- cctalk - classiccmp.org

Re: LCM STL Files for 3D Printing of DEC PSU Chassis

by hupfadekroua

Next try … https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBMV48 A. > Am 15.10.2024 um 15:28 schrieb Milo Velimirović <milovelimirovic(a)gmail.com>: > > The photos didn’t make it through. I’ve got a pdp11/05 that I’d like to restore and new PSUs make total sense to me. Please send photos directly. > > Thanks! > —Milo > >> On Oct 12, 2024, at 6:35 AM, hupfadekroua via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: >> >> Hi all, >> >> Once I visited LCM some years ago I was allowed to visit their repair laboratory. >> >> I was introduced to an approach to substitute DEC BA11 PSU modules by modern DC-DC converter modules. >> >> They used a 3D printed plastic chassis to mount the converter, electrolytic as well as the connectors to be fitted into the psu chassis of a BA11 enclosure, quite nice. >> >> See photo attached … >> >> Does someone knows if this stl or design has been saved while or after LCMs closure? >> >> Best >> >> Andreas >

9 months, 2 weeks

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CHM and CMOA

by Donald Whittemore

If you have 30 minutes and a decent size screen. 2009 and 2014 slide shows. http://www.myimagecollection.com/CHM2009/index.html http://www.myimagecollection.com/CHM2014/index.html And what I sold to CMOA in 2019. They arranged for a 26’ truck to pick it all up. :) http://www.myimagecollection.com/cmoa/ And if you are interested in punchcards, my collection. https://www.ibmjunkman.com/

9 months, 2 weeks

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LCM STL Files for 3D Printing of DEC PSU Chassis

by hupfadekroua

Hi all, Once I visited LCM some years ago I was allowed to visit their repair laboratory. I was introduced to an approach to substitute DEC BA11 PSU modules by modern DC-DC converter modules. They used a 3D printed plastic chassis to mount the converter, electrolytic as well as the connectors to be fitted into the psu chassis of a BA11 enclosure, quite nice. See photo attached … Does someone knows if this stl or design has been saved while or after LCMs closure? Best Andreas

9 months, 2 weeks

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CHM Visit in May 2018

by hupfadekroua

Hi all, I'd like to share the photographs I took during my CHM visit in May 2018. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBNeWY Andreas

9 months, 2 weeks

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Re: Passing of Edson (Ed) De Castro, Founder of Data General

by Evan Linwood

> Oh, my, of course yes. > This is sad news. I wonder if I can talk my editor into a belated > obit? I feel too ignorant though... I guess you could try I'm a nobody but De Castro was important First person (I think) to put a whole CPU on a single card, at least in a mass-produced machine

9 months, 2 weeks

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Emails with photos attached to this list

by hupfadekroua

Will emails with embedded/attached photos send to this list published or dropped? Andreas

9 months, 2 weeks

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Passing of Edson (Ed) De Castro, Founder of Data General

