[cctalk] CP/M

I came across an article that said CP/M came out in April 1974. I remember using this OS in the microcomputer world in the late 70’s; early 80’s. It came from PL/M, (Programming Language for Microcomputers) later renamed CP/M(Control Program for Microcomputers). I’m not sure what its legacy is

[cctalk] Re: APL (Was: BASIC

I’m not certain what constitutes the original foundations of BASIC(Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) but to my knowledge it began with J. G. Kemeny and T. E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College in 1964. Apple BASIC and GWBASIC were well established when I began experimenting with them in

[cctalk] BASIC

Nostalgia keeps pressing ahead: It was 60 yrs. ago that BASIC came into existence. I remember very well writing in Apple Basic and GW Basic later on. As a non-compiled OS, an interpreted OS, it was just the right tool for a microcomputer with limited memory. I recall fondly taking code from

[cctalk] Re: Altair 8800 50th birthday...

The Altair 8800 used a microprocessor, the 8080, and came to public prominence in Jan. 1975 in Popular Electronics magazine: "World's First Minicomptuer Kit to Rival Commercial Models." I have the original magazine from that era and I remember this quite well as it brought attention to a

[cctalk] Re: IBM 360

An excellent trip down memory lane. I no longer have the memory and cognitive skills I once had but there are events in my life I still remember and cherish. The first computer I remember working on was the either the PDP-7 or 8(classmates at that time no longer live here in rural Ontario to

[cctalk] Re: IBM 360

On Wed, Apr 10, 2024 at 7:39 AM Paul Berger via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > On 2024-04-10 2:21 a.m., Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > > On 4/9/24 22:03, ben via cctalk wrote: > >> On 2024-04-09 8:53 p.m., Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: > >>>

[cctalk] IBM 360

I had not realized the IBM 360 was 60 yrs. old this month. I worked on such a computer in the late 60s in Toronto. What one could do with 8 Kbytes of ram was remarkable! Happy computing Murray 

[cctalk] Re: The 8008

these are of interest. Murray  On Mon, Apr 1, 2024 at 9:43 AM Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > are these articles available/online? maybe others might like them too. > Thanks in advance > Bill > > On Mon, Apr 1, 2024 at 9:29 AM Murray McCullough via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org>

[cctalk] The 8008

I’ve read with great interest, over the past short while, a few interesting articles on the history of the Intel 8008(officially released in April 1972) as it was the forerunner of what was to become the personal computer industry. And done with less than 4000 transistors. I saw one at a computer

[cctalk] IBM PC-XT

I look back fondly on the IBM PC-XT of 41 years ago. It was very pricy here in the Great North but it allowed for a much more advanced computing environment. What one could do with a 10MB hard disk! Granted it was far more popular in the business world than the consumer one. However, it made

[cctalk] Re: The MAC at 40

I know a great deal of writings by techno-historians, computer-industry experts and technology enthusiasts concerning the Apple Mac, and now 40 years old, have covered this topic both on and off the net. Unlike originally stated I now feel that the MAC was an important change agent in regards to

[cctalk] The MAC at 40

The Apple Mac, 40 years old, came from Xerox PARC’s GUI and Apple’s LISA. Not sure that it really changed computing though! Financially it didn't help Apple until after 1997 and Gate's investment. Happy computing! Murray 

[cctalk] Re: RIP: Software design pioneer and Pascal creator Niklaus Wirth

Many thanks Liam. N. Wirth, the man and his creation(s), has a special place in my understanding of computers and how programming works - the way it should. Great men do change things and in N. Wirth's case much for the better in the computing world and dare I say beyond. Murray  On Thu, Jan

[cctalk] Intel 4004

On Nov. 15, 1971 Intel commercially released the 4004 microprocessor which some consider to be the first. Nonetheless, even if not in agreement, it made possible the instrument which drives the classic-computing industry or at the very least our hobby! Happy computing. Murray 

[cctalk] Apple 1

Classic computers have a value in our capitalist society. Take the Apple-1: Its value can be in the $100,000s. One is for sale now: ~ $200,000. Next seems to be the Kenbak-1 valued somewhere around $50,000. Now, I’m not suggesting money is the epitome for evaluating our hobby but it goes a long

[cctalk] Can't access

Dear sir; I can't access your site. Not sure why! It mat be due to the email address I employ. Many thanks, Murray 

