Topics

1

DIGITAL PRESERVATION / Massive set of NTSC PS1 images now on my cloud.

« on: March 03, 2020, 06:55:11 PM »

Karl's been a busy uploader last week as he uploaded a small tonnage of PS1 CD images (all are NTSC format). In the same area I've placed all the GameShark/Action Replay type CD images as well as that extra large set of PS1 IPF patches. Which will come in handy with all of the images that Karl's uploaded.

As soon as I can get a full set count and filenames list, I'll attach it here.

2

DIGITAL PRESERVATION / SoftMODing tutorials on YT (various systems)

« on: February 26, 2020, 07:37:38 PM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6QsGXTrFQ - Xbox Classic using Rocky 5 softmod (requires an Xbox controller to USB adapter and a small flashdrive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc_1KnqKr94 - Same guy but covers how to upgrade the internal h/drive with appropriate hardware tweaks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO5DmaXKZ0c - Fat PS2 (same author as above videos)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAgPMJe03Co - Wii (Gamecube compatible version) with a portable HD added which has the covers on it etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_REoKdrlfo - Wii Homebrew etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evZ0THNKaKo - DOSBox on Wii (inc. mods so that it boots straight into DOSBox on power-up)



Eventually these will be acquired as full videos and placed on my cloud drive, along with all the relevant bits and pieces. Some of which are already on the drive that Karl has loaned to me.

3

DIGITAL PRESERVATION / My magazines (almost all in PDF format)

« on: February 26, 2020, 07:51:57 AM »

I've left my home PC copying across all 8839 x PDF files for all of the magazines that I have found (so far).

https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/e5e75ae1-3a43-4786-8b7a-5b7b1acc1b54

This is, currently, exactly the same as what's on the portable 1TB drive that I've left behind at RCM for the time being. As and when the contents are copied onto the NAS, then I'll grab the drive back.

A test last night with Karl showed that if I share the folder, then anything and everything is available to download. Which is odd as the WD My Cloud software says that this shouldn't be possible as I'm just sharing a read-only link to that folder. Hmmm ...

4

DIGITAL PRESERVATION / Virtual Machine (VMWare / VirtualBox) images

« on: February 25, 2020, 07:32:21 PM »

In case anyone needs a Virtual Machine to play with an older version of Windows, the following are hosted on my WD Cloud device.

Windows 3.1 - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/83f601ae-e689-4783-9ccc-2842b703d99e
(d/l size = 51.6Mb)

Windows 95 - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/4c94c270-601b-4ca7-91a8-38e219e2245b
(d/l size = 133Mb)

Windows 98 - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/0dcac018-3c4a-492f-9f17-d9b3b790c541
(d/l size = 190Mb)

Windows XP - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/f8a5b8fb-7986-4444-a90e-d55ee479005f
(d/l size = 1.44Gb)

Windows ME - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/54b8146f-454b-413f-a575-2ae83c77fc7b
(d/l size = 507Mb)

Windows 2000 Pro - https://home.mycloud.com/action/share/88c14b8c-d8fe-477a-a364-4f5125a1606f
(d/l size = 698Mb)

Better to leech them whilst I'm working away from home during the week

5

CODING AREA / My Word Add-In (v2.0) has been released

« on: November 30, 2016, 08:38:35 AM »

The latest version of my Word add-in, called Mike's Toobox, is now available.

There's a new support website - www.mikestoolbox.co.uk - which has the downloads and the full VBA source code available.

The full list of changes can be found on the most recent blog post on the website,  or read my LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/post/edit/my-word-add-in-has-been-updated-30th-nov-2016-mike-mee-mistc-

6

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / Deus Ex Machine re-released on PC (via Steam)

« on: October 03, 2016, 05:52:05 PM »

http://store.steampowered.com/app/508910/

Depending on the size of your wallet, there are three separate versions you can buy.

7

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / The Hobbit for the Dragon 64 (only 34 years late!)

« on: July 26, 2016, 08:58:00 AM »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/26/hobbit_port_to_dragon_64/

8

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / US nuclear force still uses floppy disks ...

« on: May 26, 2016, 10:57:28 AM »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36385839

What's amusing (to me) is that the BBC News article had to explain (for its younger readers) what a floppy disk was

9

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / The Amiga is 30 (an article from The Register)

« on: July 24, 2015, 08:40:08 AM »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/24/amiga_turns_30/

I like this quote at the start:

Let's recap: the founder of Commodore, running Atari, built a computer designed by former Commodore engineers, which would compete against a Commodore product called Amiga, designed by former Atari engineers, who wanted to replace the Commodore products designed by once-Commodore but now Atari engineers.

Simple enough.

10

HARDWARE/SYSTEMS DISCUSSION / Commodore PET to return - as an Android phone :)

« on: July 15, 2015, 08:06:39 AM »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/15/commodore_pet_returns_as_android_phablet/

11

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / Antique Code Show: Shadow Of The Beast

« on: June 25, 2015, 12:46:13 PM »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/25/antique_code_show_retro_gaming_shadow_of_the_beast/?page=1

12

FOR SALE / WANTED / Wanted: Spectrum Utils for copying/transferring games to microdrive etc.

« on: March 13, 2015, 09:07:59 AM »

I'm on about the likes of the utils by Lerm and G.A. Bobker.  I've got a few, but am interested in any others that you may have.  Other companies were also doing similar utils, such as Kobrahsoft.

Also interested in any of the 'support leaflets' that you could buy / get with a club membership that the above two firms offered.  They would list the methods required to get the latest titles into a slow-loading / microdrive-compatible format.

I've got a few (list to follow) but I'm after any others of this type.

13

GENERAL RETRO CHIT CHAT / Antique Code Show: 25 years of SNK

« on: March 12, 2015, 02:06:30 PM »

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/12/antique_code_show_25_years_of_neo_geo_console/

14

CODING AREA / Reinventing old Spectrum BASIC games

« on: February 25, 2015, 08:23:14 PM »

Richard Shepherd released some good adventure games when I was a kid.  Urban Upstart being a favourite (one of the few I completed).  But they also released some awful BASIC-based 'adventure' games. 

Thanks to ZX Preview - http://www.zx-modules.de/ - I've been able to extract the BASIC listing from the 'protected' code (*) and present four of them here in this 'ere Dropbox link.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/l41opir3wxspgxf/Richard%20Shepherd%20Software%20BASIC%20Source%20Code.zip?dl=0

(*) they were saved as the system variables + BASIC listing as a single CODE file, so you had to use LOAD""CODE and you couldn't do a MERGE""

15

FOR SALE / WANTED / Wanted: A decent tape player/deck (but as cheap as chips!)

« on: February 18, 2015, 01:07:44 PM »

A while back I bought one of those USB cassette recorders via ePrey.  Everything's OK when it comes to recording audio, but backing up my Spectrum tapes is proving to be something that this device just wasn't geared up for. 

Either that or all of these G.A. Bobker cassettes I have (for transferring / copying tapes to microdrive) were recorded on some of the cheapest cassettes available.  Audacity just won't pick up the audio signals as the tape is played.  I've managed to only transfer one tape successfully (Animator 1).

Does anyone have a spare that they can loan me long-term?  I've seen some of the new ones on Amazon and don't fancy shelling out £125 (yep, that's the price!) for a Sony tape player.  Even the cheaper Phillips one is still £40.

Although if Andy has a spare one @ RCM that he could bring to the Bolton ComicCon .. grovel .. plead .. beg ..