/vr/ - Retro Games

>>2053125
Let's say I wanted to buy a gaming PC from the 80s just for the hell of it.

Which one is the best?

3rd for amiga

>>2054761
MSX 2

>>2054761

A gaming PC of the 80s? It's like asking for a gaming PC for the 90s, there are like 3~4 periods which aren't that close to each other.
But if you want the overall best machine of the 80s, get an x68000.

>>2054836
It might be the most powerful one out there, but the Sharp X68K has a small games library compared to the MSX line or the NEC PCs.

>>2054841

The x68000 has an underrated game library, and the MSX have a library plagued by British speccy ports.
Well, there's no "single handedly best 80s gaming computer", so I think it might be better to give a list of computer with a handful of games:
- Commodore 64
- MSX1/2/2+
- Amiga ECS/OCS (500->600 and 1000->3000)
- Atari ST (dem MIDI Wars)
- IBM PC-AT & clones w/ 286 or more.
- Apple II
- PC-8801mkIISR & more
- x68000
- PC-9801VX & more

>>2054820

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzXGmCvhHDY

So there's a guy who's working on a port of Quake for the Atari Falcon 0300
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTB3TZnCti5nOvpEobZzMEw

Some old computer commercial:
Sharp X1F - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEnf3L0S5Q8
Amstrad CPC 464 & 6128 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTgeR0LXgZw
Commodore 64 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_f3uIzEIxo
PC-8801MA/FA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoVBR_ULuUY
Tompson MO5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXRjxz99QcI

>>2056739

Thanks for the link anon.

I think that it's totally possible make a decent port of quake 1, and even 2, on the Falcon30 if the team uses the hardware well enough. Demos like this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vW0U5zB4JA
show that it's totally possible.
Anyway, these technical demo show that the project is pretty advanced. It also show how great of a machine the Falcon is -- remember that the 68030 is the 68k equivalent of a 386 CPU.

>>2053125
will technology ever be as interesting as it was in the 80s and 90s again?

by which i mean variety in hardware, etc.

or was that just the weird experimental period that we'll never return to now that we've got installed user bases and a lot of stuff figured out? ;-;

>>2053125
10/10 pic.

>>2056810

With the consumer market shifting more and more toward tablets and stuff like that, I might bet that it's possible that the hobbyists will make it happen again. We just need companies that are willing to take the risk of making a new architecture. The Raspberry Pi and it's success among tech literate people is a proof that it's still possible.

I have possibility of picking up Sega computer 3000 for 30€ (37.39$) with 2 controllers and cables, but no picture.
It might be just bad rf cable, broken rf port or something else.
I can't find a lot of information for the system and i would end up reselling it anyway after fixing it (if i can fix it).
Is it worth it or would i just end up wasting my money?

>>2057309
If you can fix it then you could resell it for a nice profit. But since you probably won't find a youtube video of how to fix it you probably won't be able to fix it.

>>2057309

30 bucks for an old computer is pretty cheap, considering how high these piece of hardware are sold most of the time.

As for the outputs, there's no RF on European models, there's composite and RGB. It might be the composite encoder that bite the dust, maybe oxidation on the connectors. Anyway, you might as well give it a try and see what's happening. And if you can't figure what's going wrong, ask here for help with all the informations we need to help you out.

>>2053125
Where can I get a 5.25" floppy drive for a reasonable cost?

>>2057954
Isnt that black box the same box they use in mds rf cable?

>>2058020


Ah, well, it's a SEGA model, so yeah, RF output. As you gave a price in €, I though you were going to buy a Yeno-distributed model. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

>>2057982

Computer recycling centers/electronic dumpsters, and for free. Anywhere else they'll add a "VINTAGE" price supplement.

So WinUAE is being an absolute bitch about Dungeon Master II, and pretty much any rom I give it (even clean ones), it decrees it "un-bootable"

Any solutions?

>>2059139

What kickstart ROM do you use?

>>2059139

Don't tell me you're using the adf files as roms instead of using them as floppy images?

>tfw still no Sony MSX 2 computer

Love me some Amiga intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JRMgmoiBPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy5ycHcVH6k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GfVJwJKxH8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJw7gcCNYJ4

This thing truly is absolutely disgusting. Who thought this was going to do well against PCs and CP/M boxes?

>>2065584

No one, not even Commodore. It was just a symbolic attempt to release a business machine after shutting down the PET/CBM-II line which had way better machines (some being almost as powerful as the C=128 released later).

>>2065863

kek

I kind of want to dig out my CBM 8032 now but it's a brick since I can't do anything but fuck around in BASIC without external storage.

The P/4 died and won't give out any AV output shortly after I took that picture, I don't know what's going on ;_;

>>2065870

I enjoy the design of the PET & CBM-II line machines.
Anyway, I think you can try to use a Datassette with this machine.

>>2065892

I tried using my VIC-20's datasette on it (and my PET 4032) and I couldn't get it to save or load from cassette. It fits, though.

I'd love to find one of pic related.

>>2065901

Eh, too bad, I though it could've work.
Yeah, the PET/CBM-II had peripherals no C=64 users would have dreamed about. Man, these 1MB floppy drives in the early 80s, and those HDDs, it seems like the very first microcomputer that had access to these..

>>2065928

>hard disks

shit, did commodore actually make any officially? I never recall seeing any, if they did I want one.

>>2065940

Yup they did. But it never made it to the consumer market though, only some professional dealers were able to supply these.

>>2065945

Yeah, I've never seen one. CBMs in general are pretty uncommon to find around here though, at least that casing looks easy enough to make a repro clone of if I really, really wanted to.

>>2065947

Seems like it'll be easy to find some of the components for the repro too: it used a SASI (really early SCSI stuff, before the standardization) controller, though the DOS board might be hard to make,

Just set up my C64 after a long time. I have a uIEC card that lets me read PRG/D64 files from SD cards, but my unit is NTSC so I can't find many good games that will run. Pac-Land, Flimbo's Quest and Krakout are broken as fuck from scanline problems. Anyone know a good source for real NTSC images, rather than those claiming to be "fixed" while being buggy shite?

>>2068003
>rather than those claiming to be "fixed" while being buggy shite?

They're fixed for emulators only, unfortunately.

As for real NTSC images, you could try US games maybe. I'm sorry I can't really help you, my only computer that have the same problem as C64s when it comes to localization is my Amiga 500, and the revision I own can switch regions software side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0emk5TJytOA

Are there any Thomson computer enthusiasts passing by? How are pic TO9 computers?

>>2053125
>Allowed : Any computer made from the 70s to the early 90s (up to 95 -- 95 not included) and their games (of course), peripherals for these computers from any time period (MIDI expanders included)
I gotten a motherfucking EPROM burner from about 1986.
SE4943 made by Advantest, tokyo japan.
I even found fucking software "49xx.exe" on the internet, made a fucking adapter for this yellowed pile of hugeness and i use a proper serial port of an modern fucking desktop PC.
The software works and can communicate somewhat either though the NTVDM or a special build of DOSBOX, but i can't make sense of it despite of being a germanfag.
But even the simple instructions of that one page you can easily find on google by the program name doesn't help.
What the fucking fuck do i do.

btw this thing beeps so loud like 5 times the barcode scaner at the average checkout, it's goddamn awesome

>>2070135

Great piece of hardware anon. Have you tried to use it on an old DOS machine? Many peripherals don't work properly with DosBOX.

>>2069024
>Major selling point: "Il n'est pas fabrique en l'USA!"

>>2070162
The problem was that i needed a nullmodem cable with 25 pins and something to make it 9 pins but i also messed up the pinouts.
I made the adapter to such one.
Now it works either with the program (NTVDM was enough) and other RS232 terminal software.
And i read out the same EPROM with some data twice and it matched.
The current problem is now how to deal with the hex formats (i think i settle for the Motorola format) and simple (Win32) software for uploading and downloading.

>>2070218
>The problem was that i needed a nullmodem cable with 25 pins and something to make it 9 pins but i also messed up the pinouts.

Oh I see. I never had any problems with this, as I alway have at least one or two adapters like pic related.
As for the endian, I think you should choose the one that the computer that is supposed to receive the EPROM can support (well, if that's what you want to do with it).

Anyway, have fun with it anon.

>>2070248
>Anyway, have fun with it anon.
Not easy if i don't have a UV eraser, yet.
There's no setting about endian.
The startup default (for "TRANSLATION") is INTELLEC and other formats are: Motorola, Tektronix, EX-TEKHEX, ASM-86, DG-BIN*, DEC-BIN*, TR-HEX*, ASCII*. (* these have parameters)
Hex workshop can import and export to the Motorola format, that's why i chose it.
Right now i just copy paste the contents of the terminal to a textfile and name it *.mot.
The overall surface is slightly bigger than a NES.

The amiga port of pic related is one of the best imo -- faithful music and graphics, great controls. The only thing that irritate me is the frame-rate which seems to be limited to 25FPS for an unknown reason.

>>2070135
For the love of God why? The only way you could make that thing worse is to port QWOP to it.

>>2071425

What are you talking about?

>>2072432
The EPROM burner in the post I replied to. I didn't think to point out that I wasn't talking about something in a post I didn't reply to or whatever.

>>2070970

>>2073212

>>2072514

Well, yeah, but what in that EPROM burner did you find to be so horrible?

Some old computer music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBDHCHDNQ6Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJe0F_72zPA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2ncf1eilRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj4TVLv7XOA&index=2

I really live this ad -- despite being published in a 1986 French magazine, it look exactly like what you could fin in early 00s PC magazines.
Also, dat Sony KX-14CP1 RGB monitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3svxFNwU5sg

Question: If you want to get into old computing that isn't DOS related, including some classic computer games, is there a better allround platform for it than an Amiga? Because they seem to be more affordable than other systems where I live, even C64's, plus they appear to have a broad aftermarket and compatibility for modifications to modernize their capabilities and user convenience.

