Minigame Compo...
The VAXMAN has an awesome museum of large systems - wow, the dedication.  You should see it!
Restorations of big or rare systems isn't for everyone, but the Computer History Museum has some nice work in this area...

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

Programmer - an organism that turns coffee into software.

Welcome to Show 094!  This week's topic: The Sharp PC-1500 Pocket Computer!

Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)...
Want to learn about the Mattel Aquarius?  Here's a page that could get you started...
Have a look at Emma's GameIntro video blog, video game intros with many retro/vintage titles!
Sites with info on the PC-1500: the Pocket Computer Museum site, the Sharp PC-1500 computer (TRS-80 PC-2) resource page, Old computers dot com, and the Vintage Computers web site.
PC-1500 emulators include Pock'Emul, and the Sharp PC-1500A emulator!

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

When you get to the point where you really understand your computer, it's probably obsolete.

Welcome to Show 093!  This week's topic: The IBM System/360!

Direct link to the Retrobits Podcast Forum (until the URL is repaired)...
Check out what's happening at KansasFest, and all the other great stuff, at the A2Central.com portal!
A very interesting piece of history - an article describing the design motivations behind one of the most successful computer architectures ever - the System/360.  (PDF format...)
Want to convert from your old system to the System/360?  Of course you do!  And this IBM color flip book from the 1960s will show you how...link courtesy of the Computer History Museum (PDF format...)
Why did some mainframes use a 36-bit word length?  Wikipedia will tell you!
Want to emulate a mainframe on your PC?  No, I'm not kidding.  Have a look at Hercules...
If you want to be in the System/360 "in crowd", you're going to need a IBM System/360 reference card (a.k.a. the "green card")!
Want to just read about the IBM System/360?  Here's the Wikipedia page, and here's a history page with other info...

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

Hi there...

The Retrobits Podcast is taking a break this week.  Be sure to tune in next week for more retrocomputing goodness!  And thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 fiction games...
Here are links with information on the CompuColor II from Old-computers.com, Computer Closet, and a history of the family of companies related to the CompuColor!

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

"...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, 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

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 computer.  But the Kenbak Kit is a faithful reproduction.  More info on the Kenbak-1 can be found at the Kenbak-1.net site, and at the Vintage Computers website.
Briel Computers has introduced the MicroKIM, a functional clone of the KIM-1 single board computer!
If building a clone of the Cosmac ELF is your cup of tea, Spare Time Gizmos would be happy to help...
Anxious to do a little C programming for the Commodore 64?  Check out the new programming libraries introduced by Glenn Holmer for the Power C compiler...
Couldn't make it to the Vintage Computer Festival East 4.0?  Neither could I, but I can look at the pictures...

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

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, 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

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, 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

Hi there,

Had to work this weekend - show 088 will be delayed one or two days.  Sorry for the delay, and check back Monday or Tuesday for this week's podcast!

- Earl

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 page!

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 DECwriter II info on the columbia.edu site...
A really nice picture of the DECwriter on the tonh.net site!
Yet more info and some recollections of the DECwriter on the everything2.com site...
The VT100?  Historic, for sure.  Here's some history on the vt100.net site!
You can also find very nice VT writeups here, and 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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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

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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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!

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

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, 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

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

"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 mercury delay line memory.
Can't play with a real UNIVAC I?  How about a simulator?
The Unisys History Newsletter, January 2001, has a great article on the UNIVAC...
And this page on the UNIVAC goes into really impressive detail!

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

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 emulate a C16 or Plus/4?  Try YAPE, or the emulation built into VICE...

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

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 Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

$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

To make hotel reservations for the C=4 Expo:
Name of the Event: Cincinnati Commodore EXPO
Toll Free: (800) 354-9793
In Kentucky: (800) 352-9866
(859) 341-2800
There is an International Airport located nearby, with shuttle service provided by the hotel.
Expo Pricing:
Door Charge: $10.00/person or $15.00/family
Selling Tables: $15/ table or $35/ 3 tables (The hotel charges $10 in addition per table for power usage) Tables are 6' in length.  All sellers and demonstrators need to set up before 9:00 on Saturday morning, the doors (for these only) will open at 7:00am.

For more information:
Contact Roger Hoyer by email, or in writing.
Email: thunderbird@iglou.com
C=4 Expo
c/o 31 Potowatomie Trail
Milford, OH  45150
http://c4expo.org/

VCF East 4.0 Info

This year's show is June 9-10 in Wall, New Jersey.  We have twice as much space as last year, and twice as many days, so it should be awesome.

Also this year we're holding a special panel to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Commodore's computer divison.  The panel speakers are Chuck Peddle, Bil Herd, Dave Haynie, and Bob Russell.

Details about the VCF will be posted at www.vintage.org.  Details about the sponsoring user group are at www.midatlanticretro.org.

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

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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 Conversations where Woz recalls the early years...
A computer, thousands of years old?  Read about it here on The Guardian!
Flash drive the ZX Spectrum?  You bet - have a look at the ZX Spectrum Hardware Do It Yourself site...
A Lisa emulator!  Excellent!
The KIM-1 lives on, in our hearts and projects.  Check out the KIM-1 site on Floodgap....
Homebrew Computer Club newsletters?  What a blast from the past!  Here they are, at the Digibarn site!

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

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 download...

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

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 startty.com...

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 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.

Hi there!

Show 073 will be delayed just a day or two.  Sorry for the tardiness!  Check back Monday and/or Tuesday evening, and thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 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

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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 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

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 on the PETSCII Forums page!

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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 sure to check out the Toronto Pet Users Group (TPUG) web site for more information on this great and long lasting group of Commodore enthusiasts...

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

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 this soon...
Build your own, brand new Altair 8800 kit?  Impossible you say?  Not so, with the new Altair 8800 replica!

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

"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 page) chip had about that many transistors.  Boy have times changed!

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

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 goal, then cc65 has just the compiler for you...
Specifically for the Commodore 64 and 128, here's some information on a popular compiler, Power C!
Brian Kernighan, co-author of The C Programming Language, has a website here.  You can read about him on Wikipedia here...
Dennis Ritchie, creator of C and co-author of The C Programming Language, has a website here, and Wikipedia info here...
The GE-600 (otherwise known as Honeywell 6000) with the funky 36 bit C variables?  Read about it at Wikipedia here...
Finally, some history of the evolution of the C language can be found at faqs.org!

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

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 human languages it's been translated into...
BDS C for CP/M - for free!  What a deal.
Turbo C 2.01 for DOS, also free, courtesy of the Borland Antique Software collection.  Thanks Borland!

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

Hi there,

Retrobits is taking a break this week. Be sure to tune in next week for more retrocomputing goodness!

Coming up next week - The C Programming Language!

- Earl

What if computers programmed us?

Welcome to Show 063!  This week's Topic: The Joystick!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Want to take your retro hobby into your virtual reality world?  Now you can buy retro computer models for Second Life.  No, really.
The DECWriter printing terminal.  Whether it's black and white or color, it's prettay.  It's so prettay...
Now you can play Centipedes anywhere you've got Java and a web browser.  Check out Atari's Games site!
If you need a CompactFlash card for your Apple II, you're in luck.  And, for the Apple I.  Yes, you read that right!
A2Unplugged is coming out with new episodes - they are at #4 and counting...