by Evan Linwood

I was surprised to find out this morning that it seems Ed De Castro has passed on September 6 this year. I can't see any reference to this in cctalk, so I'll try to give a short summary of Ed's accomplishments. Many here would know that Ed worked for DEC and was project manager in charge of developing the PDP-8. He left DEC to found DG in the late 60's and was the original designer of their Nova system, introduced to the marketplace when he was 29. Ed was obviously a highly talented engineer, but it was the founding of DG that I would imagine was his most outstanding accomplishment. DG wasn't the first disruptive new entrant in the computing marketplace in that period, or the largest for example with DEC and HP preceding them. In order to stand out, DG used every trick in the marketing/advertising book that they could think of. It seems that DG may have been the first disruptive tech startup to also display a very high level of cheeky confidence as being central to their brand. I get the impression that DG staff took up this spirit and ran with it, at times even faster than management might have liked them to. DG also sounds like a company that required high performance - everyone there knew what the expectations were. Somehow a generally quiet, matter of fact engineer like Ed created a 'pirate ship' that people absolutely thrived in. Perhaps it could even be said that DG were the template, in terms of culture, for what we imagine tech startups to be striving for even today. There are numerous videos on YouTube that give a sense of this, including regarding the Talking Propeller Heads, the inhouse DG rock/comedy band. Looking also at early Apple advertisements, for example, I was struck personally with the similarity in tone and style to DG's advertisements. This quote from http://www.teamfoster.com/billteamfostercom sums up the company well: "The company was a puzzle. It broke all the rules and yet was extremely successful. It had the reputation of being the "bad boy" of the computer industry -- heck, of any industry. And it enjoyed this reputation. DG became a public company less than two years after it was founded and shattered records in making it to the Fortune 500. Too bad Harvard never wrote a case study. It would have been groundbreaking! But if they did Harvard would have had to admit that EVERYTHING they taught about how to run a business could be wrong…" Also this quote from https://www.ithistory.org/honor-roll/mr-edson-ed-de-castro: "Steve Wozniak, Apple's future co-founder, (in high school at the time) was said to be enchanted with the Nova's elegantly designed architecture, and had photos of the machine taped on his bedroom wall." And of course most of us know of Tracy Kidder's Pulitzer prize-winning book, The Soul of a New Machine. These are just some short thoughts from someone who never worked at DG. Hopefully some others here with deeper experience can comment also. Vale Ed De Castro

9 months, 3 weeks

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Convex and CDC items on ebay.de

by hupfadekroua

Hi, there are some Convex and CDC items on ebay.de Best

9 months, 3 weeks

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Re: Ward Christensen (BBS, XMODEM) has died

by donald donaldwhittemore.com

I know the name. As I am sure many of us old timers do. 3 years older than me.

9 months, 3 weeks

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Fwd: RSTS and big MSC disks

by Paul Koning

I meant to reply-all for this. paul > Begin forwarded message: > >> On Oct 9, 2024, at 5:27 PM, Zane Healy <healyzh(a)avanthar.com> wrote: >> >> On Oct 9, 2024, at 10:22 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: >>> >>> Earlier there was a question about MSCP disk sizes. I did some checking. >>> >>> RSTS understands all the devices known by name in SIMH, including the "giant" RF73. As of the "big disk" support, which is in V10.1 and I think a few earlier versions, it can handle something that big. It draws the line at 4096 MB; bigger than that and it will tell you the disk is too big when you try to initialize it. I thought it might use only the part it can handle, but no, it simply refuses entirely. >>> >>> Paul >> >> >> I hate to think what setting up a 4GB drive would look like. I have a 1GB SCSI HD for my PDP-11/73 (assuming the drive isn’t dead). I still remember just how long it took the RSTS/E 10.1 install to prepare that drive (so long I only did a single pass on the drive test). >> >> On a related note, Paul, do you have any idea if RSTS/E can be installed from a CD-ROM? I’ve done installs of RT-11 and RSX-11M+ from CD, but couldn’t figure out how to do a RSTS/E install from CD. I can’t remember if I was able to use 4mm DAT, or if I had to use a TK50 (it’s been a *LONG* time since I did any installs). > > I have never seen a RSTS kit on CD-ROM, but it should work just fine. At one time I worked with Fred Knight to help create a "combined kits" CDROM -- one that would hold RSTS plus all the layered products on a bootable CD, including at least a dummy standard CDROM file system so you could recognize it. That required placing two file systems on one device, which turns out to be possible because the starting points ("superblock") of the two are in different blocks. My RSTSFLX V2.x supports creating such a thing. > > While I knew of the plans, I don't think they were ever completed; I certainly never saw any actual delivery. > > So anyway, if you were to create a RSTS disk image file with kits on it and an MSCP bootstrap, and burn that to CDROM, I would think it would be bootable and useable. You might give it a try! > > paul