[cctalk] Death of Mitnick

Maybe this note is off topic but I don't think so: The death of Kevin Mitnick. His book "Ghost in the Wire" is a classic. Too bad he was a criminal! Murray 

[cctalk] Problems with getting your newslatter

Hello sir, I used to get your newsletter but no longer...I understand there are problems... I would be most interested in getting your newsletter again. Many thanks, Murray 

[cctalk] The World Wide Web

30 years ago the World Wide Web came into public existence. It has enabled cctalk to flourish. Murray 

[cctalk] Magazine no longer in print

I read today that “Maximum PC” is no longer in print just in digital. Past issues are available in digitized format but it’s not the same as reading a magazine while in bed! Our hobby is changing. Well, progress must not be stopped… Happy computing. Murray 

[cctalk] 8086 history

45 years ago this month Intel revealed the 8086 processor which became x86 technology that formed the backbone of PC technology. The 8-bit era came to an end about 7 years later. For classic computing a new era began. Happy computing. Murray 

[cctalk] Wireless phone

On April 3, 1973 the first wireless phone call was made and Moore’s Law has now led to the smart-phone being ubiquitous to our lives: Computer technology and cell phone technology marching hand-in-hand. Happy computing and talking about it! Murray 

[cctalk] Death of G. Moore

Legendary discoverer of Moore's Law Gordon Moore passed away. Whether it truly is a 'law' is debatable but its effect on microprocessor development is hard to deny. Our industry/hobby or interest was built on a technology G. Moore helped to develop. Happy computing! Murray 

[cctalk] Re: Tarek Hoteit ->Visiting the computer history museum

I attended the Vintage Computer Faire at the Computer History Museum many a yr. ago. The museum wasn't opened yet then collecting many computer artifacts including the Cray-1. I also met Steve Wozniak who gladdened the heart of this Canadian nerd/geek/computer enthusiast. I'm looking forward to

[cctalk] Vintage den

Hi, Has anyone seen the latest on ArsTECHNICA journal on Brian Green’s “deluxe home vintage computer den”? Does it bring back many fond memories of the 70s and 80s.  Happy computing. Murray 

[cctalk] Re: on the origin of home computers

A lot has been written about the origins of the microcomputer. I wrote a book on the topic. Many thanks for mentioning Canada. Whether one is playing games or doing something else micro-computing is usually associated with a microprocessor as CPU. Anything earlier is a minicomputer or something

[cctalk] TRS 80

45 years for the TRS-80. My! Where has the time gone? The “Trash-80” was one of the earliest micro-computers in my home. Radio Shack helped create the ‘PC’ industry, the consumer version anyways, fueling what is now our hobby. Happy computing. Murray 

Classic computer from Britain(Europe)

For British microcomputer fans the famous SInclair ZX Spectrum came into existence 40 years ago this month: A worthy successor to the Sinclair ZX81. It was the Apple II of Europe. Happy computing! Murray 

Loss of Museum in Ukraine

Without getting political I was saddened to hear of the destruction of the Club 8-Bit museum in Mariupol, Ukraine. One can only hope that D. Cherepanov can rebuild his museum someday keeping classic computing in that part of the world alive. Murray--

Passing of Jay Last

I read with sadness an obituary in the New York Times of the passing of *Jay Last*, he being one of the “traitorous eight” infamy, if you wish to look at it that way. We in CCTalk owe him and others a great deal as they helped create the Silicon Valley from which early small computers evolved.

I-4004

Did the 4004 chip start our interest in microcomputing? It is 50 today. Classic computing begins earlier but for the masses, if they could be called that in the early seventies, this was it. I hesitate in calling it the first microprocessor as pc'ers will object. Happy computing all. Murray 

Microcomputing nostalgia & cctalk

Nostalgia is great for aging baby-boomers as me. Back in 1978 I along with a friend bought a Heathkit H1 and spent many leisure hours constructing it and getting it to boot up! By 1984 I moved on to the Coleco ADAM and learned BASIC(Well more accurately APPLE Basic) spending too much time on it

Re:CCtalk on Linux vs Windows

I quite agree that one OS isn’t better than another. It is one’s personal choice. However, it would be amiss of me not to acknowledge that some people prefer one over another and will do so until someone proves otherwise. My dear friend and I don’t let this situation get in the way of our

Linux and the 'clssic' computing world

To my knowledge the Linux kernel was released to the public 30 years ago around this time. My dear friend swears by it and will never go back to Windows even though WIN 11 is much more secure than previous Windows versions. Prior to Linux there were other much-earlier operating systems for 8-bit

Fred Cisin: Death of Clive SInclair

Clive SInclair was a British entrepreneur who designed and built very small computers back in the early days of 8-bit computing. Whether he created a 'first' as Fred argues doesn't lessen his role in microcomputing history. Let's celebrate pioneers who gave us what we have today. Happy computing.

