OT : Micro Men - BBC4 thursday 9PM

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Rickharris

Senior Member
Had an Atom, Acorn BBC and Electron superb manuals and they supported assembler programming and Spectrum and QL at various times as well as the Amstrad CPC before I went to MACs and then PC's.
 
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Dippy

Moderator
They certainly played a part in bringing cheap computers to the masses - and games too.
I realise they weren't the first, but they opened people's eyes.

I watched it too. Was old Clive really such an hysterical obsessive as portrayed?

I remember a few years after all that a bloke in the pub telling me that, during that time, his son was a 'Computer Whizz Kid'. When I asked why he reckoned that, he told me because he could score huge numbers of points on Jet Set Willy.
I pointed out to him that a 'Computer Whizz Kid' would have written the game and not played it.
So, I've been a pompous ass for 20 years :)
(But I still believe I'm right).

Anyway, I'm sure some real oldies can tell us about exciting biorythm programmes on their 60's IBMs.. ;)
 
hippy

hippy

Ex-Staff (retired)
For anyone interested; Micro Men is repeated tonight (Monday), 22:00-23:00 BBC4.

Preceding that; 21:00-22:00 BBC4, Podfather, "the story of Robert Noyce, co-founder of Intel and co-creator of the integrated circuit and the microprocessor".
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Again? Blimey, that must the third time in a week.

And, of course, the regular use of the F word should make it suitable for all school children over 5 years old.
 
slimplynth

slimplynth

Senior Member
Thought Clive was amusing, being very annoyed at Jet Set Willy - like a doctor would be annoyed at a drunkard using kidney dialysis to sober up.

Good choice of cast, should have had Ricky Gervais too.
 
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benryves

Senior Member
It was entertaining viewing, and the mixture of new and archive footage worked well (the recreation of the old ads was especially impressive). Great soundtrack, too.
 
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Texy

Senior Member
I was one of those who's first 'puter was a zx80 bought in 1980 in kit form. I got my mum to build it (she was an assembler by trade). Had a lot of fun with it, and having only 1k of ram was a good way of learning how important efficient code management is - as anyone with a 8M can testify;)
On another note I actually met Sir Clive when he came to visit my work in the early 80's. Well more acurately I saw him when he had a factory tour:D

Anyway I enjoyed the programme, although it'd be interesting to know just how much of it really happened, and how much was added in creative licence.

Texy
 
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boriz

Senior Member
The first computer I used was a CBM PET at school. It was love at first sight.

The first I owned was a ZX81. Spent many happy hours in the little room under the stairs with that thing and an old B&W TV. Even solved the RAMpack wobble problem, but then again, everyone had to one way or another. A friend SOLDERED his on!

Soon moved on to a BBC ‘B’ with a floppy drive. What a great machine. Quickly discovered 6502 asm and the brilliance of an inline assembler.

In fact, my very first job interview was at a local game writing house and the entire interview consisted of being sat in front of a BBC and having one hour to write a 6502 asm program to do such-n-such.

I now have 4 CBM PETs. Two dual CBM floppy drives. Two dot matrix printers. All working. Even had a couple of them networked once.

Micro Men was ok, but they missed out so much, and it could have been done so much better. I guess it’s the geek in me. (I had to roll my eyes at the ‘umbilical’ scene.)
 
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Dippy

Moderator
Yes, it could have been better.
But most of TV is dumbed-down to entertain the lowest-common-denominator.
And was probably written/produced/directed by some ex art student.

It didn't even show that you needed a good brain to programme in a hurry.
Apparently all you have to do is look weird and you're qualified... excellent!
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
I will lay odds on that many of us have disused and obsolete computers in the garage/loft/living room. What does one do with them? They have no value, can't run current software, may or may not work at all.

Why keep a beige box?

OK I will confess to having an Atom, BBC, Spectrum, 2 Macs and a PC in my attic. Anyone else?
 
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Dippy

Moderator
I sold my old Memotch to a collector for £20.

Hang on to them Rick - they will become collectable.

I noticed an 80's Scalextric was on "Bargain Hunt" yesterday , so there is hope for old 'puters.
 
Buzby

Buzby

Senior Member
About five years ago I sold two blank, unpopulated, Eurocard size, Acorn System 1 pcbs.

The System 1 was the single board 6502 machine, from before the Atom.

I sold the boards to two seperate buyers, each paid £50 for a single PCB !.

How much do think I could get for my populated System 1, or my unbuilt ZX81 kit, or my MK14 ?

