My first blog!
Entry posted by Space Centurion
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Hi all, just wanted to become more of a member here and I thought starting a blog may be fun. I have a lot of retro computers and retro computer projects so there should be enough stuff to talk about here. My first computer was an Atari 400, which I gave to my brother when I got an Atari 800XL, eventually got the 1050 disk drive, then sold the lot to make way for a Commodore 64c as everyone else in the area had one, and nobody had the Atari! :-( My best friend’s dad gave me his cassette drive and cassettes as they went floppy disk (he bought them a MSD-2 dual drive). I eventually got a 1541 disk drive and really started to have fun! A friend of my mom's gave me a 1650 300 baud modem (as he bought a 1670 1200 baud) and I got hooked on the BBS experience. Almost failed grade 8 because of that...lol! I also started a BBS called “The Matrix” (based on the Transformers). A whole 170k total storage and 300 baud speed, those where the days!!
As time went on, I had to get a dos/windows based PC for high school, but kept the 64 as it became too much a part of me. Sadly over the years it died, but I just swapped the guts out with another one so I still have the original case and keyboard. I had one of the first 64c's (the newer white ones) and the keyboard looked like the original, just in white with the special functions listed on the front, not on the top like the later models. I just had to keep that keyboard!
Over the years, I've added to the collection, bought a few more 64's and 128's. More disk drives(8050’s 1571’s, 1581’s), etc. Bought a C128-D in the late 90's. Finally bought a SX-64 a few years ago. HEHE! I also started to make up for things I wanted as a child. I bought an Atari 800XL mainly for childhood nostalgia, and within the last decade have added these to the collection: Atari XEGS, Atari 1040 STfm, Apple IIGS, and last week a TI-99 4A with the PEB (Peripheral Expansion Box) system. I also have an Amiga 2000 that I somehow lost the keyboard and mouse for. ARGH.
So, my most recent work around here was cleaning up the basement and starting a small computer lab (made out of Ikea shelving). Having two boys (6 and 2) I figure they may find some of this old stuff interesting. It also gives me a happy spot to escape to! Having just bought the TI-99, I wanted a space to play with it (the PEB unit is large and heavy) so it gave me the desire to get off my butt and organize a bit. It is mostly done, just have to connect a few more of the Commodore disk drives; install a pc for use as a terminal/serial emulator so the other computers can use it to call other computers around the world. I also need to relocate a light or two. And clean up some of the clutter…..
My immediate next project is to finish testing my newly acquired TI-99. The P key didn’t work, and it contains the “ key as well. I managed to fix it, but four other keys don’t work now…ooopppsss. I gave up repairing it, and ordered a few new ones from ebay, which should be here soon. Once the main unit is fixed, I can continue to test the PEB and floppy disk drives. :-) I’ll save all that for future blogs.
Well…thanks for reading this. I look forward to blogging more soon.
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