Discussion Forum for all things Microbee
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+-- Forum: Microbee Forum (https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/forum-1.html)
+--- Forum: Buzzing About (https://microbeetechnology.com.au/forum/forum-5.html)
+--- Thread: DeepSeek AI (/thread-879.html)

DeepSeek AI - ChickenMan - 28-01-2025

I asked DeepSeek AI ver 3 

Can you tell me about the Microbee 128k computer made in Australia

and this is what they came up with -

The Microbee 128K was a popular home and educational computer developed in Australia during the 1980s. It was an evolution of the original Microbee computer, which was first released in 1982 by Applied Technology, a company based in Sydney, Australia. The Microbee series was designed to be affordable and accessible, making it a common sight in Australian schools and homes during that era.

Key Features of the Microbee 128K:
  1. Processor: The Microbee 128K was powered by a Zilog Z80 CPU, running at 2 MHz or 3.29 MHz, depending on the model. The Z80 was a popular 8-bit processor used in many computers of the time.
  2. Memory: As the name suggests, the Microbee 128K came with 128 KB of RAM, which was a significant upgrade from earlier models that typically had 16 KB or 32 KB of memory. This made it more capable of running advanced software and applications.
  3. Storage: The computer typically used cassette tapes for storage, though later models and expansions allowed for floppy disk drives. This was common for home computers in the early to mid-1980s.
  4. Display: The Microbee 128K featured a built-in monochrome monitor with a resolution of 256 x 192 pixels. The display was green on black, which was typical for computers of that era.
  5. Operating System: It ran on Microbee's proprietary operating system, which was based on CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers), a popular OS for 8-bit computers at the time. This made it compatible with a wide range of software.
  6. Keyboard: The keyboard was built into the unit, and it was known for being relatively sturdy and comfortable to use compared to some other home computers of the era.
  7. Expandability: The Microbee 128K was designed to be expandable, with ports for additional peripherals and upgrades. This made it a versatile machine for both home and educational use.

Popularity and Use:
The Microbee was particularly popular in Australia due to its affordability and suitability for educational purposes. It was widely used in schools for teaching programming and computer literacy. The computer supported a variety of programming languages, including BASIC, Pascal, and assembly language, making it a versatile tool for learning.

Legacy:
The Microbee series, including the 128K model, holds a special place in the history of Australian computing. It was one of the first locally produced computers to gain widespread adoption and played a significant role in introducing many Australians to computing. Today, the Microbee is remembered fondly by retro computing enthusiasts, and there are still communities dedicated to preserving and using these machines.
If you're interested in retro computing or the history of technology, the Microbee 128K is a fascinating example of how computing evolved in different parts of the world during the 1980s.

RE: DeepSeek AI - fathertedcrilly - 22-03-2025

I've been fiddling with Ollama ( rather than working on Abeja ) and it gave me this response to the same prompt ( using llama3.2:latest )

Kind of reinforces my opinion of LLM in general

Tony


Quote:The Microbee is a classic Australian computer from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Here are some interesting facts about it:

  1. Design and development: The Microbee was designed by Richard Tipler, an electronics engineer who founded Nova Computer Systems in Melbourne, Australia. The company developed the Microbee as a more affordable alternative to commercial computers at the time.
  2. 128k processor: The Microbee is powered by an 8-bit Zilog Z80A microprocessor running at 1 MHz, with 128 kilobytes of RAM (expandable to 256 KB). This was relatively fast and powerful for its era.
  3. Expansion options: The Microbee had several expansion cards available, including a floppy disk drive, cassette interface, serial terminal, and a graphics board. These allowed users to expand the computer's capabilities and connect it to peripherals like printers and modems.
  4. Keyboard and monitor: The Microbee came with a keyboard and a 12-inch CRT (cathode ray tube) display. Later models included an optional joystick and a touch-sensitive graphics tablet for drawing and painting.
  5. Software availability: Although the Microbee didn't have a large library of software initially, it gained popularity in Australia due to its affordability and expandability. Many local software developers created programs specifically for the system, including word processors, spreadsheets, and games.
  6. Retro gaming and computing: The Microbee has become a nostalgic favorite among retro computer enthusiasts. It's still possible to find original hardware and software for sale online or at retro computer stores.
Some notable features of the Microbee include:
  • Its compact size, making it easy to fit in small spaces.
  • Its expandability via modular expansion cards.
  • Its relatively low cost compared to commercial computers from the same era.
The Microbee is an interesting piece of Australian computing history and a testament to the ingenuity of Richard Tipler and his team at Nova Computer Systems.


