HISTRY.CBM
FILE INFORMATION
FILENAME(S): HISTRY.CBM
FILE TYPE(S): SEQ
FILE SIZE: 23.5K
FIRST SEEN: 2025-10-20 14:31:07
APPEARS ON: 1 disk(s)
FILE HASH
ddaee9b4e6c2cacd3b1a65e9355fc00047f98bedeb097923597ae8fb2319523b
FOUND ON DISKS (1 DISKS)
| DISK TITLE | FILENAME | FILE TYPE | COLLECTION | TRACK | SECTOR | ACTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASTERMMSOFT | HISTRY.CBM | SEQ | Treasure Chest - Klaus Der Suhler | 7 | 3 | DOWNLOAD FILE |
FILE CONTENT & ANALYSIS
00000000: 54 68 65 20 66 6F 6C 6C 6F 77 69 6E 67 20 73 65 |The following se| 00000010: 72 69 65 73 20 6F 66 20 6D 65 73 73 61 67 65 73 |ries of messages| 00000020: 20 77 65 72 65 20 70 6F 73 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 | were posted by | 00000030: 66 6F 72 6D 65 72 20 43 42 4D 20 64 65 73 69 67 |former CBM desig| 00000040: 6E 20 65 6E 67 69 6E 65 65 72 0D 0A 42 69 6C 20 |n engineer..Bil | 00000050: 48 65 72 64 20 37 31 31 35 35 2C 35 33 33 2E 20 |Herd 71155,533. | 00000060: 20 54 68 65 79 20 72 65 70 72 65 73 65 6E 74 20 | They represent | 00000070: 61 20 66 61 73 63 69 6E 61 74 69 6E 67 20 6C 6F |a fascinating lo| 00000080: 6F 6B 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 22 62 65 68 |ok into the "beh| 00000090: 69 6E 64 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 73 63 65 6E 65 73 22 |ind the..scenes"| 000000A0: 20 73 68 65 6E 61 6E 69 67 61 6E 73 20 61 74 20 | shenanigans at | 000000B0: 43 6F 6D 6D 6F 64 6F 72 65 20 77 68 69 6C 65 20 |Commodore while | 000000C0: 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 77 61 73 20 62 65 69 |the C128 was bei| 000000D0: 6E 67 20 70 72 6F 64 75 63 65 64 2E 20 20 45 6E |ng produced. En| 000000E0: 6A 6F 79 21 0D 0A 0D 0A 54 68 69 73 20 66 69 6C |joy!....This fil| 000000F0: 65 20 77 69 6C 6C 20 62 65 20 75 70 64 61 74 65 |e will be update| 00000100: 64 20 70 65 72 69 6F 64 69 63 61 6C 6C 79 20 61 |d periodically a| 00000110: 73 20 42 69 6C 20 67 69 76 65 73 20 75 73 20 6D |s Bil gives us m| 00000120: 6F 72 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 74 6F 72 79 |ore of the story| 00000130: 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |..... | 00000140: 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000150: 20 20 2D 2D 2A 2D 2D 2A 2D 2D 2A 2D 2D 2A 2D 2D | --*--*--*--*--| 00000160: 2A 2D 2D 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 30 33 2D 4A 61 6E 2D |*--......03-Jan-| 00000170: 39 33 20 20 30 30 3A 30 39 3A 35 32 0D 0A 0D 0A |93 00:09:52....| 00000180: 59 61 20 69 6E 74 65 72 65 73 74 65 64 20 69 6E |Ya interested in| 00000190: 20 68 69 73 74 6F 72 79 3F 3F 3F 20 45 76 65 72 | history??? Ever| 000001A0: 20 68 65 61 72 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 43 68 75 | hear of the Chu| 000001B0: 63 6B 20 50 65 64 64 61 6C 20 53 70 65 63 69 61 |ck Peddal Specia| 000001C0: 6C 20 70 69 6E 20 3F 20 20 49 66 0D 0A 79 6F 75 |l pin ? If..you| 000001D0: 20 70 75 6C 6C 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 4F 52 | pull out the OR| 000001E0: 49 47 49 4E 41 4C 20 28 48 41 4E 44 52 41 57 4E |IGINAL (HANDRAWN| 000001F0: 21 29 20 73 63 68 65 6D 61 74 69 63 73 20 6F 66 |!) schematics of| 00000200: 20 74 74 68 65 20 36 35 30 32 20 74 68 65 72 65 | tthe 6502 there| 00000210: 20 69 73 20 61 6E 0D 0A 75 6E 75 73 75 61 6C 20 | is an..unusual | 00000220: 70 61 64 20 6D 61 72 6B 65 64 20 43 50 53 2E 20 |pad marked CPS. | 00000230: 54 68 69 73 20 6C 61 74 65 72 20 77 65 6E 74 20 |This later went | 00000240: 6F 6E 20 74 6F 20 62 65 20 74 68 65 20 53 65 74 |on to be the Set| 00000250: 20 4F 76 65 72 66 6C 6F 77 20 28 53 4F 29 20 70 | Overflow (SO) p| 00000260: 69 6E 20 6F 66 0D 0A 72 65 6E 6F 77 6E 65 64 20 |in of..renowned | 00000270: 31 35 34 31 20 75 73 65 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 56 49 43 |1541 use.....VIC| 00000280: 20 6D 6F 64 65 73 20 6F 66 20 6F 70 65 72 61 74 | modes of operat| 00000290: 69 6F 6E 20 61 72 65 20 61 63 74 75 61 6C 6C 79 |ion are actually| 000002A0: 20 66 61 69 72 6C 79 20 77 65 6C 6C 20 64 6F 63 | fairly well doc| 000002B0: 75 6D 65 6E 74 65 64 20 69 6E 20 70 6C 61 63 65 |umented in place| 000002C0: 73 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 43 36 34 20 |s like the..C64 | 000002D0: 61 6E 64 20 43 31 32 38 20 70 72 6F 67 72 61 6D |and C128 program| 000002E0: 6D 65 72 73 20 72 65 66 65 72 65 6E 63 65 20 67 |mers reference g| 000002F0: 75 69 64 65 2E 20 20 44 6F 20 79 6F 75 20 6D 65 |uide. Do you me| 00000300: 61 6E 20 6D 65 6D 6F 72 79 20 6D 61 70 73 20 6F |an memory maps o| 00000310: 72 20 56 49 43 0D 0A 4D 6F 64 65 73 20 6F 66 20 |r VIC..Modes of | 00000320: 6F 70 65 72 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 74 |operation like t| 00000330: 68 65 20 46 61 6D 6F 75 73 0D 0A 4D 75 6C 74 69 |he Famous..Multi| 00000340: 2D 43 6F 6C 6F 72 2D 43 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 |-Color-Character| 00000350: 2D 45 78 63 65 70 74 2D 65 76 65 72 79 2D 66 6F |-Except-every-fo| 00000360: 75 72 74 68 2D 54 68 75 72 73 64 61 79 20 6D 6F |urth-Thursday mo| 00000370: 64 65 3F 20 20 28 49 2E 45 2E 20 74 68 6F 73 65 |de? (I.E. those| 00000380: 0D 0A 73 65 6D 69 2D 73 69 6C 6C 79 20 6D 6F 64 |..semi-silly mod| 00000390: 65 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 67 69 76 65 20 74 68 65 |es that give the| 000003A0: 20 56 49 43 20 63 68 69 70 20 69 74 73 20 76 65 | VIC chip its ve| 000003B0: 72 73 61 74 69 6C 74 79 29 2E 20 20 54 68 65 72 |rsatilty). Ther| 000003C0: 65 20 61 72 6E 27 74 20 72 65 61 6C 6C 79 0D 0A |e arn't really..| 000003D0: 61 6E 79 20 75 6E 73 75 70 70 6F 72 74 65 64 20 |any unsupported | 000003E0: 6D 6F 64 65 73 20 61 73 20 69 66 20 74 68 65 72 |modes as if ther| 000003F0: 65 20 77 61 73 20 61 20 68 69 64 64 65 6E 20 6D |e was a hidden m| 00000400: 6F 64 65 2C 20 6D 65 61 6E 69 6E 67 20 6F 6E 65 |ode, meaning one| 00000410: 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 | the..designers | 00000420: 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 6B 6E 6F 77 20 61 62 6F 75 |didn't know abou| 00000430: 74 2C 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 75 73 75 61 6C 6C |t, it was usuall| 00000440: 79 20 65 78 70 6C 6F 69 74 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 |y exploited by t| 00000450: 68 65 20 69 6E 67 65 6E 69 6F 75 73 20 63 72 6F |he ingenious cro| 00000460: 77 64 0D 0A 6F 66 20 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 65 72 |wd..of developer| 00000470: 73 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 42 69 6C 0D 0A 0D 0A 50 2E 53 |s.....Bil....P.S| 00000480: 2E 20 48 61 76 65 20 79 6F 75 20 63 6F 6D 65 20 |. Have you come | 00000490: 61 63 72 6F 73 73 20 61 6E 79 20 6D 65 6E 74 69 |across any menti| 000004A0: 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 31 30 2D 48 |on of the 8510-H| 000004B0: 45 52 44 3F 20 20 53 70 65 63 69 61 6C 20 72 75 |ERD? Special ru| 000004C0: 6E 20 63 68 69 70 20 28 34 38 0D 0A 70 69 6E 29 |n chip (48..pin)| 000004D0: 20 74 68 61 74 20 77 61 73 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 67 | that was like g| 000004E0: 6F 6C 64 20 74 6F 20 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 65 72 |old to developer| 000004F0: 73 20 64 75 72 69 6E 67 20 43 31 32 38 20 64 65 |s during C128 de| 00000500: 76 65 6C 6F 70 6D 65 6E 74 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A |velopment.......| 00000510: 0D 0A 31 32 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 3A |..12-Jan-93 19:| 00000520: 32 38 3A 30 35 0D 0A 0D 0A 43 6F 6D 69 6E 67 20 |28:05....Coming | 00000530: 73 6F 6F 6E 20 74 6F 20 61 20 74 65 72 6D 69 6E |soon to a termin| 00000540: 61 6C 20 6E 65 61 72 20 79 6F 75 2E 2E 2E 20 74 |al near you... t| 00000550: 68 65 20 67 72 75 65 73 6F 6D 65 20 73 74 6F 72 |he gruesome stor| 00000560: 79 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 74 68 |y of the chip th| 00000570: 61 74 0D 0A 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 72 75 69 6E 65 |at..almost ruine| 00000580: 64 20 43 45 53 20 28 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 20 43 |d CES (and the C| 00000590: 31 32 38 20 61 6C 6F 6E 67 20 77 69 74 68 20 69 |128 along with i| 000005A0: 74 29 0D 0A 0D 0A 45 58 50 45 52 49 45 4E 43 45 |t)....EXPERIENCE| 000005B0: 20 74 68 65 20 73 68 61 6D 65 20 61 6E 64 20 68 | the shame and h| 000005C0: 6F 72 72 6F 72 20 6F 66 20 62 65 69 6E 67 20 61 |orror of being a| 000005D0: 20 43 68 69 70 20 44 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 61 | Chip Designer a| 000005E0: 74 20 43 6F 6D 6D 6F 64 6F 72 65 20 64 75 72 69 |t Commodore duri| 000005F0: 6E 67 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 57 69 74 63 68 20 68 75 |ng..the Witch hu| 00000600: 6E 74 73 21 0D 0A 0D 0A 53 45 45 20 74 68 65 20 |nts!....SEE the | 00000610: 65 78 70 72 65 73 69 6F 6E 73 20 6F 6E 20 4D 61 |expresions on Ma| 00000620: 6E 61 67 65 72 73 20 66 61 63 65 73 20 77 68 65 |nagers faces whe| 00000630: 6E 20 74 68 65 79 20 72 65 61 6C 69 7A 65 20 74 |n they realize t| 00000640: 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 42 6F 6E 75 73 65 |hat their Bonuse| 00000650: 73 20 61 72 65 0D 0A 61 74 20 73 74 61 6B 65 21 |s are..at stake!| 00000660: 0D 0A 0D 0A 48 45 41 52 20 74 68 65 20 77 6F 65 |....HEAR the woe| 00000670: 66 75 6C 20 6C 61 6D 65 6E 74 69 6E 67 20 6F 66 |ful lamenting of| 00000680: 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 67 72 61 6D 65 72 73 20 | the programers | 00000690: 61 73 20 74 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 62 65 61 74 |as they are beat| 000006A0: 65 6E 20 66 6F 72 20 6E 6F 0D 0A 61 70 70 61 72 |en for no..appar| 000006B0: 65 6E 74 20 72 65 61 73 6F 6E 21 0D 0A 0D 0A 53 |ent reason!....S| 000006C0: 48 41 52 45 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 70 65 72 69 65 |HARE the experie| 000006D0: 6E 63 65 20 6F 66 20 62 65 69 6E 67 20 61 20 48 |nce of being a H| 000006E0: 61 72 64 77 61 72 65 20 45 6E 67 69 6E 65 65 72 |ardware Engineer| 000006F0: 2E 2E 2E 20 73 74 61 6C 6B 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 |... stalking the| 00000700: 20 68 61 6C 6C 73 20 69 6E 0D 0A 73 65 61 72 63 | halls in..searc| 00000710: 68 20 6F 66 20 70 72 6F 67 72 61 6D 6D 65 72 73 |h of programmers| 00000720: 20 74 6F 20 62 65 61 74 20 28 66 6F 72 20 6E 6F | to beat (for no| 00000730: 20 61 70 70 61 72 65 6E 74 20 72 65 61 73 6F 6E | apparent reason| 00000740: 29 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 4C 45 41 52 4E 20 68 6F 77 20 |).....LEARN how | 00000750: 74 6F 20 73 61 79 20 22 54 48 49 53 20 43 48 49 |to say "THIS CHI| 00000760: 50 20 4F 4E 45 20 53 49 43 4B 20 50 55 50 22 20 |P ONE SICK PUP" | 00000770: 69 6E 20 4A 61 70 61 6E 65 73 65 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A |in Japanese.....| 00000780: 46 69 6E 64 20 6F 75 74 20 6A 75 73 74 20 68 6F |Find out just ho| 00000790: 77 20 62 61 64 6C 79 20 62 75 73 74 65 64 20 75 |w badly busted u| 000007A0: 70 20 74 68 65 20 38 30 20 63 6F 6C 75 6D 6E 20 |p the 80 column | 000007B0: 63 68 69 70 20 77 61 73 20 61 6E 64 20 68 6F 77 |chip was and how| 000007C0: 20 6D 61 6E 79 20 44 49 52 54 59 0D 0A 66 69 78 | many DIRTY..fix| 000007D0: 65 73 20 77 65 72 65 20 6E 65 65 64 65 64 20 74 |es were needed t| 000007E0: 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 6C 6C 20 |o make that all | 000007F0: 63 72 75 63 69 61 6C 20 73 68 6F 77 20 69 6E 20 |crucial show in | 00000800: 56 65 67 61 73 20 6F 6E 20 4A 61 6E 75 61 72 79 |Vegas on January| 00000810: 20 36 2E 0D 0A 28 43 68 72 69 73 74 6D 61 73 2C | 6...(Christmas,| 00000820: 20 77 68 61 74 20 43 68 72 69 73 74 6D 61 73 29 | what Christmas)| 00000830: 2E 20 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 3C 53 61 69 64 20 72 61 74 |. .....<Said rat| 00000840: 68 65 72 20 63 6F 79 6C 79 20 69 6E 20 61 6E 20 |her coyly in an | 00000850: 61 74 74 65 6D 70 74 20 74 6F 20 65 6C 69 63 69 |attempt to elici| 00000860: 74 20 61 6E 79 20 70 6F 73 69 74 69 76 65 20 72 |t any positive r| 00000870: 65 73 70 6F 6E 73 65 73 3E 20 55 6E 6C 65 73 73 |esponses> Unless| 00000880: 20 6F 66 0D 0A 63 6F 75 72 73 65 20 6E 6F 20 6F | of..course no o| 00000890: 6E 65 20 69 73 20 69 6E 74 65 72 65 73 74 65 64 |ne is interested| 000008A0: 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 3A 29 20 42 69 6C 0D 0A 0D 0A |..... :) Bil....| 000008B0: 0D 0A 31 34 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 35 3A |..14-Jan-93 15:| 000008C0: 33 37 3A 35 39 0D 0A 0D 0A 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 |37:59....This is| 000008D0: 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 6F 66 20 6D 61 | the first of ma| 000008E0: 6E 79 20 70 61 72 74 73 20 61 73 20 74 68 69 73 |ny parts as this| 000008F0: 20 74 68 69 6E 67 20 77 65 6E 74 20 72 6F 75 6E | thing went roun| 00000900: 64 20 61 6E 64 20 72 6F 75 6E 64 20 64 75 72 69 |d and round duri| 00000910: 6E 67 20 6F 75 72 0D 0A 6D 61 64 20 64 61 73 68 |ng our..mad dash| 00000920: 20 74 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 74 68 65 20 43 45 53 | to make the CES| 00000930: 20 73 68 6F 77 2E 20 49 20 64 6F 6E 27 74 20 65 | show. I don't e| 00000940: 76 65 6E 20 72 65 6D 65 6D 62 65 72 20 77 68 61 |ven remember wha| 00000950: 74 20 79 65 61 72 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 2E 20 54 |t year it was. T| 00000960: 68 65 0D 0A 38 35 36 33 20 77 61 73 20 61 20 68 |he..8563 was a h| 00000970: 6F 6C 64 6F 76 65 72 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 65 |oldover from the| 00000980: 20 5A 38 30 30 30 20 62 61 73 65 64 20 43 39 30 | Z8000 based C90| 00000990: 30 20 28 74 68 65 20 22 5A 22 20 6D 61 63 68 69 |0 (the "Z" machi| 000009A0: 6E 65 20 61 73 20 77 65 20 63 61 6C 6C 65 64 0D |ne as we called.| 000009B0: 0A 69 74 29 2E 20 54 68 65 20 70 65 6F 70 6C 65 |.it). The people| 000009C0: 20 77 68 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 6F 6E 20 69 | who worked on i| 000009D0: 74 20 77 65 72 65 20 63 61 6C 6C 65 64 20 74 68 |t were called th| 000009E0: 65 20 22 5A 22 20 70 65 6F 70 6C 65 2C 20 74 68 |e "Z" people, th| 000009F0: 65 20 70 6C 61 63 65 20 74 68 65 79 0D 0A 68 75 |e place they..hu| 00000A00: 6E 67 20 6F 75 74 20 77 61 73 20 63 61 6C 6C 65 |ng out was calle| 00000A10: 64 20 74 68 65 20 22 5A 22 20 6C 6F 75 6E 67 65 |d the "Z" lounge| 00000A20: 20 61 6E 64 20 77 65 6C 6C 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 79 6F | and well.... yo| 00000A30: 75 20 67 65 74 20 74 68 65 20 69 64 65 61 2E 0D |u get the idea..| 00000A40: 0A 0D 0A 54 68 65 20 6D 6F 73 74 20 69 6E 74 65 |...The most inte| 00000A50: 72 65 73 74 69 6E 67 20 74 68 69 6E 67 20 74 68 |resting thing th| 00000A60: 61 74 20 63 61 6D 65 20 6F 75 74 20 6F 66 20 74 |at came out of t| 00000A70: 68 61 74 20 67 72 6F 75 70 20 62 65 73 69 64 65 |hat group beside| 00000A80: 73 20 61 20 64 69 73 6B 0D 0A 63 6F 6E 74 72 6F |s a disk..contro| 00000A90: 6C 6C 65 72 20 74 68 61 74 20 70 72 6F 6D 70 74 |ller that prompt| 00000AA0: 65 64 20 79 6F 75 20 66 6F 72 20 77 68 61 74 20 |ed you for what | 00000AB0: 73 65 63 74 6F 72 20 61 6E 64 20 63 79 6C 69 6E |sector and cylin| 00000AC0: 64 65 72 20 79 6F 75 27 64 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 74 |der you'd like t| 00000AD0: 6F 20 77 72 69 74 65 0D 0A 74 6F 20 6F 6E 20 65 |o write..to on e| 00000AE0: 76 65 72 79 20 61 63 63 65 73 73 2C 20 77 61 73 |very access, was| 00000AF0: 20 6F 6E 65 20 64 61 79 20 74 68 65 79 20 73 74 | one day they st| 00000B00: 6F 6C 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 75 72 6E 69 74 75 72 |ole the furnitur| 00000B10: 65 20 6F 75 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 6C 6F 62 |e out of the lob| 00000B20: 62 79 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 6D 61 64 65 20 74 68 65 |by and..made the| 00000B30: 69 72 20 6F 77 6E 20 6C 6F 75 6E 67 65 20 64 69 |ir own lounge di| 00000B40: 73 67 75 69 73 69 6E 67 20 69 74 20 61 73 20 61 |sguising it as a| 00000B50: 20 56 41 58 20 72 65 70 61 69 72 20 64 65 70 6F | VAX repair depo| 00000B60: 74 2E 20 57 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 73 6F 0D 0A 61 |t. We were so..a| 00000B70: 6D 75 73 65 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 69 73 20 74 68 |mused by this th| 00000B80: 61 74 20 77 65 20 73 74 6F 70 70 65 64 20 74 65 |at we stopped te| 00000B90: 61 73 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 6D 20 66 6F 72 20 61 |asing them for a| 00000BA0: 20 77 65 65 6B 2E 20 20 28 42 75 74 20 49 20 62 | week. (But I b| 00000BB0: 65 63 6F 6D 65 0D 0A 64 69 73 74 72 61 63 74 65 |ecome..distracte| 00000BC0: 64 2E 2E 2E 2E 29 0D 0A 0D 0A 4E 6F 77 20 74 68 |d....)....Now th| 00000BD0: 65 20 76 65 72 79 20 76 65 72 79 20 76 65 72 79 |e very very very| 00000BE0: 20 65 61 72 6C 79 20 63 6F 6E 63 65 70 74 20 6F | early concept o| 00000BF0: 66 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 77 61 73 20 62 |f the C128 was b| 00000C00: 61 73 65 64 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 44 31 32 38 |ased on the D128| 00000C10: 2C 20 61 0D 0A 36 35 30 39 20 62 61 73 65 64 20 |, a..6509 based | 00000C20: 63 72 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 28 62 6F 6F 2E 2E 2E |creature (boo...| 00000C30: 20 68 69 73 73 29 2E 20 20 54 68 65 20 65 6E 67 | hiss). The eng| 00000C40: 69 6E 65 65 72 73 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 |ineers on the pr| 00000C50: 6F 6A 65 63 74 20 68 61 64 20 74 61 63 6B 65 64 |oject had tacked| 00000C60: 20 61 0D 0A 56 49 43 20 63 68 69 70 20 6F 6E 74 | a..VIC chip ont| 00000C70: 6F 20 74 68 65 20 6F 74 68 65 72 77 69 73 65 20 |o the otherwise | 00000C80: 6D 6F 6E 63 68 72 6F 6D 65 20 28 36 38 34 35 20 |monchrome (6845 | 00000C90: 62 61 73 65 64 29 20 69 6E 20 61 6E 20 65 66 66 |based) in an eff| 00000CA0: 6F 72 74 20 74 6F 20 61 64 64 20 73 6F 6D 65 0D |ort to add some.| 00000CB0: 0A 63 6F 6C 6F 72 20 74 6F 20 61 6E 20 6F 74 68 |.color to an oth| 00000CC0: 65 72 77 69 73 65 20 64 72 61 62 20 6D 61 63 68 |erwise drab mach| 00000CD0: 69 6E 65 2E 20 4E 6F 20 6F 6E 65 20 64 72 65 61 |ine. No one drea| 00000CE0: 6D 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 43 36 34 20 63 6F 6D |med that C64 com| 00000CF0: 70 61 74 69 62 69 6C 69 74 79 20 77 61 73 0D 0A |patibility was..