Those of you reading this blog will know that I’m in the process of getting this 1989 Corvette back into service after a very long period of storage.  Last night I became curious about what specific options this car had, so I snapped a photo of the RPO (Regular Production Option) sticker under the glove box and I looked up the codes.  Below you’ll find a complete listing of the RPO codes for this car, which includes standard and optional equipment.

:: This photo, dated December, 2004, is the last time this car was outside - click to enlarge ::

Decoding this car revealed that it’s a relative low-optioned car, which makes sense considering its intended use when ordered.  The car has the FE1 base suspension, which has softer spring rates and smaller anti-sway bars as compared to the Z51 suspension option.  The Z52 cars kept the same spring rates as the FE1 cars, though they were equipped with larger anti-sway bars.  The car also has the then-expensive Delco-Bose stereo system and fully electronic climate control.  Base leather seats are, in my opinion, nicer than the upgraded sport leather seats.  The 2:59 axle ratio would surely be great for highway cruising, though I wouldn’t expect much for acceleration - this is actually an unusually tall ratio. So here it is, the full RPO code list for this car:

• AC3 - Power driver sport seat
• AR9 - Base seats - leather
• AS8 - Manual restraint seats
• BGR - Bowling Green assembly
• CC3 - Transparent roof panel
• CF7 - Non-transparent roof panel
• C2L - Dual removable roof panels
• C68 - Automatic electronic air condition
• DL8 - Twin remote heated outside mirrors
• D7B - Speedometer driven gear 25513043 orange
• D74 - Illuminated driver vanity mirror
• D9A - Speedometer sensor 25007224
• E5Z - Delete speedometer adapter
• E9Z - Delete speedometer key
• FE1 - Base suspension
• GM1 - Rear axle 2.59 ratio
• JL9 - Anti-lock front and rear disc brakes
• K68 - 105 amp generator
• L98 - Tuned port injection 5.7 L engine
• MD8 - Automatic 4-speed transmission
• MX0 - Automatic transmission
• NA5 - Federal emission system requirements
• NK4 - Sport leather steering wheel
• QA1 - Styled aluminum wheels, 17 x 9.5″
• UQ4 - Delco Bose four speaker system
• UU8 - Delco Bose AM/FM stereo radio with cassette
• U52 - Electronic instrument cluster
• V73 - Vehicle statement certification, US or Canada
• WDV - Partial deductible warranty waiver
• XAU - Front tire P275/40 ZR17
• YAU - Rear tire P275/40 ZR17
• 1AZ - Modification stock order or order sold
• 1SB - Marketed option package 2
• 64S - Bronze roof panel

I’ve been a fan of first-person shooting games since I first played the original Quake in 1996 on my Packard Bell Pentium 100MHz machine.  I remember that experience clearly, being able to exist in a real-time 3D environment was an awesome gaming experience.  Of course, first-person shooters have only gotten better, and the combat games lend themselves very well to this type of gaming experience.   The latest game of this genre is Call Of Duty: World At War, which is very impressive.

This game is very similar to another excellent game in the series, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare - the game engine, graphics, and interface are very well done.  New weapons and perks are awarded based on experience points, which you earn as you rank-up in the military.  It’s a very motivating system that keeps players killing each other, and I’ll admit, it’s addicting.

:: Intense graphics accurately depict the German Reichstag - click to enlarge ::

World At War, as the name implies, is based on a World War II setting, with accurate gun models and locations.  Nothing has been spared, which I think is a good thing.  For example, the German Reichstag is accurately modeled, which adds the perfect aura to the hectic shooting, bombing, and tank explosions around you as you aim your rifle or grenades on your opponents.  Net code is great, with no lagging, and I’m able to run this game at 1920×1200 with maximum graphics settings on my dual GeForce 8800GT cards, smooth as butter.

The sound effects are also very realistic, with real-sounding gunshots rather than the explosive-sounding gunshot effects we’re used to hearing in movies.  In the distance, you’ll hear soldiers shouting, with very accurate dialog that does not get too repetitive.  The graphics can get a bit greusome, with realistic depictions of blown-off limbs and gunshot impacts.  Depth-of-field effects, which are a carryover from Call Of Duty 4, are a welcome visual effect, which gives the game a cinematic appearance.

:: Realistic water and foliage are among the best I’ve seen - click to enlarge ::

Of course, there’s a single-player campaign, which I have not even played yet.  Believe it or not, I haven’t even played the single-player mode in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare either - the online gameplay has been so fulfilling that I haven’t seen the need just yet.  I suppose shooting and cyber-killing real opponents will always be more gratifying that computer opponents.  I’ll add an update when I play the single-player component - especially when you can use voice communication to tell call your opponents n00bs.

