Great interview again Matt. The exact TRS80 shown here was the one we had in highschool and I must say I filled up that memory quickly with my programming. I remember trying out and modifying an Elisa program adding variables for various states of mind and even a rudimentary way to learn and expand vocabulary.
I am still fascinated by computers using human language and AI.
Me too, Mark! My first personal computer experience was with the very same TRS-80 pictured in the video (Model I Level II). They had it sitting out in the high school library, and I saw someone playing "Space Invaders" on it. I said to the guy "Hey, that's pretty cool," and he replied "that's because this game was written in MACHINE LANGUAGE!" I had no idea what that meant (what other language could a machine have except "machine" language???), but I was intrigued, and caught the TRS-80 bug. Soon, I too was messing with programs like ELIZA, turning it into a typical juvenile-humor joke response program. I joined the school computer club (as well as the computer club for our Air Force Base, which consisted mostly of adults), and was hooked. Like you all, we were into computers when computers weren't cool!
(Actually, I first saw, and dabbled with, the TRS-80 in a Radio Shack store. I was fascinated, but I wouldn't count that first impression as actual TRS-80 experience.)
I found it fascinating that Scott Adams was a major computer prodigy in his youth. I figured he was the typical (for the time) geeky kid who learned how to program on his home computer and just happened to hit it big with a cool game. It seems he was way ahead of the curve, and basically invented the commercial game software biz from the ground up! That makes him a pioneer on many levels, an important figure in computer history, gaming or otherwise!
Great interview again Matt. The exact TRS80 shown here was the one we had in highschool and I must say I filled up that memory quickly with my programming. I remember trying out and modifying an Elisa program adding variables for various states of mind and even a rudimentary way to learn and expand vocabulary.
I am still fascinated by computers using human language and AI.
Me too, Mark! My first personal computer experience was with the very same TRS-80 pictured in the video (Model I Level II). They had it sitting out in the high school library, and I saw someone playing "Space Invaders" on it. I said to the guy "Hey, that's pretty cool," and he replied "that's because this game was written in MACHINE LANGUAGE!" I had no idea what that meant (what other language could a machine have except "machine" language???), but I was intrigued, and caught the TRS-80 bug. Soon, I too was messing with programs like ELIZA, turning it into a typical juvenile-humor joke response program. I joined the school computer club (as well as the computer club for our Air Force Base, which consisted mostly of adults), and was hooked. Like you all, we were into computers when computers weren't cool!
(Actually, I first saw, and dabbled with, the TRS-80 in a Radio Shack store. I was fascinated, but I wouldn't count that first impression as actual TRS-80 experience.)
I found it fascinating that Scott Adams was a major computer prodigy in his youth. I figured he was the typical (for the time) geeky kid who learned how to program on his home computer and just happened to hit it big with a cool game. It seems he was way ahead of the curve, and basically invented the commercial game software biz from the ground up! That makes him a pioneer on many levels, an important figure in computer history, gaming or otherwise!
Anyhow, great Matt Chat. I am left wanting more!