9 months, 3 weeks

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RSTS and big MSC disks

by Paul Koning

Earlier there was a question about MSCP disk sizes. I did some checking. RSTS understands all the devices known by name in SIMH, including the "giant" RF73. As of the "big disk" support, which is in V10.1 and I think a few earlier versions, it can handle something that big. It draws the line at 4096 MB; bigger than that and it will tell you the disk is too big when you try to initialize it. I thought it might use only the part it can handle, but no, it simply refuses entirely. paul

9 months, 3 weeks

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Valuable floppy archiving: seeking current best practice

by Tom Stepleton

Hi folks, I have a floppy disk data archiving project to undertake, and although I'm aware that this can sometimes lead to spirited discussion (and hope to avoid that!), I'm interested in current good practices for pulling data off of hard-to-replace disks. In this situation, the disks are 8" floppies likely in ordinary IBM 26-sector, 77-track, 128-bytes/sector, double-sided FM format. I have a flux reader and will have a pair of Shugart 851 drives for the job; these likely haven't been used for a while, though. At this stage I'll consider the job done if I manage to get good low-level recordings from the disks: assuming the FM data decodes well and sector CRCs look good, further analysis can come later. The main risk I'm worried about is physical damage to the media. While reportedly the disks don't show visible defects (nb: they belong to someone else so I can't inspect them myself right now), I'm still anxious about any chance I might find the binder that secures the magnetic material to the cookie degraded to the point of allowing the oxide to come free. Most other situations I think I can deal with, but I'd like to have a more concrete plan if I start to find oxide building up on the heads. I'd be interested to know what precautions people might take for common data recovery problems. One option is cyclomethicone for cleaning and lubrication if necessary, but other than "you could use this", I'd be interested to know details of how people put it to use if they are worried about media failure. Meanwhile, I'm disinclined to use isopropanol or other more aggressive solvents given received wisdom, although I know opinions differ here. The disks are boot media and other materials relating to the RSRE Flex operating system <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flex_machine> as developed for PERQ workstations. I'm not aware of other copies of this OS being available, though it would relieve some of the pressure to learn that these weren't the only ones. The disks themselves are primarily ICL-branded although a few indicate manufacture or resale by Maxell, DEC, Inmac, among other brands. Is there anything else that people would advise me to look out for? I did find this thread <https://classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/2018-July/040673.html>, but practices may have advanced in the past six years. I know the whiteboard cleaner that folks seem to have liked is difficult to find these days, particularly here in Britain. I've also had a hard time finding Photo Flo or similar photographic wetting agents and have used deionised water with a drop of dish soap instead. Thanks for any advice, --T

9 months, 3 weeks

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Might be antique computer parts

by Van Snyder

I have two SPST time delay 12-volt relays packaged like vacuum tubes with octal bases, Amperite models 12N010 (ten seconds) and 12C5 (five seconds). They're in their original boxes. I have no idea what devices used them. It seems a shame to throw them in a recycle bin. Does anybody want them? Van Snyder

9 months, 4 weeks

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Re: Data General MV/8000 emulator announcement (Bruce Ray)

by Evan Linwood

> A Data General MV/8000 emulator beta release is now available from my DG > legacy preservation web site: This is really something - thanks so much Bruce!

9 months, 4 weeks

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The CMoaA is OK

by Adam Thornton

> > > was reading 16million was raised and going to charity or something?? and > > that the rest got bought by another museum > > > > > https://www.geekwire.com/2024/paul-allen-estate-sells-remaining-living-comp… > > Oh, it's the CMoA? That's actually really really good news. The last time I was in Atlanta, before my parents moved out here (so...2019?), I had a couple hours to kill on my way to visit a high school friend. So I went there, wandered around, and left their Atari on the Easter Egg screen in Adventure. One of the staff noticed that, talked to me for a bit, and asked me to wait while he phoned up Lonnie Mimms (the founder) and asked him to come in and meet me. We talked for a good hour, and it was great. I would describe what he's done there as what I would have liked to have done if I had come from a family business of real-estate-developer money, rather than (not that I'm complaining) IT consultant/sysadmin/software-developer money. The CMoA was not as hands-on as LCM, but it did have some working machines you could play with. Whatever Lonnie got his hands on from the LCM is unlikely to be sold for the metal value. Five years ago, anyway, he seemed serious and his restoration work looked pretty legit. Adam

