Antic The Atari 8-bit Podcast

Dan Kramer, Atari Trak-Ball Controllers Dan Kramer worked at Atari from 1980 to 1984 in the consumer engineering group where he created products for the home computers and home video games. He championed the creation of the Trak-Ball accessories for the Atari game consoles and computers, and received a patent for his digital-to-analog interface for the Atari 5200 trak-ball. He also worked on the French (SECAM) version of the Atari XL computers, the Atari 2700, and various other projects. This interview took place on December 18, 2020. Playing Catch-Up: Dan Kramer (2005 interview): https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/97175/Playing_CatchUp_Dan_Kramer.php Patent: Digital-analog conversion for shaft encoders: https://patents.justia.com/patent/4496936 Video version of this interview at YouTube: https://youtu.be/l0E6BCrhka0

ANTIC Episode 74 - Name Wars In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Computer Podcast… Kevin (er... Kay) and Randy have a name fight and, as usual, we bring you all the Atari 8-bit news that’s fit to print. READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kevin’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What We’ve Been Up To Atari Party Dec 19 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/281252672436874  Kay’s 2020 Post-Mortem - https://www.patreon.com/posts/2020-post-mortem-45658000  Retrotink zero-latency HDMI converter - https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/2x-mini  Sid Meier’s Memoir - https://amzn.to/3oyobG4  BASIC games Kay recovered - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/315354-a-few-basic-games-i-recovered/  SIO2PC-USB case - https://www.vintagecomputercenter.com/product/sio2pc-universal-interfa

The Famous Computer Cafe This is a podcast episode featuring three interviews with people who created a radio show that did hundreds of interviews. The Famous Computer Cafe was -- not a restaurant -- but a radio program that aired from 1983 through the first quarter of 1986. The program included computer news, product reviews, and interviews. The program was created by three people — who were not only the on-air voices, but did all the work around the program: getting advertisers, buying air time, researching each day's computer news, booking interviews -- everything. Those three people were Andrew Velcoff, Michael Walker (now Michael FireWalker), and Ellen Fead Hansen (later Ellen Walker, now Ellen Fields.) For this episode of Antic, I got to talk with all three of The Famous Computer Cafe's proprietors. There were several versions of the show, which aired on several radio stations, primarily in California. A live, daily half-hour version allowed phone calls from listeners. Taped versions (running a half

John F. White: Writing Strategy Games On Your Atari Computer & Superquerg John F. White is author of the book Writing Strategy Games On Your Atari Computer and the creator of Superquerg and Negaquerg, computer chess programs that were distributed in New Atari User magazine. He was also a contributor to the UK computer magazines Popular Computing Weekly, Personal Computing, Practical Computing, and Computer Weekly, often writing about computer chess and game strategy. His book Writing Strategy Games On Your Atari Computer, published in 1983, offers “techniques for intelligent games,” with advice and BASIC code for programming tic-tac-toe, checkers, chess, and other board games. New Atari User’s description of SuperQuerg — it was a “disk bonus,” not a type- in program — was: “SuperQuerg Chess is a third generation program with alpha-beta pruning and iterative deepening. An alpha-beta window is also employed. Uses Shannon A and B strategies, killer heuristic and chopper functions, new methods for searchi

ANTIC Episode 73 - Randy’s Personality Board In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Computer Podcast… we have a ton of Christmas gift ideas for that Atari nerd in your life (even if that nerd is you); we find out Randy has a broken personality board; and we bring you the Atari 8-bit news to fill out your life. READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kevin’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What We’ve Been Up To https://twitter.com/Atari8BitBot  Recent Interviews  ANTIC Interview 400 - Suzanne Ciani, pioneer in electronic music - https://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-400-suzanne-ciani-pioneer-in-electronic-music  News  River Raid “Cold Winter” for the Atari XL/XE Article at Vintage is the New Old - https://vintageisthenewold.com/river-raid-cold-winter-for-the-

