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I have prepared a new blog with wordpress at https://vintagecomputing.info !!!

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Good news - Supercard Pro is now available 
Saturday, December 21, 2013, 10:00 PM
Posted by Administrator
See http://www.cbmstuff.com/proddetail.php?prod=SCP for more details.

Now you can buy the Supercard Pro and there is already a bunch of implemented features.
The SuperCard Pro software is still a work in progress, it will be updated continuously.
New file formats will be supported soon (e.g. often used floppy disk formats) hopefully.
Stay tuned to hear again from them soon.

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Sega Genesis Frogger (but SNES still rulez!), run with a free online emulator 
Sunday, December 15, 2013, 04:00 PM
Posted by Administrator
Just take a look at Frogger run on a Sega Genesis:

You will notice a slightly less acceptable graphics quality, although it's also good playable.

So SNES still rulez... :-)

For you all without a real Sega Genesis console, try it online at ssega.com.

This site provides you a full access to all known Sega Genesis Games but without the need of installing any emulator. Really nice, isn't it ?

For a comparison, see my other blog entry about SNES Frogger.

You can play SNES Frogger also online, snesbox.com will make it possible...

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TI Programmable 58 - powerful but always losing memory 
Saturday, November 23, 2013, 01:00 PM
Posted by Administrator
This calculator was a milestone in terms of programming capabilities, but not a success.
It was soon (1.5 years later, 1979) replaced with a similar calculator model but with a persistent memory - the TI-58C.
There was also a big brother with more memory and a magnetic stripe reader, the TI-59.
Both can be upgraded with special modules, e.g. a mathematics cartridge, or even custom roms for aviation.

Compared to other TI calculators of the same era, battery compartment is different (see the two latches/clips inside), battery pack BP-1A differs from comparable battery packs (e.g. for the TI-57) also.
Don't miss the "cleaning a TI-59" page from Marek Czeszek if you're a collector of these wonderful devices.

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SNES (PAL) and a rare NTSC cartridge "Frogger" 
Sunday, November 17, 2013, 06:00 PM
Posted by Administrator
Friends of casual games will remember one of the most famous classics: Frogger.

For Super Nintendo (SNES), this game was selled only in the U.S. / Canada.
So how can you play it with an european PAL-based SNES ?
Easy, you need only an adapter, which reports a PAL cartridge to the SNES console, but make it possible to use another NTSC cartridge (see picture).

So one of the latest games for SNES, Frogger will run on a PAL SNES, too.
It's a game without any surprises (except one, see later), but graphics are done good enough even for modern days.


Anything else worth to be mentioned ? Yes, it's unbelievable, but this game does NOT save highscores persistent, every time you start the game after powered off and on, Highscores are resetted. Can be an empty/low battery. A bit disappointing.

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Texas Instruments SR-51-II ... a more complex calculator than you think 
Friday, November 8, 2013, 12:00 AM
Posted by Administrator
This was a mixture between an older SR-51A and the later TI-55, it's inner electronics is more complex than comparable other TI models of the same decade.
My own one is working, but in a less desirable condition, around the power switch, painting is already gone. Also, I had to open it because the display was not fitted correctly (see second picture how to open).


How to open... somewhat tricky, also because the plastic material is a bit brittle.

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