Hacking Into the Past
by Curtis Vaughan
In my youth, I would take apart various electronic games, un-soldering and re-soldering them, and taking pride in the fact that that the successful operation on the device worked. However, with respect to my first computer - a TRS-80 - it would have been beyond all reason to vivisect such an investment. An old TV, a radio? Who cared? But my computer? No way.
Back then, computer magazines would advertise computers that you could assemble yourself. Although interesting, I did not have the confidence to build a computer, nor the resources.
Time jump to the late 20th century: then an adult without any technical training, I often fixed tower computers and even built a few. Jump again to today and the advancements in technology - most computers are single-board devices. Alas, there's nothing to assemble and little that can be repaired. Not that that has stopped me.
A few years ago while browsing the web, I discovered PDP kit replicas. Intrigued by the possibility of not only building, but operating, my own PDP-8, I took the bait. Thus began my new hobby into vintage computers.
Big time jump to the dawn of microcomputing, albeit through the lens of retro kits. Starting with the PiDP-8/1, I then went on to build a PiDP-112, an Altair 88003, an IMSAI 80804, and finally a KIM-15 - all computers that I had only read about were now at my fingertips.
Building them was only the beginning of the adventure. Although sometimes challenging, the real work was figuring out just how to operate the various systems. What could one do with them? What programs could be run? This is where things get really interesting or, depending on one's disposition, quite dull. You will have to dive into reams of documentation, which is often somewhat esoteric. In additional to technical documentation, the magazines of the era (most of which are available at archive.org) will also further one's submersion into the past.
With my curiosity piqued, I began to collect vintage computers: Kaypro 4, HP 54B, Poqet Pocket Computer, Heathkit M4100, and various TRS computers, including the TRS-80 Model 1 - back to my very first computer.
Perhaps because I'm a Linux user, I'm also something of a Luddite. As I often use terminal-based programs instead of perfectly reasonable GUI applications, it was natural to use various text-based programs and games on these computers. Of course, I've played my fair share of text adventure games, but there were terminal-based versions of Lunar Lander, Pac-Man, and Donkey Kong. Although I had used computers during the BBS age, I never had a modem, so it was an adventure for me to visit still existing BBSes from these systems.
To further challenge myself, I discovered WordStar for the Kaypro. I vaguely recall knowing about WordStar, but I had never used it. But now, there it was waiting to be "newly" exploited. As with vintage hardware, one will find another adventure into the past figuring out how to use vintage software. In this case, I decided to fully immerse myself and write part of this article on WordStar. Due to the modern-day demands of the 2600 editorial staff, however, I could not submit this article in WordStar format and had to deal with conversion issues. Again, learning! I was quite impressed by how capable WordStar is and wondered whether we really need such complex word processing programs today?
Part of this article was also written in AlphaWorks on the extremely portable Poqet Computer. The major hurdle in this case was getting files off the proprietary PCMCIA memory cards used by the Poqet. Prior to using the Poqet to compose anything, I had to figure out how to access the PCMCIA cards from another computer. After days of trial and error, I finally found an old PC tower, onto which I was able to install Windows 95 and get a PCMCIA adapter to work with said cards. There were so many times when I was ready to give up, but success meant a much greater appreciation of this first-generation pocket computer.
I would encourage readers to invest in at least one of these vintage projects. Whether you have ever soldered before or not, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. I hadn't done any soldering) in 40-odd years! As you solder away, imagine those early computer designers planning out the boards, circuits, etc. I have no idea how one does that.
I know there are many out there who cannot understand why one needs the vintage hardware when one can simply run an emulator. Undoubtedly, I could never afford every bit of vintage hardware and have on many occasions run emulators. But if you are not sitting in front of a device that sounds like a prop airplane, ensconced in the smell of overly heated electronics, bathed in the strobing warmth of a CRT, then you will never puncture through the firmament holding you in the present. The past will remain an illusion.
Once you start down this journey, you will want to join in relevant user groups, as they provide a plethora of information and assistance. I was also amazed to discover that there are many enthusiasts who have gone through the trouble of developing accessories to these, dare I say, outmoded computers,making them very competent devices.
Needless to say, I do live in the present, but now I have the option to hop behind one of my time machines and venture back to the vintage computer days.
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