Computing In The Dark Ages

[Left Leanings]

These were all the rage when I was a nipper:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9220468/ZX-Spectrum-at-30-the-computer-that-started-a-revolution.html

The ZX Spectrum was one of the first widely available personal computers. My mate had one. I had a Dragon 32. Another pal had an Oric.

And here are some of the games:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-news/9220399/ZX-Spectrum-the-best-games-of-the-1980s.html

I also had an Atari:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600

When the Sega Mega Drives came out, I thought it was the height of sophistication lol. I used to love playing Sonic the Hedgehog :)

[Jimmie Higgins]

Oh I thought this was going to be about feudal-era numerology and how it relates to modern computer codes or something. Like maybe some monks developed some binary system that engineers have applied to code.

[Left Leanings]

No lol. I was having a laugh, comparing today's computers/games, to those of my youth :)

[Jimmie Higgins]

Personally I wouldn't mind if the 1980s became known as the "Dark Ages". :lol:

[Rooster]

I learned to program on basic 1.0. I once spent 3 months programming a game of pong for the Amstrad CPC using that only to find out that there was a bug somewhere in like two thousand lines of code. The paddle would go up to the top of the screen and get stuck. That's when I decided that I'd rather be an art student.

[Deicide]

Omg look OLD PEOPLE ;)

[Jimmie Higgins]

Omg look OLD PEOPLE ;)Let me tell you about the simple joys of ye olde carbon paper and mimeographs. I do hear tell of the angels who sprinkle magic purple mimeograph dust onto the copies.

[Left Leanings]

Personally I wouldn't mind if the 1980s became known as the "Dark Ages". :lol:

Me neither. Cos the shit that Thatcher put us through, that's what they were :lol:


I learned to program on basic 1.0. I once spent 3 months programming a game of pong for the Amstrad CPC using that only to find out that there was a bug somewhere in like two thousand lines of code. The paddle would go up to the top of the screen and get stuck. That's when I decided that I'd rather be an art student.

BASIC = Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.

I used to use that to make me own adventure games, and basic graphics on the Dragon 32. Then there was something called 'machine code', which just consisted of numbers and shit. That I could never understand. It was well beyond my comprehension :laugh:


Omg look OLD PEOPLE ;)

Yep. It's true. But ya know, I'm more middle-aged than old-aged. But I'm getting there lol :lol:

[Railyon]

I can steer nuclear missiles with my pocket calculator

[Left Leanings]

I can steer nuclear missiles with my pocket calculator

lol are you in military training bro :D

[Railyon]

You'd be amazed of the technical capabilities of a proper scientific calculator these days - they surpass military technology of the space age by far.

[Manic Impressive]

Centurion was probably the best game set in Rome which has ever been made.
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[Left Leanings]

I can steer nuclear missiles with my pocket calculator


lol are you in military training bro :D


You'd be amazed of the technical capabilities of a proper scientific calculator these days - they surpass military technology of the space age by far.

They sound dead cool, actually. I bet they cost a few bob as well. Are they hard to operate? Where can I get one, and does it come with an instruction manual? :laugh:

[#FF0000]

They're about $90. They are pretty baller, yeah. You can run games on them p. easily.

But yeah 'THE DARK AGES' here were before my time, but I do remember playing a ton of the old microprose games on DOS as a baby. Covert Action, Pirates! Gold, Civilization I and II.

And all those D&D Goldbox games. Pool of Radiance and so on.

[Railyon]

The oldest I actively witnessed was the NES. As old as I am.

Went all downhill after that...

[Left Leanings]

I don't even know what a DOS, a D&D Goldbox or NES is lol :confused:

[#FF0000]

I don't even know what a DOS, a D&D Goldbox or NES is lol :confused:

The Goldbox games came out towards the end of the 80s. They were all computer role playing games based on Dungeons and Dragons. DOS was the operating system we had, and I'm sure you know what a nintendo is!

[Left Leanings]

The Goldbox games came out towards the end of the 80s. They were all computer role playing games based on Dungeons and Dragons. DOS was the operating system we had, and I'm sure you know what a nintendo is!

I never had a nintendo. But I've heard of them. Did they come before or after Sega Mega Drives? And I've played on X Boxes. Well, tried to, Assasin's Creed was one game I had a go at.

And I know what a Wii is. Where you hold sticks/pads in your hand, and your actions are mimiced on the screen. My nephew has one. He's got a console that he plays Star Wars on and a Batman game.

[#FF0000]

I never had a nintendo. But I've heard of them. Did they come before or after Sega Mega Drives?

The NES came out about 3 years before.

[Left Leanings]

I was playing on Star Wars with my nephew once. I had to take on the role of Darth Vader, and fight with a lot of wookie charcaters, that looked like Chewbacca. My nephew was laughing at me. But I did something he'd never done before, by accident, not deisgn. I threw the light sabre, and it comes back to you like a boomerang. My nephew was amazed, and kept saying How did you do that, show me, show me lol :D