Computer Chronicles host Stewart Cheifet - The Retro Hour EP46

We talk to the man who documented the rise of the personal computer, Stewart Cheifet, former host of the legendary Computer Chronicles!
/ cheifet
www.cheifet.com/
Thanks to our amazing donators: Luigi Fumero, Christopher Foulds, Scott Macdonald, Johnathan Kaye, SJ Engledow Trading, Andrew Hayes, Damian Page, Francisco Meza,
Our website: theretrohour.com
Our Facebook: / theretrohour
Our Twitter: / retrohouruk
Show notes:
Heart of The Alien (Another World 2) ported to Amiga: bit.ly/2g1o4z2
Sega asking fans which franchises they want reviving: bit.ly/2g1loBs
Lost Kirby SNES games rescued: bit.ly/2eLQNKj
Sensible Soccer update for 2015/ 2016: files.swos.eu/swos16-17/
USB computer killer: bit.ly/2goTdBt
More indieGO details realsed: bit.ly/2fa9RCj

[@magnum333]

The interview starts at 20:54

[@LemonTubeAmiga]

Absolutely MINT that you found Stewart Cheifet! What a legend!! And also a very amazing and gripping show. I fully agree that CC needs to be brought back, in one way or another, but then this show is actually the next best thing.

[@GeoNeilUK]

You're not referencing the Atari ST by putting MINT in capitals are you?

[@craiggilchrist4223]

Computing isnt new anymore so only people interested in tech would watch. Back in the day it was a revolution where everyone was interested because they were the future.

[@craiggilchrist4223]

Legend, With Gary Kildall who wrote CP/M.

[@RacerX-]

By far this and the interview with Jim Sachs are my favorites you have hosted. Well done. Love the podcast. Growing up in the Silicon Valley area I watched Computer Chronicles back then regularly. Stewart does awesome work. My only nitpick is the comments that Amiga was not popular here in the states. While it didn't hit the level of success as it did in the UK and Europe it was not as bad as is portrayed today. Plenty of stores with Amiga stuff and sales numbers over here were far more then are reported by many outside NA. Great job guys, great podcast that I enjoy every week.

[@christopheralthouse6378]

Hard to believe Mr. Cheifet is over 80 years old now...he still sounds as sharp today as he did back then! I can actually imagine him hosting the still, he certainly could! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@TheFakeVIP]

I myself am young enough to say that I was born after the show finished, but I find this stuff extremely fascinating. Most of the ideas I get for new features for my projects and such come from these 20 year old ideas.

[@Leofwine]

Honestly, if it weren't for the Computer Chronicles on the Internet Archive in 2008, I wouldn't be sitting in front of my own Amiga 500 today. ... Also, it helped me quite a bit in learning English.

[@danwat1234]

Wow, nerdgasm! He is also interviewed for ~ and hour on Triangulation. Love the episode of Computer Chronicles about Financial software in 1995. He talks about online banking, trading stocks online in real time, and taxes. Didn't know stock trading was online as soon as 1994.

[@lucius1976]

Actually their was a episode in the 80ies (86 or 87 i think) were someone already introduced some online stock trading. A agent still had to approve it, but you could buy and sell shares even back in the 80ies on the computer

[@Harp00nX]

Wow Stewart had a lot to say it's clear he still has great enthusiasm for technology :)

[@TheStevenWhiting]

YES!!!! The best person to get. Haven't listen yet but I've heard before he's not happy with everyone uploading the old shows to the Internet and said "but what can you do". However, he forgets, most of the uploads are due because of the love of the old show and to archive them or they'll be lost forever. If anything they are a great reminder of the late Gary Kildall who seems to sadly be largely forgotten. Still looking for an original CP/M package.

[@RacerX-]

Well then you will be in for a surprise once you listen to it. Don't believe rumors...

