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0:04
This is Antic the Atari
0:07
8-bit podcast. I'm Kay Savitz.
0:09
Daniel Serpel is the
0:11
creator of Fast Basic, a
0:13
modern interpretation of the
0:16
basic programming is ANTIC,
0:18
the Atari 8 -Bit 8-bit I'm
0:20
Kay Savitz. He released the is
0:22
the creator of of the a
0:24
modern interpretation of the basic
0:26
programming language for the Atari 8
0:28
-Bit computers. He He released the
0:31
first version to the public in
0:33
2017. in 2017. Today, the the licensed
0:35
language is up to
0:37
version 4 .6 a is a
0:39
of the 10 line contest
0:41
entrance and anyone who anyone who
0:43
wants a speedy modern take
0:46
on Atari to crib from
0:48
going to crib from Atari
0:50
Wiki's description of It is a complete
0:52
is a complete re -implementation
0:54
of the basic system a a
0:57
built code compiler than than a
0:59
tokenizing interpreter. Typical
1:01
basics use an interpreter that examines
1:03
every line of code as
1:05
the program runs. runs. FastBasic works
1:07
on an entirely different principle. When
1:10
a line is parsed in
1:12
FastBasic, it essentially compiles the entire
1:14
line into tokens and then leaves
1:16
them in memory. This way the way does
1:18
not not have to be repeatedly parsed,
1:20
even from the simplified token format,
1:22
which makes it far faster to run.
1:24
to run. Fast
1:27
Basic has other enhancements including
1:29
new commands for new commands for
1:31
player with and an option
1:33
to use FujiNet, math instead
1:35
of faster and math instead instead
1:37
of line numbers. and structured
1:40
This interview took place on of line
1:42
numbers. 2024. took place on
1:44
video version of this interview
1:46
is also available on YouTube
1:48
and is also available on YouTube are you in? Archive.
1:51
What city are you in? Bignad
1:53
Elmar? I I don't know
1:55
that city. You
1:57
can that city. Diego
1:59
in the coast of
2:01
Chile. Excellent. I would
2:03
like to start at the
2:06
at the very beginning. If
2:08
you could tell me how
2:11
you got interested in computers
2:13
when you got your first
2:16
Atari, how old were you?
2:18
What year was it? Just
2:21
kind of start there and
2:23
we'll go from there. I
2:26
think I was interested in
2:28
computers from the early days,
2:31
from my early memories for
2:33
when I was child. were
2:36
thinking, I really want a
2:38
computer. And the first time
2:41
I saw a computer nearby
2:43
in 1982, I think, one
2:46
of my neighbors that was
2:48
bigger than me, older than
2:51
me, got himself and stayed
2:53
81. I don't know if
2:56
you know it's a Sinclair
2:58
computer that was very basic.
3:01
two kilowatts of RAM and
3:03
the C88 81 is it
3:06
uses a C80 processor and
3:08
it has two kilowatts of
3:11
RAM and I was hooked.
3:13
It's like a marble because
3:16
you connected the computer with
3:18
a tiny little thing to
3:21
the TV and in the
3:23
TV you can write a
3:26
program to calculate things. It
3:28
was really mind-blowing for me.
3:31
I was about a year
3:33
old at that time, so
3:36
I was booked. And from
3:38
that time onward, I always
3:41
wanted to have a computer,
3:43
but computers were really expensive,
3:46
even home computers were really
3:48
expensive and rare here in
3:51
Chile. I, but in the
3:53
Christmas of 85, so, 39
3:55
years from now. Exactly. I
3:58
got a computer from for
4:00
Christmas. was the, it was
4:03
for all my, my brothers
4:05
I. It was an Atari I.
4:08
So that was my
4:10
an computer and that's
4:12
so my that was my
4:15
first computer, and that's
4:17
so my interest in
4:19
I believe really remembering in the day
4:21
after the day after
4:23
Christmas, mounting the
4:26
computer, up to the and
4:28
loading loading Lee. And the
4:30
first game I I played
4:32
in the study. And you played
4:34
the and you with your games
4:36
with your brothers. Your
4:38
brother, I assume. Yeah,
4:40
Yeah, my big brother, Actually, I don't
4:43
remember really don't
4:45
remember by timing by
4:47
that. I suppose month after we
4:49
A month after we
4:51
got he already had a multiply
4:54
Bruce Lee through the end.