:: Dynamic lighting and subdued colors add to the darkness of war - click to enlarge ::

Is this game an actual depticion of what real war is like?  I would say it’s probably an accurate depiction of what war movies are like, rather than war itself - and I think that’s a good thing.  Real war is not fun, and this is a game that’s very fun, see what I’m getting at here?   World At War gives the player a sense of the chaos of real war, and it’s that element that keeps you on the edge of your seat, in bitter concentration.  That’s why this game - and Call Of Duty 4 - are such a success.   If you like violent, politically-incorrect games that would make a legislation-happy democrat cringe, then this is the game for you - it kicks ass!

You may remember my post about the old classic PC game Unreal.  Well, months later I finally completed the game - and it was very satisfying.  Unreal was long, complex, and filled with adventure.  I wish modern games were this long and involved, but unfortunately, they are not.  Unreal’s graphics, while considered low-polygon by today’s standards, are still beautiful.  I guess I like the texture-mapped graphics from the 1990s, and though the use of lens flares and coronas is overdone to the point of tackiness, I consider this a good thing.

:: Screenshot from Unreal: Return To Na Pali.  Note new assault rifle.  Click to enlarge ::

With Unreal finished, I’m moving on to its official expansion pack, titled Return To Na Pali.  This mission pack is basically just an extension of the original game, where the space marine simply returns to the planet where he escaped from.  The storyline is thin, but that’s fine - I’m just glad to be back involved in this awesome game.  I just started Return To Na Pali, but I’m already pleased with its familiar game engine, graphics, and I especially like the new weapons - an assault rifle, grenade launcher, and a rocket launcher.

:: Low-polygon graphics still look brilliant, even ten years later - click to enlarge ::

Well, I’m off to play Return To Na Pali more - I’ll let you know how this game compares to Unreal.  In the meantime, pick yourself up a copy of Unreal - I hear the Unreal Anthology is on sale for $5.00 at Gamestop.  Go for it!

I’m a pretty busy person - covering events, product evaluations, website updates, and photo shoots are all part of my weekly routine.  Staying connected to the internet is central to my business and my life - though I work a lot on the internet, it’s also become the nucleus of my life in many ways.  My main business, Scream And Fly Magazine, delivers performance boating content to thousands of readers each day, and frequent monitoring of the message boards and updating is crucial to its success.  On the flip side, my BMX activities keep me busy with sponsorships and purchasing parts. Finally of course, checking my daily email.

Before I begin, let me preface this post by saying that I’m not one of those ‘phone freaks‘ that lives my life through my mobile phone.  I know the type - always fidgeting with their phones, obsessing about them, and buying all sorts of accessories for them.  Nope, that’s not me.

:: The Google G1 browsing the web in landscape mode - click on image to enlarge ::

My previous phone, an HTC Dash, was my first step toward lessening my need to frequently carry a laptop computer around.  While this phone was good, it did not offer a robust enough solution to fit my needs.  It did offer slow, but decent internet browsing, though I believe the Windows Mobile platform is far behind the cutting edge operating systems such as Blackberry, iPhone, and Android.

The G1 offers much of the full-featured computer functionality of the Blackberry units and the iPhone.  For example, a good friend of mine uses a Blackberry 9530, also known as the ‘Storm‘, which features seamless multitasking (something the iPhone does not offer), fast Push email, and easy tethering to a computer to share a 3G connection to the web.

After much thought, I ruled out the iPhone since I needed a full keyboard.   The Blackberry operating system seemed cluttered and clunky to me, while the HTC Google G1 impressed me the most with its speed, fluid navigation, and open-source operating system.

The G1’s touch-screen interface works great, and the Web Kit-based browser is very fast and full-featured.  Yes, it works with YouTube, and full Flash support is coming very soon.  Messaging and any typing is alright, if a bit awkward due to the phone’s slanted ‘chin’ that gets in the way of the keyboard somewhat.  The 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera works pretty well, though there’s no video support (coming soon).  The operating system is very responsive and intuitive, but strangely, you cannot shut down individual applications.  The phone will run up to six applications at once, and when you load a seventh, it will automatically close the application first on the list.  Google needs to change this - and I’m sure they will eventually.  The phone also features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.  The G1 easily connects to your Gmail and AOL email accounts, as well as others.  Checking email easy and fast - I was very impressed here.

:: The G1’s screen slides upward to reveal a rather large keyboard - click image to enlarge ::

The Android Market is pretty cool, offering many free and fee-based applications ranging from productivity to games.  Download speeds through the Edge network are surprisingly fast as well.  Talk time on the phone is a solid four-five hours, though the standby battery life is poor, requiring a recharge every 36-48 hours of constant-on standby.

