Author: Pete Galati
Date: 23:00:25 09/24/00
Go up one level in this thread
On September 25, 2000 at 01:06:41, Will Singleton wrote: >On September 24, 2000 at 22:33:22, Pete Galati wrote: > >>On September 24, 2000 at 22:08:08, Will Singleton wrote: >> >>>On September 24, 2000 at 21:17:12, D Ridge wrote: >>> >>>>Greetings All, >>>> >>>>I'd like your collective opinion on an ambitious, gigantic and noble project >>>>I've been thinking about. My name is David Ridge, I'm in my mid-forties and I've >>>>been a computer chess fanatic for 23 years. >>>> >>>>My first machine was a Chess Challenger 7 in 1978 and I've owned over 40 >>>>different dedicated units between now and then. Like most of you, I mostly use >>>>chess software on a PC these days but I have fond memories of those early days >>>>when dedicated units ruled and a newer, stronger, better one was always just >>>>around the corner. >>>> >>>>You see, I learned chess in 1978, just when dedicated chess playing units were >>>>becoming technically possible. For those of you who weren't around the scene >>>>then, I'll tell you a little about it. The early machines played poorly, but so >>>>did I. They improved with each new unit and, so did I. We kind of grew together. >>>> >>>>The late 70's and early 80's saw a furious pace of development with great >>>>imagination and ingenuity applied to some very unique concepts like the Scisys >>>>Mark V and the Executive hand-held. Even Mattel got into the act with a LCD >>>>pocket unit. There were LCD touch screens and Robot Adversaries. Heady days >>>>indeed. >>>> >>>>Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately that someone ought to preserve this >>>>history of computer chess. A computer Chess Museum is required. Of course this >>>>could never be a commercially viable project. People aren’t going to line up >>>>around the block to buy tickets to see this stuff. >>>> >>>>Some form a privately owned view-by-appointment collection would be the way to >>>>go. I would like to try to take this project on. Now, I know there were about >>>>500 different units manufactured since the beginning of time and, since I'm not >>>>wealthy (an understatement to be sure) there is no way I could afford to >>>>purchase these things. >>>> >>>>Surely many of the really old ones are probably lying dormant and worthless in >>>>someone's closet or garage, waiting for the next yard sale.I was thinking that I >>>>would appeal to the world chess community to send me their old, useless, unloved >>>>computers for a nominal fee of ..say…$10 to compensate them for the trouble of >>>>packaging it up and I would also pay the cost of shipping. In return I would >>>>pledge to inscribe their name prominently as "Donated by...", sort of their >>>>chance at immortality. >>>> >>>>I'm not talking about finding all 500…that would be unrealistic. I'm thinking >>>>that, over a period of years, 100 to 200 units could be accumulated, all >>>>representing something different or unique. Perhaps a kind of retirement >>>>project. >>>> >>>>Do you think it would fly or am I over-estimating people's philanthropy? Or am I >>>>just plain crazy?? >>>> >>>>Looking forward to your responses. >>>> >>>>You can respond here or to me directly at dridge@idirect.com. >>>> >>>>Thanks >>>> >>>>David >>> >>>Good idea. I think a number of people have wanted to do something like this, >>>myself included. One large problem, of course, is space. Where the heck could >>>you display all these machines appropriately? It almost has to be the type of >>>deal where a guy dedicates a room or two in his place, then has the ability to >>>schedule time, etc. Would be nice if it was in a large city, so folks could get >>>there easily. >>> >>>I'd also like to see early programs that ran on the appleII series, as well as >>>the pc, commodore, etc. Of course, then you'd really need some generosity. >>> >>>I have a couple old machines I can donate, but I'd like to see a list of >>>commitments before going forward. I'll commit to a CompuChess and a Boris >>>(subject to where you are, and if you have your act together). >>> >>>Will >> >>Oh, that would be great if he had working computers of the appropriate age with >>those old programs running on them, especially if the original program's boxes >>were on display, Mike has a great selection of images on his website. >> >>I suppose it wouldn't be practical to run computers that are that old for >>extended periods of time, but if visitors could try the programs while they ran >>on modern machines, on emulators when needed, that would be very popular among >>visitors. You have to figure that it wouldn't be good to have people handling >>the standalone (term?) Chess-set/computers, but it probably wouldn't be a >>problem having them try old programs, and you certainly wouldn't need a very >>modern computer to do that on. For that, an old 486 even if it only had Dos >>could run any Chess program that used MS-Dos. >> >>Can a Mac run Apple II programs? >> >>Pete > >I don't know about a mac, but there's an emulator for dos (windows?) that runs >the apple 2. I still can't figure out how to get the old progs off the 5.25" >disks though. > >http://geta.life.uiuc.edu/~badger/files/ Wow, they got the ROM. I don't know, but if you have an operating AppleII then I would assume that there would be a way to network it to a non Apple II computer and maybe the files could be transferred that way. Maybe over a modum? Or is my understanding of the subject too shallow. You gotta know it's possible to transfer the files somehow, otherwise it would have been next to imposible to get those ROMs for download right? Pete
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