Playing chess has always been a bellwether for computers. The game isn’t trivial, but the rules are managably simple. However, the game is too complex to be easily solved entirely, so you have to use tricky software to play a credible game. Big computers do have an advantage, of course. But Microchess — arguably the first commercial game for home computers — was able to play on tiny machines like the Kim-1. Joachim Froholt » interviewed Peter Jennings » — the man behind Microchess to learn the whole story of its creation.
APL, one of the oldest computer languages, still has an active community and unique features. It uses mathematical symbols and has a strange keyboard layout but offers powerful data manipulation capabilities.
An email machine, the Cidco MailStation, is repurposed as a terminal using the Z80 processor and msTERM application. The WiFiStation dongle enables network communication.
- Hardware: Z80 processor, 128KB RAM, 0.5MB flash, modem, parallel port, RTC, QWERTY keyboard.
- Code Loading: Built-in hex editor or loader program via parallel port.
- Dev Env: OpenBSD laptop, C/Z80 assembly, SDCC compiler, upload via parallel port.
- msTERM: Stein's terminal program for BBS communication, custom ISR, modified font.
- Get Started: Stein's released msTERM code, example project, WiFi adapter option."
- Hardware: Z80 processor, 128KB RAM, 0.5MB flash, modem, parallel port, RTC, QWERTY keyboard.
- Code Loading: Built-in hex editor or loader program via parallel port.
- Dev Env: OpenBSD laptop, C/Z80 assembly, SDCC compiler, upload via parallel port.
- msTERM: Stein's terminal program for BBS communication, custom ISR, modified font.
- Get Started: Stein's released msTERM code, example project, WiFi adapter option."
