Antic The Atari 8-bit Podcast

Tim Boehlert, Atari's WCI Labs Division   Tim Boehlert began at Atari in 1982. He worked at WCI Labs, the New York Atari subsidiary, where he worked on the broadboard of the 600XL, robotics projects, and mass storage devices.   This interview took place on June 4, 2022.   Video version of this interview   ANTIC Interview 65 - Steve Mayer, 400/800 Designer   ANTIC Interview 332 - Mike Matthews, Alien Group Voice Box   ANTIC Interview 383 - Gregg Squires, Atari Manager of Hardware Engineering   Strong Museum of Play   Support Kay's interview on Patreon

Frank Foster, Hybrid Arts   Frank Foster was one of the founders of Hybrid Arts, the company that made MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) hardware and software for Atari 8-bit and Atari ST computers. Frank was in charge of marketing for the company. After Hybrid Arts, Frank headed the music division at Atari, where he build marketing partnerships with Tangerine Dream, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel, and other musicians.   I talked with two of the other Hybrid Arts founders, Robert Moore and Paul Rother, in my previous interview.   This interview took place on February 20, 2024.    Video version of this interview   My interview with Robert Moore and Paul Rother   Hotz MIDI Translator: Atari Team Redefines Electronic Instruments   Frank Foster Biography   Frank's SIGGRAPH documentary on computer graphics   Hybrid Arts Timeline, Founders, and Goals document by Robert Moore   Midi Maze at AtariMania   ANTIC Interview 434 - Michael Park: Swan and Fujiboink Demos, MIDI Maze   ANTIC Interview 193 - Gary

Robert Moore and Paul Rother, Hybrid Arts MIDIMate   Robert Moore and Paul Rother were two of the founders of Hybrid Arts, along with Frank Foster and Alan Hart. Hybrid Arts created the MIDIMate, hardware that added Musical Instrument Digital Interface capability to the the Atari 8-bit computers; and various software for it including MIDITrack. Hybrid Arts continued on to make a wide variety of MIDI and music software for the Atari ST (which has built-in MIDI) including EZ-Track.   Paul was the programmer, Robert the music and sales person, and Frank Foster was the marketing person. Frank couldn't make it to this interview due to scheduling issues, but he'll be in my next interview.    This interview took place on January 18, 2024.   Video version of this interview   Hybrid Arts Timeline, Founders, and Goals document by Robert Moore   Hybrid Arts - Revolutionize the Process of Modern Movie Making   Hybrid Arts on Computer Chronicles (starts at 8 minutes)   8-bit Hybrid Arts software at AtariMania   Atari S

Mary Eisenhart, MicroTimes magazine   Mary Eisenhart was editor of MicroTimes magazine, a free, advertising-supported magazine that was distributed in California. The first issue was May 1984, and Mary remained at the magazine until 1998, producing more than 180 issues. MicroTimes provided interviews, computer industry news, rumors, and columns, and - of course - advertising. For most of its run, there were two editions of each issue: Northern California and Southern California.    When she left MicroTimes, Mary took with her a copy or two of every issue, which years later were scanned by Internet Archive. The almost-complete collection is now online, full-text searchable, where they can be read online or downloaded.   As a young teenager growing up in Southern California, I read MicroTimes whenever I could find it, usually in record stores. It was a great computer magazine, with the huge bonus that it was free. When I graduated college in Northern California, I wrote for MicroTimes as often as possible (Mary

ANTIC Episode 112 In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… we have several Christmas ideas for you, we tell you about projects that would allow creating a new reproduction Atari 800XL, and we wet our appetites for the current Atari’s hot sauce while wearing their ugly Christmas sweater … READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to Vox ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines by Sarah A. Bell - https://archive.org/details/mit_press_book_9780262375870/page/169/mode/2up?q=savetz  Intellivision: How a Videogame System Battled Atari and Almost Bankrupted Barbie by Tom Boellstorff and Braxton Soderman - https://archive.org/details/mit_press_book_9780262380553/ 