4:56
through the end. Nice. So
4:59
what did you do with you do
5:01
with that computer other than
5:03
play Bruce Lee? A lot of
5:05
things. I lot of that
5:07
one of the good things about
5:09
the One of
5:11
the good things about basic
5:14
manual also, a manual of the a
5:16
manual of the language and it
5:18
he you how to how to some
5:21
graphical programs even. So
5:23
I remember with my my old
5:25
brother, typed in all the
5:27
programs from the book
5:29
the book and new programs
5:32
new how I
5:34
learned to program how I learned to
5:36
program basic curves and other
5:38
language got the About
5:40
two years after we got the
5:43
ATATX scale, we got as I
5:45
give also this drive. And
5:47
the describe changes, how you
5:49
really could use the
5:51
computer program because they're
5:54
player. a cassette tape
5:56
player is is really not
5:58
Not very good to. storing your
6:01
programs, you lose your data.
6:03
Sometimes you go to you
6:06
override where you children have
6:08
freedom. So it's really difficult,
6:11
but having the disk drive,
6:13
it was very easy to
6:16
write bigger programs and start
6:18
learning. That's how my passion
6:21
with computers and programming developed
6:23
until today. Very nice. Tell
6:26
me about the Atari environment
6:28
in Chile. Were there other
6:31
people using Atari's? Were there
6:33
easy to find in stores?
6:36
Were there magazines? Were there
6:38
books? At the start, when
6:41
I got my Atari, I
6:43
saved in Christmas 85, there
6:46
were a few people with
6:48
other lists, but I think
6:51
around the end of 86
6:53
through the start of the
6:55
start of the 90s. The
6:58
Atari was very very common
7:00
in Chile. Almost all my
7:03
friends that had a computer
7:05
have an Atari. Most of
7:08
them have an Atari 800
7:10
Excels, but then the Atari
7:13
65xE and the 130xE were
7:15
more popular. But I think
7:18
through the start of the
7:20
90s, it was the most
7:23
common computer in Chile. There
7:25
was a... even a magazine
7:28
called Mundo Atari, Atari World.
7:30
That was very common in
7:33
Chile. I have a subscription,
7:35
so I had all the
7:38
magazines and they basically reprinted
7:40
articles, translated articles from the
7:43
USA magazines. So they also,
7:45
they sometimes have many games
7:48
to type in. mostly translated
7:50
from English some even didn't
7:53
work with was they mistreated
7:55
the program. So you have
7:58
to type in and fix
8:00
it at a little work.
8:03
But it was a very,
8:05
very, very good. I don't
8:08
know if you call it
8:10
a scene, but there was
8:12
a very big community of
8:15
people that had batteries and
8:17
you can, but mostly based
8:20
on piracy because we chaired
8:22
the games with all the
8:25
kids. You go with a
8:27
tape to the school and
8:30
copy the tape so you
8:32
got the new game. Sure.
8:35
Was there, so did you
8:37
eventually move away from the
8:40
Atari and then come back
8:42
to it? Yes, yes. I
8:45
think in 1991. About 1991,
8:47
1992, my father bought us
8:50
a new computer, a PC
8:52
clone, 26 seats. And that's
8:55
what, for me, the end
8:57
of the day, because the
9:00
PC was so much, much
9:02
powerful, especially for programming. I
9:05
learned to program in C.
9:07
My father broke a Microsoft
9:10
Quick C. that also came
9:12
with the book that talked
9:15
to how to program and
9:17
see. So I was, this
9:20
is a real language. I
9:22
learned what a real computer
9:25
language was. And I completely
9:27
forgot about that. That it
9:29
for a long time. But
9:32
in the in the university,
9:34
we always have this kind
9:37
of a conversation with our
9:39
friends. Now that that is
9:42
the best. I have a
9:44
friend that. They came from
9:47
Europe. He said that the
9:49
Comor 64 was integrated Lantatari.
