The PET 4016 was the first computer I EVER had keyboard time on. By that time CBM had a true keyboard on the computer and had moved the tape drive ,1 out to an external device.
The office has a balls out machine, a 8032 with the 4040 dual drive. I had to really beg to get time on that machine.
Best games of the time...
1. Spacewar, Char graphics, but two player. One on one fight with one person on IJKL and the other on WASD. Talk about head to head.
2. Space Invaders. ML Program, just awsome for the time.
-Cecil
Bill, did the 2001-x series have the access to the ,8 for floppy? Or was that a later OS extension?
You know, I think you're right, as these initial systems didn't have a way to access the IEEE floppy drives programmed into the early ROM despite the port, but I'll have to test it out at some point anyway, since there's a small chance this has an upgrade. I have the 8050 dual disk drive setup - a beast of a unit. I got this PET more for its historical value than general use, as even the software that I have (mostly Avalon Hill games) requires more than the 8K. Luckily I have two SuperPET's for regular usage, though only one is complete.
I also agree about the character graphics. Even though they were fixed and there was no other way to generate graphics on the PET, programmers ended up doing some impressive tricks with what was there, including fast action arcade games. While the competition offered "real" graphics, they ironically didn't offer lowercase in addition to the standard uppercase like the PET did. All these early systems had some type of trade-off...
======================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
(A PC Magazine Top 100 Website)
======================================
*************************** Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
The PET 4016 was the first computer I EVER had keyboard time on. By that time CBM had a true keyboard on the computer and had moved the tape drive ,1 out to an external device.
The office has a balls out machine, a 8032 with the 4040 dual drive. I had to really beg to get time on that machine.
Best games of the time...
1. Spacewar, Char graphics, but two player. One on one fight with one person on IJKL and the other on WASD. Talk about head to head.
2. Space Invaders. ML Program, just awsome for the time.
-Cecil
Bill, did the 2001-x series have the access to the ,8 for floppy? Or was that a later OS extension?
You know, I think you're right, as these initial systems didn't have a way to access the IEEE floppy drives programmed into the early ROM despite the port, but I'll have to test it out at some point anyway, since there's a small chance this has an upgrade. I have the 8050 dual disk drive setup - a beast of a unit. I got this PET more for its historical value than general use, as even the software that I have (mostly Avalon Hill games) requires more than the 8K. Luckily I have two SuperPET's for regular usage, though only one is complete.
I also agree about the character graphics. Even though they were fixed and there was no other way to generate graphics on the PET, programmers ended up doing some impressive tricks with what was there, including fast action arcade games. While the competition offered "real" graphics, they ironically didn't offer lowercase in addition to the standard uppercase like the PET did. All these early systems had some type of trade-off...
======================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
(A PC Magazine Top 100 Website)
======================================
***************************
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.