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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Vael Lashar <ltwiss@********.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 13:00:03 +8
On 3 Dec 96 at 20:27, Spike put to email:


> But then, we also had a ZX81...

I remember using the Commadore "Pet" when I was a wee lass.

Vael
Message no. 2
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Tue, 3 Dec 1996 21:07:43 +0000
|
|On 3 Dec 96 at 20:27, Spike put to email:
|
|
|> But then, we also had a ZX81...
|
|I remember using the Commadore "Pet" when I was a wee lass.

Aye, we had one of them at the Computer Club I used to frequent....
It was a REALLY crappy plastic keyboard...

Even more unfriendly than the ZX81....

(I've also played with an AppleII, Jupiter Ace, etc,etc,etc...)
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 3
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowrn@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 00:36:15 +0000
In message <18773.199612032107@*****.teach.cs.keele.ac.uk>, Spike
<u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK> writes
>|I remember using the Commadore "Pet" when I was a wee lass.
>
>Aye, we had one of them at the Computer Club I used to frequent....
>It was a REALLY crappy plastic keyboard...

Other versions had a pretty reasonable conventional keyboard...
>
>Even more unfriendly than the ZX81....

_Nothing_ was more unfriendly than the "keyboard" on a ZX81 :) Even the
plastic tiles of some PETs were better than the ghastly membrane of the
Sinclair.

>(I've also played with an AppleII, Jupiter Ace, etc,etc,etc...)

Eeh, bah gum, them was the days, lad. Vic-20, Acorn Atom, ZX Spectrum,
Commodore 64, Atari 400 and 800, Oric, Dragon 32, a few BBC Micros down
t'school, TRS80s, MSXs, all them old machines nobody's heard of no more.
Young folk today, they've got no idea...

My little brother's still got an old MSX. I've got a ZX81 that used to
be a bookend. My first "PC-Compatible" was a 4.77MHz 8088-based Sirius
with a 10Mb hard drive and a 5.25" floppy disk drive that no other
systems could read.

Mind you, time moves so fast, even my 286 portable (my emergency backup
machine) is approaching antique status these days... as for my colleague
with his Amstrad PCW, most people have never heard of those either.

--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 4
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 13:01:11 +0100
Paul J. Adam said on 0:36/ 4 Dec 96...

> >Even more unfriendly than the ZX81....
>
> _Nothing_ was more unfriendly than the "keyboard" on a ZX81 :) Even the
> plastic tiles of some PETs were better than the ghastly membrane of the
> Sinclair.

The ZX-81 didn't even have the soft plastic keys, did it? (I never owned
one, my first Sinclair was a Spectrum+ with the wobbly, hard plastic
keys...)

> Eeh, bah gum, them was the days, lad. Vic-20, Acorn Atom, ZX Spectrum,
> Commodore 64, Atari 400 and 800, Oric, Dragon 32, a few BBC Micros down
> t'school, TRS80s, MSXs, all them old machines nobody's heard of no more.
> Young folk today, they've got no idea...

What, you're calling me old?! :)

> My little brother's still got an old MSX. I've got a ZX81 that used to
> be a bookend.

Why do I have this feeling you've plugged it into your TV recently? :)
(Maybe I should go dig up that Sharp MZ-80K with the many home-made
modifications that sits in our attic...)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Originally genuine.
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+ PE
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Message no. 5
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 11:21:02 -0500
>Eeh, bah gum, them was the days, lad. Vic-20, Acorn Atom, ZX Spectrum,
>Commodore 64, Atari 400 and 800, Oric, Dragon 32, a few BBC Micros down
>t'school, TRS80s, MSXs, all them old machines nobody's heard of no more.
>Young folk today, they've got no idea...

Anyone else here remember my first computer? The Ohio Scientific C4P?

I also might end up living into the sixth world (yeah, right) remembering writing
programs on punch cards. Fortran, I think. Nice UI--for a steam powered loom!

Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 6
From: Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 13:20:30 GMT
Gurth writes

> Paul J. Adam said on 0:36/ 4 Dec 96...
>
> > >Even more unfriendly than the ZX81....
> >
> > _Nothing_ was more unfriendly than the "keyboard" on a ZX81 :) Even
the
> > plastic tiles of some PETs were better than the ghastly membrane of the
> > Sinclair.
>
> The ZX-81 didn't even have the soft plastic keys, did it?

A plain hard touch sensitive surface, though someone came out with a
Spectrum style set of keys that just stuck onto it for about 10
pounds. In its day it was good, kit for about 50 pounds build it up
and you have a computer, and with 16K ram pack i had a flight
simulator!, ok so it took 4 minutes watching dancing black and white
lines to load.

Mark
Message no. 7
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 12:43:47 +0000
|>(I've also played with an AppleII, Jupiter Ace, etc,etc,etc...)
|
|Eeh, bah gum, them was the days, lad. Vic-20, Acorn Atom, ZX Spectrum,
|Commodore 64, Atari 400 and 800, Oric, Dragon 32, a few BBC Micros down
|t'school, TRS80s, MSXs, all them old machines nobody's heard of no more.
|Young folk today, they've got no idea...

