RCR Episode 281: The IBM PC and its sticks of ennui

Panelists: Paul Hagstrom (hosting), Quinn Dunki, and Blake Patterson

Topic: 1981

In 1981, we started communicating with AT commands and Kermit. Timex/Sinclair released the 1000/ZX-81. We got the BBC Micro and the ABC 800. IBM introduced the PC, for business, no fun allowed. And MS-DOS. And more.

Topic/Feedback links:

• Sony 3.5 drive
• Quick, hide in this closet! (folklore.org)
• IBM PC
  • “Atari” design
• MS-DOS
• Osborne 1
• Xerox Star
• IPv4
• Kermit
• kermitproject.org
• C-Kermit 10.0 beta 11 released in early August
• Hayes Smartmodem 300
• Hayes AT command set
• Sinclair ZX81
• Timex/Sinclair 1000
• BBC Micro
• ABC 800
• Donkey Kong
• E-mu Emulator

Retro Computing News:

• Thomas Kurtz obituary (Legacy.com)
• Dartmouth BASIC at 50
• CHM in memoriam Thomas Kurtz
• San Francisco Muni will stop using floppy disks Any Day Now
• Atari ST Notebook (it was real)
• The Pentium as a Navajo weaving (Nat Gallery of Art)
• Ward Christensen passed away
• CBBS for winter contact in the Chicago computer hobbyists’ group. Feb 1978, written up in Byte Nov 1978
• Ward Christensen obituary (NYT)

Vintage Computer(-related) commercials:

• Magnavox TV with built-in Odyssey
• Super Pong
• HayesStack

Retro Computing Gift Idea:

• Floppy disk cookie cutters.

Auction Picks:

• Blake:
  • RARE DCS Industries Slot Box for Tandy EX HX 1000 A SX TX SL TL SL/2 TL/2 RL RLX
• Paul:
  • 3D printed TI cartridge tray.
  • Warez wear.
  • Omnitronix cassette interface
  • NeXT Cube.
  • Programma 101 (sold at $4000, 2 bids)

Closing notes:

• Estate Sale (wound up with Super Pong, not much else).

Streams:

• a2stream file for this episode: http://lo-fi.rcrpodcast.com/rcr281.a2stream
• Behind-the-scenes livestream recording of this episode (YouTube)

Feedback/Discussion:

• feedback@rcrpodcast.com
• rcrpodcast@podcast.social on Mastodon
• rcrpodcast.com on bluesky
• Vintage Computer Forum
• RCR Podcast on Facebook
• RCR Podcast on YouTube

Intro / Closing Song: Back to Oz by John X

Listen/Download: