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  • IBM PC 5150 notes(cass,XTIDE,4xFloppy,SB+VGA) site

    From voidstar@80:505/18 to All on Mon Aug 30 18:34:08 2021
    Hey retro folks, I'm using my 5150 to post this via mTCP telnet! (WiModem232 was fun, but truth is the NIC is so much faster)

    I've put together notes about the 5150 at a simple site. Just a collection
    of notes, celebrating the 5150s 40th Anniversary this month.

    Learned that I can play MOD music at 4.77mhz. Got this RJ45 NIC going,
    got 4x disk drives setup (37pin to 34pin cable adapter works, woot!)
    Went crazy with the cassette port, loading all kinds of .COM programs from tape now with the 5150caxx program.

    Notes at -
    voidstar.blog/ibm-pc-5150-notes

    Still a work in progress, don't be too harsh :)
    I also have acquired an IBM 5110 (32K RAM and still runs well)
    Looking for folks who know anything about them. Specifically, trying to find an external cassette deck for it. And would like to try to make an SD-card based disk emulator for it.
    Cheers !
    v*

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Al's Geek Lab -=- bbs.alsgeeklab.com:2323 (80:505/18)
  • From hyjinx@80:505/18 to voidstar on Tue Aug 31 22:06:56 2021
    I've put together notes about the 5150 at a simple site. Just a collection of notes, celebrating the 5150s 40th Anniversary this month.

    Learned that I can play MOD music at 4.77mhz. Got this RJ45 NIC going, got 4x disk drives setup (37pin to 34pin cable adapter works, woot!)
    Went crazy with the cassette port, loading all kinds of .COM programs from tape now with the 5150caxx program.
    Notes at -
    voidstar.blog/ibm-pc-5150-notes

    Very nice! I assume you've seen my various videos on alsgeeklab.com / youtube.com/alsgeeklab - but it looks like you have done everything I have
    done with my 51XX machines. But if I can be of any assistance, let me know.

    Cheers!


    hyjinx // Alistair Ross
    Author of 'Back to the BBS' Documentary: https://bit.ly/3tRINeL (YouTube) alsgeeklab.com

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Al's Geek Lab -=- bbs.alsgeeklab.com:2323 (80:505/18)
  • From voidstar@80:505/18 to hyjinx on Wed Sep 1 12:12:51 2021
    Very nice! I assume you've seen my various videos on alsgeeklab.com /


    Just doing stuff from memory. I wrote a game (destinyhunter.org) for the Commodore PET earlier this year, and started playing with the cassette tape
    on that system. I actually forgot the 5150 even had a tape connector. I was trying to explore what is the "most complex game" one could do in 32KB - and
    I mean constraints to in memory only, no file system access. Sort of like
    "the most complex arcade game." Then I saw that I think the game 1942 for
    the C64 is like 20KB, RAM only. Wild! Hands down they got me beat :) My C code couldn't compete with hand assembly.
    But "most complex game" is too subjective, as it really depends on what ROMs are available (like for audio). I also came across the Commander16 project,
    I hope it eventually comes out.

    I think i've taken this 5150 as far as I want to go for now. I want to
    start exploring this 5110 I got (PALM processor, huh?). I do have a V20
    chip, and I think I have an old chip puller around here- but I'm kind of reluctant to risk this 5150. It's running well as it is, got DESQView 2.25 ('89 I think, pre-1990 anyway) going, that was fun - can seriously multi-task on an 8088!

    Oh - and I realized something about GLX (MOD player). It has a SHELL mode.
    No joke, I was playing MOD audio at 11khz while playing BEAST. At 4.77hz.
    So now I want to try using that shell to play some animated ANSI while
    playing a MOD audio - see how that pans out. :) But real job work gets in
    the way of the fun :P

    BTW I came across this YT lady that geeked out Robot Odyssey ('84 title),
    added mouse support. Wild stuff :) Respect.
    v*

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Al's Geek Lab -=- bbs.alsgeeklab.com:2323 (80:505/18)
  • From paulie420@80:505/12 to voidstar on Wed Sep 1 18:44:23 2021
    Hey retro folks, I'm using my 5150 to post this via mTCP telnet! (WiModem232 was fun, but truth is the NIC is so much faster)

    I've put together notes about the 5150 at a simple site. Just a collection of notes, celebrating the 5150s 40th Anniversary this month.

    Learned that I can play MOD music at 4.77mhz. Got this RJ45 NIC going, got 4x disk drives setup (37pin to 34pin cable adapter works, woot!)
    Went crazy with the cassette port, loading all kinds of .COM programs from tape now with the 5150caxx program.

    Sweet to see Voidstar on the network! I'm in your Discord & watch watch watch... hope you swing by 2o, thanks for the read!! w00t w00t!!



    |07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
    |08.........

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/08/08 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)
  • From paulie420@80:505/12 to voidstar on Fri Sep 3 18:49:29 2021
    Very nice! I assume you've seen my various videos on alsgeeklab.com /


    Just doing stuff from memory. I wrote a game (destinyhunter.org) for the Commodore PET earlier this year, and started playing with the cassette tape on that system. I actually forgot the 5150 even had a tape connector. I was trying to explore what is the "most complex game" one could do in 32KB - and I mean constraints to in memory only, no file system access. Sort of like "the most complex arcade game." Then I saw that I think the game 1942 for the C64 is like 20KB, RAM only. Wild! Hands down they got me beat :) My C code couldn't compete with hand assembly. But "most complex game" is too subjective, as it really
    depends on what ROMs are available (like for audio). I also came
    across the Commander16 project, I hope it eventually comes out.

