Hacker News Reader

Hacker News

Comment by 127001brewer | Hacker News Reader

Full thread

127001brewer

I still have a Commodore 64 with its original box and booklet (which includes lessons in programming with BASIC).

View on HN

I've got mine setup at work in the meeting room

http://mos6581.com/pictures/commodore-64/desk.jpg

I keep my IBM PC setup at home

http://mos6581.com/pictures/5170-canvas/DCSF0009.jpg

Awesome - I used to have the disk drive and drawing pad ("KoalaPad")[0], but, unfortunately, those were thrown out a long time ago.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KoalaPad

You've really looked after those computers — nice job :)

Oooh, leaf-spring or micro-switch Competition Pro?

I loved my leaf-spring one, it was built like a tank. When friends destroyed their Quickshot IIs in Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge, mine just kept on trucking :)

Its leaf-spring, personally I find them a bit unresponsive compared to the micro-switch models.

Oh, sure, I probably pulled that thing apart several times over its life-span, but I loathed the clicking and lack of reliability of the micro-switch based sticks.

Is that a PC XT? Did they come with a 3.5" drive or did you replace the older ones?

Its a PC AT, which came with a 5.25" drive, but I swapped it for a smaller one for the sake of practicality.

In practise I transfer all software and data to it over FTP.

http://www.brutman.com/mTCP/

Ah the memories. From memory, and obviously we are going back a long time here, there was a program in there which you could write to make it sound like a baby was crying ( it kind of did), and another where you could design a sprite ( a hot air balloon ? ) and move it around the screen.

It all seemed rather complicated to me at the time and couldn't imagine how people were writing whole games using it. Years later you realise it was even more complicated as most games were written in assembly.

The sprites...! Now there's a blast from the past - I've spent a good amount of time learning how to "draw" sprites with BASIC.

I do to. Box is in ill repair and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to plug the power supply into an outlet. Oh and last I recall, one of the chips had gone bad (kernal chip maybe) on it. But, I still have it! :)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com