Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 April 22

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April 22

Which golf-game is that?

I have already asked this question in november last year (not here, though) but nobody could give me an satisfying answer. I've played a golf-simulator on a IBM-PS1 when I was young(er) that claimed to have real sound. (during startup the game actually told you this) It must be from the mid 90^s and was one of the first games that actually spoke. I have absolutely no idea what the name of this game was so I'd like to ask anybody who thinks to know this game to help me out. Thanx in advance: OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 16:24, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

World Class Leaderboard had "real sound" and had some stock phrases that it said. It was available on a lot of old systems from the late 80s and early 90s. 209.149.115.199 (talk) 16:33, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

This might actually be that game! Or better; one out of that series. I'm not certain yet, but I think you're right! THNX! OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 17:07, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

There was a Commodore 64 game with speech in 1985. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivHFP3dJAkM --Guy Macon (talk) 18:06, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

I believe the game I am looking for was made for later systems then Commodore 64. I really believe the one mentioned before might be the one. But because I'm restricted by a whitelist, I'm not even able to check Youtube... OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 18:23, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

The Wikipedia article Leaderboard says World Class Leaderboard featured RealSound, a method to play audio samples on the PC speaker.

Here is a YouTube video of World Class Leaderboard for PC/DOS. Since you can't access it, I'll describe some of the major features I noticed in the first few minutes.

The title screen shows a large pond above a golf green. In the bottom right corner, a logo depicts a speaker cone made of thin white vertical lines with a sound wave coming from it. Under it, red handwriting says RealSound.

During the gameplay, various sound effects are heard.

• Title screen: lo-fi birdsong
• Swing contacts ball: swoosh sound
• Ball lands in fairway: a voice announces "From my vantage point, it looks safely in the fairway."
• Ball bounces off a tree: clack when ball bounces off tree, then a voice announces "Looks like he hit the tree, Jim."
• Putt: tick sound
• Ball bounces off the hole flag pole: click sound
• Ball misses hole: a few voices say "Aw" in unison
• Ball enters hole: clatter of the ball in the hole, then lo-fi applause

--Bavi H (talk) 03:58, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

First of all: Thank you for all the effort above!!! (writing it all down 'cause I can't access internet properly...) YESS! This is exactly that game! This does bring up some childhood memories... Frases like: it looks safely in the fairway and Looks like he hit the tree, Jim absolutely helped me to be shure that this is the game I am looking for! Thnx, thnx, thnx!!! OXYGENE 7-13 (TALKPAGE) 11:52, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

Throwing orange juice on a laptop.

If I was to pour a large glass of Tropicana Orange Juice (Smooth version without pulp) onto my Dell laptop, would sparks fly and smoking seep out? --Augustous (talk) 22:15, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

Probably not. The screen would most likely go blank, and the computer thereafter refuse to work. But hey. You might get lucky. --Tagishsimon (talk) 22:30, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

But what if it was Pulped Orange juice (Not from concentrate) ? --Augustous (talk) 22:50, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

It appears no one wants to answer my question. No body loves me. --Augustous (talk) 07:23, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

I haven't tried this with pulped orange juice, but a pupil once spilt a can of Coca-Cola into an Acorn Archimedes A3000 (many years ago). There were no sparks, but I had to take it apart and wash the keyboard under the hot water tap. It worked perfectly when I put it back together again. You might not be so lucky with your laptop, but sparks are unlikely because there are no high voltages. Dbfirs 08:32, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

Augustous, Your question sounds a little bit like trolling as Your question contains a special brand name of orange juice. But anyway, lets focus on the laptop. Laptop keyboards are made by using 3 plasic foils/films, 2 of them coated with the elecrical conductive matrix keyboard layers, the film in the middle is a spacer for the key switches. This foil sandwitch is build on a metal plate, rubber springs and the key pads are assembled on a scissors lift table each. Key pads a kept lifted by it's rubber spring. The scissors lift al assembled to a plasic grid which is rivet assembled to the metal plate on the bottom. By the Capillary Effect, Fluid is pulled between the keyboard foils causing shortcuts or over time delay of the well filtered signals in such matrix keyboards. As the rivets is formed from a swarf of the metal plate, it can not be repaired in an easy way. To remove fluid, dried fluid and dirt the keyboard needs to be disassemled which fails in reassembling it propperly in a payable time. Mainboards of Dell laptops can be replaced or maintained easyly. Another problem occurs on flat panel display. The same electrical problem of the keyboard is on the flat panel. Inverters for CCFL tubes and the lines and tubes shortcut a high voltage when fluid is applied. Never LEDs does not have this problem when not connected in a single row. Removing battery and power supply immediately saves electical furter damage. Professionals are out of payable time, voluntaries often do not own basics, skills and experience to do it them selves or in a Repair Café, more then 1000 exists world wide. But YouTube is a good idea to get some practical information, but often some or very useful. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 16:30, 23 April 2016 (UTC)

Almost all devices have some short-circuit and overload protection, and would simply turn off for safety reasons. No sparks would fly, nor would the device blow into flames. Scicurious (talk) 21:44, 26 April 2016 (UTC)

Scicurious, is case of electrical safety, yes. The nonhazardous voltage will never be dangerous for human. High currents manufacturers are required to install fuses a or similar protection. But, when the fluid connects a 19 volts rail to a low voltage logic device, the device will be damaged. For this reason immediately remove battery and power supply. Qualified stuff can clean and reassemble the computer. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 07:33, 27 April 2016 (UTC)

That's right, but not an answer to the question, which specifically states if "sparks fly and smoking seep out." --Scicurious (talk) 18:12, 27 April 2016 (UTC)