| 00000D00: 70 6F 73 73 69 62 6C 65 20 73 6F 20 6E 6F 20 6F |possible so no o| 00000D10: 6E 65 20 74 68 6F 75 67 68 74 20 61 6C 6F 6E 67 |ne thought along| 00000D20: 20 74 68 6F 73 65 20 6C 69 6E 65 73 2E 20 49 20 | those lines. I | 00000D30: 77 61 73 20 6A 75 73 74 20 63 6F 6D 69 6E 67 20 |was just coming | 00000D40: 6F 66 66 20 6F 66 0D 0A 66 69 6E 69 73 68 69 6E |off of..finishin| 00000D50: 67 20 74 68 65 20 50 4C 55 53 20 34 20 28 62 65 |g the PLUS 4 (be| 00000D60: 66 6F 72 65 20 74 68 65 79 20 61 64 64 65 64 20 |fore they added | 00000D70: 74 68 61 74 20 41 57 46 55 4C 20 62 75 69 6C 74 |that AWFUL built| 00000D80: 20 69 6E 20 73 6F 66 74 77 61 72 65 20 74 6F 20 | in software to | 00000D90: 69 74 29 0D 0A 61 6E 64 20 65 76 65 6E 20 74 68 |it)..and even th| 00000DA0: 6F 75 67 68 20 49 20 68 61 64 20 64 6F 6E 65 20 |ough I had done | 00000DB0: 65 78 61 63 74 6C 79 20 77 68 61 74 20 49 20 77 |exactly what I w| 00000DC0: 61 73 20 74 6F 6C 64 20 74 6F 20 64 6F 20 49 20 |as told to do I | 00000DD0: 77 61 73 20 6E 6F 74 20 68 61 70 70 79 20 77 69 |was not happy wi| 00000DE0: 74 68 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 65 6E 64 20 72 65 73 75 |th..the end resu| 00000DF0: 6C 74 20 61 6E 64 20 68 61 64 20 64 65 63 69 64 |lt and had decid| 00000E00: 65 64 20 74 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 74 68 65 20 6E |ed to make the n| 00000E10: 65 78 74 20 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 20 63 6F 6D 70 |ext machine comp| 00000E20: 61 74 69 62 6C 65 20 77 69 74 68 0D 0A 5F 73 6F |atible with.._so| 00000E30: 6D 65 74 68 69 6E 67 5F 20 69 6E 73 74 65 61 64 |mething_ instead| 00000E40: 20 6F 66 20 79 65 74 20 61 6E 6F 74 68 65 72 20 | of yet another | 00000E50: 69 6E 63 6F 6D 70 61 74 69 62 6C 65 20 43 42 4D |incompatible CBM| 00000E60: 20 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 2E 20 28 49 20 77 6F 6E | machine. (I won| 00000E70: 27 74 20 67 6F 20 69 6E 74 6F 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 |'t go into..the | 00000E80: 22 79 65 73 20 56 69 72 67 69 6E 69 61 20 74 68 |"yes Virginia th| 00000E90: 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 43 6F 6D 70 61 74 69 62 69 |ere is Compatibi| 00000EA0: 6C 69 74 79 22 20 6D 65 6D 6F 20 74 68 61 74 20 |lity" memo that | 00000EB0: 49 20 77 72 6F 74 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 68 61 64 |I wrote that had| 00000EC0: 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 6C 61 77 79 65 72 73 20 6D 61 | the..lawyers ma| 00000ED0: 6E 79 20 79 65 61 72 73 20 6C 61 74 65 72 20 73 |ny years later s| 00000EE0: 74 69 6C 6C 20 63 68 75 63 6B 6C 69 6E 67 2C 20 |till chuckling, | 00000EF0: 73 75 66 66 69 63 65 20 69 74 20 74 6F 20 73 61 |suffice it to sa| 00000F00: 79 20 49 20 6D 61 64 65 20 73 6F 6D 65 0D 0A 66 |y I made some..f| 00000F10: 61 69 72 6C 79 20 62 72 61 73 68 20 73 74 61 74 |airly brash stat| 00000F20: 65 6D 65 6E 74 73 20 72 65 67 61 72 64 69 6E 67 |ements regarding| 00000F30: 20 6D 79 20 6F 70 69 6E 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 70 | my opinion of p| 00000F40: 72 6F 64 75 63 74 20 73 74 72 61 74 65 67 79 29 |roduct strategy)| 00000F50: 0D 0A 43 6F 6E 73 65 71 75 65 6E 74 6C 79 2C 20 |..Consequently, | 00000F60: 49 20 77 61 73 20 61 6C 6C 6F 77 65 64 2F 66 6F |I was allowed/fo| 00000F70: 72 63 65 64 20 74 6F 20 70 75 74 20 6D 79 20 6D |rced to put my m| 00000F80: 6F 6E 65 79 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 6D 79 20 6D 6F |oney where my mo| 00000F90: 75 74 68 20 77 61 73 20 61 6E 64 20 49 0D 0A 74 |uth was and I..t| 00000FA0: 6F 6F 6B 20 6F 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 |ook over the C12| 00000FB0: 38 20 70 72 6F 6A 65 63 74 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 49 20 |8 project.....I | 00000FC0: 6C 6F 6F 6B 65 64 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 |looked at the ex| 00000FD0: 69 73 74 69 6E 67 20 73 63 68 65 6D 61 74 69 63 |isting schematic| 00000FE0: 73 20 6F 6E 63 65 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 6E 20 |s once and then | 00000FF0: 73 74 61 72 74 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 6E |started with a n| 00001000: 65 77 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 0D 0A 62 61 73 65 64 |ew design..based| 00001010: 20 6F 6E 20 43 36 34 6E 65 73 73 2E 20 54 68 65 | on C64ness. The| 00001020: 20 6D 61 6E 61 67 65 72 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 | manager of the | 00001030: 63 68 69 70 20 67 72 6F 75 70 20 61 70 70 72 6F |chip group appro| 00001040: 61 63 68 65 64 20 6D 65 20 61 6E 64 20 73 61 69 |ached me and sai| 00001050: 64 20 74 68 65 79 0D 0A 68 61 64 20 61 20 63 6F |d they..had a co| 00001060: 6C 6F 72 20 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 74 |lor version of t| 00001070: 68 65 20 36 38 34 35 20 69 66 20 49 20 77 61 73 |he 6845 if I was| 00001080: 20 69 6E 74 65 72 65 73 74 65 64 20 69 6E 20 75 | interested in u| 00001090: 73 69 6E 67 20 69 74 20 69 74 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 |sing it it would| 000010A0: 0D 0A 64 65 66 66 69 6E 61 74 65 6C 79 20 62 65 |..deffinately be| 000010B0: 20 64 6F 6E 65 20 69 6E 20 74 69 6D 65 20 68 61 | done in time ha| 000010C0: 76 69 6E 67 20 62 65 65 6E 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 |ving been worked| 000010D0: 20 6F 6E 20 61 6C 72 65 61 64 79 20 66 6F 72 20 | on already for | 000010E0: 61 20 79 65 61 72 20 61 6E 64 20 61 0D 0A 68 61 |a year and a..ha| 000010F0: 6C 66 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 41 6E 64 20 73 6F 20 |lf...... And so | 00001100: 74 68 65 20 73 74 6F 72 79 20 62 65 67 69 6E 73 |the story begins| 00001110: 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 28 74 6F 20 62 65 20 63 6F 6E |..... (to be con| 00001120: 74 69 6E 75 65 64 29 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 31 36 2D |tinued)......16-| 00001130: 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 3A 30 36 3A 32 38 |Jan-93 19:06:28| 00001140: 0D 0A 0D 0A 4C 6F 6F 6B 69 6E 67 20 62 61 63 6B |....Looking back| 00001150: 20 49 20 72 65 61 6C 69 7A 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 | I realize that | 00001160: 74 68 65 20 73 6F 75 72 63 65 20 6F 66 20 61 20 |the source of a | 00001170: 6C 6F 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 62 6C |lot of the probl| 00001180: 65 6D 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 |ems with the 856| 00001190: 33 0D 0A 69 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 74 20 77 61 |3..is that it wa| 000011A0: 73 6E 27 74 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 64 20 46 4F |sn't designed FO| 000011B0: 52 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 61 6E 64 20 74 |R the C128 and t| 000011C0: 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 49 43 20 64 65 73 69 67 |hat the IC desig| 000011D0: 6E 65 72 73 20 64 69 64 20 6E 6F 74 0D 0A 74 61 |ners did not..ta| 000011E0: 6B 65 20 70 61 72 74 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 61 |ke part in the a| 000011F0: 70 70 6C 69 63 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 74 68 |pplication of th| 00001200: 65 69 72 20 63 68 69 70 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 |eir chip the way| 00001210: 20 74 68 65 20 6F 74 68 65 72 20 64 65 73 69 67 | the other desig| 00001220: 6E 65 72 73 20 64 69 64 2E 0D 0A 54 68 65 20 56 |ners did...The V| 00001230: 49 43 20 61 6E 64 20 4D 4D 55 20 64 65 73 69 67 |IC and MMU desig| 00001240: 6E 65 72 73 20 74 6F 6F 6B 20 61 6E 20 61 63 74 |ners took an act| 00001250: 69 76 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 65 73 74 20 69 6E 20 |ive interest in | 00001260: 68 6F 77 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 63 68 69 70 20 77 |how their chip w| 00001270: 61 73 20 75 73 65 64 0D 0A 61 6E 64 20 68 6F 77 |as used..and how| 00001280: 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 20 64 65 73 69 | the system desi| 00001290: 67 6E 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 69 6E 20 72 65 6C |gn worked in rel| 000012A0: 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 63 |ation to their c| 000012B0: 68 69 70 2E 20 49 20 6F 76 65 72 6C 6F 6F 6B 65 |hip. I overlooke| 000012C0: 64 0D 0A 72 61 6D 69 66 69 63 61 74 69 6F 6E 73 |d..ramifications| 000012D0: 20 6F 66 20 68 6F 77 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 | of how the 8563| 000012E0: 20 77 61 73 20 73 70 65 63 27 65 64 20 74 6F 20 | was spec'ed to | 000012F0: 77 6F 72 6B 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 61 6D 65 20 62 |work that came b| 00001300: 61 63 6B 20 74 6F 20 68 61 75 6E 74 20 6D 65 0D |ack to haunt me.| 00001310: 0A 6C 61 74 65 72 2E 20 46 6F 72 20 65 78 61 6D |.later. For exam| 00001320: 70 6C 65 2C 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 65 78 70 6C |ple, it was expl| 00001330: 61 69 6E 65 64 20 74 6F 20 6D 65 20 68 6F 77 20 |ained to me how | 00001340: 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 |there was this b| 00001350: 6C 6F 63 6B 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 0D 0A 66 |lock transfer..f| 00001360: 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 66 6F 72 20 74 72 61 6E 73 |eature for trans| 00001370: 66 65 72 72 69 6E 67 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 |ferring characte| 00001380: 72 73 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 69 6E 67 73 20 6C 69 |rs for things li| 00001390: 6B 65 20 73 63 72 6F 6C 6C 69 6E 67 2E 20 20 43 |ke scrolling. C| 000013A0: 6F 6F 6C 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 77 65 0D 0A 6E 65 65 64 |ool.... we..need| 000013B0: 20 74 68 61 74 2E 20 4C 61 74 65 72 20 69 74 20 | that. Later it | 000013C0: 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 74 75 72 6E 20 6F 75 74 20 77 |would turn out w| 000013D0: 68 65 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 |hen this feature| 000013E0: 20 66 69 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 64 69 64 20 77 6F 72 | finally did wor| 000013F0: 6B 0D 0A 63 6F 72 72 65 63 74 6C 79 20 74 68 61 |k..correctly tha| 00001400: 74 20 69 74 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 77 61 73 20 67 6F |t it only was go| 00001410: 6F 64 20 66 6F 72 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 |od for 256 chara| 00001420: 63 74 65 72 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 74 69 6D 65 2E |cters at a time.| 00001430: 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 0D | 256 characters.| 00001440: 0A 61 74 20 61 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 32 35 36 20 |.at a time. 256 | 00001450: 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 |characters at a | 00001460: 74 69 6D 65 3F 3F 20 49 20 6E 65 76 65 72 20 73 |time?? I never s| 00001470: 74 6F 70 70 65 64 20 74 6F 20 74 68 69 6E 6B 20 |topped to think | 00001480: 74 6F 20 61 73 6B 20 69 66 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 66 |to ask if the..f| 00001490: 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 73 65 6D 69 2D |eature was semi-| 000014A0: 75 73 65 6C 65 73 73 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 |useless because | 000014B0: 69 74 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 62 6C |it could only bl| 000014C0: 6F 63 6B 20 6D 6F 76 65 20 33 20 61 6E 64 20 31 |ock move 3 and 1| 000014D0: 2F 33 20 6C 69 6E 65 73 20 61 74 0D 0A 61 20 74 |/3 lines at..a t| 000014E0: 69 6D 65 2E 20 44 69 64 20 49 20 6D 65 6E 74 69 |ime. Did I menti| 000014F0: 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 6D 6F 76 |on the block mov| 00001500: 65 20 77 61 73 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 67 6F 6F 64 20 |e was only good | 00001510: 66 6F 72 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 |for 256 characte| 00001520: 72 73 2E 20 20 4C 61 74 65 72 0D 0A 61 20 62 75 |rs. Later..a bu| 00001530: 67 20 69 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 |g in this featur| 00001540: 65 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 70 |e would almost p| 00001550: 72 6F 76 65 20 61 20 73 68 6F 77 20 73 74 6F 70 |rove a show stop| 00001560: 70 65 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 73 65 72 69 6F |per with a serio| 00001570: 75 73 0D 0A 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 73 68 6F 77 |us..problem show| 00001580: 69 6E 67 20 75 70 20 69 6E 20 56 65 67 61 73 20 |ing up in Vegas | 00001590: 74 68 65 20 6E 69 67 68 74 20 6F 66 20 73 65 74 |the night of set| 000015A0: 75 70 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 43 45 |up before the CE| 000015B0: 53 20 73 68 6F 77 2E 20 42 75 74 20 49 20 67 65 |S show. But I ge| 000015C0: 74 0D 0A 61 68 65 61 64 20 6F 66 20 6D 79 73 65 |t..ahead of myse| 000015D0: 6C 66 2E 20 49 74 20 77 61 73 20 61 6C 73 6F 20 |lf. It was also | 000015E0: 6D 79 20 75 6E 64 65 72 73 74 61 6E 64 69 6E 67 |my understanding| 000015F0: 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 61 72 74 20 | that this part | 00001600: 68 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6D 65 0D 0A 6F 70 |had the same..op| 00001610: 65 72 61 74 69 6E 67 20 70 61 72 61 6D 65 74 65 |erating paramete| 00001620: 72 73 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 36 38 34 35 2C 20 |rs as the 6845, | 00001630: 61 20 56 45 52 59 20 63 6F 6D 6D 6F 6E 20 67 72 |a VERY common gr| 00001640: 61 70 68 69 63 73 20 61 64 61 70 74 65 72 2E 20 |aphics adapter. | 00001650: 20 4E 6F 74 0D 0A 73 63 72 75 74 69 6E 69 7A 69 | Not..scrutinizi| 00001660: 6E 67 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 66 6F 72 20 |ng the chip for | 00001670: 74 69 6D 69 6E 67 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 65 6E 63 |timing differenc| 00001680: 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 49 20 6E 6F 72 |es the way I nor| 00001690: 6D 61 6C 6C 79 20 64 69 64 20 61 6E 79 20 6E 65 |mally did any ne| 000016A0: 77 0D 0A 63 68 69 70 20 77 61 73 20 61 6E 6F 74 |w..chip was anot| 000016B0: 68 65 72 20 6D 69 73 74 61 6B 65 20 49 20 6D 61 |her mistake I ma| 000016C0: 64 65 2E 20 20 54 68 65 20 6D 61 6A 6F 72 20 74 |de. The major t| 000016D0: 69 6D 69 6E 67 73 20 69 6E 64 69 63 61 74 65 64 |imings indicated| 000016E0: 20 77 68 61 74 20 73 70 65 65 64 0D 0A 63 6C 61 | what speed..cla| 000016F0: 73 73 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 69 6E 20 61 6E 64 |ss it was in and| 00001700: 20 49 20 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 63 68 65 63 6B 20 | I didn't check | 00001710: 74 68 65 6D 20 61 6C 6C 2E 20 49 20 62 6C 61 6D |them all. I blam| 00001720: 65 20 6D 79 73 65 6C 66 20 61 73 20 74 68 69 73 |e myself as this| 00001730: 20 72 65 61 6C 6C 79 20 69 73 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 | really is..the | 00001740: 74 79 70 65 20 6F 66 20 6D 69 73 74 61 6B 65 20 |type of mistake | 00001750: 61 6E 20 61 6D 61 74 65 75 72 20 6D 61 6B 65 73 |an amateur makes| 00001760: 2E 20 20 49 20 77 6F 6E 64 65 72 20 69 66 20 49 |. I wonder if I| 00001770: 20 77 61 73 20 69 6E 20 61 20 68 75 72 72 79 20 | was in a hurry | 00001780: 74 68 61 74 20 64 61 79 2E 0D 0A 3A 29 0D 0A 0D |that day...:)...| 00001790: 0A 0D 0A 31 36 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 |...16-Jan-93 19| 000017A0: 3A 30 36 3A 33 39 0D 0A 0D 0A 49 74 20 74 75 72 |:06:39....It tur| 000017B0: 6E 73 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 20 6D 61 |ns out that a ma| 000017C0: 6A 6F 72 20 63 68 61 6E 67 65 20 68 61 64 20 62 |jor change had b| 000017D0: 65 65 6E 20 6D 61 64 65 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 |een made to the | 000017E0: 77 61 79 20 74 68 65 20 52 65 61 64 2F 57 72 69 |way the Read/Wri| 000017F0: 74 65 20 6C 69 6E 65 0D 0A 77 61 73 20 68 61 6E |te line..was han| 00001800: 64 6C 65 64 2E 20 57 68 65 6E 20 49 20 61 73 6B |dled. When I ask| 00001810: 65 64 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 74 68 69 73 2C 20 56 |ed about this, V| 00001820: 45 52 59 20 6C 61 74 65 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 |ERY late in the | 00001830: 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 63 79 63 6C 65 2C 20 6C 69 |design cycle, li| 00001840: 6B 65 20 69 6E 0D 0A 50 72 6F 64 75 63 74 69 6F |ke in..Productio| 00001850: 6E 20 77 68 65 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6F 62 |n when this prob| 00001860: 6C 65 6D 20 74 75 72 6E 65 64 20 75 70 2C 20 49 |lem turned up, I| 00001870: 20 77 61 73 20 74 6F 6C 64 20 22 72 65 6D 65 6D | was told "remem| 00001880: 62 65 72 2C 2C 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 61 73 0D 0A |ber,, this was..| 00001890: 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 64 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B |designed to work| 000018A0: 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 5A 38 30 30 30 20 6D 61 | in the Z8000 ma| 000018B0: 63 68 69 6E 65 2E 22 20 3F 3F 3F 21 21 21 21 20 |chine." ???!!!! | 000018C0: 3F 3F 3F 3F 21 21 21 21 20 53 68 6F 75 6C 64 61 |????!!!! Shoulda| 000018D0: 20 73 65 65 6E 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 6C 6F 6F 6B 20 | seen the..look | 000018E0: 6F 6E 20 6D 79 20 66 61 63 65 21 20 45 76 65 6E |on my face! Even| 000018F0: 20 74 68 6F 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 5A 38 30 30 | though the Z800| 00001900: 30 20 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 20 77 61 73 20 6C 6F |0 machine was lo| 00001910: 6E 67 20 64 65 61 64 20 61 6E 64 20 77 65 20 68 |ng dead and we h| 00001920: 61 64 20 62 65 65 6E 0D 0A 54 52 59 49 4E 47 20 |ad been..TRYING | 00001930: 66 6F 72 20 36 20 6D 6F 6E 74 68 73 20 74 6F 20 |for 6 months to | 00001940: 75 73 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 64 61 6D 6D 20 74 68 |use this damm th| 00001950: 69 6E 67 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 |ing in the C128 | 00001960: 49 27 6D 20 62 65 69 6E 67 20 74 6F 6C 64 20 4E |I'm being told N| 00001970: 4F 57 0D 0A 74 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 20 64 69 64 |OW..that you did| 00001980: 6E 27 74 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 69 74 20 74 6F |n't design it to| 00001990: 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 77 65 | work the way we| 000019A0: 27 76 65 20 62 65 65 6E 20 75 73 69 6E 67 20 69 |'ve been using i| 000019B0: 74 20 66 6F 72 20 36 20 6D 6F 6E 74 68 73 3F 0D |t for 6 months?.| 000019C0: 0A 53 68 6F 75 6C 64 61 20 61 73 6B 65 64 2E 2E |.Shoulda asked..| 000019D0: 2E 2E 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 6D 79 20 66 61 75 |.. it was my fau| 000019E0: 6C 74 2C 20 73 68 6F 75 6C 64 61 20 61 73 6B 65 |lt, shoulda aske| 000019F0: 64 20 22 69 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 6D 65 61 6E 74 |d "is this meant| 00001A00: 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 22 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 0D 0A | to work".......| 00001A10: 3A 2F 0D 0A 0D 0A 4C 6F 6F 6B 69 6E 67 20 62 61 |:/....Looking ba| 00001A20: 63 6B 20 49 20 72 65 61 6C 69 7A 65 20 74 68 61 |ck I realize tha| 00001A30: 74 20 74 68 65 20 73 6F 75 72 63 65 20 6F 66 20 |t the source of | 00001A40: 61 20 6C 6F 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F |a lot of the pro| 00001A50: 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 38 |blems with the 8| 00001A60: 35 36 33 0D 0A 69 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 74 20 |563..is that it | 00001A70: 77 61 73 6E 27 74 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 64 20 |wasn't designed | 00001A80: 46 4F 52 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 61 6E 64 |FOR the C128 and| 00001A90: 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 49 43 20 64 65 73 | that the IC des| 00001AA0: 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 64 69 64 20 6E 6F 74 0D 0A |igners did not..| 00001AB0: 74 61 6B 65 20 70 61 72 74 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 |take part in the| 00001AC0: 20 61 70 70 6C 69 63 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 | application of | 00001AD0: 74 68 65 69 72 20 63 68 69 70 20 74 68 65 20 77 |their chip the w| 00001AE0: 61 79 20 74 68 65 20 6F 74 68 65 72 20 64 65 73 |ay the other des| 00001AF0: 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 64 69 64 2E 0D 0A 54 68 65 |igners did...The| 00001B00: 20 56 49 43 20 61 6E 64 20 4D 4D 55 20 64 65 73 | VIC and MMU des| 00001B10: 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 74 6F 6F 6B 20 61 6E 20 61 |igners took an a| 00001B20: 63 74 69 76 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 65 73 74 20 69 |ctive interest i| 00001B30: 6E 20 68 6F 77 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 63 68 69 70 |n how their chip| 00001B40: 20 77 61 73 20 75 73 65 64 0D 0A 61 6E 64 20 68 | was used..and h| 00001B50: 6F 77 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 20 64 65 |ow the system de| 00001B60: 73 69 67 6E 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 69 6E 20 72 |sign worked in r| 00001B70: 65 6C 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 69 72 |elation to their| 00001B80: 20 63 68 69 70 2E 20 49 20 6F 76 65 72 6C 6F 6F | chip. I overloo| 00001B90: 6B 65 64 0D 0A 72 61 6D 69 66 69 63 61 74 69 6F |ked..ramificatio| 00001BA0: 6E 73 20 6F 66 20 68 6F 77 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 |ns of how the 85| 00001BB0: 36 33 20 77 61 73 20 73 70 65 63 27 65 64 20 74 |63 was spec'ed t| 00001BC0: 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 61 6D 65 |o work that came| 00001BD0: 20 62 61 63 6B 20 74 6F 20 68 61 75 6E 74 20 6D | back to haunt m| 00001BE0: 65 0D 0A 6C 61 74 65 72 2E 20 20 46 6F 72 20 65 |e..later. For e| 00001BF0: 78 61 6D 70 6C 65 2C 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 65 |xample, it was e| 00001C00: 78 70 6C 61 69 6E 65 64 20 74 6F 20 6D 65 20 68 |xplained to me h| 00001C10: 6F 77 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 69 |ow there was thi| 00001C20: 73 20 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 |s block transfer| 00001C30: 0D 0A 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 66 6F 72 20 74 72 |..feature for tr| 00001C40: 61 6E 73 66 65 72 72 69 6E 67 20 63 68 61 72 61 |ansferring chara| 00001C50: 63 74 65 72 73 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 69 6E 67 73 |cters for things| 00001C60: 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 73 63 72 6F 6C 6C 69 6E 67 2E | like scrolling.| 00001C70: 20 43 6F 6F 6C 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 77 65 0D 0A 6E 65 | Cool.... we..ne| 00001C80: 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 2E 20 4C 61 74 65 72 20 69 |ed that. Later i| 00001C90: 74 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 74 75 72 6E 20 6F 75 74 |t would turn out| 00001CA0: 20 77 68 65 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 66 65 61 74 75 | when this featu| 00001CB0: 72 65 20 66 69 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 64 69 64 20 77 |re finally did w| 00001CC0: 6F 72 6B 0D 0A 63 6F 72 72 65 63 74 6C 79 20 74 |ork..correctly t| 00001CD0: 68 61 74 20 69 74 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 77 61 73 20 |hat it only was | 00001CE0: 67 6F 6F 64 20 66 6F 72 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 |good for 256 cha| 00001CF0: 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 74 69 6D |racters at a tim| 00001D00: 65 2E 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 |e. 256 character| 00001D10: 73 0D 0A 61 74 20 61 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 32 35 |s..at a time. 25| 00001D20: 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 61 74 20 |6 characters at | 00001D30: 61 20 74 69 6D 65 3F 3F 20 49 20 6E 65 76 65 72 |a time?? I never| 00001D40: 20 73 74 6F 70 70 65 64 20 74 6F 20 74 68 69 6E | stopped to thin| 00001D50: 6B 20 74 6F 20 61 73 6B 20 69 66 20 74 68 65 0D |k to ask if the.| 00001D60: 0A 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 73 65 6D |.feature was sem| 00001D70: 69 2D 75 73 65 6C 65 73 73 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 |i-useless becaus| 00001D80: 65 20 69 74 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 |e it could only | 00001D90: 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 6D 6F 76 65 20 33 20 61 6E 64 |block move 3 and| 00001DA0: 20 31 2F 33 20 6C 69 6E 65 73 20 61 74 0D 0A 61 | 1/3 lines at..a| 00001DB0: 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 44 69 64 20 49 20 6D 65 6E | time. Did I men| 00001DC0: 74 69 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 6D |tion the block m| 00001DD0: 6F 76 65 20 77 61 73 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 67 6F 6F |ove was only goo| 00001DE0: 64 20 66 6F 72 20 32 35 36 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 |d for 256 charac| 00001DF0: 74 65 72 73 2E 20 20 4C 61 74 65 72 0D 0A 61 20 |ters. Later..a | 00001E00: 62 75 67 20 69 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 66 65 61 74 |bug in this feat| 00001E10: 75 72 65 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 |ure would almost| 00001E20: 20 70 72 6F 76 65 20 61 20 73 68 6F 77 20 73 74 | prove a show st| 00001E30: 6F 70 70 65 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 73 65 72 |opper with a ser| 00001E40: 69 6F 75 73 0D 0A 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 73 68 |ious..problem sh| 00001E50: 6F 77 69 6E 67 20 75 70 20 69 6E 20 56 65 67 61 |owing up in Vega| 00001E60: 73 20 74 68 65 20 6E 69 67 68 74 20 6F 66 20 73 |s the night of s| 00001E70: 65 74 75 70 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 74 68 65 20 |etup before the | 00001E80: 43 45 53 20 73 68 6F 77 2E 20 42 75 74 20 49 20 |CES show. But I | 00001E90: 67 65 74 0D 0A 61 68 65 61 64 20 6F 66 20 6D 79 |get..ahead of my| 00001EA0: 73 65 6C 66 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 31 36 2D 4A 61 |self.......16-Ja| 00001EB0: 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 3A 30 36 3A 35 30 0D 0A |n-93 19:06:50..| 00001EC0: 0D 0A 49 74 20 77 61 73 20 61 6C 73 6F 20 6D 79 |..It was also my| 00001ED0: 20 75 6E 64 65 72 73 74 61 6E 64 69 6E 67 20 74 | understanding t| 00001EE0: 68 61 74 20 74 68 69 73 20 70 61 72 74 20 68 61 |hat this part ha| 00001EF0: 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 6D 65 20 6F 70 65 72 61 |d the same opera| 00001F00: 74 69 6E 67 20 70 61 72 61 6D 65 74 65 72 73 0D |ting parameters.| 00001F10: 0A 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 36 38 34 35 2C 20 61 20 |.as the 6845, a | 00001F20: 56 45 52 59 20 63 6F 6D 6D 6F 6E 20 67 72 61 70 |VERY common grap| 00001F30: 68 69 63 73 20 61 64 61 70 74 65 72 2E 20 4E 6F |hics adapter. No| 00001F40: 74 20 73 63 72 75 74 69 6E 69 7A 69 6E 67 20 74 |t scrutinizing t| 00001F50: 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 66 6F 72 0D 0A 74 69 6D |he chip for..tim| 00001F60: 69 6E 67 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 65 6E 63 65 73 20 |ing differences | 00001F70: 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 49 20 6E 6F 72 6D 61 6C |the way I normal| 00001F80: 6C 79 20 64 69 64 20 61 6E 79 20 6E 65 77 20 63 |ly did any new c| 00001F90: 68 69 70 20 77 61 73 20 61 6E 6F 74 68 65 72 20 |hip was another | 00001FA0: 6D 69 73 74 61 6B 65 20 49 0D 0A 6D 61 64 65 2E |mistake I..made.| 00001FB0: 20 20 54 68 65 20 6D 61 6A 6F 72 20 74 69 6D 69 | The major timi| 00001FC0: 6E 67 73 20 69 6E 64 69 63 61 74 65 64 20 77 68 |ngs indicated wh| 00001FD0: 61 74 20 73 70 65 65 64 20 63 6C 61 73 73 20 69 |at speed class i| 00001FE0: 74 20 77 61 73 20 69 6E 20 61 6E 64 20 49 20 64 |t was in and I d| 00001FF0: 69 64 6E 27 74 0D 0A 63 68 65 63 6B 20 74 68 65 |idn't..check the| 00002000: 6D 20 61 6C 6C 2E 20 49 20 62 6C 61 6D 65 20 6D |m all. I blame m| 00002010: 79 73 65 6C 66 20 61 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 72 65 |yself as this re| 00002020: 61 6C 6C 79 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 74 79 70 65 |ally is the type| 00002030: 20 6F 66 20 6D 69 73 74 61 6B 65 20 61 6E 0D 0A | of mistake an..| 00002040: 61 6D 61 74 65 75 72 20 6D 61 6B 65 73 2E 20 20 |amateur makes. | 00002050: 49 20 77 6F 6E 64 65 72 20 69 66 20 49 20 77 61 |I wonder if I wa| 00002060: 73 20 69 6E 20 61 20 68 75 72 72 79 20 74 68 61 |s in a hurry tha| 00002070: 74 20 64 61 79 2E 20 3A 29 20 49 74 20 74 75 72 |t day. :) It tur| 00002080: 6E 73 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 0D 0A 6D |ns out that a..m| 00002090: 61 6A 6F 72 20 63 68 61 6E 67 65 20 68 61 64 20 |ajor change had | 000020A0: 62 65 65 6E 20 6D 61 64 65 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 |been made to the| 000020B0: 20 77 61 79 20 74 68 65 20 52 65 61 64 2F 57 72 | way the Read/Wr| 000020C0: 69 74 65 20 6C 69 6E 65 20 77 61 73 20 68 61 6E |ite line was han| 000020D0: 64 6C 65 64 2E 20 20 57 68 65 6E 0D 0A 49 20 61 |dled. When..I a| 000020E0: 73 6B 65 64 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 74 68 69 73 2C |sked about this,| 000020F0: 20 56 45 52 59 20 6C 61 74 65 20 69 6E 20 74 68 | VERY late in th| 00002100: 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 63 79 63 6C 65 2C 20 |e design cycle, | 00002110: 6C 69 6B 65 20 69 6E 20 50 72 6F 64 75 63 74 69 |like in Producti| 00002120: 6F 6E 20 77 68 65 6E 0D 0A 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 |on when..this pr| 00002130: 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 74 75 72 6E 65 64 20 75 70 2C |oblem turned up,| 00002140: 20 49 20 77 61 73 20 74 6F 6C 64 20 22 72 65 6D | I was told "rem| 00002150: 65 6D 62 65 72 2C 2C 20 74 68 69 73 20 77 61 73 |ember,, this was| 00002160: 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 64 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 | designed to wor| 00002170: 6B 20 69 6E 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 5A 38 30 30 30 20 |k in..the Z8000 | 00002180: 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 2E 22 20 3F 3F 3F 21 21 21 |machine." ???!!!| 00002190: 21 20 3F 3F 3F 3F 21 21 21 21 20 53 68 6F 75 6C |! ????!!!! Shoul| 000021A0: 64 61 20 73 65 65 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6C 6F 6F 6B |da seen the look| 000021B0: 20 6F 6E 20 6D 79 20 66 61 63 65 21 0D 0A 45 76 | on my face!..Ev| 000021C0: 65 6E 20 74 68 6F 75 67 68 20 74 68 65 20 5A 38 |en though the Z8| 000021D0: 30 30 30 20 6D 61 63 68 69 6E 65 20 77 61 73 20 |000 machine was | 000021E0: 6C 6F 6E 67 20 64 65 61 64 20 61 6E 64 20 77 65 |long dead and we| 000021F0: 20 68 61 64 20 62 65 65 6E 20 54 52 59 49 4E 47 | had been TRYING| 00002200: 20 66 6F 72 20 36 0D 0A 6D 6F 6E 74 68 73 20 74 | for 6..months t| 00002210: 6F 20 75 73 65 20 74 68 69 73 20 64 61 6D 6D 20 |o use this damm | 00002220: 74 68 69 6E 67 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 |thing in the C12| 00002230: 38 20 49 27 6D 20 62 65 69 6E 67 20 74 6F 6C 64 |8 I'm being told| 00002240: 20 4E 4F 57 20 74 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 20 64 69 | NOW that you di| 00002250: 64 6E 27 74 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 69 74 20 |dn't..design it | 00002260: 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 |to work the way | 00002270: 77 65 27 76 65 20 62 65 65 6E 20 75 73 69 6E 67 |we've been using| 00002280: 20 69 74 20 66 6F 72 20 36 20 6D 6F 6E 74 68 73 | it for 6 months| 00002290: 3F 20 53 68 6F 75 6C 64 61 20 61 73 6B 65 64 2E |? Shoulda asked.| 000022A0: 2E 2E 2E 0D 0A 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 6D 79 20 66 |.....it was my f| 000022B0: 61 75 6C 74 2C 20 73 68 6F 75 6C 64 61 20 61 73 |ault, shoulda as| 000022C0: 6B 65 64 20 22 69 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 6D 65 61 |ked "is this mea| 000022D0: 6E 74 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 74 68 65 20 77 |nt to work the w| 000022E0: 61 79 20 77 65 72 65 20 75 73 69 6E 67 20 69 74 |ay were using it| 000022F0: 3F 22 0D 0A 3A 2F 0D 0A 0D 0A 44 6F 6E 27 74 20 |?"..:/....Don't | 00002300: 67 65 74 20 6D 65 20 77 72 6F 6E 67 2C 20 74 68 |get me wrong, th| 00002310: 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 77 61 73 20 56 |e designer was V| 00002320: 45 52 59 20 62 72 69 67 68 74 2C 20 68 65 20 68 |ERY bright, he h| 00002330: 65 6C 64 20 70 61 74 65 6E 74 73 20 66 6F 72 20 |eld patents for | 00002340: 73 6F 6D 65 20 6F 66 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 22 63 65 |some of..the "ce| 00002350: 6C 6C 73 22 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 4D 6F 74 6F |lls" in the Moto| 00002360: 72 6C 61 20 36 38 30 30 30 2E 20 49 74 20 6A 75 |rla 68000. It ju| 00002370: 73 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 68 69 70 20 68 61 64 |st that chip had| 00002380: 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 69 6E 0D 0A 63 6F 6E | to work in..con| 00002390: 6A 75 6E 63 74 69 6F 6E 20 77 69 74 68 20 6F 74 |junction with ot| 000023A0: 68 65 72 20 63 68 69 70 73 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 |her chips and th| 000023B0: 61 74 73 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 6F |ats where some o| 000023C0: 66 64 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 |fd the problems | 000023D0: 6C 61 79 2E 20 20 4F 75 72 0D 0A 73 74 6F 72 79 |lay. Our..story| 000023E0: 20 6F 70 65 6E 73 20 61 73 20 52 65 76 20 30 20 | opens as Rev 0 | 000023F0: 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 |of the chip.... | 00002400: 28 77 68 61 74 73 20 74 68 61 74 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E |(whats that.....| 00002410: 20 64 6F 65 73 6E 27 74 20 77 6F 72 6B 2E 2E 2E | doesn't work...| 00002420: 2E 20 4F 4B 2C 29 0D 0A 4F 75 72 20 73 74 6F 72 |. OK,)..Our stor| 00002430: 79 20 6F 70 65 6E 73 20 61 73 20 52 65 76 20 31 |y opens as Rev 1| 00002440: 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 6D 61 6B | of the chip mak| 00002450: 65 73 20 69 74 73 20 64 65 62 75 74 20 61 6E 64 |es its debut and| 00002460: 20 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 28 70 61 72 64 6F 6E 20 6D | ......(pardon m| 00002470: 65 20 61 0D 0A 6D 6F 6D 65 6E 74 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E |e a..moment.....| 00002480: 29 20 4F 75 72 20 73 74 6F 72 79 20 6F 70 65 6E |) Our story open| 00002490: 73 20 61 73 20 52 65 76 20 32 20 6F 66 20 74 68 |s as Rev 2 of th| 000024A0: 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 6D 61 6B 65 73 20 69 74 20 |e chip makes it | 000024B0: 64 65 62 75 74 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 3C 74 6F 20 62 |debut..... <to b| 000024C0: 65 0D 0A 63 6F 6E 74 69 6E 75 65 64 3E 0D 0A 0D |e..continued>...| 000024D0: 0A 0D 0A 31 39 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 32 30 |...19-Jan-93 20| 000024E0: 3A 35 30 3A 34 31 0D 0A 0D 0A 46 6F 72 67 69 76 |:50:41....Forgiv| 000024F0: 65 20 74 68 65 20 73 70 6F 72 61 64 69 63 20 6E |e the sporadic n| 00002500: 61 74 75 72 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 61 |ature of these a| 00002510: 64 64 69 74 69 6F 6E 73 2E 20 20 4E 6F 77 20 77 |dditions. Now w| 00002520: 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 49 20 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 |here was I .... | 00002530: 6F 68 0D 0A 79 65 61 68 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 49 74 20 |oh..yeah.... It | 00002540: 77 61 73 20 73 6F 6D 65 74 69 6D 65 20 69 6E 20 |was sometime in | 00002550: 53 65 70 74 65 6D 62 65 72 20 77 68 65 6E 20 77 |September when w| 00002560: 65 20 67 6F 74 20 38 35 36 33 20 53 69 6C 69 63 |e got 8563 Silic| 00002570: 6F 6E 20 28 6F 72 20 73 6F 20 6D 65 6D 6F 72 79 |on (or so memory| 00002580: 0D 0A 73 65 72 76 65 73 29 20 67 6F 6F 64 20 65 |..serves) good e| 00002590: 6E 6F 75 67 68 20 74 6F 20 73 74 69 63 6B 20 69 |nough to stick i| 000025A0: 6E 20 61 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 2E 20 49 20 63 61 |n a system. I ca| 000025B0: 6E 27 74 20 72 65 6D 65 6D 62 65 72 20 77 68 61 |n't remember wha| 000025C0: 74 20 61 6C 6C 20 77 61 73 20 77 72 6F 6E 67 0D |t all was wrong.| 000025D0: 0A 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 43 68 69 70 20 62 |.with the Chip b| 000025E0: 75 74 20 6F 6E 65 20 63 6F 6E 63 65 72 6E 20 77 |ut one concern w| 000025F0: 65 20 68 61 64 20 77 61 73 20 69 74 20 6F 63 63 |e had was it occ| 00002600: 61 73 69 6F 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 28 6E 6F 20 73 70 |asionally (no sp| 00002610: 65 6C 6C 20 63 68 65 63 6B 65 72 0D 0A 74 6F 6E |ell checker..ton| 00002620: 69 67 68 74 2C 20 62 65 61 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 |ight, bear with | 00002630: 6D 65 29 20 62 6C 65 77 20 75 70 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 |me) blew up.... | 00002640: 62 69 67 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 74 75 72 |big time.... tur| 00002650: 6E 20 6F 76 65 72 20 64 69 65 20 61 6E 64 20 74 |n over die and t| 00002660: 68 65 6E 20 73 6D 65 6C 6C 0D 0A 62 61 64 2E 2E |hen smell..bad..| 00002670: 2E 2E 2E 20 42 75 74 20 74 68 65 6E 20 61 6C 6C |... But then all| 00002680: 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 43 31 32 38 20 70 72 6F | of the C128 pro| 00002690: 74 6F 74 79 70 65 73 20 64 69 64 20 74 68 61 74 |totypes did that| 000026A0: 20 6F 6E 20 61 20 73 65 6D 69 20 72 65 67 75 6C | on a semi regul| 000026B0: 61 72 20 62 61 73 69 73 0D 0A 61 73 20 74 68 65 |ar basis..as the| 000026C0: 72 65 20 77 61 73 6E 27 74 20 72 65 61 6C 6C 79 |re wasn't really| 000026D0: 20 61 6E 79 20 63 75 73 74 6F 6D 20 73 69 6C 69 | any custom sili| 000026E0: 63 6F 6E 20 79 65 74 2C 20 6A 75 73 74 20 62 69 |con yet, just bi| 000026F0: 67 20 63 69 72 63 75 69 74 20 62 6F 61 72 64 73 |g circuit boards| 00002700: 0D 0A 70 6C 75 67 67 65 64 20 69 6E 20 77 68 65 |..plugged in whe| 00002710: 72 65 20 63 75 73 74 6F 6D 20 63 68 69 70 73 20 |re custom chips | 00002720: 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 6C 61 74 65 72 20 67 6F 2E 2E |would later go..| 00002730: 2E 20 62 75 74 20 79 6F 75 20 63 61 6E 27 74 20 |. but you can't | 00002740: 77 61 69 74 20 66 6F 72 20 61 0D 0A 73 79 73 74 |wait for a..syst| 00002750: 65 6D 20 74 6F 20 62 65 20 63 6F 6D 70 6C 65 74 |em to be complet| 00002760: 65 64 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 73 74 61 72 74 69 |ed before starti| 00002770: 6E 67 20 73 6F 66 74 77 61 72 65 20 64 65 76 65 |ng software deve| 00002780: 6C 6F 70 6D 65 6E 74 2E 20 20 20 49 20 64 6F 6E |lopment. I don| 00002790: 27 74 20 74 68 69 6E 6B 0D 0A 61 6E 79 20 6F 66 |'t think..any of| 000027A0: 20 74 68 65 20 41 6E 69 6D 61 6C 73 20 72 65 61 | the Animals rea| 000027B0: 6C 6C 79 20 67 61 76 65 20 69 74 20 61 20 74 68 |lly gave it a th| 000027C0: 6F 75 67 68 74 20 75 6E 74 69 6C 20 77 68 65 6E |ought until when| 000027D0: 20 74 68 65 20 6E 65 78 74 20 72 65 76 20 6F 66 | the next rev of| 000027E0: 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 63 68 69 70 20 63 61 6D 65 20 | the..chip came | 000027F0: 6F 75 74 20 61 6E 64 20 6E 6F 77 20 77 69 74 68 |out and now with| 00002800: 20 6C 65 73 73 20 6F 74 68 65 72 20 70 72 6F 62 | less other prob| 00002810: 6C 65 6D 73 20 74 68 65 20 62 6C 6F 77 69 6E 67 |lems the blowing| 00002820: 20 75 70 20 27 73 65 65 6D 65 64 27 20 6D 6F 72 | up 'seemed' mor| 00002830: 65 0D 0A 70 72 6F 6E 6F 75 6E 63 65 64 2E 20 20 |e..pronounced. | 00002840: 41 6C 73 6F 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 74 6F 79 70 |Also the protoyp| 00002850: 65 73 20 67 6F 74 20 6D 6F 72 65 20 73 6F 6C 69 |es got more soli| 00002860: 64 20 5F 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 5F 20 65 76 65 72 79 |d _almost_ every| 00002870: 20 64 61 79 2E 20 20 28 49 20 6B 6E 65 77 0D 0A | day. (I knew..| 00002880: 74 6F 20 67 6F 20 63 68 65 63 6B 20 6F 6E 20 74 |to go check on t| 00002890: 68 65 20 70 72 6F 67 72 61 6D 65 72 27 73 20 70 |he programer's p| 000028A0: 72 6F 74 6F 74 79 70 65 20 77 68 65 6E 65 76 65 |rototype wheneve| 000028B0: 72 20 49 20 68 65 61 72 64 20 74 68 65 20 73 6F |r I heard the so| 000028C0: 75 6E 64 20 6F 66 20 63 6F 6C 64 0D 0A 73 70 72 |und of cold..spr| 000028D0: 61 79 20 63 6F 6D 69 6E 67 20 6F 75 74 20 6F 66 |ay coming out of| 000028E0: 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 6F 66 66 69 63 65 2E 2E 2E | their office...| 000028F0: 2E 20 6C 61 74 65 72 20 69 74 20 74 75 72 6E 65 |. later it turne| 00002900: 64 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 79 20 75 73 75 61 6C |d out they usual| 00002910: 6C 79 20 77 65 72 65 6E 27 74 0D 0A 73 70 72 61 |ly weren't..spra| 00002920: 79 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 20 62 6F 61 72 64 73 20 |ying the boards | 00002930: 6A 75 73 74 20 75 73 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 69 72 |just using their| 00002940: 20 22 48 61 72 64 77 61 72 65 20 45 6E 67 69 6E | "Hardware Engin| 00002950: 65 65 72 22 20 63 61 6C 6C 2E 20 20 53 6F 6D 65 |eer" call. Some| 00002960: 74 69 6D 65 73 20 61 6C 6C 0D 0A 49 20 68 61 64 |times all..I had| 00002970: 20 74 6F 20 64 6F 20 77 61 73 20 74 6F 75 63 68 | to do was touch| 00002980: 20 74 68 65 20 62 6F 61 72 64 20 69 6E 20 61 20 | the board in a | 00002990: 6D 79 73 74 69 63 61 6C 20 77 61 79 20 61 6E 64 |mystical way and| 000029A0: 20 74 68 65 6E 20 62 61 63 6B 20 6F 75 74 20 73 | then back out s| 000029B0: 6C 6F 77 6C 79 0D 0A 73 6F 6D 65 74 69 6D 65 73 |lowly..sometimes| 000029C0: 20 61 63 63 6F 6D 70 61 6E 69 65 64 20 62 79 20 | accompanied by | 000029D0: 72 69 74 75 61 6C 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 63 68 61 6E |ritual like chan| 000029E0: 74 69 6E 67 20 61 6E 64 20 68 75 6D 6D 69 6E 67 |ting and humming| 000029F0: 2E 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 62 65 63 61 6D 65 20 6B |. This became k| 00002A00: 6E 6F 77 0D 0A 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 22 6C 61 79 |now..as the "lay| 00002A10: 69 6E 67 20 6F 66 20 68 61 6E 64 73 22 2E 20 20 |ing of hands". | 00002A20: 54 68 69 73 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 65 76 65 72 |This worked ever| 00002A30: 79 20 74 69 6D 65 20 65 78 65 63 70 74 20 6F 6E |y time execpt on| 00002A40: 65 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 69 6D 65 |e, and that time| 00002A50: 0D 0A 69 74 20 74 75 72 6E 65 64 20 6F 75 74 20 |..it turned out | 00002A60: 49 20 68 61 64 20 73 74 6F 6C 65 6E 20 74 68 65 |I had stolen the| 00002A70: 20 70 6F 77 65 72 20 73 75 70 70 6C 79 20 6D 79 | power supply my| 00002A80: 73 65 6C 66 20 77 69 74 68 6F 75 74 20 74 65 6C |self without tel| 00002A90: 6C 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 6D 2E 2E 2E 2E 0D 0A 49 |ling them......I| 00002AA0: 66 20 61 6E 79 62 6F 64 79 20 65 6C 73 65 20 67 |f anybody else g| 00002AB0: 6F 74 20 63 61 75 67 68 74 20 22 6D 65 73 73 69 |ot caught "messi| 00002AC0: 6E 67 20 77 69 74 68 20 6D 79 20 67 75 79 73 22 |ng with my guys"| 00002AD0: 20 74 68 65 79 27 64 20 67 65 74 20 64 75 63 74 | they'd get duct| 00002AE0: 20 74 61 70 65 64 20 74 6F 20 61 0D 0A 6C 6F 63 | taped to a..loc| 00002AF0: 6B 65 72 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 6E 20 74 68 65 |ker and then the| 00002B00: 20 62 6F 78 20 6B 69 63 6B 65 64 20 6F 75 74 20 | box kicked out | 00002B10: 66 72 6F 6D 20 75 6E 64 65 72 20 74 68 65 6D 20 |from under them | 00002B20: 6C 65 61 76 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 6D 20 73 74 75 |leaving them stu| 00002B30: 63 6B 20 75 6E 74 69 6C 0D 0A 74 68 65 79 20 63 |ck until..they c| 00002B40: 6F 75 6C 64 20 70 65 65 6C 20 74 68 65 6D 73 65 |ould peel themse| 00002B50: 6C 76 65 73 20 64 6F 77 6E 2C 20 62 75 74 20 74 |lves down, but t| 00002B60: 68 61 74 73 20 61 6E 6F 74 68 65 72 20 73 74 6F |hats another sto| 00002B70: 72 79 2E 29 20 20 41 4E 59 57 41 59 2C 20 77 68 |ry.) ANYWAY, wh| 00002B80: 65 6E 20 74 68 69 73 0D 0A 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D |en this..problem| 00002B90: 20 73 74 69 6C 6C 20 65 78 69 73 74 65 64 20 6F | still existed o| 00002BA0: 6E 20 52 65 76 20 34 20 28 49 20 74 68 69 6E 6B |n Rev 4 (I think| 00002BB0: 20 69 74 20 77 61 73 29 20 77 65 20 67 6F 74 20 | it was) we got | 00002BC0: 63 6F 6E 63 65 72 6E 65 64 2E 20 20 49 74 20 77 |concerned. It w| 00002BD0: 61 73 20 61 74 0D 0A 74 68 69 73 20 74 69 6D 65 |as at..this time| 00002BE0: 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 73 69 6E 67 6C 65 | that the single| 00002BF0: 20 6D 6F 73 74 20 73 63 61 72 69 65 73 74 20 73 | most scariest s| 00002C00: 74 61 74 65 6D 65 6E 74 20 63 61 6D 65 20 6F 75 |tatement came ou| 00002C10: 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 49 43 20 44 65 73 69 |t of the IC Desi| 00002C20: 67 6E 0D 0A 73 65 63 74 69 6F 6E 20 69 6E 20 63 |gn..section in c| 00002C30: 68 61 72 67 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 27 36 33 |harge of the '63| 00002C40: 2E 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 73 74 61 74 65 6D 65 6E |. This statemen| 00002C50: 74 20 61 6D 6F 75 6E 74 65 64 20 74 6F 20 22 79 |t amounted to "y| 00002C60: 6F 75 27 6C 6C 20 61 6C 77 61 79 73 20 68 61 76 |ou'll always hav| 00002C70: 65 0D 0A 73 6F 6D 65 20 63 68 61 6E 63 65 20 73 |e..some chance s| 00002C80: 74 61 74 69 73 74 69 63 61 6C 6C 79 20 74 68 61 |tatistically tha| 00002C90: 74 20 61 6E 79 20 72 65 61 64 20 6F 72 20 77 72 |t any read or wr| 00002CA0: 69 74 65 20 63 79 63 6C 65 20 77 69 6C 6C 20 66 |ite cycle will f| 00002CB0: 61 69 6C 20 64 75 65 20 74 6F 0D 0A 28 73 79 6E |ail due to..(syn| 00002CC0: 63 68 72 6F 6E 69 63 69 74 79 29 22 2E 0D 0A 0D |chronicity)"....| 00002CD0: 0A 0D 0A 31 39 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 32 31 |...19-Jan-93 21| 00002CE0: 3A 31 32 3A 30 35 0D 0A 0D 0A 53 79 6E 63 68 72 |:12:05....Synchr| 00002CF0: 6F 6E 69 63 69 74 79 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 |onicity problems| 00002D00: 20 6F 63 63 75 72 20 77 68 65 6E 20 74 77 6F 20 | occur when two | 00002D10: 64 65 76 69 63 65 73 20 72 75 6E 20 6F 66 66 20 |devices run off | 00002D20: 6F 66 20 74 77 6F 20 73 65 70 61 72 61 74 65 20 |of two separate | 00002D30: 63 6C 6F 63 6B 73 2C 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 56 49 43 |clocks,..the VIC| 00002D40: 20 63 68 69 70 20 68 65 6E 63 65 20 74 68 65 20 | chip hence the | 00002D50: 72 65 73 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 |rest of the syst| 00002D60: 65 6D 2C 20 72 75 6E 73 20 6F 66 66 20 6F 66 20 |em, runs off of | 00002D70: 61 20 31 34 2E 33 31 38 4D 68 7A 20 63 72 79 73 |a 14.318Mhz crys| 00002D80: 74 61 6C 0D 0A 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 |tal..and the 856| 00002D90: 33 20 72 75 6E 73 20 6F 66 66 20 6F 66 20 61 20 |3 runs off of a | 00002DA0: 31 36 4D 68 7A 20 4F 73 63 69 6C 6C 61 74 6F 72 |16Mhz Oscillator| 00002DB0: 2E 20 4E 6F 77 20 70 69 63 74 75 72 65 20 77 61 |. Now picture wa| 00002DC0: 6C 6B 69 6E 67 20 74 6F 77 72 64 73 20 61 0D 0A |lking towrds a..| 00002DD0: 72 65 76 6F 6C 76 69 6E 67 20 64 6F 6F 72 20 77 |revolving door w| 00002DE0: 69 74 68 20 79 6F 75 72 20 61 72 6D 73 20 66 75 |ith your arms fu| 00002DF0: 6C 6C 20 6F 66 20 70 61 63 6B 61 67 65 73 20 61 |ll of packages a| 00002E00: 6E 64 20 6E 6F 74 20 6C 6F 6F 6B 69 6E 67 20 75 |nd not looking u| 00002E10: 70 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 0D 0A 6C 61 75 6E 63 68 |p before..launch| 00002E20: 69 6E 67 20 79 6F 75 72 73 65 6C 66 20 69 6E 74 |ing yourself int| 00002E30: 6F 20 74 68 65 20 64 6F 6F 72 77 61 79 2E 20 59 |o the doorway. Y| 00002E40: 6F 75 20 6D 61 79 20 67 65 74 20 74 68 72 6F 75 |ou may get throu| 00002E50: 67 68 20 75 6E 73 63 61 74 68 65 64 20 69 66 20 |gh unscathed if | 00002E60: 79 6F 75 72 0D 0A 74 69 6D 69 6E 67 20 77 61 73 |your..timing was| 00002E70: 20 61 63 63 69 64 65 6E 74 61 6C 6C 79 20 6A 75 | accidentally ju| 00002E80: 73 74 20 72 69 67 68 74 2C 20 6F 72 20 79 6F 75 |st right, or you| 00002E90: 20 6D 61 79 20 66 75 6D 62 6C 65 20 74 68 72 6F | may fumble thro| 00002EA0: 75 67 68 20 6C 6F 73 69 6E 67 20 73 6F 6D 65 0D |ugh losing some.| 00002EB0: 0A 70 61 63 6B 61 67 65 73 20 28 73 79 6E 6F 6E |.packages (synon| 00002EC0: 79 6D 6F 75 73 20 74 6F 20 6C 6F 73 69 6E 67 20 |ymous to losing | 00002ED0: 44 61 74 61 29 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F |Data) in the pro| 00002EE0: 63 65 73 73 20 6F 72 20 69 66 20 74 68 69 6E 67 |cess or if thing| 00002EF0: 73 20 52 45 41 4C 4C 59 20 66 6F 75 6C 0D 0A 75 |s REALLY foul..u| 00002F00: 70 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 70 61 |p some of the pa| 00002F10: 63 6B 61 67 65 73 20 6D 61 79 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 |ckages may make | 00002F20: 69 74 20 74 68 72 6F 75 67 68 20 61 6E 64 20 79 |it through and y| 00002F30: 6F 75 27 72 65 20 6C 65 66 74 20 73 74 72 61 6E |ou're left stran| 00002F40: 64 65 64 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 6F 74 68 65 |ded on the..othe| 00002F50: 72 20 73 69 64 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 64 6F |r side of the do| 00002F60: 6F 72 20 28 73 79 6E 6F 6E 79 6D 6F 75 73 20 74 |or (synonymous t| 00002F70: 6F 20 61 20 63 6F 6D 70 6C 65 74 65 6C 79 20 62 |o a completely b| 00002F80: 6C 6F 77 6E 20 77 72 69 74 65 20 63 79 63 6C 65 |lown write cycle| 00002F90: 29 2E 20 57 68 61 74 20 49 0D 0A 64 69 64 6E 27 |). What I..didn'| 00002FA0: 74 20 72 65 61 6C 69 7A 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 68 |t realize that h| 00002FB0: 65 20 6D 65 61 6E 74 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 61 74 |e meant was that| 00002FC0: 20 73 69 6E 63 65 20 74 68 65 72 65 73 20 61 6C | since theres al| 00002FD0: 77 61 79 73 20 61 20 63 68 61 6E 63 65 20 66 6F |ways a chance fo| 00002FE0: 72 20 61 20 62 61 64 0D 0A 63 79 63 6C 65 20 74 |r a bad..cycle t| 00002FF0: 6F 20 73 6C 69 70 20 74 68 72 6F 75 67 68 2C 20 |o slip through, | 00003000: 68 65 20 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 74 61 6B 65 20 65 |he didn't take e| 00003010: 76 65 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6D 6F 73 74 20 72 75 64 |ven the most rud| 00003020: 69 6D 65 6E 74 61 72 79 20 70 72 6F 74 65 63 74 |imentary protect| 00003030: 69 6F 6E 0D 0A 61 67 61 69 6E 73 74 20 62 61 64 |ion..against bad| 00003040: 20 73 79 6E 63 68 72 6F 6E 69 73 69 6E 67 2E 20 | synchronising. | 00003050: 49 54 27 73 20 4D 59 20 46 41 55 4C 54 20 49 20 |IT's MY FAULT I | 00003060: 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 61 73 6B 2C 20 22 77 68 61 |didn't ask, "wha| 00003070: 74 20 64 6F 20 79 6F 75 20 6D 65 61 6E 0D 0A 66 |t do you mean..f| 00003080: 75 6C 6C 79 20 62 79 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 74 61 |ully by that sta| 00003090: 74 65 6D 65 6E 74 22 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 |tement" because | 000030A0: 49 27 64 20 6F 66 20 66 6F 75 6E 64 20 6F 75 74 |I'd of found out| 000030B0: 20 65 61 72 6C 79 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 72 | early that ther| 000030C0: 65 20 77 61 73 20 4E 4F 0D 0A 70 72 6F 74 65 63 |e was NO..protec| 000030D0: 74 69 6F 6E 2E 20 41 73 20 69 74 20 74 75 72 6E |tion. As it turn| 000030E0: 73 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 20 69 |s out the 8563 i| 000030F0: 6E 73 74 65 61 64 20 6F 66 20 66 61 69 6C 69 6E |nstead of failin| 00003100: 67 20 65 76 65 72 79 20 33 20 79 65 61 72 73 20 |g every 3 years | 00003110: 6F 72 20 73 6F 0D 0A 28 56 45 52 59 20 6C 69 76 |or so..(VERY liv| 00003120: 61 62 6C 65 20 62 79 20 43 6F 6D 6D 6F 64 6F 72 |able by Commodor| 00003130: 65 20 73 74 61 6E 64 61 72 64 73 29 20 69 74 20 |e standards) it | 00003140: 66 61 69 6C 65 64 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 33 20 74 |failed about 3 t| 00003150: 69 6D 65 73 20 61 20 73 65 63 6F 6E 64 2E 20 20 |imes a second. | 00003160: 49 6E 0D 0A 6F 74 68 65 72 20 77 6F 72 64 73 20 |In..other words | 00003170: 69 66 20 79 6F 75 20 74 72 69 65 64 20 74 6F 20 |if you tried to | 00003180: 6C 6F 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 66 6F 6E 74 20 61 6C |load the font al| 00003190: 6C 20 69 6E 20 6F 6E 65 20 73 68 6F 74 20 69 74 |l in one shot it| 000031A0: 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 62 6C 6F 77 20 75 70 0D 0A | would blow up..| 000031B0: 65 76 65 72 79 20 74 69 6D 65 21 20 20 54 68 65 |every time! The| 000031C0: 20 49 43 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 72 65 | IC designers re| 000031D0: 66 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 20 62 65 6C 69 65 76 65 |fused to believe| 000031E0: 20 74 68 69 73 20 75 70 20 75 6E 74 69 6C 20 6D | this up until m| 000031F0: 69 64 20 44 65 63 65 6D 62 65 72 0D 0A 28 43 45 |id December..(CE| 00003200: 53 20 69 6E 20 32 2D 33 20 77 65 65 6B 73 21 29 |S in 2-3 weeks!)| 00003210: 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 22 74 68 65 69 72 20 | because "their | 00003220: 75 6E 69 74 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6C 61 62 20 |unit in the lab | 00003230: 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 64 6F 20 69 74 2E 22 20 20 |didn't do it." | 00003240: 46 69 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 49 0D 0A 73 61 69 64 20 |Finally I..said | 00003250: 22 73 68 6F 77 20 75 73 22 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 |"show us" and th| 00003260: 65 79 20 6C 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 77 68 6F 6C 65 |ey led the whole| 00003270: 20 72 61 62 62 6C 65 20 28 70 69 74 63 68 20 66 | rabble (pitch f| 00003280: 6F 72 6B 73 2C 20 74 6F 72 63 68 65 73 2C 20 75 |orks, torches, u| 00003290: 67 6C 79 0D 0A 73 63 65 6E 65 29 20 64 6F 77 6E |gly..scene) down| 000032A0: 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 6C 61 62 2E 20 20 49 74 | to the lab. It| 000032B0: 20 74 75 72 6E 73 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 79 20 | turns out they | 000032C0: 77 65 72 6E 27 74 20 45 56 45 4E 20 54 45 53 54 |wern't EVEN TEST| 000032D0: 49 4E 47 20 54 48 45 20 43 55 52 52 45 4E 54 0D |ING THE CURRENT.| 000032E0: 0A 52 45 56 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 |.REV of the chip| 000032F0: 2C 20 28 54 57 4F 20 72 65 76 73 20 6F 6C 64 29 |, (TWO revs old)| 00003300: 2C 20 74 68 65 79 20 77 65 72 65 20 74 65 73 74 |, they were test| 00003310: 69 6E 67 20 69 74 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 42 61 73 69 |ing it from Basi| 00003320: 63 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 69 74 0D 0A 22 62 |c because it.."b| 00003330: 6C 65 77 20 75 70 22 20 65 76 65 72 79 20 74 69 |lew up" every ti| 00003340: 6D 65 20 74 68 65 79 20 72 61 6E 20 69 74 20 61 |me they ran it a| 00003350: 74 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 20 73 70 65 65 64 73 20 |t system speeds | 00003360: 28 4E 6F 20 25 5E 24 23 25 24 23 20 73 68 65 72 |(No %^$#%$# sher| 00003370: 6C 6F 63 6B 2E 0D 0A 54 68 61 74 27 73 20 77 68 |lock...That's wh| 00003380: 61 74 20 77 65 27 72 65 20 74 72 79 69 6E 67 20 |at we're trying | 00003390: 74 6F 20 74 65 6C 6C 20 79 6F 75 29 20 61 6E 64 |to tell you) and| 000033A0: 20 65 76 65 6E 20 74 68 65 6E 20 69 74 20 73 63 | even then it sc| 000033B0: 72 65 77 65 64 20 75 70 20 6F 6E 63 65 20 61 6E |rewed up once an| 000033C0: 64 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 |d..the designer | 000033D0: 72 65 61 63 68 65 64 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 65 20 |reached for the | 000033E0: 72 65 73 65 74 20 73 77 69 74 63 68 20 73 61 79 |reset switch say| 000033F0: 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 6F 6D 65 74 68 69 |ing that somethi| 00003400: 6E 67 20 64 6F 65 73 0D 0A 6F 63 63 61 73 69 6F |ng does..occasio| 00003410: 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 67 6F 20 77 72 6F 6E 67 2E 20 |nally go wrong. | 00003420: 20 42 65 69 6E 67 20 6F 6E 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 | Being one of th| 00003430: 65 20 41 6E 69 6D 61 6C 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 6D |e Animals with m| 00003440: 79 20 72 65 66 6C 65 78 65 73 20 68 69 67 68 6C |y reflexes highl| 00003450: 79 0D 0A 74 75 6E 65 64 20 62 79 20 50 72 6F 67 |y..tuned by Prog| 00003460: 72 61 6D 65 72 20 41 62 75 73 69 6E 67 20 49 20 |ramer Abusing I | 00003470: 77 61 73 20 61 62 6C 65 20 74 6F 20 73 6E 61 74 |was able to snat| 00003480: 63 68 20 68 69 73 20 61 72 6D 20 69 6E 20 6D 69 |ch his arm in mi| 00003490: 64 2D 61 69 72 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 68 65 0D |d-air before he.| 000034A0: 0A 67 6F 74 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 73 65 |.got to the rese| 000034B0: 74 20 73 77 69 74 63 68 2C 20 77 69 74 68 20 62 |t switch, with b| 000034C0: 6C 61 74 61 6E 74 20 65 76 69 64 65 6E 63 65 20 |latant evidence | 000034D0: 74 68 65 72 65 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 73 |there on the tes| 000034E0: 74 20 73 63 72 65 65 6E 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 31 |t screen.......1| 000034F0: 39 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 32 31 3A 31 32 3A |9-Jan-93 21:12:| 00003500: 31 35 0D 0A 0D 0A 4F 6E 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 |15....One of the| 00003510: 20 72 61 62 62 6C 65 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 65 69 | rabble was thei| 00003520: 72 20 62 6F 73 73 20 61 6E 64 20 28 49 20 68 61 |r boss and (I ha| 00003530: 76 65 20 62 65 65 6E 20 73 70 65 61 6B 69 6E 67 |ve been speaking| 00003540: 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 74 77 6F 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 | about two..desi| 00003550: 67 6E 65 72 73 20 69 6E 74 65 72 63 68 61 6E 67 |gners interchang| 00003560: 65 61 62 6C 79 2C 20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65 6E 20 |eably, but then | 00003570: 74 68 65 79 20 77 65 72 65 20 69 6E 74 65 72 63 |they were interc| 00003580: 68 61 6E 67 65 61 62 6C 65 2C 29 20 74 68 65 20 |hangeable,) the | 00003590: 77 6F 72 64 0D 0A 46 69 6E 61 6C 6C 79 20 63 61 |word..Finally ca| 000035A0: 6D 65 20 64 6F 77 6E 20 22 46 49 58 20 49 54 22 |me down "FIX IT"| 000035B0: 2E 20 20 48 6F 6C 6C 6F 77 20 56 69 63 74 6F 72 |. Hollow Victor| 000035C0: 79 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 6F |y as there was o| 000035D0: 6E 6C 79 20 74 77 6F 20 77 65 65 6B 73 20 74 69 |nly two weeks ti| 000035E0: 6C 6C 0D 0A 77 65 20 70 61 63 6B 65 64 20 66 6F |ll..we packed fo| 000035F0: 72 20 74 68 65 20 73 68 6F 77 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 |r the show, and | 00003600: 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 34 20 6F 72 20 |there were 4 or | 00003610: 35 20 6F 74 68 65 72 20 6D 61 6A 6F 72 20 70 72 |5 other major pr| 00003620: 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 28 49 27 6C 6C 20 73 61 79 |oblems (I'll say| 00003630: 0D 0A 6D 6F 72 65 20 6C 61 74 65 72 29 20 77 69 |..more later) wi| 00003640: 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 61 6E 64 20 |th the chip and | 00003650: 4E 4F 20 74 69 6D 65 20 74 6F 20 64 6F 20 61 6E |NO time to do an| 00003660: 6F 74 68 65 72 20 70 61 73 73 2E 20 49 74 20 77 |other pass. It w| 00003670: 61 73 20 6F 62 76 69 6F 75 73 20 74 68 61 74 0D |as obvious that.| 00003680: 0A 69 66 20 77 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 67 6F 69 6E |.if we were goin| 00003690: 67 20 74 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 43 45 53 20 73 6F |g to make CES so| 000036A0: 6D 65 74 68 69 6E 67 20 68 61 64 20 74 6F 20 67 |mething had to g| 000036B0: 69 76 65 2E 20 41 73 20 4A 6F 73 65 79 20 57 61 |ive. As Josey Wa| 000036C0: 6C 65 73 20 73 61 69 64 2C 0D 0A 22 54 68 61 74 |les said,.."That| 000036D0: 73 20 77 68 65 6E 20 79 61 20 67 6F 74 74 61 20 |s when ya gotta | 000036E0: 67 65 74 20 4D 65 61 6E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 49 20 6D |get Mean.... I m| 000036F0: 65 61 6E 20 64 6F 77 6E 72 69 67 68 74 20 70 6C |ean downright pl| 00003700: 75 6D 62 20 63 72 61 7A 79 20 4C 6F 63 6F 20 4D |umb crazy Loco M| 00003710: 65 61 6E 22 2E 0D 0A 41 6E 64 20 77 65 20 6B 6E |ean"...And we kn| 00003720: 65 77 20 77 65 20 68 61 64 20 74 6F 2E 0D 0A 0D |ew we had to....| 00003730: 0A 0D 0A 32 32 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 34 |...22-Jan-93 14| 00003740: 3A 31 37 3A 33 32 0D 0A 0D 0A 4D 65 6D 6F 72 79 |:17:32....Memory| 00003750: 20 66 6C 61 73 68 2C 20 49 20 6A 75 73 74 20 72 | flash, I just r| 00003760: 65 6D 65 62 65 72 65 64 20 77 68 65 6E 20 77 65 |emebered when we| 00003770: 20 66 6F 75 6E 64 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 72 65 | found out there| 00003780: 20 77 61 73 20 6E 6F 20 69 6E 74 65 72 72 75 70 | was no interrup| 00003790: 74 0D 0A 66 61 63 69 6C 69 74 79 20 62 75 69 6C |t..facility buil| 000037A0: 74 20 69 6E 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 |t in to the 8563| 000037B0: 2E 20 20 49 20 72 65 6D 65 6D 62 65 72 20 68 6F |. I remember ho| 000037C0: 77 20 70 61 74 69 65 6E 74 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 |w patient the de| 000037D0: 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 77 61 73 20 77 68 65 6E 0D |signer was when.