Who has a dedicated computer?

[humble_programmer]

Lurking in the back of my "closet of crap" is an authentic Boris chess-playing computer from the late 70's. The board, pieces, and manual were lost years (decades?) ago, but the keypad and LED display still work. Unfortunately, with a 1Mhz CPU with 2.5Kb of memory, it's playing strength leaves a lot to be desired.

For an excellent write-up of early chess computers, see http://www.boris-is-king.com/homepage.htm.

[adams161]

I have an emerald classic by novag. Its an early version of that line i think. so it think its a little different than the karpov 2294, but its rather similar. someone in a previous thread said there had been some book improvements. Perhaps i have regular emerald classic not plus. not sure.

My last game against the emerald classic was probably 6-12 months ago. I checkated it on one of its early levels, perhaps the default level. It took a few seconds to move. Was a fun game. As i recall i played a king attack in the sicilian and tried to get in my quiet moves to set up my attack under its horizon which i guess worked.

Mostly i dont play these things much anymore. I also got one a year ago that plays checkers. same thing dedicated computer. played it once and beat it. that one was only like 40 bucks. it wasnt sensory which was slightly dissapointing but i guess those dont sell under 50.

My first dedicated computer for chess was the fidelity excellence sensory board that was said to be 2000. that would have been uscf and probably based on some games against uscf players and a performance rating was done. these ratings tend to come in a little higher but it was strong enough for me, bought it in 1987. I would hang onto that computer for 10 years and probably played it over 1000 times. it was my primary way of playing chess in the 90s before internet. The beauty of the dedicated computer particuarlly for me in the 80s was a) it had real pieces moving. and b) i didnt even own a computer in 87. the fidelity excellence was given to a friend who tutored chess at a school chess club. he gave it to the club to use saying it would solve the problem of someone sitting out if an odd number of players.

Mike

[Spacious_Mind]

I have an emerald classic by novag. Its an early version of that line i think. so it think its a little different than the karpov 2294, but its rather similar. someone in a previous thread said there had been some book improvements. Perhaps i have regular emerald classic not plus. not sure.

My last game against the emerald classic was probably 6-12 months ago. I checkated it on one of its early levels, perhaps the default level. It took a few seconds to move. Was a fun game. As i recall i played a king attack in the sicilian and tried to get in my quiet moves to set up my attack under its horizon which i guess worked.

Mostly i dont play these things much anymore. I also got one a year ago that plays checkers. same thing dedicated computer. played it once and beat it. that one was only like 40 bucks. it wasnt sensory which was slightly dissapointing but i guess those dont sell under 50.

My first dedicated computer for chess was the fidelity excellence sensory board that was said to be 2000. that would have been uscf and probably based on some games against uscf players and a performance rating was done. these ratings tend to come in a little higher but it was strong enough for me, bought it in 1987. I would hang onto that computer for 10 years and probably played it over 1000 times. it was my primary way of playing chess in the 90s before internet. The beauty of the dedicated computer particuarlly for me in the 80s was a) it had real pieces moving. and b) i didnt even own a computer in 87. the fidelity excellence was given to a friend who tutored chess at a school chess club. he gave it to the club to use saying it would solve the problem of someone sitting out if an odd number of players.

Mike

Hi Mike,

The Novag Classic came out a year earlier than the Novag Classic Plus. The Classic has a larger opening library but less play levels. Other than that, they are the same. I played the Classic, Classic Plus and Karpov 2294 against each other once in some tests and therefore I know that they are identical in strength. The Manufacturer rated them differently, USCF 2294 for Classic Plus and Karpov and 2260 for Classic. But I think they really play the same moves in my tests.

What is nicer about the Classic, is the fact that it will as far as I can recall play average time moves correctly where it will not start speeding up, whereas the Karpov and the Classic Plus have that bug. The Novag Citrine and Star Ruby for example also suffer from that same problem.