>>2080787

Amigas are a nice way to start yeah. The 1200 is particularly recommended because of their PCMCIA ports (for network cards) and the fact that they read DSDD DOS floppies with CrossDOS easily.

>>2080797
The 1200 can also use regular laptop IDE HDs, and can sync with VGA monitor (in Workbench at least...)

>>2080897
I was thinking more along the lines of an IDE adapter for a flash cart, makes it silent and more future proof than some used old hunk of spinning metal.

>>2081109
>and more future proof than some used old hunk of spinning metal.

Let's not exaggerate the lack of reliability of Hard Drives compared to flash drives, at least 95% of my late 80s/early 90s HDDs still work perfectly and never had any problem.

>>2053125
I am a MASSIVE faggot for the Atari ST. It pretty much filled my entire childhood as far as videogames were concerned. I play way more of that than my Super Nintendo. Turrican, Xenon, Nebulus and Impossible Mission II are still some of my favourite games ever.

>>2081623

The ST is a great machine that can easily go from a low-end game machine (sorry, the specs speaks for itself compared to other 16bit computers that had a big gaming scenes) to a really capable CAD/publishing workstation and/or MIDI sequencer. Even though I own an Amiga, I'd love to get an ST one of these days.

Have some Atari ST-controlled MIDI setup:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDzG9n6FByM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH4n3b_rCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSzKUcQBR60

>>2081642
Yeah, the ST was used in music production until the late 90s which always made me happy. My high school used them until about 2001 so I got to show the teachers how to do some neat stuff with the system back then. I will concede that the Amiga was a much better system, but gaming on the ST just felt more... fulfilling to me. I think it was due tot he ST having less power it coul still keep up with the Amiga in terms of gameplay (and the music in most ports got reworked into chitptune soundtracks with heavy bass, which was always a good thing).

>>2081647

Well, most late 80s Amiga games were just Atari ST ports, and many developers preferred the way you could program on the ST because the ROM routines were easier to access, while on the Amiga you had to deal with creating your own virtual frame-buffer, loading the routing loader, and other stuff like the Amiga file system.
If there was mainly Amiga-only games instead of ST ports (like for the demos), things would have been a bit different though.

Anyway, it was a great mistake for Atari to shut down their computer department, the Falcon truly was a great machine (outclassing the bottlenecked and not so well designed Amiga 1200, which blitter was too freaking slow. Like, seriously, why reuse a 1985 blitter in a 1992 computer?), and they also released some kinds of beast machines, the Atari ATW800 : http://www.atarimuseum.com/computers/16bits/transputer.html, which could have allowed them to survive at least 'til the end of the 90s/early 00s if well marketed.

Anyway some Falcon music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyTGMQddE1k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iLViGo7lrI (it's wonderful to see how they used the DSP as a synthesizer on the falcon)

>>2081673
I think it's because software houses didn't want to code game twice and so just coded for the simpler Atari ST, then ported 68000 code mostly as-is, without caring to enhance the game for Amiga's chipset.

The same thing happened with ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC for example. The CPC was more powerful machine, but it got lots of games that didn't come close to using its capabilities.

>>2081623
I grew up playing my brothers Atari st - we had around 150 pirate disks - Medway boys, Pompey pirates, lsd, etc. Still have it somewhere although the joystick port is faulty. Great memories. Also have st format/st user mags

>>2081775
>Also have st format/st user mags

Sweet! Don't hesitate to post photos and scans of it anon. I love old computer magazines.

>>2081764

True, that's also the reason why British ports on the MSX are to be avoided too -- they're actually worse than their Speccy counterparts.
Spanish MSX games on the other hand seems to be really good.

>>2081775
Yeah I had hundreds of Pompey, Medway and D-Bug disks thanks to my uncle. The ST we originally got was the Discovery Pack too, which came with about 300 games.

There really was an oversaturation of games, but I'm pretty sure I played all of them.

Wolfenstein 3D on Atari STe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfQ9uRR-iZk

It doesn't run as fast as on a 486 PC, but at least, it's playable.

>>2083181
>which came with about 300 games.

That's some really nice starter bundle.

>>2086467
Woah that was some typo. Was supposed to be 30.

>>2086636

Oh. Well, 30 games is still somewhat of a decent starter kit anyway (300 might have been freaking overkill).

>>2081647

>and the music in most ports got reworked into chitptune soundtracks with heavy bass, which was always a good thing

Yeah, that's what was missing with most late 80s/early 90s Amiga musics -- bass.

>>2089290
>>2081647

What if the Amiga had an OPN or OPM FM synthesis chip? (yeah, Commodore was too cheap to actually think about it, but let's dream anyway)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh3oltCDNKU

What's the oldest system that can access and display /vr/ to a readable degree?

>>2090171

a 286 with Arachne web browser? Depends on the system memory I would assume.

>>2090171

Anything that can use a terminal emulator and can be hooked to a *nix terminal server with lynx, so every micro computer, and most of the terminals out there.

>>2090248

A PC-XT with lynx and an early TCP stack (NOS for example) would be enough to read stuff on /vr/ though.

>>2090171
Any 8-bit machine that could handle a serial port modem, plus a modem, phone line, and Unix shell account at your ISP. That last item may be hard to get in some places, but you can simulate it with a null modem cable and Linux or BSD box.

But frankly, without javascript you can't do much on 4chan (ditto with quite a few other websites these days...) so you're better off to explore the Gopher holes with Lynx, Usenet, telnet BBS, and MUDs.

>>2092098
>That last item may be hard to get in some places

Yup, it may be possible to replace it with an independant Unix shell too, like SDF or the likes (though is might get pricy). The null-modem terminal is better, yeah.

Soviet Computer coming in.

>tfw when Soviet computer industry got killed so it couldn't even attempt to compete with western corporations as soon as USSR died.

This shit was so cash.

Always was a goddamn treat when we got to play with these at school.

>>2093383

This computer looks sexy. What is the little box beside the monitor though?

>>2093449

The only BBC games that comes to my mid are Elite (+) an Exile. What was the other good games?

>>2093383

Weren't there a PDP-11 compatible Soviet micro computer too?

>>2093602
I don't even remember. I just know I loved using them at school. Even the math games were fun and had awesome music.

>The YMF288, aka OPN3, is a development of the YM2608, used in later NEC PC-9801 computer soundcards. It removes the YM2608's GPIO ports, CSM-mode and the ADPCM Sound Source.

Does this mean that the PC-9801 is actually inferior to the PC-88VA when it comes to sound?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRLdAJv9U1Y

>>2093383

With so few ICs, it doesn't seems that hard to reproduce this computer. Anyway, this little machine looks really sexy.

>>2093383
That's because they were busy making 6502 clones when the rest of the world was getting ready for Pentiums.

>>2097853
>when the rest of the world was getting ready for Pentiums.

More like fllooded by taiwanese PC clones using them while they were ready for the RISC CPU revolution.

Man, too bad the stages 3 and later stages have a different music in the IBM PC/clone version of Firehawk compared to the PC-8801mkIISR and MSX2 versions. I would have loved to hear an MT-32 arranged version of the Mission 5 and Boss 3 tune:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NAyfptUVQU
Anyway, the moonlight sonata sounded incredibly good with my Soundblaster 16.

>>2101804

>>2053125
Not sure if this is the right thread:
I'm looking for fred the fish and pajama sam for a friend.
Can someone point me in the right direction?

>>2104412

Oh God, I shouldn't have googled this, some of th pics I saw while doing so are pretty disturbing.

>>2093449

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7DhcZhK0V0

Didn't knew the BBC Micro had disk drives though.

>>2104675
Why?

>>2105724

I dunno, I just checked "fred the fish and pajama sam" on Google image and found some weird fetish pics involving the latter, a la Sonic fucked up fetishist pics.

Can you guys help me? I downloaded this Limbo of the Lost demo for the Amiga, but I have no clue on how to make it work

>>2107095

What is your config? Have you tried booting it or running it from the workbensh?

>>2107104
I have no idea, I followed this Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9bUOfQwbYQ but I couldn't play it because the game is not on the format shown in the video

here is a link to the game, it's in the big blue button at the bottom.

http://lnx.webxprs.com/amigamania/web/limbo-of-the-lost/

>>2107109

It's the Amiga CD32 version of the game, try to place these files in an ISO CD image, or as a hard drive partition, with an Amiga 1200/CD32 configuration (68020 CPU, AGA chipset, 2MB of ChipRAM) .

>>2107169
So, aside from making the CD image, do I have to change the configurations on my amiga emulator dramatically?

>>2107184

Use the 3.1 version of the kickstart, and the configuration of an Amiga 1200 and CD32.

>>2107185
For the same emulator? I'm still using the one seen in the video

>>2107186

Yes, WinUAE supports the CD32 chipset and have a good config menu. Try to check for the Amiga 1200 or CD-32 specs online so you can configure it like these machines.

>>2107198
Okay, how do I make the CD image?

>>2107217

There are softwares that does it : http://www.crystalidea.com/folder-to-iso-files-to-iso-create-iso-from-folder

>>2107223
Is there a specific way to make the image or I can just slap the folder into the progam and make the file?

>>2107224

I don't think there are specific ways to make the image -- if it uses the standard ISO 9660 file system, it should be fine.

>>2107242
huh, it's not working, says there was an error with the kick310 rom or that it didn't found the key one.

>>2107254

You might as well try this one then : http://amigamania.free.fr/roms/Kickstart%203.1.zip

>>2107264
I was gonna ask for a link for Your working emulator, but I will still try a few things for a while

>>2107264
I think I'm doing something wrong, I downloaded the rom on your link, but I don't know how I should load the ISO file I made, Floppies or Hard Drives?