10 months

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Dysan Alignment and Performance Testers

by Bill Degnan

I have accumulated various Dysan testers, disks and manuals. Does anyone still use these? I dont recall anyone mentioning use of this tool set but obviously Dysan sold a lot of their testers Bill

10 months

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Bonhams Auction: APPLE "TWIGGY" MACINTOSH PROTOTYPE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE.

by Christian Liendo

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/29514/preview-lot/5918785/apple-twiggy-maci… APPLE "TWIGGY" MACINTOSH PROTOTYPE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMONSTRATION SOFTWARE. Macintosh Personal Computer, Apple Computers Inc, Cupertino, CA, [1983], with 5-1/4 inch "Twiggy" disk drive with corresponding slot in front panel, prototype mouse, prototype keyboard. Includes logic board 820-0086-00, copyrighted 1983, featuring Jean-Michel Folon "Mac Man" (Mr. Macintosh) on the edge, with 512 EPROM Adapter board also featuring "Mac Man," contained in pre-production plastic molded case, 330 x 245 x 250 mm, with smooth plastic front panel and with textured plastic case that bears Macintosh team signature molded to interior, but with only Apple logo on back panel and with Apple logo and Macintosh logo in reversed locations as seen only on prototypes, 3 of 4 Trend Plastics rubber feet with Apple logo. Includes prototype keyboard that bears handwritten serial number on label on lower panel and 3 of 4 Trend Plastics rubber feet with Apple logo; prototype M01000 mouse that bears serial number label, but with prototype connector. includes dual density "Twiggy" diskette labeled "Mac Word." THE MACHINE THAT "HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES FOREVER" (Wozniak). Extremely desirable Macintosh prototype with 5 1/4-inch "Twiggy" drive. Original Macintosh team member Dan Kottke on the Folklore.org website fixes the date of this iteration of the digital board to May 1983. The Macintosh began as a personal project of Jef Raskin, who envisioned a Swiss army knife of a computer: a low-cost, easy-to-use, high-volume appliance named for his favorite apple. Already by 1981, utilizing the 16/32-bit Motorola 68000 microprocessor used in the Lisa, they had the design for a machine 60% faster and much less expensive than the Lisa. It was this design that caught the attention of Steve Jobs who, after being removed from the Lisa project, was looking for something new to capture his attention. Once Jobs took interest in the project, it wasn't long before Raskin was forced out. Jobs "immediately saw that [Apple engineer] Burrell [Smith]'s machine could become the future of Apple" (Hertzfeld p 121). Jobs took over the project in January 1981 and more than changed the direction, he wanted to build a "friendly" computer: the personal computer as a tool for personal empowerment. He engendered a non-conformist attitude in his team and a shared vision of a product that was "insanely great." It was an approach that was utilized years later when Jobs returned to save Apple with the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. "The best products, he [Jobs] believed, were 'whole widgets' that were designed end-to-end, with the software closely tailored to the hardware and vice versa. This is what would distinguish the Macintosh, which had an operating system that worked only on its own hardware, from the environment of Microsoft was creating in which its operating system could be used on hardware made by many different companies" (Isaacson p 137). The Macintosh would take the GUI (graphical user interface) that Steve Jobs and the Lisa developers had borrowed from Xerox PARC as well as the WYSIWIG (what you see is what you get) approach also pioneered at Xerox PARC and make it accessible to the masses. Jobs recognized the importance of third-party software developers. After all, it was the third-party spreadsheet program Visicalc, created first only for the Apple II, that drove many to adopt the personal computer—beginning with the Apple II. The team also realized that they had to show software developers how to work with this new playground. Unlike the Apple II where each piece of software could have its own key commands, they wanted to maintain a consistent user experience. The present computer was used by an in-house team member who had moved to Macintosh from the Lisa team. He was tasked with developing demonstrations to show off the computer's capabilities. Among the last-minute major changes to the Macintosh was the disk drive. The original plan was to use the new 5 ¼-inch "Twiggy" drive that was built to greatly expand the capacity of standard floppy disks. It soon became apparent with the release of the Lisa, which featured 2 of these drives, that they were very unreliable and that it would be unfeasible to rely on a single "Twiggy" drive. The team scrambled, under the direction of Jobs, to develop their own 3.5-inch drive with Japanese company Alps based on the latest Sony drive, but realized, excepting Jobs, that they would never make it in time for the projected ship date. The team had to secretly work with Sony until Jobs was ready to acknowledge this—at one point having to hide a Sony employee in the closet to maintain the secret. The finished Macintosh used the new disk format which featured the same data rate as the Twiggy, was more robust than a 5 ¼ inch floppy and small enough to fit into a shirt pocket. Reportedly, Jobs had all of the existing Twiggy prototypes destroyed. The new Macintosh was launched during Superbowl XVIII with what is considered by many to be the greatest commercial of all time, "1984" by Ridley Scott. "The ad cast Macintosh as a warrior for the latter cause—a cool, rebellious, and heroic company that was the only thing standing in the way of the big evil corporation's plan for world domination and total mind control" (Isaacson p 162). Although originally sales were sluggish, the Macintosh's all-in-one, friendly design at a reasonable price eventually won out, and the "insanely great" philosophy of Steve Jobs that it embodied informs the devices that today have been inextricably woven into the fabric of daily life. Hertzfield. Revolution in the Valley. [Sebastopol, 2005]; Isaacson. Steve Jobs NY: [2011]; Levy. Insanely Great [NY: 1995]; Kottke, Daniel. "Macintosh Prototypes." Folklore.Org. Footnotes "There are occasionally short windows in time when incredibly important things get invented that shape the lives of humans for hundreds of years. These events are impossible to anticipate, and the inventors, the participants, are often working not for reasons of money, but for the personal satisfaction of making something great. The development of the Macintosh computer was one of these events, and it has changed our lives forever. Every computer today is basically a Macintosh, a very different type of computer from those that preceded it." Steve Wozniak from the forward of Revolution in the Valley. "I'm one of those people who think that Thomas Edison and the light bulb changed the world a lot more than Karl Marx ever did" (Steve Jobs quoted in Levy's Insanely Great).

