On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 4:50 PM, Bill Sudbrink via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
Herb Johnson wrote:
[Cromemco Dazzler Dazzlemation...] .... Mr. Dompier hand wrote that program LITERALLY (hand, pencil, paper), no editor, no assembler. He then toggled it in (or maybe raw keyed it in with a primitive ROM monitor) and [used paper tape to save/restore it]
I agree, it's informative to look at such code, to see methods of coding. But that's normal activity, given the era.
And I agree with you. I did some myself. I was trying to interest some of the people who might not be aware. I've exhibited my IMSAIs and Altairs a number of times. On numerous occasions, I've heard comments like "those front panels are pretty but you couldn't really do anything with them". I'm pretty sure now that Mr. Dompier toggled Dazzlemation into the machine. The recollection is that he didn't get a 4FDC until later, so he probably didn't have a monitor in ROM.
Bill S.
yes, I still kept most of my programming code and notes here in my Altair and Imsai manuals using the obligatory yellow legal pads from the 70s. It was not just common practice, but *required* Dan