Here is a comparison list of all the Novag Classics:

• 1) Novag Emerald - (Related to Novag Zircon (Desktop), Novag Ruby (Travel) & Novag Jade (Travel)) - 1993
  
  Processor: H8, 20 MHz, 32 Bit
  Memory: 32 KB ROM, 1 KB RAM
  Library: 12000 Half Moves
  Programmer: David Kittinger
  Wiki Elo: 1879
  Active Elo: 1906
  Positional: 1896 BT-2450
  Playing Levels = 56
  
  2) Novag Emerald Classic (Related to Novag Zircon II, Novag Turquoise, Novag Obsidian, Novag Citrine & Novag Star Ruby, Novag Jade II, Novag Amber (Travel)) - 1996
  
  Processor: H8, 26,6 MHz, 16Bit
  Memory: 32 KB ROM, 1 KB RAM
  Programmer: Dave Kittinger
  Library: over 13.000 Half Moves
  Wiki Elo: ???
  Active Elo: 2010
  Manufacturer ELO: ELO 2260 (USCF)
  Level: AT5 = 30 Seconds/move average time
  Playing Levels = 56
  
  3) Novag Emerald Classic Plus (Related to Novag Zircon II, Novag Turquoise, Novag Obsidian, Novag Citrine & Novag Star Ruby, Novag Jade II, Novag Amber (Travel)) - 1997
  
  Processor: H8, 26,6 MHz, 16Bit
  Memory: 32 KB ROM, 1 KB RAM
  Library: 8.900 Half Moves
  Programmer: David Kittinger
  Wiki Elo: 1940
  Active Elo: 2010
  Manufacturer ELO: ELO 2294 (USCF)
  Level: AT6 = 30 Seconds/move average time
  Playing Levels = 128
  
  4) Excalibur Karpov 2294 - (Identical to Novag Emerald Classic Plus) - 2000
  
  Processor: H8, 26,6 MHz, 16Bit
  Memory: 32 KB ROM, 1 KB RAM
  Programmer: Dave Kittinger
  Library: 8.900 Half Moves
  Wiki Elo: 1940
  Active Elo: 2010
  Manufacturer Elo: ELO 2294 (USCF)
  Level: AT6 = 30 Seconds average time
  Playing Levels = 128

Best regards

Nick

ps. Excalibur between 1995 and 2000 repackaged mostly CXG & Novag Computers. It was first first after 2000 that Excalibur really started showing its own identity. The Karpov 2294 may have been that last clearly visible repackaged product by Excalibur from other Manufacturers.

[adams161]

I believe mine is regular not plus not sure. Have to check the book again which i still have when i get home. But as mentioned not a lot of difference around 96 97 from classic to plus to karpov.

I got mine around the end of march 1997 so i cant tell ( if the switch from the 96 version to the 97 version didnt happen jan 1) which one by dates. here is what i do know.

Back then in chess life they typically advertised 2 novag computers both around 2230. one was i think pocket and smaller and the other was full board. I remember seeing the classic and it was suppose to be stronger, maybe at the time they said it was 2290. 50 points! i was sold. Didnt cost much more than the other two computers.

I had gotten to the point by mid 1996 that my fidelity excellence i could beat typcially up to level 8, a minute a move, and i wouldnt play much slower as the game was to slow. Excellence was a strong program for me ( said to be 2000 estimated probably uscf), but its book was limited and i knew its weaknesses and some of the challenge was lost by the end of 1996. unfortunately i was unemployed end of 96 and early 97. I got a job and saved my money. My first paycheck went to expenses but i was earning tips and raked in like 150 bucks in tips or 200 bucks or so and paid the uscf membership and bought the classic from teh uscf store. My thinking was that at what to me seemed the very high rating of 2200+ it would solve all my trouble with haveing outgrown fidelity excellence.

I played it in 97 and by 1998 i was playing internet chess which was a whole new world. But these stand alones prepared me for internet chess, were i played mostly standard at first. I had some weaknesses playing regular games against humans. for one i tended to accept that i would play white which is how games start if you hit new game. So my black play on icc was 200 points below my white! All in all though my chess life which has had me playing fairly regular starting in the late 80s when i got my first stand alone, with some years with less play then very active play against excellence in the mid 90s, was fueled by the stand alones. I might never have been as active and pursued chess on the internet, and develope an interest in chess programming , I made the pulsar engine, with that ready opponent of the stand alone i had for nearly 10 years.

chess probably would have been a game i had some experience and interest in like hearts or something without the stand alones.