10 months

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93448PC ROM tube

by Bill Degnan

I have a tube of 93448PC ROMS labeled as such: 502991-01 4000-41FF 502991-02 4200-43FF 502991-03 4400-45FF 502991-04 4600-47FF 502991-04 4600-47FF 504236 PAL RM-DPS 1600-14FF 1 unmarked Any guess as to what these went to? Anyone recognize these numbers? Commodore B Series? Throwin' a hail mary pass here Bill

10 months

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Nintendo is 135 years old

by Tomasz Rola

Hi Quite classic. You would not have believed it - they were not making consoles when they started. [ Nintendo at 135: Key moments in gaming history https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c79n845rrj0o ] -- Regards, Tomasz Rola -- ** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature. ** ** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home ** ** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened... ** ** ** ** Tomasz Rola mailto:tomasz_rola@bigfoot.com **

10 months

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VCF Swap Meet - Wall, NJ - Oct. 26, 2024

by Jeffrey Brace

IT’S GOING TO BE A *COOL *ONE! 60 degrees, sunny and dry. So buy a VCF hoodie when you get there ;-D We are again having our popular tech swap meet on Saturday Oct. 26 and it will be bigger than ever! VENDOR SIGNUP <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfidEMst2MBUxAXSwYTz7AY3MhzNyNt-y4…> CLICK HERE FOR GENERAL INFORMATION <https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/> *FOOD TRUCK*: We will once again have John’s Cracker Barrel selling delicious food from their food truck. I will see you there! Stay warm! INFORMATION IS HERE: https://vcfed.org/vcf-swap-meet/ Blog Post is here: https://vcfed.org/2024/09/27/tech-swap-meet-sat-oct-26-near-infoage/ Take care! Jeff Brace VCF Mid-Atlantic Event Manager Vintage Computer Federation is a 501c3 charity https://vcfed.org/ <http://www.vcfed.org/>