9:52
I didn't believe him. And
9:54
I have another friend that's
9:57
had a singleted spectrum. So
9:59
also talked talked
10:02
about the spectrum, whatever, up
10:05
on that. we thought But it
10:07
was all it was all of
10:09
us because all of us went
10:12
into a PC and then
10:14
PC gaming, we only fond
10:17
memories of memories of
10:19
old computer for old computer
10:21
for our think I came
10:23
back to the I came back to the daddy,
10:25
because because nostalgia
10:28
about the year, 200. the 2005,
10:30
I don't know, but I
10:32
think that time I started
10:35
to care about that
10:37
that time, my I
10:39
started to care about
10:41
youngest In my family,
10:43
my youngest brother me. He
10:45
years younger than
10:47
me. He inherited
10:49
got the PC got he
10:52
was he was really
10:54
small, the big big brothers
10:56
have have the Ha, ha, ha! the
10:58
small work at the Atari and he
11:00
also he also a really
11:02
interesting in the Atari. And when I
11:04
went from I went from the when
11:06
I when I went to visit
11:08
my parents in the home, home,
11:11
my brother always told me me
11:13
the Atari what programs he made, etc. But et
11:15
cetera. keeps the Atari alive in my
11:17
family for a wife. Nice. Did alive in
11:19
my family for a while.
11:21
in my family for a wife? Nice. Did did
11:23
you you get the Atari back back from
11:25
your little brother? a wife?
11:27
Eventually, yes. yes. my
11:30
brother, when my father
11:32
moved from the old house,
11:34
now live live in an
11:36
apartment in Santiago. in Santiago,
11:39
they have a a big box with
11:41
all my things my things daddy
11:43
was so I got to keep
11:45
so I got have it with me
11:47
now. and I have
11:49
means that
11:51
I also means that
11:53
again. program in the dairy
11:55
again. One of the things that happened
11:58
me me I I got are... back
12:00
was that I realized that
12:02
that it was very, was
12:04
much slower and much difficult
12:07
to program that I remember
12:09
because you have the idea
12:11
in your mind that the
12:14
games were so good that
12:16
the all the things you
12:18
can do. And when you
12:21
try model programming techniques to
12:23
the 30 and try to
12:25
make a program in basic,
12:27
you say, oh, this is
12:30
really slow. Yes. On the
12:32
Atari, did you always do
12:34
basic or did you try
12:37
action or assembly language? I
12:39
did assembly language at the
12:41
end and I also learned
12:44
fourth. The thick fourth, I
12:46
have the the probability for
12:48
thick fourth and I tried
12:50
a few programs in fourth,
12:53
but it was really not
12:55
easy to program those environments.
12:57
So, but assembly, yes, I
13:00
realized that. Assembly was the
13:02
way, the only way to
13:04
do things fast in that
13:06
is. So I learned Assembly.
13:09
At little, at first by
13:11
myself, I remember that I
13:13
simply copied a mnemonics or
13:16
code from the magazines and
13:18
tried to change the numbers
13:20
to see what's happening and
13:23
started to learn by iterating.
13:25
I didn't have a book
13:27
of Assembly in that time.
13:29
But from the modern scenes,
13:32
then the advanced articles explain
13:34
that you a lot of
13:36
assembly programming and there's a
13:39
you learn by simply copying
13:41
and doing examples, not by
13:43
following a book. Yes. All
13:45
right. So you got your
13:48
Atari back, you're back to
13:50
the Atari, and you realized
13:52
that basic. slower and not
13:55
as good as you remembered.
13:57
So then what? then what
13:59
happened? Did you discover Turbobasic
14:02
Excel at that point or?
