Hi We had this post from a new member to the Commodore Amiga Group, and I just couldn't resist posting it on the blog... [ from the list ] RE: Kick-Off 2 Is there any love for this game? I remember when the original Kick Off came out...what a breath of fresh air! (I only had Kenny Dalglish's soccer match before that! lol). But Kick Off 2 and Player Manager was stunning games! ahhh, the rivalries between this and Sensible Soccer eh? If truth be told I gravitated over to SWOS because that's where the newer updates were coming from, but last year I found out that people still play Kick Off 2!
Click link to www.ko-gathering.com
They've also ironed out some of the more stupid bugs, whilst still keeping the classic playability. Not sure if its nostalgia, but playing this with its fast pace and lush green pitch...I dunno, newer games just leave me cold! As I said, I only joined the forum last year but already I'v made a load of friends. I'v even attended a few tournaments - mostly in Birmingham and Reading area. Would be great if some fans are here so we can talk about the classic game. Its even possible to have a 2 player online, but local tournaments round peoples houses are where the actions at. Pizza, Booze and Excitement. Don't hesitate to go on the site above...in Birmingham on 3rd to 4th May, there's even a huge UK Championship where people from every year of the UK will be converging to play. [ end post from S Ellesmore ] Follow up... >If truth be told I gravitated over to SWOS because that's where the >newer updates were coming from, but last year I found out that people >still play Kick Off 2! I have always been a SWOS man myself. I have most of the updates and still joy at taking a lowly team to the European Cup. I bought the HD install from Epic some years back and have this on the hard drive. I recently got hold of Kick Off 2... though have yet to play it. What improved my footballing skills of late was getting the game controller instead of the joystick. You cannot believe how many Quickshots I got through.
Click link to SWOSscuzz
Check out www.ko-gathering.com
Hi Been cheering myself up today with a the whacky Time Splitters Future Perfect... and I couldn't help feeling it had the art feel of Chaos Engine. Dunno why. Banshee was the same... Kinda comic futuristic feel. Time Splitters really is so funny... At one point having struggled with waves of badies he stands at a lift with his accomplice and while they wait asks how long she's been with the agency and does she get dental... Then back to blasting badies. Magic. Chaos Engine was a true classic and lately I have been playing again having seen the video clip on YouTube [ get ready ]R E M O V E D
Paul remembers Chaos Engine on the Group... I remember me and my mate played The Chaos Engine to death. A classic! Loved the graphics. Very 'steam punk'. [ Steam Punk... interesting ] scuzz
Hi I read again with some sadness at the stupid demise of CP/M and how it launched Microsoft onto the world. A pattern of events that repeat themselves over and over again.... [ not my words ] CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers) QDOS, the "Quick and Dirty Operating System" In 1980, IBM first approached Bill Gates and Microsoft, to discuss the state of home computers and Microsoft products. Gates gave IBM a few ideas on what would make a great home computer, among them to have Basic written into the ROM chip. Microsoft had already produced several versions of Basic for different computer system beginning with the Altair, so Gates was more than happy to write a version for IBM. As for an operating system (OS) for the new computers, since Microsoft had never written an operating system before, Gates had suggested that IBM investigate an OS called CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers), written by Gary Kildall of Digital Research. Kindall had his Ph.D. in computers and had written the most successful operating system of the time, selling over 600,000 copies of CP/M, his OS set the standard at that time. IBM tried to contact In 1980, IBM first approached Bill Gates and Microsoft, to discuss the state of home computers and Microsoft products. Gates gave IBM a few ideas on what would make a great home computer, among them to have Basic written into the ROM chip. Microsoft had already produced several versions of Basic for different computer system beginning with the Altair, so Gates was more than happy to write a version for IBM. As for an operating system (OS) for the new computers, since Microsoft had never written an operating system before, Gates had suggested that IBM investigate an OS called CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers), written by Gary Kildall of Digital Research. Kindall had his Ph.D. in computers and had written the most successful operating system of the time, selling over 600,000 copies of CP/M, his OS set the standard at that time. IBM tried to contact