Historical Computer News Press Release Archives

Here's another find from my archives that I recently put on eBay .... copies of all the computer news articles that I published via my New Product News areas on America Online, Delphi and other online services. I've recompiled all the articles on a CD-ROM that I've been offering on eBay. The package includes over 35,000 original full text news releases from various companies and individuals throughout the computer industry that were distributed during 1991 through 1997. Also included are over 100 white papers, backgrounder reports and other general computer industry documents that were also distributed through the newswire along with the press releases.


The news articles are provided on CD-ROM in two formats -- standard text files as well as WinHelp files. The document files are mostly in plain text files with a few in Microsoft Word format.


Besides the normal, monthly press releases there are complete press kits from the PC Expo computer shows held in New York during those years plus the NetWorld 1992 show in Boston and the Developers Conference/Business Solutions Conference in 1994 held in San Jose, CA.

Other Commodore related things I occasionally have listed on eBay include my Commodore-64 Programmer's Library, a re-mastered CDTV Burn-In #2 Test CD-ROM, photos of the Amiga production line in Hong Kong and my original Commodore business cards from Hong Kong. Check out the link on my blog to my current eBay auctions or my Commodore related website pages for more info.


I've been cleaning out the attic so who knows what I'll find next in my archives!

Commodore Hong Kong Production Line Photos

I was one of two Commodore test engineering employees sent to Commodore's Hong Kong manufacturing plant in December of 1992 for the pilot production run of the Amiga 600 computer system.

Recently I came across the original photos I had taken while I was there at the manufacturing facility. The 20 photos I found show the surface mount line, various assembly lines and test equipment as well as the manufacturing engineering office and lab areas.

The original photos were shot with a 35mm camera so I scanned the prints into digital files that are approximately 2900x2000 pixels at 600dpi resolution. I've made the files available on a CD-ROM I'm offering on eBay if anyone is interested, check my current auctions for more information and some small sample photos that I've included at 200x140 pixels.

By the way, when I was in Hong Kong on this trip they made a batch of custom business cards for me that were printed in English on one side and Chinese on the other. I just found a box of these cards when I found the photos and I've made a few available on eBay as well. Really something unique, especially for those looking for early Commodore collectibles!

There is a link on my blog that will take you to my current auctions that also include copies of the Commodore CDTV Burn-In CD #2, my Commodore-64 Programmer's Library, a historical computer news archive CD from my AOL New Product News newswire plus copies of the Commodore business card from Hong Kong!

CDTV Burn-In #2 Test CD-ROM Remastered

I was one of the original authors and creators of the Commodore CDTV Burn-In #2 test CD-ROM (Orange Label) that was used for production testing in Japan while I was briefly working for Commodore. I recently found my original master CD and will be providing RE-MASTERED copies with a unique LightScribe label via my website and on eBay.

Only 2,000 original copies of this version test CD were ever produced and I had sold a small number of the original CDs on eBay several years ago. This CD-ROM was used to continuously cycle the machines through a predetermined set of tests while the machines were "burned in" after assembly. Additional tests, pictures, utilities, sound tracks, etc. are also included on the disc. Unfortunately I do not have any documentation for this disc.

If I remember correctly there were actually three different version Burn-In test CDs made for the CDTV. They were each color coded for easy identification with either red, orange or purple labels.

By the way, I'm still providing downloadable copies of my C64 Programmer's Library for anyone interested. It's also available from my website and on eBay.

Compute! Magazine Online Article Archives

I just came across an archive site for past Compute! Magazine articles at: http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/ and was pleasantly surprised to find a number of my older articles included in their archives. Although geared for the Atari computers, there is some Commodore information included. The main website at http://www.atarimagazines.com/ has lots of classic computer magazine archives!

Here's a list of my articles they have available online with direct links:

THE_ATARI_825_PRINTER
review article from February 1981, Issue #9

ATARI_MEMORY_DUMP_AND_DISSASSEMBLER
from March 1981, Issue #10

ATARI_SUPER_BREAKOUT
review article from April 1981, Issue #11

ATARI_DISK_FILE_DUMP
from October 1981, Issue #17

Insurance_Inventory
from February 1982, Issue #21

Disk_Explorer_For_Commodore
from December 1983, Issue #43

Found a New Home and I've Been Busy!

I haven't posted for awhile since I've found a new job working with Library Automation Technologies in Somerdale, NJ. I've been working with them for over a year but officially full time as of November 2006. I'm managing their Technical Support, doing installations and service/support for their line of library self checkout systems called FlashScan. I've been busy and doing a fair amount of travel, along with helping with new product development as well. It's been fun getting my hands back into things and working with a smaller company.

