retrotechtive

Retro computing and games enthusiast.

Games industry coder by day, electronics + old computer tinkerer the rest of the time.

#retrocomputing #amiga #appleii #macintosh #atari #c64 #zxspectrum #amstradcpc

Blog: https://retrotechtive.wordpress.com/2021/07/12/welcome/
Real name: Mark
Pronouns: He/Him
kofi: https://ko-fi.com/retrotechtive

Public Key

npub19pygp2q2addy4mcz637gmjecelmtu8qktvz8mjc0rgdt0ag6xn2q4q2vx4

NIP-05 Address

retrotechtive_at_retrochat.online@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqszsjyq4q9wkkj2aupdglydevuvla47rst9kpraev835x4h75drf4qkjjqdx

Author Public Key

npub19pygp2q2addy4mcz637gmjecelmtu8qktvz8mjc0rgdt0ag6xn2q4q2vx4

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Last Notes

2024-10-05 01:31:06

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All thoroughly wholesome ordinary names.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/113/252/228/304/872/348/original/073c063b7c7dd252.jpg

2024-10-05 01:29:34

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Let's go, Bob.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/113/252/220/888/274/181/original/8503df1feb6c331a.jpg

2024-07-06 19:07:51

Proud to see my Colin The Cleaner #ZXSpectrum assembly language rewrite popping up in other people's videos ☺️
Here's the latest I've seen, with a lot of other games to look out for too:
https://youtu.be/XmJHGvL99Xc

2024-06-30 21:03:50

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I'd love to but my family only use WhatsApp and never listen to a thing I say about this stuff. Also, did they ever pull out of the UK due to that bullshit the government tried to introduce for "safety"? (I only use a messenger app to talk to family so that would rule it out too if that actually occurred.)

2024-06-04 21:06:32

Today I've done a quick companion to my previous #Amiga #Doom video, to show the framerate when I set the *correct* 8-bit graphics mode. I thought on playback during editing that it still looked a bit laggy, so went and checked out some 486 DX2 66 videos of the same on YouTube.
Well, it actually runs the same or even *worse* on the 486 at that spec. Varies by machine a bit, but the Amiga version is in fact more than holding its own.
(AGA mode isn't terrible either!)
https://youtu.be/fHLVvx6TcEU

2024-06-02 23:52:18

Gone back to software MP3 playback for the moment, since I've corrected the soldering on the memory IC and the MPEGit module still doesn't work. Will test further but probably abandon it for now.
After all, even software MP3 play works well enough - no?
#amiga #prelude
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/549/707/294/984/143/original/2324b5de7abfd0bc.mp4

2024-05-27 21:53:56

The Retro Channel's Mark does it again - a replacement for 2316, 2332, and 2364 mask ROMs:
https://www.tindie.com/products/theretrochannel/neat-2364-reprogrammable-24pin-rom-replacement/
His video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWuPZvzz6BQ

2024-05-27 20:17:56

New arrival - moah RAM!! 😍
#macintosh #lc475 #retrocomputing
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/514/892/787/307/848/original/8601432fee6e4ec1.jpg

2024-05-24 17:02:54

Thought I'd try an edited YT short this time.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y_8fTj5GqBE
Launching Marathon on the Mac, like it's 1994 or something.
#retrogaming #macintosh #LC475

2024-05-23 02:33:15

So two quick things...
1) Stupid me didn't select the 8-bit graphics mode in my Amiga Doom video ( I selected 16 bit 🤦) which watching it back is why Doom's framerate is not what it should be in that video.
And 2) Doom is a masterpiece of game design. I'd forgotten that. I won't again.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/488/057/501/705/453/original/7f2a5478f343d137.jpg

2024-05-23 01:19:22

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Bit of fiddling with controls and it appears it's possible to get a totally sharp image on AGA modes. Seems to remember it... unless you accidentally press AUTO (doh!)
But does remember with power off apparently.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/487/768/563/446/389/original/e779d63376aad9a8.jpg

2024-05-23 00:51:22

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Fitted the Rattle monitor auto switch and... it works!! 😁
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/487/659/155/590/650/original/f3f924272d0dd3eb.mp4

2024-05-22 23:27:32

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It's Commodore of course, and they did tend to use whatever was lying around to make stuff 😂
Maybe there were plenty of these pretenders in the wild, but I'd never seen one myself before now.

2024-05-22 23:26:06

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It works really well for a ball mouse having said all that, looks pristine inside in spite of the worn pads on the base.
Don't mind having another (and better!) Amiga mouse, but wasn't what I expected!!

2024-05-22 23:25:27

Okay, here's an odd one...
I grabbed this mouse off eBay, not cheap but not overly expensive given the usual prices - but it was sold as (and looks like) a 1350, which is what I was after.
Turns out... it works like an Amiga mouse, not a 1350. I had no idea Amiga mice could be in these cases - has anyone else seen this before?
(Look at the underside, and metal edged plug style - those are the key differences from what an Amiga tank mouse usually looks like).
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/487/315/669/984/437/original/899308db8983baa1.png
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/487/316/288/373/483/original/bcef8cd587d28801.png

2024-05-22 18:08:36

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That photo really shows up the banding there, I didn't even see that on the actual screen image until I looked on the photo I'd posted here!
I haven't played about with the controls so not sure if it can be made smoother, but in actual use I'm not sure I'd notice it... Still, one downside I suppose.
EDIT: in person, I can't see anything on the 15kHz modes, just the desktop - so I'm sure I can tweak the RTG settings for it.