Kildall for a meeting, executives met with Mrs. Kildall who refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. IBM soon returned to Bill Gates and gave Microsoft the contract to write the new operating system, one that would eventually wipe Kildall's CP/M out of common use. The "Microsoft Disk Operating System" or MS-DOS was based on QDOS, the "Quick and Dirty Operating System" written by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products, for their prototype Intel 8086 based computer. QDOS was based on Gary Kildall's CP/M, Paterson had bought a CP/M manual and used it as the basis to write his operating system in six weeks, QDOS was different enough from CP/M to be considered legal. Microsoft bought the rights to QDOS for $50,000, keeping the IBM deal a secret from Seattle Computer Products. Gates then talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the rights, to market MS DOS separate from the IBM PC project, Gates proceeded to make a fortune from the licensing of MS-DOS. In 1981, Tim Paterson quit Seattle Computer Products and found employment at Microsoft. t Kildall for a meeting, executives met with Mrs. Kildall who refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement. IBM soon returned to Bill Gates and gave Microsoft the contract to write the new operating system, one that would eventually wipe Kildall's CP/M out of common use. The "Microsoft Disk Operating System" or MS-DOS was based on QDOS, the "Quick and Dirty Operating System" written by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products, for their prototype Intel 8086 based computer. QDOS was based on Gary Kildall's CP/M, Paterson had bought a CP/M manual and used it as the basis to write his operating system in six weeks, QDOS was different enough from CP/M to be considered legal. Microsoft bought the rights to QDOS for $50,000, keeping the IBM deal a secret from Seattle Computer Products. Gates then talked IBM into letting Microsoft retain the rights, to market MS DOS separate from the IBM PC project, Gates proceeded to make a fortune from the licensing of MS-DOS. In 1981, Tim Paterson quit Seattle Computer Products and found employment at Microsoft.Click link to inventors.about.com
scuzz
I dunno why I bother.. I always finish up on the Mac, Win98 machine or my trusted Amigas.... One of the guys at work had a new computer this week, and it was my job to put into store the old machine... which means it comes here. I use bits and pieces off them if we get problems. Anyway I knew this machine was slow... an AMD Duron 1.2 GHz running XP Professional... Anyway... with yesterdays probs I decided to set it up in here as a mailer and use the 40GB hd for storage... That was last night ... now its 11.44... First up I couldn't get it networked... There is a high end 1 GB card in this ... That was pulled and swapped. It also only had onboard graphics.. so I fitted a sexy NVidia so I could use the Samsung widescreen. OK so far.. Installed the BT HomeHub, then uninstalled all the crap... Strange that now the BTHomeHub help won`t fully uninstall... Just deleted it. Then ran Norton System Works and found about 750 problems which I tidied up. Then I concentrated on the crap software. All the Autocad stuff got dumped. Crappy Office Pro got removed... Acrobat dumped... Real Player etc plus the dreaded Messenger was disabled... Then I dumped Explorer 7.. [ pain ] Having removed absolutely everything from the machine it still utilised 10GB hd space... Talk about bloated crap... Anyway its still slow. I switched it off... Consequently as ever I turned to the Mac... and relocated that here just as a mailer. Couldn't get on the net... strange... Giggles. Managed to confuse a cross-over cable with the normal network cable... Switched on, updated ITunes etc... Onto YouTube, playing Editors , checking mail... NO PROBLEMS... get the idea... And my trusted Win98 machine drives through brick walls instigated by the internet dependency brigade. As I say... give me a Mac, Amiga or Win98 machine any day. I dread to think what Vista is like... They couldn't even get XP right... That's MS for you though, made a living out of getting things wrong.... One good thing about Windows based PCs.. they make a wonderful noise when you kick them... Utter rubbish. Going now... Editors Bullets. MacMagic scuzz
Hi Just returned from one of my travels with a rare boxed Enterprise 64... Thing is I already have one boxed in much better condition, but this had something I was missing.... The plastic joystick green end bit. I held my breath as I opened the box, but there it was tiny yet so valuable. Valuable cus I can now add it to the other mint set, and have the template if I so choose to have another made. This really is a sexy computer and unique for its day. The one I got today is in great condition and has all the other goodies with it. Sadly the box is a bit weathered, but hey... I only wanted the joystick knob.