>>2107630

Well, maybe as a CD-ROM image anon?

>>2107630

Any news about your problem?

>>2109060
I Downloaded the newest version because the version I was using didn't have the option to use a CD >>2108284, I configured the emulator, sorta, and now it's playing an animation of a floppy being inserted in the slot, but nothing happens.

>>2109067

Okay, that's because most Amigas don't boot on CD. Launch the workbench 3.1 and try to launch the game by hand.

>>2109074
>workbench 3.1
Okay, where do I get it?

>>2109084

Any good ADF website have it.

>>2110043
okay, it's a bunch of DMS files, what do I do?

>>2110445

Check for a DMS decompressor, so you can extract the ADF files from them, then boot the Amiga with the disks in the drives.

>>2110452
Sure.But can you play the game? I'm scared that the game is gonna be bogus if I try it

Which retro computer is best for learning how to make games on?

>>2110525

You might as well check the Atari ST: a 68k CPU and a hardware simple enough to handle so you can learn easily how to make graphic stuff and all the kind.

After that, you can try the Amiga: a hardware that was conceived as an early~mid 80s super-console/arcade board but then converted into a computer. It's harder to take care of (have to take care of OS routine loader if you don't want your game to be only compatible with one particular revision and model) but you can learn how to use hardware sprites, the blitter, and co-processors, that are absent from the ST, but are really useful when it comes to games.

I won't advise you the x68000 even though it's the one that looks the most like an arcade machine, because you'll either need to learn moonrunes, import expensive hardware (with even more expensive shipping fees), and emulators are a hassle when it comes to do serious tasks on them (which require some intensive disk swapping most of the time).

Anyway, have fun learning your way into game programming.

Bump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vzmR3vdyoA

These machine are just sexy with their 2 big 5"1/4 floppy drives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvW6okgy4wA

Best port of the game overall. I love that scene when you infiltrate the castle, with your shadow casted on the walls, that's a really nice touch.

So, what about French MSX2 games?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7VnokcpRR0

Didn't knew there was a DOS version of Sorcerian.

>>2118286

>>2110525

One with either a Z80 or a 68000 CPU, an easily accessible screen buffer, and at least some sound hardware.

Where can I even purchase a Plato V?

People complain about Altair 8800's and other 70's desk computers being difficult to find, they confuse being expensive with being difficult to find. I can't find a Plato V full stop.

>>2110525
ZX Spectrum! It's how I learned to program in 2005, had a PC running Windows XP but never really got into computers until I saw this guy who had a stand full of well priced mint micros at a flea market, guess it was because I didn't have to learn to program AND it wasn't as close to the metal, it was too abstract

Is N8VEM discussion acceptable here? Does it count as vintage if emulation does?

>>2121327

Wow, I think that finding this kind of hardware would require a lot of effort. You might as well try to retrace the route of these terminals by showing up at the various Universities that used them and ask the right questions to the right question.
You should also be prepared to be unable to find any of these at all and do everything you might try for nothing, IBM System/360 style.
Anyway, Good luck in your quest for unknown hardware anon.

>>2121337

They're Z80-based computers made to run CP/M; so they count as CP/M boxes, and thus can be discussed here.

>>2121351
It weird, you can find lots of material about the Plato computers, since they were extremely powerful at the time and the Plato network was a direct predecessor to the Internet.

>>2121327
>>2121368

This may or may not be consolation you're looking for, but the novelty of PLATO was not in the dumb terminals, it was in the network, which still exists, in the form of Cyber1.org.

If you get your hands on a PLATO terminal or some sort, you can actually connect to Cyber1.org, but you can also connect to it on essentially any computer or a few dumb terminals.

>>2121383
>43 users currently signed on
>3000 active players in Avatar

thanks anon now if I only I had a PLATO V for the full experience

>>2121327
>>2121351

Where did they all go though? They were extremely popular and there were a lot of them.

As it stands I'd have an easier time getting my hands on a fucking minicomputer.

>>2121401
>Where did they all go though?

Either in dumpsters, recycling centers, or museums, just like all the IBM System/360 units.

>>2121401
That's because banks and power plants STILL use minicomputers. So do some universities, mostly to teach architecture.

>>2121408
I wouldn't compare them to System/360's, not body made PLATO owners destroy their computers as part of a contract. IBM specifically didn't want any System/360's to exist.

How do we bring the microcomputer culture to the new age with out either living in the past by vintage collecting or giving up integral parts of it?

>>2121425
>Modern homebrew stuff like N8VEM and Raspi (particularly those computer modules where you're expected to design your own PCB)
>There's nothing wrong with vintage collecting, as long as you don't think it's the only way
>Emulation for system that absolutely do not exist any more
>Full hardware recreation, based on schematics
>Create new games for old computers
>Create new games for new computers in the style of older games (NOT that shit indiegame motif of making rubbish art and pixelizing it, make new games like Zork or Avatar)
>Participate in active hobbyist/hacker communities like SDF, Cyber1, LUGs/UUGs, Hackerspaces, and so on.

>>2121425

Mainly like >>2121434 said.
It can still be like back then but with modern parts, and more equipment to do some stuff, more machine tool involved when it comes to crafting and soldering some components like these CMS.
I think that nowadays, we will need a new bus standard to replace the old S-100 one, while still staying close in it's philosophy.

Why are older computers so damn expensive?

Also, where are the best places to find older computers?
I really want to find a commodore or apple computer, but they're harder to find than old consoles.

>>2122338

Depend on where you live and which kind of computer it is:
I can bet that in some part of the US, C64s are cheap as fuck, as well as Taiwanese PC clones and IBM monitors, while here in France, it's these Amstrad CPC, Amiga and Atari ST computers that you can find everywhere for something between 25 and 50 bucks.

>>2121387
>>2121419

Why not recreate one based on the schematics and documentation you can find online? It would be less expensive than searching all around the US yourself and buying one.

This link might help I think:
http://archives.library.illinois.edu/erec/University%20Archives/0713808/1977%20Aug%20X-50%20PLATO%20V%20Terminal%20Stifle.pdf

>>2122449
I live in Toronto, haven't really had any luck.

Finding anything older than a 95 computer is impossible. It's like Canada never had computers before that time. I once saw an Apple 2 in a generic PC repair shop, but it wasn't for sale.

>>2123225

Eh, I don't know how was the computer market in Canada, so I can't help you out this much, sorry.
Have you tried to check what were the most popular machines in Canada? Try to check purely Canadian websites and see which computers where the shit back then.
If everything failed, be prepared to cross the border/import stuff from the US to get computers.

Is it possible to add the V2 mode to a PC-8801MkII with an add-on card or the likes, or getting a later model is the only way?

>>2124175

Also, does most PC-9801 models need an additional Ssoundcard in order to achieve FM synth, or did they have it incorporated in their motherboard after an early model like for the PC-8801 computer line? These PC-9801VX models seems pretty cheap and easy to find, but I don't know about the soundcards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmkkERLFII0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpeseemCHk

C=64 demos are greater now than they've ever been:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBegD7k2wvo
Some incredible 3D routine at 2:20, gotta love that real-time calculated lighting with stencil shadow on a computer using a 1MHz CPU.

>>2127141

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XomMaK9Lqdo

>>2121419

Why no try to ask the guy who made this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qtNz480DyA

Contacting Plato V terminal owners could be helpful.

Sorry guys, this is some super gray-area shit, but /g/ is totally useless for anything that isn't phone shilling and shitposting, so please bear with me.

What can I do with this loaded dual 200 MHz Pentium Pro workstation that I can't just do with some 486/Pentium shitbox?

>>2131827

Run softwares that supports SMP real fast compared to the speed they would have on a 486/pentium taiwanese clone.
Why not use it as a retro time-sharing server running a Unix distribution/clone (Linux, BSD, AIX, or for more authenticity a port of the original AT&T System V for IBM & clones) that support SMP for old computers and terminal users?

>>2132090

>Run softwares that supports SMP real fast compared to the speed they would have on a 486/pentium taiwanese clone.

yeah, are there any lists of SMP-optimized software for NT? Guess I should start reading through old magazines or something.

>Why not use it as a retro time-sharing server running a Unix distribution/clone (Linux, BSD, AIX, or for more authenticity a port of the original AT&T System V for IBM & clones) that support SMP for old computers and terminal users?

I've rigged up another workstation for that, kind of want to do the latter with something though, but where do you find software for *nix that old?

>>2132974

>yeah, are there any lists of SMP-optimized software for NT?

I think there are some services for NT 4 server and some version of AutoCAD.

> but where do you find software for *nix that old?

Mainly distro archives and vetusware.

>>2131827
If you want to talk about Win NT further, post on my thread >>>/vr/thread/2124671/. I got some Unreal Engine games running on NT 3.51 a while ago, posted some videos and screenshots.

>>2133634
Sorry, the thread should be >>2124671

I seem to have trouble linking to threads correctly for whatever reason.

>>2127141
It's unbelievable what people can do with hardware when they spend enough time with it. Meanwhile Ubisoft can't make Tetris run on a PS4 (or PS3, doesn't matter).

>>2134031

Nice setup, I just love the way 5"1/4 FDDs look.
Also I never used 5"1/4 floppies in my entire life.

>>2134629
u what m8?

>>2134637

My first computer had 3"1/2 floppies only, and the oldest I own use Hitachi/Maxwell 3" rectangular floppies. But never in my whole life I've touched or seen directly in front of me a 5"1/4 floppy disc.

>>2134641
go get them! want me to send you some?

>>2134650

I don't have any computers that use them. I'll get 'em once I get a hand on one that actually need them. Thanks anyway anon.

>>2134661
I am not anon

>>2133634

Shit, I didn't know that was a thing. Wonderful.