( It's a hypothetical question - they are not for sale, unless they would pay off my mortgage. !)
 
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Dippy

Moderator
... well, if your mortgage stands at 50p then I'll make an offer.

(that's hypothetical too - I haven't got 50p)
 
hippy

hippy

Ex-Staff (retired)
Buzby said:
How much do think I could get for my populated System 1, or my unbuilt ZX81 kit, or my MK14 ?
Click to expand...
Always hard to say; depends on if you can find someone who really wants one and is prepared to pay. As you move down from "must have, will pay anything" collectors, enthusiasts or sentimentalists their appeal drops. MK14's have sold for over £500.

Rickharris said:
OK I will confess to having an Atom, BBC, Spectrum, 2 Macs and a PC in my attic. Anyone else?
Click to expand...
I've cleared out my stock of retro-bits. I was more interested in finding them a good home where they'd be appreciated than making a profit. One consideration I had was that if you just leave them in a box hidden away, come the time when one shuffles off this mortal coil, they will likely get land-filled by others who think they are "just worthless junk".

If that happens, and you're not using something, it may as well go now. It's probably worthwhile creating an inventory of what there is, measure of value, and suggestions of how/where to possibly dispose of items as others won't likely have a clue about them.

Apologies if any of that sounds overly morbid !
 
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boriz

Senior Member
I personally enjoy my collection, as a collector would, and they all have to work. In addition to the above PET stuff, I have my original ZX81+PSU+RAMpack+Manual, one owner from new :) A Commodore 64, BBC micro, BBC master system, Commodore Amiga, a couple of early consoles (hand full of built in games, variations of pong, B&W) and a Merlin hand held game. I would need to be really desperate to sell any of them.

(Any donations to my collection gratefully accepted!)
 
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slurp

Senior Member
It was relatively recently I disposed of my Oric-1, it sold on ebay for the same price as was paid for it new! Sold to a man who's mother didn't buy him one at the time :)

Given the interfacing to avoid tapes and the availability and ease of use of PICaxe devices I never did find a suitable robotics project for the ORIC.

regards,
Colin
 
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papaof2

Senior Member
hippy said:
If that happens, and you're not using something, it may as well go now. It's probably worthwhile creating an inventory of what there is, measure of value, and suggestions of how/where to possibly dispose of items as others won't likely have a clue about them.
Click to expand...
My wife has asked for an inventory of the electronics and tools - probably a good idea...

John
 
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manuka

Senior Member
Papaof2: You'd better check the local "Hatched, Matched & Dispatched " listings too!

Asset register lists are one thing,but in hi tech they rapidly become dated of course, so it's worth aquainting a sensible technical mate with your goodie stash. That way your estate can leave the disposal up to him. Over the decades I've been involved with the "shack" clearance of radio hams who've gone to the great E layer in the sky. Many old timers with towering WW2 era gear indeed left a mess for their family, but overall I reflect on the very rational disposal of most gear by fellow hams- if only for scrap metal. I recall finding a colossal lead counterbalance in one guys rack mounted system- 10 minutes later (& a visit to the local scrap merchant) it'd become amber fluid for the workers

I'm always wary of donating to schools (even aside from lead & glass etc concerns), as much mindless e-destruction WILL take place unless supervised. Electrolytic explosions/ running LEDs & small motors off 12V/ imploding CRTs etc are considered fun by many hormonal 12 yo. boys...
 
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Rickharris

Senior Member
hippy said:
...

If that happens, and you're not using something, it may as well go now. It's probably worthwhile creating an inventory of what there is, measure of value, and suggestions of how/where to possibly dispose of items as others won't likely have a clue about them.

Apologies if any of that sounds overly morbid !
Click to expand...

Pragmatic perhaps! I have a techi son who values these things so no problem for me.

I watched the 1980's electric dreams prog and bewailed the loss of various video games such as car racing and the parachute game and Simon says (available in picaxe form of course). Perhaps the simplicity of these games added to their attraction.

Never did get a grip of Donkey Kong (can you say that these days?) or chuckey egg perhaps that is an age thing? I can fly MS FSX quite well - But that is almost real world!!!!!

:)
My father (a steam engineer passed on to me steam models and a whole load of tools that it has take me 60 years to find a use for - so never give up on today's technology - eventually it will become fascinating to the future generations. Who knows who in the world of Fermi transformational quasi physics string theory will value a 2009 quad core PC (even if only to look at their ancestors photographs.) JPEGS - how quaint!!!
 
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