    I think i've taken this 5150 as far as I want to go for now. I want to start exploring this 5110 I got (PALM processor, huh?). I do have a V20 chip, and I think I have an old chip puller around here- but I'm kind of reluctant to risk this 5150. It's running well as it is, got DESQView 2.25 ('89 I think, pre-1990 anyway) going, that was fun - can seriously multi-task on an 8088!

    Oh - and I realized something about GLX (MOD player). It has a SHELL mode. No joke, I was playing MOD audio at 11khz while playing BEAST.
    At 4.77hz. So now I want to try using that shell to play some animated ANSI while playing a MOD audio - see how that pans out. :) But real
    job work gets in the way of the fun :P

    BTW I came across this YT lady that geeked out Robot Odyssey ('84 title), added mouse support. Wild stuff :) Respect.
    v*

    I love hearing all Voidstars adventures in retro... along with other online folks that I follow - One day I'll get into a 5150, as I am not right now. Ugh! I have a bunch of retro, but... theres still more to collect!

    Have ya'll ever heard of irata.online? (www) Its a BBS-like system that many different retro systems can connect to - Atari, C=, DOS, etc.

    Anyway - I hope to keep following all of ya'lls experiments and hardware.... keep it coming, rockstars!! w00t w00t!



    |07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
    |08.........

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/08/29 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)
  • From hyjinx@80:505/18 to voidstar on Fri Sep 10 19:09:19 2021
    Hey voidstar,

    Crazy idea moment...

    Wanna do a stream on my YT channel? I reckon we could chat for hours and have
    a really good video for our viewers just by talking about IBMs and such-like?


    hyjinx // Alistair Ross
    Author of 'Back to the BBS' Documentary: https://bit.ly/3tRINeL (YouTube) alsgeeklab.com

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: Al's Geek Lab -=- bbs.alsgeeklab.com:2323 (80:505/18)
  • From Otto Reverse@80:505/12 to paulie420 on Mon Nov 29 07:15:40 2021
    Have ya'll ever heard of irata.online? (www) Its a BBS-like system that many different retro systems can connect to - Atari, C=, DOS, etc.

    I hadn't heard of it (saw your post, was catching up in this echo) but tried it out in Windows 10, DOS, Win98 of the weekend. Seems to be a dead project unfortunately. The vintage computer clients haven't been updated since 2019 and are all in the alpha stages. The Windows version works but has some bugs. No response from the "accounts department". Copyright on the website is 2018.

    A real shame because it reminds me of early CompuServer, Prodigy, GenIE etc. And support for old 8-bit machines, what more could one ask for!

    In a similar vein there is sdf.org which is a free Unix shell service (SSH, telnet, Gopher etc). It'll give you console-based email, it has message boards (not networked, but native to sdf itself), unix software and what not. If anyone had dial-up Internet BEFORE web browsers this is like that.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/10/25 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)
  • From paulie420@80:505/12 to Otto Reverse on Wed Dec 1 16:12:49 2021
    Have ya'll ever heard of irata.online? (www) Its a BBS-like system th many different retro systems can connect to - Atari, C=, DOS, etc.

    I hadn't heard of it (saw your post, was catching up in this echo) but tried it out in Windows 10, DOS, Win98 of the weekend. Seems to be a
    dead project unfortunately. The vintage computer clients haven't been updated since 2019 and are all in the alpha stages. The Windows version works but has some bugs. No response from the "accounts department". Copyright on the website is 2018.

    A real shame because it reminds me of early CompuServer, Prodigy, GenIE etc. And support for old 8-bit machines, what more could one ask for!

    So, while maybe the sysOp was celebrating holidays with his people last weekend, and yes it doesn't seem to be overflowing with new users - but we can create for it and I thought it was really well documented. I got my C=64 running software and connecting, but hadn't tried other retros. I was having fun connecting with my current laptop, as you said.

    And yes, I thought the real draw was to connect other retro machines in a way that offered community in 2o21... but I do think the sysOp will get back to you - and if people designed software for irata, it could still be cool.

    In a similar vein there is sdf.org which is a free Unix shell service (SSH, telnet, Gopher etc). It'll give you console-based email, it has message boards (not networked, but native to sdf itself), unix software and what not. If anyone had dial-up Internet BEFORE web browsers this is like that.

    LOL - I still use SDF.org to this day, altho a lot less than I'd used to... as you just stated, this is how I first connected to the internet - using software very similar to what SDF offers.

    Another killer fun game, IMO, is TELEHACK.com... while its more game than hacking, its still fun to pretend that yer a gangster in the arpanet days - I still own a few networks on that system.

    :P



    |07p|15AULIE|1142|07o
    |08.........

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/10/25 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)
  • From Otto Reverse@80:505/12 to paulie420 on Thu Dec 2 05:22:56 2021
    paulie420 wrote to Otto Reverse <=-

    So, while maybe the sysOp was celebrating holidays with his people last

    Hopefully. I almost dragged out my Atari 130XE to try it but I'll wait until
    my replacement wifi-modem arrives and I'm on Christmas vacation lol.

    Another killer fun game, IMO, is TELEHACK.com... while its more game
    than hacking, its still fun to pretend that yer a gangster in the
    arpanet days - I still own a few networks on that system.

    Alright that's a cool website. I wonder if it would work in a Lynx
    browser? Then I could use it on a retro machine. Hmm.

    ___ MultiMail/DOS v0.52

    --- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/10/25 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (80:505/12)