4 ms·

those geniuses broadcast computer programs via airwaves during a radio show. listeners would record it on cassette and play the program on computer. anybody els

by slim 6y ago

those geniuses broadcast computer programs via airwaves during a radio show. listeners would record it on cassette and play the program on computer. anybody else did that ?

robin_reala 6y ago
BBC did something similar with its BBC Micro: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#Teletext_adapter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#Telet...
- Lio 6y ago
  Also with the Basicode broadcasts too. I remember the BBC broadcasting these and then us running them on our BBC B at home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICODE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICODE
royjacobs 6y ago
This happened in The Netherlands as well. Here's [0] a mostly English language link to the history of the Basicode system as used in the radio program Hobbyscoop. [0] https://www.hobbyscoop.nl/the-history-of-basicode/ https://www.hobbyscoop.nl/the-history-of-basicode/
- the-dude 6y ago
  I was a listener and recorder and loaded some of those programs into my Acorn Electron.
rbanffy 6y ago
São Paulo's state university in Brazil had one such program where they broadcast software for, IIRC, MSX computers.
ajuc 6y ago
"Radiokomputer" in Polish Radio 4 did this in 80s and early 90s. First they would speak about the software (usually a game or utility tools), then they would emit the code. There was no copyright till 1992 (and in practice till late 00s), so people just recorded that, copied, and then sold or exchanged on open-air markets. BTW that's how CD Projekt (creators of Witcher and Cyberpunk games) started - 2 school friends selling pirated games - but they were a little older so they got their games by paper-mailing people in the west and not from radio :) I remember in early 90s exchanging cassettes by mail was the way to go for C64 hobbyst in Poland. People advertised on teletext or in computer press and then sent each other several cassettes with software and empty cassettes to be returned with new stuff. Often they added their small demo program with personal stuff at the beginning of the cassette - it was some random sid music, bouncing balls and scrolling text with greetings and sometimes insults towards Atari hobbysts :) Piracy was the rule for at least the next decade despite the law change. Nobody I knew at school had original software till 00s.
mkranjec 6y ago
Slovenian Radio Študent did this too.

by slim 6y ago

those geniuses broadcast computer programs via airwaves during a radio show. listeners would record it on cassette and play the program on computer. anybody else did that ?

robin_reala 6y ago

BBC did something similar with its BBC Micro: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#Teletext_adapter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro_expansion_unit#Telet...

Lio 6y ago
Also with the Basicode broadcasts too. I remember the BBC broadcasting these and then us running them on our BBC B at home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICODE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICODE

royjacobs 6y ago

This happened in The Netherlands as well. Here's [0] a mostly English language link to the history of the Basicode system as used in the radio program Hobbyscoop. [0] https://www.hobbyscoop.nl/the-history-of-basicode/ https://www.hobbyscoop.nl/the-history-of-basicode/

the-dude 6y ago
I was a listener and recorder and loaded some of those programs into my Acorn Electron.

rbanffy 6y ago

São Paulo's state university in Brazil had one such program where they broadcast software for, IIRC, MSX computers.

ajuc 6y ago

"Radiokomputer" in Polish Radio 4 did this in 80s and early 90s. First they would speak about the software (usually a game or utility tools), then they would emit the code. There was no copyright till 1992 (and in practice till late 00s), so people just recorded that, copied, and then sold or exchanged on open-air markets. BTW that's how CD Projekt (creators of Witcher and Cyberpunk games) started - 2 school friends selling pirated games - but they were a little older so they got their games by paper-mailing people in the west and not from radio :) I remember in early 90s exchanging cassettes by mail was the way to go for C64 hobbyst in Poland. People advertised on teletext or in computer press and then sent each other several cassettes with software and empty cassettes to be returned with new stuff. Often they added their small demo program with personal stuff at the beginning of the cassette - it was some random sid music, bouncing balls and scrolling text with greetings and sometimes insults towards Atari hobbysts :) Piracy was the rule for at least the next decade despite the law change. Nobody I knew at school had original software till 00s.

mkranjec 6y ago

Slovenian Radio Študent did this too.