Search found 2289 matches
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:59 pm
- Forum: general
- Topic: Today I received.....
- Replies: 6086
- Views: 677018
Re: Today I received.....
Much as I hate to say it the blame does often lie with the person packing the parcel rather than the courier. Unless Hermes are involved of course. I have received a number of shoddily packaged parcels with some or more damage to the contents. I have never had a well packaged parcel arrive damaged (...
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:56 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: The machine that changed everything...
- Replies: 8
- Views: 171
- Fri Jan 15, 2021 11:06 pm
- Forum: programming
- Topic: assembler noob
- Replies: 17
- Views: 315
Re: assembler noob
It staggers me people can write whole games in 8-10k when it's taken me 1k just to plot a few lines on the screen :) You should see some of the high-res 1K games Dr Beep has produced for the unexpanded ZX81! Mind blowing. A few examples on here https://sinclairzxworld.com/viewtopic.php?p=34581#p34581
- Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:15 pm
- Forum: general
- Topic: Today I received.....
- Replies: 6086
- Views: 677018
Re: Today I received.....
A nice condition Apple II Europlus.
- Thu Jan 14, 2021 11:41 pm
- Forum: programming
- Topic: assembler noob
- Replies: 17
- Views: 315
Re: assembler noob
I'm totally confused by the assembler including BASIC functions, I don't get that at all. The thing to remember is that the BASIC returns a result which is used by the assembler at the point of assembling the code. When you run the machine code you have produced the BASIC is no longer being called....
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 12:46 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
Each of my locations has a byte for flags. These are used to determine light / dark, under water and out in space etc. Each direction from a location also has a set of flags (door locked etc.) You could do similar and have a direction flag per NPC. When determining a move you could have a random val...
Re: LOLPRICE
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Computer-Acorn-BBC-Model-B-Micro-Computer-Boxed-with-all-the-books/124519857967?hash=item1cfdf63f2f:g:IVkAAOSwbd5ekgs1 The £599 model B is back now with a "cash only" request in the description. edit: they have the same thing listed three times ... The f...
- Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:49 am
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
Good luck with the IA motivations! To quote Hitch Hikers... “ A robot was programmed to believe that it liked herring sandwiches. This was actually the most difficult part of the whole experiment. Once the robot had been programmed to believe that it liked herring sandwiches, a herring sandwich was ...
- Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:45 am
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: I've been made redundant
- Replies: 11
- Views: 564
Re: I've been made redundant
I moved to a new build house nearly three years ago (and it may even be finished at some point) and was surprised to find out a year ago that we were to have a dry stone wall out the front. It looks lovely! The guy who built it used to work in IT amongst other things and was out of work. He did vari...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 10:37 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
Agreed! Some of the weird things you are expected to guess and syntax you are expected to use can be really irritating. Trying to give a computer commands in Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy (Tatung version, not sure about others) drove me up the wall. Strictly speaking you could examine a rug witho...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:36 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
The parser is relatively easy, I wrote a half decent one when I was a kid. The lesson I learned is the most frustrating thing about text adventures is finding the right word when you know what you want to do... so in future I'm going to simplify that as much as possible. I have a synonym system - w...
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:11 pm
- Forum: for sale / freebies
- Topic: Worth Taking a Look At
- Replies: 2896
- Views: 375186
- Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:47 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
My adventure language process accepts Verb Adverb Noun 1 Noun 2 and effectively tokenises the statement to allow logic such as IF V%=5 AND N1%=2 AND N2%=10 AND R%=10 THEN ... It also supports AND and IT so you can TAKE LAMP AND LIGHT IT. This all allows for seemingly complex statements such as SHOOT...
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:28 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
- Replies: 40
- Views: 756
Re: The adventures of Stannis, Roj, Kerr, Olag and Restal
Sounds good. Which beeb are you targeting? Sounds like a lot of code and data!
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 7:04 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
I watched a video about using the z88dk on YouTube - it was impressive stuff.
This is about using the actual hardware though - I have a number of retro computers and everything always seems to turn into a PC project meaning the actual computer is only ever used for final testing which seems a shame.
This is about using the actual hardware though - I have a number of retro computers and everything always seems to turn into a PC project meaning the actual computer is only ever used for final testing which seems a shame.
- Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:44 am
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
Ah, so if functions like an API. Any machine specific stuff is presumably included in a ‘machine.LIB’ (EIN.LIB in the HiSoft manual) but the basics would work regardless. I did see in the HiSoft ED80 manual a section on filling in the correct settings for the terminal commands. I need to find time t...
