Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

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Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Thu Jun 09, 2011 3:17 pm

Hi guys,

Some of you might be interested to read about my latest acquisition.

I've also added a page pertaining to it on my collections site.

Does anyone know if this model was ever sold in New Zealand, and if so when and who by?
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby Gibsaw on Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:40 am

tezza wrote:Hi guys,

Some of you might be interested to read about my latest acquisition.

I've also added a page pertaining to it on my collections site.

Does anyone know if this model was ever sold in New Zealand, and if so when and who by?


Good lord.. Never heard of it. Well done.

Your information gathering will be interested to read.
"dsakey" on trademe. Apple II's are my thing.
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:15 am

I have some 79-80 scanned copies of electronics australia which I'm sure include Dick Smith ads for this machine. If i get time I'll crop some out and post them up.

Dick Smith computer ads of the late 70's-early 80s are amusing both for their cheesiness and extravagent claims :D
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby Gibsaw on Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:45 am

tezza wrote:Dick Smith computer ads of the late 70's-early 80s are amusing both for their cheesiness and extravagent claims :D

It's the haircut that gets me... :lol:
"dsakey" on trademe. Apple II's are my thing.
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:04 pm

Gibsaw wrote:It's the haircut that gets me... :lol:


Absolutely..lol. Having spoken to Dick Smith personally (a larger than life character), I'm sure these ads were largely tongue in cheek. It was part of the charm and the "bright and breezy" approach which tried to put a fun face on electronics and appeal more to the general public in the very early 1980s. It was also a point of difference from some of the more sober and specialised electronic outlets.
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby nama on Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:24 pm

Great score Terry,
Love it!
Retro computing at: http://www.neoncluster.com
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:09 pm

nama wrote:Great score Terry,
Love it!


Thanks,

I've had fun tonight building a decent software library for it. I've got some programs on tape but loading is rather hit and miss. I found a suite of machine language programs on the Web. The nice thing about these is they don't need the BASIC ROM-PAC. I've been busy converting the binary files in WAV files via the MESS emulator so they can be loaded directly into the sorcerer via the PC soundcard.

One of these binary files was Level II BASIC so I can make it look and behave just like a System 80 :)
Tez (Terry Stewart) (Administrator)
Collection: https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/co ... /index.htm
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby Carcenomy on Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:45 am

A good dirty trick I used for my SC3000 when its tape drive failed, was to record the tapes (which you won't have to do since you already have the WAVs) to my computer, then burn them as an audio CD. I dug out my old Discman and voila, CD-based apps for my vintage machine. Would work a treat for the Sorcerer too I'd imagine :)
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eisa on Trademe. A lasting reminder of a Compaq fetish when I was younger.
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:13 pm

Yep, I've heard of a few people doing this. With an MP3 player too.
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Re: Just moved in. An Exidy Sorcerer

Postby tezza on Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:57 pm

I've now stocked up the Exidy Sorcerer with software. As usual I've written something on the experience. It might be helpful to others and at the very least it means I won't forget what I did! :)
Tez (Terry Stewart) (Administrator)
Collection: https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/co ... /index.htm
Projects and Articles: https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/index.htm
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