RCR Episode 270: Time Zero

Retro Computing Roundtable

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, Earl Evans, and Carrington Vanston

Topic: 1970

In 1970, (Unix) time and Life began. Also, Pascal was “published,” Forth was first used by other programmers, Shakey the robot shook, DRAM appeared.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Recollections about the development of Pascal (Niklaus Wirth)
• The evolution of Forth (forth.com)
• Shakey the Robot (YouTube)
• 75 years of innovation: Shakey the Robot (SRI)
• conways game of life (Google search)
• Martin Gardner’s Scientific American article (Scientific American, Oct 1970)
• DRAM (Wikipedia)
• Aquarius+ (GitHub)
• Aquarius+ (AtariAge)
• The current state of the Aquarius computer (YouTube, VCF West 2023)

Retro Computing News:

• UTM
• Adrian Black becomes a full-time retro content creator
• WiFi Retromodem V3
• ThinkPad 701C
• Restoring the 701C butterfly laptop (YouTube)
• IBM ThinkPad 701C “butterfly” keyboard (YouTube)
• Tezza Stewart is back! (YouTube)

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• US Robotics (1997)
• US Robotics X2 (with Woz)
• Hayes: Say Yes to the Future

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• EOR #$FF (David Youd)
  • EOR #$FF on archive.org

Auction Picks:

• Carrington:
  • Toaster Mac cotton dust cover
  • C64 canvas dust cover
  • Embarrassed by your Amstrad?
• Earl:
  • C64/V20 keyboard cover
• Paul:
  • Tandy 200 with a black screen
  • Apple Interactive Television Box (original auction gone now, different one)
  • iMac VGA-revealing cover
    • See also: iMac G3 description (mac27.net)
  • Computer Napoleonics (SSI)
    • See also: Computer Napoleonics (Paul’s, on archive.org)
  • BBC Micro, US version, sort of
    • See also: BBC Micro B US (Chris’ Acorns, Computing History)
  • AC-3 in its box (Radio Shack acoustic coupler)
  • The Controller in its box

A2Stream file:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr270.a2stream

Feedback/Discussion:

• [email protected] on Mastodon
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• Throwback Network
• Throwback Network on Facebook

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X
Show audio files hosted by CyberEars

Listen/Download: