Altair 8800 - Video #9.2 - Loading 8K BASIC the Fun Way

Now what's the BASIC command on this computer for calling an ML routine, like SYS on Commodore 8-bit computers (at least if you know what Commodores are like)?

Wow, this was was interesting too; now you're seeing on a terminal screen what we would've seen on paper from your teletype machine, right?

Haha, "BASICally BASIC being loaded," nice!

"...And to tell the loader that we're loading from cassette tape." Or... magnetic tape or analog audio in general, since this isn't cassette tape.

"It was designed to make make the boot process a little more reliable off the tape." OK, that's great for when you're not using tape, but botting off it. But what about when you're booting FROM it?

Why not just do a direct capture to the computer from the headset jack, where at a certain volume it can be at about the same level as line out?

can we take the audio from this video to extract the same data?

I know this is an old video, but I just watched it. That same Pioneer deck, I have in my garage. It was my dads when I was growing up, and when he died I inherited it. I recently acquired an Altair, and this may be a project I attempt also. First, I need to see if the reel to reel is in order. Then, see if I can find tapes, and hope I still have the pickup reel. Seems like that would be a fitting thing to do.

Still have mine, but in a fit of madness in the late 90's I pulled most of the chips out of the board and saved them. now, this is my retirement project. Did have an cassette interface too. Also, back in the day, we used auto cassette to load the programs into the cash machine's mini computers (70'S & 80'S).

Altair Pre-Dates me, but I've always wanted to check one of these out.
Thats Sweet!
Dryden, MI

In my generation of 8 bit computing, I could easily type in LOAD "*",1,1 (C64), CLOAD or ENTER "C:" (Atari) to load in from a cassette depending on how the data was saved hooked up to a black/white television set. Fortunately they had Basic loaded on a cartridge and later on a chip. I still have my original Commodore 64 and Atari cassette machines. This is legendary!

I can confirm that this sounds similar to cassette loaded programs for the Commodore 64 and SEGA SC-3000H!

I love the sounds it makes. It's very relaxing.

Excellent video. I was with DEC for years and well remember mag tape farms on older systems which was used basically for back up and recovery. Those were great days !!

I used to write those types of games for the old Z80 back in the day 🤓

I seem to remember that game back when I started on a friends IMSAI8080. Yeah, shows my age ;-)

👍👍👍👍👍👍

When I was a kid, hacking CHASE was my main jam, first on a Cromemco and then a Honeywell.

The Altair was before my time, but I enjoy seeing the history of computing. When I started elementary school in LA, we had a lab full of fresh Apple IIc computers. They were advanced for the time, but tech has come a long way.

I feel like I just listened to a ham radio FSK transmission. At this point, maybe I should find out how much stuff I can fit into an audio cassette.

Now all you need is an LSI terminal

LOL Mp3 is funny too... A meg or 2 file representing a couple k 🤣

Now the question is .IS BASIC STEREO?

I remember in the early Seventies having to enter instructions using 16 toggle switches.

Interesting use of a Pioneer RT-707 :)

but... you didn't finish the game

haaa lol

Do you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?

It is one of my biggest dreams to do this on a real altair. Thats so amazing !!!!

I heard similar sounds many times back in my Commodore 64 cassette days.

I showed this video to my wife and said, "Me want." She looked at me and replied, "Learn to live with disappointment."

its fascinating to watch this series. wonder if the homebrew computer club did the exact same thing. from a computer that had absoluty nothing per se( just a few boards and switches , to a huge add on community and early adapters . in the end it had a o.s and everything else that a "modern? mini would have .

Nice "blast from the past"

That sound brings back memories. I still have my Poly 88 computer from 1976 which has a keyboard and a monitor and an Intel 8080 chip. And, I still have my Hero 2000 ET-19 robot from 1986 who is still up and going.

How did you record data to the tape?

Very Cool. Now can you load 8K BASIC from a stick with notches carved in it? I know it would have to be a fairly long stick.
OTHER IDEAS:
Load 8K BASIC from a rope with knots tied in it.
Load 8K BASIC from stone tablets.
Load 8K BASIC from DNA patterns stored in a small fish.
Load 8K BASIC from marbles of differing colors.


I mean... If you're bored on a rainy day...

if anyone complains about their computer loading times, I immediately send them either this video or you loading basic from a teletype on altair.

We can't hear the tones because you are constantly taking over them.

Oh! I also remember when I was at Hope College in Michigan. We (rich school-not rich student) had a particle accelerator which was identical to one owned by Michigan State. They were using an Altair in conjunction with that (1976).

Sometime I saw a video by someone who acquired an Altar but the guts were either destroyed or missing. He put a modern motherboard in there but set it up to emulate exactly the Altair machine! Quite a piece of work!

This series of videos is truly wonderful. Thank you. x

Takes 10mins on paper tape...... This is very cool. Did people back then use tapes like this ?

wow , brought back hard earned memories. then i learn it's a CLONE.

You want us to listen to it because it's fun, and then you walk through it. Good job.

This look amazingly like a game that I wrote back in high school (late 70's) called "Fence."

Who where these people that have managed to not run their headphones down completely...

I can't groove to this like I can groove to a Spectrum loading tape.

Is possible to load Konami's games like Knight Mare at this device?

That Pioneer tape reel thingymabob must be worth a fortune.