Vince Cate, The Critical Connection   In my last interview, I talked with the creator of SIO2PC, which let Atari users use a DOS computer as its disk drive and printer. This interview is with the creator a product which - six years earlier - let Atari users use a CP/M computer as its disk drive and printer (and keyboard.)   Vince Cate owned a company called USS Enterprises, with just one product: The Critical Connection. Critical Connection was a combination of a specialized cable and software for connecting an Atari 8-bit to a computer running CP/M. The long cable had an SIO plug on one end and a 25-pin serial plug on the other, and some chips in the middle, allowing the Atari and CP/M box to communicate at 19,200 bps.   The Critical Connection was released in 1983, six years before SIO2PC. They shared many similar features: with it you could: use an entire CP/M floppy disk as an emulated 600K Atari disk drive, create 92KB CP/M disk files which emulated Atari 90KB disks, and print from the Atari to the CP/M

Nick Kennedy, SIO2PC and the ATR File Format   Nick Kennedy is the creator of SIO2PC, the hardware and software combination that allowed Atari 8-bit computer users to use a PC as a peripheral. In 1989, this was unprecedented, a new way to connect the little Atari to the bigger world, to the (relatively) massive storage and speed of a computer running PC-DOS. For the first time, Ataris could use a PC as storage, RAM disk, and printer. Nick also created the .ATR file format, which quickly became the standard for using virtual floppy disks on Atari emulators.   Nick also created 10502PC, a cable that let you connect an Atari floppy drive directly to a PC; and AtariCOM, a less well-known utility that allowed two Atari 8-Bit computers to communicate using the SIO and joystick ports. And, he created Atari-based amateur radio tools: a terminal program for packet radio, and Morse code keyer software, which he and I talked about in detail in our previous interview.   This interview took place on November 1, 2024.   V

Rick Reaser, Current Notes Magazine's 8-bit Editor   Rick Reaser was the 8-bit Editor of Current Notes Magazine, a popular magazine dedicated to the Atari computers. He began in 1992, and wrote a column called 8-Bit Tidbits. Rick used his Atari 8-bit computer exclusively through his college years and for programming for grad school. He was also president of P3ACE - Pikes Peak Poke Atari Computer Enthusiasts - a user group serving the Colorado Springs area.   This interview took place on February 11, 2023.   Video version of this interview at YouTube   P3ACE newsletters   Rick's "Atari Revolution" quote   Current Notes at Internet Archive   The Current Notes issue Kay received from Rick   Art of Computer Programming by Donald Knuth   Rick's letter to Antic Magazine Volume 7 Number 11 "My kids love Talking Toddle"   Support Kay's interviews on Patreon

Bob Stein, Atari’s Encyclopedia Project   Bob Stein worked at Atari Research for 18 months beginning in 1981. He was hired by Alan Kay. He worked almost exclusively on an encyclopedia project, a potential collaboration between Atari and Encyclopaedia Britannica that never went anywhere.   I learned about Bob after he uploaded an item called The Atari Drawings to Internet Archive. It's a collection of nine colorful pencil drawings, drawn in 1982 by Disney animator Glen Keane. The drawings depict futuristic scenarios where people use a computerized encyclopedia to get information: for instance, "An earthquake wakes a couple in the middle of the night. The Intelligent Encyclopedia, connected to an online service, informs them of the severity of the earthquake and makes safety tips readily available." and "A mother and her children looking into a tidepool in Laguna ask the Intelligent Encyclopedia about the plants and animals that they see."   Bob described the collection of art in his introduction to the documen

ANTIC Episode 111 - “Is Kay Really Funny, or is it Just a Courtesy Snicker?” In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… We go over the ABBUC Software Contest winners, we cover PRGE, Kay accelerates his interview publishing schedule, and we ask the question: Is Kay really funny, or are Randy’s snickers simply courtesy?  You decide … READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  What we’ve been up to PRGE - https://www.retrogamingexpo.com/  Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution by David and Theresa Welsh - https://amzn.to/40l4vv1 (sponsored link)  Recent Interviews ANTIC Interview 439 - Making Modern Atari Hardware  ANTIC Interview 440 - Ed Sabo, UltraBASIC  ANTIC Interview 441 - Nick