Did I mention my Enterprise 64?
(Now I wonder if that'll stump him....)

--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 8
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowrn@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 00:34:36 +0000
In message <199612041201.NAA18007@**********.xs4all.nl>, Gurth
<gurth@******.NL> writes
>Paul J. Adam said on 0:36/ 4 Dec 96...
>> _Nothing_ was more unfriendly than the "keyboard" on a ZX81 :) Even the
>> plastic tiles of some PETs were better than the ghastly membrane of the
>> Sinclair.
>
>The ZX-81 didn't even have the soft plastic keys, did it? (I never owned
>one, my first Sinclair was a Spectrum+ with the wobbly, hard plastic
>keys...)

Just a flat membrane keyboard, not even the Flexy Bendy Floppy rubber
"keyboard" of the Spectrum. You think the Spectrum+ was bad, the
original Spectrum's keyboard was a one-piece soft rubber moulding under
a stamped mask in the casing.

>> My little brother's still got an old MSX. I've got a ZX81 that used to
>> be a bookend.
>
>Why do I have this feeling you've plugged it into your TV recently? :)

Lost the power supply for it about ten years ago, sadly...

--
There are four kinds of homicide: felonious, excusable, justifiable and
praiseworthy...

Paul J. Adam paul@********.demon.co.uk
Message no. 9
From: Czar Eggbert <czregbrt@*********.EDU>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 00:20:35 -0600
On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Paul J. Adam wrote:

>>> _Nothing_ was more unfriendly than the "keyboard" on a ZX81 :)
Eventhe
> >> plastic tiles of some PETs were better than the ghastly membrane of the
> >> Sinclair.
> >
> >The ZX-81 didn't even have the soft plastic keys, did it? (I never owned
> >one, my first Sinclair was a Spectrum+ with the wobbly, hard plastic
> >keys...)
>
> Just a flat membrane keyboard, not even the Flexy Bendy Floppy rubber
> "keyboard" of the Spectrum. You think the Spectrum+ was bad, the
> original Spectrum's keyboard was a one-piece soft rubber moulding under
> a stamped mask in the casing.
>
> >> My little brother's still got an old MSX. I've got a ZX81 that used to
> >> be a bookend.
> >
> >Why do I have this feeling you've plugged it into your TV recently? :)
>
> Lost the power supply for it about ten years ago, sadly...

Same here =( but if you want you can find a suitable replacement at Raido
Shack... I found one but it was 25$(which I dont have!)... the fraggen
thing only cost 99$ and that was with Frogger and Magic Cube :)
Message no. 10
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 11:41:37 +0000
|Just a flat membrane keyboard, not even the Flexy Bendy Floppy rubber
|"keyboard" of the Spectrum. You think the Spectrum+ was bad, the
|original Spectrum's keyboard was a one-piece soft rubber moulding under
|a stamped mask in the casing.

HEY!
Stop!
A lot of people fond of rubber LOVED that keyboard...
Errrrm
Ahem....
<Shuffles off in an embarrassed manner....)0
--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| |
|Andrew Halliwell | "ARSE! GERLS!! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!!!" |
|Principal subjects in:- | "THAT WOULD BE AN ECUMENICAL MATTER!...FECK!!!! |
|Comp Sci & Electronics | - Father Jack in "Father Ted"
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|GCv3.1 GCS/EL>$ d---(dpu) s+/- a- C++ U N++ K- w-- M+/++ PS+++ PE- Y t+ 5++ |
|X+/++ R+ tv+ b+ D G e>PhD h/h+ !r! !y-|I can't say F**K either now! >*SULK*<|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message no. 11
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: Nostalgia and computers (Off SR Subject)
Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 13:05:34 +0100
Paul J. Adam said on 0:34/ 6 Dec 96...

> Just a flat membrane keyboard, not even the Flexy Bendy Floppy rubber
> "keyboard" of the Spectrum. You think the Spectrum+ was bad, the
> original Spectrum's keyboard was a one-piece soft rubber moulding under
> a stamped mask in the casing.

Yeah, though I never owned one, I have used on once or twice... Anyone who
doesn't know what we're talking about, take a look at a pocket calculator
that has those soft, plastic keys, and imagine that for a computer
keyboard :)

> >Why do I have this feeling you've plugged it into your TV recently? :)
>
> Lost the power supply for it about ten years ago, sadly...

Bugger... Unfortunately, I sold my Spectrum (a 128, by then) several years
ago so I can't use it anymore either :(

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
This is a recording.
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version 3.1:
GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+(++)@ U P L E? W(++) N o? K- w+ O V? PS+ PE
Y PGP- t(+) 5+ X++ R+++>$ tv+(++) b++@ DI? D+ G(++) e h! !r(---) y?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

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