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

RSTS PDP - find out what it means to me

Welcome to Show 062!  This week's Topic: The PDP-11 Minicomputer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

It's not retro, but you can hook it up to retro stuff (that's one of my main purposes)...the Propeller 32-bit 8 core microcontroller!  Electronics super-fun...
Another interactive fiction environment - have a look at Eamon, and the many games available for it!
The Wikipedia page on the PDP-11 - a good starting point.  And one for RSTS as well...
Here's a nice picture of a PDP-11/20 front panel.  See those switches?  Remind you of an IMSAI?
Man, Bitsavers.org has an incredibly impressive collection of vintage computer manuals, in PDF format.  Nice.
I know, you want to play with a PDP-11 emulator, don't you?  Admit it!  And then, have a look at SIMH...
FAQ on the PDP-11, lots of reading here!  Make sure to check out the models that were made!
More info sources on the PDP-11, here, and here...
For a look at the PDP-11's big brother, point your browser to PDP Planet!

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

1 cup retro, 2 tbsp computer nostalgia.  Stir and enjoy.

Welcome to Show 061!  This week's Topic: Retro Mix (A Variety Episode)

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Play Zork online?  Sure!
The Emergency Chicagoland Commodore Convention was held Sep 30, 2006.  Pictures and descriptions are here and here...
A self aware computer that doesn't take over the world or threaten global thermonuclear war?  KITT is just such a hero!
If you look over, and the car next to you doesn't have a driver, maybe it's a DARPA winner...
A website hosted on a Lisa?  Serious?  Yep!
Byte Cellar - The Vintage Computing Weblog - a good read...
Now it's time to learn TI Extended BASIC - with videos on Google!
Pong Story - an extensive history/memorial site to early video games.  Fun stuff...
Retrogaming Times Monthly - now coming to you for 109 months running!  This is commitment!
The Vintage Computer Festival 9.0 is coming up - check out www.vintage.org for details...
Digibarn is planning an Apple 30th birthday event at the VCF 9.0 - more info 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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

You are standing in a thick forest.  There is a podcast playing.

Welcome to Show 060!  This week's Topic: Zork - The Great Underground Empire!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Wikipedia link list - Zork, Infocom, and Interactive Fiction.  Check it out!
The American Radio Relay League - find out about hamfests (where you might find some cool retro computers), and the ham radio hobby in general...
An Apple I, for only $666.66?  Not any more.  But have a look at the vintage ad, it's great!
"Shall we play a game?"  No scarier words were ever spoken by a sentient computer system - and you could hook up to it with an IMSAI.  Check out the IMSAI page dedicated to the movie Wargames (in which an IMSAI system is used quite prominently...)
Be sure to download and enjoy the debut edition of the Classic Computing Podcast by David Greelish!
And while you are podcast surfing, do not miss the September edition of 1 MHz, the Apple II Podcast - Carrington Vanston covers Ballyhoo, an Infocom game.  (And yes, it inspired me for this week's show...and to start playing Zork I once again!  Thanks Carrington!)

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

Hi there,

I'm still under the weather, so I will be taking a break this week from the show.  Thanks for listening, and please do check back next week.

Chat with you soon,

- Earl

ASR33s and Global Domination.  It's all here on Retrobits.

Welcome to Show 059!  This week's Topic: The movie - Colossus, The Forbin Project!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

See the Wikipedia page for the movie "Colossus - The Forbin Project"...
Also, have a look at their page for the IBM 1620, the panels of which were used extensively in the film!

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

PRESS PLAY ON RETROBITS

Welcome to Show 058!  This week's Topic: The Oric Atmos!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Want to learn TI 99/4 BASIC?  How about a series of videos of the TI 99/4 running the BASIC tutorial?  See it now at Google Video...
MMM, tasty, Mac on a Stick.  Wait, no, it's not food, it's a classic Mac emulator and OS small enough to fit on a USB memory stick!  Yum!  (It's not food I said!)
Here's a video podcast of Amiga demos, and links to the software also!  Check out the Amiga Demo Podcast...
This is the English version of the site Oric World.  Don't miss the great history of Oric (Oric, the Story So Far) on the site!
The newsgroup comp.sys.oric is one spot to tune in on Modern Day Fun for the Oric systems.
Defence Force has info, software and more for the Oric, and a discussion forum as well!

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

Hi everybody,

Episode 058 is coming soon!  My best guess is tomorrow (9/5) evening.

Several emergencies popped up this weekend, and I've been fighting to stay afloat.  But things are getting back to normal, so I'll be able to get Retrobits back on the air in the next day or two.

Thanks for your patience, and chat with you soon!

- Earl

August 27, 2006...

Hi there...

Retrobits is taking a break this week.  Be sure to tune in next week for more retrocomputing goodness!  And as always - thanks for listening!

Retro in the future.  That's a time twister for ya.

Welcome to Show 057!  This week's Topic: The Future of Vintage Computing!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Here's a video containing an interview with Jack Tramiel - this is during his Atari (post-Commodore) days, promoting the new Atari ST line.  Interesting.  Stoic.  (Note - link is to Google Video - it will start playing immediately after clicking...)

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

We used to program computers by punching them out.

Welcome to Show 056!  This week's Topic: Paper Tape and Punch Cards!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Two Apple II podcasts!  Woo hoo!  Check out the maiden voyage of A2Unplugged, and don't miss 1 Mhz, the Apple II Podcast, now with four monthly episodes to catch up on!  Good stuff...
Bought a PX-8, and wish you could word process?  New in box Portable Wordstar, Calc and Scheduler can now be purchased from Star Technology.  I don't know how many they have, so you might want to check it out soon if you're interested...
Enjoy the trailing edge like I do?  Then check out the Trailing Edge website, Computing's Last Stand!
So you're not one of the lucky dozen or two that has a real Apple I computer.  Still, you can have a very nice replica, the Replica 1!  According to the website, orders are now being taken for the Replica 1 SE, the latest version from Briel Computers.
The ECMA standard for Paper Tape - now, this is some extreme reading...
An ASR33 is a spring-loaded thing of beauty - have a look (and check out the videos) at the Online PDP-8 Home Page!
Here's the required reading from Wikipedia on Paper Tape and Punch Cards...
 

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

Add mixed retro.  Stir and Serve.

Welcome to Show 055!  This week's Topic: Retro Mix (A Variety Episode)!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Check out A2Central for info on the recent KansasFest 2006, and all your Apple II needs!
Also check out the official KFest site - it's never too early to plan for 2007...
Here's a presentation on SymbOS by the creator (Google Video - note that the intro is in Spanish, but the presentation is in English).
The History Of Computing project - from 30,000 years ago to today, computing is exciting!
ADTPro - the latest incarnation of Apple Disk Transfer - check it out today on their SourceForge project page...

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

Hi everybody!

Show 055 will be a day or two delayed this week.  Sorry about that!  Tune in Tuesday or Wednesday for this week's show!