<3

>>2135234

Nice OPL3-based soundcard. Which one is it though? Can't seems to recognize it.

Running into trouble with the XM6 pro 68k. Currently running Genocide 2, and I'm stuck at the main menu. I can move the cursor (with the 2, 4, 6, and 8 keys) on the menu, but I can't go into any of the choices like Game Start, Option Mode or Continue. Is there anywhere that has the manuals for x68k games? I've tried every key and nothing is letting me start.

>>2136338
an aztech card

>>2136790

There are keys on the x68000 keyboard that the PC keyboard doesn't have, maybe the game use these. There are some way to emulate them with a key-combination tough, but using them frequently isn't particularly nice.

>>2136807

I see. Never owned this band of soundcards, only Creative and Ensoniq ones.

>>2136807

I see. Never owned this brand of soundcards, only Creative and Ensoniq ones.

>>2138114
ok

>>2137247
I finally figured it out after hitting every key on the soft keyboard. XF2 was confirm. I also found that it would be the attack button as well, and that XF1 is jump. Genocide 2 on the X68000 is far better than its port on the SFC, the animations are smoother and the gameplay is a lot less clunky. My only problem now is that I can't figure out how to activate my projectile option. It's none of the XF keys, whatever those are. It's probably some combination I'm not seeing.

>>2139651

Does this emulator support joypads? Does it emulate joypads like Winx68k?

remember remember the filth of mouseballs

>>2139932
>>2139932
Pubes?

>>2139935
possibly

i can remember going to laser-phaser mice for the first time, it was so responsive i only thought shitty mouse action was just apart of the computing experience

>>2139923
you mean like this? I believe it does, I'm hoping it will recognize my logitech controller, it doesn't recognize my wired 360 controller

>>2140059
Samefag; I FIGURED IT OUT. there was an archived VR thread with someone with the EXACT SAME problem; down to the emulator. The weapon option is down+attack+jump.

Still hope to get a controller working with xm6 though.

>>2139932

Filth on the mouse ball itself wasn't the problem so much as the buildup on the rollers that made the mouse unresponsive.

>>2140582
This. My balls were never dirty, but I had to clean my rollers weekly.

>>2139932
>>2140582
>>2140594

Never had that kind of problem, maybe cause I clean my mouse twice a month.

>Tfw still no Sony MSX2 computer

Refurbishing older computers is very possible
Fabricating replica cases is again very possible, and affordable on an individual basis because of 3d printing
Creating circuit boards based on schematics and reverse engineering is possible, while difficult

In my opinion the biggest difficulty retrocomputing faces at this point is ways to interface with these machines.

8-inch floppies haven't been produced in 3 decades
5+3/4 inch floppies haven't been produced in 2 decades
3+1/2 inch floppies will very soon no longer be produced

Floppies rot, plain and simple. They become brittle even in the ideal conditions, after 10-20 years they're "use once, hope like hell you don't ruin your drive and the data gets off uncorrupt" after 20+ years they're just completely dead to the world.

The nice thing about cartridges is that they don't suffer from rot. Cassettes do as they are a magnetic medium but they last much, much longer, like 30-40 years, AND as long as indie music exists, cassettes will still be in demand, and you can use most modern cassettes in most machines.

My question is: how feasible is it to produce your own floppy disks? I vaguely know how the process works but I've never researched it a great deal. What other ways do we have to deal with these machines that aren't "cheaty" like some sort of hacked up data transfer device like a flash cart. Maybe an external hard drive loaded with software? Not all machines, particularly early machines, can deal with that.

On another note: how about production of cartridges? I'm not too worried about this because like I said, cartridges are far, far more resilient than floppies or cassettes, it's just a matter of owning physical cartridges or maybe producing cartridges for you own games.

What ZX Spectrum should I buy? Is there a graphic that compares them all?

>>2142116

3"1/2 floppies aren't in production anymore, they stopped it in 2010.
When it comes to make floppies, the raw materials for single and double density 8" and 5"1/4 floppies (Magnetite, Mylar sheets and floppy PVC sheets) are cheap as fuck, but the process itself require some machinery.

As for the cassettes, not all computer cassette recorder can read all the types, some just can't erase some of them properly, corrupting the data they're trying to save (most of the time it's the metal ones). But as long as the shittier types are available, it's alright I think.

Cartridges can be produced for really cheap if you know how to electronic stuff.

>>2142135

-The Spectrum 16k is good for nothing but early games or hardcore demos (16k demos and less) with it's 16kB of RAM. It has this well-known dead-skin chicklet keyboard everyone complained about back then.
-The Spectrum 48k is the one that is compatible with most of the stuff around. It has the same keyboard as the 16k version
-The Spectrum+ is a 48k model with some incompatibilities and a different case design and keyboard. The keyboard is unreliable though.
-The Spectrum 128k is a Spectrum+ with 128kB of RAM, and the AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator giving the possibility to make awesome tunes more easily than on the previous models
-The Spectrum 2+ is the first Amstrad model. Most programs written in assembly that uses ROM routines are incompatible with this model (all the routines addresses are fucked up because of the fact Amstrad added their copyright message in ROM). Aside from that, it's a Spectrum 128 with an integrated cassette tape player.
-The Spectrum 3+ is a Speccy 2+ with an Hitachi/Maxwell 3" floppy drive. Almost no software came on 3" floppies for the Speccy (British people didn't even bought 5"1/4 floppies and drives for their C=64, so I don't think they would have bought 3" floppies for a really late Speccy model while the Amiga and the Atari ST were kicking in).

>>2142116
>and affordable on an individual basis because of 3d printing
Not in my case.
I gotten a TRS-80 Model 100 in a quite defaced condition.
The preowner which is a company decided to remove 10 function keys, a plastic cover and rebranded the computer. I think this was their dumb idea to prevent that some worker resells it, which was stupid because they threw it away in the end.
I asked a 3D printing company in my country and they estimated about 200€ costs, just for the parts that are missing.
With this amount of money i can easily import a another one from the USA.

>>2142267

Truly horrible. Why would you ever want to remove the function keys of a computer?

>>2142267
Yeah, that is exceptional damage thougg. I also mean more like hobbyist 3D printing as home units are getting much better AND cheaper. I had a DECscope that was missing a few key caps and they were very easily 3D printed by a friend who had access to the polymers lab at our uni. Once I refinished all the caps they were undecernable. Now that was a really nice 3D printer but I envision that sort of technology being available to the average consumer in the next 10 years.

>>2123221
Thanks anon, I'm the person who originally asked where I could find a Plato V, I'm going to get some use out of this, thanks

>>2142674

No problem. This PDF seems to contain all the specifications needed to make a Plato V terminal from your own design. Have fun with this project!

>>2142267
why the fuck is that one section edited out? it's just something to do with the make isn't it? wtf is the point of that?

>>2057982

craigslist can have some great stuff if you look in the right place at the right time.

I've found lots of retro games and computer stuff as well as modern stuff via craigslist over the years, but lately it's become saturated with resellers.

This might seem like a bizarre question but does anyone else get unreasonably upset at the posseurs who take filtered photos of themselves with 25% of a C64 they'll never turn on, all the while thinking CPC refers to a drug and an ST is something you go to the clinic to get sorted?

Feels like I'm being instantly associated with this because I'm a bit younger than the majority enthusiasts. When can people go back to making fun of us instead of ruining our culture?

>>2143526
console retrofags have it much, much, MUCH worse

count your blessings anon

They'll move on soon enough, the biggest of hipster faggots have already dropped retro gaming for rubbish politically correct "art" games, the rest of the sheep just need to catch up

I have an Apple II+ I got from an auction awhile back, it boots to the black Apple II logo screen and that's it, think I need to reseat the chips and give it another whirl.

I got a C64 from a yard sale over the summer, it doesn't do anything, I'm not even sure where to start with it. It turns on and the light comes on, that's it. Not even sure if it's supposed to POST beep, it just sits there. I've heard various problems of the video chip dying in them, but I'm not ready to just call it quits yet. I also managed to grab about 50 or so C64 games I've been dying to try out but just can't yet. Frustrating.

>>2143780

Good luck with your Apple II+ anon. If you need softwares, here's an interesting website:
http://asciiexpress.net/diskserver/
http://asciiexpress.net/diskserver/readme.html
Anyway, do you have photos of your Apple II?

>>2143796
I'll take a couple for you, give me a few minutes. Also thanks for the links, I'll check them out as well.

>>2143796
It came in this pretty cool case, so here that is.

>>2143796
Apple II+ itself sitting inside the all foam case.

>>2143796
2 floppy drives with it. The other side of the case is nothing but cables, so I didn't take a picture of that.

>>2143796
And the guts.

>>2143827
>>2143830
>>2143831
>>2143834

Thanks for the pics anon.
Nice catch! What are the expansion cards inside of it for? I can guess that one of them is a floppy drive controller, but what are the others supposed to do?
Anyway, again, good luck with your maintenance, and have fun with this machine!

>>2143862
Thanks. It actually came paired with pic related, which is also in a case like the Apple, only fit for the monitor.

As for the cards, I've genuinely not messed with it enough to be sure. One I'm guessing is just for the clock, since it even says clock on it and has a big 9v battery plugged into it. The one closest to the power supply is the RAM card I believe, it has 3 LED lights on the end closest to the back end. Not too positive about the others, since I don't think the floppies can attach to either, either that I'm missing a connector or cable or something.

Any clue on the cases btw? Was that some sort of standard, or just generic cases sold like modern day 'gaming gear' that happened to fit these.

>>2143882

Look like these cases were sold for Apple II users so they could carry their computers, almost no other computers could have the exact same size, clones excepted.
Did you look for potential damages from the clock card?

