3 ms·

Not mentioned in the article - although hinted at in one of the images - is that computer programs were also distributed on Flexi! http://blog.modernmechanix.c

by edent 10y ago

Not mentioned in the article - although hinted at in one of the images - is that computer programs were also distributed on Flexi! http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-floppy-rom-software-distributed-on-records/ http://blog.modernmechanix.com/the-floppy-rom-software-distr... I was familiar with code coming on cassette - but I'd never heard of it on vinyl.

noonespecial 10y ago
I see your code on vinyl and raise you code over broadcast radio. http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2014/10/13/people-used-download-games-radio http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2014/10/13/people-used-download-game...
- Zenst 10y ago
  I had a couple of friends who had ZX81's and CB radios and they managed to transfer a program using the radio succesfully back then. Was not long after that CB radio fad kicked in and the ability to find a unused channel for along enough period ended for them. But they did it and it worked, least for the ZX81 audio storage format used upon tapes. iirc it was stored on tape at 300 baud, so the bandwidth was low requirement.
- kalleboo 10y ago
  There was also code over Teletext (broadcast TV) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware And in Japan code over satellite TV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellaview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellaview
Zenst 10y ago
That was true (least in the UK) around the micro days and I still have a few stored away. C64,BBC Micro, ZX81 programs on flexidisc. Used to have to play them into the casste input port and worked great, though was often easier to record them onto tape and load from there. Was a fad for a while, to include a flexi cover disc upon computer magazines and sure beat the endless typing in pages of code to then go back and fix the mistakes and many mistakes that you would end up finding as errors and a correction in the next issue. Fun times and learned lots. EDIT add- this is one of those disc's from that time https://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-ZX-81-VIC-20-Spectrum-Games-Flexisoft-Disc/release/3834192 https://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-ZX-81-VIC-20-Spectrum-Game...
- jameshart 10y ago
  I definitely remember one magazine-cover-mounted flexidisc from the Spectrum era, but it was a real hassle to get it to work: the spectrum had a 3.5mm audio jack labeled 'EAR' that was designed to be connected to a headphone socket on a cassette player, and most Spectrum owners had a relatively small portable cassette player to perform that role (a dumb one with no dolby noise reduction nonsense - but with a good mechanical three digit tape counter so you could mark tape positions); on the other hand, to play the flexidisc into the spectrum would require wiring up the headphone output of your stereo system amp up to the Spectrum (portable record players with headphone jacks not really being a common household appliance in 1984) - which also needed to be wired to a TV at the same time. This definitely involved a certain amount of wire stretching in our house, and in fact I suspect may even have required unplugging the TV output while the disc loaded, then unplugging the headphone lead and reconnecting the TV to see if it had worked. There's definitely good reasons why cassettes were the preferred audio delivery mechanism for 8 bit games, even with all the trouble that rewinding and azimuth alignments caused.

by edent 10y ago

noonespecial 10y ago

I see your code on vinyl and raise you code over broadcast radio. http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2014/10/13/people-used-download-games-radio http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2014/10/13/people-used-download-game...

Zenst 10y ago
I had a couple of friends who had ZX81's and CB radios and they managed to transfer a program using the radio succesfully back then. Was not long after that CB radio fad kicked in and the ability to find a unused channel for along enough period ended for them. But they did it and it worked, least for the ZX81 audio storage format used upon tapes. iirc it was stored on tape at 300 baud, so the bandwidth was low requirement.
kalleboo 10y ago
There was also code over Teletext (broadcast TV) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telesoftware And in Japan code over satellite TV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellaview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellaview

Zenst 10y ago

That was true (least in the UK) around the micro days and I still have a few stored away. C64,BBC Micro, ZX81 programs on flexidisc. Used to have to play them into the casste input port and worked great, though was often easier to record them onto tape and load from there. Was a fad for a while, to include a flexi cover disc upon computer magazines and sure beat the endless typing in pages of code to then go back and fix the mistakes and many mistakes that you would end up finding as errors and a correction in the next issue. Fun times and learned lots. EDIT add- this is one of those disc's from that time https://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-ZX-81-VIC-20-Spectrum-Games-Flexisoft-Disc/release/3834192 https://www.discogs.com/No-Artist-ZX-81-VIC-20-Spectrum-Game...

jameshart 10y ago
I definitely remember one magazine-cover-mounted flexidisc from the Spectrum era, but it was a real hassle to get it to work: the spectrum had a 3.5mm audio jack labeled 'EAR' that was designed to be connected to a headphone socket on a cassette player, and most Spectrum owners had a relatively small portable cassette player to perform that role (a dumb one with no dolby noise reduction nonsense - but with a good mechanical three digit tape counter so you could mark tape positions); on the other hand, to play the flexidisc into the spectrum would require wiring up the headphone output of your stereo system amp up to the Spectrum (portable record players with headphone jacks not really being a common household appliance in 1984) - which also needed to be wired to a TV at the same time. This definitely involved a certain amount of wire stretching in our house, and in fact I suspect may even have required unplugging the TV output while the disc loaded, then unplugging the headphone lead and reconnecting the TV to see if it had worked. There's definitely good reasons why cassettes were the preferred audio delivery mechanism for 8 bit games, even with all the trouble that rewinding and azimuth alignments caused.