Chat with you soon,

- Earl

Your retro computer runs on 4 AA batteries?  Cool!

Welcome to Show 054!  This week's Topic: The Tandy 100 Portable Computer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Here's a Bill Gates interview on the Smithsonian Institution website, very interesting reading!  The Model 100 BASIC and ROM are some of the last products that Bill Gates programmed himself...
Wikipedia's page on the TRS-80 Model 100 line is a good place to start...
Follow that up with the old-computer.com page for the Model 100...
Then check out Club 100 - an oasis for your Model 100 needs!
Want to stay "in the know" for the Model 100?  Club 100 has a listserv...
Interesting in playing with a Model 100 emulator?  VirtualT might be just what you need!

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

65,536 memory locations - it's like a dream come true.

Welcome to Show 053!  This week's Topic: The 6502 Microprocessor, Part II.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Want to see a cool prototype?  Here's the Commodore 65 page at the Secret Weapons of Commodore...
The Atari Archives site has a few books on Atari 8 bit (w/6502 of course) assembly language programming!
Check out Issue #1 of the C=Hacking magazine - more 6502 info that you can shake a stick at.
6502 cross-compilation (write it on a PC, run it on your favorite 6502-based 8-bit) can be performed with CC65.  Also check out the CA65 macro assembler!
The 6502.org site - deep info the 6502, both hardware and software...
The Western Design Center - home of the current 6502-based chips and systems!

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

Special bonus feature today!  Don't touch that dial...

Welcome to Show 052!  This week's Topic: The 6502 Microprocessor, Part I.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Once again, Wikipedia doesn't dissapoint - check out their info on the 6502 Microprocessor...
ClassicCmp is a resource for enthusiasts of classic computer hardware, software, and documentation!
New stuff for your CoCo?  Have a look at Cloud-9!
Sample chapters on MOS Technology and the TIM/KIM systems (under the bonus section), you can see them today at the commodorebook.com site (home of On The Edge).

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

Another retro adventure.  It's a fun hobby!

Welcome to Show 051!  This week's Topic: My PX-8 Virtual Disk Drive Adventure!

This week I cover the trials and tribulations of setting up a floppy disk emulator program for the Epson PX-8 laptop.  It involves soldering and creative software trickery.  What more could you ask for in a retro computing project?

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

A while back I did a book review on Digital Retro.  It's a great book, and here's the webpage for the author, Gordon Laing...
There is more to retro than computing - check out Retro Thing, the independent guide to retro technology.  And definitely have a look at the section on Classic Computing!

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

I can tell you - time flies when you're having fun!

Welcome to Show 050!  This week's Topic: The 2006 State of the Podcast!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

A new PX-8?  Sweet!  Check out the PX-8 page on Star Technology...
Are you an Apple II extreme coder?  Need a challenge - a contest, perhaps?  Have a look at the Call A.P.P.L.E. 2006 Apple II Programming Contest!

Thanks to all of you for a great podcast year!  Looking forward to lots more fun to come!

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

CP/M in a laptop?  And they said it couldn't be done...

Welcome to Show 049!  This week's Topic: The Epson PX-8 Laptop Computer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Programmable calculators are fun!  I loved mine way back when.  Here's a website for TI calculator enthusiasts - programs, connectivity, and more!
Intellivision Lives!  Indeed it does.  I can't wait to play Sea Battle again...
Want a review on the latest retro computer game?  Oldschool Gaming may have what you need...
Here's the old-computers.com site for the PX-8 - don't forget to have a look at the pictures!
Creative Computing had a review of the PX-8.  They liked it, mostly.  Have a look...
Need tech manuals for the PX-8?  Or a utility that makes a PC emulate a disk drive (cool)?  Then wander on over to the Yet Another Computer Museum pages on the PX-8.
Broken PX-8?  Need more technical docs?  The Epson CP/M Computer Technical Manuals page may have the answer...

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

I can't run Linux on my Atari 800.  But it plays a mean game of Missile Command.  'Nuff said...

Welcome to Show 048!  This week's Topic: Book Review: Digital Retro!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Here's the site for the book Digital Retro!
Pictures from the C4 Expo - you missed the fun?  Here are some pictures.  Read 'em and weep...
And this is a direct link to the Z80 inside - whoa, they popped the top off that chip!
The Apple II Game Server is being actively worked on - stay tuned!
Magnetc tape in the gigabits per square inch?  Wow!  That's better than my C2N datasette...

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 witty comment intentionally left blank.

Welcome to Show 047!  This week's Topic: The Z80 Microprocessor!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Apple history abounds, courtesy of The Apple Computer History Weblog, and the Apple II History site!
Obsolete Technology?  We love it!  Check out the Obsolete Technology Website at oldcomputers.net.
Computer Collector Newsletter is now Technology Rewind.  Congratulations on the new site!
How many computers used the Z80?  Well, at least more than 200, and this site has them listed...
Yes, Zilog still makes Z80s!  Excellent!
Wikipedia's Z80 page has good stuff.
The Z80 Official Support Page will give you years of Z80 reading pleasure.
MyZ80 will give you the Z80 experience on a modern day PC.  It is one of many Z80 / CP/M emulator solutions out there.
Check out the WinApe Amstrad emulator for a Z80 experience in a mainstream home retrocomputer emulation.
If all of this is not enough for you, and you want a Z80 FPGA core (for free!), have at look at the T80 page on the Opencores.org site.

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

Hi!

Show 047 (The Z80 Microprocessor) will be a day or two late...sorry about that.  I've been under the weather this weekend, and needed to rest.  The behind-the-scenes work is mostly done, so drop by in a day or two for the next Retrobits Podcast!

Chat with you all soon,

- Earl

My other computer is a Commodore :-)

Welcome to Show 046!  This week's Topic: Live from the C4 Expo in Cincinnati, Ohio!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Need more retrocomputing listening goodness?  Well, then, head over to the Boring Beige Box!
Issue #25 of Retrogaming Times - hot off the presses!
Commvex v2 is coming up in July, and - it's Vegas, Baby!  And, the World of Commodore 2006 is this December in Toronto!  Alas, so much retrocomputing, so little time...
Have a look at The Cincinnati Commodore Computer Club website for more information on the group that brought you the C4 Expo...

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

It would take about 250 Atari 800s to hold this podcast MP3 file.

(Honestly, I compressed it as much as I could.)

Welcome to Show 045!  This week's Topic: The IBM PC Junior!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The Apple Game Server - load software onto your Apple II with just a serial connection to your PC!
The Cincinnati Commodore Computer Club is having their C4 Expo on June 3rd and 4th, 2006.  Better hurry and make those reservations!
SymbOS, a multitasking operating system for the Amstrad CPC, goes 1.0!  Check it out at http://www.symbos.de/.
Want to do Commodore emulation on a Macintosh?  ThinkCommodore will show you how.
Wikipedia covers the IBM PC Jr...
And for super extensive coverage of the Junior, check out Mike's PC Jr page.
Of course, Old Computers Dot Com covers the Junior as well, good info, good links.