Suzanne Ciani, pioneer in electronic music Suzanne Ciani is a pioneer in electronic music, Grammy-nominated composer, and recording artist. In the 1980's, she created music for television commercials, corporate tags, and audio logos for Atari as well as many other companies. She also created the soundtrack for the 1980 Bally pinball machine, Xenon. In addition to being an early adopter of electronic music, she educated the world about it, demonstrating sound design techniques on The David Letterman Show, 3-2-1 Contact, and other popular media. This interview took place on November 5, 2020. Suzanne Ciani's web site Suzanne Ciani Creates The Soundtrack For A Pinball Machine A Life In Waves trailer Suzanne Ciani interview in ANP Quarterly Vol 2/No 7 2012 Suzanne Ciani interview in LA Times Music Blog Suzanne Ciani on Letterman Suzanne Ciani on 3-2-1 Contact Atari Video Game Summer commercial This interview at YouTube  After the interview, Suzanne found an unreleased Atari song 

ANTIC Episode 72 - Pick and Place In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Computer Podcast… we have as a guest Mr. Gavin Haubelt who runs the Vintage Computer Center and who is feverishly producing #FujiNets for the Atari community, Brad as the host of this episode shows why he’s considered the master of segues, and we talk about all the new hardware available or coming (such as the world’s smallest Atari 8-bit). READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kevin’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What We’ve Been Up To Atari8BitBot https://twitter.com/Atari8BitBot/with_replies and https://atari8bitbot.com/  Weather app for #FujiNet: https://gitlab.com/bocianu/weather  https://www.howtogeek.com/697300/a-vintage-atari-is-an-amazing-weather-terminal-in-2020/  ABBUC membership and

Jim Tittsler, Atari 1600 prototype Jim Tittsler got my attention with a tweet, an old photo of a computer in a PC-style case, connected to Atari joysticks and disk drive. In the tweet, Jim wrote: "A prototype of what we hoped would become the #atari 1600: an Atari 800 grafted on to an IBM PC compatible. A Jekyll/Hyde mashup allowing you to plug in cartridges, SIO drives, and  PC expansion cards. It seemed a good idea at the time." So I reached out to Jim to learn more about that computer, and his time at Atari. Jim worked in Atari's Special Projects Group, where he worked on several pie-in-the-sky, unreleased, home computer projects including the Atari 1600. When Atari was sold to Jack Tramiel, he was re-hired, where he worked on the Atari ST, the Atari PC-1 IBM compatible, and other projects. He worked at Atari for more than a decade. This interview took place on September 9, 2020. Video version of this interview at YouTube Jim's Atari 1600 tweet Atari Museum on the Atari 1600

Dan Noguerol (Farb): Atari 8-bit Software Preservation Initiative Two interviews with the same person, recorded more than four years apart. Dan Noguerol is better known to the Atari community as Farb. He is the mastermind behind the Atari 8-bit Software Preservation Initiative, and years ago created SIO2Arduino, an Arduino-based disk drive emulator. I interviewed Farb on August 29, 2019, where we talked primarily about the Atari 8-bit Software Preservation Initiative. That interview took place at the Fujiama Atari event in Lengenfeld, Germany. Our friend Roland Wassenberg sat in on the interview. Shortly after doing that interview, I learned that Randy Kindig had also interviewed Farb, on April 20, 2015, but got busy and hadn't published the interview. So in this episode, two interviews with Farb: my more recent interview first, then we'll go back to 2015 to hear Randy's interview. ... Since this interview was recorded, I received my SuperCard Pro, and have used it to digitize a couple hundred Atari disks.

ANTIC Episode 71 - Goodbye, Curt Vendel In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Computer Podcast...we say goodbye to good friend and Atari legend Curt Vendel and bring you lots of other Atari news. READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kevin’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What We’ve Been Up To Atari8BitBot https://twitter.com/Atari8BitBot/with_replies and https://atari8bitbot.com/  https://twitter.com/Atari8BitBot/status/1307715507391324162/video/1  Indy Vintage Computer Club - https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndyVCC/  Recent Interview Shows K’s twitter thread about Sofcast - https://twitter.com/KaySavetz/status/1299759503039062016?s=20  News  Curt Vendel died Aug 30 - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-08-gaming-historian-curt-vendel-dies-at-53 and ht