For more information on the company and their products you can visit their website at: http://www.latcorp.com/ plus they have an interesting blog covering the library industry at: http://latcorp.blogspot.com/ where I'll probably be posting articles from time to time.

By the way, I've been getting so many requests for information on my old articles that my C64 Programmer's Library now includes downloadable 1541 floppydisk images in D64 format that provides the compete working programs for all the articles included -plus- the full text of all the articles on the disks so you can print or copy as needed. I typically have a copy on eBay all the time as well as on my separate website at: http://cbm.bobnj.com/

Time to Move On...

All the time I was involved with my newswire, managing my database, writing for the magazines and book publishers, consulting and a number of other activities -- I was also holding down a full time technical job as a programmer and later as a Network Administrator or Help Desk Analyst in the IT industry. I started out working on all sorts of computers from the smallest microcomputers to some of the largest mainframes, but mostly in the diagnostic or test engineering environment. The last eight years are when I switched to Information Technology, originally as a Network Administrator, then a Helpdesk Analyst and lately as the IT Site Manager for an electronics manufacturing facility that is now being closed.

The company I've been working with for the last 13 years has gone through quite a number of transitions over the years with multiple acquisitions and name changes. Just this past June we were acquired by one company and they quickly sold off the manufacturing operations a few weeks later to one of their contract manuacturers. The manufacturing operations is being moved to Texas so my position is now being eliminated along with everyone else here in manufacturing.

So, I'm now looking for something new to do and would certainly appreciate any leads or inquiries. Staying in IT or even going back to programming would be ideal, but I'd also be interested in trying something new as well. My only problem is current family obligations requiring me to stay here in the Southern New Jersey/Philadelphia area, but I would be able to handle some amount of travel if necessary.
Robert W. Baker
rbakerpc@gmail.com

Omnigraphics Deal

When The Computer Phonebook was published it apparently caught the eye of a major reference book publisher, Omnigraphics, with offices in Detroit, MI and Fort Lauderdale, FL. After some correspondence and a few telephone calls in late 1996, My wife and I wound up getting invited down to their offices in Florida for a few days to meet with their people and discuss my database and newswire service. Omnigraphics had been publishing all sorts of reference books for libraries and schools but apparently they didn't have much information on the computer industry.

When we got to Florida I thought I was only meeting a few of their key people but actually wound up walking into a large meeting room filled with people and giving a spur of the moment presentation on everything I was doing. It seemed to go over pretty well though and it was great meeting Fred Ruffner, Jr. their company president along with the entire staff of Omnigraphics. Afterwards they offered to buy a one-time non-exclusive license for my current database with periodic updates on a quarterly basis.

My wife had accompanied me on the trip and Omnigraphics arranged for an incredible hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Plus Mr. Ruffner treated us to a tour of the area by boat and a lovely dinner at his home, complete with a local artist playing piano at his home while we ate. It was absolutely an amazing trip that I'll never forget.

There was even a job offer to work for Omnigraphics but it would have involved moving to Fort Lauderdale. My son had just been born and we just weren't interested in moving away from family just then. Sometimes I wonder where that might have led to though. Unfortunately Omnigraphics isn't around any more. It appears they were bought out some time ago by another publisher in Canada from what I could find out.

PC Industry Phonebook From No Starch Press

Eventually my PC Products Database got noticed by a new book publisher who approached me with a book idea. He had been working for a major book publisher and had decided to start his own publishing company to be called No Starch Press. He had seen my database online and wanted to create a PC industry phonebook that would list companies and contact information from my data.

The book was to concentrate on US and Canadian PC-related companies so we stripped down some of the data and eliminated all of the other foreign entries. Then we spent several months working out the format and exact content of the book. Plus we did a lot of verification work on the phones to double check most of the data.

I also wrote some basic troubleshooting tips and introductory type information. There were hints on how to get the latest drivers and patches, how to use faxback services, working your way through voicemail systems, getting help through online services or on the internet or company bulletin boards, how to use email for direct assistance plus how to find free technical assistance. There was a whole chapter on maintaining and troubleshooting your PC with 15-20 pages of pretty helpful information.

The main company index was around 400 pages with three columns per page that listed over 14,000 companies. That was followed by about 200 pages of information that listed companies by product type. In total, over 600 pages in a small one inch think 5 by 8 inch paperback book that was super handy.

The book went to print in 1996 as The Computer Phonebook (ISBN# 1-886411-03-4) and sold a few thousand copies. Unfortunately the publisher decided there just wasn't enough interest to warrant doing another copy. So that was my one and only copy to be published in print. Still it was a pretty exciting project and it was really great to actually see my name as author for an entire book! In the past, a number of my magazine articles had been published in various books along with other articles in some sort of compilation but this was my first book all to myself.