The Atari's I played with acted like a dumb terminal (I didn't know then that BASIC Cartridge needed to be plugged inthe slot to use BASIC.

I don't think I ever got a chance to play with an Atari, aside from the
video game consoles - i.e. not their "computers." I did poke around on a VIC-20 some, but IIRC the C-64 and TI were probably the two I got to play
with the most.

So I decided on the C64.
Learning how to use it caused me to make up the saying:
Here On Earth Computers Alway Win Because They Have Inside Information.

Yes, they do, and I am convinced that they cheat! :D

Mike
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MIKE POWELL wrote to ED VANCE <=-

I don't think I ever got a chance to play with an Atari, aside from the video game consoles - i.e. not their "computers." I did poke around on
a VIC-20 some, but IIRC the C-64 and TI were probably the two I got to play with the most.

My first eye-opening experienc was at the West Coast Computer Faire,
probably 1978 or 1979. There was an Atari 800 running Star Raiders,
never went for Atari, though - my school had Commodore PETs, and I ended
up going with a Commodore 64 later.


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I don't think I ever got a chance to play with an Atari, aside from the video game consoles - i.e. not their "computers." I did poke around on a VIC-20 some, but IIRC the C-64 and TI were probably the two I got to play with the most.

My first eye-opening experienc was at the West Coast Computer Faire,
probably 1978 or 1979. There was an Atari 800 running Star Raiders,
never went for Atari, though - my school had Commodore PETs, and I ended
up going with a Commodore 64 later.

I never had any experience with computer faires when I was a kid. When I
got older, it seems that those experiences were more about meeting
consultants and contractors vs. seeing any equipment. :(

I do remember at some point as a kid taking a "field trip" to somewhere
and those of us that went got to play with a Tandy TRS-80 (???). Aside
from just playing with them at the store, I think that was my first real eye-opening experience... they actually had us type up some small basic programs and run them.

I remember later being disappointed that the programs didn't work on my
TI. If I had been older, I probably could have figured out the syntax differences and got it working.

Mike
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Re: Re: Computers In Stores
By: MIKE POWELL to KURT WEISKE on Tue Jan 27 2026 08:36:00

My first eye-opening experienc was at the West Coast Computer Faire,
probably 1978 or 1979. There was an Atari 800 running Star Raiders, never
went for Atari, though - my school had Commodore PETs, and I ended up going
with a Commodore 64 later.

I would've loved to been able to attend one of those. They were legendary. The only computer show I've been to was in '78 at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, but what a show! Everybody was there; Commodore, Apple, Atari, Radio Shack, Cromemco, Processor Technology and lots more. There were even mini-computer dealers there. Of course there were software vendors, computer mag reps, peripheral dealers...I was enthralled. It was there I learned there were computer stores in my area, which I patronized endlessly.

That was a great day.
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I never had any experience with computer faires when I was a kid. When I
got older, it seems that those experiences were more about meeting consultants and contractors vs. seeing any equipment. :(

I do remember at some point as a kid taking a "field trip" to somewhere
and those of us that went got to play with a Tandy TRS-80 (???). Aside
from just playing with them at the store, I think that was my first real eye-opening experience... they actually had us type up some small basic programs and run them.

I remember later being disappointed that the programs didn't work on my
TI. If I had been older, I probably could have figured out the syntax differences and got it working.

Mike
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Mike,
I read Popular Electronics and other magazines of that type inthe 1970's.
One magazine issue had a large Star image on the cover with the BASIC code for TRS-80.
I went to a Radio Shack store one evening and typed in the program on the TRS-80 demo.
After running it, it didn't work so I did a LIST and saw I had entered it correctly.
I changed one entry and got the program working as it should

I wrote the publisher and told them their code had a mistake and I included the correction I made.
Ed
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Re: Re: Computers In Stores
By: Ed Vance to MIKE POWELL on Wed Jan 28 2026 21:12:13

I read Popular Electronics and other magazines of that type inthe 1970's. One magazine issue had a large Star image on the cover with the BASIC code for TRS-80.

Either your time frame or magazine title is in error. I checked every issue from Jan. 1977 to Dec. 1982 and none fit your description.
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Re: Re: Computers In Stores
By: Ed Vance to MIKE POWELL on Wed Jan 28 2026 21:12:13

Either your time frame or magazine title is in error. I checked every issue from Jan. 1977 to Dec. 1982 and none fit your description.
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I even looked through a large stack of magazines some time back
Besides Popular Electronics I looked through Radio-Elrctronics magazines also looking for that cover picture without luck.

Still have those magazines somewhere here.

In February 1984 I bought a Radio Shack book called
"BASIC Conversion Handbook" Cat. No. 62-2088

It showed how to convert PET and Apple BASIC programs to be used on a TRS-80 Model I or III .

I got the book just before buying my Commodore 64 about a month later.
Ed
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MIKE POWELL wrote to KURT WEISKE <=-

I do remember at some point as a kid taking a "field trip" to somewhere and those of us that went got to play with a Tandy TRS-80 (???). Aside from just playing with them at the store, I think that was my first
real eye-opening experience... they actually had us type up some small basic programs and run them.

I remember going to a ComputerLand store in Palo Alto and seeing an
Apple III, one of the high-end TRS-80s, an HP workstation and an
Osborne 1, and wanting them all. :)






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Re: Re: Computers In Stores
By: Ed Vance to Mortar M. on Thu Jan 29 2026 13:10:27

In February 1984 I bought a Radio Shack book called "BASIC Conversion Handbook" Cat. No. 62-2088

My bet is it came from an outside publisher. There's been several of those types of books over the years. I've been toying with the idea of doing an updated version that includes BASICs from modern retro computers.
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I wrote the publisher and told them their code had a mistake and I included t correction I made.

I wonder if they posted a correction in a later issue?

Mike
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Re: Re: Computers In Stores
By: Ed Vance to Mortar M. on Thu Jan 29 2026 13:10:27

My bet is it came from an outside publisher. There's been several of those types of books over the years. I've been toying with the idea of doing an updated version that includes BASICs from modern retro computers.
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Mortar M, The Copyright is 1981 by HAYDEN BOOK COMPANY, INC.
The title page has:
BRAIN BANK
David A. brain, Pholip R. Oviatt, Paul J. A. Paquin, and Chandler D. Stone, Jr. Ed
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I wonder if they posted a correction in a later issue?

Mike
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Mike, I have no way of knowing until I locate the magazine issue the code was in.
Then I could hunt for the next 2 or 3 issues to see if the correction was published.
Ed
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I think your right, I don't remember seeing any Atari's in the main street shops back in the day.

Plenty of Dick Smith/Tandy and Commodore though. 8-)
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I think your right, I don't remember seeing any Atari's in the main street shops back in the day.

Plenty of Dick Smith/Tandy and Commodore though. 8-)

In my case I shall need to add that I might not have been old enough to
know the difference in some cases. ;)

Mike
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The crazy thing is.... I can still recall the smell, most vividly I recal the smell the first time I saw a Dick Smith System 80.
I can smell it like it was yesterday.!
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The crazy thing is.... I can still recall the smell, most vividly I recal the smell the first time I saw a Dick Smith System 80.
I can smell it like it was yesterday.!

That is pretty crazy. I don't remember my first XT having a smell, but
the flatpack desk that I put together for it did... sort of a wood smell.
I guess it would more correctly be "pressboard smell." :D

Mike
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