Date   : Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:43:20 +0200
From   : rick@... (Rick Murray)
Subject: BBC Micros used in retro programming class

On 26/08/2010 00:28, Mark McDougall wrote:

> The problem was, his plan was that his *second* programming effort was going
> to be World Of Warcraft.

<ROTFL>

I knew a guy like that. Worst thing was, he'd not take "you can't" as an 
answer.


> A week or so later and I never heard about it again.

;-) Guy I knew was considerably more stubborn than that.


> self-styled entrepreneur) announced that he was going to produce the next
> "killer game" for PCs/consoles.

I'd love to do that. Then I see the sort of stuff shown at games expos 
on NHK World and I'm like "nope". Even if I leaved, breathed, and 
dreamed ARM code, I don't think I'd be capable of something like that.

That said, the biggest problem is that of the idea. What's fresh and 
hasn't been done?


> probably not cut out to be a programmer anyway. The true geeks could
> probably see beyond the limitations and only marvel at the possibilities...

It is easy to repurpose hardware. A lowly Beeb and a bunch of logic 
stuck to a breadboard would, with the right programming, make a burglar 
alarm system better and more flexible than most of the stuff on the 
market. Or a central heating controller that would beat most of the ones 
I've ever seen. Or... You have to realise going all weepy_eyed over cute 
kittens on YouTube is just not going to happen on that sort of hardware. 
Not ever. The true geek will understand this and think of the 
possibilities. After all, look how much can be done with a basic-spec 
PIC. Size issues aside, anything a bottom-range PIC can do, a Beeb can 
do (better, given the options for video output and such).


Best wishes,

Rick.


Mmmmm... Econet. Get your alarm and your heating controller talking to 
each other so your house won't be kept quite as warm when it knows you 
aren't around...
...see what I mean?

-- 
Rick Murray, eeePC901 & ADSL WiFI'd into it, all ETLAs!
BBC B: DNFS, 2 x 5.25" floppies, EPROM prog, Acorn TTX
E01S FileStore, A3000/A5000/RiscPC/various PCs/blahblah...