10 months, 1 week

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request for 5.25 floppies

by Steve Lewis

I feel a little silly asking this, I hope it is not an overly inappropriate request for this mailing list. But does anyone here in the States happen to have a stack of known-good 5.25 disks they don't want anymore? And more specifically, would it be possible for anyone to image such a disk with a copy of PC-DOS 2.0 or earlier? (and maybe on up to 3.3 or so) The later part is the service that would be more helpful to me. I finally have a drive for an old system that currently uses bubble memory cartridges to boot to PC-DOS 2.0, and so we'd like to see if (using these external drives) it could also boot to a (confirmed legit) image of IBM PC-DOS (and/or very early Microsoft DOS). Or, do we still need some kind of proprietary Sharp DOS image? (in which case, extra blank disk would be good, as I think there are tools on these bubble memory cartridges to initialize disks accordingly). An actual 160KB formatted PC DOS 1.0 would be fantastic to have on hand - but the 180KB slightly later image would be fine also (and then also to experiment how far "past 2.0" that this system might support, if at all). For shipping/delivery purposes, I'm in north Texas. When I got these drives, I then realized I no longer have any 5.25 floppies anymore - and even if I did, then I'm not quite sure how to get the images on there (did anyone ever make a "USB-to-5.25" drive? I have a couple 3.5 versions of those - maybe the power to motor the 5.25 is too much for USB? :D ). Thanks, SteveL

10 months, 1 week

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LCM auction

by Brent Hilpert

10 months, 1 week

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Siemens 4004 mainframe pictures on bitsavers

by P Gebhardt

Hello list, out of curiosity: Does anybody know where the two pictures of the Siemens 4004 CPU uploaded on http://bitsavers.org/pdf/siemens/4004/Model_15/pictures/ where taken? Are these from the unit being part of the SAP collection at CHM? Cheers, Pierre ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.digitalheritage.de

10 months, 1 week

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Does anyone have a VT52, TU56 controller, or Apple II rev 0 available for sale?

by Ryan de Laplante (Personal)

If you or someone you know might be willing to sell, please contact me off-list. I'm in Canada, near Toronto. The TU56 controller is for a PDP 11/45. I know about the VT52 in Australia on eBay right now. Shipping something that large and heavy from Australia is too much, and we have different electrical outlets in North America. I'm also looking for certain NightOwl shareware CDs from the BBSing era: 1 - 9 (except 4 and 6), 24, 26, Games #1, Games #3, Windows Vol 1 & 2. Maybe some Boardwatch magazines as well. Anything BBS related.

10 months, 1 week

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Free computing books, SF bay area

by John Floren

I'm trying to tidy the absolute dragon's hoard I call an office, so I'm looking to give away some books I haven't touched in years. These are free for the taking for anybody who wants to drive to SF and get them. I'd really prefer for somebody to take them all at once, of course. - DEC PDP11/70 Processor Handbook - DEC VAX11 Architecture Handbook - DEC PDP11 Peripherals and Interfacing Handbook - DEC Introduction to Programming (PDP-8) - Programming Languages: History and Fundamentals (Sammet) - Computer Networks, 1st ed (Tanenbaum) - Modern Operating Systems, 2nd ed (Tanenbaum) - Operating Systems Design and Implementation, 1st ed (Tanenbaum) - Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment (Stevens) - Computer Architecture and Organization, 2nd ed (Hayes) - Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools (Aho, Sethi, Ullman) - The Undocumented PC, 2nd ed (van Gilluwe) - Cybernetics (Wiener) If you want these, please email me *off-list* to set it up. John

10 months, 1 week

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Fwd: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)

by Tony Duell

Is there are program available that will take an image of a CP/M disk in .IMD format (say) and let me view the directory, extract or add files and so on? If so, what is recommended and where can I get it? -tony

10 months, 1 week

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auction starting in 50 minutes

by Mark Linimon

OK kids, let's save these things from the scrapyard! :-) mcl

10 months, 2 weeks

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Re: What's the going rate for 80286?

by John

Dunno, what does a box of Cracker Jack cost these days...?