The Enterprise64
Missing its green knob...
From the Old Computer Museum.... I have given the spec on the C64C as being the closest to this machine. Speed is interesting... C64C ... SPEED 0.985 MHz (PAL) / 1.023 MHz (NTSC) Enterprise... SPEED 4 MHz Enterprise: CPU Zilog Z80A SPEED 4 MHz CO-PROCESSOR NICK (video), DAVE (sound) RAM Enterprise 64 : 64 KB (50 KB available) Enterprise 128 : 128 KB VRAM 64 KB ROM 32 KB C64C CPU 6510A SPEED 0.985 MHz (PAL) / 1.023 MHz (NTSC) CO-PROCESSOR VIC II (Video), SID (Sound) RAM 64 KB ROM 20 KB [ quote ] Enterprise 64 / 128 The Enterprise 64 was a very long-awaited computer, two years between its announcement and its marketing! It changed its name a lot of times: its first name was Elan 64, then Flan, lastly Enterprise. It has great features, which wasn't found on all other home computers, like its interfaces, great graphics and sounds capacities provided by two special custom chips called "Nick" and "Dave". The BASIC Interpreter is supplied on a ROM cartridge and can be easily replaced with any other language. This BASIC is a very powerful structured basic with great graphic commands and can store several programs simultaneously in RAM. http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=153 [ end quote ] This computer has magic design features and looks really sexy. I would have said it lent more toward the MSX range of machines with the onboard joystick. Example: Hit-Bit 501
Hit-Bit 501
Complete with onboard joggle stick
scuzz
Hi I had arrive today the Aprocot Xi from 1984 and other than a bit of damage to the monitor has survived pretty well, which is more than I can say for the company. As with so many British based companies this one was bought by a foreign company then closed down. In this case Japanese giant Mitsubishi. I have been trying to get a couple of their machines so I can better understand ACT, and I have the Xi, Portable and later Mitsubishi Apricot VS550 all to add to the galleries this session. My interest really stems from my first use of the machine back in [ thinks ] 1987 when we used this to run the accounts. Very expensive in its day and just a touch complex. Anyway here are some facts about Apricot with some special refs to the Xi, plus links to details on the Portable and VS550. [ Old Computers Museum ] NAME Apricot Xi MANUFACTURER ACT TYPE Professional Computer ORIGIN United Kingdom YEAR 1984 KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, 101 keys, 8 function keys, 6 dynamic function keys (membrane keys) Built-in 40 characters x 2 lines LCD screen CPU Intel 8086 SPEED 4,77 Mhz CO-PROCESSOR Intel 8089 (for in/out tasks), 8087 optional arithmetic co-processor RAM 256k, up to 768k [ end blurb ]
Apricot Xi
Apricot Portable
Mitsubishi Apricot VS 550
[ quote ] THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPANY The Apricot range of computers is manufactured by Apricot Computers PLC, a British company which until 1985, was known as Applied Computer Techniques, ACT. ACT started life in 1965 as a computer bureau, a company which owns a large computer and rents out time on it to other companies which do not have a computer of their own. ACT's first venture into the microcomputer world involved a machine called the ACT 800, which was in fact built by an American company and marketed by ACT in the United Kingdom under its own name. The machine enjoyed modest sales, although it was never exactly a best seller. ACT's really significant micro decision occurred in 1982 when it signed a deal to distribute a machine manufactured by Victor, a US company headed by the colourful Chuck Peddle, the designer of the original Commodore PET and one of the founding fathers of the microcomputer industry. http://www.actapricot.org/history/apricot_history.html [ wiki ] In 1984 ACT released a home computer, the "Apricot F1." It ran MS-DOS with "Activity", a GUI front end; like the Apricot PC, it was not IBM PC compatible. The machine was only successful in the UK. It was bundled with software for graphics, communication, word processing, a spreadsheet, some games, and system tools. It had two floppy disks, and was one of the first systems to use 3.5" disks, rather than the 5.25" disks which were the norm at the time. A model was made available later in 1984 with a built in hard disk, probably a 10MB disk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot_Computers [edit] 1990s In January 1990 Apricot acquired Information Technology Limited, a UK-based developer of UNIX systems. Apricot took the opportunity to change its name back to the original, ACT.[1] Although ACT's proprietary computers were successful in the UK, the IBM PC had achieved critical mass in the US market before ACT could make a dent. Eventually ACT switched to production of IBM compatibles, but was eventually bought by Mitsubishi and closed down. [ end quote .. and the end of Apricot ] scuzz
I was notified quite early on that this may appear on the Bay... Don`t think anyone else put in a serious bid to be honest. This is identified as one of the ' Secret Weapons of Commodore ' and based on Commodore's MOS acquisition, which is really a PONG clone. Dating probably from around 1977. The unit came with the outer cardboard cover to the original box. Great find this.