Youth Advisory Board: Steve Cohen This is the eighth in a series of episodes featuring the kids of Atari's Youth Advisory Board. In 1983, Atari formed a Youth Advisory Board, selecting teenagers from around the United States to share their opinions about computers and video games, test software, and promote Atari's computers at events. The group consisted of kids aged 14 through 18, including Steve Cohen. He attended George Washington High School in Denver Colorado, where his teacher, Dr. Irwin Hoffman, taught. George Washington High School received a grant from the Atari Institute for Education Action Research, Atari's educational support arm, The Atari Institute Newsletter (fall 1982) wrote: "High school students in a model math and computer program will use their grant of ATARI Home Computer systems to develop individual and group research projects in their own fields of interest. Extensible programming languages, such as FORTH, will be used to develop new syntax for use in other high school subjects: el

Kai and George Esbensen, Micro-Ed Software I first heard about the Micro-Ed software company when a member of the Atari community sent me a batch of educational cassette tapes to digitize. The tapes had titles like Maps and Globes, Punctuation, and Spelling Level E. Intriguingly, the tape labels said "Micro-Ed, creators of more than 2,500 programs, pre-school through adult." 2,500 programs? Why had I never heard of this company? I asked 4AM, a software preservationist specializing in the Apple II — and specializing in little-known educational software — if they had heard of the company. The answer was also no. So I started to research. A two-page advertisement in Compute! magazine issue 4, May 1980, provided my first glimpse into the company: "LOOK at all the MICRO-ED programs for the PET!" The titles listed include Agreement of Subject and Verb; Run on Sentences; Higher, Same, Lower; Word Demons; and (oddly) Usage Boners. Many of the software tapes were sold in packs, for instance $84 for a pack of 12 ele

Myra Marshall, Computer Applications Tomorrow Myra Marshall, along with her husband-at-the-time Roger Marshall, was co-founder of Computer Applications Tomorrow, a small software company that specialized in educational software for microcomputers. Most of the company's software was self-published and sold in small computer stores, including titles such as USA States and Capitals, Spelling Exam, and Alphabet Keyboard Primer. One title, Musical Computer: The Music Tutor, was sold by Atari Program Exchange. It first appeared in the spring 1982 APX catalog. It was available on disk and cost $14.95. This interview took place on August 26, 2020. Musical Computer in the spring 1982 APX catalog AtariMania's list of Computer Applications Tomorrow software

Michael Darland, Microperipheral Corporation and Sofcast Michael Darland was co-founder of Microperipheral Corporation, and president of Sofcast, a system that sent computer data over AM and FM radio.   Founded in 1979, Microperipheral Corporation produced 300 BPS modems for several brands of microcomputers, including models compatible with the Atari 8-bit computers. Using telecommunications software called TariTerm, the Atari compatible-modems worked with the Atari 850 interface, or by connecting directly to the SIO bus. Michael was also co-founder of Sofcast. Launched in August 1984, Sofcast was a system that sent computer programs and other data over traditional AM and FM radio stations. Listeners would use a $70 receive-only modem, called a Shuttle Communicator, to receive the programs that were transmitted over radio waves at up to 4800 bits per second. According to an article in the June 1986 issue of Modern Electronics magazine, "The software itself actually originates at the radio studio as a tape

ANTIC Episode 70 - Who Wants a FujiNet Anyway… I do! In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-bit Computer Podcast… we discuss the roll-out of the first 50 units of FujiNet, “virtual” shows remaining this year, new software, hardware and all the current Atari news riding the waves. READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kevin’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What We’ve Been Up To FujiNet - https://fujinet.online  Lurking Horror, Infocom text adventure - http://monsterfeet.com/grue/notes/38  Atari Memopad from Wade at Inverse ATASCII - https://inverseatascii.info/2015/04/01/s1e14-atari-memo-pad/  SIO2BT - https://github.com/TheMontezuma/SIO2BT  News  Atari 1600xl prototype pics - Jim Tittsler - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/310176-new-atari-1600xl-prototype-pics-on-twitter

Charles Marslett, MYDOS and FastChip Charles Marslett wrote floppy disk and hard drive drivers for Percom, and was the creator of MYDOS, a disk operating system for the Atari 8-bit computers that offered support for double density sectors, subdirectories, and hard drives. He also created FastChip, a hardware add-on for the Atari, sold by Newell Industries, that claimed to speed up floating point routines by 300%. He also created the A65 Assembler, a macro assembler. He has released the source code for MYDOS and FastChip. This interview took place on July 13, 2020. Charles' web site MyDOS at AtariWiki MyDOS 3.0 User Guide A65 Assembler at AtariWiki ANTIC Interview 212 - Wes Newell, Newell Industries ANTIC Interview 7 - The Atari 8-bit Podcast - Bill Wilkinson, OSS ANTIC Interview 11 - The Atari 8-bit Podcast - David Small ANTIC Interview 22 - The Atari 8-bit Podcast - Kathleen O'Brien, OSS Michael Abrash Zen of Assembly Language by Michael Abrash  Zen of Assembly Language by Michael Abrash: fre

