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1. Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 15:14:32 UTC Bernie

   Flying to Seattle for Commodore Pacific Expo
   https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
   #PaCommEx #retrocomputing #c64 #amiga

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 16:19:49 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     I'm carrying a surprise exhibit for #PaCommEx... can you tell what it is?

     #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 16:24:25 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     That's right! It's the Sam440ep, a rare PowerPC Amiga made by the Italian company ACube Systems!

     https://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=hardware&pid=2

     #amiga #retrocomputing #PaCommEx

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 16:30:37 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     It still works perfectly, and boots into AmigaOS 4.1.

     Compared to a classic m68k Amiga, it feels blazingly fast: windows with soft shadows move smoothly on a high-resolution, true-color screen.

     #amiga #retrocomputing #PaCommEx

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 20:53:44 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Ryan

     @bluewizard I will share whatever seems interesting 👍

     Almost arrived at the venue...

   • Ryan (bluewizard@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 20:53:45 UTC Ryan

     in reply to

     @codewiz I hope someone posts some photos from out there and even panel video. Thank you for sharing your surprise exhibit

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 21:09:15 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Arrived in the middle of the #MEGA65 keynote :commodore:
     #c64 #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 24-Jun-2023 21:26:27 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The #MEGA65 is truly the 8-bit home computer of the future! 🤩
     #c64 #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 04:26:27 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     More pics from the first day of Commodore Pacific Expo.

     #CommPaEx #amiga #c64 #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 04:37:22 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Robert Bernardo kindly provided a monitor and desk space to exhibit my 600 MHz PPC AmigaOS 4.1 running on the Sam440ex.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 04:47:02 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     A 9 year old was typing BASIC commands on the Plus 4 next to me. I introduced him to the one-liner maze generator published in the original user manual of the Commodore 64:

     10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10

     Afterwards, he started modifying the code, trying different values to see what would happen... much like I did when I was about the same age 🥲

     #c64 #retrocomputing #basic #PaCommEx

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 04:59:56 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     His older brother, 12, was a more advanced BASIC programmer. He apparently discovered the C64 through the 8-bit Guy and other YouTube channels.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 05:02:59 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Now this young programmer has his own YouTube channel, and he's coding an adventure game called High Honor:
     https://youtu.be/eG9Rp45BepA

     #c64 #basic #programming #retrogaming #education

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 05:10:42 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The hand-written program listing of High Honor is impressive.

     I also scribbled BASIC programs while in school, and I also used squared paper to draw sprites or PETSCII art, but this work is *neat*! 🥹

     #c64 #basic #programming #education

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 05:37:29 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     It's also remarkable that the parents don't know anything about programming. They told me that their elder son asked for a Commodore 64, and they bought it without being too sure what he'd be doing with it.

     This is pretty much how I started learning the fun and rewarding profession I'm still doing today.

     So I wish both these kids to reach their potential and enjoy their careers 👍

     #programming #c64 #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 06:40:35 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Meanwhile, I managed to get AmigaOS 4.1 online.

     The TCP/IP stack seems quite buggy, at least the configuration interface. There are better alternatives for the classic m68k Amiga, but on PowerPC I'm stuck with what's bundled with the OS 😒

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 06:53:19 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Next, I run AmiUpdate, which self-updates and then shows several years worth of updates for various apps, including the web browser and AmiSSL. I need this update for compatibility with websites which have disabled older TLS versions.

     Unfortunately, most updates failed because I didn't have LHA, the de-facto standard archiver for Amiga software.

     So I download LHA for PPC from Aminet, but... it's an lha archive too! 😭

     #amiga #amigaos #retrocomputing

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 07:18:48 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The C64 Mini (left) and its new sister, The A500 Mini (right). Both super cute.

     This particular C64 Mini had a functional keyboard, which must have required a crazy amount of work 😲

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 08:22:04 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Chris Young

     @confusedbunny Oh really? I was wondering why they didn't use XAD 🙂

     Thank you for the info, I'll try to figure out what went wrong when I reconnect the Sam at home.

     On my last attempt today, AmiUpdate had forgotten all update servers, and I couldn't figure out how to restore them.

     On the return flight, I read a few forum threads, and it seems I should check the contents of the SiteList file.

     https://forum.hyperion-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?p=55882
     #amiga #amigaos

   • Chris Young (confusedbunny@oldbytes.space)'s status on Monday, 26-Jun-2023 08:22:05 UTC Chris Young

     in reply to

     @codewiz OS4.1 comes with xadmaster and Unarc. AmiUpdate uses xadmaster.library to extract LhA archives. You should have it in libs:.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 06:56:19 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Donncha Ó Caoimh
     • Bert

     @donncha @bertspace I volunteered for One Laptop Per Child in 2007 because it was a promising opportunity to demystify computing for the next generation of coders.

     #OLPC didn't reach the same scale of the #C64, but it was worth trying.

   • Donncha Ó Caoimh (donncha@mastodon.ie)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 06:56:21 UTC Donncha Ó Caoimh

     in reply to

     • Bert

     @bertspace @codewiz it was a great machine. Kids these days have so many opportunities to code but also so many distractions.

   • Bert (bertspace@fosstodon.org)'s status on Wednesday, 28-Jun-2023 06:56:22 UTC Bert

     in reply to

     • Donncha Ó Caoimh

     @codewiz @donncha this is completely how I started too!

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 15-Jul-2023 11:43:31 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Profoundly Nerdy

     @profoundlynerdy Next time I visit my mom in Italy I'll check if any of my old C64 tapes are still readable.

     I coded a Scott Adams-style adventure with PETSCII artwork... and a football manager game... both left in an unfinished and unplayable state, of course!

   • Profoundly Nerdy (profoundlynerdy@bitbang.social)'s status on Saturday, 15-Jul-2023 11:43:32 UTC Profoundly Nerdy

     in reply to

     @codewiz Dude! Have you preserved your #BASIC code online somewhere?

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 08:25:21 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Ryan

     @bluewizard I tooted about it in this thread:
     https://mstdn.io/@codewiz/110601237280391500

   • Ryan (bluewizard@mastodon.sdf.org)'s status on Friday, 28-Jul-2023 08:25:22 UTC Ryan

     in reply to

     @codewiz How was the event?