14:04
No, no, I used the
14:06
Turbobesic when I was a
14:08
child. It was really the
14:11
very, I remember I had
14:13
a diskette with the Turbobasic
14:15
Excel and it was always
14:18
in the property drive. So
14:20
you put the Atari and
14:22
it loaded Turbobasic and basically
14:25
almost all my programming on
14:27
my, was in Turbobasic. But
14:30
I think that after going
14:33
to the university, I studied
14:35
engineering. So you learn a
14:38
lot of things how to
14:40
do the two programming in
14:43
the real, for real. And
14:45
you learn a lot of
14:48
techniques and you learn how
14:50
to do proper. structural programming
14:53
and also how to develop
14:55
using guidelines, using a lot
14:57
of rules that make you
15:00
a, you could write better
15:02
programs and maintainable programs etc.
15:05
So I wanted to apply
15:07
that to the other. And
15:10
I think I always wanted
15:12
to write a comp. So
15:15
that's why I started writing
15:17
fast basic because I wanted
15:20
to write the compiler and
15:22
doing one for the study
15:25
was really great. It was
15:27
fun. So when did you
15:30
start on fast basic? I
15:32
know you sort of released
15:35
it in 2017, I believe.
15:37
Yeah, I did a few
15:40
false starts first. Not of
15:42
fast basic but I tried
15:45
to write that compiler for
15:47
turbo basic for a tour
15:50
basic derived language and it
15:52
didn't went a. anywhere, but
15:55
I think that what prompted
15:57
me to write fast, what
16:00
was in that time was
16:02
not fast basic, but my
16:05
basic compiler was the enliners
16:07
of the time, the enliner
16:09
competition, because I saw you
16:12
could really write good little
16:14
games in basic, if you
16:17
had a faster basic environment.
16:19
using the same abbreviations, the
16:22
same tools of through basic,
16:24
but using a passive language,
16:27
you will write very good
16:29
games. So I started to
16:32
write this compiler and for,
16:34
and also I wanted it
16:37
to run in the time.
16:39
So I started experimenting and
16:42
from the first accessory implementation
16:44
to the first release of
16:47
pass basic, it was. I
16:49
don't know, three, four months,
16:52
not more. So it was
16:54
really fast. And it's because
16:57
I think what I lacked
16:59
before was the focus. The
17:02
focus on what the product
17:04
you do you want. And
17:07
in fast-party, I wanted to
17:09
write, yeah, I need a
17:12
simple company I love, optimized
17:14
for short games, writing in
17:17
timeline. And so, this focus.
17:19
given me to complete the
17:21
project because I have real
17:24
goals to me. To make
17:26
be able to make a
17:29
10-line basic game. Yes. That
17:31
was fast and fit. Exactly.
17:34
I did the I have
17:36
done the 10-line basic program
17:39
contest a few times using
17:41
turbo basic Excel and I
17:44
used your TBXL parser. thing
17:46
to squish it down here.
17:49
That was very helpful. Much
17:51
better than doing it by
17:54
hand. which is how I
17:56
how I
17:59
did the first
18:01
time. first time. And
18:04
it was It was great.
18:06
It It it lot of
18:08
fun. So a lot of fun. So
18:10
you, you, you reverse you'd
18:12
reverse turbo basic
18:15
Excel first, XL
18:17
I did that when I
18:19
was a child. did that
18:21
when I was a
18:23
child. Because when I was learning to
18:25
when I was learning in
18:27
assembly. I I really
18:30
the turbobase so
18:32
I I started And
18:34
I have a... And I have
18:37
a few pages of
18:39
text. By just I wrote
18:41
all the code. So I By
18:43
hand, I I want to the
18:45
code. turbobacic want to
18:47
know how So I
18:50
started So
18:52
I started the the program until
18:54
I got to the point where they
18:56
wrote the code that makes a circle
18:59
works and I I disassembled it it
19:01
and I start how it
19:03
how it makes circles. And then
19:05
to understand how to how to basically understand
19:07
how to you have to understand first how
19:09
have to understand process a number because
19:12
you number because you need
19:14
the number for the parameter
19:16
of the circle. you start disassembling
19:19
how the function works. Then
19:21
Then start disassembling and so I
19:23
have. I I don't know know about 40
19:25
50 40, 50 handwritten
19:28
assembly of all this
19:30
is assembling of the
19:32
basic. So I already
19:34
knew very very well
19:36
to basic work. And so it
19:38
was not that So it
19:40
was not that difficult to
19:42
write the parcel because the parcel
19:45
It's not not basic in to basic
19:47
implement the comments
19:49
or is implemented. Is
19:51
it based on It is an It
19:54
is. an independent person that
19:56
that understand the same same comment.
