Oddities

Post by **Jeff-20** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:27 am

I agree. Bigger keys are better. #5 looks like a pain for typing. I just added that one for Mayhem...

#4 is a Famicom based clone with a built in tv... Imagine a portable nintendo! Although, it's probably just black and white. I have one of those little BW tvs.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:30 am

As long as we are on Nintendos....

#6: All black, not a mod!

#7: A working NES made from legos. This one is a mod.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 6:45 am

#4 looks like white text on blue background, so unless the picture is lying, probably not B/W.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:55 pm

I have a little tv just like that, and it's BW. I've never seen a color one (and I can usually distiguish a color tv from BW just based on contrast). It's even cooler now considering that.

Post by **Jeff-20** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:08 am

Today's subject: built-in tape drives.

#8

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 3:19 am

And all those were made by the same company, Amstrad Computers or whatever their name was - Amstrad LLC? The Amstrad CPC computers also draw their power from the monitor, which makes it a bit difficult - but not impossible - to use if the original monitor has gone missing. Supposedly it is possible to make a replacement power supply and use an external monitor.

Mikam73 · Post by **Mikam73** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:46 am

Arcadia 2001 was called Intervision 2001 at Finland. Games are same, but Arcadia carts wont work at Intervision.

If I understand correct Intervision 2001 was sold only at Finland and Switzerland.

I have found only 3 game cartridges for this tv-game. (Cat Track, Math/Logic and Combat)

http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/cgi-bi ... ntervision

Post by **Jeff-20** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:00 am

#9

What is this?

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:12 am

Wow, that InterVision console really rips off the Intellivsion. Even the font used for "InterVision" is similar to the Intellivision font.

And those cartridge boxes in the unidentified system posted by Jeff (the GreatVision ones) are also superficially very similar to the way the Intellivision games were packaged.

eslapion · Post by **eslapion** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:49 pm

Before I owned a VIC-20, I used this thing to learn BASIC programming.

Meet the Radio Shack PC-4 also sold as the Casio PD-100.

Originally equipped with 544 bytes of memory. I bought the 1k expansion to give it a bit more potential...

nippur72 · Post by **nippur72** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:13 am

Oh the casio pd-100! Years later I used one borrowed from a friend to pass the Algebra exam at the university. The exam required to write all the steps of the division between two polynomials modulo N. It was a tedious work prone to errors so I wrote a BASIC program for the Casio PD-100. It gave me all the steps on the small display by pressing one key. Luckly for me the Casio looked like a calculator so I was allowed to use it. My professor was astonished when discovered it

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:25 am

#9 is a CreatiVision by VTech, also known as Dick Smith Wizard. It is a hybrid between video game and computer. The CreatiVision is compatible with the VTech Laser 2001, which in its turn was sold as (?) Salora Manager in the lovely country of Finland. Specs:

CPU: 2 MHz 6502
Memory: 1K RAM + optional (?) 16K RAM + ROM
Video: TMS9929 (CV, SMS, MSX etc) which generates 256x192 pixels in 16 colours and 32 sprites
Sound: SN76489 (Acorn BBC, IBM PCjr, SMS) which makes three voices of square wave plus one noise

Basically, the CreatiVision sounds like a 6502 version of ColecoVision or Sega Master System if you want. From a programmer's point of view, it might be interesting.

On Dimitri's Sales last year, one unboxed CreatiVision ended at 40 Euro. There was also an unboxed Salora Manager (140 Euro) but no Laser 2001, only other VTech Laser models.

I think I have posted this link before, but it is worth posting again:
http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/confusingfacts.html

I just noticed there is a bit of an emulation scene on those CreatiVision/VTech systems. Pelikonepeijoonit has some technical docs on the Salora Manager posted, but it is only in Finnish.

It might be a cool system to try to learn, for those who already know 6502 machine code and have a bit of experience with different flavours (VIC, C64, Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Oric, BBC and so on).

ral-clan · Post by **ral-clan** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:18 am

eslapion wrote:Before I owned a VIC-20, I used this thing to learn BASIC programming.

Meet the Radio Shack PC-4 also sold as the Casio PD-100.

Originally equipped with 544 bytes of memory. I bought the 1k expansion to give it a bit more potential...

I remember seeing those calculators being cleared out for $10 each at a surplus store in Toronto ca. 1998. Maybe I should have bought one? Were they fun to program on? What was the BASIC like? Could you actually save the programs to anything?

nippur72 · Post by **nippur72** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:53 am

What was the BASIC like? Could you actually save the programs to anything?

if I remember well, there was no save/load, program was kept in memory until battery life ended (but I might be wrong). Basic was quite complete, similar to Vic 20's one, with strings, if thens, prints and so on. The only real limitation was the small display: when I wrote my polynomial division program I had to write it on paper first.

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:00 am

Until recently, I used to have a Casio PB-100. I realize this is a different beast than the PD-100 (but looks similar). The PB-100 has a connector that lets you connect to a FA-4 or FA-10 expansion pack that holds a micro cassette and/or a small plotter with four pens. Thus it was possible to load/save and print programs on that system. I have no idea if the PD-100 was compatible in similar matters.

(The display on my PB-100 had a crack, and I swapped it w/ FA-10 for an Atari Portfolio on the swap meet earlier this year. I don't know if that was a good or bad deal, I don't care too much)