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Domain: vavasour.ca

Stories and comments across the archive that link to vavasour.ca.

Comments · 7

  1. Re:Absolute nonsense by 32Na · · Score: 1 · on Why Johnny Can't Code

    Brin points out that BASIC code shows up in textbook examples, as a simple 'do it yourself' math tutorial. I do agree with him that the very simple syntax of BASIC is great for this kind of thing, since kids who know nothing about programming can type just a few lines and see a loop (or whatever) in action.

    However, I wonder if he could have searched around a bit before lamenting the death of the language. For example, a nice emulator is found here.

    I think very lightweight languages like this can continue to be useful, for the same reasons he states in his article: they allow someone to easily grasp important concepts (I'm thinking math and science, not so much computer science). Kids who only want to complete their assignments will type their code, view the results and be done, others may explore further and discover the limitations of the language quickly.

  2. Re:If I'd got a NES would I be working in Pizza Hu by rcastro0 · · Score: 3, Interesting · on What Was Your First Computer?

    Same here, only replace "Commodore 64" for "Sinclair ZX 81" and "NES" for "Atari 2600".

    To be precise, the Sinclair ZX 81 was a clone made in Brazil called TK 82-C. Exact clone, down to the membrane keyboard. Oh the memories. Z80 processor, 2 kilobytes memory shared for video -- video was max resolution 44 by 64 pixels (screen was 32 characters wide by 22 characters tall). Today you can have the whole thing on a browser... See it here:
    http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/ts1000/

  3. The Timex Sinclair by qualico · · Score: 2, Funny · on A History of Portable Computing

    I thought my Timex Sinclair was pretty portable.

    Carrying around a TV was harsh though.

    Timex Sinclair Emulator

    Timex Sinclair Picture

  4. Is it really that hard? by Akai · · Score: 1 · on Back to the Classics

    I don't mean to be a troll, and I've read and enjoyed Vavasour's writings on emulation (his webpage is a fountain of info) but I do wonder if it's really as hard as he describes.

    Look at stella for example, it's open source, cross platform, does sound and everything. Is the emulation provided by the fine folks at Digital Enclipse that much more perfect? /me goes back to playing Super Mario USA on my Game Theory Admiral.....

  5. Re:Timex Sinclair by gauntlet420 · · Score: 1 · on First Computers

    I also started out with a T-S 1000 as a 'first' computer.

    I used it for at least two years before the keyboard gave out. I remember lusting over the 16k RAM expansion package, never having the coin as a pre-preteen to afford the $80 sticker price.

    From there, the curve was somewhat exponential in terms of processing power (and price):

    • TRS-80 MC-10 (4k of memory, and sound! and color!) - had no way to save programs
    • C-64 (with a 1541 and a 9-pin dot matrix printer) - 7eet hAx0r dAzE
    • Amiga 500 (upgraded to a 1MB Fat Agnes chip, and a 40 MB SCSI HD via a GVC interface)
    • Pentium 100 w/Trident 1MB card
    • Pentium 200-MMX w/Matrox Mistake (uh, Mystique)
    • AMD K6-2 300 w/Matrox Millenium and 3Dfx Voodoo 1
    • AMD K6-2 450 w/Riva TNT2
    • AMD Athlon 700 (cartridge) w/GF2 MX
    • AMD Athlon XP 2000+ w/ATI Radeon 8500
    For those of you who wish to reminisce, here's a T-S 1000 emulator Java applet! Blister keyboard sold separately.
  6. I recently came under a fit of nostalgia... by cr0sh · · Score: 1 · on First Computers
    I dug out my first two computers - a TRS-80 Color Computer 2 and a Tandy Color Computer 3 (which I recieved when I was 10 and 13 years old, respectively). I currently have the CoCo 3 set up with floppy drive next to me, along with its CM-8 monitor. I have a project going to transfer the floppies I have kept to a PC running Jeff Vavasour's emulators for the CoCo 2 and 3. I just want to get my old data off the floppies and on to something a little newer. I built a null modem cable between the PC and the CoCo for the transfer - I am also planning on playing around with using a 5 1/4" floppy drive in the PC for the transfers (though Jeff told me that there are problems with the inner tracks getting corrupted).

    So far it has been a fun and interesting project. Looking at my old code has been a joy and a laugh. I hope to be able to get OS-9 running on the emulator as well.

    One thing I want to put out here - in case anybody knows anything: I have a copy of Diecom Software's "Gates of Delerium", which was an early Ultima clone for the CoCo - my main disk seems to be bad. If anyone has a copy or knows anything, please contact me via my website. I have already spoken with Dave Dies (he has a company now called Cosmic Infinity that makes handheld games and such) - he has no problem on the copyright issue - not enforcing it. I am wanting a copy of the game, to get it transferred over to the emulator. My copy errors out, and I haven't found my backup yet. If anyone has any interest in the project, let me know...

  7. Memories... by ActiveSX · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Emulating Classic Games As A Profession?

    Vavasour wrote the first emulator I ever used, which happened to emulate the first computer I ever used, the TRS-80 CoCo II. I'm glad to see he's doing well.