Re: 30 yrs. ago

My apologies.  It was 40 years ago that the IBM PC became a retail computer this month. Murray 

30 yrs. ago

30 years ago this month the IBM PC debuted at $1565. Some say this began the era of mass-computing and it is now what classiccmp.org is all about! For those interested in the OS world LINUX is 30 years old. Time has passed but this is what classic computing is all about. Happy computing.

Apple Investment

Apple went public Dec. 12, 1980 at $22.00/share over 40 years ago. Where has the time gone! A $1000 investment would be ~45 shares. Today that would be 5040 shares after 5 splits. Its price today is $121/share. That would be $609,840. Here in Canada that’s $939,153! Quite the nest egg. It has

WIN 1.0

A milestone in 'classic' computing happened Nov. 20, 1985 with the release of Windows 1.0: A GUI sitting on MS-DOS. Text-based input on it's way out! Happy computing all. Murray  Virus-free.

Computer History

I've recently reread *Fire In The Valley, Ed. 1,2 &3.* They are the seminal, authoritative & comprehensive sources for the history of the microcomputer. We in the classic computer community need to know the history of our hobby to keep it vital and relevant to today's society. More than ever we

Re: From: John Klos

"That might be true for discussions where people don't care to do any research, or where words like "first" are uses more for hyperbolic emphasis, but suggesting someone started an industry on a list like this, I think, doesn't seem out of place." I agree that using ‘*first**’* has a certain

Computer stores

45 yrs. ago last month, mid-July, Dick Heiser started a new industry, the retail computer store. It opened in West L.A. under the name Arrow Head COmputer Company. aka, The Computer Store. This began the direct marketing of microcomputers to hobbyists, later to the masses of the middle class,

Re: Living Computer Museum

I was interested in computers from grade 11; that would have been in 1967. I got my first microcomputer in 1978, a Heathkit H8 - terribly priced here in Canada. From there I went to the Coleco ADAM. It was essentially an APPLE II clone, well the OS was. Not sure what has become of ADAM-user groups

Re: GWBASIC Source Code

GWBASIC- (Gee-Whiz BASIC) is a Microsoft product, designed much along the line of IBM’s BASICA, that did not need a ROM BASIC and was interpreted. Not necessarily basic in design or purpose as defined by Oxford English Dictionary & Wikipedia and Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, some(purists) say

Computing and communicating in a COVID-19 world

The virus-world we are living in has seen Internet usage dramatically increase world-wide. Thanks to pioneers like Cerf, Kahn, Crocker and Kleinrock, sounds like a law firm, paved the way for the packet-switch system Bell & others fought to prevent. I recall the early days of computing, classic,

Larry Tesler - Computer Pioneer

Heard of death today of Larry Tesler, pioneer worker at Xerox Parc. He advanced the era of human-computer interaction. He 'created' copy- and-paste and cut-and-paste which made everyday computing in DOS-age easier before GUI-age made mouse-driven commands easier on computer users. Early pioneers

Re: First Internet message

I’m not familiar with U.S. law but didn’t Xerox ‘own’ the patent(s) to GUI technology? Again to my knowledge Microsoft and Apple both ‘appropriated’ and/or ‘misapproriated’, depending on your point-of-view, this exact technology! Does commercial-use, read profit, subsume legal rights eventually in

Re: First Internet message and ...

Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com *Wrote:* *“More worrisome is that Murray is NOT A "NEWCOMER" who will be "scared off" * *by corrections of his facts! This is not the first time that he has * *needed to be admonished to be VERY specific about what was "FIRST" about * *something. He

Correction for First Internet Message

I apologize for the wrong date. Should have said Nov. 21, 1969. Makes more sense timewise... Happy computing Murray ☺

First Internet message and ...

The first Internet message was sent 60 yrs. ago on Nov. 21 between SRI and UCLA. It was one-to-many, or more accurate one-to-one, but the world today is many-to-many though cctalk runs through a moderator. The Internet democratizes and gives a certain freedom to us all but it can lead to

50 yrs. ago today

The first inter-computer communication happened 50 years ago today. L. Kleinrock part of that historic moment, said, and I paraphrase here, ARPANET was the instrument that was to enable computers to talk to each other remotely. He sent “LO” because the system crashed(how surprising was that!)

Coleco & Atari

I came across an old copy of Popular Science on yesterday, forthwith I know not how, that had a story of two vintage/old/retro/classic-computers. How old? 1983. Coleco ADAM, my favourite, and Atari 600XL, not so much. I still have my ADAM. No not why. But isn’t this why we all belong to

Re: Pioneers of computing

Thanks for the info on chip made by Texas Instruments. It was used in a pocket/plug-in calculator I had while working as a payroll clerk back in the early 70s. The link is: http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/ti_cal-tech1.html I’ve written in my book on the History of the Microcomputer a

Pioneers of computing

Back in 1965 Jack Kilby, Jerry Merryman and James Van Tassel at texas Instruments created an integrated circuit designed to replace the calulator. Historians, though not all, credit this development as the beginning of the electronic-computing revolution that was truly underway by the mid-70s.

Re: Merry Christmas (Tom Manos)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year bring all your computing wishes true. Happy computing all!

Paul Allen

One of the founders of MicroSoft has passed on. The world has lost a true early computer pioneer. Murray--

Speed now & then

I’m not trying to date myself but have things truly sped up? In 1970’s Toronto I had a classic computer, sorry can’t recall what it was, connected to a 300 baud modem; by early 80’s had ‘zoomed’ to 9600 baud. Oh, my! [ A typical file size to download was probably 1 MB. ] Speed indeed! Yet now,

Modems & Xerox

I started accessing BBSs back in the early 70s with a 300 baud modem. >From there it went to 1200; 2400; 9600; 28.8K and 56Kilobaud. All on dialup! Now at 5 Mbits/sec. here in Ontario. An American friend has 250Mb/s download. Yikes! The classic computer era taught us patience didn’t it? BTW, one

3 computing events

Three ‘computing’ events are happening: 1) The i-Pad was introduced by S. Jobs 8 yrs. ago and defined a ‘new’ computing paradigm for the masses. The reason I mention this event is because a young friend(20 yrs. old) said “That’s ancient computing!” What is one to make of classic-computing

Spectre & Meltdown

I wrote about Spectre and Meltdown recently: INTEL took its time to inform the world! Did it inform the world back in earlier days about potential flaws? Not to blame INTEL only: What about Zilog, etc.? Or did pre-Internet era protect us computer-classic users? What about running emulation

Spectre & Meltdown

This may be off-topic but these latest uprocessor exploits has raised a question: Are the 'old/classic' uprocessors using x86 technology in the same boat? The very earliest ones, i.e., 1970s and early 80's. probably not. How many are actually in use and/or on the Net? Happy computing! Murray :)

Re: Message 4 on Computing from 1976

"Message: 4 Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2017 10:35:18 +1100 From: Nigel Williams To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" Subject: Re: Computing from 1976 Message-ID:

Computing from 1976

I was perusing my old computer magazine collection the other day and came across an article entitled: “Fast-Growing new hobby, Real Computers you assemble yourself”, Dec. 1976. It was about MITS, Sphere, IMSAI and SWT. 4K memory was $500. Yikes! Even more here in Canada. Now this is true Classic

Visicalc

Today marks the 36 anniversary of Visicalc a seminal program in the world of classic computing. Happy computing! Murray :)

Subject: Re: RIP Jerry Pournelle - Firsts:

Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2017 15:22:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Cameron Kaiser To: bill.gunshan...@hotmail.com, cctalk@classiccmp.org Subject: Re: RIP Jerry Pournelle - Firsts Message-ID: <20170915.v8fmmw5r7405...@floodgap.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >> I used to

Subject: Re: RIP Jerry Pournelle, the first author to write a novel on a microcomputer

Was Jerry Pournelle the FIRST to write a PUBLISHED NOVEL on a MICROCOMPUTER? Yikes! Talk about SHOUTING. As a historian is it worth the aggravation to please everyone? Does revisionism take away the honour(Cdn. Here!) Jerry Pournelle rightly deserves for pioneering work in our beloved computing

Micral - France

>From earlest days: Here in France and saw a Micral…Now there’s a classic computer. Originated in 1973; 8008 :) :) Happy computing all! Murray :)