Floppy Days 135 - Grundy New Brain Tech Specs with Chris Despoinidis
Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Release Date: 01/28/2024
Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
The HP97 Programmable Calculator - Part 2 - With Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz Patreon: Video version of the episode at YouTube: Sponsors: New Acquisitions 1027 print heads - ABBUC (Atari Bit-Byter Users Club) - Best Electronics - inexpensive keyboard available on Amazon (for domes) - “Atari 400/800 Student Pilot Reference Guide” by Atari - PortaCoCo - Tim Halloran video on making an adapter that allows you to run much of your CoCo off of battery - Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 store -...
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HP-97 Programmable Calculator History and Memories with Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz and Everett Kaser Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 148 of the Floppy Days Podcast for February, 2025, where computers of the late 70’s through the 80’s are the Apple of our eye! (If you got that pun, then you’re in the right place 🙂) First off, I wanted to mention that this month is the 12th anniversary of the publication of the very first episode of Floppy Days way back in 2013. That’s right: 12 YEARS! A very small percentage of...
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Interview with Lorenzo Hagerty, Dynasty Computers Patreon: Sponsors: New Acquisitions Juiced.GS - Call-A.P.P.L.E. - TRS-80 M1 keyboard remake - NEC PC-8201A Dial-A-ROM - TI-74/95 RAM/Flash cart - TI CC-40 RAM/ROM module - Upcoming Shows Vintage Computer Festival SoCal - February 15-17, 2025 - Hotel Fera Events Center, Orange, CA - Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - VCF East - April 4-6, 2025 - Wall, NJ - Indy Classic Computer and Video Game...
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Interview with Dan Bricklin, VisiCalc Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 146 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for December, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this podcast. This month I’m staying with the recent interview theme, as I continue to get the opportunity for interviews with some amazing icons from the early personal computer days. This month, that person is Dan Bricklin, co-developer of the iconic VisiCalc software that helped kickstart the sales of early personal computers like the Apple II and began the important spreadsheet...
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Episode 145 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 4 Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 145 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for November, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this audio tribute to the amazing variety of home computers that existed in the late 70’s thru the 80’s, before the influence of Big Blue changed the landscape forever. This month I’m continuing the series of interviews I’ve been doing recently with Paul Terrell. As we have discussed, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of...
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Episode 144 - Interview with Don French and Steve Leininger, Co-Designers of the TRS-80 Model I Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 144 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for October, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this audio ode to the home computers of the past. This month I have a special treat for you. At the recent Tandy Assembly, which I will talk about in more detail later in the podcast, not only were there a lot of great people, exhibits, vendors, and camaraderie, but we were also blessed with having Steve Leininger as one...
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Episode 143 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 3 Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 143 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for September, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this retro ride to the past of home computing. This month I’m continuing the series of interviews I’ve been doing recently with Paul Terrell. As we have discussed, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve...
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Interview with Steve Leininger, Designer of the TRS-80- Model I Patreon: Sponsors: 0 Floppy Days Tune 1 min 13 sec Vintage Computer Ads 1 min 42 sec Intro 9 min 03 sec bumper - Peter Bartlett 9 min 11 sec New Acquisitions 17 min 11 sec ...
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Episode 141 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 2 Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 141 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for July, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your host, as always, for this historical perspective on obsolete-but-still fun technology. This month I’m bringing you a follow-on interview episode from last month. As we discussed then, Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve...
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Episode 140 - Interview with Paul Terrell, The Byte Shop - Part 1 Patreon: Sponsors: Hello, and welcome to episode 140 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for June, 2024. I am Randy Kindig, your guide to this journey through vintage computer goodness. This month I’m bringing you another interview episode. Paul Terrell is a name well-known in the annals of computer history; probably most famously for his kickstart of Apple Computer through the purchase of one of Steve Jobs’ and Steve Wozniak’s first batches of Apple I computers for his Byte Shop. The...
info_outlineGrundy NewBrain Tech Specs with Chris Despoinidis
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays
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0 Floppy Days Tune
1 min 14 sec Vintage Computer Ads
1 min 43 sec Intro
5 min 38 sec bumper - Chris Espoinidis
5 min 51 sec New Acquisitions
16 min 32 sec bumper - Gerald McMullon
17 min 15 sec Upcoming Computer Shows
21 min 26 sec bumper - Steve O’Hara-Smith
21 min 45 sec Interview with Chris Espoinidis
36 min 23 sec Tech Specs
1 hr 12 min 07 sec Closing
Hello, and welcome to episode 135 of the Floppy Days Podcast. I’m Randy Kindig, the host of this show, and I’ll be your guide to a journey back to the year 1982, when a very interesting, low-cost machine entered the market in Great Britain. This machine, if you've been following the show, was the Grundy New Brain. This is not a well-known machine, most particularly here in the United States where very few have even heard of it; let alone ever owned one.
As you know, I’ve been hot on the trail of pioneers who were involved with development of this machine. I’ve recently published interviews with John Grant, Steve O’Hara-Smith, and Gerald McMullon concerning their involvement with the New Brain back in the day.
In this episode I move more into discussing details of the machine and its impact on the home and small business market in the 1980’s. To help me talk about the machine, I was able to track down Chris Espoinidis and convince him to co-host this episode. Chris manages the New Brain Emulator site from his home in Greece. Even though Chris created one of the premier New Brain emulators in existence, and that was the primary focus of his Web site initially, his site has become one of the best places (along with Gerald McMullon’s Website) to get any and all New Brain information (which quite honestly is quite sparse).
The focus of this episode, and the next, is to cover things like tech specs, Web sites, emulators and all of the topics that have become the standard for machine coverage on Floppy Days. This particular episode contains an interview with Chris, and then goes into great detail concerning the technical specifications of the New Brain. The next episode will cover all the other details, with the intent to impart every bit of information to you that I could find about this little-known machine.
Before we do that, I will talk about new acquisitions and upcoming shows.