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

LOAD "RETROBITS",8,1
RUN

Welcome to Show 044!  This week's Topic: Retro Assortment (Variety Show)!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Do kids still program?  Join in on this discussion forum topic at the PETSCII Forums, and let us know!
Speaking of which, here's a programming environment designed for kids - the Kids Programming Language.
The Commodore16.com site revived my excitement for one of my favorite computers, the Commodore 16.
What do you do with that old, non-functional Commodore CBM 3032?  Well, turn it into the coolest PC case ever invented, of course!
CompactFlash for the Apple II - Flash memory is not just for the new stuff, folks!
Also, CompactFlash and IDE drives for your Commodore 64?  Believe it!  Check out the ide64.org site for more details.
For fun music and retrocomputing goodness, nothing beats the C64 remixes and SID tunes on The C64 Takeaway!

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 week, take your favorite floppy drive out for a spin.

Welcome to Show 043!  This week's Topic: The Floppy Disk Drive!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Do you know what types of computers these are?  If so, please drop a line to the e-mail address below - we'd like to find out!
Wikipedia - did I mention to check them out?  And this week, have a look at their page on the Floppy Disk.

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

Ever wonder what the "TRS" in "TRS-80" stands for?  Tune in, you'll find out here!

Welcome to Show 042!  This week's Topic: The TRS-80 Model I microcomputer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Do you know what types of computers these are?  If so, please drop a line to the e-mail address below - we'd like to find out!
Here's Peter Jenning's site, with info on his creation Microchess, and also great history on VisiCalc.
Want to know more about Microchess?  Well, go straight to the source.  The source code, that is, on 6502.org.
Digibarn has some good info on Microchess as well!
Enhance the enjoyment of your Amiga emulation with AmiKit, a large bundling of shareware and freeware packages.
Curious about Southwest Technical Products, one of the early computer kit makers?  The swtpc.com site has so much info, you'll never read it all!
Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived website is an absolute gold mine for TRS-80 enthusiasts.
Want to play with a virtual TRS-80 Model I, III or IV?  Well, check out Matthew Reed's TRS32 emulator!
Never forget old-computers.com or Wikipedia when it's time to research that favorite vintage computer.

Hey, I never said what TRS stood for!  It's Tandy Radio Shack.  Yep.  Not "Trash-80", you funny folks.

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

The past is a wonderful present.

Welcome to Show 041!  This week's Topic: The Logo programming language!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The Arpanet documentary on Google Video is back!  This is retro about retro.  Sweet!
Another retrocomputing podcast!  Check out the Boring Beige Box, it's a great listen!
Wikipedia to the rescue again - here's their article on the Logo Programming Language.
There are magazine reviews of Logo for the Commodore and Atari at the Atari Magazines site - here, and 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 "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

To Mac, or not to Mac.  That is the question.

Welcome to Show 040!  This week's Topic: My Classic Mac Adventure!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

A PICAXE - what's that?  It's a microcontroller - a programmable single-chip processor with cool inputs and outputs.  Have a look!
Information on the Macintosh SE/30 from old-computers.com.
Watch out for classic Macintosh CRTs - if you open your Mac Plus, SE, SE/30, etc. up, there are high voltages!  Luckily, there are ways to discharge the CRT before it gets 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 page!

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Spring Break!

Hi!  I'm celebrating the Easter holiday with my family today, and taking a one-week spring break from the podcast.  But stay tuned, as I'll be back next week with more retrocomputing goodness.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who listen to Retrobits.  It's a lot of fun to connect with so many people who have an interest in the bits and bytes of ye olde.

In the meantime, jump on over to the forum (link below) and join in!  See you soon, and have a GREAT week.

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

Variety is the spice of life!

Welcome to Show 039!  This week's Topic: Random Access (A Variety Show).

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Check out the home page for The Woz himself!  Great information and links, plus answers to frequently asked questions!
Man, the videos just keep on coming.  Here's one from the 1984 Apple Shareholder's Meeting.  This video is hosted on the Mac Essentials site (note, mostly German language).  See Sculley and Jobs on the same stage, and hear about their exciting new milestone product, the Macintosh!
Happy 30th anniversary, Apple!  Have a listen to episode 48 of the This Week In Tech podcast, as many early Apple employees, including The Woz, chat about Apple's formative days.
The DigiBarn Computer Museum site.  Wow!  This is great stuff.  I wish I had a barn for my microcomputer collection.
A PICAXE - what's that?  It's a microcontroller - a programmable single-chip processor with cool inputs and outputs.  Have a look!

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

The Apple /// Personal Computer System.  The Most Powerful Professional Computer System In Its Class.

Welcome to Show 038!  This week's Topic - you guessed it: The Apple III personal computer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The Amstrad CPC 6128, reborn in new hardware, and with a cool new OS?  Oh yeah!  That's some modern day fun!
Keep those (Atari) XL's/XE's humming, with these fine utilities...
Oscar's Vintage Computer Collection has some great stuff on CP/M computers, including one of my favorites, the Epson PX-8!
Here's the Apple III page on Wikipedia...
...and the Apple III pages on Washington Apple Pi's website, a great resource!

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

HTTP.  FTP.  SMTP.  NNTP.  Many letters, one heritage...

Welcome to Show 037!  This week's Topic: The ARPANET!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Electronics that act like a physical disk drive - awesome idea.  Check it out at the Semi-Virtual Diskette site!
It's Vegas, Baby!  And Commodore fun!  The Commodore Vegas Expo (CommVex) 2.0 will be held on July 29 and 30, 2006...
An Internet Pioneer Ponders the Next Revolution - an interview with Robert Taylor on nytimes.com!
Here's a tribute to J C R Licklider, including a link to a PDF of two of his seminal papers on man-computer synergy that inspired the Internet.
Wikipedia articles on the ARPANET and Licklider - always a great place to start.
And here's an online history of the Internet, including it's ARPANET heritage, on the Internet Society website.

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

I keep hitting the Control key, but I'm still not in control.

Welcome to Show 036!  This week's Topic: The Dot Matrix Printer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Old Skool Arcade, Modern Day Fun - In Portland, my home town!  Check out the Ground Kontrol site...
Need to fix up your Commodore computer?  Have a look at Ray Carlsen's homepage!
More TI 99/4A links - a Yahoo! group, and the TI 99ers online User's Group!
A Wikipedia article on the Dot Matrix Printer...

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

It's not 8 bits, but it's retro.  And it talks...

Welcome to Show 035!  This week's Topic: The Texas Instruments 99/4A Microcomputer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Use your old DOS PC as a Commodore hard drive.  How?  With 64HDD...
A 21st century recreation of a 1960s educational computer toy?  Now, that's retro!  Check out the DigiComp I v 2.0 from Minds-On Toys.
If you're like me, and you think an Altair looked cooler than your modern-day LAN party case, have a look at the AltairPC project at Briel Computers.
Commodore 64 native code, cooked on a SuperCPU C64 or PC.  Interested?  Check out Slang, recently updated!
Wikipedia article on the TI 99/4A - great info, as always.
Another of my favorite sites, Old Computers Dot Com, with their coverage of the 99/4A.  Check out the forums.
An early 80s review of the 99/4A, from Creative Computing, on the Atari Magazines site.  Cool!
Want to see some photos of the 99/4A, and it's various stuff?  Here's a Flickr site that will get you hooked up.
The TI 99/4A Tech Pages - bits, bytes, schematics, pinouts - it's all here!
There are several emulators for the 99/4A, including the Win994a simulator.
The excitement continues with an annual fair in Chicago - couldn't find a main site, but there are videos of the event for your viewing enjoyment.