| 000037E0: 0A 68 65 20 73 61 74 20 6D 65 20 64 6F 77 6E 20 |.he sat me down | 000037F0: 74 6F 20 65 78 70 6C 61 69 6E 20 74 6F 20 6D 65 |to explain to me| 00003800: 20 74 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 20 64 6F 6E 27 74 20 | that you don't | 00003810: 6E 65 65 64 20 61 6E 20 69 6E 74 65 72 72 75 70 |need an interrup| 00003820: 74 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 38 35 36 33 |t from the..8563| 00003830: 20 69 6E 64 69 63 61 74 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 | indicating that| 00003840: 20 61 6E 20 6F 70 65 72 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 69 73 | an operation is| 00003850: 20 63 6F 6D 70 6C 65 74 65 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 | complete becaus| 00003860: 65 20 79 6F 75 20 63 61 6E 20 63 68 65 63 6B 20 |e you can check | 00003870: 74 68 65 0D 0A 73 74 61 74 75 73 20 41 4E 59 20 |the..status ANY | 00003880: 54 49 4D 45 20 6D 65 61 72 6C 79 20 62 79 20 73 |TIME mearly by s| 00003890: 74 6F 70 70 69 6E 67 20 77 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 |topping what you| 000038A0: 27 72 65 20 64 6F 69 6E 67 20 28 6F 76 65 72 20 |'re doing (over | 000038B0: 61 6E 64 20 6F 76 65 72 29 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 6C |and over) and..l| 000038C0: 6F 6F 6B 69 6E 67 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 61 70 |ooking at the ap| 000038D0: 70 72 6F 70 72 69 61 74 65 20 72 65 67 69 73 74 |propriate regist| 000038E0: 65 72 2C 20 28 65 76 65 6E 20 69 66 20 74 68 69 |er, (even if thi| 000038F0: 73 20 6D 65 61 6E 73 20 62 61 6E 6B 69 6E 67 20 |s means banking | 00003900: 69 6E 20 49 2F 4F 29 20 6F 72 0D 0A 62 65 74 74 |in I/O) or..bett| 00003910: 65 72 20 79 65 74 20 73 69 74 20 69 6E 20 61 20 |er yet sit in a | 00003920: 6C 6F 6F 70 20 77 61 74 63 68 69 6E 67 20 77 61 |loop watching wa| 00003930: 74 63 68 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 67 69 73 |tching the regis| 00003940: 74 65 72 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 6E 64 69 63 61 74 |ter that indicat| 00003950: 65 73 20 77 68 65 6E 0D 0A 61 6E 20 6F 70 65 72 |es when..an oper| 00003960: 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 69 73 20 64 6F 6E 65 20 28 77 |ation is done (w| 00003970: 68 61 74 20 65 6C 73 65 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 20 62 |hat else could b| 00003980: 65 20 67 6F 69 6E 67 20 6F 6E 20 69 6E 20 74 68 |e going on in th| 00003990: 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 20 62 65 73 69 64 65 73 |e system besides| 000039A0: 0D 0A 74 61 6C 6B 69 6E 67 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 |..talking to the| 000039B0: 20 38 35 36 33 20 3F 3F 3F 29 20 20 4F 75 72 20 | 8563 ???) Our | 000039C0: 72 75 6E 6E 69 6E 67 20 67 61 67 20 62 65 63 61 |running gag beca| 000039D0: 6D 65 20 6E 6F 74 20 6E 65 65 64 69 6E 67 20 61 |me not needing a| 000039E0: 20 72 69 6E 67 65 72 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 0D 0A | ringer on the..| 000039F0: 70 68 6F 6E 65 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 79 6F |phone because yo| 00003A00: 75 20 63 61 6E 20 70 69 63 6B 20 69 74 20 75 70 |u can pick it up| 00003A10: 20 41 4E 59 20 54 49 4D 45 20 61 6E 64 20 63 68 | ANY TIME and ch| 00003A20: 65 63 6B 20 74 6F 20 73 65 65 20 69 66 20 73 6F |eck to see if so| 00003A30: 6D 65 6F 6E 65 27 73 20 6F 6E 0D 0A 69 74 2C 20 |meone's on..it, | 00003A40: 6F 72 20 62 65 74 74 65 72 20 79 65 74 2C 20 73 |or better yet, s| 00003A50: 69 74 20 61 74 20 79 6F 75 72 20 64 65 73 6B 20 |it at your desk | 00003A60: 61 6C 6C 20 64 61 79 20 70 69 63 6B 69 6E 67 20 |all day picking | 00003A70: 74 68 65 20 70 68 6F 6E 65 20 75 70 2E 20 20 20 |the phone up. | 00003A80: 45 76 65 6E 20 69 6E 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 68 6F 74 |Even in..the hot| 00003A90: 74 65 73 74 20 64 69 73 63 75 73 73 69 6F 6E 73 |test discussions| 00003AA0: 20 73 6F 6D 65 6F 6E 65 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 73 | someone would s| 00003AB0: 75 64 64 65 6E 6C 79 20 73 74 6F 70 2C 20 65 78 |uddenly stop, ex| 00003AC0: 63 75 73 65 20 68 69 6D 73 65 6C 66 2C 20 61 6E |cuse himself, an| 00003AD0: 64 20 70 69 63 6B 0D 0A 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 6E |d pick..up the n| 00003AE0: 65 61 72 65 73 74 20 70 68 6F 6E 65 20 6A 75 73 |earest phone jus| 00003AF0: 74 20 74 6F 20 73 65 65 20 69 66 20 74 68 65 72 |t to see if ther| 00003B00: 65 20 77 61 73 20 73 6F 6D 65 6F 6E 65 20 6F 6E |e was someone on| 00003B10: 20 69 74 2E 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 75 74 74 65 72 | it. This utter| 00003B20: 6C 79 0D 0A 66 61 69 6C 65 64 20 74 6F 20 67 65 |ly..failed to ge| 00003B30: 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 6F 69 6E 74 20 61 63 72 6F |t the point acro| 00003B40: 73 73 20 62 75 74 20 70 72 6F 76 69 64 65 64 20 |ss but provided | 00003B50: 68 6F 75 72 73 20 6F 66 20 61 6D 75 73 65 6D 65 |hours of amuseme| 00003B60: 6E 74 2E 20 20 54 68 65 20 6F 77 6E 65 72 73 0D |nt. The owners.| 00003B70: 0A 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 6C 6F 63 61 6C 20 62 61 |.at the local ba| 00003B80: 72 20 77 6F 6E 64 65 72 65 64 20 77 68 61 74 20 |r wondered what | 00003B90: 66 69 78 61 74 69 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 67 75 79 |fixation the guy| 00003BA0: 73 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 43 6F 6D 6D 6F 64 6F 72 65 |s from Commodore| 00003BB0: 20 68 61 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 70 | had with the..p| 00003BC0: 61 79 20 70 68 6F 6E 65 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 41 6E 79 |ay phone.....Any| 00003BD0: 20 77 61 79 73 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 54 6F 20 62 61 63 | ways.... To bac| 00003BE0: 6B 20 75 70 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 6F 74 68 65 |k up to the othe| 00003BF0: 72 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 |r problems that | 00003C00: 70 6C 61 75 67 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 |plauged the 8563| 00003C10: 2E 20 20 47 6F 69 6E 67 0D 0A 69 6E 74 6F 20 44 |. Going..into D| 00003C20: 65 63 65 6D 62 65 72 20 61 20 63 6F 75 70 6C 65 |ecember a couple| 00003C30: 20 6F 66 20 74 68 69 6E 67 73 20 68 61 70 70 65 | of things happe| 00003C40: 6E 65 64 2E 20 20 54 68 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E |ned. The design| 00003C50: 20 68 61 64 20 62 65 65 6E 20 63 68 61 6E 67 65 | had been change| 00003C60: 64 20 74 6F 0D 0A 73 75 70 70 6F 72 74 20 61 20 |d to..support a | 00003C70: 22 62 61 63 6B 2D 62 69 61 73 20 67 65 6E 65 72 |"back-bias gener| 00003C80: 61 74 6F 72 22 2E 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 74 68 69 |ator". This thi| 00003C90: 6E 67 20 69 73 20 67 65 6E 65 72 61 6C 6C 79 20 |ng is generally | 00003CA0: 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 20 72 65 64 75 63 65 0D 0A |used to reduce..| 00003CB0: 70 6F 77 65 72 20 63 6F 6E 73 75 6D 70 74 69 6F |power consumptio| 00003CC0: 6E 20 61 6E 64 20 73 70 65 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 |n and speed the | 00003CD0: 63 68 69 70 20 75 70 2E 20 20 57 65 6C 6C 2C 20 |chip up. Well, | 00003CE0: 73 6F 6D 65 74 68 69 6E 67 20 77 61 73 20 6E 6F |something was no| 00003CF0: 74 20 71 75 69 74 65 20 72 69 67 68 74 0D 0A 73 |t quite right..s| 00003D00: 6F 6D 65 77 68 65 72 65 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 |omewhere in the | 00003D10: 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 |design because t| 00003D20: 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 20 67 6F 74 20 77 6F 72 73 |he chip got wors| 00003D30: 65 2E 20 20 54 68 65 20 73 65 63 6F 6E 64 20 74 |e. The second t| 00003D40: 68 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 0D 0A 68 61 70 70 65 |hing that..happe| 00003D50: 6E 65 64 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 62 6F 74 |ned was that bot| 00003D60: 68 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 74 6F 6F 6B |h designers took| 00003D70: 20 76 61 63 61 74 69 6F 6E 2E 20 20 4E 6F 74 68 | vacation. Noth| 00003D80: 69 6E 67 20 61 67 61 69 6E 73 74 20 74 68 61 74 |ing against that| 00003D90: 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 6D 79 0D 0A 70 6F 69 6E 74 20 | from my..point | 00003DA0: 6F 66 20 76 69 65 77 20 68 65 72 65 20 38 2D 39 |of view here 8-9| 00003DB0: 20 79 65 61 72 73 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 66 75 | years in the fu| 00003DC0: 74 75 72 65 2C 20 62 75 74 20 72 69 67 68 74 20 |ture, but right | 00003DD0: 74 68 65 6E 20 77 65 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 6E 27 74 |then we couldn't| 00003DE0: 0D 0A 75 6E 64 65 72 73 74 61 6E 64 20 77 68 61 |..understand wha| 00003DF0: 74 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 70 65 6F 70 6C 65 20 77 |t these people w| 00003E00: 65 72 65 20 64 6F 69 6E 67 20 77 6F 72 6B 69 6E |ere doing workin| 00003E10: 67 20 6F 6E 20 61 20 63 72 69 74 69 63 61 6C 20 |g on a critical | 00003E20: 70 72 6F 6A 65 63 74 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 32 32 |project.......22| 00003E30: 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 34 3A 31 37 3A 33 |-Jan-93 14:17:3| 00003E40: 37 0D 0A 0D 0A 4F 72 20 6D 61 79 62 65 20 49 20 |7....Or maybe I | 00003E50: 77 61 73 20 6A 75 73 74 20 67 65 74 74 69 6E 67 |was just getting| 00003E60: 20 74 6F 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 20 65 61 74 69 | to used to eati| 00003E70: 6E 67 20 54 68 61 6E 6B 73 67 69 76 69 6E 67 20 |ng Thanksgiving | 00003E80: 44 69 6E 6E 65 72 20 6F 75 74 20 6F 66 0D 0A 61 |Dinner out of..a| 00003E90: 6C 75 6D 69 6E 75 6D 20 66 6F 69 6C 20 6F 66 66 |luminum foil off| 00003EA0: 20 6F 66 20 61 20 4C 61 62 20 42 65 6E 63 68 2E | of a Lab Bench.| 00003EB0: 20 20 43 68 72 69 73 74 6D 61 73 20 63 6F 6E 73 | Christmas cons| 00003EC0: 69 73 74 65 64 20 6F 66 20 73 74 6F 70 70 69 6E |isted of stoppin| 00003ED0: 67 20 61 74 0D 0A 73 6F 6D 65 6F 6E 65 27 73 20 |g at..someone's | 00003EE0: 68 6F 75 73 65 20 77 68 6F 20 6C 69 76 65 64 20 |house who lived | 00003EF0: 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 61 72 65 61 20 66 6F 72 20 |in the area for | 00003F00: 61 20 63 6F 75 70 6C 65 20 6F 66 20 68 6F 75 72 |a couple of hour| 00003F10: 73 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 20 68 6F 6D |s on the way hom| 00003F20: 65 0D 0A 66 72 6F 6D 20 77 6F 72 6B 2E 20 20 41 |e..from work. A| 00003F30: 6E 79 77 61 79 73 2C 20 74 68 65 20 63 68 69 70 |nyways, the chip| 00003F40: 73 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 20 6E 6F 20 6C 6F 6E 67 65 |s could no longe| 00003F50: 72 20 64 69 73 70 6C 61 79 20 61 20 73 6F 6C 69 |r display a soli| 00003F60: 64 20 73 63 72 65 65 6E 2E 20 20 54 68 65 0D 0A |d screen. The..| 00003F70: 66 69 72 73 74 20 63 6F 75 70 6C 65 20 6F 66 20 |first couple of | 00003F80: 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 6F 6E 20 65 61 |characters on ea| 00003F90: 63 68 20 6C 69 6E 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 65 69 74 |ch line were eit| 00003FA0: 68 65 72 20 6D 69 73 73 69 6E 67 20 6F 72 20 74 |her missing or t| 00003FB0: 65 61 72 69 6E 67 2C 20 75 6E 74 69 6C 0D 0A 74 |earing, until..t| 00003FC0: 68 65 20 74 68 69 6E 67 20 68 65 61 74 65 64 20 |he thing heated | 00003FD0: 75 70 2C 20 74 68 65 6E 20 74 68 65 79 20 77 65 |up, then they we| 00003FE0: 72 65 20 6A 75 73 74 20 6D 69 73 73 69 6E 67 2E |re just missing.| 00003FF0: 20 20 41 6C 73 6F 2C 20 74 68 65 20 79 69 65 6C | Also, the yiel| 00004000: 64 20 6F 66 20 63 68 69 70 73 0D 0A 74 68 61 74 |d of chips..that| 00004010: 20 65 76 65 6E 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 74 68 69 | even worked thi| 00004020: 73 20 67 6F 6F 64 20 66 65 6C 6C 20 74 6F 20 77 |s good fell to w| 00004030: 68 65 72 65 20 74 68 65 79 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 67 |here they only g| 00004040: 6F 74 20 33 20 6F 72 20 34 20 77 6F 72 6B 69 6E |ot 3 or 4 workin| 00004050: 67 20 63 68 69 70 73 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 6C 61 73 |g chips..the las| 00004060: 74 20 72 75 6E 2E 20 20 41 20 72 75 6E 20 69 73 |t run. A run is| 00004070: 20 61 20 48 61 6C 66 2D 4C 6F 74 20 61 74 20 4D | a Half-Lot at M| 00004080: 4F 53 20 61 6E 64 20 63 6F 73 74 73 20 62 65 74 |OS and costs bet| 00004090: 77 65 65 6E 20 24 34 30 2C 30 30 30 20 61 6E 64 |ween $40,000 and| 000040A0: 0D 0A 24 31 32 30 2C 30 30 30 20 74 6F 20 72 75 |..$120,000 to ru| 000040B0: 6E 2E 20 20 50 72 65 74 74 79 20 65 78 70 65 6E |n. Pretty expen| 000040C0: 73 69 76 65 20 63 6F 75 70 6C 65 20 6F 66 20 63 |sive couple of c| 000040D0: 68 69 70 73 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 54 68 65 20 6F 74 68 |hips.....The oth| 000040E0: 65 72 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 74 61 6B 65 73 |er problem takes| 000040F0: 20 61 20 73 65 63 6F 6E 64 20 74 6F 20 65 78 70 | a second to exp| 00004100: 6C 61 69 6E 2C 20 62 75 74 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 |lain, but first | 00004110: 61 20 73 74 6F 72 79 2E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 20 42 61 |a story..... Ba| 00004120: 63 6B 0D 0A 77 68 65 6E 20 54 45 44 20 28 74 68 |ck..when TED (th| 00004130: 65 20 50 6C 75 73 20 66 6F 75 72 29 20 68 61 64 |e Plus four) had| 00004140: 20 62 65 65 6E 20 6D 75 74 69 6C 61 74 65 64 20 | been mutilated | 00004150: 64 65 63 69 6D 61 74 65 64 20 61 6E 64 20 64 65 |decimated and de| 00004160: 66 65 63 61 74 65 64 20 75 70 6F 6E 2C 0D 0A 6D |fecated upon,..m| 00004170: 61 6E 61 67 6D 65 6E 74 20 64 65 63 69 64 65 64 |anagment decided| 00004180: 20 74 6F 20 6B 69 63 6B 20 74 68 65 20 62 6F 64 | to kick the bod| 00004190: 79 20 6F 6E 65 20 6C 61 73 74 20 74 69 6D 65 2E |y one last time.| 000041A0: 20 20 22 54 45 44 20 73 68 61 6C 6C 20 54 61 6C | "TED shall Tal| 000041B0: 6B 22 20 63 61 6D 65 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 64 65 63 |k" came the..dec| 000041C0: 72 65 65 20 61 6E 64 20 74 68 65 20 62 65 73 74 |ree and the best| 000041D0: 20 6D 69 6E 64 73 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 69 6E | minds in the in| 000041E0: 64 75 73 74 72 79 20 77 65 72 65 20 73 6F 75 67 |dustry were soug| 000041F0: 68 74 2E 2E 2E 20 57 65 20 61 63 74 75 61 6C 6C |ht... We actuall| 00004200: 79 20 64 69 64 20 68 61 76 65 0D 0A 74 77 6F 20 |y did have..two | 00004210: 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 6D 6F 73 74 20 6E 6F 74 65 |of the most note| 00004220: 64 20 63 6F 6E 73 75 6D 65 72 20 73 70 65 65 63 |d consumer speec| 00004230: 68 20 70 65 6F 70 6C 65 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 |h people at the | 00004240: 74 69 6D 65 2C 20 74 68 65 20 67 75 79 73 20 77 |time, the guys w| 00004250: 68 6F 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 64 20 74 68 65 |ho..designed the| 00004260: 20 22 54 49 20 53 70 65 61 6B 20 61 6E 20 53 70 | "TI Speak an Sp| 00004270: 65 6C 6C 22 20 77 6F 72 6B 65 64 20 6F 75 74 20 |ell" worked out | 00004280: 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 43 6F 6D 6D 6F 64 6F 72 65 |of the Commodore| 00004290: 20 44 61 6C 6C 61 73 20 6F 66 66 69 63 65 2E 0D | Dallas office..| 000042A0: 0A 54 68 65 79 20 64 69 64 20 61 20 63 75 73 74 |.They did a cust| 000042B0: 6F 6D 20 63 68 69 70 20 74 6F 20 69 6E 74 65 72 |om chip to inter| 000042C0: 66 61 63 65 20 61 20 73 70 65 65 63 68 20 63 68 |face a speech ch| 000042D0: 69 70 20 73 65 74 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 |ip set to the pr| 000042E0: 6F 63 65 73 73 6F 72 2E 0D 0A 4F 70 65 72 61 74 |ocessor...Operat| 000042F0: 69 6E 67 20 6F 70 65 6E 20 6C 6F 6F 70 2C 20 69 |ing open loop, i| 00004300: 6E 20 6F 74 68 65 72 20 77 6F 72 64 73 20 77 69 |n other words wi| 00004310: 74 68 6F 75 74 20 66 65 65 64 62 61 63 6B 20 66 |thout feedback f| 00004320: 72 6F 6D 20 61 6E 79 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 |rom any of the s| 00004330: 79 73 74 65 6D 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 70 65 |ystem..design pe| 00004340: 6F 70 6C 65 20 28 55 53 29 20 74 68 65 79 20 64 |ople (US) they d| 00004350: 65 66 69 6E 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 63 6F 6D 6D 61 |efined the comma| 00004360: 6E 64 20 72 65 67 69 73 74 65 72 73 2E 20 20 54 |nd registers. T| 00004370: 68 65 72 65 20 77 61 73 20 61 20 72 65 67 69 73 |here was a regis| 00004380: 74 65 72 0D 0A 74 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 20 77 72 |ter..that you wr| 00004390: 6F 74 65 20 74 6F 20 74 6F 20 72 65 71 75 65 73 |ote to to reques| 000043A0: 74 20 61 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 65 2E 20 20 |t a transfere. | 000043B0: 54 6F 20 52 45 41 4C 4C 59 20 72 65 71 75 65 73 |To REALLY reques| 000043C0: 74 20 74 68 65 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 20 79 |t the transfer y| 000043D0: 6F 75 0D 0A 77 72 6F 74 65 20 74 68 65 20 73 61 |ou..wrote the sa| 000043E0: 6D 65 20 76 61 6C 75 65 20 61 20 73 65 63 6F 6E |me value a secon| 000043F0: 64 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 57 65 20 72 65 66 65 72 |d time. We refer| 00004400: 65 64 20 74 6F 20 74 68 69 73 20 61 73 20 74 68 |ed to this as th| 00004410: 65 20 22 64 6F 20 69 74 2C 20 64 6F 20 69 74 0D |e "do it, do it.| 00004420: 0A 6E 6F 77 22 20 72 65 67 69 73 74 65 72 20 6F |.now" register o| 00004430: 72 20 74 68 65 20 22 63 6F 6D 65 20 6F 6E 20 70 |r the "come on p| 00004440: 72 65 74 74 79 20 70 6C 65 61 73 65 22 20 72 65 |retty please" re| 00004450: 71 75 65 73 74 2C 20 6F 72 20 6D 79 20 66 61 76 |quest, or my fav| 00004460: 6F 72 69 74 65 2C 20 22 74 68 6F 73 65 0D 0A 23 |orite, "those..#| 00004470: 24 25 26 40 20 54 65 78 61 6E 73 22 20 72 65 67 |$%&@ Texans" reg| 00004480: 69 73 74 65 72 2E 20 41 4E 59 57 41 59 53 2C 20 |ister. ANYWAYS, | 00004490: 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 20 61 6C 73 6F 20 68 61 |the 8563 also ha| 000044A0: 64 20 61 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 77 68 65 72 |d a problem wher| 000044B0: 65 20 74 68 65 20 32 35 36 0D 0A 27 62 69 74 65 |e the 256..'bite| 000044C0: 27 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 20 64 69 64 6E 27 |' transfer didn'| 000044D0: 74 20 61 6C 77 61 79 73 20 74 61 6B 65 20 70 6C |t always take pl| 000044E0: 61 63 65 20 70 72 6F 70 65 72 6C 79 2C 20 6C 65 |ace properly, le| 000044F0: 61 76 69 6E 67 20 61 20 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 |aving a characte| 00004500: 72 0D 0A 62 65 68 69 6E 64 2E 20 54 68 69 73 20 |r..behind. This | 00004510: 65 6E 64 65 64 20 75 70 20 68 61 76 69 6E 67 20 |ended up having | 00004520: 74 68 65 20 65 66 66 65 63 74 20 6F 66 20 63 68 |the effect of ch| 00004530: 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 73 20 73 63 72 6F 6C 6C 69 |aracters scrolli| 00004540: 6E 67 20 75 70 77 61 72 64 73 0D 0A 72 61 6E 64 |ng upwards..rand| 00004550: 6F 6D 6C 79 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 32 32 2D 4A 61 |omly.......22-Ja| 00004560: 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 34 3A 31 37 3A 34 35 0D 0A |n-93 14:17:45..