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Visual Basic on the PC with Windows 3.1
a month ago
- The article compares HyperCard and Visual Basic as visual programming environments, both beloved but eventually discontinued.
- Bill Gates' business strategy focused on dominating the PC market through tactics like absorbing competitors' ideas, as seen with Visual Basic's origins from Alan Cooper's Tripod.
- Visual Basic 3.0 is explored in a retro computing setup, highlighting its IDE features, learning curve, and limitations compared to HyperCard's creative flexibility.
- Steve Jobs criticized Microsoft for lacking 'taste' in product design, contrasting Gates' efficiency-driven approach with Apple's focus on innovation and aesthetics.
- The article reflects on the legacy of visual programming tools and questions what modern equivalents from Apple or Microsoft might be revered in the future.
Linux on the Atari Jaguar. No, really.
18 days ago
- The Atari Jaguar, released in 1993, was a 64-bit console that became a commercial failure despite efforts like the Jaguar CD add-on.
- Linux can run on the Jaguar using uClinux for MMU-less systems, targeting the Motorola 68000 processor, with code under arch/m68k/.
- Key challenges included optimizing memory usage by splitting the kernel into ROM and RAM sections, addressing compiler issues with unaligned accesses, and setting up output and timers via the Jerry DSP.
- Booting required a serial output driver for early messages and a timer for system ticks, with adjustments for memory mapping and vector handling.
- Userspace involved using FLAT binaries instead of ELF, with busybox for a minimal init, and modifications to uClibc for memory allocation to avoid OOM errors.
- The setup resulted in a bootable Linux system on the Jaguar, with resources and configs available in a GitHub repository for replication.
Guest Post: Atari Origins – By Mark Miller
18 days ago
- Mark Miller purchased an Atari 130XE in 1988, which he used primarily for writing school papers with AtariWriter Plus, while others around him used more advanced 16-bit PCs or Macs.
- Despite lacking official terminal software for his Atari, Miller creatively used a VT-100 emulator called VT10Squared and a terminal program to access and use the campus supercomputer's full-screen editor (FSE) for Pascal programming from his dorm room.
- He explored and utilized various programming tools for his Atari, including Kyan Pascal and a PD C compiler called CC8, with which he successfully ported data structures assignments to C by writing his own 256-byte heap manager.
- Miller later acquired a Mega STe in 1992 through creative financing and used it for his final year of college, though he did not compile assignments on it at the time, opting instead to port projects after graduation.
Reject Modernity, Return To 80s, Learn C
13 days ago
- A young programmer, possibly Gen Alpha, built his own text editor in C using an old IBM-compatible 386 PC with an amber monitor.
- He opted for retro hardware and Borland Turbo C/Turbo C++ to learn coding, avoiding modern IDEs and AI tools, and relied on books for self-teaching.
- The article praises his hands-on approach, suggesting it fosters a deeper understanding of computer science fundamentals than some CS graduates have.
- Commenters share nostalgic experiences learning C, assembly, and other languages, highlighting the value of low-level programming and self-directed learning.
- Discussions include technical details on DOS memory management, historical programming tools, and generational definitions (e.g., Gen Alpha, C64 generation).
- Debates arise on C's relevance, C++ capabilities, and the merits of different programming paradigms, with some emphasizing problem-solving skills over formal education.
- The thread reflects admiration for the programmer's initiative and the enduring importance of understanding hardware and foundational computing concepts.
Xbox 'OG' Adventures
17 days ago
- The author independently ported the Mirage game engine to the original Xbox (OG) as a personal hobby project, without any support from Microsoft.
- The main challenges involved adapting a modern C++17/20 engine to C++98/03, using obsolete tools like Visual Studio 2003 and old CMake versions, and handling compatibility issues.
- Asset processing required converting the Sponza scene to older formats (like OBJ and .x) using multiple 3D software versions and optimizing for the Xbox's memory constraints.
- Texture loading on Xbox involved creating .rdf files to bundle textures into a single .xpr resource file, while animations could use vertex blending or tweening techniques.
- The project also involved porting the Quinn character from Unreal Engine 6 to the Xbox, and using SDK tools like the Bundler for icons and media.
What Is DAAD Ready?
12 days ago
- DAAD Ready is a tool for creating text adventures, evolving from PAWS and The Quill used in the 80s and 90s for 8-bit computers.
- It supports game creation in English and Spanish, with limited support for French, Portuguese, and German, and may be adaptable to other Roman-alphabet languages.
- The tool is designed for Windows but may work on MacOS or Linux via Wine; it includes tools to simplify technical details for 8-bit adventure development.
- DAAD Ready is a bundle with a repository for updates, but using the latest development version is not recommended due to potential bugs.
- Many games have been created with DAAD, including updates of old PAWS games and ports to other machines, with a broad list of examples available.
Pong Wars on the Commodore 64
9 days ago
- The post details the author's project to recreate Pong Wars, a mesmerizing animation of two balls battling to flip colors on a 20x20 grid, on a Commodore 64 using 6502 assembly language.
- Key implementation steps include setting up the screen and color RAM, using sprites for the balls, managing movement with fixed-point math and sine lookup tables, implementing edge and block collision detection with randomized bounce angles, and rendering the blockfield and scores.