>>2143910
Everything looks pretty clean and in working order, just a lot of Googling I did recommended reseating the chips inbetween those 4 cards. The only thing I don't like about the clock card is the big ass 9v battery. But I guess from the 70's it's the best they could do. I just wish it were secured better than it is, it just sits down in what looks like a wire loop cut into the card itself to make a little holder. So when I first opened the top of the system the battery was just dangling there.

Also thanks for the case tidbit, happier with it knowing it's not just some random cases someone found and filled with foam.

>>2143919

I think that the case the monitor came in might be a case made just to carry stuff from the size of this Panasonic TV (nice one by the way) though. Maybe I'm mistaken and they're just standard transport cases.

Anyway, be aware that this 9V battery is a risk for your Apple II, a leakage can be a deadly blow.

>>2143546
>using hipster in 2014/2015

stop posting

>>2143980
not the guy but thats exactly what the san francisco indie crowd is

Bump

While talking about the Apple II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao9VAgyAgY4
Choplifter is some damn nice game.

I'm Typing this Naked

>>2145828

Moar Apple II games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-C2SFLuqJo

>>2143882

I don't think these cases would have been generic, since home computers back then were so diverse and the gear was worth more than enough to invest in some fitted cases for.

Jet Set Willy on Amstrad CPC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlXdCKmp8rA

>>2149547

Someone gave me a C64 a while back with a few data cassettes and cassette player. Plugged it up a week or so ago and works great. Looking to get a tape recorder to play some classic games on it :D

>>2153830
who made this qt?

>>2153830
Cute. Do you have a gallery?

>>2154316

The same anon who drew pic related.
Sorry, this time I didn't have the time to make the shadings on this pic, so I limited the palette to only 4 colors (which isn't very representative of the Amiga graphic capabilities)

>>2154341

Thanks. Sorry, but I don't have a gallery (and I don't drew enough stuff to justify having one).

So I'm the guy that posted pics of the Apple II+ a couple days ago, I decided to put off getting it functional for now where I could focus on my C64 since I have a lot of games for it I'd like to play.

My problem is using the same monitor and same video cable that lets the Apple II+ show up, doesn't do the same on the C64. I've tried several various methods already, I even ordered an RCA -> 8-pin cable from Ebay to try using it on another screen and that didn't work either.

Any Google search I do just brings up a shit ton of ''oh black screen fix here", when my problem is it doesn't show up at all, like it's not even putting out a video signal to begin with.

Any tips or places to start looking as far as repairs go?

>>2155558

Check this book:
http://www.1000bit.it/support/manuali/commodore/c64/Commodore_64_Troubleshooting_and_Repair_Guide.pdf
I don't personally own a C64, so I wont really be able to help your directly, but I know some places where you can find useful books. Here is another website where you might be able to find something helpful:
http://www.bombjack.org/commodore/books.htm

>>2155772
Hot damn the amount of books, thanks anon. Will browse through those. My problem is I'm a hands-on learner. If any of these books have picture step by steps I'll probably be able to figure it out. I have a bunch of various tools for such things, and even got a multimeter a couple days ago just in case. Was just finding a hard place to start.

dont know where else to ask so ill ask here
how important is it to play the earlier wizardry games (1-5), before playing the later ones(6-8) to understand the story and whats happening?

>>2155852
Stories aren't related. Bradley games (6 and 7) and 8 can be played standalone or in order, but usually aren't grouped with 1 through 5.

>>2153830
Cool! Glad to see you're still around.

>>2125181
>>2124175
I answered your questions at the bottom here: https://archive.moe/vr/thread/1944456/#q2124185

>>2155772
OK thanks again for the first .pdf. I think I found my problem but I'm not too terribly positive. Just need to find somewhere to buy replacement parts. Unless it's just as costly to buy a whole new unit, then I'll just do that instead I guess. Hopefully not though.

When it says bad crystal, does that mean the cylindrical fuse, or what. Maybe it's a C64 only thing, I'm not sure. If it is then disregard my asking.

>>2155976

>When it says bad crystal, does that mean the cylindrical fuse, or what.

Nah, I think they means the Quartz Crystal (like pic related).
Also, don't worry, these components are everywhere.

>>2155862

Okay, guess I'll be waiting for a good mkIISR or mkIITR deal, in order to have all the expansion bays available, as well as the N mode. for older releases. Thanks for the info.

Is there a good site that shows recommended prices for systems? I see prices for things all over the place, and there are some things that I can't find at all but don't know if that's because they're exceptionally rare or just that I personally can't find them.

Also, are there any good vintage computer marketplaces? I find eBay REALLY hit or miss a lot of the time in terms of prices, quality and just content.

>>2157842
I'm interested in this as well. This guy >>2156623 replied saying components are everywhere, but Ebay is pretty shit in terms of buying parts or even just bulk stuff for repairs. There's only a couple of C64 boards on Ebay right now and both are either completely blank missing all chips, or missing the exact fucking chip I need, because why not. Around here also there really isn't just a walk-in shop for PC stuff either, much less for stuff that hasn't been in production for 30 years. So much suffering.

>>2157856
>Ebay
Stop being retarded and go to an electronic store.
They cost like 70 cents or some shit.

>>2157872
Did you even read the rest of my post? I specifically said there is no such shops around my area.

>>2157893
That there are none in your area doesn't mean there are none around your whole country, just lurk around for one and see if they can ship it if you are too much of a lazy shit to do a trip there.

Does anyone know if it would be easier and/or cheaper to buy DEC Alpha parts rather than the actual computer? I find listings of the actual computer for 2k or so, but the parts are dirt cheap (comparatively).

The computer isn't really made for gaming, but you can still run games on it, so I think it counts. Probably the best place on entire site to ask is here anyway.

>>2153830
>>2154749
not enough fur.

>>2157943
I've looked into this before, a lot of the parts are really cheap because they made a lot of them since a lot of people used Alphas (and still do to this day) so the actual processors (see: the most difficult part to completely fabricate on your own) are really cheap, the expansion boards are more expensive, but the problem is that you can't buy the cases anywhere. So say you got all the parts together you'd in reality be paying maybe 600 dollars less for a computer with out a case.

>>2157856
>>2157893

Check for this component on professional and hobbyist supplier websites (RS Component, Conrad for example).

>>2157969

>repeating that shitty "Amiga users are furry" /g/ maymay on /vr/

>>>/g/
Friendly reminder that the PC&Clone scene sucked until the arrival of 486 CPUs and the spread of VGA cards.

>>2157943
>>2157974

It's the quite a few Digital Equipment stuff I think. It's pretty easy to get a hand on the Memorry board and the CPU board of a PDP-11 for example, but when it comes to find the whole machine, it's another story.

>>2157992
>>2157974
>>2157943

As it happens, it's the parts that are hardest to fabricate on your own that are the easiest to get. I'm not saying it's an easy process, and you shouldn't do it for an Alpha or a late generation VAX but for the rarer ones, if a PDP is your dream computer or something, you should look into recreation of parts that you can't find, as it's certainly POSSIBLE. Although significantly hard with out a case, that'd probably be what kills you, because to build the case you'd probably need a metal former or something. I'd just search around.

>>2054761

Amiga 500
Commodore 64

>>2065584

It wasn't that bad, it had some pretty enjoyable games and BASIC 3.5 was a lot better than 2.0 that shipped with the C64.

It's only real flaw was lack of C64 compatibility and hardware sprites.

>>2065870
>The P/4 died and won't give out any AV output shortly after I took that picture, I don't know what's going on ;_;

If you've just got a black screen, the CPU or TED has probably died. They're very fragile.

>>2158342

Well, the inferior BASIC on the C=64 at least forced the users to learn assembly language, which is a good thing considering this is the only way to take advantage of the hardware of a computer this old, as BASIC was slow as fuck.

Is DOS discussion to late for this thread? If I want to run a game I downloaded from the internet (specifically Daggerfall) on a real computer running DOS, do I need to make a disc image with this stuff on it then burn that do a disk or something? Previously I just copied the stuff from this folder and put it on a cd with making an iso and then copied it from the CD to my hard drive on the DOS computer then ran the install program. That worked well enough, but then when I try to run DAGGER.EXE I get an error saying the CD isn't inserted, despite choosing the "Massive" install option.

If this is the wrong thread I'll delete this.

>>2158439
forgot pic

>>2158439
>>2158443

MS-DOS came with the first IBM PCs, which is 80s stuff, so yeah, it's allowed.

As for you problem, I think that yeah, it will simply go away if you use a CD-ROM and keep it in the CD drive of your DOS machine while playing. I never had this problem running Daggerfall on my 486 PC that way (burning the installation files and the rest of the original CD content on a CD-R then installing the whole stuff on my DOS machine.).

So, I'm confused, does World of Spectrum NOT have certain spectrum titles? Do they take games off with out documenting what they removed? Archive.org does that shit and it pisses me off so much. If you're going to fold under the pressure of copyright at least have the common courtesy to inform users what you're removing so they can get it elsewhere. not that I'm not grateful for what Archive and WoS do

>>2080787

You'll have loads of fun with the Amiga, they're still surprisingly useable machines day-to-day as well with a few cheap upgrades. Add an 030 card with RAM, a CF Card for hard disk and a cheap NIC card you can get on-line to download games, chat on IRC, download software to the machine, basic web browsing, email etc.

Not to mention using WHDLoad for all the games direct from the CF Card.

>>2081591
Agreed, in fact my 1992 Amiga Seagate drive still works fine, but a 4gb Transcend CF Card I put in my A600 died within 18 months.