2024-05-22 18:00:56

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... and finally, for the Cybervision 64/3D RTG display card 😍😎
With the switcher I bought a while back (before my previous monitor died), I should be able to use ALL modes on one monitor at last! 🎉
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/486/039/606/254/837/original/b673cb443d176433.jpg

2024-05-22 17:58:31

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... and on NTSC / 60Hz
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/486/032/951/658/057/original/9a55fff02f385f7e.jpg

2024-05-22 17:57:11

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Testing... Works for normal 15khz Amiga PAL modes.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/486/029/759/860/718/original/aba37b4500dafc92.jpg

2024-05-22 17:56:07

New arrival! 😍
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/486/024/477/227/938/original/79613765a51e3ff5.jpg

2024-05-22 01:40:40

Introducing the #Macintosh LC 475.
https://youtu.be/xEgySIrx9JQ
This is the machine I acquired recently and restored. The video covers the basic layout of the machine, and shows a handful of games running on it.
#retrocomputing #retrogaming

2024-05-21 17:56:40

So now I'm getting endless flippin' fan takes and "video essays" on Doctor Who from YT, because I dared to watch one thing on the official channel.
No matter how much I say "Not interested" or "Don't recommend this channel", they keep popping up like moles questing for a mallet.
The fight is real, people!!*
---
*it's not real, it's an algorithm. And I'm overreacting. But it *is* annoying.

2024-05-20 21:49:29

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I am of course recalling the prices of PCs in the UK, maybe everything was cheap as chips in North America.
But a decent 486 was still in the ballpark of 2k at the time I got my (marginally more expensive) P60* system towards the end of '94.
*And that was via a flippin' loan too, I tell ye! [old man shouts at whippersnappers or something]

2024-05-20 21:44:42

Having a bit of chat on that Amiga Doom video, seems people have some very shady memories of what a PC cost back in the early 90s.
I do think the 68000 series was not evolving quickly enough at the time, but saying Doom ran better on a 486 system is mind-blowing given how frikkin' expensive those things were at the time. The Amiga 4000 was not exactly cheap either, but it wasn't *that* far off.
(Should've been much better than it was by then tho, shakes fist at Mehdi Ali etc)

2024-05-19 22:23:19

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The Amiga version tends to freeze a lot (at least on the A4000), so I will see if the same happens here.
If not, then I'll continue my play on here instead 😄

2024-05-19 22:22:16

Okay, the LC 475 will now be my primary platform for this game.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-ktj3q2s0F8
#cursoftheazurebonds #macintosh #retrogaming

2024-05-18 18:32:57

I uploaded a video thing - Doom running on real Amiga hardware.
https://youtu.be/qMV9hIDXRTM
Not new to many that this can be done, I suspect - but I was impressed with how easy it was to install and setup, not to mention how well it ran (this is a 50MHz 68060).
#Amiga can't run #Doom, pfft
😛 😂 😎

2024-05-16 01:07:56

Ah well, can't win them all.
This turned out not to be the bargain it seemed. Appeared to work at first, then the power cable managed to burn out (never had that happen before!)
Recapped it, turned it on... and now it works but the backlight is totally dead. Maybe the PSU has more serious issues, or the board for the lights was the actual issue. Either way, probably not worth throwing money at it on this occasion.
Into the spare parts pile you go!
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/448/080/587/300/388/original/e6ea5c6e1defe499.png

2024-05-11 23:36:16

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Turns out that old monitor I got from a thrift store a few weeks ago and then fixed is pretty darned perfect on this LC 475!! Very happy with that!
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/425/073/867/513/218/original/d0e3eb2fcd439afc.jpg

2024-05-11 21:20:05

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Having a wider variety of graphics modes is nice too. Now, if only the LC came in the same form factor as the IIci... 😉

2024-05-11 21:18:44

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Been playing around with the LC for a bit, and it is clearly a lot faster than the IIci (my IIci has a cache card but just the base 030, and 128MB of RAM).
Marathon is totally playable in the UI visible mode, though full screen is a bit jerky. Still, it was unusable on the IIci in any configuration, unless you're fine with postage stamp sized view windows.
I really do need more memory on the LC 475 though, even stuff that runs often needs to close Finder windows to do so. It's a bit tight!

2024-05-09 22:20:08

New arrival, thanks to a kind soul at work!
Needs a clean but I'm told it works. Peering inside, no battery leakage and caps look okay - though there's lots of dust. Slight cracks on front cover but otherwise intact.
#macintosh #lc #retrocomputing
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/413/447/042/296/007/original/415f7c9dc0b0cb7a.jpg

2024-05-01 02:27:59

Bloody hell, it's actually good.
Also, it made me go reload Fallout 3, which apparently really doesn't like Linux Mint. Mouths moving too quickly before going motionless, and random crashes to desktop for no apparent reason. Booooo etc.
But that show is pretty darn fine.

2024-04-19 13:57:02

I've been gut-punched by the demise of the #Z80. It was the first processor I coded directly on, and was the CPU in my first ever owned computer. I'm actually writing code on it right now, and it really does feel like losing a part of my personal timeline.
Goodbye old friend, your absence will be felt.
https://cdn.masto.host/retrochatonline/media_attachments/files/112/298/222/883/200/808/original/2e2f6530b4bf764e.jpg

2024-03-28 23:41:58

Do any #Amiga fans know why #WHDLoad games sometimes run oddly slow on an Amiga 4000 with an 060 in it? BFG9060 with fast RAM too.
I've tried disabling caches, doesn't seem to make any difference.
Wiz Quest for the Magic Lantern and Magicland Dizzy both do this - if I boot from the disk instead of using Workbench, they work fine.