Altair 8800 - Video #13 - Timesharing BASIC

[@Citizen_Se7en]

I love these videos. Back in '77, when I was 7, my dad brought an 8800 home and I had no idea how the thing worked. In fact, it wasn't until about a month ago that I began to understand these machines with the help of these videos.

[@jeopardy60611]

Timesharing BASIC reminds me of MUMPS (Mass. General Hospital Utility Multi Programming System). I used MUMPS in a job I had back in the 90s. It ran on a PC with multiple serial ports with terminals wired to them, and the programming environment worked exactly like BASIC where you'd execute direct commands or store routines to run at will. I wonder if the Altair Timesharing BASIC had global variables like MUMPS so that you could share data between users.

[@Centar1964]

No global variables but it has random access files that all users can access with password protection.

[@wisteela]

Very impressive. I love the look of that old terminal. Also, I must get one of those PocketTerms.

[@SaccoBelmonte]

Thank you I always wondered how people could use the Altair. I had no idea it had basic and you could use terminals.

[@edgeeffect]

CPU bound applications impacting other users always reminds me of our PDP-11 at college when the cry would go out "OH! WHO'S COMPILING?!!"

[@AlexanderEsa]

These videos are real interesting, I'm amazed that computer can actually do all these things!

[@TheReimecker]

This is sooooooo awesome to see this !!!

[@WistrelChianti]

Only just discovered the Altair could be used with screens and keyboards!

[@wdeekpotter3917]

THIS IS AWESOME!! I was first exposed to computers in 1970 with a HP2000 time sharing BASIC minicomputer. It had front load switches, too. About 1972, a high speed paper tape reader was added. What a mystery computers were to me at that time. In addition to some classwork, I played TREK (Star Trek) and CUBIT. Cubit was a 4x4x4 game of tic-tac-toe. This was played on a teletypewriter. Later, we got terminals. I got into computers quickly when I got out of college and cut my teeth on an SPC-12 made by General Automation. It was an older system, even at the time, and had the "full" complement of magnetic core memory - 4K. Because the memory was magnetic, the computer could be powered off and power back on and pick up where it left off. I would love to see four terminals running at the same time playing ADVENT, a hidden cave game. I have the FORTRAN source code for this. I've got to get one of these clones and some old terminals. Thanks again for this great video.

[@RaymondHng]

+WDeek Potter This is the HP BASIC source code of the TREK73 program you played. www.kermitmurray.com/trek73/hp-2000-basic-code/

[@MooreRetro]

Would you be willing to put the source on Archive.org or github?

[@retro8263]

greate piece of history

[@surfinbirdzx]

Wow! Amazing o_O

[@allanegleston4931]

played that on my dos machine . interesting.

[@aaa000777]

It appears that the Pocketerm has been discontinued. Does anyone know of a similar product? I like the small size of the Pocketerm.

[@Centar1964]

www.banggood.com/LILYGO-TTGO-VGA32-V1_1-Controller-PS2-Mouse-And-Keyboard-Controller-Graphics-Library-Game-Engine-ANSIVT-Terminal-For-ESP32-p-1501189.html?gmcCountry=CA&currency=CAD&createTmp=1&ad_id=335377878669&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu6yP_9C75QIVFKSzCh2H_QoMEAYYASABEgLi_vD_BwE&cur_warehouse=CN Works fine but I used an Orange Pi Lite in my build for multiple simultaneous terminals...

[@WistrelChianti]

@@Centar1964 was thinking some of the stuff bitluni has done with ESP32 might pave the way for a terminal with VGA output with not too much extra hardware.

[@PicaDelphon]

When computer took there time..And my Phone Bill was up to $475 a Month..AH the Late 80's and 2400Baud..

[@gp75motorsports]

I want four of these. Too bad I don't have the money!

[@bitchlasagna4720]

you could get a clone, they work exactly the same but they are 600 dollars but they just arent the same as a real one

[@kooky216]

Great videos! 5:30 A quick look at the brielcomputers.com forum shows some people got ripped off, waiting 2yrs for an order, beware.

[@hamdifouzai4713]

I am born in 1977 I am devlopper and hav a project to create a software corporation.. I will buy this clone when i will have enough money and a dedicated room Thank you for that great product

[@8bits59]

I would love to get one of these clones if they weren't $600. Yes, they match the price tag of the 70s, but it really isn't worth it to me to get maybe $100, $150 tops hardware for such a price.

[@deramp5113]

Or maybe you don't understand how much it costs to make things in low quantity. Fronting enough of my own money to buy 50 cabinets at a time, just the metal cabinet still costs me over $250 each. No electronics, no PCBs, no assembly costs - just the cabinet.

[@wilipno]

Here is another option if you think deramp5113's version is to expensive; www.altairduino.com/ This one is a kit for around $150 - $175! Of course deramp5113s version looks better!

[@6502Assembler]

This looks like VMWare version .000001

[@ricolasbest6861]

Does this timesharing software run on Altair 8800?

[@fynnkarn-wadden234]

Um... Yes?

[@no_drinks9135]

8:00 I've played that game of craps once, it had the same exact dialogue and everything

[@leberkassemmel]

Windows can't do this in 2018!

[@SzDavidHUN]

It can :D

[@ThunderClawShocktrix]

windows NT server can... the numer versn of windows, home, pro, eneteprise/ ultimate though are the client/ termanin versions

[@Centar1964]

The name "Windows" suggests it can...it is a multi tasking O.S. and had it's start from Microsoft's Timesharing Basic. There is no such thing as Microsoft Window... ;-)

[@WistrelChianti]

@@SzDavidHUN yeh there was a little registry hack on XP that allowed more than one person to remote in at once.

[@SzDavidHUN]

@@WistrelChianti ive seen softwares that could let you use two set of keyboard, monitor and mouse, but one computer needed only, so two people could use them. And it didn't involved virtualisation afaik