Nick Kennedy, Atari Morse Code Keyer   I was adding a batch of ham radio newsletters to the Internet Archive's Digital Library of Amateur Radio And Communications, and I noticed the word "Atari" on one of the pages.   In the September 2019 issue of Solid Copy, the newsletter of The CW Operators Club, Nick Kennedy had written: "Few hams who are both CW [morse code] enthusiasts and programmers of microcontrollers have been able to resist trying their hand at a keyer or two. I’ve done several in the past 30+ years, starting with one for the 6502 in an Atari 800 and on through PICs, AVRs and now...the Arduino."   So I contacted Nick, amateur radio call sign WA5BDU, to find out what his Atari project was all about.   First, a tiny bit of ham radio background: Morse code, that language of dots and dashes, can be sent over the radio waves using a Morse code key. Even if you know nothing about ham radio, I bet you picture a basic Morse code key: when tap the little lever, it makes an electrical connection that makes

Ed Sabo, UltraBASIC   Ed Sabo, with the help of his dad, founded UltraBASIC, a company that produced software for Atari 8-bit computers. UltraBASIC's software for the Atari 8-bits, which was all programmed by Ed, were:    Tank Math: "a tutored math exercise plus a bonus roman numeral quiz" FunSpeller: "use your own words or the fifteen word-sets included" SuperFrogs: "the 7 game arcade with over 10,000 variations” … and  Track Stack: a program launcher, "stack up to 15 machine language programs on the track stack disk"   Ed also created some unpublished software, including a bulletin board system and RC Total, a program to track results of radio controlled car races. The company also operated a commercial coin op route, with video games, pinball machines, jukeboxes, and so on.   Ed's UltraBASIC company still exists. Today, the company specializes in transmission rebuilds, custom headers, and other repairs for classic and custom cars.   This interview took place on August 8, 2023.   Video version of this inte

Two Interviews about Making Modern Atari Hardware   In this interview episode, there are interviews with two people creating today's Atari hardware: the Atari 400 Mini and other modern reboots of retro consoles such as the Atari 7800+.    First, an interview with Matthew Burnett, Vice President of Strategic Operations at Atari — the guy in charge of Atari's new hardware. We discuss how the Atari 400 Mini came to market.   Then, I interview Ben Jones, Commercial Director for Plaion, a manufacturing and distribution company that was involved with the creation of the 400 Mini and 7800 Plus as well as other retro computing hardware like the C64 Mini and the A500 (Amiga) Mini.   These interviews took place on September 27 2024 at Portland Retro Gaming Expo.   Atari 400 Mini: https://atari.com/products/atari-400-mini-1 Atari 7800+: https://atari.com/products/atari-7800

ANTIC Episode 110 - Are the Grandkids Listening!? In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… Kay makes TI users unhappy, VCFMW recap, we drool over an Atari Home Computer Demonstration Center display, we bid farewell to an Atari podcast, and Randy uses a word he wouldn’t want his grandkids to hear… READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to TI Fest West 2017 - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/260465-fest-west-2017/page/15/  Kay as Radio Survivor podcast guest about Famous Computer Cafe - Podcast #342 – The Famous Computer Cafe  ComputerLand radio commercials: https://archive.org/details/ComputerLand_Radio_Commercials  https://archive.org/details/ComputerLand_

ANTIC Interview 438 - John Carlsen - Atari Summer Employee Hello, and welcome to this interview-only episode of ANTIC, The Atari 8-bit computer podcast.  I’m Randy Kindig, your host for this episode. John Carlsen worked at Atari only briefly, as a summer job for 6 weeks in 1987, between his final years of high school. Later, in 1988-1989, he worked for its founding president, Nolan Bushnell when he signed on to Nolan’s latest startup, called Bots, Inc.  They made pizza delivery robots (and a related customer-facing order entry system) for Little Caesars Pizza. John then worked for Axlon, which was created by former Atari employees to manufacture add-on products for the Atari computer, followed by Aapps Corp., which spun out of Nolan's offices.  In 1990-1991, John also worked for Mediagenic (Activision, Infocom, etc.) until a week after its hostile takeover. This interview took place on March 6, 2024. Links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Bushnell   