Commodore 3000H
Check out... http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/ckb/secret/tvg.html
from the Secret Weapons of Commodorescuzz
Hi I have collated the following list of what I believe is the majority of items that have arrived here during the last session. This time I have listed them as they arrived... all from the end of January. I am sure I have missed some... But hey !! From 30th Jan 2008 Amiga Pursuit of Earth - original boxed Kick Off 3 - Amiga game Build Your Own Computer - Haynes Manual 26 Amiga Disks Flight of the Intruder - Limited Edition Vidi Amiga 24 Home Computing Weekly Dragon BBC TI-99 Commodore 64 ZX 50 Amiga Cover Disks Collection of 90 Amiga Cover Disks Amiga Internal Modem - Dataflex Amiga 500 grey scale handi scannerboxed complete Amiga Scripts - Book Commodore A570 CD Interface boxed Amiga Workbench 2.05 - Original Commodore Disks KICK OFF 3 - Second Copy BIG BOX 10 Amiga Software floppy discs - Public Domain titles Timekeepers Expansion for Amiga 50 Floppy Disks 720KB 3.5 System Master Disk for the TATUNG EINSTEIN Computer Super 6 Pack Games for the TATUNG EINSTEIN Videon Video Digitizer for Amiga Computers Amiga Disc Caddy including CDPD Starrary for the Amiga Amiga Jet (Flight Simulator) Amiga Drum Studio Guild Wars Factions Official Guidebook Amiga Rare Marauder Copier program Amiga Rare Hercules Copier program Commodore Amiga 500 6 Amiga Shareware Games Art Tutor A500 Amiga Original A1200 User Guide & Discs Version 3 Amiga boxed game Ultimate Golf Amiga boxed game "War in the Gulf" Amiga Original A1200 User Guide & Discs Amiga replacement motherboard A500 1.3 rom Amiga music librarian programme Disks plus manual Amiga disks 590 setup or 570 setup +Ram test 10 Amiga Software floppy discs - Public Domain titles 9 Amiga Software floppy discs - Public Domain titles Amiga replacement motherboard A500 40 Amiga Disks blank/ cover disks Popular Computing Weekly Magazine x4 - March 1983 Large collection of Popular Computing Magazines CD32 Amiga package fair condition boxed Amiga Cover Disk collection [ set 1 ] Amiga Cover Disk collection [ set 2 ] Amiga Cover Disk collection [ set 3 ] Collection of Floppy 5.25" disks for the C64 Sharp MZ-80K Computer Amiga Game Pack - Vulcan Games Amiga boxed game - Super Tetris Huge Lot of Vintage Computer Magazines See all the Pics Popular Computing Weekly 3-11 MCC Pascal- Amiga Software Amiga boxed game - Menace Amiga boxed game - Video Kid Amiga 500 PC Emulator Commodore Amiga A500 Customer Care Pack Apple Macintosh LC II computer Amiga flip it & magnose original boxed game Amiga boxed game - Super Hang-on LIGHTWAVE object packs FOR THE AMIGA Lure of the temptress Amiga original boxed Advanced OCP Art Studio For Commodore 64 Amiga boxed game - The Gold of the Aztecs Amiga Videon boxed Bush Buck vintage amiga game Amiga SCALA MM210 Multimedia Program Amiga boxed game - Lotus III Mitsubishi Electric Apricot VS550 Vintage PC Commodore Amiga 500 Plus boxed AMIGA 2000 .1MB RAM Exp card Amiga (500, 600, 1200, 2000) ProVector Drawing Software Amiga Microdeal MegaloSound sampler Vintage Laptop Computer Zenith Systems Amiga Macrosystem VLab Y/C Zorro 2 digitizer board Amiga LOLA Electronics Pal Encoder card top gear 2 Amiga original