10 months, 2 weeks

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Microsoft & Apple

by Murray McCullough

I had not realized it was 27 yrs. ago that Microsoft ‘gave’ Apple $150-$200 million. It was done to keep Microsoft safe from regulators - for its monopoly practices. Later did the lawsuits end between Apple and Microsoft. Did this save Apple? Haven’t researched this enough to deduce a learned response! Happy computing, Murray 🙂

10 months, 2 weeks

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Looking for an IF-20 interface for an Brother AX-45 typewriter

by Christian Groessler

Hi, <subject> says it all. I've inherited an AX-45 from my late uncle. Would like to use it with a computer. best regards, chris

10 months, 3 weeks

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The ultimate nerd fashion accessory

by Brent Hilpert

https://apollo-instruments.com <https://apollo-instruments.com/> Groan. Spoiler: Wristwatch DSKY

10 months, 3 weeks

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A museum for the Brits and those who can reach it easily

by Liam Proven

I had never heard of the Jim Austin Computer Collection before... https://www.computermuseum.org.uk/ « The Computer Sheds The Computer Sheds hold the Jim Austin Computer Collection, over 1500 computers and many thousands of other artifacts such as books, calculators, spares, test equipment as well as a fine collection of Radios and Valves (the RadioShed). It has some incredible items including a computer that weighs over 10 Tons, a computer that ran for over 30 years, one of the first computer mice, and many others. It is one of the largest collections of computers and related technology anywhere. » 1min video: https://www.facebook.com/bbchumberside/videos/3790794644572336 -- Liam Proven

10 months, 3 weeks

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Punch card info

by cctalk＠emailtoilet.com

Was updating my punch card database/site, www.ibmjunkman.com, and found something I don’t remember. The 026/029/129 keypunch units printed above row 12 using a dot matrix style character. I still marvel at the plate and the whole mechanism that did the printing. The 557 Interpreter could print on different rows using a solid type slug to print. I have run across cards that had dot matrix type printing on rows other than above the 12 row. Any idea what machines could do this? If any of you old unit record guys have any cards laying around I would love to add them to my collection. Needless to say the stock 5081 would have to be real unique for me not to have it already. Donald

10 months, 3 weeks

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MS-DOS

by Murray McCullough

I had not realized that 43 yrs. ago Microsoft purchased 86-DOS for $50,000 – US not Cdn. money. With this purchase the PC industry, IBM’s version thereof, began. I remember using it to do amazing things, moreso than what 8-bit machines could do! Happy computing. Murray🙂

10 months, 4 weeks

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WTB/Borrow: RK05 Alignment Pack

by Jonathan Chapman

All, I'm getting ready to dig into my RK05s, two of which are parts units, of which I hope to make a functional unit. I will definitely need to align it as heads from one will have to go into the other. Does anyone have an alignment/CE pack I can buy or borrow? Obviously prefer pick-up at VCF MW to avoid the possibility of shipping loss or damage. Thanks, Jonathan

11 months

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VCFMW items available upon request

by Paul Anderson

Here is a list of some items I can bring to VCFMW if requested. I am not going to bring them unless there is interest in them. Celebris 560 830WW (I think that is this one) Venturis 466 d54 WW Venturis 575 921WW DECpc 433dxLP PC473 2) PCWXE-A2 DECpc DECpc 433 workstationPCW10-A2 DEC 3000 400 PE40A-CC missing cover, parts machine? VS43A-CZ VAXstation 4000 60 few 3100 parts units storage expansion box VAX CPU, memory, option boards Q-bus CPU, memory, option boards, most boxes UNIBUS 100's of boards LA36 Printers LA120 printers