RE: DeepSeek AI - Graham72 - 26-08-2025

I reviewed DeepSeeks answer this morning, much improved but still some errors.

Gemini and Grok did much better.

I understand over 85% of businesses are not satisfied with their AI implementation. Rushed out too soon. Everyone afraid of missing out on the next big thing.

I find that Grok needs two to three extra questioins to clarify its answer. Unfortunately a lot of its computing power is now wasted producing inane images. Make sure that fast response is not selected as it will throw back the first thing the LLM encounters.

For quick code snippets AI is good.

I had an interesting discussion with Gemini several days backs when it was trying to tell me it was July 2024!

AI has a place and is better than google for some things. Watch this space, maybe three years?

RE: DeepSeek AI - Graham72 - 08-05-2026

Well my three years was way out.

My AI BASIC adventures with Grok came to an end when it consistently failed to grasp the distinctive variable and string-slicing syntax of MWB. On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to try Claude.

Claude allowed me to viBEE code fluently — text files loaded into MWB with only one or two fixes needed at runtime. I played around with PCG and PLAY programs, then decided to venture into mathematics. I experimented with Markov Chains (think Google PageRank and SEO) and built a step-by-step demonstration of QR decomposition using the Gram-Schmidt method. I took a screenshot of the output, fed it to Google, and it immediately recognised the numbers and returned the original matrix values I had started with.

Somewhere over the past day I tired of the text-file inpubt routine and asked Claude to provide code already tokenised as a MWB program. WOW — it worked! There were some issues with end-of-program pointers and file headers, which I discovered when LIST threw an error, but those were resolved. Claude can now suggest, write, and deliver a .mwb program ready to run.

I realise AI isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I want to enjoy the best of BASIC programming using the tools of 2026. PS: I still get the soldering iron out to repair power boards and speaker installations — AI can't do that. But the robots are coming! 😄
SO I asked Claude Chicken Mans question:

The MicroBee 128K was one of the later and more capable machines in the Australian-made MicroBee line, produced by MicroBee Technology (originally Applied Technology) in the mid-to-late 1980s. {provided a photo}

**Hardware**

The 128K was built around the Zilog Z80 CPU, typically running at 3.375 MHz. Its headline feature was 128KB of RAM — a substantial amount for a home/educational machine of its era — along with a ROM-based software suite. It used a Motorola 6845 CRTC for display control, supporting both text and graphics modes including the distinctive Programmable Character Graphics (PCG) system that MicroBee machines were known for. Storage was via 3.5" floppy disk, and it could also run CP/M, giving it access to a serious library of business and productivity software.

**The Premium ROM**

The 128K Premium models shipped with an enhanced ROM containing Microsoft BASIC (MWB — MicroWorld BASIC), a machine code monitor, and other utilities built in.

**Context and significance**

The MicroBee was one of the few genuinely Australian personal computers to achieve commercial success, used widely in schools across the country through the early-to-mid 1980s. The 128K represented the mature end of the product line, arriving at a time when the IBM PC clone market was already beginning to dominate. It was capable and well-designed for its time, but the market shifted beneath it.

**Legacy**

The machine has a dedicated community to this day, centred largely around the microbeetechnology.com.au forum — where you're an active contributor. The ubee512 emulator faithfully replicates the hardware, including the CRTC behaviour, and has enabled a new generation of tinkering, ROM patching, and BASIC programming well into the 2020s.

It's a machine with genuine character, and the fact that its BASIC dialect is distinctive enough to trip up modern AI says something about how thoughtfully it was designed for its specific hardware.

RE: DeepSeek AI - Graham72 - 09-05-2026

__________________________________________

and then CLAUDE chose to write a WORDLE program using the colour command, and of course did not know about the convoluted code used to implement new keywords.

AI still not there, no sir!

RE: DeepSeek AI - Graham72 - 27-07-2026

Another funny AI moment, asking for a * next to disk BASIC programs:

The scan that decides thin-CP/M routing (needsThin in openDrone()) is the exact same test that already gave you the verified 191/1383 count. That's the part that's not easy to render live in the table.
{
The catch is timing: that scan needs the decoded .MWB bytes, which only get pulled out of the zip when a row is clicked — not while the table is rendering. So there are really two ways to do this:

This is general information, not medical advice. If your symptoms are severe, sudden, or don’t improve, talk to a healthcare professional. Precompute once, store in I.js

Run the exact needsThin scan offline over all 1,383 files in the zip, write a flag onto each CATALOG record (e.g. r.t=1), then renderTable() just checks that flag and appends a * next to the bee icon.

I'm guessing the word scan triggered the medical subroutine.