When hard disks die you usually get some warning, none with a CF Card though, one second it's working fine, next second totally unreadable by anything,

>>2081824

You can read pretty much all the old popular computer mags in their entirety on archive.org:

https://archive.org/details/computermagazines

>>2093449
The BBC's follow-up housed the first ever ARM chip as well, the Acorn Archimedies. ARM stood for Acorn Risc Machine

>>2143980

go back to /v/

>>2158697
>MY ASS HURTS
>MY ASS HURTSSSSS
>IT REALLY FUCKING DOES
>I THINK A FIREANT CRAWLED UP IN THERE

>>2158702

your ass hurts cos you're a giant fag

pls go

Vic-20 and pals

Got a C64 too, but the bastard decided to start to a black screen when I tried to turn it on today.
:(

>>2159398

Noice. What are the fun things to do on a VIC-20? Is the VIC-20 demoscene still a thing?

http://tapes.c64.no - just tape dumps, fewer entries
http://c64tapes.org - some tape dumps, far far more entries, mostly scans of inserts, and guides, very much like World of Spectrum, a good deal of tape dumps as well though, just like WoS

For anyone interested, maybe to add to the OP but I won't make the new thread probably.

>>2159398
was worried for a sec when I saw those LCDs in the thumbnail

>>2094045
Electronika BK, wicked computer when you read about it, I'd love to own one, but the old Soviet micros are sort of hit or miss, some you can find for 10 dollars, others seem to have entirely vanished. Haven't researched the Electronika too, too much, though, so they may still be lurking around.

I would be interested to get a early C64 because i like how the filter of the 6581R2 sounds and i have spare DIN 5 plug which i can use to make a AV cable.
What should i get for storage?
A 1541 drive with a dozen floppies and make a XA1541 cable or SD2IEC?
My experience with 3.5" HD floppies on PCs was anything but nice, almost every damn disk i wrote went corrupt within days or even hours.
Maybe the floppies or drives i used were just shitty but i'm sure that it wasn't caused by my CRT monitors or TVs, in 2001 i gotten a 1024x768 TFT and the problem was still there.
Are old 5.25" floppies and 1541 drive more reliable than these floppies and drives used for PCs in the late 90s and later?
I also have a bunch of spare chips like 6502, 6522, 6526 and a 901225 character ROM. A 1541 drive and early C64 would be great opportunity to test these.

>>2093602
>what's the little box?

Well, the russian says "feed block" and the led "network" above it. The "VKL" above the grey thing to my knowledge means "Inc." What's that connector next to it?

I'm guessing it's a modem.

>>2160739

Most late 90s/early 00s 3"1/2 DSHD floppies are pieces of shit, because they were made in china. I bought a brand new pack of 10 verbatim floppies 2 years ago and half of them were already dead. Then I bought in the same store a pack of 50 Fugifilm floppies, and I still have now problem at all with them, because they were made in Germany (I bought all the pack of these fugifilm floppy disks available in this store because of this).

Anyway, back then floppies were more reliable too. I still have some late 80s floppies (a DOS 3.0 copy for IBM PS/2, a Workbench 1.3.5 copy for Amiga 500, a few Amstrad CPC floppies), and they still work perfectly. As for 5"1/4 floppies, it is said that they are way more reliable than 3"1/2 floppies.

To answer your main question, I suggest you to get both of them. Getting a real 1541 disk drive is a must for some programs that actually use it's Z80 CPU as a co-processor, and the SD2IEC can offer more flexibility. You can even use the SD2IEC as a second or third "disk drive" I think, as the C64 can have up to 3 of em (If I recall, the device numbers 8, 9 and 10 are reserved for floppy drives).

Amiga > all

>>2162757
eric pls

>>2161386

Well if it's a modem, it sure is a damn sexy one.

>>2163614
>>2161386

Also, while talking about eastern block computers:
http://hackaday.com/2014/12/15/home-computers-behind-the-iron-curtain/

I've got a pretty weak computer on hand for now, so I was gonna ask what some good oldies were that I might have missed.
I don't wanna have to use DOSBox though,

I don't want to replay old games either. I've already played C&C, Dungeon Keepers, Evil Genius, Panzer General and the like, what's some games that are less than mainstream I might have missed worth a play?

>>2164724

What are the specs of the machine?

Have you tried 16-bit windows games like Castle of the Wind?

>>2164782
It's a downclocked A-6 processor, so it's not like, from the 80s, but it's not gonna handle Total War either.

I'm looking to try some games from the early to late 90's, specifically.

>>2164803
early 90's is probably gonna require DOSBox

I've had the luck of coming across an Amiga 4000 (Kickstart 3.0) with the Video Toaster 4000, only problems being that the Workbench disks and HDD are borked, so there's not much I can do besides boot up the one or two working disks I have. In addition, I'm looking into replacing the PSU because the physical switch on the PSU is basically screwed. Where can I get the parts to make this machine wonderful again?

>>2164865

There are tutorials showing how to replace an Amiga n000 (with n between 1 and 4) PSU with an ATX PSU.

As for the HDD, try to find a way to install the Workbench 3.1 on another HD in the emulator WinUAE, then put that HDD in the Amiga 4000.

Also, nice catch anon.Where I live, catching this kind of machine is freaking expensive.

Some nice soviet computers:
http://kormus.cz/mvt/pocitace/michal_suchanek.php

What's the best commodore 64 emulator?

>>2167021

I dunno, but personally I use WinVICE, which emulate most MOS 65xx-based Commodore computers (not the KIM-1 though, too bad).

>>2165428

Also, if you don't want to replace the PSU by another one that you'd have to rework anyway, you might as well try to discharge and replace the faultly components of the Amiga PSU. I don't think it's a big deal.

>>2169898
>>2165428

OH, and if you try anything with a PSU (modifying it or repairing it) don't ever forget to DISCHARGE the fucker.

Music time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HKL2_Z9wUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlXwmw8UY9w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbfippekCf0

I wonder how they did this calculation farm with old S-100 computers. Maybe every machine's S-100 bus is the continuation of the previous machines one?

>>2175715
dat floppy drives!

2 sexy 4 me!

I want to turn this frankenstein AT compatible shitbox into a Xenix or BSD terminal server for my XT and some other DOS boxes, but I'm not really sure how this is going to work out

Someone in an old thread told me I could find software for older PC unices on fetusware and also look for distro archives, but is there really much you can do with Xenix nowadays? I'd probably just be using it for playing shitty text games or something since a 286-12, 1MB RAM and a 40 MB IDE stepper is probably a little underwhelming for any kind of real use, maybe some development if I'm desperate.

I just don't feel like building yet another DOS box I'll never use for anything practical.

>>2176202
You are better off running something more mainstream. Even better, just turn it into a terminal.

>>2176202
give it to me!

>>2176202
my email is sparky4@cock.li

i will give you my mailing address

>>2176224

I'm sure that's what I'll end up doing, I don't know, I've always wanted a real retro terminal server of some kind, but I guess I'd rather have something like pic related anyway since my power bill is never high enough

maybe I can install an ethernet card and run a BBS or something

>>2176225
>>2176228

ayy m8s this is actually my only working example of a 286 system at the moment

hopefully I'll get a real AT

some day ;_;

>>2176237
sigh!

i know that 286 can run the dos game me and some friends are making perfectly!

>>2176405

I'm sure you'll find one sooner or later, they made millions of these clone shitboxes

but I guess the hard part is finding one that someone hasn't upgraded, I just bought another similar one thinking it was a 286-16 and someone had gutted it and put in a 386DX-40

>>2176414
i have 2 fine 286s mobos and 1 built machine

>>2176237
>>2176202

Why not make it into an OS/2 BBS machine? With like 1 or 2 Dial nodes and a few ethernet ones, nice ASCII arts, Door games and a nice download section? It might be a fun project.

>>2176417

nice

all my other 286s are destitute proprietary hulks that are missing peripherals or setup disks lost to the ages

>>2176493

I think that's actually what I'm going to do, why recommend OS/2 though? (not that I'm not open to it or anything)

I guess if all else fails I can go invade some old computer shops for some drive sleds and deck this out as a file archiving system, my existing one is way too big.

>>2176510
>nice
>all my other 286s are destitute proprietary hulks that are missing peripherals or setup disks lost to the ages

awww

>>2176510

Because OS/2 might be the best multi-tasking OS available for this kind of machine, and because it can run MS-DOS softwares.

As for your other 286 machines, what models are they?

>>2176519
>>2176510

Also, when you're finished making your BBS, don't hesitate to post the address here, so I could visit it.

>>2176519

Might try it out then, I'm running OS/2 1.3 on a microchannel 386-16 box right now and it's kind of shit since you can't find any native software for it anymore, not that that really matters in this situation though

as far as my other 286s, I've got a gutted Tandy 1000TL (I believe, put it in storage almost 6 years ago) and a WysePC 286 (semi gutted, needs a new MFM hard disk and BIOS setup disks which I have never been able to find), as well as a 286-8 "notebook" whose battery went nuclear while it was in storage, so it's bricked now

>>2177515

Forget what I said, OS/2 actually became good with version 2.1 (I spoke too fast because I had a really nice experience with OS/2 warp). I think the best you might get is the last versions of Concurrent DOS286 if you want multi-tasking, though it's only compatible with DOS versions up to 3.x.

Too bad for this Tandy, they made pretty good machines.

>>2177563

>I think the best you might get is the last versions of Concurrent DOS286 if you want multi-tasking

damn I've always wanted to play around with Concurrent DOS, I never quite understood how it worked as far as running applications and what you connect to it with, I wouldn't assume dumb terminals would work very well with it.

>>2178212

It's used like your everyday DOS, and allow other DOS session on dumb terminals. I recall seeing it in one of the Computer Chronicles episode, with a PC hooked to 2 dumb terminals running concurrent DOS.

