Comments on: This baby was built to LAST! http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/ Reliving the past 8 bits at a time Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:42:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Danny Epstein http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-210 Danny Epstein Thu, 21 Dec 2006 04:35:04 +0000 http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-210 I bought a PET 2001 with an extra 24K of RAM back in 1979.There are two character sets in ROM. <code>POKE 59468, 14</code> or <code>PRINT CHR$(14)</code>to switch to the one with lowercase letters in place of some of the graphics characters. <code>POKE 59468, 12</code><code> or </code><code>PRINT CHR$(142)</code> to switch back. I bought a PET 2001 with an extra 24K of RAM back in 1979.There are two character sets in ROM. POKE 59468, 14 or PRINT CHR$(14)to switch to the one with lowercase letters in place of some of the graphics characters. POKE 59468, 12 or PRINT CHR$(142) to switch back.

]]> By: arb http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-209 arb Mon, 10 Jul 2006 04:44:43 +0000 http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-209 IIRC, Jeff Minter (the Llamalicious one) started his programming career writing games on a PET. I posted earlier about my start with computers - on an Apple II. I was always one or two years out as far as Computer Studies courses went at school, so I never got any "official" instruction at school, but I helped out a lot with the junior grades when they got to do computer studies. For many years though, one Apple II (and a ZX-80 stuffed away in a drawer) was all we had... IIRC, Jeff Minter (the Llamalicious one) started his programming career writing games on a PET.

I posted earlier about my start with computers - on an Apple II. I was always one or two years out as far as Computer Studies courses went at school, so I never got any “official” instruction at school, but I helped out a lot with the junior grades when they got to do computer studies. For many years though, one Apple II (and a ZX-80 stuffed away in a drawer) was all we had…

]]> By: ryanlrussell http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-208 ryanlrussell Mon, 10 Jul 2006 04:35:38 +0000 http://oldskoolblog.com/2006/07/09/this-baby-was-built-to-last/#comment-208 Those are the first machines I ever programmed on. I was in 7th grade, which would have been... 1980? The Jr. High had exactly one, not that model, but the one with the build-in tape drive I think. We got a couple of the ones shown here later that year. So yes, the first year the school offered programming, thirty students per period, and one PET. I recall that there was a really good Space Invaders port for the PET. Those are the first machines I ever programmed on. I was in 7th grade, which would have been… 1980? The Jr. High had exactly one, not that model, but the one with the build-in tape drive I think. We got a couple of the ones shown here later that year. So yes, the first year the school offered programming, thirty students per period, and one PET.

I recall that there was a really good Space Invaders port for the PET.

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