- Fri Jan 01, 2021 9:57 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
Thanks. I managed to download the Amstrad version and find a program to copy from Amstrad to Einstein (http://www.tatungeinstein.co.uk/front/imagefiles.htm) and have just finished running it. Will see if I can build Hello World!
- Fri Jan 01, 2021 8:59 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
After a bit of work, I managed to get the HiSoft C compiler files from here onto an Acorn Z80 co-pro system disk. The C syntax is a bit strange but, following the example in the manual, I was able to get it to build and run a simple "Hello World" program. I strongly suspect that it'll als...
- Fri Jan 01, 2021 7:00 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
I had read a bit of the manual and saw that (I was hoping to get a copy of HiSoft C as it looks pretty comprehensive) but then it does mention specific sections for different computers. The obvious assumption is that there are machine specific versions of the disc. I guess the proof will be in tryin...
- Fri Jan 01, 2021 5:23 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Re: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
I have the 80 column card too but haven't used it. Is the Einstein version different to the CP/M version of the HiSoft C compiler? The CP/M version seems to be here: https://cpcrulez.fr/applications_coding-hisoft-compiler.htm I’m not sure to be honest. I assume that as a minimum the included librar...
- Thu Dec 31, 2020 11:30 pm
- Forum: other vintage hardware, software and languages
- Topic: Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
- Replies: 12
- Views: 317
Tatung Einstein C disk image and manuals wanted
I have just got an 80 column card for my TC01 and have been looking to download (or buy) copies of any C compiler for it. The internet has not been forthcoming as of yet. I can find manuals for Hisoft C for the TC01 for example but no disc images. I have asked the same question on the Tatung forum b...
- Thu Dec 31, 2020 9:51 am
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: A funky goodbye to 2020
- Replies: 14
- Views: 462
Re: 2020 it's time to FUNK OFF
Good to hear a note of positivity!
To continue it I got to spend way more time with my kids than I would have otherwise and while them being at home has had its challenges over all it was good.
Happy new year all.
To continue it I got to spend way more time with my kids than I would have otherwise and while them being at home has had its challenges over all it was good.
Happy new year all.

- Wed Dec 30, 2020 8:36 am
- Forum: 8-bit acorn hardware
- Topic: Faulty BBC Model B PSU, Sparks coming from R1
- Replies: 9
- Views: 511
Re: Faulty BBC Model B PSU, Sparks coming from R1
Mark at Retrclinic does a full PSU service and repair.
He may also be able to supply parts? He did replace the bridge (possibly the bridge rectifier?) in one of mine.
He may also be able to supply parts? He did replace the bridge (possibly the bridge rectifier?) in one of mine.
- Tue Dec 29, 2020 9:59 pm
- Forum: new projects and releases: text and graphic adventures
- Topic: Revised BASIC framework and tools to build an adventure
- Replies: 49
- Views: 3397
Re: Revised BASIC framework and tools to build an adventure
After a brief break from this I have started adding some notes and fixing some general infrastructure issues that have crept in: https://github.com/LardoBoffin/AdventureLanguage/blob/master/Notes.txt The tokeniser is very much a work in progress... :? I'm about 3/4 of the way through rebuilding Buck...
- Tue Dec 29, 2020 3:46 pm
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: Acorn Art Thread
- Replies: 1896
- Views: 152684
Re: LOLPRICE
A boxed A310 That's been on eBay for months. Starting price always £600 and rightly never any bids. I fear two fools have had too much Christmas sherry as it's currently (27/12/20) showing as 12bids and £1131. For a bog basic A310 with the wrong sticker on the front. Doubtless it will be re-listed ...
- Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:55 pm
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 414
Re: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
Thanks. I only work with leaded solder personally! Possibly the hardest thing to do (in terms of bringing myself to actually do it) that people have suggested was to actually add solder to existing solder in order to desolder something! However once I took the plunge and did this I found it to be ve...
- Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:08 pm
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 414
Re: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
Cheers all. Good advice as ever!
I have some dead stuff to practice with before I give it a go ‘live’. I think I have pretty much got the hang of the solder sucker so hopefully will adapt to this relatively easily.
I have some dead stuff to practice with before I give it a go ‘live’. I think I have pretty much got the hang of the solder sucker so hopefully will adapt to this relatively easily.

- Fri Dec 25, 2020 9:26 pm
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 414
- Fri Dec 25, 2020 8:32 pm
- Forum: off-topic
- Topic: Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 414
Duratool desolder station - what temp to desolder?
My xmas pressie from the family was a desolder station (Duratool D00672). This will only be used for desoldering 8 bit PCBs such as (mostly) ZX81s and occasionally various Spectrums - rubber key, +2 and +3 etc. What is the ideal temperature for desoldering these? I’m sure the answer is in part ‘it d...