@8bitshowandtell.bsky.social
Programming, gaming, collecting, and making videos about 8-bits. Amateur computer detective and historian, gradually finding everything is connected. Commodore is my first love, but there's something interesting about every make and model.
The CBM/Business keyboards added an ESC key which sort-of gets used as a modifier for various escape codes, but wasn't used for extra glyphs as far as I know. I think the VIC-1001 was the first to have a C= key, and also CTRL for that matter.
The replacement glass and the LCD screen are sold as a single part; I don't think they can be separated but I didn't try. But it's essentially a single thing.
In this new video we look at Game 31, the first computer game Satoru Iwata ever played, which helped stir his love of gaming and programming that led him to eventually become president of Nintendo.
youtu.be/hyHeQgrvu4w
super sketch
My friend Jason Compton is once again guest co-hosting on This Week In Retro, and doing a great job of it. If you'd like him to have a permanent spot on the show, leave some likes and comments on the video:
youtu.be/0bM4EfBY1WY
I have no idea why a book-and-software combination about the TRS-80 Colour Computer has the Loch Ness Monster with his arm (?) around a kid using a Commodore PET computer, but it was the '80s so I guess it's okay.
My first-ever repair of an iPhone 8 was successful: new screen and battery. The phone was given to me by a friend in case I could fix it, after it went through a snowblower and was later found in the snowbank!
I haven't, but it looks interesting!
While the film was released in 1983, production started in 1979. I've always thought it takes place in 1980 or so. And a highschool kid probably wouldn't have money for the latest and greatest (like a C64 for games, not an Apple ;) ) and would cobble together a system.
New video about this CBM-64 "Fix" program on tape by Technicom, that claims to be an official Commodore program. What does it fix, and how? #C64
youtu.be/C_VspqJ9H3g
"Double" your child's school grades in Mathematics, for use with the Commodore 64.
If your kid had 65% in math before, they'll have 130% after. Math(s)!
"LOAD shift/run" is a variation I have not seen before!
Probably the most common Commodore 64 disk ever, some variation of the 1541 Test/Demo diskette shipped with every 1541 disk drive. Which version did you have, if any?
Yes, the TV movie is on Youtube. I managed to find an official VHS copy of it a while ago. The novel and show are very different, but the major themes/ideas are still there.
Today my dad gave me an old school exercise book, and on the back are these fun ARITHMETICAL TABLES. I've always loved these super-condensed info charts. And now I can quickly check how many Poles in a Furlong, or Scruples in a Dram.
You might also like Clowns, Clowns, Clowns, CLOWNS, CLOWNS, Clowns, CLOWNS, Clowns
This novel was loosely adapted into the corny but fun Commodore-centric Canadian made-for-TV movie "Hide & Seek".
I think my favourite old-timey sentient AI novel is The Adolescence of P-1 from 1977. I like that the author really tried to ground it all in somewhat plausible computer science, rather than just computer magic.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ado...
Somehow I didn't realize that Dr. Charles Forbin in the excellent Colossus: The Forbin Project was played by the same actor as Victor Newman from The Young and the Restless: Eric Braeden. If you haven't watched Colossus, it's one of the best-ever old-timey computer movies, imo.
First Kickstarter I've been excited about for a while! Interviews with 32 C64 game devs including some of the earliest, like the HAL Laboratory guys. I've disassembled a lot of their code over the years, so I feel like I know them!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bey...
Never heard of it! Sounds like it was being trialed in a few markets but probably never made it to mass production.
www.techmonitor.ai/technology/t...
www.cnet.com/tech/tech-in...
I was a Little Professor kid, but have since got a Dataman as well!
I love the color schemes they had
This JCPenney calculator is actually a rebranded Commodore GL-996R. Nice big chunky keys!
New video about 6510/VIC-II timing, $D020, and C64 stuff like that. youtu.be/-f8CsHj8z4U
One of my favourite things about old computer game collecting is the notes sometimes included to explain away odd design decisions (or bugs), such as this one for Bazooka Bill for Commodore 64.
Somehow I only became aware of this great Tron (1982) tribute in the last couple years. The Stokes - 12:51 video takes place inside a Tron Light Tank crossing the Grid for no particular reason other than it's pretty cool, I think.
youtu.be/LPAVDHo1Elc
Just a couple and I haven't even tried them yet :)
Needed to find the wide-angle lens to fit this CPC464 in a single picture. Good news: it powers up!