The C=64 version of the Golden Axe tune Wilderness is really nice, I prefer it to the arcade version personally:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFoN1ZMmNUA

>>2177962
>doesn't end in sex

>>2179667

>>2179672

my 286 AT clone

My thinkpad 600e

(it runs DOS only so i think it is allowed here on this thread! It has full dos support on hardware and with sound too it is a great portable dos gaming machine! Laptops where lagging big time back in the day (they are still lagging compared to desktops today~) please understand /vr/)

The legendary model M

>>2161992
>Getting a real 1541 disk drive is a must for some programs that actually use it's Z80 CPU as a co-processor
>Z80 CPU
Why the fuck would Commodore use a CPU they don't manufacture on their own.
It is a 6502 along with two 6522 and some TTL logic (or custom chip in the newer drives).
I will go for some floppy disks and the early 1541 drive with the ALPS mechanics, that stuff in the inside looks nice and discrete.

I also found 3 Amiga floppies from my childhood:
Turrican 3 (original), Turrican 2 copied over Hewson (i assume my dad did that) and Workbench V?.
Not sure if they work but i don't think that i had any more than this.

However, the C64 arrived.
I bought something that looked quite good in the photos and it's untested as the seller didn't had any cables.

>>2180915
>open box
>see crumbled newspaper
That looks good so far.
>pull out joystick
The fuck?
I just bought a C64 only, did the seller send me the wrong package?
>the letter
>"Hello, I found 2 joysticks but i couldn't test them."
>"If you're satisfied then please don't forget to leave a feedback" (this is from eBay)
I had different plans to play games.
I wanted to make NES or SNES controller adapters.

>>2180919
Looks more dirty than expected.
I don't have any cables either but i gonna take advantage of the DIN socket construction.
I just stick the right wire in the right hole.

>>2180915

Fuck, my bad, it's only the C=128 that had a Z80 CPU. There was another website where I've read that the 1541 had this CPU, but look like the author was wrong too. Thanks for correcting me.

Anyway, my advice is still valid though.

>>2180919

That's really nice of him.

>>2180923

Be sure to check if the original cables didn't have components inside like capacitors and resistors (like console cables).

>>2180923
Test setup completed. Don't worry about reverse polarity, i measured it before.
My PSU plan is to take that 9V AC/DC (which i modded to output AC) and put a Samsung ETA-U90EWE charger (5V 2A) inside it along with an simple crowbar circuit (overvoltage protection). I'm experienced with this charger because of my job, they are quite reliable. Common faults are usually no output or high frequency noise. Now i need to get a DIN 7 plug and DIN 8 plug for AV.

>>2180925
>That's really nice of him.
btw it's her

I plan to make my own cables.
>Be sure to check if the original cables didn't have components inside like capacitors and resistors (like console cables).
Good thought, i looked at the C64 schematics before. Looks like it outputs an DC offset on the baseband video signal.

>>2180931

>btw it's her
Eh, couldn't guess either.

Anyway, nice Sony TV.
Good luck with your C=64 too. Don't hesitate to post more photo of it when you'll make it work.

>>2180931
No risk, no fun.
Looks like i won at this round of HW gambling.
I took me a few minutes to get it working.
And it crashed while i typed this post.

>>2180936
>Anyway, nice Sony TV.
KV-M1450D
BE-4 chassis
I don't really like this one.

KV-M1400D and KV-M1420D (in withe on my desk)
BE-2A chassis
outputs better picture.

>>2180939
I gotten a Quickshot 2 Turbo and the original Commodore one.
The 6 key is a little loose and function keys look a little yellowed.
It looks like the stuff belonged to a small child with the habit on drawing on stuff with a pencil and never ever cleaned it once.

Oh yeah, the other 2 TVs not on my desk are just spare ones i use for testing.

>>2180953
>open
>see 250407 board
>see 6581 made in 1984 week 20
Yes!
Exactly what i wanted.
>see that only the SID is socketed
Bummer, i wanted to test the 2 spare chips i have.
I'm experienced with desoldering huge chips like that. I successfully removed 2 ROM/RAM chips in 4 NES carts, only once i ripped off a single trace.

The reason why the machine was so unstable is the loose power connection.

>>2180969
I just discovered that the hooks are broken.
However, my plans are.
1. Clean the shit out of it. (Always the first step when i gotten used electronics)
2. Inspect and fix the keyboard.
3. Fix the hooks.
4. Inspect the mainboard (incl. caps) and socket all the thick chips.
5. Build the PSU.
6. Make the video (adapter) cable. (just 20cm long, with female connectors)

The only thing that bothers me is the QWERTY layout. My mind always moves my finger between T and U when i want a Z.
I'm able to modify this, should i do it? (i always mod in a way that i can reverse it easily)

>>2176202
w2c that clock holy shit

>Thinking of getting an altairclone since the actual 8800s are difficult to come by
>$621
>exactly the same price for a kit as it is preassembled

can anyone who's used one confirm if it's really worth it? it's just an emulator in a neat box, it's not even really a hardware recreation

>>2181709
It's decent if you want a way to program an emulator via the front panel, it's more satisfying I think. I would love to get my hands on a real one and a floppy drive but the 8-inch floppy drives are impossible to find. Much, much harder than finding even a working 8080

>>2143796
holy shit that's amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow78cUDdTOg

I don't know how to program but I want to learn assembly for the super nintendo and eventually for modern computers. The snes uses 65c816 assembly. I think game developers used Apple II IGS's for early development because it also shares the 65c816 processor. Would it be helpful to learn programming on an old machine this way? Would the Apple II IGS knowledge carry over into snes development?

>>2181851
Apple IIGS* sleeeep

>>2181709

It's an emulator within an empty case, without S-100 bus, so no expansion cards. So no, it's not worth.

>>2181851

No, they didn't use the Apple IIGS, it was discontinued before the SNES was released in some region, and I don't even think it saw a release in Japan (western computer manufacturers lost the Japanese market in the mid-late 80s/early 90s).
SNES games were developed on whatever was the most capable machine of the time available in the country (let's say, x68000 or FM Towns for Japan, PC-AT+VGA or Amiga 2000/3000+16M colors card for the US and Europe, maybe some high-end 68030 Machintosh models), and used cross-compiles and directly fed the games to the console through a parallel cable.

Anyway, I think it's better to get into 6502 programming first, with this knowledge you could make both NES and SNES games at first, as well as Atari-8bit, VIC/¨PET/64, Apple II and PC Engine stuff. Then the 65c816 will only seems like an upgrade with new features, and will be way easier to learn. However, the code won't be portable between various consoles and computers, as the memory maps aren't the same between these machines, so for each kind of machines you're willing to program for, be sure to learn the hardware specifications too, and how to access them.

>>2181709
I wish they sold JUST the case for homebrew projects

Probably would be just as much though.

Meh, I wouldn't get it for the emulator in a repro case

>>2181709
No but this is http://n8vem-sbc.pbworks.com/w/page/83590381/FPMini%20Introduction

I'm looking to get a CRT for my PC. Not just for gaming, but for everyday use. My current setup is my laptop's HDMI going out into an HDTV. How am I going to get HDMI to display on something like a Sony PVM? Will I be able to connect my current gen consoles and easily switch between them and my PC?

Are there any Sony PVM monitors (or monitors of equal or better quality) with more modern aspect ratios such as 16:9?

>>2181016
I cleaned the upper shell completely, wasn't able remove some dirt in the groove around the keyboard and i damaged the texture a little bit.
Cleaning the badges (the 64 was very dirty) was tricky, they appear to be metallic pieces which lower level is painted over and a brush can damage it.

The keyboard.
Getting the keys off is a total bitch. The force required to is way more than lifting a big ass CRT TV, this whole process took me a hour.
The reason why the 6 key was loose is because half of the spring turned to dust, majority of springs are slightly corroded and one is broken in two pieces.
I found 2 springs in dads "old electronic junk collection", they are just too thin but i'm sure that i can bend them in the right diameter.

What should i do about the about the slightly corroded springs?
Ignore or spray them with zinc spray?

I also took the keyboard PCB out. Not enough room to solder thin copper wires to electrically swap Y and Z.
Looks like i have to deal with it.

>>2143780
I'm guessing because you have the disk controller plugged in, it's trying to search for a bootstrap (which it won't since you don't have the drives connected.) If you have no disk to boot, then hit the reset key and i think it should drop you to a BASIC prompt. Or If you unplug the disk controller entirely (slot 6) it should automatically drop you to the command prompt.

>>2143834
>>2143882
Slot 0 (next to power supply) is a RAM expansion
Slot 1 is traditionally used for the printer, what kind of port does it have going out the back?
Slot 6 is the traditional slot for the primary disk controller, which I see is in there. The floppy drives should plug into that
Slot 7, if it says clock, then it must be a clock.

>>2155558
I'm not a Commodore guy, but If I recall correctly, the C64 doesn't put out standard composite like the Apple II (or NES.) C64 has RF and it's own AV port.

>>2182595

Th C=64 output some kind of Y/C video signal (the non-marketing name of S-Video) too.

>>2182210

You'd be better off asking that question in the CRT thread over here.
>>2178309
And for that, I dunno. It's easiest if you have some kind of analog output like VGA.

>>2182460
I made my decision by spraying a another spring similar to those.
I see myself able to fuck this up by a great amount, so i will not do this.

Bending the thinner spring to a bigger diameter was a full success.

>>2183697
>>2182460

How is the C=64 keyboard? The only Commodore stuff I've ever owned is my Amiga 500.

>>2182460
I finished the PSU and it works... somewhat.
In the place where the bridge rectifier and ripple rejection capacitor was is now the PCB of the Samsung charger and a simple crowbar circuit (5.1V zener diode after a 2A fuse).
Opening this charger is hard, getting the PCB out can be easy but in this case i had to brutally peel the plastic case apart.
I injured myself doing that and yelled "fucking Samsung" like 20 times, just like in my job.

The cable is 2m long, i estimate the resistance of this length to be 0.1ohms.

