Ramble & QOTD
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Thinking about the subject of providing state information to an AI agent, I thought back to the days when text based games were all the rage like Granny's Garden "You are in a room, it has four walls, your are facing North etc". I remember that this was available for the RM Nimbus (great machine) and the Acorn BBC. First question, did the BBC (and variants of) make it across the pond to America? Secondly, what is the wackiest and/or most ingenious use anyone can remember that was made of the superb user port? I will never forget the time I watched an episode Blue Peter (UK Kids TV programme) that had a toilet which prompted you to close the lid/flushed for you etc. Best thing was, when the camera panned back, you saw two school kids sitting behind the toilet, controlling it with a BBC Micro..... :omg: Best thing I created was a BBC controlled converybelt, filled up cans moving along and had a little GUI showing status on the screen... Anyone better it? :-D
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Thinking about the subject of providing state information to an AI agent, I thought back to the days when text based games were all the rage like Granny's Garden "You are in a room, it has four walls, your are facing North etc". I remember that this was available for the RM Nimbus (great machine) and the Acorn BBC. First question, did the BBC (and variants of) make it across the pond to America? Secondly, what is the wackiest and/or most ingenious use anyone can remember that was made of the superb user port? I will never forget the time I watched an episode Blue Peter (UK Kids TV programme) that had a toilet which prompted you to close the lid/flushed for you etc. Best thing was, when the camera panned back, you saw two school kids sitting behind the toilet, controlling it with a BBC Micro..... :omg: Best thing I created was a BBC controlled converybelt, filled up cans moving along and had a little GUI showing status on the screen... Anyone better it? :-D
JDMoore wrote: First question, did the BBC (and variants of) make it across the pond to America? Yes. But only in a limited way. I think it found it's way into some schools, but Commodore and Apple were tough market nuts to crack (no pun intended). JDMoore wrote: Secondly, what is the wackiest and/or most ingenious use anyone can remember that was made of the superb user port? I have no idea. But it was probably nothing more than a bidirectional parallel port, right? I used to work for Skyles Electric Company, and they made all sorts of fancy stuff that hung off of a Commodore PET, both ports and things you had to open up the machine and insert between the socket and the ROM chip. The coolest thing I ever saw was some guy controlling a laser and mirrors for a laser light show through his PET. I think he also did some nifty stuff with Christmas light chasers too. Marc Latest AAL Article My blog Join my forum!