Michael Borthwick

@matseng Try finding the PAL version the CDP1864 😅

I’ve always been fascinated by the ELF computers and the CHIP-8 "language", so when an ELF II turned up locally I jumped at the chance to get one. It looks to be in decent shape, but I need to spend a few days cleaning it up and replacing the PSU before testing it. 😘

@lukeweston Very useful for historical research since no longer available online.

What on earth is this? Why did trees die for this? So this could be delivered without my request or consent? I thought we stopped this spam? I assume this only happens because businesses are paying for it to happen? I hope those businesses know I put it straight in the bin.

@tschak What makes them government grade Thomas?

Meanwhile a batch of government grade 5.25" floppies came in. Always nice to get these. Solid media, nice big labels, all standardized. Last forever. #retrocomputing

@ObsoleteSony Worth it for RFoM alone

A practical ownership guide, model advice, and modern alternatives 🔗👇

@MameHaze A Christmas holiday ritual to read your end of year update. Thanks 🙏

I've added a bunch more pictures to the 'MAME 2025' page mamedev.emulab.it/haze/2025-time… This only really scratches the surface of things that have been done, as many of the more obscure things are difficult to cover. Not everything shown is playable as it's meant to represent progress.

@railmaps Seems bizarre to de-electrify a train line. What was the rationale?

Today’s historic pic: Exactly 40 years ago today, broad gauge 1500V DC electric loco L1157 hauls the down Gippslander into Morwell, Vic, December 24 1985. The Gippslander was a day-return semi-express train between Melbourne and Bairnsdale. This line was de-electrified in 1987.

@john_leclair @mov_axbx Hi John a recent video talking about what people got up To with the Sorcerer in Australia Source: YouTube share.google/QQW4zrbA15JpxM…

@MikeBorthwick You have a rather unique interest on your profile - Exidy Sorcerer. Buried in storage I believe is another Exidy Sorcerer of mine - we moved to across the country and either it got lost in transit or still buried in a moving box. Certainly they are a one of a kind.

Oh the irony, Microsoft and Apple both copied the Xerox Alto. Reminds me, if any of you younger folk haven't watched Pirates of Silicon Valley you ought to.

@shoemanG Hi Greg I was also in SCUA and would like to get in touch.

@GregTomaselli @IamKyros69 Used a dev pack on an exidy sorcerer to write a string saver so that you effectively saved a snapshot of an application to cassette.

How did people even learn to code when there was no docs, no YouTube… nothing? Genuinely curious.

@lukeweston Indoor use only

Love those cheap shit Bunnings socket cap screws with a black oxide conversion coating that wipes off with a bit of acetone!

@lukeweston Rotary hoe

Much farming is an integration of both livestock and cropping, which mitigates risks, improves nitrogen utilisation and soil quality. Once you put up structures like that you can’t get a header in there- it’s no longer useful as arable land. You’re stuck using it only for stock.

@TubeTimeUS Where did you get to with this?

the hair tie was slipping, so I'm trying a tiny rubber band

new arrival at the Bench of Investigation: an Exatron Stringy Floppy drive!

@einsteinagogo @nyimski I remember the Sorcerer would have a good old think and the display would go a bit wobbly just before it announced you had finished the adventure

@nyimski Ah well I loved these Scott Adam’s - Adventure International - these were common on my Exidy and Video Genie but I believe they were ported to Beeb and Acornsoft had a few as well!

The BBC B is coming along nicely. My Turbo MMFS arrived today, interface is installed, ROM is installed, SD card written and all up and running. Almost instant load times, I will need to add a few more games but so far we have 305 to choose from. Cylon Attack anyone?

@lukeweston No fridge door complete without Loctite 454

Top tier glue list (no particular order): Loctite 480 E6000 (various kinds, black self-levelling is good). JB-Weld Norland Optical Adhesive 60 Dow 738 neutral cure RTV Torr-Seal

@railmaps Drove around Baddaginnie yesterday looking for any sign of the station but nothing jumped out at me. Perhaps it was on Railway St where there is now a large CFA shed?

Today's historic pic: Broad gauge Diesel-Electric Rail Motor 63RM towing carriage 43BPL on a Mulyarra-bound special day tour calls at Baddaginnie, Vic, March 14 1987. Baddaginnie station, 183km from Melbourne on the former broad gauge line to Albury, closed to passengers in 1978

@lukeweston Edge-launched SMA FTW

Making some stuff: image sensor serialisers. Excuse flux mess. Like a MiniScope but just the camera serialiser, a bit bigger (easier to build) and separated from the sensor on another board so I can use it as a development tool for doing things with different image sensor chips.

@railmaps Can you board at a wayside halt?

Here's a Google streetview image of Widgiewa station from 2010. Like most NSW country railways, the line is technically still open because an act of Parliament is required to close a railway in rural NSW, but they never bother to do it. It means disused lines exist in stasis.

Today's historic pic: 42 years ago today, as seen from the Tocumwal railmotor as it ran south from Narrandera in its last months, the floodbound wayside halt at Widgiewa, NSW, August 27, 1983. Widgiewa is in the NSW Riverina, 631.5km from Sydney on the Narrandera to Tocumwal line

@lukeweston It’s softer

I wonder why 4140 is cheaper than mild steel for a CNC part ? Interesting.

@yobblysquidge Do you own a forklift ?

My batteries No comparison to new lithium batteries

@0xC0DE6502 Sometimes reality is broken

I thought my joystick support code in my Acorn Electron emulator (Electroniq) was not working properly. But I am now convinced, after testing with ancient analogue joysticks on a real Electron with a Plus 1 add-on, that actually joystick support in some games is just broken!?

@BillvLee Hi Bill what is the link between the Exidy Sorcerer and the Digra conference?

@MikeBorthwick There was a Swiss (German-speaking) Exidy group in Interlaken, Switzerland. Also Belgium, California, Toronto, London (Eng.) I visited most of them in one long summer. bcmcr.org/wp-content/upl…

Super Asteroids for the Exidy Sorcerer microcomputer in original retail packaging. Written by the mysterious Apollo and published by System Software of Perth, Australia. Who are you Apollo? #exidysorcerer