So far, the G1 turned out to be a fantastic productivity tool.  Will it replace my laptop?  Of course not, but the phone will allow me to monitor my websites, moderate posts, check email, and make purchases online - anywhere I am, without Wi-Fi.  With the “Cupcake” Android update on the near horizon, this good phone will get even better.  I’ll post more on that when it arrives, but I highly recommend the G1 as an iPhone alternative.

Related Links:

• HTC

As a kid, I was an avid computer nerd, and in the early 80s, Atari and Commodore computers were all the rage.  I was in elementary school and I wanted an Atari computer very badly.   I never got one - and there was a good reason for this.  In late 1982, the 1200XL was the first Atari 8-bit computer introduced in the new XL line that was going to replace the aging 400 and 800 line of computers.  It was a fantastic aesthetic design, but the new 1200XL had some basic design flaws that led to Atari discontinuing it just months after production began.

:: The Atari 1200XL was produced for only a few months in 1983 - click on image to enlarge ::

What were the 1200XL’s weaknesses?  First was it did not have BASIC programming language incorporated into its onboard ROM.   I do not see this as a weakness, but in that time BASIC was the primary programming language for home computer use.  Alright, so you had to plug in the cartridge to run BASIC, big deal - but others balked at this since almost all other computers at the time (the Commodore 64, for example) had their BASIC language built into the machine.

Another problem with the 1200XL was the lack of an expansion port in the rear.  Expandability was the buzzword back then, and people liked knowing they could expand their computer - even though they likely wouldn’t, and most home computers were primarily used as game systems.

Last but not least, Atari engineers wanted to increase the color saturation on the video signal by boosting the chroma output.  This may sound like a good idea, but it backfired.  The increased chroma caused ‘color bleed’ - a condition where oversaturated colors could not be well defined within borders since they were clipping the color palette of the television.  This boosted chroma signal also did not play nice with monitors of the day, and the result was a generally fuzzy picture when compared to the Commodore 64, which had excellent video output.  Atari corrected this problem with 600XL and 800XL machines, however.

:: The 1200XL featured extra programmable function keys - click on image to enlarge ::

These gripes are minor, in my opinion, when you consider the aspects that separated the 1200XL from its [less equipped] successors, the 600XL and 800XL.  The 1200XL’s keyboard was vastly superior, and the keys were nicely polished with a staircase ascension. The 1200XL also had special programmable function keys, which the 600XL and 800XL also lacked.  Additionally, the controller ports were positioned at a 45-degree angle toward the user, providing a cleaner connection, and finally, the 1200XL just looked a heck of a lot better.  It’s a gorgeous machine, and it’s the last of the Atari computers that were made domestically.  It was only produced for a few months, then discontinued quickly.

So what did the 600XL and 800XL machines offer over the 1200XL?  A short list is below:

• Parallel Expansion Bus - for RAM expansion on the 600XL only, and for peripheral expansion on both.
• Onboard BASIC in ROM - I did not see this as an advantage, and Atari’s ‘Revision B’ OS has serious flaws.
• A +5 voltage rail on the serial port - the 1200XL lacked this, creating compatibility issues with some peripherals.
• Improved video - reverting to the Atari 400/800 chroma settings while boosting signal quality.
• Inferior keyboards - the 600XL and 800XL were exercises in cost cutting, unfortunately.

:: Power switch, cartridge port and two controller ports on left side - click on image to enlarge ::

I’ve been looking for a new-in-box 1200XL since about 2002, and I finally found one.   It’s never been taken out of the box, except by myself, and it’s as new as the day it was made.  I’m not sure, but I don’t think I’ll use this one - it’s just too rare.  The very first thing I did when I opened the box was check out the keyboard, and it’s as smooth and nicely made as I remembered from my childhood.  These days the 1200XL is highly sought after, not only because of its scarcity, but because of its keyboard.  Many modders are updating the this machine for better video output, more RAM, and serial-to-PC connections.

:: The 1200XL featured Atari’s best keyboard - click on image to enlarge ::

Back in 1983, my dad bought me the 800XL, since he did not want to buy a discontinued model for me.  I understand that, and the 800XL was functionally similar to the 1200XL, but it just never looked as nice and the keyboard was awful.  No matter though, I finally have my Atari 1200XL.

Related Links:

• Atari Age
• Atari Museum
  
• Obsolete Technology Website
  

Yeah, I’m a computer geek - I always have been.  Growing up in New York in the 1980s, I had to spend much of the winter months indoors, and my Atari computers kept me good company during that time.  Although the Atari 400 was a bit before my time, I always thought of this machine as representative of the home computer as it was back then - fun, simple, and very campy.

