Floppy Days 149 - The HP97 Programmable Calculator - Part 2 - With Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz
Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Release Date: 03/29/2025
Floppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 165 - The Sphere Computer, Part 2 with Ben Zotto Patreon: Sponsors: 8-Bit Classics - Arcade Shopper - and FutureVision Research - Tuc's Workbench - Hello and welcome to episode 165 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for July, 2026. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m your host for this audio and video tribute to vintage computers and computer history. For those of you listening to these podcasts in order, this month’s episode is the second part of the 2-part series on the Sphere, which was introduced in 1975; the same year as the...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 164 - The Sphere, Part 1 with Ben Zotto Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello!!! and welcome to episode 164 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for June, 2026. My name is Randy Kindig and I’m your host for this joy ride through the rewarding hobby of vintage computers and computer history. I have to start off by apologizing, as I’ll actually be stepping back in the computer timeline for this episode. Sometimes it happens. My goal from the beginning of this podcast was to go through computers in the approximate order they were released...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 163 - Interview with Charles Pfister, Apple 1 Case Designer Patreon: Sponsors: and New Acquisitions Chalkboard PowerPad - “Go Computer Now!!!” by Ben Zotto - “Apple The First 50 Years” by David Pogue - (sponsored link) FujiNet RS-232 - Upcoming Shows (thru AUGUST, 2026) VCF Southwest - May 29-31, 2026 - Westin Dallas Ft. Worth Airport - Retrofest 2026 - May 30-31 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - CORGSCON - Columbus Ohio Retro Gaming Society - June...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 162 - Interview with Apple Legend, Steve Wozniak Patreon: Sponsors: and New Acquisitions The WOZPAK Special Edition: Steve Wozniak’s Apple-1 & Apple II Computers - Assembly Lines: The Complete Book by Roger Wagner (Author), Chris Torrence (Editor) - (sponsored link) What’s Where in the Apple – Enhanced Edition: A Complete Guide to the Apple II Computer - Upcoming Computer Shows (thru July, 2026) VCF Europe - May 1-3 - Munich, Germany - Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest 2026 - May 2-3...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 161 - Byte Shop Interviews Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello, and welcome to episode 161 of the Floppy Days Podcast for March, 2026. I am Randy Kindig, your host for this wild ride through vintage computing. This month I have a special episode prepared. For the 50th Anniversary event of the opening of the Byte Shop that occurred in California in December, 2025, I interviewed 11 different people with some sort of ties to Paul Terrell and the Byte Shop. Prior to the event itself, I published an approximately 30-minute-long video...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 160 - The KayPro, Part 4, with Matt Jones Patreon: Sponsors: YouTube Channel: Hello, and welcome to episode 160 of the Floppy Days Podcast for February, 2026. I’m Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, we are at the tail end of a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. I was able to interview David Kay, son of the founder of KayPro, and...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
FLOPPY DAYS 159 - The KayPro - Part 3 With Matt Jones Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello, and welcome to episode 159 of the Floppy Days Podcast for January, 2026. I’m Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, we are currently in the middle of a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. I was able to interview David Kay, son of the founder of KayPro, and president of the company for...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
FLOPPY DAYS 158 - Interview with David Kay, KayPro - Part 2 Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello, and welcome to episode 158 of the Floppy Days Podcast for December, 2025. I’m Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, this month I’m beginning a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. In researching Kaypro, I discovered that while Andrew Kay, the founder of the...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
FLOPPY DAYS 157 - Interview with David Kay, KayPro - Part 1 Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello, and welcome to episode 157 of the Floppy Days Podcast for November, 2025. I am Randy Kindig, your host. We are currently covering computers introduced in the year 1982 and, to that end, this month I’m beginning a series of podcasts about the Kaypro line of computers. Kaypro had a rich and varied family of computers; certainly much more so than I ever realized. In researching Kaypro, I discovered that while Andrew Kay, the founder of the computer...
info_outlineFloppy Days Vintage Computing Podcast
Floppy Days 156 - Interview with Paul Schindler, Computer Chronicles Patreon: Sponsors: and Hello, and welcome to episode 156 of the Floppy Days Podcast for October, 2025. I’m Randy Kindig, your host for this “retro”spective covering vintage computers of the late 70’s through the 80’s and the people who were on the forefront of that incredible revolution. This month, I’m bringing you another interview episode with a tech media personality that was involved with the Computer Chronicles TV show (among many other things): Mr....
