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Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

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Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#11

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

Computers were still something special back then. I miss that too.

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#12

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

In the Commodore Amiga you can turn off and on the power light. Weird for these times.

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#13
post #12

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

In the Commodore Amiga you can turn off and on the power light. Weird for these times.

[deleted]

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#16

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

similar on my childhood radio shack computer - https://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/CoCo3_Easter_Egg

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#17
post #5

This brings back fond memories of the various Blue Meanies easter eggs in System 7.0.1 on my first Mac (actually my dad's LC). "Help! Help! We're being held prisoner in a system software factory!"

!ɿɘƨwoɿd dɘw ɒ ni bɘnoƨiɿqmi nɘɘd ɘv'I !qlɘH

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#18
post #12

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

In the Commodore Amiga you can turn off and on the power light. Weird for these times.

On the Sega Master System there was an entire game in the ROM -- Snail Maze (the walls and floor reminiscent of the company's logo). Pressing up-left and both buttons while turning on the console with no cartridge in the slot would start the game.

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#19

Lots of great 90s Apple Easter Eggs are listed here (the PDF): https://www.macintoshrepository.org/226-apple-easter-eggs My favorite one is the story of an engineer who hid an image of Paula Abdul on a CD-ROM (another version I heard was a ROM chip) without anyone’s knowledge. When the image was finally discovered production had already begun, making for a very expensive Easter egg to remove.

I think perhaps the best side effect of the OSS movement is that software developers now are more likely to consider the impact of licensing.

Re: Ghosts in the ROM (2012)

#20

I don't remember how I learned it, but back when my family had a IIci I remember there was a startup key command you could press to display an image of the developers in the ROM. I kind of miss the days when that sort of thing was done.

similar on my childhood radio shack computer - https://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/CoCo3_Easter_Egg

As a kid I didn't have Internet yet, but somehow had a CoCo3. Many times I pressed Ctrl+Alt+Reset and wondered what was the purpose of this image, I even made a BASIC program to dump it on tape from the ROM. Didn't learn the answer to that mystery for many years.
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