[@TheStevenWhiting]

8-Bit TechGuy "Don't believe rumours" which rumour? If you're talking about the comment of him saying he wasn't happy with the old shows being uploaded it wasn't a rumour. Someone else on KZbin interviewed him (I'll find the video) and he said it on that. Watched it over a year ago now.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

8-Bit TechGuy I'm still looking for the interview, I now might be going nuts but I was 100% sure there was an interview I watched where he wasn't happy with the uploads of Computer Chronicles by others.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

Having listened to this episode now he does point out all the copies on KZbin are pirate copies. However, I'd say if people aren't monetising the videos then what's the problem? It does the same as archive.org. We very much appreciate archive.org but it appears to be in a bit of a mess over there. The videos aren't in a logical order. Yes, I've a few on my channel as I don't want them to ever be lost. Monetising isn't on. Some appear to be flagged by audio in the videos by 3rd parties I assume not related to Steward. But if they got flagged enough to cause a strike I'd just remove them all. Would be a shame as the KZbin archives of the show appear better organised than on archive.org. Especially the The Computer Chronicles channel which I'm not sure is run by Steward or anyone associated with him, but I could be wrong.

[@Enigmatism415]

He was the one pushing hardest for all the videos to be uploaded online for free viewing.

[@frakSWEDEN]

How do you keep finding these legends? you must have some seriously good contacts.

[@MarkONEmcr]

Great episode! really enjoyed it! Thanks

[@paule6101]

Great episode, thanks guys

[@TheJamieRamone]

The 1964 Superbowl commercial?!

[@607]

This interview is amazing!!!

[@waltherstolzing9719]

I don't have the time to watch this *right now*; but WOW! what a guest you've got!

[@AL82RetrogamingLongplays]

Brilliant interview as always

[@brentdecarteret2343]

Awesome episode, Stewart is a true gentleman.

[@Jwdude123]

I subscribed because of this interview.

[@Ichinin]

In Sweden we had Computer Chronicles on some obscure TV channel, i think it was worldnet or something like that. Had that channel for some years then it disappeared and that was that. Good that it is available elsewhere nowadays.

[@sniperscout91]

Legend!

[@jamesbellegarde2893]

Oh my god did you guys actually get the computer Chronicles in Britain like I’m Canadian I expected I got it on PBS! If you guys go to computer chronicles I’m really pissed because then you got the best of everything during the 80s for computers goddamn great Britain lucky bastards!

[@da-voodoo-shuffle]

any chance of a song name for the mod at the end of the video.

[@danwat1234]

36:00 Oh my God! Steve Jobs said he'd rather make a SuperBowl commercial than sponser Computer Chronicles. Wow! Only 3K views!? Come on nerds!

[@markwhatever256]

Did the A1200 CD kit have an Akiko ship?

[@Jwdude123]

He’s over 80!

[@bryonmiller4326]

Good grief, interview finally starts around 21:30

[@GeoNeilUK]

Does that mean that in order to play the sequel to Another World on an emulator, you'll either have to use the MegaCD original on a MegaDrive emulator, or the Amiga version on UAE with a custom config rather than the CD32 version? I don't think any fork of UAE can emulate the Akiko chip. I'm guesing Sega will be ignoring the fans who shout for a Streets of Rage sequel... or a _remake..._ The Amiga version will run on UAE! Indigo? sounds like the Seedi which sadly failed. Though I do like the idea of emulatorboxes going after physical media and not just ROMs (and disk images)

[@Revelator2025]

I grew up in the Bay Area. In Palo Alto. Mountain View was right next door. An absolutely amazing area to come up in. Computer Chronicles was like the background “music” in my head. Including that theme! Worked for several years SQE @ Apple Computer during the comeback and OSX transition. Amazing times. Now Silicon Valley is a woke trash bin imo. Sorry but it’s like an MKULTRA brainwashed landscape. Too leftist vibes a bit…I call it the belly of the Beast. There’s a reason for that. Nice to hear Stewart. Sharp. 🍀