20:00
and translate it to
20:02
a short report. And all
20:04
right, so it took you
20:06
a couple months to get
20:09
the first version going. It's
20:11
written in what language? Is
20:13
it written in? In assembly.
20:16
In assembly. Yes. No, never.
20:18
Because I love interacting the
20:20
games and because it was
20:22
more interesting to write the
20:25
compiler than the game. Okay.
20:27
But many people have won
20:29
the 10-line contest because of
20:32
fast basic. I've seen it,
20:34
I've seen it mentioned that
20:36
using fast basic is just
20:39
so above, so better than
20:41
the other languages that it's
20:43
almost cheating to use fast
20:46
basic because it's so good.
20:48
Because, for example, I interacted
20:50
a lot with Bitoko. Bitoko
20:53
also is from Chile. So,
20:55
we talked a lot about
20:57
the direction of where Fastating
21:00
was going. He asked me,
21:02
for example, I want to
21:04
go display lists in the
21:07
room. I want to do
21:09
this play means in the
21:11
room. How we can implement
21:14
that? Ah, we can implement
21:16
that same. Or he also
21:18
said, I wrote this program,
21:21
but it's too big. What
21:23
if we add a new
21:25
abbreviation so we can write
21:28
this chart? Okay, we can
21:30
write add a new abbreviation
21:32
to the compiler to make
21:35
the new abbreviation to help
21:37
make the programs even shorter.
21:39
Nice. Exactly. So it will
21:42
feel like cheating, but the
21:44
toco always uses the previous
21:46
version of us basic. He
21:49
wrote most of the games
21:51
that the local writes. He
21:53
writes it. almost a year
21:55
in the past. Most of
21:58
the games he writes are
22:00
what? About a year in
22:02
advance, he writes it a
22:05
year before presenting to the
22:07
context. He makes many iterations
22:09
of the games. So when
22:12
he finally submitted the program,
22:14
he's using an old version
22:16
of past basic. I see.
22:19
That's how you get a
22:21
test. I've always waited until
22:23
the contest started to start
22:26
my programs. That's how that's
22:28
how it took out. I
22:30
think it he's always looking
22:33
for things for new games
22:35
or new ideas and say,
22:37
ah, this is a good
22:40
idea for a 10 lineup.
22:42
I will write it down.
22:44
And so he got a
22:47
backlog of ideas for games.
22:49
Nice. Very nice. So are
22:51
you. Right now, I
22:54
think we're at Fast Basic
22:56
4.6, right? I think I
22:58
have to do a new
23:00
release. Hopefully, before New Year,
23:03
I released a new version
23:05
because I have been really
23:07
a good buy the new
23:09
in other things. So I
23:12
have let fast basically a
23:14
little on the side. But
23:16
there are a few things
23:18
that are already in the
23:20
report study in GitHub. that
23:23
are not in any point
23:25
released. So I need to
23:27
make a new release soon.