- The game loop utilizes raster interrupts to run within the vertical blanking period, though performance is limited by copying the blockfield to color RAM each frame; potential optimizations are suggested, such as direct color RAM access and incremental score updates.
The Zilog Z80 has turned 50
7 days ago
- The Zilog Z80 processor was officially launched in July 1976, marking 50 years since its introduction.
- It was binary compatible with the Intel 8080 and 8085, helping establish de facto hardware and software standards like CP/M and Microsoft BASIC for 8-bit microcomputers.
- The Z80 was used in many early personal computers, home/hobby computers, and industrial applications, with clones like the Sharp LR35902 powering the original GameBoy.
- Development of the Z80 was inspired by the 8008 and 8080, with improvements including more registers, new addressing modes, simplified electrical interfacing, and higher speed.
- Key features of the Z80 include bank-switched registers, multiple interrupt handling modes, single 5V supply, and built-in DRAM refresh capability.
- Zilog's ties with Exxon influenced its market direction, but IBM chose Intel's 8088 for the PC due to these connections.
- The Z80 remained in use for decades in embedded systems and was only discontinued in June 2024.
- Personal anecdotes highlight the author's DIY Z80 computer project and lessons learned in systems engineering.
Classic Amiga titles, free to download
6 days ago
- Thousands of classic Amiga titles are available for free download and exploration.
- The Amiga Freeware Archive includes games, applications, demos, graphics, music, and tools from the golden age of 32-bit home computing.
- It features 14 PD libraries, scene groups, disk magazines, and user group compilations with over 10,142 MiB of downloads.
- Popular libraries include 17 Bit Software with 3,722 entries and Fred Fish with 1,000 entries, both widely trusted in the pre-Internet era.
- PD libraries such as Scope, Slipped Disk, and Amigan Apprentice & Journeyman offer curated collections of software, tools, and source code.
- Scene groups like The Assassins and LSD are known for prolific game compilations and demo collections spanning thousands of files.
- User groups, including Miami Amigos, T.B.A.G., and NZ Amiga Users Group, produced monthly disk series that were early and widespread in the Amiga community.
- Specialist groups like Amiga Amateur Radio User Group (ARUG) focused on niche applications such as amateur radio.
- Disk magazines such as Just Amiga Monthly (JAM) provided subscription-based content from 1991 to 1995.
PCjs Machines
3 days ago
- PCjs is a browser-based emulator of the original IBM PC, built with JavaScript.
- It emulates 1970s and 1980s hardware and software, replicating slow CPUs, low-resolution displays, and primitive sound.
- Emulations have expanded to include IBM PC compatibles, minicomputers, calculators, terminals, and arcade games.
- The project is open-source and hosted on GitHub for preservation efforts.
- Users can explore public domain software and interact with historical hardware via the PCjs Explorer.
Now You Can Work in C with Only BASIC Knowledge
3 days ago
- C Source, Inc. was founded in 1983 and dissolved in 1996, with Gene W. Brown as president and Tom Hogan as a senior programmer and marketing VP.
- BASIC_C was a library for C compilers (Lattice, DeSmet, Computer Innovations) that implemented over 80 BASIC-like functions to help BASIC programmers learn C.
- The library included familiar BASIC commands like INPUT, LPRINT, LOCATE, and INKEY, and came with a well-written manual comparing BASIC and C.
- A 1984 review by Ernest Tello noted that BASIC_C eased the transition to C but warned that line-by-line translations from BASIC might not produce optimal C code.
- The library had some bugs (e.g., the COLOR function did not match IBM BASIC behavior) and lacked math functions, but offered unique functions like BLOAD, BSAVE, and SWAP.
- The product required some C knowledge and was not a full automatic converter; it was a learning aid and conversion tool for BASIC programmers.
10 REM"_(C2SLFF4
2 days ago
- The REM statement in The Wizard's Castle contains hidden Z80 machine code for seeding the random number generator.
- The code uses the Z80 R register, stores a random value to screen memory, and BASIC reads it via PEEK.
- The listing displays non-ASCII characters due to tokenization and high-bit mapping.
- Typing the REM as shown in the magazine would not work; the author likely POKEd the bytes directly.
- The article demonstrates reverse engineering and hacker curiosity about retro computing.
It's an Apple Lisa, on a FPGA
4 hours ago
- Apple Lisa was the precursor to the Macintosh, but was expensive and a commercial failure, with few surviving units.
- A new FPGA-based replica by [AlexElectronics] supports both original Lisa peripherals (keyboard, mouse) and modern interfaces (USB, HDMI, SD card).
- The project includes a 40-pin DIP UART chip due to lack of a pre-built UART for the FPGA, and will be open-sourced on GitHub.
- Comments note that the Lisa's serial number DRM protected software, but the FPGA can be programmed to bypass it, preserving old I/O like CRT monitors.
- The Lisa was essential for early Mac development as it ran the Mac SDK, and later could run Mac software via MacWorks; the Macintosh XL was a modified Lisa 2.
- Copy protection often harms legitimate users, and the Lisa's DRM is seen as a minor issue since the machine was a commercial flop.

Hasty Briefsbeta

#retro computing

Visual Basic on the PC with Windows 3.1

Linux on the Atari Jaguar. No, really.

Guest Post: Atari Origins – By Mark Miller

Reject Modernity, Return To 80s, Learn C

Xbox 'OG' Adventures

What Is DAAD Ready?

Pong Wars on the Commodore 64

The Zilog Z80 has turned 50

Classic Amiga titles, free to download

PCjs Machines

Now You Can Work in C with Only BASIC Knowledge

10 REM"_(C2SLFF4

It's an Apple Lisa, on a FPGA