[cctalk] Re: Ownership of microcomputing

there are two aspects to "ownership". hardware and software. 1. you can still run all the old software (e.g. pet basic", IMSAI) under an emulator on a modern computer running either windows (no control) or linux etc (open source). and now for free, not having to buy the hardware which with inflation would be $1000 to $5000 2. hardware: it depends: 2a. my greatest joy was upgrading the hardware (and software to support) my TRS-80 model 1. All I bought from radio shack was a m1 keyboard with level 1 basic 4k ($300), and level 2 basic as a spare part (iirc $80). many intermediate steps, but eventually 64k inside the keyboard, 3 speed, ctl key, tri color led, s-100 adapter, s-100 cards for disk controller, printer and modem (no expensive interface), and other enhancements (like a fix for cassette operations). I never got around to using the extra 16 k to run native CP/M, partly because I would have had to learn and customize the cp/m severely. The extra 16 k memory i programmed as a printer buffer (remember how slow dot matrix printers were). I was prepared to upgrade to 256K in the keyboard but when I got an IBM PC clone,.I did not have the time to program it as a virtual disk (the only reasonable use for it). I programmed in hex, writing an install program for the hex that included labels to automatically correct addresses and relative jumps when I added or deleted instructions. 2b. hardware: i could modify a modern computer's emulator to include my hardware changes, but that would be at least an order of magnitude more work than the hardware changes were. 2c. you can get a usb to printer port (parallel) adapter to do some things with your emulated IMSAI or Pet that you could have done then.. you can emulate floppy disks, and read/write 3.25" ones (if standard shugart). There have been adapters for 5.25 floppies, if enough demand, should become available again and maybe even for 8 inch (my wish list). 2d. you can use modern hard disks, sdc cards, etc with old computer software emulators 2e you can buy off the shelf hardware to adapt some old computers (real or emulated), including the trs-80 coco to internet access etc. btw, the RS coco has the largest base of current users I have seen. and hardware upgrades for old computers to give them more power. So you can get much of the historical feel of the first micros with modern computers. all with open source or at least included in the required hardware (e.g. for internet adapters) <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>