In the Netherlands they used to broadcast software as part of the Hobbyscoop radio show. It was generic BASIC code that could run on a variety of home computers, requiring a small loader program for conversion. The project was named BASICODE[1].
Back in 1980's the Finnish public broadcaster YLE used to broadcast Commodore 64 software in their radio show Silikoni. They actually have a recording the first such episode available online at https://yle.fi/a/20-108142 - of course, this is in Finnish.
It was not a very reliable method but it did work if you had good FM reception and a high quality tape deck. I guess it helps that the data rate is only 300 bits per second or so.
PC-s were only described in hobby magazines, like Bajtek or Młody Technik. Nobody had them, though, except maybe some institutions. The hobbyists used to own ZX Spectrum or Commondore 64, but even that was rare.
I know one programmer in his 50s. He had an access to the ZX Spectrum in his primary school, but that was by effort of his local physics teacher.
In the Netherlands they used to broadcast software as part of the Hobbyscoop radio show. It was generic BASIC code that could run on a variety of home computers, requiring a small loader program for conversion. The project was named BASICODE[1].
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICODE
Here's the ZX Spectrum version: https://www.racunalniski-muzej.si/en/40-years-later-a-game-f...
Back in 1980's the Finnish public broadcaster YLE used to broadcast Commodore 64 software in their radio show Silikoni. They actually have a recording the first such episode available online at https://yle.fi/a/20-108142 - of course, this is in Finnish.
It was not a very reliable method but it did work if you had good FM reception and a high quality tape deck. I guess it helps that the data rate is only 300 bits per second or so.
In Poland, in the communist period, the national broadcaster used to do it. For Atari, ZX Spectrum, Commmodore 64.
Haven't heard the audition, though. Well before my era.
It’s crazy that you had access to these technologies during communist period.
Growing up in USSR I didn’t know anyone who would own a PC up until early 90s.
PC-s were only described in hobby magazines, like Bajtek or Młody Technik. Nobody had them, though, except maybe some institutions. The hobbyists used to own ZX Spectrum or Commondore 64, but even that was rare.
I know one programmer in his 50s. He had an access to the ZX Spectrum in his primary school, but that was by effort of his local physics teacher.
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I still have some old Amiga backups on VHS. Worked too… :)
Nice! Hi-fi VHS audio, or using one of those encoders that would pack the data into pixels?
Pixels. You can watch it as video (some old-school animated "QR Code" type of stuff :) )
Simply Amazing. I'd love to know more about this.
Here's a couple of articles:
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/04/people-once-downloaded...
https://interestingengineering.com/science/you-could-downloa...