wrote:

> I learned BASIC by typing in the listings of games and other programs. The
> listings were to be found in computer magazines or books and had to be
> typed in by hand. Here is an example of a more interesting game, "Hunt the
> Wumpus":

Hey, me too! I once spent 3 months typing in a logo interpreter from a book 
I got at the library into my trust Apple ][ - and this was in the eigth 
grade!
 
> A really spiffy graphics game I remember programming (or better: porting
> to the VIC, for my own enjoyment) was a space-invaders clone. I used a ^
> as missile graphics, the UFO was a <X>, you get the picture ;-)

Same thing here, only on the Apple ][ - which maybe had slightly better 
graphics? I remember the raw excitement of

10 GR
20 PLOT...
 
> Later, on the C64, a way better and faster computer, when you were doing a
> flood-fill with Simon's BASIC you could sit by and watch the picture to
> complete. it would take quite a bit of time to do some really spiffy
> graphics like the ones here:

Ooo I remember the sloooooow floodfills... anybody played  any of "Adventure 
International"'s games on the ][?
 
> About the original post: I really do not know anymore how long it actually
> took to draw the curve. It was a very long time ago. I am absolutely sure
> that I started the program, waited a bit admiring the curve drawing to
> start, went to the bathroom, came back, waited a bit longer till it was
> finished and showing the result to my parents. If this took 5 minutes, 10,
> or 15, I really cannot say anymore.

I entered another program from a book that did this on the Apple ][ in about 
nine or ten seconds - but then I think its 6502 might have been running at a 
higher speed than the CPU used in Commodores of that age?
 
> All this brings back rather fond memories and it makes me feel REALLY OLD
> for the first time...
> 
> I remember times when a phone-call to the US cost $2.50 per minute and
> when this amount of money would buy you four large loafs of bread. Times
> when you had to leave home and go to the public library when you wanted to
> do some research for homework instead of googling or searching in
> wikipedia.

Don't feel lonely. I'm just as old, and I'm feeling it too.

> Times when you did a technical drawing you had to use compass,
> ruler and ink.

I -hated- those!

> And had to do all again if you did draw a single false line
> (OK - if you were lucky you might try to erase the wrong line or numer by
> using a razorblade, but then you would get poits off from your instructor
> who would write "Fog?" in the margin...)
> 
> Nowadays you are very lucky, more lucky than you will ever know.

Too true.
-- 
Stefan Viljoen

Post a reply to this message