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

One retro computer, over easy.  Would you like some chips with that?

Welcome to Show 034!  This week's Topic: Retro Du Jour!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Have a look at The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers, The Source for Video and Computer Game History since 1997!
Peter Naur wins ACM'S Turing Award for his work on ALGOL 60 (Wikipedia Link).
If you've got time, they've got videos - extensive Computer History Museum footage at Google Video!  Lots of topics, great information.
C64 HQ - Welcome to the world of C64 nostalgia.  Check out the Interview section and Audio/Video links, talked about on the show.

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

SID!  VIC-II!  6510!  64K!  It's demo writer heaven...part II...

Welcome to Show 033!  This week's topic: The Commodore 64 Demo Scene Part II!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The Music Animation Machine, software originally produced on an Atari 800!
Lots of Atari info this week - have a look at the website for the documentary, Once Upon Atari.
And, check out the Tech Roundup episode with a look at the Game On video game exhibit!
Bo Zimmerman's site has an extensive archive of NTSC demos for the C64.
The C64 Scene Database has lots of info and demo scene releases.
Have a look at Driven Online, a main focal point of the ongoing C64 NTSC demo scene!

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

SID!  VIC-II!  6510!  64K!  It's demo writer heaven...

Welcome to Show 032!  This week's topic: The Commodore 64 Demo Scene Part I!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

PDP-10 lives!  Of course, we had no doubt.  Check out PDP Planet, the portal into Paul Allen's collection of DEC systems!
If you get an account on the PDP-10, you'll need documentation, which you can find at the Manuals for DEC 36-bit Computers site.  This site links to bitsavers.org, an extensive and impressive preservation site for systems documentation and software.
A lost interview with ENIAC co-inventor J. Presper Eckert, can be found on the computerworld.com site.
Jeri Ellsworth, creator of the C64 DTV and other interesting hardware, gives a talk at Stanford University on the Google Video link.  (Note that the video will begin playing immediately on the linked page.)
Bo Zimmerman's site has an extensive archive of NTSC demos for the C64.
The C64 Scene Database has lots of info and demo scene releases.
Have a look at Driven Online, a main focal point of the ongoing C64 NTSC demo scene!

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

01001000 01001001 !

Welcome to Show 031!  This week's Topic: A book review - Fire In The Valley, The Collector's Edition

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

8 bit parallel processing?  Leave it to the Apple II enthusiasts!  Have a look at the AppleCrate!
Yes, you can build your own computer.  And I mean from scratch.  Check out the Magic-1 Homebrew CPU, and be sure to look at the "my other projects" page as well.
It's The Woz!  In person, on video, at an event hosted by the Computer History Museum.  (When you click on the link, the video will start streaming right away.)
Atari is apparently not doing so well financially, according to this article.  It's kind of sad to see it in dire straits yet again.
Ralph Baer, developer of Pong and Simon, will be honored at a White House ceremony this month.
The Computer Museums and Retrocomputing Culture webring has some links that I will have to take a look at!
Official Website for Fire In The Valley...

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

(A)bort, (R)etry, (I)gnore?

Welcome to Show 030!  This week's Topic: The IBM Personal Computer, Part II!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

A binary wristwatch, eh?  That's a "bit" unique!
Here's an article on SID music and music makers from Cyclic Defrost.
Want to see a video of an original IBM 5150 rendering full screen video with color graphics and sound?  And they said it couldn't be done...
Here are Wikipedia articles on the IBM PC, and the CGA color graphics adapter.

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

640KB.  RAM heaven.

Welcome to Show 029!  This week's Topic: The IBM Personal Computer, Part I.

Thanks to my son, Joshua, for helping me out with this week's podcast!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Digital Retro - a book with info and pictures about a wide variety of retro computers.  Check it out!  Is your favorite in there?  Some of mine are...
A non retro link?  Sure, why not?  The BoltTalk podcast and blog covers the San Diego Chargers, a US professional football team.  And, the host listens to Retrobits...
The London-based Science Museum announces a £1 million partnership with Nintendo.  Excellent!
The IT Crowd from Channel 4 in the UK - funny, and retrocomputing aware!
More fun stuff on the Byte Cellar vintage computing blog...Amigas in FPGA, Sharp X68000, and more!
As usual, great entry on Wikipedia for the topic of the week, the IBM PC!  Check out some of the corresponding links also!

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

Just flew in from LA, and boy are my arms tired...

Welcome to Show 028!  This week's Topic: Random Bits and Bytes!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Always wanted to use a Cray?  Give it a try!
Check out the Commodore Article Index - lots of interesting reading!
The NorthWest Classic Games Enthusiasts Expo 2006 - how about that, a retro event up my way!  (Seattle, WA)
Ads from old computers - they're fun to look at!  Have a look at some at the Computer History site.
GameBase 64 - an online effort to preserve Commodore 64 software.  Excellent!

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

10 PRINT "Hello, Retrobits Listeners!"
20 GOTO 10

Welcome to Show 027!  This week's Topic: The Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (or BASIC, for short...)

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

More Commodore news - here's an interview with Bil Herd on the Commodore Plus/4 World website!
Check out the Vintage Computing and Gaming website for "adventures in collecting, playing, and hacking vintage computing and gaming devices."
If you're in the US and interested in products from Individual Computers (e.g., the Retro Replay), then have a look at the C64 Reloaded Store.
As always, it's all there on Wikipedia - articles on the BASIC programming language, Dartmouth BASIC, and the Dartmouth Timesharing System!
Want to program in BASIC on modern day systems?  Have a look at FreeBASIC, DarkBASIC, BlitzBASIC, or Visual BASIC.NET 2005.

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

Happy New Year!

Welcome to Show 026!  This week's Topic: A Book Review: On The Edge - The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Commodore!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Check this out - an Atari Paddle Controller with 13 Built-in Games from Jakks Pacific!
The galleries of GUIs, have a look at various GUIs in all their point and click glory, here, and here.
Classic Computers Of The Past 2006 Calendar, your time may be running out to grab one of these beauties!
The web site for the main show topic, On The Edge...

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

Happy Holidays!

Just a reminder that I'm on vacation this week, and I wanted to wish you and yours the happiest of holidays, and a safe and prosperous 2006! See you next year with more retrocomputing fun!

Earl and the Evans Family
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Sorry if you get show 025 twice. Libsyn did something strange with my RSS feed, and the end of the MP3 file got cut off, so I had to post the file again with a new name. This may result in a handful of folks getting the show twice. I apologize if this happens, and I have a workaround to ensure it won't happen again.

Happy Holidays, and a Great 2006!

- Earl
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Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!

