Author: Josh Strayhorn
Date: 00:53:37 09/25/00
Go up one level in this thread
On September 25, 2000 at 02:31:16, Will Singleton wrote: >On September 25, 2000 at 02:00:25, Pete Galati wrote: > >>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 > >The apple never heard of networking. :) I suppose a 30 baud connection could be >set up to xfer the files.. have to look into that. I recall writing code to >write data to tape, then later to the modem, then to the printer... > >The apple 2 rom was printed out in a red book. not that big. you could type it >in pretty easy. > >Will To transfer Apple II disks to PC, there is a program here: http://geta.life.uiuc.edu/~badger/apple2.html called Apple Disk Transfer 1.22. I've never used this (I don't have an Apple anymore), so I can't comment on it. The best Apple II emulator is called AppleWin and is available here: http://www.classicgaming.com/vault/emulators/appleemu.AppleWin69.shtml
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