164: Heatsink in a Shoebox

Embedded.fm · 9 Aug 2016 · 1h 08m

What this episode covers

Host Elecia White and guest Matthew White, a mathematics professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, discuss Christopher White's project to resurrect an Apple ][+ computer. They explore the hardware challenges, such as replacing a bad RAM chip and dealing with floppy drive issues, and review the software they wrote as children, including games like 'Eye of Eternal Death' and 'Lemonade Stand'. The conversation highlights the educational value of early 80s computing, contrasting the transparency of the 6502 architecture with modern opaque systems, and touches on Matthew's later work with a Timex Sinclair Z81 and his career choice to become a musician rather than a software engineer.

Mentioned

Products
Apple ][+, Timex Sinclair Z81, Eye of Eternal Death, Lemonade Stand, Castle Wolfenstein, Alien Rain, TRS-80, ZX 80, ZX 81, Timex Sinclair 1000, Memotech RAMpack, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Eric Schlaepfer's Monster 6502, Grant's 6502 Computer
Chips
6502, MSP430
Tools
ADT Pro
Also
Making Embedded Systems, Forth, Venus Probe

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