Welcome to Show 025!  This week is a variety show!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Commodore Returns? Not quite, but the brand name and logo live on! Check it out at the Commodore web site.
Have a look at the Space-Time Productions Single Board Computer, a Z80 single board system from 1982! (Link revised Feb 2006)
Need a multitasking OS with windowing UI for your Amstrad CPC? Well, you are in luck, check out the SymbOS web site for more details!
Ars Technica has a neat multi-page article on the history of microcomputers and their associated market share. You can see it here.
The inventor of the mouse and many other key components of modern computing, Doug Englebart, is the guest for the current episode of NerdTV. Very interesting episode.
Wonder how retro games were made? Read the diary of a game developer from the mid 80s during the creation of a very popular game, Paradroid! You can find this at the most excellent ZZAP 64 web site.

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

Short Podcast Delay!

Hi there! The Dec 18th podcast will be a bit late, and will be published sometime on Dec 19th. Sorry for the delay! Please check back in the afternoon (Pacific Time) for episode 25!

- Earl
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Four thousand and ninety-six bytes of RAM.  Don't spend it all in one place!

Welcome to Show 024!  This week we cover the Tandy MC-10 Micro Color Computer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

See photos from the World Of Commodore show here and here!
Wikipedia has a page on the MC-10.  I love that site!
And old-computers.com has a great MC-10 page also!
Charlie’s TRS-80 MC-10 web page has software and links for the MC-10.
The trs80mc10club can be found on Yahoo! Groups (membership is free, but requires registration).
Lots of techy specs on the MC-10 can be found at the "Inside the Radio Shack MC-10" page!
Don't have a MC-10?  No problem!  Visit the "James the Animal Tamer's Emulators" page, and pick up Virtual MC-10!
For cool software, extended BASIC, other software mods and info, check out The MC10 Archive.

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

Big Iron and Small Iron, living together in peace.  It's a wonderful world.

Welcome to Show 023!  This week's topic: Recollections Of Big Iron.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The IBM 1130 site has great information about this older system, including an emulator and some MP3s of a fun presentation.  Check it out!
Have a look at a Teletype ASR33.  Wish you could hear the sound they made!
With the SIMH emulator, you can visit many systems of the past, including a PDP-11 running RSTS!

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

VisiCalc was great!  That sums it up.

Welcome to Show 022!  This week's topic: VisiCalc - The Killer Application

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

An Atari 800 laptop?  Believe it!  Brought to you by the hardware genius of Benjamin Heckendorn.
Check out Dan Bricklin's own web site, with info on VisiCalc, and a host of other information!
Thanks to NerdTV for interviewing Dan Bricklin, and for making their show available under a Creative Commons license.

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

Retro is in!  News at 11!

Welcome to Show 021!  This week we cover Assembly Language, the Happy Place for many 8-bit programmers.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

More episodes of the C64 Take Away Podcast!  Excellent!

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

These show notes brought to you by the mighty Atari 800.

Welcome to Show 020!  This week: The Bad, The Worse, And The Ugly...

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Cyber1.org is a group of people dedicated to the preservation of the world's first computer-based community, PLATO.
Check out this episode of Computer Chronicles: First of a two-part series on on-line services such as CompuServe, the Source and DowJones, featuring Steve Case, at the time VP of Marketing at QuantumLink, and eventual head of AOL.
Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site is a great resource for all things TRS-80!
Have a look at MindCandy for a taste of the PC demo scene, and also, coming soon, the Amiga Demo Scene.
RetroGaming Radio is a FREE monthly MP3 radio show spotlighting the greatest era of video gaming.
The Classic Computers of the Past Calendar is a 12 month 2006 wall calendar packed with popular computers from the 1980's!  Sweet!  Makes a great gift for the holidays...
More pictures from the Vintage Computer Festival 8.0 are up!  Retro computing fun and frivolity at it's best.

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

Is it "Zee", or "Zed"?  I am having letter anxiety.

Welcome to Show 019!  This week's topic: The ZX Spectrum +3!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

QuantumLink Reloaded was on display at the Vintage Computer Festival 8.0!
There is now a Retrobits Podcast Discussion Forum, courtesy of Jeff Ledger and the PETSCII Forum!  Thanks Jeff!
The World Of Spectrum has a file archive, technical docs, links, and more!
If you want to run a Spectrum emulator straight from your Java-enabled web browser, then Jasper may be just the thing for you.
Have a look at the ZX Spectrum page on Wikipedia.  While you're there, check out links from that page for info on Sinclair Research, and Amstrad.
Planet Sinclair, a site all about Sir Clive Sinclair and his inventions, has a page on the ZX Spectrum +3.
You can always trust Old Computers dot com to have a page on the retro computer you're researching!
The "Your Sinclair Rock'n'Roll" page has the issues of "Your Sinclair" for your online reading enjoyment.

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

[Insert witty retro reference here.]

Welcome to Show 018!  This week's topic: Retro Books and Movies!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Computer Collector Newsletter, a weekly newsletter for vintage computer collectors!
Interesting in buying a ZX81 kit, a ready to build retro computer?  Zebra Systems might just have what you need!
Ah, the sounds of music from 8-bit chips...  Check out Chiptunes on the flat four site!
The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Commodore...I'm picking up my copy this week.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Formatting is such sweet sorrow...

Welcome to Show 017!  This week is a Mix and Match - various topics covered, including a sound byte [sic] from Nerd TV!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Some links from Computer Chronicles, the long-running technology show now available on archive.org, including...
The Apple II
The Commodore 64, and
BBSing
A VIC-20 music composition contest using VIC Tracker?  Excellent, I've gotta try to do this...
Here's a nice website for the KIM-1, the first 6502 cpu based computer.
Want to know more about the first ever CPU?  Check out the Intel 4004 page!
Or, you could step forward a couple of years, and learn more about the Z80 from this webpage.
Don't have an Altair?  Join the club!  But you can have an Altair Simulator, a virtual Altair, loaded to the gills, with great software too!
Nerd TV is an Internet video program brought to you weekly by Robert Cringely and PBS.  This episode of the Retrobits Podcast contained audio from Episode 6 of Nerd TV, featuring Dave Winer.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

No - attaching floppy disks to the filing cabinet with a magnet is not - I repeat, not - a good way to store them.

Welcome to Show 016!  This week we cover Abandonware.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

The Retroputing site - preventing the fossilization of classic computers!  Features the Particles BBS.
Wikipedia to the rescue again, with a great article on Abandonware.  Check out the text, and their links.
Check out the official world archive for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and the largest on-line gaming center on the Internet.  Hats off to Amstrad for officially endorsing this!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Double Sided.  Double Density.  Guaranteed.

Welcome to Show 015!  This week's topic: The Bulletin Board System, Part II!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

I got my Atari Peripheral Emulator software and CD archive from Atarimax!  Yee hah, Atari madness for me.
I'm learning Atari Player/Missile Graphics in BASIC from the book archive on AtariArchives.org.
Phillip was able to attend the Classic Gaming Expo UK recently - looks like fun!
At that Classic Gaming Expo, a lucky person had a Commodore 65.  Rare retro madness!
Bo Zimmerman hosts one of my favorite Commodore sites.  Chris C. referenced it in a recent e-mail, thanks Chris!
Thurstan linked me over to a video of the Computer History Museum (Link 1) (Link 2), and some chats with various people from back in the day.  I've seen the first few minutes, and can't wait to watch the rest!
Chris O. has a podcast, UK and European gaming news brought to you weekly!
You have GOT to check out the BBS Documentary site.  The software list and history archive are amazing, and will keep you reading for hours.

