~OT: Computer misconceptions

From: Sam Ismail <dastar_at_ncal.verio.com>
Date: Sat Feb 6 03:05:00 1999

On Sat, 6 Feb 1999, Andrew Davie wrote:

> In the games machines world, I cringe when people call computer
> cartridges "tapes". This comes, I think, from the era when carts (eg:
> Exidy Sorcerer) came in modified 8-track tape boxes. Anybody care to
> discuss the history of the usage of "cartridge/tape"?

Screw that. Anyone want to jump on the bandwagon of my campaign to
introduce "carthridge" as the proper spelling for "cartridge" and make the
latter an alternate (or better yet obsolete) spelling of the word?

No reason, other than "carthridge" sounds better.

> Another one... when people say they're "machine code programmers"... they
> really mean they're "assembly language programmers". Front-panel users
> excluded, there are very very few machine code programmers out there still
> keying/toggling in 1s and 0s :)

What about hexadecimal? I never coded anything in "assembler". I always
just plugged hex bytes into memory addresses through the Apple ][ monitor.
I never met an assembler I liked. Of course it sucked when you wanted to
insert bytes, but I got by thanks to the memory move feature in the
monitor.

I still remember all my machine code too. Try this on your Apple ][:

]CALL -151

*300: A0 00 B9 10 03 F0 07 20 ED FD C8 4C 02 03 60
*310: C8 C5 CC CC CF A0 C3 CC C1 D3 D3 C9 C3 C3 CD D0 A0 C4 CF CF C4 D3 00
*300G

Off the top of my head. DAMN, I'M GOOD!

Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
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Received on Sat Feb 06 1999 - 03:05:00 GMT

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