| 00004570: 0D 0A 53 6F 20 74 6F 20 72 65 63 61 70 2C 20 67 |..So to recap, g| 00004580: 6F 69 6E 67 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 44 65 63 65 6D 62 |oing into Decemb| 00004590: 65 72 20 77 65 20 68 61 64 20 61 20 63 68 69 70 |er we had a chip| 000045A0: 20 77 69 74 68 20 2E 30 30 31 25 20 79 69 65 6C | with .001% yiel| 000045B0: 64 2C 20 74 68 65 20 6C 65 66 74 0D 0A 63 6F 6C |d, the left..col| 000045C0: 75 6D 6E 73 20 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 77 6F 72 6B |umns didn't work| 000045D0: 2C 20 61 6E 79 74 69 6D 65 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 |, anytime there | 000045E0: 77 61 73 20 6F 6E 65 20 70 69 78 65 6C 20 62 79 |was one pixel by| 000045F0: 20 69 74 73 65 6C 66 20 79 6F 75 20 63 6F 75 6C | itself you coul| 00004600: 64 6E 27 74 20 73 65 65 0D 0A 69 74 2C 20 74 68 |dn't see..it, th| 00004610: 65 20 73 65 6D 69 20 75 73 65 6C 65 73 73 20 62 |e semi useless b| 00004620: 6C 6F 63 6B 20 74 72 61 6E 73 66 65 72 20 64 69 |lock transfer di| 00004630: 64 6E 27 74 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 72 69 67 68 74 2C |dn't work right,| 00004640: 20 74 68 65 20 70 6F 77 65 72 20 73 75 70 70 6C | the power suppl| 00004650: 79 20 68 61 64 0D 0A 74 6F 20 62 65 20 61 64 6A |y had..to be adj| 00004660: 75 73 74 65 64 20 66 6F 72 20 65 61 63 68 20 63 |usted for each c| 00004670: 68 69 70 2C 20 61 6E 64 20 69 74 20 62 6C 65 77 |hip, and it blew| 00004680: 20 75 70 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 79 6F 75 20 6C | up before you l| 00004690: 6F 61 64 65 64 20 61 6C 6C 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 |oaded all of the| 000046A0: 0D 0A 66 6F 6E 74 73 20 75 6E 6C 65 73 73 20 79 |..fonts unless y| 000046B0: 6F 75 20 74 6F 6F 6B 20 31 30 20 73 65 63 6F 6E |ou took 10 secon| 000046C0: 64 73 20 74 6F 20 6C 6F 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 66 |ds to load the f| 000046D0: 6F 6E 74 73 20 69 6E 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 |onts in which ca| 000046E0: 73 65 20 69 74 20 62 6C 65 77 20 75 70 0D 0A 6F |se it blew up..o| 000046F0: 6E 6C 79 20 73 6F 6D 65 74 69 6D 65 73 2E 20 46 |nly sometimes. F| 00004700: 69 6E 67 65 72 20 70 6F 69 6E 74 69 6E 67 20 77 |inger pointing w| 00004710: 61 73 20 69 6E 20 48 69 67 68 20 73 77 69 6E 67 |as in High swing| 00004720: 2C 20 28 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6D 73 20 67 |, (the systems g| 00004730: 75 79 73 20 73 68 6F 75 6C 64 0D 0A 68 61 76 65 |uys should..have| 00004740: 20 73 61 69 64 20 74 68 65 79 20 77 61 6E 74 65 | said they wante| 00004750: 64 20 57 4F 52 4B 49 4E 47 20 73 69 6C 69 63 6F |d WORKING silico| 00004760: 6E 29 20 77 69 74 68 20 6F 6E 65 20 64 65 70 61 |n) with one depa| 00004770: 72 74 6D 65 6E 74 20 70 69 74 74 65 64 20 61 67 |rtment pitted ag| 00004780: 61 69 6E 73 74 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 6F 74 68 65 72 |ainst the..other| 00004790: 2C 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 77 61 73 20 73 61 64 20 |, which was sad | 000047A0: 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 20 6F 74 68 65 |because the othe| 000047B0: 72 20 68 61 72 64 77 6F 72 6B 69 6E 67 20 63 68 |r hardworking ch| 000047C0: 69 70 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 73 20 68 61 64 |ip designers had| 000047D0: 0D 0A 70 72 65 66 6F 72 6D 65 64 20 73 6D 61 6C |..preformed smal| 000047E0: 6C 20 6D 69 72 61 63 6C 65 73 20 69 6E 20 67 65 |l miracles in ge| 000047F0: 74 74 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 73 74 75 66 |tting their stuf| 00004800: 66 20 64 6F 6E 65 20 6F 6E 20 74 69 6D 65 2E 20 |f done on time. | 00004810: 4D 61 6E 61 67 65 72 73 0D 0A 73 74 61 72 74 65 |Managers..starte| 00004820: 64 20 67 65 74 74 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 20 6C |d getting that l| 00004830: 6F 6F 6B 20 72 61 62 62 69 74 73 20 67 65 74 20 |ook rabbits get | 00004840: 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 68 65 61 64 6C 69 67 68 74 |in the headlight| 00004850: 73 20 6F 66 20 6F 6E 72 75 73 68 69 6E 67 20 4D |s of onrushing M| 00004860: 61 63 6B 0D 0A 74 72 75 63 6B 73 2C 20 20 73 6F |ack..trucks, so| 00004870: 6D 65 20 73 74 61 72 74 65 64 20 64 72 69 6E 6B |me started drink| 00004880: 69 6E 67 2C 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 72 65 61 64 69 6E |ing, some readin| 00004890: 67 20 70 6F 65 74 72 79 20 61 6C 6F 75 64 20 61 |g poetry aloud a| 000048A0: 6E 64 20 74 68 65 20 77 6F 72 73 74 20 77 65 72 |nd the worst wer| 000048B0: 65 0D 0A 63 6F 6D 6D 6F 6E 6C 79 20 73 65 65 6E |e..commonly seen| 000048C0: 20 64 6F 69 6E 67 20 62 6F 74 68 2E 20 4F 75 72 | doing both. Our| 000048D0: 20 66 61 76 6F 72 69 74 65 20 62 65 68 61 76 69 | favorite behavi| 000048E0: 6F 75 72 20 77 61 73 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 74 68 |our was where th| 000048F0: 65 79 20 68 69 64 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 69 72 0D |ey hid in their.| 00004900: 0A 6F 66 66 69 63 65 73 2E 20 20 49 74 20 77 61 |.offices. It wa| 00004910: 73 20 72 75 6D 6F 72 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 |s rumored that t| 00004920: 68 65 20 70 6F 74 74 65 64 20 70 6C 61 6E 74 20 |he potted plant | 00004930: 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 6C 6F 62 62 79 20 77 61 73 |in the lobby was| 00004940: 20 69 6E 20 6C 69 6E 65 20 66 6F 72 0D 0A 6F 6E | in line for..on| 00004950: 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 6B 65 79 20 6D 69 64 |e of the key mid| 00004960: 64 6C 65 20 6D 61 6E 61 67 6D 65 6E 74 20 70 6F |dle managment po| 00004970: 73 69 74 69 6F 6E 73 2E 20 50 72 6F 67 72 61 6D |sitions. Program| 00004980: 6D 65 72 20 62 65 61 74 69 6E 67 73 20 68 61 64 |mer beatings had| 00004990: 20 68 69 74 20 61 20 6E 65 77 0D 0A 68 69 67 68 | hit a new..high| 000049A0: 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 74 6F 20 66 61 6C 6C 20 6F 66 | only to fall of| 000049B0: 66 20 74 6F 20 61 6C 6D 6F 73 74 20 6E 6F 74 68 |f to almost noth| 000049C0: 69 6E 67 20 6F 76 65 72 6E 69 67 68 74 20 61 73 |ing overnight as| 000049D0: 20 65 76 65 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 6E 6F 20 6C 6F | even this no lo| 000049E0: 6E 67 65 72 0D 0A 71 75 65 6C 6C 65 64 20 74 68 |nger..quelled th| 000049F0: 65 20 67 72 6F 77 69 6E 67 20 74 65 6E 73 69 6F |e growing tensio| 00004A00: 6E 2E 20 41 20 73 70 72 69 6E 6B 6C 65 72 20 68 |n. A sprinkler h| 00004A10: 65 61 64 20 62 75 73 74 65 64 20 61 6E 64 20 72 |ead busted and r| 00004A20: 61 69 6E 65 64 20 61 6C 6C 20 6F 76 65 72 0D 0A |ained all over..| 00004A30: 63 6F 6D 70 75 74 65 72 20 65 71 75 69 70 6D 65 |computer equipme| 00004A40: 6E 74 20 73 74 6F 72 65 64 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 |nt stored in the| 00004A50: 20 68 61 6C 6C 77 61 79 2E 20 45 6E 67 69 6E 65 | hallway. Engine| 00004A60: 65 72 69 6E 67 20 67 61 74 68 65 72 65 64 20 61 |ering gathered a| 00004A70: 73 20 61 20 77 68 6F 6C 65 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 77 |s a whole and..w| 00004A80: 61 74 63 68 65 64 20 6F 6E 20 61 73 20 61 20 24 |atched on as a $| 00004A90: 31 30 30 2C 30 30 30 20 77 6F 72 74 68 20 6F 66 |100,000 worth of| 00004AA0: 20 65 71 75 69 70 6D 65 6E 74 20 62 65 63 61 6D | equipment becam| 00004AB0: 65 20 77 61 74 65 72 6C 6F 67 67 65 64 2C 20 74 |e waterlogged, t| 00004AC0: 68 65 69 72 0D 0A 65 78 70 72 65 73 73 69 6F 6E |heir..expression| 00004AD0: 73 20 6D 75 63 68 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 74 68 65 20 |s much like the | 00004AE0: 62 79 73 74 61 6E 64 65 72 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 |bystanders at a | 00004AF0: 67 72 69 73 6C 79 20 61 63 63 69 64 65 6E 74 20 |grisly accident | 00004B00: 77 68 6F 20 63 61 6E 27 74 20 74 65 61 72 0D 0A |who can't tear..| 00004B10: 74 68 65 69 72 20 61 74 74 65 6E 74 69 6F 6E 20 |their attention | 00004B20: 61 77 61 79 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 65 20 65 6E |away from the en| 00004B30: 73 75 69 6E 67 20 63 61 72 6E 61 67 65 2E 20 20 |suing carnage. | 00004B40: 49 20 63 61 6E 20 68 6F 6E 65 73 74 6C 79 20 73 |I can honestly s| 00004B50: 61 79 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 74 0D 0A 64 69 64 6E |ay that it..didn| 00004B60: 27 74 20 73 65 72 69 6F 75 73 6C 79 20 6F 63 63 |'t seriously occ| 00004B70: 75 72 20 74 6F 20 6D 65 20 74 68 61 74 20 77 65 |ur to me that we| 00004B80: 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 6E 27 74 20 62 65 20 72 65 61 | wouldn't be rea| 00004B90: 64 79 20 66 6F 72 20 43 45 53 2C 20 66 6F 72 20 |dy for CES, for | 00004BA0: 69 66 20 69 74 0D 0A 68 61 64 2C 20 49 20 6D 69 |if it..had, I mi| 00004BB0: 67 68 74 20 68 61 76 65 20 73 75 63 63 75 6D 62 |ght have succumb| 00004BC0: 65 64 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 6D 70 74 61 |ed to the tempta| 00004BD0: 74 69 6F 6E 20 74 6F 20 67 6F 20 68 69 64 65 20 |tion to go hide | 00004BE0: 69 6E 20 6D 79 20 6F 66 66 69 63 65 0D 0A 28 63 |in my office..(c| 00004BF0: 68 65 63 6B 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 20 74 65 6C 65 |hecking the tele| 00004C00: 70 68 6F 6E 65 29 2E 20 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 77 |phone). There w| 00004C10: 65 72 65 20 6A 75 73 74 20 74 6F 6F 20 6D 61 6E |ere just too man| 00004C20: 79 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 74 6F 20 73 74 |y problems to st| 00004C30: 6F 70 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 74 68 69 6E 6B 20 77 68 |op and..think wh| 00004C40: 61 74 20 69 66 2E 20 20 4E 65 78 74 20 74 69 6D |at if. Next tim| 00004C50: 65 20 28 68 6F 70 65 66 75 6C 6C 79 29 20 49 27 |e (hopefully) I'| 00004C60: 6C 6C 20 74 72 79 20 61 6E 64 20 62 72 69 6E 67 |ll try and bring| 00004C70: 20 61 6C 6C 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D | all the problem| 00004C80: 73 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 61 6E 73 77 65 72 73 20 74 |s and..answers t| 00004C90: 6F 67 65 74 68 65 72 20 61 6E 64 20 65 78 70 6C |ogether and expl| 00004CA0: 61 69 6E 20 77 68 79 20 49 20 73 74 6F 70 70 65 |ain why I stoppe| 00004CB0: 64 20 74 6F 20 74 65 6C 6C 20 74 68 61 74 20 72 |d to tell that r| 00004CC0: 61 74 68 65 72 20 6F 75 74 20 6F 66 20 70 6C 61 |ather out of pla| 00004CD0: 63 65 0D 0A 54 45 44 20 73 74 6F 72 79 2E 0D 0A |ce..TED story...| 00004CE0: 0D 0A 0D 0A 33 30 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 |....30-Jan-93 1| 00004CF0: 39 3A 32 37 3A 31 31 0D 0A 0D 0A 4E 6F 20 73 69 |9:27:11....No si| 00004D00: 6E 67 6C 65 20 63 75 73 74 6F 6D 20 63 68 69 70 |ngle custom chip| 00004D10: 20 77 61 73 20 77 6F 72 6B 69 6E 67 20 63 6F 6D | was working com| 00004D20: 70 6C 65 74 65 6C 79 20 61 73 20 77 65 20 77 65 |pletely as we we| 00004D30: 6E 74 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 44 65 63 65 6D 62 65 72 |nt into December| 00004D40: 20 77 69 74 68 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 70 6F 73 73 69 | with..the possi| 00004D50: 62 6C 65 20 65 78 63 65 70 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 |ble exception of| 00004D60: 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 31 30 20 43 50 55 2E 20 20 | the 8510 CPU. | 00004D70: 54 68 65 20 4D 4D 55 20 68 61 64 20 61 20 70 72 |The MMU had a pr| 00004D80: 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 64 61 74 61 |oblem where data| 00004D90: 20 77 61 73 0D 0A 22 62 6C 65 65 64 69 6E 67 20 | was.."bleeding | 00004DA0: 74 68 72 6F 75 67 68 22 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 74 68 |through" from th| 00004DB0: 65 20 75 70 70 65 72 20 36 34 4B 20 62 61 6E 6B |e upper 64K bank| 00004DC0: 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 6C 6F 77 65 72 2E | into the lower.| 00004DD0: 20 20 54 68 69 73 20 77 61 73 20 69 6E 20 70 61 | This was in pa| 00004DE0: 72 74 0D 0A 64 75 65 20 74 6F 20 61 20 6D 69 78 |rt..due to a mix| 00004DF0: 75 70 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 |up in the differ| 00004E00: 65 6E 74 20 72 65 76 69 73 69 6F 6E 20 6F 66 20 |ent revision of | 00004E10: 22 6C 61 79 65 72 73 22 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 72 |"layers" that ar| 00004E20: 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 0D 0A |e used to make..| 00004E30: 63 68 69 70 73 2E 20 54 68 69 73 20 63 68 69 70 |chips. This chip| 00004E40: 20 65 73 73 65 6E 74 69 61 6C 6C 79 20 68 61 64 | essentially had| 00004E50: 20 6F 6E 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 6F 6C 64 65 | one of the olde| 00004E60: 72 20 6C 61 79 65 72 73 20 6D 61 67 69 63 61 6C |r layers magical| 00004E70: 6C 79 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 0D 0A 62 72 69 6E 67 |ly appear..bring| 00004E80: 20 6F 6C 64 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 77 69 | old problems wi| 00004E90: 74 68 20 69 74 2E 20 20 55 6E 66 6F 72 74 75 6E |th it. Unfortun| 00004EA0: 61 74 65 6C 79 2C 20 74 68 69 73 20 6F 6C 64 65 |ately, this olde| 00004EB0: 72 20 6C 61 79 65 72 20 68 61 64 20 62 65 65 6E |r layer had been| 00004EC0: 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6F 0D 0A 66 69 78 20 6E 65 | used to..fix ne| 00004ED0: 77 65 72 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 73 20 73 6F 20 |wer problems so | 00004EE0: 77 65 20 64 69 64 6E 27 74 20 68 61 76 65 20 61 |we didn't have a| 00004EF0: 20 77 61 79 20 74 6F 20 63 6F 6D 62 69 6E 65 20 | way to combine | 00004F00: 65 78 69 73 74 69 6E 67 20 6C 61 79 65 72 73 20 |existing layers | 00004F10: 74 6F 20 66 69 78 0D 0A 41 4C 4C 20 70 72 6F 62 |to fix..ALL prob| 00004F20: 6C 65 6D 73 2E 20 44 61 76 65 20 44 27 4F 72 69 |lems. Dave D'Ori| 00004F30: 6F 20 28 73 74 61 72 74 20 74 65 6C 6C 69 6E 67 |o (start telling| 00004F40: 20 79 61 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 | ya some of the | 00004F50: 6E 61 6D 65 73 20 6F 66 20 61 20 66 65 77 20 6F |names of a few o| 00004F60: 66 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 75 6E 73 75 6E 67 20 74 79 |f the..unsung ty| 00004F70: 70 65 73 20 68 65 72 65 29 20 64 69 64 20 61 20 |pes here) did a | 00004F80: 47 52 45 41 54 20 6A 6F 62 20 6F 66 20 62 72 69 |GREAT job of bri| 00004F90: 6E 67 69 6E 67 20 6D 6F 73 74 20 6F 66 20 74 68 |nging most of th| 00004FA0: 65 20 49 43 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 20 65 66 66 6F |e IC design effo| 00004FB0: 72 74 73 0D 0A 74 6F 67 65 74 68 65 72 2E 20 20 |rts..together. | 00004FC0: 49 20 77 61 73 20 73 69 74 74 69 6E 67 20 77 69 |I was sitting wi| 00004FD0: 74 68 20 44 61 76 65 20 69 6E 20 61 20 62 61 72 |th Dave in a bar| 00004FE0: 2C 20 77 65 20 77 65 72 65 20 6F 66 20 63 6F 75 |, we were of cou| 00004FF0: 72 73 65 20 64 69 73 63 75 73 73 69 6E 67 0D 0A |rse discussing..| 00005000: 77 6F 72 6B 2C 20 77 68 65 6E 20 68 65 20 73 75 |work, when he su| 00005010: 64 64 65 6E 6C 79 20 66 69 67 75 72 65 64 20 6F |ddenly figured o| 00005020: 75 74 20 77 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6F 62 |ut what the prob| 00005030: 6C 65 6D 20 77 61 73 2E 20 20 48 65 20 68 61 64 |lem was. He had| 00005040: 20 6C 6F 6F 6B 65 64 20 61 74 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 | looked at..the | 00005050: 62 61 64 20 4D 4D 55 20 63 68 69 70 20 75 6E 64 |bad MMU chip und| 00005060: 65 72 20 61 20 6D 69 63 72 6F 73 63 6F 70 65 20 |er a microscope | 00005070: 74 68 61 74 20 64 61 79 2E 20 20 4C 61 74 65 72 |that day. Later| 00005080: 20 74 68 61 74 20 6E 69 67 68 74 2C 20 75 6E 64 | that night, und| 00005090: 65 72 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 69 6E 66 6C 75 65 6E 63 |er the..influenc| 000050A0: 65 20 6F 66 20 61 20 66 65 77 20 4D 69 63 68 65 |e of a few Miche| 000050B0: 6C 6F 62 73 2C 20 68 69 73 20 62 72 61 69 6E 20 |lobs, his brain | 000050C0: 22 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 65 64 22 20 74 68 65 20 |"developed" the | 000050D0: 70 69 63 74 75 72 65 20 68 69 73 20 65 79 65 73 |picture his eyes| 000050E0: 20 68 61 64 0D 0A 74 61 6B 65 6E 20 65 61 72 6C | had..taken earl| 000050F0: 69 65 72 20 61 6E 64 20 68 65 20 72 65 61 6C 69 |ier and he reali| 00005100: 7A 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 6E 20 65 61 72 6C |zed that an earl| 00005110: 69 65 72 20 6C 61 79 65 72 20 68 61 64 20 67 6F |ier layer had go| 00005120: 74 74 65 6E 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 64 |tten into the..d| 00005130: 65 73 69 67 6E 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 33 30 2D 4A |esign.......30-J| 00005140: 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 3A 34 39 3A 30 36 0D |an-93 19:49:06.| 00005150: 0A 0D 0A 54 68 69 73 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 6E 6F |...This would no| 00005160: 74 20 62 65 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 74 |t be the first t| 00005170: 69 6D 65 20 61 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D 20 77 6F |ime a problem wo| 00005180: 75 6C 64 20 62 65 20 61 64 64 72 65 73 73 65 64 |uld be addressed| 00005190: 20 61 74 20 74 68 69 73 0D 0A 70 61 72 74 69 63 | at this..partic| 000051A0: 75 6C 61 72 20 62 61 72 2E 20 20 28 54 68 65 20 |ular bar. (The | 000051B0: 43 6F 75 72 74 79 61 72 64 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 49 66 |Courtyard.... If| 000051C0: 20 79 6F 75 20 65 76 65 72 20 73 61 77 20 74 68 | you ever saw th| 000051D0: 65 20 44 61 76 69 64 20 4C 65 74 74 65 72 6D 61 |e David Letterma| 000051E0: 6E 20 77 68 65 72 65 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 67 75 79 |n where..the guy| 000051F0: 20 73 74 6F 70 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 61 6E 20 77 | stops the fan w| 00005200: 69 74 68 20 68 69 73 20 74 6F 6E 67 75 65 2C 20 |ith his tongue, | 00005210: 68 65 20 77 61 73 20 61 20 62 61 72 74 65 6E 64 |he was a bartend| 00005220: 65 72 20 74 68 65 72 65 29 2E 20 54 68 65 20 50 |er there). The P| 00005230: 4C 41 20 68 61 64 0D 0A 61 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 |LA had..a proble| 00005240: 6D 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 6D 79 20 67 72 6F 75 70 |m where my group| 00005250: 20 68 61 64 20 6D 61 64 65 20 61 20 74 79 70 6F | had made a typo| 00005260: 20 69 6E 20 73 70 65 63 69 66 79 69 6E 67 20 74 | in specifying t| 00005270: 68 65 20 68 75 6E 64 72 65 64 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 |he hundred some | 00005280: 74 65 72 6D 73 0D 0A 74 68 61 74 20 63 6F 6D 70 |terms..that comp| 00005290: 72 69 73 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 |rised the differ| 000052A0: 65 6E 74 20 6F 70 65 72 61 74 69 6E 67 20 70 61 |ent operating pa| 000052B0: 72 61 6D 65 74 65 72 73 2E 20 57 65 6C 6C 20 74 |rameters. Well t| 000052C0: 68 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 69 6E 0D 0A |he designer in..| 000052D0: 63 68 61 72 67 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 50 4C |charge of the PL| 000052E0: 41 20 74 6F 6F 6B 20 74 68 69 73 20 72 65 76 20 |A took this rev | 000052F0: 61 73 20 61 6E 20 6F 70 70 6F 72 74 75 6E 69 74 |as an opportunit| 00005300: 79 20 74 6F 20 73 6E 65 61 6B 20 61 20 63 68 61 |y to sneak a cha| 00005310: 6E 67 65 20 69 6E 74 6F 20 74 68 65 0D 0A 63 68 |nge into the..ch| 00005320: 69 70 20 77 69 74 68 6F 75 74 20 72 65 61 6C 6C |ip without reall| 00005330: 79 20 67 6F 69 6E 67 20 70 75 62 6C 69 63 20 77 |y going public w| 00005340: 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 20 66 61 63 74 20 68 65 20 |ith the fact he | 00005350: 77 61 73 20 6D 61 6B 69 6E 67 20 61 20 63 68 61 |was making a cha| 00005360: 6E 67 65 2E 20 20 57 68 65 6E 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 |nge. When..the | 00005370: 63 68 61 6E 67 65 20 77 65 6E 74 20 74 68 72 6F |change went thro| 00005380: 75 67 68 20 69 74 20 63 61 75 73 65 64 20 6F 6E |ugh it caused on| 00005390: 65 20 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 6C 61 79 65 72 73 20 |e of the layers | 000053A0: 74 6F 20 73 68 69 66 74 20 74 6F 77 61 72 64 73 |to shift towards| 000053B0: 20 6F 6E 65 20 73 69 64 65 0D 0A 61 6E 64 20 65 | one side..and e| 000053C0: 66 66 65 63 74 69 76 65 6C 79 20 73 68 6F 72 74 |ffectively short| 000053D0: 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 69 6E 70 75 74 20 70 69 6E |ed the input pin| 000053E0: 73 20 74 6F 67 65 74 68 65 72 2E 20 59 61 20 73 |s together. Ya s| 000053F0: 68 6F 75 6C 64 27 76 65 20 73 65 65 6E 20 74 68 |hould've seen th| 00005400: 65 20 73 65 65 6E 0D 0A 77 68 65 72 65 20 74 68 |e seen..where th| 00005410: 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 27 73 20 62 6F 73 |e designer's bos| 00005420: 73 20 77 61 73 20 6C 6F 75 64 6C 79 20 70 72 6F |s was loudly pro| 00005430: 63 6C 61 69 6D 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 20 48 61 |claiming that Ha| 00005440: 72 64 77 61 72 65 20 6D 75 73 74 20 6F 66 0D 0A |rdware must of..