ANTIC Episode 109 - Host Wars In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… Brad and Randy cover VCFSE, Kay finishes archiving the Famous Computer Cafe and gets some great material from Dan Kramer and Larry Summers, and the hosts trade barbs… READY! Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to Larry Summers:  Excalibur - https://archive.org/details/excalibur-2nd-manual-type-apx  https://archive.org/details/Functional_Specification_for_The_Arabian_Adventures_Packet_Technologies  https://archive.org/details/Out_of_Ataris_Game_San_Jose_Mercury_News_1982-06  https://archive.org/details/Chris_Crawford_recommendation_letter_for_Larry_Summers  https://archive.org/details/Atari_81_v1n4_1981-05  Superboots business plan - https://archive.org/details/superboots-business-plan  Dan Kramer:  https://archive.org/details/atari-management-recognition-award  https://archive.org/details/atari-controller-design-focus-groups-report-1981  https://archive.org/details/a-qualita

ANTIC Episode 108 - Randy’s Eyes Are Bleeding!  In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… Kay visits VCFSW and the National Videogame Museum, tapes from the famous Computer Cafe are found, Atari acquires Intellivision, and Randy’s eyes start bleeding from watching YouTube videos 24x7… READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to VCF SW, National Videogame Museum - https://nvmusa.org  Titan - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/234684-atari-8-bit-software-preservation-initiative/?do=findComment&comment=5472194  Development disk for Tom Hudson's "Adventure at Vendenberg A.F.B." - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/234684-atari-8-bit-software-preservation-initiative/?

ANTIC Interview 437 - Dr. Kristina Hooper Woolsey, Atari Research Labs and Apple Multimedia Lab Hello, and welcome to this interview-only episode of ANTIC, The Atari 8-bit computer podcast.  I’m Randy Kindig, your host for this episode. Dr. Kristina Hooper Woolsey is an American scholar and cognitive scientist known as the "mother of multimedia" for her pioneering work at the Apple Multimedia Lab and Atari Research Labs, which she directed. Woolsey was a founding member of the Apple Human Interface Group.  She was named a Distinguished Scientist by Apple Computer in acknowledgment of her pioneering work in multimedia in education.  She was the executive producer of a range of multimedia titles in learning --- Life Story, the Visual Almanac, Animal Pathfinders, Disappearing Ducks, Countdown, Planetary Taxi and others --- that were produced when she was Director of the Apple Computer Multimedia Lab.  There is discussion during the interview about Cynthia Solomon and Brian Silverman, who were interviewed in a pr

ANTIC Episode 107 - 4 Times! In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast…we realize there are 4 times as many interview episodes as regular episodes and what that might say, Kay visits the Strong Museum, Randy attends the Indy Classic Expo, and Brad drools over a keyboard for the 400 Mini… READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to Strong Museum - https://www.museumofplay.org/  Atari BASIC Tutorial book - https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-atari-basic-tutorial  Indy Classic Expo, April 16 & 17 - http://indyclassic.org  80-column card for 1090XL - Brian Reifsnyder - https://www.tindie.com/products/5cfab/80-column-rpp-board-for-the-atari-1090xl1091xl/  Dis

ANTIC Episode 106 - Thom, do you ever sleep!? In this episode of ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Computer Podcast… we cover all the recent contests involving new Atari software development, bring you all the other Atari news we could find, and marvel at the stamina of Thom Cherryhomes… READY! Recurring Links  Floppy Days Podcast  AtariArchives.org  AtariMagazines.com  Kay’s Book “Terrible Nerd”  New Atari books scans at archive.org  ANTIC feedback at AtariAge  Atari interview discussion thread on AtariAge  Interview index: here  ANTIC Facebook Page  AHCS  Eaten By a Grue  Next Without For  Links for Items Mentioned in Show: What we’ve been up to Atari’s 1986 prospectus and form S-1 - https://archive.org/details/atari-corp  Titan game - https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-titan_6337.html  https://archive.org/details/tbace-thunder-bay-atari-computer-enthusiasts/TBACE-1985-01%20Minutes/  2.4A power supply for XL/XE from 8bitclassics.com - https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/atari-xl-xe-2-4a-