23:29
Okay. So are we talking
23:32
new features or bug fixes
23:34
or what? Mostly new features,
23:36
but the small features. I
23:38
think the biggest feature is
23:41
that the people behind the
23:43
FujiNet added a few comments
23:45
to talk to FujiNet. to
23:47
talk to the end device
23:50
that is the device that
23:52
allows you to communicate with
23:54
the network and also added
23:56
a CEO command that allows
23:58
you to write to this
24:01
to to see. you see
24:03
the, the, the chain log,
24:05
but there's not so many
24:07
changes. I want to use
24:10
the directories. You can do
24:12
low level this access without
24:14
using assembly code. Or above
24:16
that, it's not, I don't
24:19
remember right now, I could
24:21
see the, the chain log,
24:23
but there's not so many
24:25
changes. I want to do
24:27
big changes to I always
24:30
postpone that because to do
24:32
big changes you have to
24:34
keep a lot of the
24:36
small improvements aside for a
24:39
while and provide a lot
24:41
of the infrastructure I don't
24:43
want to do that yet
24:45
but I have a few
24:48
things that I would like
24:50
to do in the future
24:52
especially about adding a proper
24:54
compiler to assembly because right
24:57
now Basically, it's always interpreted.
24:59
It is compiled to a
25:01
byte code that is interpreted.
25:03
But it's not that difficult
25:05
to write fast prices as
25:08
a real compiler to 65
25:10
or 2 code. But it
25:12
will make it bigger. So
25:14
one of the constraints that
25:17
I have with fast basic
25:19
is I don't want it
25:21
to be bigger than about
25:23
8 kilowatts. But you're doing
25:26
a native compiler, a compiler
25:28
to secure to assembly will
25:30
make it bigger. So I
25:32
don't see. I probably will
25:34
make a new compiler, an
25:37
extra compiler, that gives you
25:39
the extra skill in addition
25:41
to the actual ID. Because
25:43
the ID is what it
25:46
is important to be small,
25:48
because you have to, you
25:50
need to have in the
25:52
other memory. The ID the
25:55
compiler and the program you
25:57
are reading and the compiler
25:59
program So you you all of
26:01
of that should be small
26:03
in the limited memory
26:06
of the computer. memory
26:08
of the computer.
26:11
Sure. Do you have
26:13
any idea how big
26:15
the Do you have
26:18
any idea how people many
26:20
people use basic? Is
26:22
it dozens? it hundreds?
26:24
Is it thousands? hundreds? Is it
26:26
be about... between
26:28
a dozen and a Less than a hundred, more
26:31
than a dozen. a hundred
26:33
more than a don't know I suppose,
26:35
I don't it's hard to tell.
26:37
put it out there and people
26:39
use it put don't. people use it
26:41
or they don't? Exactly. There is
26:44
a users. big users
26:46
with me, that send
26:48
me me, that send me bugs,
26:50
et cetera. fine box, etc.
26:52
But those are about six.
26:55
The big interacting users.
26:57
And I assumed, I mean,
26:59
this, it's the, you've GPL, mean, this is
27:01
just a this. This is just
27:03
a hobby. This is just for
27:05
fun. fun, you're You're
27:08
having fun. exactly, you're having
27:10
fun. because the moment
27:12
Yeah, because the moment is,
27:15
it, it stopped stop being fun,
27:17
I won't do do it. have a
27:19
proper job for job for
27:21
doing stuff, stuff. So to be
27:23
want fun things in my my spare
27:26
time. Sure. What is
27:28
your proper job? is your
27:30
proper job? I in a
27:32
company a company that do and
27:34
do technology for the mining industry,
27:36
for instance, mainly, we
27:38
do mainly. cameras
27:40
and vision, with artificial
27:42
intelligence. That kind
27:45
of thing. that kind of
27:47
thing. also do
27:49
programming programming in my job. But
27:52
they brought him in
27:55
a transcript and a
27:57
C+, plus, and modern.
28:01
Online you are DMSC.
28:03
What does that stand
28:06
for? My name. Your
28:08
name. My name is
28:10
Malricoser Pelcari. Okay. My
28:13
part in Italy. We
28:15
hear in Chile as
28:17
most of the Spanish
28:19
speaking countries. We use
28:22
two names and your
28:24
father's name and your
28:26
mother's sword name. Very
28:30
nice. So what's what's
28:32
come what's coming in
28:34
the in the in
28:36
your vision the far
28:38
future in in fast
28:41
basic what what would
28:43
you like to add
28:45
you said a real
28:47
compiler what else? Yeah
28:49
I want to write
28:51
a compiler I I
28:53
also explored the idea
28:55
of making a proper
28:57
card base based a
28:59
system because When you
29:01
have a banking cartridge,
29:03
you also can have
29:05
a bigger program. So
29:07
I also think that
29:09
that could be a
29:12
new idea. But I
29:14
don't think if a
29:16
facing needs many more
29:18
things. What are the
29:20
things that most people
29:22
want? And I think
29:24
I will implement in
29:26
the future are ability
29:28
to have local variables.