| 00005450: 73 63 72 65 77 65 64 20 75 70 20 62 65 63 61 75 |screwed up becau| 00005460: 73 65 20 68 69 73 20 65 6E 67 69 6E 65 65 72 20 |se his engineer | 00005470: 44 49 44 4E 27 74 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 61 6E 79 20 |DIDN't make any | 00005480: 63 68 61 6E 67 65 73 20 28 74 68 61 74 20 77 6F |changes (that wo| 00005490: 75 6C 64 27 76 65 20 62 65 65 6E 0D 0A 6C 69 6B |uld've been..lik| 000054A0: 65 20 61 64 6D 69 74 74 69 6E 67 20 74 68 61 74 |e admitting that| 000054B0: 20 73 6F 6D 65 74 68 69 6E 67 20 68 61 64 20 62 | something had b| 000054C0: 65 65 6E 20 22 62 72 6F 6B 65 6E 22 29 2E 20 59 |een "broken"). Y| 000054D0: 6F 75 20 63 6F 75 6C 64 20 74 65 6C 6C 20 62 79 |ou could tell by| 000054E0: 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 79 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 64 65 | the way..the de| 000054F0: 73 69 67 6E 65 72 27 73 20 66 61 63 65 20 77 61 |signer's face wa| 00005500: 73 20 73 6C 6F 77 6C 79 20 74 75 72 6E 69 6E 67 |s slowly turning| 00005510: 20 72 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 68 65 20 68 61 64 | red that he had| 00005520: 6E 27 74 20 79 65 74 20 66 6F 75 6E 64 20 61 20 |n't yet found a | 00005530: 77 61 79 20 6F 66 0D 0A 74 65 6C 6C 69 6E 67 20 |way of..telling | 00005540: 68 69 73 20 62 6F 73 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 68 65 |his boss that he| 00005550: 20 68 61 64 20 6D 61 64 65 20 61 20 63 68 61 6E | had made a chan| 00005560: 67 65 2E 20 54 61 6C 6B 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 67 |ge. Talk about g| 00005570: 69 76 69 6E 67 20 73 6F 6D 65 6F 6E 65 20 65 6E |iving someone en| 00005580: 6F 75 67 68 0D 0A 72 6F 70 65 20 74 6F 20 68 61 |ough..rope to ha| 00005590: 6E 67 20 74 68 65 6D 73 65 6C 76 65 73 2C 20 77 |ng themselves, w| 000055A0: 65 20 6A 75 73 74 20 6B 65 70 74 20 70 61 79 69 |e just kept payi| 000055B0: 6E 67 20 69 74 20 6F 75 74 20 79 61 72 64 20 62 |ng it out yard b| 000055C0: 79 20 79 61 72 64 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 33 30 2D |y yard.......30-| 000055D0: 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 3A 35 33 3A 34 35 |Jan-93 19:53:45| 000055E0: 0D 0A 0D 0A 41 6E 79 77 61 79 73 20 62 61 63 6B |....Anyways back| 000055F0: 20 74 6F 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 2E 20 20 54 | to the 8563. T| 00005600: 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 70 72 6F 62 6C 65 6D |he first problem| 00005610: 20 77 61 73 20 72 65 6C 61 74 69 76 65 6C 79 20 | was relatively | 00005620: 65 61 73 79 20 74 6F 20 66 69 78 2C 0D 0A 70 72 |easy to fix,..pr| 00005630: 6F 76 69 64 69 6E 67 20 79 6F 75 20 64 69 64 6E |oviding you didn| 00005640: 27 74 20 67 69 76 65 20 61 20 68 61 6E 67 20 61 |'t give a hang a| 00005650: 62 6F 75 74 20 79 6F 75 72 20 6F 77 6E 20 73 65 |bout your own se| 00005660: 6C 66 20 72 65 73 70 65 63 74 2E 20 20 54 68 65 |lf respect. The| 00005670: 20 38 35 36 33 0D 0A 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 | 8563..designer | 00005680: 6D 65 6E 74 69 6F 6E 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 |mentioned that t| 00005690: 68 65 20 62 6C 6F 63 6B 20 63 6F 70 79 20 73 65 |he block copy se| 000056A0: 65 6D 65 64 20 74 6F 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 62 65 74 |emed to work bet| 000056B0: 74 65 72 20 77 68 65 6E 20 79 6F 75 20 77 72 6F |ter when you wro| 000056C0: 74 65 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 73 61 6D 65 20 63 6F 6D |te..the same com| 000056D0: 6D 61 6E 64 20 74 77 69 63 65 20 69 6E 20 61 20 |mand twice in a | 000056E0: 72 6F 77 2E 20 20 49 20 6D 61 64 65 20 68 69 6D |row. I made him| 000056F0: 20 65 78 70 6C 61 69 6E 20 74 68 69 73 20 74 6F | explain this to| 00005700: 20 6D 65 20 69 6E 20 70 75 62 6C 69 63 2C 0D 0A | me in public,..| 00005710: 6D 6F 73 74 6C 79 20 64 75 65 20 74 6F 20 74 68 |mostly due to th| 00005720: 65 20 6D 65 61 6E 20 73 74 72 65 61 6B 20 49 20 |e mean streak I | 00005730: 77 61 73 20 73 74 61 72 74 69 6E 67 20 74 6F 20 |was starting to | 00005740: 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 20 77 68 65 6E 20 69 74 20 |develop when it | 00005750: 63 61 6D 65 20 74 6F 20 74 68 69 73 0D 0A 70 61 |came to this..pa| 00005760: 72 74 69 63 75 6C 61 72 20 73 75 62 6A 65 63 74 |rticular subject| 00005770: 2E 20 20 48 65 20 63 61 6C 6D 6C 79 20 65 78 70 |. He calmly exp| 00005780: 6C 61 69 6E 65 64 20 74 68 61 74 20 79 6F 75 20 |lained that you | 00005790: 6D 65 61 72 6C 79 20 77 72 6F 74 65 20 74 6F 20 |mearly wrote to | 000057A0: 74 68 69 73 0D 0A 72 65 67 69 73 74 65 72 20 61 |this..register a| 000057B0: 6E 64 20 74 68 65 6E 20 77 72 6F 74 65 20 74 6F |nd then wrote to| 000057C0: 20 69 74 20 61 67 61 69 6E 2E 20 20 49 20 61 73 | it again. I as| 000057D0: 6B 65 64 20 22 79 6F 75 20 6D 65 61 6E 20 64 6F |ked "you mean do| 000057E0: 20 69 74 20 61 6E 64 20 64 6F 20 69 74 20 6E 6F | it and do it no| 000057F0: 77 3F 22 0D 0A 22 45 78 61 63 74 6C 79 22 2C 20 |w?".."Exactly", | 00005800: 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 69 67 6E 65 72 20 65 78 63 |the designer exc| 00005810: 6C 61 69 6D 65 64 20 66 69 67 75 72 69 6E 67 20 |laimed figuring | 00005820: 68 65 20 77 61 73 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 68 6F |he was on the ho| 00005830: 6D 65 20 73 74 72 65 74 63 68 20 20 74 6F 0D 0A |me stretch to..| 00005840: 75 6E 64 65 72 73 74 61 6E 64 69 6E 67 20 28 49 |understanding (I| 00005850: 6E 74 65 6C 2C 20 61 74 20 6C 61 73 74 20 68 69 |ntel, at last hi| 00005860: 73 20 65 79 65 73 20 75 6E 66 75 72 6C 65 64 29 |s eyes unfurled)| 00005870: 2C 20 22 6B 69 6E 64 61 20 6C 69 6B 65 20 61 20 |, "kinda like a | 00005880: 27 63 6F 6D 65 20 6F 6E 0D 0A 70 72 65 74 74 79 |'come on..pretty| 00005890: 20 70 6C 65 61 73 65 20 72 65 67 69 73 74 65 72 | please register| 000058A0: 27 20 49 20 61 73 6B 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 6D |' I asked with m| 000058B0: 79 20 62 65 73 74 20 69 6E 6E 6F 63 65 6E 74 20 |y best innocent | 000058C0: 65 78 70 72 65 73 73 69 6F 6E 2C 20 22 57 65 6C |expression, "Wel| 000058D0: 6C 20 73 6F 72 74 0D 0A 6F 66 22 20 68 65 20 72 |l sort..of" he r| 000058E0: 65 70 6C 69 65 64 20 64 6F 75 62 74 20 63 72 65 |eplied doubt cre| 000058F0: 65 70 69 6E 67 20 69 6E 20 74 6F 20 68 69 73 20 |eping in to his | 00005900: 76 6F 69 63 65 2C 20 22 79 6F 75 20 77 6F 75 6C |voice, "you woul| 00005910: 64 6E 27 74 20 62 65 20 66 72 6F 6D 20 54 65 78 |dn't be from Tex| 00005920: 61 73 0D 0A 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 79 6F 75 22 2C 20 |as..would you", | 00005930: 49 20 61 73 6B 65 64 20 6D 79 20 66 61 63 65 20 |I asked my face | 00005940: 74 68 65 20 64 65 66 69 6E 69 74 69 6F 6E 20 6F |the definition o| 00005950: 66 20 73 69 6E 63 65 72 69 74 79 2C 20 28 73 61 |f sincerity, (sa| 00005960: 69 64 20 69 6E 20 74 68 65 20 76 6F 69 63 65 0D |id in the voice.| 00005970: 0A 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 77 61 6E 6E 61 2D 62 65 |.of the wanna-be| 00005980: 20 48 42 4F 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6F 72 20 6F 6E | HBO director on| 00005990: 20 74 68 65 20 48 42 4F 20 6D 61 64 65 20 66 6F | the HBO made fo| 000059A0: 72 20 54 56 20 63 6F 6D 6D 65 72 63 69 61 6C 29 |r TV commercial)| 000059B0: 20 22 77 68 79 20 79 65 73 2E 2E 2E 2E 0D 0A 79 | "why yes......y| 000059C0: 65 73 20 49 20 61 6D 22 20 68 65 20 72 65 70 6C |es I am" he repl| 000059D0: 69 65 64 2E 20 4D 69 6E 64 20 79 6F 75 20 61 20 |ied. Mind you a | 000059E0: 63 72 6F 77 64 20 68 61 64 20 66 6F 72 6D 65 64 |crowd had formed| 000059F0: 20 62 79 20 74 68 69 73 20 74 69 6D 65 2C 20 74 | by this time, t| 00005A00: 68 61 74 20 70 6F 6F 72 20 67 75 79 0D 0A 6E 65 |hat poor guy..ne| 00005A10: 76 65 72 20 75 6E 64 65 72 73 74 6F 6F 64 20 77 |ver understood w| 00005A20: 68 61 74 20 77 61 73 20 73 6F 20 66 75 6E 6E 79 |hat was so funny| 00005A30: 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 62 65 69 6E 67 20 66 72 6F | about being fro| 00005A40: 6D 20 54 65 78 61 73 20 6F 72 20 77 68 61 74 20 |m Texas or what | 00005A50: 61 20 27 44 61 6D 6D 0D 0A 54 65 78 61 6E 27 20 |a 'Damm..Texan' | 00005A60: 72 65 67 69 73 74 65 72 20 77 61 73 2E 0D 0A 0D |register was....| 00005A70: 0A 0D 0A 33 30 2D 4A 61 6E 2D 39 33 20 20 31 39 |...30-Jan-93 19| 00005A80: 3A 35 33 3A 35 30 0D 0A 0D 0A 54 68 69 73 20 27 |:53:50....This '| 00005A90: 66 69 78 27 20 61 63 74 75 61 6C 6C 79 20 64 69 |fix' actually di| 00005AA0: 64 20 77 6F 72 6B 20 73 6F 6D 65 20 77 68 61 74 |d work some what| 00005AB0: 2C 20 74 68 65 20 6F 6E 6C 79 20 70 72 6F 62 6C |, the only probl| 00005AC0: 65 6D 20 77 61 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 6E 6F 6F 6E |em was that noon| 00005AD0: 65 20 74 6F 6C 64 0D 0A 74 68 65 20 67 75 79 20 |e told..the guy | 00005AE0: 28 56 6F 6E 20 45 72 74 77 69 6E 65 29 20 77 68 |(Von Ertwine) wh| 00005AF0: 6F 20 77 61 73 20 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 69 6E 67 |o was developing| 00005B00: 20 43 50 2F 4D 20 61 74 20 68 6F 6D 65 20 28 63 | CP/M at home (c| 00005B10: 6F 6E 73 75 6C 74 61 6E 74 29 2E 20 56 6F 6E 20 |onsultant). Von | 00005B20: 68 61 64 0D 0A 77 69 73 65 6C 79 20 63 68 6F 73 |had..wisely chos| 00005B30: 65 6E 20 6E 6F 74 20 74 6F 20 74 72 79 20 74 6F |en not to try to| 00005B40: 20 66 6F 6C 6C 6F 77 20 61 6C 6C 20 6F 66 20 74 | follow all of t| 00005B50: 68 65 20 63 75 72 72 65 6E 74 20 52 65 76 73 20 |he current Revs | 00005B60: 6F 66 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 2C 0D 0A 69 6E |of the 8563,..in| 00005B70: 73 74 65 61 64 20 68 65 20 6C 61 74 63 68 65 64 |stead he latched| 00005B80: 20 6F 6E 74 6F 20 61 20 73 6F 6D 65 77 68 61 74 | onto a somewhat| 00005B90: 20 77 6F 72 6B 69 6E 67 20 52 65 76 34 20 61 6E | working Rev4 an| 00005BA0: 64 20 6B 65 70 74 20 69 66 20 66 6F 72 20 73 6F |d kept if for so| 00005BB0: 66 74 77 61 72 65 0D 0A 64 65 76 65 6C 6F 70 6D |ftware..developm| 00005BC0: 65 6E 74 2E 20 20 4C 61 74 65 72 20 77 65 20 77 |ent. Later we w| 00005BD0: 6F 75 6C 64 20 66 69 6E 64 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 |ould find out th| 00005BE0: 61 74 20 56 6F 6E 2C 20 74 6F 20 6D 61 6B 65 20 |at Von, to make | 00005BF0: 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 20 77 6F 72 6B 0D 0A 70 |the 8563 work..p| 00005C00: 72 6F 70 65 72 6C 79 2C 20 77 61 73 20 74 61 6B |roperly, was tak| 00005C10: 69 6E 67 20 74 68 65 20 6C 69 74 74 6C 65 20 6D |ing the little m| 00005C20: 65 74 61 6C 20 63 75 70 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 61 |etal cup that ca| 00005C30: 6D 65 20 77 69 74 68 20 68 69 73 20 68 6F 74 20 |me with his hot | 00005C40: 61 69 72 20 70 6F 70 63 6F 72 6E 0D 0A 70 6F 70 |air popcorn..pop| 00005C50: 70 65 72 20 28 69 74 20 77 61 73 20 61 20 62 75 |per (it was a bu| 00005C60: 74 74 65 72 63 75 70 20 74 6F 20 62 65 20 65 78 |ttercup to be ex| 00005C70: 61 63 74 29 20 61 6E 64 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 70 |act) and would p| 00005C80: 75 74 20 61 6E 20 49 63 65 20 63 75 62 65 20 69 |ut an Ice cube i| 00005C90: 6E 20 69 74 20 61 6E 64 0D 0A 73 65 74 20 69 74 |n it and..set it| 00005CA0: 20 6F 6E 20 74 68 65 20 38 35 36 33 2E 20 20 48 | on the 8563. H| 00005CB0: 65 20 67 6F 74 20 61 62 6F 75 74 20 31 2F 32 20 |e got about 1/2 | 00005CC0: 68 6F 75 72 20 6F 66 20 6F 70 65 72 61 74 69 6F |hour of operatio| 00005CD0: 6E 20 70 65 72 20 63 75 62 65 2E 20 4F 6E 20 6F |n per cube. On o| 00005CE0: 75 72 20 73 69 64 65 0D 0A 74 68 65 72 65 20 77 |ur side..there w| 00005CF0: 61 73 20 74 61 6C 6B 20 6F 66 20 72 69 67 67 69 |as talk of riggi| 00005D00: 6E 67 20 63 61 6E 73 20 6F 66 20 63 6F 6C 64 20 |ng cans of cold | 00005D10: 73 70 72 61 79 20 77 69 74 68 20 66 6F 6F 74 20 |spray with foot | 00005D20: 73 77 69 74 63 68 65 73 20 66 6F 72 20 74 68 65 |switches for the| 00005D30: 20 43 45 53 0D 0A 73 68 6F 77 2C 20 22 73 70 61 | CES..show, "spa| 00005D40: 72 6B 6C 65 3F 3F 3F 20 49 20 64 6F 6E 27 74 20 |rkle??? I don't | 00005D50: 3C 70 69 73 73 73 68 68 68 3E 20 73 65 65 20 61 |<pissshhh> see a| 00005D60: 6E 79 20 73 70 61 72 6B 6C 65 20 3C 70 69 73 73 |ny sparkle <piss| 00005D70: 73 68 68 68 3E 22 2E 20 41 6E 79 77 61 79 73 2C |shhh>". Anyways,| 00005D80: 0D 0A 6E 6F 2D 6F 6E 65 20 74 6F 6C 64 20 56 6F |..no-one told Vo| 00005D90: 6E 2E 2E 2E 2E 20 62 75 74 20 64 6F 6E 27 74 20 |n.... but don't | 00005DA0: 77 6F 72 72 79 2C 20 68 65 20 77 6F 75 6C 64 20 |worry, he would | 00005DB0: 66 69 6E 64 20 6F 75 74 20 74 68 65 20 64 61 79 |find out the day| 00005DC0: 20 62 65 66 6F 72 65 20 43 45 53 0D 0A 64 75 72 | before CES..dur| 00005DD0: 69 6E 67 20 73 65 74 75 70 20 69 6E 20 27 56 65 |ing setup in 'Ve| 00005DE0: 67 61 73 2E 0D 0A 0D 0A 0D 0A 54 4F 20 42 45 20 |gas.......TO BE | 00005DF0: 43 4F 4E 54 49 4E 55 45 44 21 |CONTINUED! |
THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF MESSAGES WERE PO
STED BY FORMER CBM DESIGN ENGINEER..BIL
HERD 71155,533. THEY REPRESENT A FASCIN
ATING LOOK INTO THE "BEHIND THE..SCENES"
SHENANIGANS AT COMMODORE WHILE THE C128
WAS BEING PRODUCED. ENJOY!....THIS FIL
E WILL BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY AS BIL GI
VES US MORE OF THE STORY.....
--*--*--*--*--*--.....
.03-JAN-93 00:09:52....YA INTERESTED IN
HISTORY??? EVER HEAR OF THE CHUCK PEDDA
L SPECIAL PIN ? IF..YOU PULL OUT THE OR
IGINAL (HANDRAWN!) SCHEMATICS OF TTHE 65
02 THERE IS AN..UNUSUAL PAD MARKED CPS.
THIS LATER WENT ON TO BE THE SET OVERFLO
W (SO) PIN OF..RENOWNED 1541 USE.....VIC
MODES OF OPERATION ARE ACTUALLY FAIRLY
WELL DOCUMENTED IN PLACES LIKE THE..C64
AND C128 PROGRAMMERS REFERENCE GUIDE. D
O YOU MEAN MEMORY MAPS OR VIC..MODES OF
OPERATION LIKE THE FAMOUS..MULTI-COLOR-C
HARACTER-EXCEPT-EVERY-FOURTH-THURSDAY MO
DE? (I.E. THOSE..SEMI-SILLY MODES THAT
GIVE THE VIC CHIP ITS VERSATILTY). THER
E ARN'T REALLY..ANY UNSUPPORTED MODES AS
IF THERE WAS A HIDDEN MODE, MEANING ONE
THE..DESIGNERS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, IT WA
S USUALLY EXPLOITED BY THE INGENIOUS CRO
WD..OF DEVELOPERS.....BIL....P.S. HAVE Y
OU COME ACROSS ANY MENTION OF THE 8510-H
ERD? SPECIAL RUN CHIP (48..PIN) THAT WA
S LIKE GOLD TO DEVELOPERS DURING C128 DE
VELOPMENT.........12-JAN-93 19:28:05...
.COMING SOON TO A TERMINAL NEAR YOU... T
HE GRUESOME STORY OF THE CHIP THAT..ALMO
ST RUINED CES (AND THE C128 ALONG WITH I
T)....EXPERIENCE THE SHAME AND HORROR OF
BEING A CHIP DESIGNER AT COMMODORE DURI
NG..THE WITCH HUNTS!....SEE THE EXPRESIO
NS ON MANAGERS FACES WHEN THEY REALIZE T
HAT THEIR BONUSES ARE..AT STAKE!....HEAR
THE WOEFUL LAMENTING OF THE PROGRAMERS
AS THEY ARE BEATEN FOR NO..APPARENT REAS
ON!....SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A H
ARDWARE ENGINEER... STALKING THE HALLS I
N..SEARCH OF PROGRAMMERS TO BEAT (FOR NO
APPARENT REASON).....LEARN HOW TO SAY "
THIS CHIP ONE SICK PUP" IN JAPANESE.....
FIND OUT JUST HOW BADLY BUSTED UP THE 80
COLUMN CHIP WAS AND HOW MANY DIRTY..FIX
ES WERE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT ALL CRUCIAL
SHOW IN VEGAS ON JANUARY 6...(CHRISTMAS,
WHAT CHRISTMAS). .....<SAID RATHER COYL
Y IN AN ATTEMPT TO ELICIT ANY POSITIVE R
ESPONSES> UNLESS OF..COURSE NO ONE IS IN
TERESTED..... :) BIL......14-JAN-93 15:
37:59....THIS IS THE FIRST OF MANY PARTS
AS THIS THING WENT ROUND AND ROUND DURI
NG OUR..MAD DASH TO MAKE THE CES SHOW. I
DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT YEAR IT WAS. T
HE..8563 WAS A HOLDOVER FROM THE Z8000 B
ASED C900 (THE "Z" MACHINE AS WE CALLED.
.IT). THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT WERE C
ALLED THE "Z" PEOPLE, THE PLACE THEY..HU
NG OUT WAS CALLED THE "Z" LOUNGE AND WEL
L.... YOU GET THE IDEA.....THE MOST INTE
RESTING THING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT GROU
P BESIDES A DISK..CONTROLLER THAT PROMPT
ED YOU FOR WHAT SECTOR AND CYLINDER YOU'
D LIKE TO WRITE..TO ON EVERY ACCESS, WAS
ONE DAY THEY STOLE THE FURNITURE OUT OF
THE LOBBY AND..MADE THEIR OWN LOUNGE DI
SGUISING IT AS A VAX REPAIR DEPOT. WE WE
RE SO..AMUSED BY THIS THAT WE STOPPED TE
ASING THEM FOR A WEEK. (BUT I BECOME..D
ISTRACTED....)....NOW THE VERY VERY VERY
EARLY CONCEPT OF THE C128 WAS BASED ON
THE D128, A..6509 BASED CREATURE (BOO...
HISS). THE ENGINEERS ON THE PROJECT HA
D TACKED A..VIC CHIP ONTO THE OTHERWISE
MONCHROME (6845 BASED) IN AN EFFORT TO A
DD SOME..COLOR TO AN OTHERWISE DRAB MACH
INE. NO ONE DREAMED THAT C64 COMPATIBILI
TY WAS..POSSIBLE SO NO ONE THOUGHT ALONG
THOSE LINES. I WAS JUST COMING OFF OF..
FINISHING THE PLUS 4 (BEFORE THEY ADDED
THAT AWFUL BUILT IN SOFTWARE TO IT)..AND
EVEN THOUGH I HAD DONE EXACTLY WHAT I W
AS TOLD TO DO I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH..THE
END RESULT AND HAD DECIDED TO MAKE THE N
EXT MACHINE COMPATIBLE WITH.._SOMETHING_
INSTEAD OF YET ANOTHER INCOMPATIBLE CBM
MACHINE. (I WON'T GO INTO..THE "YES VIR
GINIA THERE IS COMPATIBILITY" MEMO THAT
I WROTE THAT HAD THE..LAWYERS MANY YEARS
LATER STILL CHUCKLING, SUFFICE IT TO SA
Y I MADE SOME..FAIRLY BRASH STATEMENTS R
EGARDING MY OPINION OF PRODUCT STRATEGY)
..CONSEQUENTLY, I WAS ALLOWED/FORCED TO
PUT MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH WAS AND I..T
OOK OVER THE C128 PROJECT.....I LOOKED A
T THE EXISTING SCHEMATICS ONCE AND THEN
STARTED WITH A NEW DESIGN..BASED ON C64N
ESS. THE MANAGER OF THE CHIP GROUP APPRO
ACHED ME AND SAID THEY..HAD A COLOR VERS
ION OF THE 6845 IF I WAS INTERESTED IN U
SING IT IT WOULD..DEFFINATELY BE DONE IN
TIME HAVING BEEN WORKED ON ALREADY FOR
A YEAR AND A..HALF...... AND SO THE STOR
Y BEGINS..... (TO BE CONTINUED)......16-
JAN-93 19:06:28....LOOKING BACK I REALI
ZE THAT THE SOURCE OF A LOT OF THE PROBL
EMS WITH THE 8563..IS THAT IT WASN'T DES
IGNED FOR THE C128 AND THAT THE IC DESIG
NERS DID NOT..TAKE PART IN THE APPLICATI
ON OF THEIR CHIP THE WAY THE OTHER DESIG
NERS DID...THE VIC AND MMU DESIGNERS TOO
K AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN HOW THEIR CHIP W
AS USED..AND HOW THE SYSTEM DESIGN WORKE
D IN RELATION TO THEIR CHIP. I OVERLOOKE
D..RAMIFICATIONS OF HOW THE 8563 WAS SPE
C'ED TO WORK THAT CAME BACK TO HAUNT ME.
.LATER. FOR EXAMPLE, IT WAS EXPLAINED TO
ME HOW THERE WAS THIS BLOCK TRANSFER..F
EATURE FOR TRANSFERRING CHARACTERS FOR T
HINGS LIKE SCROLLING. COOL.... WE..NEED
THAT. LATER IT WOULD TURN OUT WHEN THIS
FEATURE FINALLY DID WORK..CORRECTLY THA
T IT ONLY WAS GOOD FOR 256 CHARACTERS AT
A TIME. 256 CHARACTERS..AT A TIME. 256
CHARACTERS AT A TIME?? I NEVER STOPPED T
O THINK TO ASK IF THE..FEATURE WAS SEMI-
USELESS BECAUSE IT COULD ONLY BLOCK MOVE
3 AND 1/3 LINES AT..A TIME. DID I MENTI
ON THE BLOCK MOVE WAS ONLY GOOD FOR 256
CHARACTERS. LATER..A BUG IN THIS FEATUR
E WOULD ALMOST PROVE A SHOW STOPPER WITH
A SERIOUS..PROBLEM SHOWING UP IN VEGAS
THE NIGHT OF SETUP BEFORE THE CES SHOW.
BUT I GET..AHEAD OF MYSELF. IT WAS ALSO
MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PART HAD THE
SAME..OPERATING PARAMETERS AS THE 6845,
A VERY COMMON GRAPHICS ADAPTER. NOT..SC
RUTINIZING THE CHIP FOR TIMING DIFFERENC
ES THE WAY I NORMALLY DID ANY NEW..CHIP
WAS ANOTHER MISTAKE I MADE. THE MAJOR T
IMINGS INDICATED WHAT SPEED..CLASS IT WA
S IN AND I DIDN'T CHECK THEM ALL. I BLAM
E MYSELF AS THIS REALLY IS..THE TYPE OF
MISTAKE AN AMATEUR MAKES. I WONDER IF I
WAS IN A HURRY THAT DAY...:)......16-JA
N-93 19:06:39....IT TURNS OUT THAT A MA
JOR CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE TO THE WAY THE
READ/WRITE LINE..WAS HANDLED. WHEN I ASK
ED ABOUT THIS, VERY LATE IN THE DESIGN C
YCLE, LIKE IN..PRODUCTION WHEN THIS PROB
LEM TURNED UP, I WAS TOLD "REMEMBER,, TH
IS WAS..DESIGNED TO WORK IN THE Z8000 MA
CHINE." ???!!!! ????!!!! SHOULDA SEEN TH
E..LOOK ON MY FACE! EVEN THOUGH THE Z800
0 MACHINE WAS LONG DEAD AND WE HAD BEEN.
.TRYING FOR 6 MONTHS TO USE THIS DAMM TH
ING IN THE C128 I'M BEING TOLD NOW..THAT
YOU DIDN'T DESIGN IT TO WORK THE WAY WE
'VE BEEN USING IT FOR 6 MONTHS?..SHOULDA
ASKED.... IT WAS MY FAULT, SHOULDA ASKE
D "IS THIS MEANT TO WORK".......:/....LO
OKING BACK I REALIZE THAT THE SOURCE OF
A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE 8563..IS
THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED FOR THE C128 AND
THAT THE IC DESIGNERS DID NOT..TAKE PAR
T IN THE APPLICATION OF THEIR CHIP THE W
AY THE OTHER DESIGNERS DID...THE VIC AND
MMU DESIGNERS TOOK AN ACTIVE INTEREST I
N HOW THEIR CHIP WAS USED..AND HOW THE S
YSTEM DESIGN WORKED IN RELATION TO THEIR
CHIP. I OVERLOOKED..RAMIFICATIONS OF HO
W THE 8563 WAS SPEC'ED TO WORK THAT CAME
BACK TO HAUNT ME..LATER. FOR EXAMPLE,
IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME HOW THERE WAS THI
S BLOCK TRANSFER..FEATURE FOR TRANSFERRI
NG CHARACTERS FOR THINGS LIKE SCROLLING.
COOL.... WE..NEED THAT. LATER IT WOULD
TURN OUT WHEN THIS FEATURE FINALLY DID W
ORK..CORRECTLY THAT IT ONLY WAS GOOD FOR
256 CHARACTERS AT A TIME. 256 CHARACTER
S..AT A TIME. 256 CHARACTERS AT A TIME??
I NEVER STOPPED TO THINK TO ASK IF THE.
.FEATURE WAS SEMI-USELESS BECAUSE IT COU
LD ONLY BLOCK MOVE 3 AND 1/3 LINES AT..A
TIME. DID I MENTION THE BLOCK MOVE WAS
ONLY GOOD FOR 256 CHARACTERS. LATER..A
BUG IN THIS FEATURE WOULD ALMOST PROVE A
SHOW STOPPER WITH A SERIOUS..PROBLEM SH
OWING UP IN VEGAS THE NIGHT OF SETUP BEF
ORE THE CES SHOW. BUT I GET..AHEAD OF MY
SELF.......16-JAN-93 19:06:50....IT WAS
ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PART HA
D THE SAME OPERATING PARAMETERS..AS THE
6845, A VERY COMMON GRAPHICS ADAPTER. NO
T SCRUTINIZING THE CHIP FOR..TIMING DIFF
ERENCES THE WAY I NORMALLY DID ANY NEW C
HIP WAS ANOTHER MISTAKE I..MADE. THE MA
JOR TIMINGS INDICATED WHAT SPEED CLASS I
T WAS IN AND I DIDN'T..CHECK THEM ALL. I
BLAME MYSELF AS THIS REALLY IS THE TYPE
OF MISTAKE AN..AMATEUR MAKES. I WONDER
IF I WAS IN A HURRY THAT DAY. :) IT TUR
NS OUT THAT A..MAJOR CHANGE HAD BEEN MAD
E TO THE WAY THE READ/WRITE LINE WAS HAN
DLED. WHEN..I ASKED ABOUT THIS, VERY LA
TE IN THE DESIGN CYCLE, LIKE IN PRODUCTI
ON WHEN..THIS PROBLEM TURNED UP, I WAS T
OLD "REMEMBER,, THIS WAS DESIGNED TO WOR
K IN..THE Z8000 MACHINE." ???!!!! ????!!