ANTIC #69 Show Notes, July, 2020 Title: Bill Collector Guests Bill Lange - https://twitter.com/BillLange1968  Bill Kendrick - https://twitter.com/billkendrick  Nir Dary - https://twitter.com/ndary  Bill Winters - https://twitter.com/TheGuruMeditate  What We’ve Been Up To https://archive.org/details/stx_Program_Protection_Methods_for_the_Atari  https://archive.org/details/program-design-international-captivity-manual  News ABBUC Magazine - http://abbuc.de  uDOS (ultra small DOS) - http://www.abbuc.de/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10347#p86149  Screaming Wings 2000 - https://atariage.com/forums/topic/308643-improved-version-of-screaming-wings/  Atari 8-bit Display List Encoder - https://github.com/jtsom/DisplayListDecoder  Atari 1064 memory expansion for 600XL - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-1064-Speichererweiterung-für-600-XL-RAM-Expansion-working/203022106013?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 , http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/8BITS/XL/xlperipherals/1064.html

Dorothy Siegel, Pioneer in Computer Music I'm Kay Savetz, and this is ANTIC: The Atari 8-bit podcast. This interview, however, is about events that happened before Atari released its first computers. This interview is with Dorothy Siegel, a pioneer in computer music. The music she created was on an IMSAI 8080 computer and a clarinet. The First Philadelphia Computer Music Festival was held August 25, 1978 as part of a show called Personal Computing '78 held at the Philadelphia Civic Center. In 1979, Creative Computing Magazine published a record album, also titled First Philadelphia Computer Music Festival. The 12" 33 RPM record was of music performed at the festival: 18 pieces, including Dorthy's. Dorothy was co-founder of Newtech, along with her husband Michael Abram and business partner Stuart Newfeld, a company that built add-on music cards for two S-100 bus computers: the IMSAI 8080 and the Southwest Technical Products Corporation 6800. The Newtech Music Cards cost $59.95 each. (Newtech was not the sam

Tracy Frey, Atari Birthday Girl There's an article in the New York Times, dated April 9, 1982: "8-Year-Old's Birthday Party in a Computer Center." The story, written by Barbara Gamareklin, is about the birthday party of Tracey Pizzo — now Tracey Frey — which took place at the Capital Children's Museum in Washington, DC. Quoting the article: Tracy Pizzo decided that Chunky’s Cheese Pizza Parlor was not the place for her eighth birthday party after all. She chose the Future Center of the Capital Children’s Museum, where her 13 guests were able to try their hand at the video games on 20 Atari 800 microcomputers. Without waiting to remove their coats and jackets, the girls, most of them 6 to 8 years old, rushed toward the glowing multicolored screens. In no time they were engrossed in computer games — from Asteroids and Find Hurkle to Lemonade Stand. "Go, Megan, go!" cried 6-year-old Enid Maran, who was still wearing her black kid gloves. "We have to explode those little stars." Megan Thaler worked her contr

David Gedalia, Atari-controlled Telescope Listener Paul Somerfeldt sent me a blurb he found in a book titled "The Dobsonian Telescope" by David Kriege and Richard Berry. The book reads: "Computer-controlled Dobsonian telescopes entered amateur astronomy in the late 1980s. An outstanding early example was David Gedalia's 10-inch f/4.5 Dobsonian driven by an Atari 800XL computer, shown at the 1987 Riverside Telescope Makers Conference. With the Atari driving altitude and azimuth stepper-motors, the telescope would move automatically to coordinates entered on the computer’s keyboard. David was a third-year engineering student when he built this telescope." I sought out David to find out more about his Atari-controlled telescope. This interview took place on May 29, 2020. Photos of David with his telescope The Dobsonian Telescope by David Kriege and Richard Berry New Horizons in Amateur Astronomy by Grant Fjermedal