29:30
because a basic all
29:32
the variables are global
29:34
now, but having local
29:36
variables is easier for
29:38
due to resin in
29:40
the proper subroutines, but
29:42
it's not very good
29:45
for the daddy because
29:47
you have a small
29:49
system with limited memory,
29:51
as I said a
29:53
few times already. So
29:55
having global variables is
29:57
better to actually. Better
29:59
use your memory and
30:01
better access to all
30:03
the... parameters and etc.
30:05
But having local variables
30:07
is something that most
30:09
people want. Also the
30:11
ability to include files,
30:13
to do separate compilation
30:16
of many files. This
30:18
is something that will
30:20
work for writing bigger
30:22
programs. But I don't
30:24
think many more is
30:26
needed for I don't
30:28
think adding too much
30:30
filters is counterproductive because
30:32
I think that one
30:34
of the great things
30:36
about fast basic is
30:38
simple and I want
30:40
to keep it simple.
30:42
Sure, that makes sense.
30:44
Do you have other
30:46
Atari projects that I,
30:49
other than Fast Basic,
30:51
that I don't know
30:53
about or does that
30:55
take all of your
30:57
Atari time? Sometimes
30:59
I also write other
31:01
little programs, but I
31:03
think currently not many,
31:06
no many other projects.
31:08
I think I want
31:10
to in the future,
31:12
finish a few games
31:14
that I started writing
31:16
when I was a
31:18
child. I had the
31:20
graphics, for example, for
31:22
a little robotic game.
31:24
My brother draw a
31:26
few of the graphics.
31:28
It will be fun
31:30
to actually make it
31:33
a game and not
31:35
only not to use
31:37
that. I don't know
31:39
because currently I have
31:41
other projects that are
31:43
not at every related.
31:45
For example, I want
31:47
to port like basic
31:49
to other computers. You
31:51
want to do what?
31:53
to board fast basic
31:55
to other computers. Oh,
31:57
interesting. For example, a.
32:00
I have a little 6502
32:02
base a little with
32:05
FTJs and computer
32:07
etc. I want to pour et
32:09
cetera. I want
32:11
to put to to
32:13
that. I had put a few old
32:16
computers few old
32:19
computers that I went
32:21
to repair. I I
32:23
enjoy doing also work. I
32:25
work. I had my soldering gun and
32:27
so I to repair my
32:29
old computers. I enjoyed
32:32
that. I I enjoyed
32:34
doing things with the things with
32:37
that kind of and that
32:39
that are popular now. that
32:42
are popular now. Those I think
32:44
use a fair amount of
32:46
my time. my time. But I don't,
32:48
I don't think any other
32:50
Atari project right
32:53
now on the horizon. I
32:55
don't know. Any thing
32:57
could be. And lot of
32:59
things are a lot of things
33:01
know now. do,
33:04
but even now, right
33:06
now. Yeah. All right.
33:09
There is feel you Years
33:11
ago I started I
33:14
remember. I, a few
33:16
years ago, I
33:18
started .S. source
33:21
And do you know? BWS. B-W-W-D-O-S.
33:24
I've heard of it. I of
33:26
it. I don't
33:28
know much about BWDOS.
33:30
B-W-D-O-S. It's a much smaller. And the
33:33
smaller. code was released. source
33:35
code was released, and
33:37
I was also it,
33:39
fixing bugs. And bugs, my own
33:41
I had my
33:44
own version of is smaller
33:46
is smaller than
33:48
the original. This
33:51
is is all a
33:53
project and time. sometimes
33:55
I spend some
33:57
of the time to...
