Not seen this before. What exactly did it do?
Not seen this before. What exactly did it do?
I can't tell what kind of cable it uses to interface with the computer. I know it can't be, but it *really* looks like a USB cable.
The keyboard is connected through the GB's IIRC soft serial port (very very slow). My guess is that this comes with a BASIC interpreter or something and turns the GB into a portable 80's style microcomputer with PC link for retrieving data. I think this would have been really cool... Shame every console, especially SNES, didn't have a workstation addon or I'd have had learned low level computing at a more tender age :(
Last edited by Calpis; 09-17-2008 at 06:04 AM.
How old is this article approx?
<- can someone please make this as a repro and sell it so me?
From wikipedia: "This accessory was featured in Volume 36 (May, 1992) of Nintendo Power."
Time go go over to my moms and hit up my stash of old NP's.Originally Posted by Alchy
That is really cool! I would love to whip that thing out in class to take notes.
Die reinste Freude ist die Schadenfreude. :evil:
Hell, it would be a cool little gadget having around. Just like the family basic package, nothing seems to be more nerdy, than having a basic compiler and a keyboard to a handheld .
Die reinste Freude ist die Schadenfreude....
and why is the purest joy the malicious joy ? I know it is a saying, but still it makes me wonder wildly offtopic.
Last edited by WolverineDK; 09-19-2008 at 04:59 AM.
Did you know that sex is illegal without a condom in the state of Nevada ?
"Historien lærer os, at folk aldrig har lært noget af historien" - G.W.F. Hegel
"history teach us, that nobody learns from history" G.W.F. Hegel
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There are studies that show that schadenfreude registers in fMRI scans of the brain. You get a physical joy reaction (release of chemicals in the brain) from certain pains (usually to others), so it's not purely psychological.
Anyways, that is a really cool little thing. Would be interesting to see more about that company.
Last edited by Quzar; 09-19-2008 at 05:56 AM.
a nice find, never saw one of these
I'll create a monument to non-existance! Kefka, FFVI
"there is no dark side of the Moon really... as a matter of fact it's all dark" (words hidden in pink floyd's "Eclipse" song )
Hi, I noticed that that Work Boy image was popping up in my web server logs, so I just wanted to give some more info for anybody who's interested.
The article was actually from a UK magazine called Game Zone (April 92 issue). I don't think it ran very long, but it wasn't a bad magazine.
Anyway, I managed to find the issue over the weekend, so I've scanned in the whole article. It's got more info on the developers, plus details about the software side of it and some more images of the hardware.
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
I really wanted one of them at the time, as a result of seeing that article, but I never managed to find one anywhere. I'm not sure if they ever actually got released (at least in the UK).
I would love to get one too, since it is such a sweet looking geeky and awesomely nerdy thing too. Heck can you imagine the fun of it to the next old school coding party ? going totally basic with such a wonder ?
To me it will just scream out some serious crazy stuff. But at the same, it is an exciting little gadget. And perhaps even have a family basic competition with that too, to some future demo party of some sort ? Anyway I am rambling a bit, but hey it is fun some times doing that.
Last edited by WolverineDK; 10-02-2008 at 02:12 AM.
Did you know that sex is illegal without a condom in the state of Nevada ?
"Historien lærer os, at folk aldrig har lært noget af historien" - G.W.F. Hegel
"history teach us, that nobody learns from history" G.W.F. Hegel
Language Learning Resources
WolverineDK, you make no sense.
I really want as well though :P
Wow, interesting, anyone have any idea of how many got made?
What I am saying is, I think that gadget rocks. And I think it would be awesome to get some kind of BASIC code demo party with different gadgets.
Such as the Workboy, if it has a basic coder in it. And somebody could make a compiler to the famicom BASIC package (it could be an open source compiler to many OS´s) . So you could in reality code a NES/Famicom rom in famicom basic. And let the old school times roll. Is that clear enough ?
Did you know that sex is illegal without a condom in the state of Nevada ?
"Historien lærer os, at folk aldrig har lært noget af historien" - G.W.F. Hegel
"history teach us, that nobody learns from history" G.W.F. Hegel
Language Learning Resources
I remember a keyboard unit for the Gameboy. I have a vague recollection of it being used for some translation software, but it might be that it was just in a clearance offer next to it. I saw it in a Littlewoods store sometime in the 90s.
If anyone wants a GB keyboard, I think Jeff Frohwein made a circuit to adapt a PC keyboard...
Neo-geo.com - fuelling Dion's ego for the past 10 years!
From Wikipedia: "The Work Boy was a rare accessory for the Game Boy. It included a mini keyboard that plugged into the link cable outlet. The Work Boy cartridge included such programs as a clock, calendar, measurement conversion, and a phone book."
I see no mention of anything BASIC related, oh well.
Last edited by Ed the Nerd; 10-02-2008 at 03:22 AM.
i own a weird agenda-like cart for the gameboy (monochrome) - of course the battery is long dead and it wont remember anything when you shut it off, but it's still pretty cool to mess about with.
Can't recall its name or where I ve put it though
PS: there's no keyboard needed for my cart though and it looks nothing like the item depicted.
Last edited by Barc0de; 10-02-2008 at 03:28 AM.
You can ask for any old woman
You can ask for an army of ants
You can ask for a pillar of poison
You can ask for sheep and shavers
And you can die for
Be careful what you wish for
Pics? :D
It's a shame this unit wasn't more widespread as it would have been awesome to have for homebrew apps for the GB. :drool:
Might have seen that in some GB magazine I own.
This game will make you a sociopath
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