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

8 bit computers aren't slower.  They're just more relaxed.

Welcome to Show 014!  This week we go "behind the scenes" at Retrobits!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Syndicomm Online members get access to exclusive forums, which include bulletin boards, chat rooms, and file libraries. Membership also includes an email address, personal web site, and optional business features such as DNS service and full-service hosting.
http://www.syndicomm.com

Not much by way of links this week!  Stay tuned for more exciting retro-URLs in the next show!

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

My Commodore 64 boots faster than your P4 @ 3 GHz.  No contest.

Welcome to Show 013!  This week's topic - QuantumLink Reloaded!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Syndicomm Online members get access to exclusive forums, which include bulletin boards, chat rooms, and file libraries. Membership also includes an email address, personal web site, and optional business features such as DNS service and full-service hosting.
http://www.syndicomm.com
Also check out the A2Central website for great Apple II enthusiast information...
www.a2central.com
The QuantumLink Reloaded Site!
www.quantum-link.org
I love Wikipedia.  I really, really do.
www.wikipedia.org
And on Wikipedia, read about QuantumLink...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Link
...and QuantumLink Reloaded!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Link_Reloaded

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

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Welcome to show #012!  This week's topic: Emulators versus The Real Thing - The Ultimate Face-off!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Program your 6502 machine in C with the CC65 Compiler!
http://www.cc65.org/
The C64 Take Away Podcast just gets better and better, I loved Episode 013...
http://www.slayradio.org/podcast/
Visit the Lemon website for Commodore 64 forums, game reviews, and fun!
http://www.lemon64.com/
I continue to have great fun with the Atari Peripheral Emulator (APE) software.
http://www.atarimax.com/
The Folklore site is dedicated to historical storytelling.  Right now, it's focused on the development of the Macintosh.  Great reading!
http://www.folklore.org/
Nerd TV - a downloadable TV show on technology hosted by Robert Cringely.
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/nerdtv/
The MESS emulation system - amazing multi-platform, multi-system emulator...
http://www.mess.org/
Check out the Help section of the Emulation Zone to learn more about emulation and how to do it!
http://www.emulator-zone.com/

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Welcome to show #011, featuring the Atari 800 Home Computer!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Demo Scene, including NTSC stuff for us North American folks...at the Driven site.
The full text of all 88 issues of ANTIC is available at Atari Magazines site.
The Analog project is in progress at Digital Analog archive.
See the Obsolete Technology Website, and make sure to check out the Atari 400/800 page!
As I've come to expect, Wikipedia has a great page on the Atari 8 bit systems.
The Atari Historical Society has a fun site, very colorful...including an Atari 800 page.
Loads of frequently asked goodness can be found at the Atari 8-bit FAQ page.
Atari Times is a fun Atari site with game reviews.
The Atari 8 bit USENET discussion group (can be found on Google Groups) is comp.sys.atari.8bit.
The Atari Peripheral Emulator package, and other Atari 8-bit retail products can be found at AtariMax.

I know I left out some Atari sites!  Sorry, I couldn't fit them all in!  There are so many, and there are sooooo many good ones...

Be sure to send any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com.

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan.

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Almost to level 5 on Jumpman...what?  I've gotta do my podcast?  Where's that pause button?

Welcome to show #010!  Double digits!  This show is a variety program, followed by a brief recollection of my career as a teenage computer salesperson.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Here's the correct link to Jeff Ledger's Guide to TelBBS!  Thanks Jeff!
E-mails came in from Alan, Thurston, Brian, Mike and Jeff!  Excellent, thanks!  You made my day.
This episode contains a promo for The C64 Take Away Podcast which features C64 remixes and classic SID tunes!
Check out the excellent CP/M programs in the Walnut Creek CDROM contents, online at the retroarchive.org site.
Have a look at Monochrome, a sophisticated, highly interactive, multi user messaging and conferencing system.
The SWRAP's Fall Commodore Expo is coming up in a couple of weeks!
The Atari800WinPlus version 4.0 final release is available.
I had a good customer experience with a product I ordered from Atarimax.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Aren't you glad you don't have to download this show at 300 baud?

Welcome to show #009!  Today we're focusing on computerized Bulletin Board Systems!

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

Jeff Ledger's Guide to TelBBS will get you back in the BBS game in no time.  Miss the old BBS days?  They're back...  Be sure to check out the various links from this web page.
The BBS Documentary is one of the finest historical accounts of a computing phenomenon that I've ever seen.  Hats off to Jason Scott, this is a masterpiece.  Many thanks to Jason for licensing his work under Creative Commons, making it possible for us to provide excerpts of his work in today's podcast.
If you see the BBS Documentary and are hungry for more, you're in luck!  Additional footage can be found in the BBS Documentary section on the archive.org website.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

64 bits?  Why, back in my day, we had to push our 8 bit computers uphill, 5 miles, in the snow...

Welcome to show #008!  The star of today's show is the CP/M Operating System.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

E-mails came in from Thurstan, Alan, JagMod, Mike, Chuck and Ryan!  Excellent, and fun reading!  Thanks, the e-mails make my day.

Wikipedia has a great entry on CP/M, including technical info and some links.  I am starting to use Wikipedia a lot.
The "Unofficial" CP/M Web Site has lots of technical information, source code and resources for the CP/M operating system.
Gaby’s Homepage for CP/M and Computer History has a wide variety of info on CP/M, and lots of excellent links!
The Computer Chronicles special on Gary Kildall is a must-see.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

AT DT retrobits podcast
CONNECT 9600

Welcome to show #007!  Today's podcast focuses on making the connection between retro computers and modern-day PCs.

Topics and links discussed in the podcast...

E-mails came in from Alan, Ryan and Dave with Libsyn - thanks!  Always great to get e-mails regarding the show.

The C64 Take Away Podcast is, in their words, "Your regular fix of Commodore 64 tunes, remixes, news and whatever takes our fancy. Produced and presented by Jan Lund Thomsen of Remix.Kwed.Org fame".  Also check out the parent site, Slay Radio, for streaming retro remixes at various bandwidths.
Juiced.GS is a quarterly Apple II publication.
The X1541 series of cables connect Commodore computers and disk drives to the parallel port of a standard PC.
The Apple Disk Transfer program lets you take Apple disk images, and using a serial cable and real Apple II, turn those images into real disks!
Good old RS232 serial ports have been around forever, and can hook up the old and new with relative ease.  Here's a site with lots of technical goodness on RS232.
The 64HDD software package, both free and professional versions, allow you to turn a DOS-based PC into a floppy and hard drive emulator for Commodore computers.
The Star Commander is a DOS shell program that can handle C64 disk formats, and permits copying of files and disk images to a Commodore drive connected with one of the X cables.
The SIO2PC cable connects Atari computers to a PC.  The PC can emulate storage, printers, and more.
The Catweasel series of disk controllers are used in modern PCs, and can make your 3.5 and 5.25 drives capable of reading and writing foreign disk formats for retro computer systems.  Information on various Catweasel models is available at the Individual Computers site.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Who says 128K of RAM isn't enough?