:: The recognizable Atari 400 computer cartridge door - click on image to enlarge ::

Back then, there were many computers, but the two big camps were the Atari users and the Commodore users.  I was always on the Atari side of things, and the two machines were very similar in capability - the Atari edging the Commodore in graphics, while the Commodore had the audio advantage with its onboard synthesizer chip.  Putting those issues aside, the Atari computers were easier to program, and the disk drives (a luxury back then) were much, much faster.

I remember countless winter days and nights, hanging out with one of my friends in his den using his Atari 800, and later on, his Atari 130XE.  Back then typing in game programs was actually a fun thing to do, always waiting for our next issue of COMPUTE! or Antic.  There was no internet, though I remember playing a really crude “computer porn” game for the Atari computer called Strip Poker.  Win a hand, and you undress the girls - all in 8-bit, 4-color glory.  Even as prepubescent teenagers we thought it was lame.

:: Atari serial peripheral port (left) - click on image to enlarge ::

The main CPU of the Atari was the now legendary MOS Technologies’ 6502 (which was also used in the Nintendo Entertainment System).  The Atari 400 originally came equipped with 8KB of RAM, and later models (such as this one pictured) included 16KB as standard.  Funny to think that this minuscule amount of memory was considered adequate at the time, but it was for many tasks.  Atari later released a 48KB upgrade, which required some modification to the machine to install.  48K-equipped Atari machines could run Atari DOS (Disk Operating System), which was an absolute necessity to realize the full potential of disk-based software.

:: The membrane keyboard was typical of entry-level computers - click on image to enlarge ::

Most people didn’t perform any serious tasks with these machines - unless you consider playing Defender and Dig-Dug ’serious’.  Even today, these little 8-bit computers make excellent gaming machines, and there are many dedicated gamers that still use their Atari and Commodore computers to this day.  So what’s the story with this particular Atari 400?  It’s a new, never used machine that’s part of my collection.  Yeah, I know it’s geeky to have a collection of computers and video games, but it’s big part of my childhood.  Besides, I’ll be posting many more pieces from my collection in this blog, so maybe you can relive some of your childhood days as well.

Related Links:

• Classic Computer Magazine Archive - a huge archive of many 1980s-era computer magazines.

I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do like video games.  Anyone that plays video games and is over 20 years old will remember Unreal.  Developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes and launched in 1998, Unreal was a mega-hyped game that was intended to clobber the then-amazing Quake, by ID Software.

:: Scene from Unreal running in widescreen Direct3D - click on image to enlarge ::

I remember reading about Unreal in the gamer magazines at the time - the screenshots, teasers, and expected launch dates.  Originally, the game was supposed to launch in 1996, but that two-year delay only served to build momentum for what would be the most atmospheric, graphically intense, and involved adventure game of its time.

:: Na Pali Haven - the 21st map you encounter in Unreal - click on image to enlarge ::

Back in 1998, I had a Dell Pentium II 400MHz machine with an STB Velocity 128 graphics card.  I installed Unreal, but could not get it to run with my computer’s weak graphics card, so I gave up.   It was not until I installed a 3dfx Voodoo 3 3000 did the Unreal’s graphics-accelerated visuals hit me like a sledgehammer.  After all, Unreal’s graphics engine was designed to run on Glide, 3dfx’s proprietary API.  Direct3D and OpenGL support was added with later patches, though Unreal always ran best on 3dfx-based graphics cards.

Though Unreal’s Direct3D drivers were very slow in the late 1990s, the game will run as smooth as butter on today’s systems simply because modern CPUs and GPUs are so fast they can run Unreal’s inefficient code with ease.  Yes, it will run on an Nvidia SLI-enabled system with no issues, though SLI is not supported (obviously), nor is it needed.

:: Ny Leve’s Falls; the scene that helped define Unreal - click on image to enlarge ::

I recently bought a new Dell 24-inch display and for fun, I loaded up Unreal to see if I can get it to run on a Vista machine at 1920×1200.  Turns out this game still had some tricks up its sleeve - not only does it run well on Vista, but the game also supports widescreen displays even at really high resolutions.  Yeah, the overuse of lens flares and lighting effects is tacky by today’s game standards, but I think Unreal still looks fantastic.  Unreal still has its unbelievable atmosphere, with a soundtrack and casual-combat adventure style that plays very well, even ten years later.

:: Unreal is a very colorful game, almost to the point of excess - click on image to enlarge ::

Some years after its release, Unreal was repackaged as Unreal Gold, which included the latest patched version of Unreal as well as the mission pack, Unreal: Return To Na Pali.  It’s now available through Steam for about $10.00 or even cheaper on Ebay.  You don’t have to be a hardcore gamer to enjoy Unreal and even the most casual gamers will find its simple storyline, long adventure, and relatively easy combat inviting.

Related Links:

• Beyond Unreal - online community and portal devoted to old Unreal games.