!! SHOULDA SEEN THE LOOK ON MY FACE!..EV
EN THOUGH THE Z8000 MACHINE WAS LONG DEA
D AND WE HAD BEEN TRYING FOR 6..MONTHS T
O USE THIS DAMM THING IN THE C128 I'M BE
ING TOLD NOW THAT YOU DIDN'T..DESIGN IT
TO WORK THE WAY WE'VE BEEN USING IT FOR
6 MONTHS? SHOULDA ASKED......IT WAS MY F
AULT, SHOULDA ASKED "IS THIS MEANT TO WO
RK THE WAY WERE USING IT?"..:/....DON'T
GET ME WRONG, THE DESIGNER WAS VERY BRIG
HT, HE HELD PATENTS FOR SOME OF..THE "CE
LLS" IN THE MOTORLA 68000. IT JUST THAT
CHIP HAD TO WORK IN..CONJUNCTION WITH OT
HER CHIPS AND THATS WHERE SOME OFD THE P
ROBLEMS LAY. OUR..STORY OPENS AS REV 0
OF THE CHIP.... (WHATS THAT..... DOESN'T
WORK.... OK,)..OUR STORY OPENS AS REV 1
OF THE CHIP MAKES ITS DEBUT AND ......(
PARDON ME A..MOMENT.....) OUR STORY OPEN
S AS REV 2 OF THE CHIP MAKES IT DEBUT...
.. <TO BE..CONTINUED>......19-JAN-93 20
:50:41....FORGIVE THE SPORADIC NATURE OF
THESE ADDITIONS. NOW WHERE WAS I ....
OH..YEAH.... IT WAS SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBE
R WHEN WE GOT 8563 SILICON (OR SO MEMORY
..SERVES) GOOD ENOUGH TO STICK IN A SYST
EM. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ALL WAS WRONG.
.WITH THE CHIP BUT ONE CONCERN WE HAD WA
S IT OCCASIONALLY (NO SPELL CHECKER..TON
IGHT, BEAR WITH ME) BLEW UP.... BIG TIME
.... TURN OVER DIE AND THEN SMELL..BAD..
... BUT THEN ALL OF THE C128 PROTOTYPES
DID THAT ON A SEMI REGULAR BASIS..AS THE
RE WASN'T REALLY ANY CUSTOM SILICON YET,
JUST BIG CIRCUIT BOARDS..PLUGGED IN WHE
RE CUSTOM CHIPS WOULD LATER GO... BUT YO
U CAN'T WAIT FOR A..SYSTEM TO BE COMPLET
ED BEFORE STARTING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T THINK..ANY OF THE ANIMALS REA
LLY GAVE IT A THOUGHT UNTIL WHEN THE NEX
T REV OF THE..CHIP CAME OUT AND NOW WITH
LESS OTHER PROBLEMS THE BLOWING UP 'SEE
MED' MORE..PRONOUNCED. ALSO THE PROTOYP
ES GOT MORE SOLID _ALMOST_ EVERY DAY. (
I KNEW..TO GO CHECK ON THE PROGRAMER'S P
ROTOTYPE WHENEVER I HEARD THE SOUND OF C
OLD..SPRAY COMING OUT OF THEIR OFFICE...
. LATER IT TURNED OUT THEY USUALLY WEREN
'T..SPRAYING THE BOARDS JUST USING THEIR
"HARDWARE ENGINEER" CALL. SOMETIMES AL
L..I HAD TO DO WAS TOUCH THE BOARD IN A
MYSTICAL WAY AND THEN BACK OUT SLOWLY..S
OMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY RITUAL LIKE CHAN
TING AND HUMMING. THIS BECAME KNOW..AS
THE "LAYING OF HANDS". THIS WORKED EVER
Y TIME EXECPT ONE, AND THAT TIME..IT TUR
NED OUT I HAD STOLEN THE POWER SUPPLY MY
SELF WITHOUT TELLING THEM......IF ANYBOD
Y ELSE GOT CAUGHT "MESSING WITH MY GUYS"
THEY'D GET DUCT TAPED TO A..LOCKER AND
THEN THE BOX KICKED OUT FROM UNDER THEM
LEAVING THEM STUCK UNTIL..THEY COULD PEE
L THEMSELVES DOWN, BUT THATS ANOTHER STO
RY.) ANYWAY, WHEN THIS..PROBLEM STILL E
XISTED ON REV 4 (I THINK IT WAS) WE GOT
CONCERNED. IT WAS AT..THIS TIME THAT TH
E SINGLE MOST SCARIEST STATEMENT CAME OU
T OF THE IC DESIGN..SECTION IN CHARGE OF
THE '63. THIS STATEMENT AMOUNTED TO "Y
OU'LL ALWAYS HAVE..SOME CHANCE STATISTIC
ALLY THAT ANY READ OR WRITE CYCLE WILL F
AIL DUE TO..(SYNCHRONICITY)".......19-JA
N-93 21:12:05....SYNCHRONICITY PROBLEMS
OCCUR WHEN TWO DEVICES RUN OFF OF TWO S
EPARATE CLOCKS,..THE VIC CHIP HENCE THE
REST OF THE SYSTEM, RUNS OFF OF A 14.318
MHZ CRYSTAL..AND THE 8563 RUNS OFF OF A
16MHZ OSCILLATOR. NOW PICTURE WALKING TO
WRDS A..REVOLVING DOOR WITH YOUR ARMS FU
LL OF PACKAGES AND NOT LOOKING UP BEFORE
..LAUNCHING YOURSELF INTO THE DOORWAY. Y
OU MAY GET THROUGH UNSCATHED IF YOUR..TI
MING WAS ACCIDENTALLY JUST RIGHT, OR YOU
MAY FUMBLE THROUGH LOSING SOME..PACKAGE
S (SYNONYMOUS TO LOSING DATA) IN THE PRO
CESS OR IF THINGS REALLY FOUL..UP SOME O
F THE PACKAGES MAY MAKE IT THROUGH AND Y
OU'RE LEFT STRANDED ON THE..OTHER SIDE O
F THE DOOR (SYNONYMOUS TO A COMPLETELY B
LOWN WRITE CYCLE). WHAT I..DIDN'T REALIZ
E THAT HE MEANT WAS THAT SINCE THERES AL
WAYS A CHANCE FOR A BAD..CYCLE TO SLIP T
HROUGH, HE DIDN'T TAKE EVEN THE MOST RUD
IMENTARY PROTECTION..AGAINST BAD SYNCHRO
NISING. IT'S MY FAULT I DIDN'T ASK, "WHA
T DO YOU MEAN..FULLY BY THAT STATEMENT"
BECAUSE I'D OF FOUND OUT EARLY THAT THER
E WAS NO..PROTECTION. AS IT TURNS OUT TH
E 8563 INSTEAD OF FAILING EVERY 3 YEARS
OR SO..(VERY LIVABLE BY COMMODORE STANDA
RDS) IT FAILED ABOUT 3 TIMES A SECOND.
IN..OTHER WORDS IF YOU TRIED TO LOAD THE
FONT ALL IN ONE SHOT IT WOULD BLOW UP..
EVERY TIME! THE IC DESIGNERS REFUSED TO
BELIEVE THIS UP UNTIL MID DECEMBER..(CE
S IN 2-3 WEEKS!) BECAUSE "THEIR UNIT IN
THE LAB DIDN'T DO IT." FINALLY I..SAID
"SHOW US" AND THEY LED THE WHOLE RABBLE
(PITCH FORKS, TORCHES, UGLY..SCENE) DOWN
TO THE LAB. IT TURNS OUT THEY WERN'T E
VEN TESTING THE CURRENT..REV OF THE CHIP
, (TWO REVS OLD), THEY WERE TESTING IT F
ROM BASIC BECAUSE IT.."BLEW UP" EVERY TI
ME THEY RAN IT AT SYSTEM SPEEDS (NO %^$#
%$# SHERLOCK...THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO TELL YOU) AND EVEN THEN IT SCREWED UP
ONCE AND..THE DESIGNER REACHED FOR THE
RESET SWITCH SAYING THAT SOMETHING DOES.
.OCCASIONALLY GO WRONG. BEING ONE OF TH
E ANIMALS WITH MY REFLEXES HIGHLY..TUNED
BY PROGRAMER ABUSING I WAS ABLE TO SNAT
CH HIS ARM IN MID-AIR BEFORE HE..GOT TO
THE RESET SWITCH, WITH BLATANT EVIDENCE
THERE ON THE TEST SCREEN.......19-JAN-93
21:12:15....ONE OF THE RABBLE WAS THEI
R BOSS AND (I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT T
WO..DESIGNERS INTERCHANGEABLY, BUT THEN
THEY WERE INTERCHANGEABLE,) THE WORD..FI
NALLY CAME DOWN "FIX IT". HOLLOW VICTOR
Y AS THERE WAS ONLY TWO WEEKS TILL..WE P
ACKED FOR THE SHOW, AND THERE WERE 4 OR
5 OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS (I'LL SAY..MORE L
ATER) WITH THE CHIP AND NO TIME TO DO AN
OTHER PASS. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT..IF WE W
ERE GOING TO MAKE CES SOMETHING HAD TO G
IVE. AS JOSEY WALES SAID,.."THATS WHEN Y
A GOTTA GET MEAN.... I MEAN DOWNRIGHT PL
UMB CRAZY LOCO MEAN"...AND WE KNEW WE HA
D TO.......22-JAN-93 14:17:32....MEMORY
FLASH, I JUST REMEBERED WHEN WE FOUND O
UT THERE WAS NO INTERRUPT..FACILITY BUIL
T IN TO THE 8563. I REMEMBER HOW PATIEN
T THE DESIGNER WAS WHEN..HE SAT ME DOWN
TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT YOU DON'T NEED AN
INTERRUPT FROM THE..8563 INDICATING THAT
AN OPERATION IS COMPLETE BECAUSE YOU CA
N CHECK THE..STATUS ANY TIME MEARLY BY S
TOPPING WHAT YOU'RE DOING (OVER AND OVER
) AND..LOOKING AT THE APPROPRIATE REGIST
ER, (EVEN IF THIS MEANS BANKING IN I/O)
OR..BETTER YET SIT IN A LOOP WATCHING WA
TCHING THE REGISTER THAT INDICATES WHEN.
.AN OPERATION IS DONE (WHAT ELSE COULD B
E GOING ON IN THE SYSTEM BESIDES..TALKIN
G TO THE 8563 ???) OUR RUNNING GAG BECA
ME NOT NEEDING A RINGER ON THE..PHONE BE
CAUSE YOU CAN PICK IT UP ANY TIME AND CH
ECK TO SEE IF SOMEONE'S ON..IT, OR BETTE
R YET, SIT AT YOUR DESK ALL DAY PICKING
THE PHONE UP. EVEN IN..THE HOTTEST DIS
CUSSIONS SOMEONE WOULD SUDDENLY STOP, EX
CUSE HIMSELF, AND PICK..UP THE NEAREST P
HONE JUST TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOMEONE ON
IT. THIS UTTERLY..FAILED TO GET THE PO
INT ACROSS BUT PROVIDED HOURS OF AMUSEME
NT. THE OWNERS..AT THE LOCAL BAR WONDER
ED WHAT FIXATION THE GUYS FROM COMMODORE
HAD WITH THE..PAY PHONE.....ANY WAYS...
. TO BACK UP TO THE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT
PLAUGED THE 8563. GOING..INTO DECEMBER
A COUPLE OF THINGS HAPPENED. THE DESIGN
HAD BEEN CHANGED TO..SUPPORT A "BACK-BI
AS GENERATOR". THIS THING IS GENERALLY
USED TO REDUCE..POWER CONSUMPTION AND SP
EED THE CHIP UP. WELL, SOMETHING WAS NO
T QUITE RIGHT..SOMEWHERE IN THE DESIGN B
ECAUSE THE CHIP GOT WORSE. THE SECOND T
HING THAT..HAPPENED WAS THAT BOTH DESIGN
ERS TOOK VACATION. NOTHING AGAINST THAT
FROM MY..POINT OF VIEW HERE 8-9 YEARS I
N THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT THEN WE COULDN'T
..UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE PEOPLE WERE DOIN
G WORKING ON A CRITICAL PROJECT.......22
-JAN-93 14:17:37....OR MAYBE I WAS JUST
GETTING TO USED TO EATING THANKSGIVING
DINNER OUT OF..ALUMINUM FOIL OFF OF A LA
B BENCH. CHRISTMAS CONSISTED OF STOPPIN
G AT..SOMEONE'S HOUSE WHO LIVED IN THE A
REA FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS ON THE WAY HOM
E..FROM WORK. ANYWAYS, THE CHIPS COULD
NO LONGER DISPLAY A SOLID SCREEN. THE..
FIRST COUPLE OF CHARACTERS ON EACH LINE
WERE EITHER MISSING OR TEARING, UNTIL..T
HE THING HEATED UP, THEN THEY WERE JUST
MISSING. ALSO, THE YIELD OF CHIPS..THAT
EVEN WORKED THIS GOOD FELL TO WHERE THE
Y ONLY GOT 3 OR 4 WORKING CHIPS..THE LAS
T RUN. A RUN IS A HALF-LOT AT MOS AND C
OSTS BETWEEN $40,000 AND..$120,000 TO RU
N. PRETTY EXPENSIVE COUPLE OF CHIPS....
.THE OTHER PROBLEM TAKES A SECOND TO EXP
LAIN, BUT FIRST A STORY..... BACK..WHEN
TED (THE PLUS FOUR) HAD BEEN MUTILATED
DECIMATED AND DEFECATED UPON,..MANAGMENT
DECIDED TO KICK THE BODY ONE LAST TIME.
"TED SHALL TALK" CAME THE..DECREE AND
THE BEST MINDS IN THE INDUSTRY WERE SOUG
HT... WE ACTUALLY DID HAVE..TWO OF THE M
OST NOTED CONSUMER SPEECH PEOPLE AT THE
TIME, THE GUYS WHO..DESIGNED THE "TI SPE
AK AN SPELL" WORKED OUT OF THE COMMODORE
DALLAS OFFICE...THEY DID A CUSTOM CHIP
TO INTERFACE A SPEECH CHIP SET TO THE PR
OCESSOR...OPERATING OPEN LOOP, IN OTHER
WORDS WITHOUT FEEDBACK FROM ANY OF THE S
YSTEM..DESIGN PEOPLE (US) THEY DEFINED T
HE COMMAND REGISTERS. THERE WAS A REGIS
TER..THAT YOU WROTE TO TO REQUEST A TRAN
SFERE. TO REALLY REQUEST THE TRANSFER Y
OU..WROTE THE SAME VALUE A SECOND TIME.
WE REFERED TO THIS AS THE "DO IT, DO IT.
.NOW" REGISTER OR THE "COME ON PRETTY PL
EASE" REQUEST, OR MY FAVORITE, "THOSE..#
$%&@ TEXANS" REGISTER. ANYWAYS, THE 8563
ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WHERE THE 256..'BITE
' TRANSFER DIDN'T ALWAYS TAKE PLACE PROP
ERLY, LEAVING A CHARACTER..BEHIND. THIS
ENDED UP HAVING THE EFFECT OF CHARACTERS
SCROLLING UPWARDS..RANDOMLY.......22-JA
N-93 14:17:45....SO TO RECAP, GOING INT
O DECEMBER WE HAD A CHIP WITH .001% YIEL
D, THE LEFT..COLUMNS DIDN'T WORK, ANYTIM
E THERE WAS ONE PIXEL BY ITSELF YOU COUL
DN'T SEE..IT, THE SEMI USELESS BLOCK TRA
NSFER DIDN'T WORK RIGHT, THE POWER SUPPL
Y HAD..TO BE ADJUSTED FOR EACH CHIP, AND
IT BLEW UP BEFORE YOU LOADED ALL OF THE
..FONTS UNLESS YOU TOOK 10 SECONDS TO LO
AD THE FONTS IN WHICH CASE IT BLEW UP..O
NLY SOMETIMES. FINGER POINTING WAS IN HI
GH SWING, (THE SYSTEMS GUYS SHOULD..HAVE
SAID THEY WANTED WORKING SILICON) WITH
ONE DEPARTMENT PITTED AGAINST THE..OTHER
, WHICH WAS SAD BECAUSE THE OTHER HARDWO
RKING CHIP DESIGNERS HAD..PREFORMED SMAL
L MIRACLES IN GETTING THEIR STUFF DONE O
N TIME. MANAGERS..STARTED GETTING THAT L
OOK RABBITS GET IN THE HEADLIGHTS OF ONR
USHING MACK..TRUCKS, SOME STARTED DRINK
ING, SOME READING POETRY ALOUD AND THE W
ORST WERE..COMMONLY SEEN DOING BOTH. OUR
FAVORITE BEHAVIOUR WAS WHERE THEY HID I
N THEIR..OFFICES. IT WAS RUMORED THAT T
HE POTTED PLANT IN THE LOBBY WAS IN LINE
FOR..ONE OF THE KEY MIDDLE MANAGMENT PO
SITIONS. PROGRAMMER BEATINGS HAD HIT A N
EW..HIGH ONLY TO FALL OFF TO ALMOST NOTH
ING OVERNIGHT AS EVEN THIS NO LONGER..QU
ELLED THE GROWING TENSION. A SPRINKLER H
EAD BUSTED AND RAINED ALL OVER..COMPUTER
EQUIPMENT STORED IN THE HALLWAY. ENGINE
ERING GATHERED AS A WHOLE AND..WATCHED O
N AS A $100,000 WORTH OF EQUIPMENT BECAM
E WATERLOGGED, THEIR..EXPRESSIONS MUCH L
IKE THE BYSTANDERS AT A GRISLY ACCIDENT
WHO CAN'T TEAR..THEIR ATTENTION AWAY FRO
M THE ENSUING CARNAGE. I CAN HONESTLY S
AY THAT IT..DIDN'T SERIOUSLY OCCUR TO ME
THAT WE WOULDN'T BE READY FOR CES, FOR
IF IT..HAD, I MIGHT HAVE SUCCUMBED TO TH
E TEMPTATION TO GO HIDE IN MY OFFICE..(C
HECKING THE TELEPHONE). THERE WERE JUST
TOO MANY PROBLEMS TO STOP AND..THINK WH
AT IF. NEXT TIME (HOPEFULLY) I'LL TRY A
ND BRING ALL THE PROBLEMS AND..ANSWERS T
OGETHER AND EXPLAIN WHY I STOPPED TO TEL
L THAT RATHER OUT OF PLACE..TED STORY...
....30-JAN-93 19:27:11....NO SINGLE CUS
TOM CHIP WAS WORKING COMPLETELY AS WE WE
NT INTO DECEMBER WITH..THE POSSIBLE EXCE
PTION OF THE 8510 CPU. THE MMU HAD A PR
OBLEM WHERE DATA WAS.."BLEEDING THROUGH"
FROM THE UPPER 64K BANK INTO THE LOWER.
THIS WAS IN PART..DUE TO A MIXUP IN TH
E DIFFERENT REVISION OF "LAYERS" THAT AR
E USED TO MAKE..CHIPS. THIS CHIP ESSENTI
ALLY HAD ONE OF THE OLDER LAYERS MAGICAL
LY APPEAR..BRING OLD PROBLEMS WITH IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS OLDER LAYER HAD BEEN
USED TO..FIX NEWER PROBLEMS SO WE DIDN'
T HAVE A WAY TO COMBINE EXISTING LAYERS
TO FIX..ALL PROBLEMS. DAVE D'ORIO (START
TELLING YA SOME OF THE NAMES OF A FEW O
F THE..UNSUNG TYPES HERE) DID A GREAT JO
B OF BRINGING MOST OF THE IC DESIGN EFFO
RTS..TOGETHER. I WAS SITTING WITH DAVE
IN A BAR, WE WERE OF COURSE DISCUSSING..
WORK, WHEN HE SUDDENLY FIGURED OUT WHAT
THE PROBLEM WAS. HE HAD LOOKED AT..THE
BAD MMU CHIP UNDER A MICROSCOPE THAT DAY
. LATER THAT NIGHT, UNDER THE..INFLUENC
E OF A FEW MICHELOBS, HIS BRAIN "DEVELOP
ED" THE PICTURE HIS EYES HAD..TAKEN EARL
IER AND HE REALIZED THAT AN EARLIER LAYE
R HAD GOTTEN INTO THE..DESIGN.......30-J
AN-93 19:49:06....THIS WOULD NOT BE THE
FIRST TIME A PROBLEM WOULD BE ADDRESSED
AT THIS..PARTICULAR BAR. (THE COURTYAR
D.... IF YOU EVER SAW THE DAVID LETTERMA
N WHERE..THE GUY STOPS THE FAN WITH HIS
TONGUE, HE WAS A BARTENDER THERE). THE P
LA HAD..A PROBLEM WHERE MY GROUP HAD MAD
E A TYPO IN SPECIFYING THE HUNDRED SOME
TERMS..THAT COMPRISED THE DIFFERENT OPER
ATING PARAMETERS. WELL THE DESIGNER IN..
CHARGE OF THE PLA TOOK THIS REV AS AN OP
PORTUNITY TO SNEAK A CHANGE INTO THE..CH
IP WITHOUT REALLY GOING PUBLIC WITH THE
FACT HE WAS MAKING A CHANGE. WHEN..THE
CHANGE WENT THROUGH IT CAUSED ONE OF THE
LAYERS TO SHIFT TOWARDS ONE SIDE..AND E
FFECTIVELY SHORTED THE INPUT PINS TOGETH
ER. YA SHOULD'VE SEEN THE SEEN..WHERE TH
E DESIGNER'S BOSS WAS LOUDLY PROCLAIMING
THAT HARDWARE MUST OF..SCREWED UP BECAU
SE HIS ENGINEER DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES
(THAT WOULD'VE BEEN..LIKE ADMITTING THAT
SOMETHING HAD BEEN "BROKEN"). YOU COULD
TELL BY THE WAY..THE DESIGNER'S FACE WA
S SLOWLY TURNING RED THAT HE HADN'T YET
FOUND A WAY OF..TELLING HIS BOSS THAT HE
HAD MADE A CHANGE. TALK ABOUT GIVING SO
MEONE ENOUGH..ROPE TO HANG THEMSELVES, W
E JUST KEPT PAYING IT OUT YARD BY YARD..
.....30-JAN-93 19:53:45....ANYWAYS BACK
TO THE 8563. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS REL
ATIVELY EASY TO FIX,..PROVIDING YOU DIDN
'T GIVE A HANG ABOUT YOUR OWN SELF RESPE
CT. THE 8563..DESIGNER MENTIONED THAT T
HE BLOCK COPY SEEMED TO WORK BETTER WHEN
YOU WROTE..THE SAME COMMAND TWICE IN A
ROW. I MADE HIM EXPLAIN THIS TO ME IN P
UBLIC,..MOSTLY DUE TO THE MEAN STREAK I
WAS STARTING TO DEVELOP WHEN IT CAME TO
THIS..PARTICULAR SUBJECT. HE CALMLY EXP
LAINED THAT YOU MEARLY WROTE TO THIS..RE
GISTER AND THEN WROTE TO IT AGAIN. I AS
KED "YOU MEAN DO IT AND DO IT NOW?".."EX
ACTLY", THE DESIGNER EXCLAIMED FIGURING
HE WAS ON THE HOME STRETCH TO..UNDERSTA
NDING (INTEL, AT LAST HIS EYES UNFURLED)
, "KINDA LIKE A 'COME ON..PRETTY PLEASE
REGISTER' I ASKED WITH MY BEST INNOCENT
EXPRESSION, "WELL SORT..OF" HE REPLIED D
OUBT CREEPING IN TO HIS VOICE, "YOU WOUL
DN'T BE FROM TEXAS..WOULD YOU", I ASKED
MY FACE THE DEFINITION OF SINCERITY, (SA
ID IN THE VOICE..OF THE WANNA-BE HBO DIR
ECTOR ON THE HBO MADE FOR TV COMMERCIAL)
"WHY YES......YES I AM" HE REPLIED. MIN
D YOU A CROWD HAD FORMED BY THIS TIME, T
HAT POOR GUY..NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS
SO FUNNY ABOUT BEING FROM TEXAS OR WHAT
A 'DAMM..TEXAN' REGISTER WAS.......30-JA
N-93 19:53:50....THIS 'FIX' ACTUALLY DI
D WORK SOME WHAT, THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS T
HAT NOONE TOLD..THE GUY (VON ERTWINE) WH
O WAS DEVELOPING CP/M AT HOME (CONSULTAN
T). VON HAD..WISELY CHOSEN NOT TO TRY TO
FOLLOW ALL OF THE CURRENT REVS OF THE 8
563,..INSTEAD HE LATCHED ONTO A SOMEWHAT
WORKING REV4 AND KEPT IF FOR SOFTWARE..
DEVELOPMENT. LATER WE WOULD FIND OUT TH
AT VON, TO MAKE THE 8563 WORK..PROPERLY,
WAS TAKING THE LITTLE METAL CUP THAT CA
ME WITH HIS HOT AIR POPCORN..POPPER (IT
WAS A BUTTERCUP TO BE EXACT) AND WOULD P
UT AN ICE CUBE IN IT AND..SET IT ON THE
8563. HE GOT ABOUT 1/2 HOUR OF OPERATIO
N PER CUBE. ON OUR SIDE..THERE WAS TALK
OF RIGGING CANS OF COLD SPRAY WITH FOOT
SWITCHES FOR THE CES..SHOW, "SPARKLE???
I DON'T <PISSSHHH> SEE ANY SPARKLE <PISS
SHHH>". ANYWAYS,..NO-ONE TOLD VON.... BU
T DON'T WORRY, HE WOULD FIND OUT THE DAY
BEFORE CES..DURING SETUP IN 'VEGAS.....
..TO BE CONTINUED!
> CLICK IMAGE PREVIEW FOR FULL MODAL