This is show #006!  Today's podcast focuses on the Commodore 128 computer, a wonderful example of advanced 8-bit technology.

As always, here are the links discussed in the podcast...

The Lamp and other Apple II publications are available at A2Central.  The parent site is definitely worth checking out as well!
Want to see great pictures of retro computers, including many international models?  Have a look at the Home Computer Museum.
Do a Google search for the C64 DTV - a cute little joystick with the brains of a Commodore 64!
You can purchase GEOS and related applications at the cmdrkey.com website.  They sell hardware and software for Commodore systems, including the CMD line of peripherals.
The commodore.ca site has a great page on the Commodore 128.
Find out about the C65, an 8-bit that never saw daylight (except in prototypes) at the Secret Weapons of Commodore.
Good pictures and good information can be found at the Old Computers page for the C128.
VICE emulates the C128 (and many other Commodore systems).

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

A List of My Computers

A side note...here are the computers in my personal collection, in no particular order...

Commodore...
Vic-20
C64
C64c
SX-64
C16
Plus/4
C128 (flat model)
C128DCR

Apple IIe (enhanced, non-platinum model)
HP 41CX (programmable calculator)
TRS-80 Model 1
Timex/Sinclair 1500
Tandy MC-10 micro color computer
TI 99/4A
Atari 800
Atari 400
IBM Portable 5155
Apple Macintosh SE/30

And that's it! Wow, it's a wonder I have room to breathe :-)
more/less

Hello, lovers of computers old and new...

This is show #005!  Thanks for sticking around - hope you enjoy the program.

In addition to covering your e-mails and some interesting links, this show discusses a couple of my favorite (even older than show #003) computer languages, Fortran and COBOL.  If you'd like to dust off your old programs and give them a whirl, have a look at the links below!

Braeburn provides articles about the history of computing and technology in general.  They have a recent article on the history of the Apple Lisa.
The Replica I, a replica of the original Apple I computer!
The Retrocomputing 2005 challenge - test your retrocomputing abilities...
DOSBox is an environment to run older DOS games (and other programs) on modern systems and operating systems.
Tiny COBOL is a modern COBOL compiler that is open-source.
Salford FTN95 is a modern Fortran 95 compiler for Windows (with .NET support!).

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Hi there everybody!

Show #4 - We're on a roll...

This episode of the Retrobits Podcast is a grab bag.  There are several things I wanted to talk about, none of which would make up a central theme, so this show is "potpourri".  Here are the URLs referenced in the show:

The Denial website/forum focuses on the VIC-20.  Missed this one during the VIC-20 show (#001).  Thanks to folks for pointing out this great resource!
Computer Chronicles, a television program that ran from the 80s until the late nineties, is available for download and/or viewing at the archive.org website.  It is really fun to watch these shows in our modern day context...
BBSMates is a website dedicated to online bulletin board systems (BBSes).  It has a searchable database of over 75,000 systems, from the 80s to modern day!
Classic Gaming Expo is an event dedicated to "the people, systems and games of yesteryear".
DigitalPress covers a wide spectrum of retro gaming.
The UCSD P-System is a computing environment from days gone by.  It's most famous component was the Pascal compiler.  There was a reunion of some of the original folks that developed it, and they made videos, which are available for download and viewing.
Fire In the Valley is a must-read book for those interested in the history of personal computing.  I will do a full book review in a subsequent podcast.  For now, if you've got some reading time to kill, run, don't walk, to buy this book.  I have read it twice, and will be reading it again soon.  You can get it on Amazon, among other places.
Also coming soon, a book on the rise and fall of Commodore.  I've noticed this book actively promoted in vintage computer settings, like the USENET groups.  It's not out yet, expected to go to press pretty soon.  Some impromptu reviews from some famous names in the Commodore fan realm have seen chapters, and they stated they like what they saw.  Even though it's kind of pricey for a casual read, I'll probably get it, given my long-term interest in Commodore, and the lack of historical information about the company.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Greetings, Retrocomputing Fans!

Happy to have you here for show #3!

This episode of the Retrobits Podcast focuses on a couple of popular languages from the 80s, and open-source languages in active development that carry on and extend the legacy of those languages.  Here are some of the URLs referenced in the show:

The magazine New Scientist had a great article on vintage computing.
Blake Patterson scribes the Byte Cellar Blog on retro computing.  Interesting stuff, and a very well-decorated retro room!
The Vintage Computer Festival is an international event that celebrates the history of computing. It's a show for retrocomputing! I'm hoping to go to the 8.0 event in November 2005.
The Computer History Museum is home to one of the largest collections of computing artifacts in the world.
Borland maintains a Museum where old version of the Turbo languages can be downloaded.
The Free Pascal project carries on Turbo Pascal and Delphi compatible legacy today.
The xHarbour project provides an extended xBase compiler.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Hello again!

Glad to have you back for show #2!

This episode of the Retrobits Podcast centers on the high-level view of vintage computing.  We talk about why people like retrocomputing, and how folks participate in the hobby.  Some specific websites and resources are discussed, and here is some follow-up information:

The Contiki OS is a full-fledged operating system, TCP/IP stack, and web browser designed for memory-constrained systems. It's an interesting look at the way people are stretching smaller/older technology.
Google Groups is a cool place to become familiar with USENET, or Internet News. comp.sys.cbm, comp.sys.apple2, and comp.sys.atari.8bit are some of the groups I have been reading recently. Watch out - conversations can get a little, shall we say, colorful? But the info is truly great.
The Vintage Computer Festival is an international event that celebrates the history of computing. It's a show for retrocomputing! I'm hoping to go to the 8.0 event in November 2005.
The Atari Archives site is one of the places archiving and making available reference material from the vintage days. Mostly Atari, but some general purpose reading. It's a great site.
You can Telnet to thecafe.dtdns.net, on port 8888, for Internet-based access to a real BBS! Many other such systems exist.

Be sure to send us any comments, questions or feedback to retrobits@gmail.com

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Thanks for listening!

- Earl

Hi there!

Glad to have you aboard.  This is the Blog entry for Show #001, our first effort!  I hope you find the show interesting.

Here are some show notes:

This episode of the Retrobits Podcast focuses on the VIC-20 computer.  The history, technology, and cultural backdrop of the computer is covered.  In addition, several programs and websites are discussed.  Here's a list of the websites referenced in the show:

The VIC-20 site at Old Computers dot Com (Site Home Page)
Rick Melick's VIC-20 Tribute Page
The VIC-20 site at Wikipedia (Site Home Page)
The VIC Tracker Synthesizer
The Star Commander software package
Commodore Key Dot Com (hardware)
VICE (Commodore Emulator)

Our Theme Song is "Sweet" from the "Re-Think" album by Galigan

Please leave comments on this blog entry if you have any suggestions for the show, or if there's anything at all you'd like to let me know!

Thanks for reading, and listening...

- Earl