34:00
to make a good, small,
34:02
competitive, competitive. I've been playing
34:04
with Fast Basic in the
34:07
last couple of weeks. I
34:09
finally got it working on
34:11
my Mac. I'm using Visual
34:14
Studio Code to do the
34:16
code. And then I just
34:18
hit one button and it
34:20
runs in the emulator. And
34:23
I'm having so much fun
34:25
with it. And it's so
34:27
fast and I enjoy the
34:30
language and it makes sense.
34:32
And from a modern programming
34:34
perspective. So. Thank you. You're
34:36
welcome. It's very great. So
34:39
I have a new user.
34:41
Yes. Yes, you do. And
34:43
you're pretty active on the
34:46
Atari Age forums? Yeah, I
34:48
try to read it. Sometimes
34:50
it overwhelms me because you
34:52
stop reading it for a
34:55
month and all who come
34:57
back and there are a
34:59
thousand posts. Yes. That's what
35:02
you say. Well, I'm familiar.
35:04
I posted some. I'm sorry.
35:06
No, I tried to read
35:08
the subform of attorney programming.
35:11
This is the forum that
35:13
I read the most because
35:15
it's very few posts in
35:18
comparison with the main forum.
35:20
Right. Well, I happened to
35:22
post something the other day
35:24
about a. Pote, the starfield,
35:27
trying to get a star
35:29
field program working in fast
35:31
basic, and I didn't tag
35:34
you or anything, but you
35:36
showed up, you're there with
35:38
the answer, it works great.
35:40
You were in the, in
35:43
the programming, so forum. That's
35:45
what the key. So I
35:47
read that part. Nice. All
35:50
right, what, what haven't I
35:52
asked you about Atari things
35:54
that I should have? I
35:56
don't know. I don't know.
35:59
Perhaps about the other is
36:01
seen in Chile a few
36:03
years ago? No, no few.
36:06
About 10, 15 years ago,
36:08
we... We did a meetup
36:10
of the operator computers with
36:13
many people in the Atari
36:15
scene in Chile and it
36:17
was very fun. Hopefully we
36:19
will do something like that
36:22
again. One of my friends,
36:24
I have a few friends
36:26
that are active in the
36:29
Atari community. So I think
36:31
it would be great if
36:33
in Chile we also though.
36:35
some meetups with the people.
36:38
Because when I see in
36:40
the in Europe and USA,
36:42
the meetups of retrocomputer and
36:45
two sets, it's really great.
36:47
Oh, I probably near here,
36:49
it would be something like
36:51
that. So you go meet
36:54
all the other people interested
36:56
in this. About a year
36:58
ago, I interviewed Rodrigo Castro,
37:01
who was one of the
37:03
organizers of Atari Expo that
37:05
happened in San Diego, San
37:07
Diego. So there is something.
37:10
See, yes, yes. That seems
37:12
like that was a fun
37:14
time. I think you also
37:17
interviewed Bitoko once, you know.
37:19
Yes. Yeah, maybe Randy did.
37:21
Yeah. So yeah,
37:23
we are getting trying to get
37:25
some Chilean representation in the in
37:28
the in the podcast. I think
37:30
I'm about done. I'm going to
37:32
ask a question that I always
37:35
I always ask, even though you're
37:37
on the forums, if you could
37:40
send a message to the people
37:42
who are still using their Atari
37:44
today and you can right now,
37:47
what would you what would you
37:49
tell them? having fun. And what
37:51
I always say, have fun. Because
37:54
for me, this is the, the
37:56
reward is remembering the times
37:58
having that fun that
38:01
fun with with you with
38:03
your memories of
38:05
your childhood. childhood
38:08
time time you have all the time
38:10
the free time to
38:12
simply play a
38:15
game learn about about
38:17
computers learn program basic. It
38:20
was it was so so I
38:22
I I remember that time fondly,
38:24
and I and I like to have
38:26
fun using my attack. my
38:29
Me too. Great. If you enjoy
38:32
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38:34
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