info_outlineThe HP97 Programmable Calculator - Part 2 - With Wlodek Mier-Jedrzejowicz
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays
Video version of the episode at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DQ3cyp8h373H0lXSJ8yqQ
Sponsors:
New Acquisitions
-
1027 print heads - https://forums.atariage.com/topic/271589-revive1027-order-thread/
-
ABBUC (Atari Bit-Byter Users Club) - https://www.abbuc.de
-
Best Electronics - https://www.best-electronics-ca.com/
-
inexpensive keyboard available on Amazon (for domes) - https://amzn.to/3FU9ASx
-
“Atari 400/800 Student Pilot Reference Guide” by Atari - https://archive.org/details/atari_pilot-student-guide
-
PortaCoCo - https://portacoco.com/
-
Tim Halloran video on making an adapter that allows you to run much of your CoCo off of battery - https://youtu.be/6UN1XvJG-bs
-
Ian Mavric’s TRS-80 store - https://www.ebay.com/str/trs80universe
Upcoming Shows
-
Midwest Gaming Classic - April 4-6 - Baird Center, Milwaukee, WI - https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/
-
VCF East - April 4-6, 2025 - Wall, NJ - http://www.vcfed.org
-
Indy Classic Computer and Video Game Expo - April 12-13 - Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, Indianapolis, IN - https://indyclassic.org/
-
The Commodore Los Angeles Super Show - April 26-27 - Burbank VFW Hall, Burbank, CA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=class:start
-
The 32nd Annual “Last” Chicago CoCoFEST! - May 2-3, 2025 - Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Carol Stream (Wheaton), Carol Stream, Illinois - https://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/
-
VCF Europe - May 3-4 - Munich, Germany - https://vcfe.org/E/
-
Retrofest 2025 - May 31-June1 - Steam Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon, UK - https://retrofest.uk/
-
Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo - June 14 - New Westminster, BC, Canada - https://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/index.html
-
VCF Southwest - June 20-22, 2025 - Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at UT Dallas - https://www.vcfsw.org/
-
Southern Fried Gaming Expo and VCF Southeast - June 20-22, 2025 - Atlanta, GA - https://gameatl.com/
-
Pacific Commodore Expo NW v4 - June 21-22 - Old Rainier Brewery Intraspace, Seattle, WA - https://www.portcommodore.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=pacommex:start
-
KansasFest - July 18-20 - Virtual only - https://www.kansasfest.org/
-
VCF Midwest - September 13-14, 2025 - Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL - http://vcfmw.org/
-
Tandy Assembly - September 26-28 - Courtyard by Marriott Springfield - Springfield, OH - http://www.tandyassembly.com/
-
Portland Retro Gaming Expo - October 17-19 - Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR - https://retrogamingexpo.com/
-
Chicago TI International World Faire - October 25 - Evanston Public Library, Evanston, IL - https://www.chicagotiug.org/home
-
Schedule Published on Floppy Days Website - https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSeLsg4hf5KZKtpxwUQgacCIsqeIdQeZniq3yE881wOCCYskpLVs5OO1PZLqRRF2t5fUUiaKByqQrgA/pub
User Groups
-
HP Handheld Conference - annual conference in the US:
-
Website - https://hhuc.us/
-
YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@hpcalc
-
HHC 2024 USB Drive - https://commerce.hpcalc.org/hhcusb.php
-
Handheld and Portable Computer Club - https://www.hpcc.org/
Magazines/Newsletters
-
HPX Exchange - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=List&CategoryID=9
-
Hewlett Packard Journal:
-
journals - http://www.hp41.org/LibView.cfm?Command=List&CategoryID=7
-
contents - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#JOURNAL
-
Hewlett Packard Personal Calculator Digest Vol. 1, 1976 - (contents) - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#DIGEST
-
HP KEYNOTES - https://www.vcalc.net/hp-jrnl.htm#KEY
-
PPC Journal - produced by the PPC group:
-
available on USB drive from Jake Schwartz’ PPC Archive - http://www.pahhc.org/ppccdrom.htm
-
Datafile, the HPCC club journal:
-
Back issues, excluding the current volume, are available on USB drive from Jake Schwartz - http://www.pahhc.org/ppccdrom.htm
References
-
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP-67/97#67
-
Museum of HP Calculators (David Hicks) - https://www.hpmuseum.org/hp6797.htm