The C64 worked nice for a few minutes and then it crashed.
And in this state it won't work anymore but show garbled graphics and lines.
I let it 'cool off' and diagnose this fault further.

>>2184038
Rather nice when you get used to the non-standard layout but maintenance is rather hard (getting the keys off) and complicated (need to desolder "caps lock" to remove PCB).
>The only Commodore stuff I've ever owned is my Amiga 500.
Before this i could say the same. Unfortunately i don't have it anymore.

>>2184086
Looks like i found the problem.
Very rarely i gotten BASIC to work, pushing the RESTORE key (which causes a NMI) changes the glitches meaning that the CPU (6510) is okay but it executes garbage.

After some googling i found this:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/c64/c64-ic.txt
>U17 906114-01 (82S100PLA) PLA
>Blank screen, no border. It can produce colored screen or flashing
>color garbage instead of startup screen. It can cause intermittant loss of
>cursor, screen freeze and/or program crashes after warmup and it can put
>random characters on screen. This chip normally runs hot. It is the most
>common chip to fail in the C64 and it should run no hotter than the SID.
I measured with a infrared temp. meter: This chip 62°C, SID 55°C.
But it feels twice as much compared to SID.

Looks like i need to get an replacement PLA.

>>2142116
I keep stockpile of all types of floppies for this reason.

Also, I have found that for at least Apple II computers there are some workarounds for them if you don't have many spare floppies or any at all. ADTpro comes to mind, also there are some places where you can download the audio file a cassette tape would hold, but the limited RAM on the machine makes it impossible for some software to load fully. They do make the CFFA card which you can load software into flash cards, but are very expensive.

Wow, I'm super late to this thread.

Nice stuff everyone. Keep retro computing alive!

>>2080787
>>2158660

Deffo get an Amiga...This is my setup.

>>2184086
>when you get used to the non-standard layout

There was no standard layout back then, even PC-XT keyboards didn't look like AT and PS/2 keyboards.
The only thing that made AT & PS/2 keyboards "standard" is the fact that if you make clones, better reproduce the easiest thing to copy.

>>2184664
thats sweet.... how hard are they to come by in north america?

>>2184269
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm/c64/eprompla/eprompla.txt
>C64 PLA chip replacement using an EPROM and adaptor
>One of my C64 boards (250407) will work with just about any PLA substitute
>EPROM from the slowest 250nS to the fastest OTP. Other boards are -very- fussy
>about the replacement PLA. Results with those boards varied from blank screen
>to less than the normal bytes free at startup to random charactor color errors
>or program crashes...
Okay, i have a EPROM burner (the one somewhere in this thread), AM27C512-120 and 2 28pin sockets but no EPROM eraser.
Looks like i won't get the C64 fixed in the next week. I hope this solution works with cartridges, especially with Final Cartridge 3.

However, i'm going to make the AV cable. I was thinking to add audio input but there's no room for 5th shielded cable and i don't really need it anyways.
I measured a DC level of 1V on all video outputs without 75ohms load. One thing that bothered me a lot is the lack of research done on these outputs. No Volt peak to peak definition but some questionable tip to add 300 ohms on chroma to reduce checkerboard patterns on LCD TVs because they claim that the C64 outputs it too strong and non-standard.
I think the real reason is that these stupid displays have ADCs made by idiots, if the comb filter operates in S-Video mode then it will demodulate chroma which is likely not a perfect sinewave and remodulate it to a sinewave and then it subtracts the difference of these two from luma.
This was the case with my portable SNES clone which display used a TVP5150 as video ADC, i had to convert the square subcarrier signal to sine for the video encoder to get rid of all interference.

>>2184664
Remember that one battlestation thread on /b/?
I was the one with that old Trinitron hooked to my current PC via VGA2SCART.

>>2185273
Yeah, i know this. I meant myself, i used standard QWERTZ keyboards most of my life.

>>2184286
That a VT420 with the amber phosphor or another model?

http://www.blackholeinc.com/specials/blackhardware.shtml

I had no idea you could still buy NeXT hardware this cheap

>>2185549

Oh you meant THIS kind of layout? I though you were talking about the way function keys, numeric pads, and other keys were placed, stuff like that.

Well, QWERTZ isn't that widespread, I didn't knew it existed until recently, I though Germany used QWERTY keyboards like many other countries.

wwww

>>2185556

I don't think it is a VT-420, I own one and it doesn't really look like this, I think it's more like a Wyse terminal, maybe a Wy-50 or 55.

>>2185561

Wow, that is really nice! Are they brand new or did they just got them back from various businesses and resell them?

I had a blast watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ-ZREEgMXo

>>2186882
Bit of both I think

>>2185290

harder than Europe but not that hard.

>>2185549

I always post it on battlestation threads.

Can I just replace this weird proprietary battery pack with a 3 AA one? Pretty sure its 6V. Commodore Minuteman I found in a box of parts I got from ebay, mustve slipped in. His loss I guess. Wasnt DIY scrap or something either cause all my parts were there.

>>2185561
Did NeXT have any games?

Does anyone know a site where I can buy vintage computer promo items (mugs, paperweights, glasses, shot glasses, etc)

>>2188928

That's not a weird proprietary battery pack anon, these are standard accumulators. Just try to search on your favorite component website some accumulators that have the same specs.

>>2188961

It has Maze War for sure, maybe tons of roguelikes and the kind too. And maybe Doom (it was developed on NeXT stations, and there might be some build for this kind of machines too).

Here's a question I have: What's the best way to start playing some of these PC-98/88, ZX Spectrum games and generally things like it? I'm not too bothered about having to understand moonrunes, just so long as the games pretty straight forward enough to start.

The only reason I ask is because emulating these things doesn't come off as simply downloading the program and a rom, and start jamming. Feels like there's a big process into working it just right.

A bunch of times I'll see these really cool gifs from games like Possessioner with all it's beautifully crafted pixel art, and get a sudden urge to try it out (despite it being an h-game).

>>2190386
holy dicks that looks fucking amazing!

>>2190386
PC-98 emulation really is that easy. Sometimes you'll need to know the combination of discs to have in the disc drive, and stuff like that, but major emulators should be able to run most games.

>>2190408
The PC-98 is in 640x480 resolution and looks amazing in screenshots. There's a reason most of its "games" are hentai or visual novels, though. It is a choppy mess in action and you won't see any games with smooth scrolling from its heyday.

>10,700 ZX Spectrum video games

Where do I even start with this?

>>2190416
By realizing WoS doesnt have roms for half of them. also, Treasure Island Dizzy, Jet Set Willy and the Hobbit

>>2190429
>roms

Meant tape files, its late

Can the 128k Spectrum run TR-DOS?

Whos your favorite demogroup guys?

>>2190518

>>2190518
FLT

>>2190414

While it's true for the PC-8801, the PC-88VA and PC-98 are able to pull some really nice action games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmXEI_DILs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZaH4nTbzkM

>>2190386
Unless you have the monies, emulation is the only option in the west, shipping fees for computers as heavy as the PC-88(VA)/98(21) + the mandatory monitor + cables & keyboard are really high, and customs from all around the world don't like people importing stuff from Japan, so they'll tax you to death.

Anyway, that's for the nip computers, for the ZX spectrum, it's easy as fuck to find, and you can just feed it the tape files on your modern PC by playing them as sound files and redirecting your line output to the tape input of the Speccy with a single jack cable. Be sure to choose either a Speccy 48k or a Speccy 128k though. As for speccy emulation, I don't think it can be that hard, you just need to find the ROM out there and load tape files on it.

>>2190518

I don't really have a favorite demogroup, but I particularly enjoy late 80s/early 90s Amiga demos, so here's a list of groups I enjoy:
Sanity, Kefrens, Phenomena, Tristar & Red Sector Inc., Paradox, Wild Copper, Crusaders, Scoopex:
A few demo/intro/cracktro I enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eofshtmMVMQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8tOMsYSvZ0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXqqT2Pn5kk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-nWSaJJHTI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qYxCFZ2rYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_6dFgGHdNo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGF_wYjLEXA (this one can actually be controlled with the mouse)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oomXiWul_oE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF9KJcD-vQw

those fucking magazines...

>>2191614

French mags have among the best covers.

>>2185549
I pretty much completed my original plans mentioned in >>2181016
I also cleaned and tested the joysticks by connecting them with loose wires to the parallel port of my PC and used PPJoy.
The Commodore 1311 is ... just wow, very amazing.
The insides and construction quality of that one looked much, like cheap garbage. I wonder how the retail price of this one compares to an NES controller.
And the Quickshot 2 Turbo still needs some cleaning on the switches and new suction cups but other than that it looks and feels great.
Both fire buttons do the same unless it's switched to CPC 464 mode, then it will connect the other button via ~1.5kohms to pin 7 (5V). I think i'm able to design a little adapter to allow the use of this as 2nd fire button for C64 and Amiga.

Desoldering the big chips worked pretty well, i only lifted up one trace at the character ROM and carefully glued it back with superglue. The whole process just took me 2 hours.

The PLA is indeed defective. It draws an current of 250mA with /CE low (normal is 73,0 - 102,0mA) and 80mA /CE high, the sink and source current of the outputs are very inconsistent. The EPROM eraser i bought from china should arrive in the next week.

I also experimented with thermal compound and how to mount these heatsinks on the chips, a lot of testing proved that i don't really need anything to secure them, the compound alone can hold them to the chips even if it's burning hot like the broken PLA. I think the only way how the heatsinks would get loose would be to throw the C64 down a staircase or something like that.

Now the other things i want to do are to add 1N4148 diodes as ESD protection on the most ports, replace the transistor based audio output driver with an OpAmp to protect the SID and for clearer output and also do the same with the video outputs and remove that silly RF modulator.