Mike

[LiquidNitrogenOverclocker]

I sold one of mine to Steve B.



I think it was my Fidelty Mach IV Master.

I also had a TascBase 030 for a while, but something went wrong with the clock display after I had it for 8 months. I was amazed that they took the whole thing back for a 100% refund, less the shipping charges back to The Netherlands (I think).

It was a shame, I really loved the TASC. I tried to look around for the rare O4O model, couldn't find any for sale.

I wonder why nobody has created a high-tech version of the dedicated machines.

[Steve B]

I sold one of mine to Steve B.



I think it was my Fidelty Mach IV Master.

I also had a TascBase 030 for a while, but something went wrong with the clock display after I had it for 8 months. I was amazed that they took the whole thing back for a 100% refund, less the shipping charges back to The Netherlands (I think).

It was a shame, I really loved the TASC. I tried to look around for the rare O4O model, couldn't find any for sale.

I wonder why nobody has created a high-tech version of the dedicated machines.

Right you are Ed
it was the Designer Mach IV..
there is one series of Dedicated computers available today that are somewhat high tech
they run on 206-500 Mhz Processors and have Engines from modern day programmors
they are called the Resurrection and Revelation series by Phoenix Technologies

here is a photo of the Revelation:


Dedicated's March Ever Onwards Regards
Steve

[Spacious_Mind]

Well as for me...
it was the Xmas holiday season 1977

i bought the very first chess computer that you could take home and play a game of chess with
it cost about $500 and learning how to work it was the hard part
the ranks and files were reversed in error..
so the simple e2-e4 had to be keyed in as 5b-5d
a real nightmare..
however the strength of the program was very poor so the bonus for all of that hard key-in work was a won game

have been collecting these marvels ever since then

as to PC Engines..
not much use for them


2b or not 2b Regards
Steve

I should have known that your very first computer would be a CC1

Best regards

Nick

[Steve B]

Well as for me...
it was the Xmas holiday season 1977

i bought the very first chess computer that you could take home and play a game of chess with
it cost about $500 and learning how to work it was the hard part
the ranks and files were reversed in error..
so the simple e2-e4 had to be keyed in as 5b-5d
a real nightmare..
however the strength of the program was very poor so the bonus for all of that hard key-in work was a won game

have been collecting these marvels ever since then

as to PC Engines..
not much use for them


2b or not 2b Regards
Steve

I should have known that your very first computer would be a CC1

Best regards

Nick

Sure
thats because i am the oldest collector still alive

Reelin In The Years Regards
Steve

[rightrook]

Greetings Nick...
I still have a TurboStar 432 that works great...it was one of my favorites.
Also some from Radio Shack and a Novag Aquamarine Premier Plus.
Also a portable..Mephisto Expert Travel set.

My first one was a Fidelity machine...the one that level 5 took 20 minutes to find a mate in 2... However, back in 1982 I thought it was great and worth the 99 dollars I paid for it at a Penny's store...when you won a game, all the lights would flash on and off....very unique...It had LED lights on each square.... So from then on "I was hooked"...

Most of my dedicated machines are now gone...sold on Ebay.

I enjoyed playing the Novag Solo....it was fun....however, I do not use them much anymore since all the great PC programs and free engines came out to use, and setting up a test position is now so easy to do on a PC chess program...



Best regards

Robert

[Spacious_Mind]

Lurking in the back of my "closet of crap" is an authentic Boris chess-playing computer from the late 70's. The board, pieces, and manual were lost years (decades?) ago, but the keypad and LED display still work. Unfortunately, with a 1Mhz CPU with 2.5Kb of memory, it's playing strength leaves a lot to be desired.

For an excellent write-up of early chess computers, see http://www.boris-is-king.com/homepage.htm.

Hi Lee,

Daniel's website on the Boris is great and unique. He went into an enourmous amount detail about Boris. I remember a discussion with him once in another forum, where he proved that the clock inside Boris runs fast and therefore he convinced me to play the Boris at 31 seconds in a 30 second U1400 Tournament that I once held. Not that it made much difference

Chafitz computers are some my very favorites including the Boris. One that I would love to get my hands on but is almost impossible to find is a Boris Handroid which basically is a Robot Boris. Not shure if Steve has one.

Best regards

Nick