boxed game Amiga mastering amiga Dos 2 manual vol 1 Amiga mastering amiga Dos 2 manual vol 2 Amiga boxed game - Genesia Mint Amiga Vision Authoring System Amiga Mini office pack boxed+Manual Commodore Amiga -The Deluxe Paint 4 Video Guide 13 Amiga Software floppy discs - Public Domain titles Captive amiga commodore 160 Amiga Cover Disks Hired guns 1200 Amiga original boxed game Vintage rare collectable Computer Cifer Club CP/M Unix Sinclair Spectrum Microdrive book Rare Retro 80s Amiga 500/2000 Workbench and Basics Boxed Sinclair Spectrum 128 Computer Amiga 500 Screen Gems pack Amiga 590 boxed hard drive Horace Goes Skiing (1982) ZX Spectrum 48k Sinclair ZX SPECTRUM with keyboard and Games Atari 2600 Console + 2 games + joystick Japanese vintage Nintendo Famicom Disk System Boxed Sega 32X boxed NEC TurboGrafx boxed Nintendo SuperFamicom min boxed Texas Instrumenst Silent 700 Data Terminal Sinclair game The Hobbit Sinclair game Combat Lynx Durell 3 Sinclair Rom Carts Atari 2600 Video Computer System 5 games Welltris Amiga 500 retro game Atari 2600 ATARI 2600 Original Cartridge Space Invaders ACT Apricot Portable Computer Amstrad Mega PC 386SX HyperPaint 2 for the Atari ST series Asteroids Atari 2600 cartridge + manual Amiga Dos 3 tutorial manual Amiga 600 Series-Introducing the A600 Pen Pal Word Processor For The Amiga Amiga Game Liberation A1200 Enhanced STOS The Game Creator for the Atari ST WITCHBLADE # 113, to # 115 Sinclair Spectrum 128k Heatsink Version Spectrum 128 Amiga 'Maxiplan4'Instruction spreadsheet Amiga 500 boxed Amiga 'Design 3D' manual +2 disks Amiga 'Pagesetter' manual with 3 disks Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128 / 128K (heatsink type) Sony MSX Hit-Bit HB-75 HITBIT Amiga'Sonix' manual with 2 disks all original Commodore Amiga 500 Computer Boxed MINT Vintage Computer Compatible Cassette / Tape Recorder Commodore Amiga 500 COMMODORE Vintage Computer - laptop Amiga boxed game - Pinball Dreams Vintage Systema Type-right Computer Vintage Ameltone Stadium Colour C-22 TV Games console Original Ibrowse internet Amiga range of computers Lazarian Cartridge for Commodore 64 Enterprise 64 computer old very rare boxed Commodore Notebook computer Commodore 64 sound studio Toshiba Laptop - retro Commodore 3000H BBC Micro VU-File Software Boxed -Psion Software Americas Cup - Sailing Simulation 5.25" disk Apricot Xi computer and monitor BBC B boxed computer, cassette player, manuals and games And the usual collection of Retro Gamer, MicroMart etc Plus several games for the Playstation 2. Thinks that that is all. Probably one or two bits that have fallen through the list . Sadly I have to draw a line under all of the collecting now so I can concentrate on the photography... And finding the house again..:-) scuzz http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com
For all those that have joyed over making their very own Klondike Card Sets... here are some that someone else made earlier... And if you don`t know what I am talking about then.. shame on you
Click link for more Reko Card Sets
That's that for this week.. All the best. scuzz
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Last updated 27th April 2008
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