11 months

5
7
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Tektronix XP214M X Terminal (1994) is supported by XpressWare 6.3 (1993)

by Steven M Jones

I recently picked up a Tektronix XP214M - a MIPS-based, monochrome X terminal from late 1994. I thought I was going to need XPressWare 7 or later, but I haven't been able to turn up anything like that except the 8.1 patches shared on this list a couple years ago (thanks Doc!). And something about the fragments I pulled out of that wasn't working... XpressWare 6.3 is available on Bitsavers (thanks Al!), but appears to date from October 1993. I thought that would be a non-starter, since it predated the announcement of the XP214 by a year. But the v8 docs, and NC Bridge docs from after NCD bought the Tek X terminal line, indicated the binaries for the XP350 were used for the XP200 models, and the terminal was loading the v8.1 "os.350" successfully, it just died later in the boot process... So I tried booting the terminal from the 6.3 tree, and it worked the first time. It may be possible to tease out what's missing or incorrectly placed from the v8.1 patch files, but I'm more concerned with getting something running where the X networking hasn't been neutered... FYI, --Steve.

11 months

1
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NSA releases copy of internal lecture delivered by computing giant Rear Adm. Grace Hopper

by Christian Liendo

https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/Press-Releases-Statements/Press-Release-View… FORT MEADE, Md. — In one of the more unique public proactive transparency record releases for the National Security Agency (NSA) to date, NSA has released a digital copy of a lecture that then-Capt. Grace Hopper gave agency employees on August 19, 1982. The lecture, “Future Possibilities: Data, Hardware, Software, and People,” features Capt. Hopper discussing some of the potential future challenges of protecting information. She also provided valuable insight on leadership and her experiences breaking barriers in the fields of computer science and mathematics. Rear Adm. Hopper was an American computer scientist, mathematician, and United States Navy rear admiral. One of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer, she was a pioneer of computer programming. Hopper was the first to devise the theory of machine-independent programming languages, and the FLOW-MATIC programming language she created using this theory was later extended to create COBOL, an early high-level programming language still in use today. In 2016, President Obama posthumously awarded Rear Adm. Hopper the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the Nation’s highest civilian honor, awarded to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interest of the U.S. — for her remarkable influence on the field of computer science. While NSA did not possess the equipment required to access the footage from the media format in which it was preserved, NSA deemed the footage to be of significant public interest and requested assistance from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to retrieve the footage. NARA’s Special Media Department was able to retrieve the footage contained on two 1’ APEX tapes and transferred the footage to NSA to be reviewed for public release. NSA recognizes Rear Adm. Hopper’s significant contributions as a trailblazing computer scientist and mathematician, but also as a leader. "The most important thing I've accomplished, other than building the compiler, is training young people," Rear Adm. Hopper once said. “They come to me, you know, and say, 'Do you think we can do this?' I say, 'Try it.' And I back 'em up. They need that. I keep track of them as they get older and I stir 'em up at intervals so they don't forget to take chances."

11 months

4
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VT + Other Terminals - UK - Facebook

by dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com

Folks, Some one in Solihull in the UK has a few terminals, including a VT420, for sale on Facebook UK. They appear to be complete with keyboards but otherwise as-seen. Sadly they are in a private group so you will need to join Facebook and the group to see them. https://www.facebook.com/groups/vintagecomputerswapmeet/posts/81591725341583 87/ but if you don't want to do this and are interested contact me off list.. Dave G4UGM

11 months

4
6
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Tektronix XD88 information/advice sought

by CJ Reha

Hi folks - I come humbly seeking help in regards to bringing up a strange and quite rare Tektronix workstation from the late 80s/early 90s. TEXT WALL WARNING! For the uninitiated, the XD88 was Tek's final attempt at penetrating the graphics workstation market before ultimately giving up and exclusively selling X terminals. They are Motorola 88k-based machines running UTek V, Tek's inhouse SVR3 port. The tower machines are quite interesting in that the "compute" and "graphics engine" sides are modular, technically independent, and can be run standalone or stacked together for more compute/graphics power depending on the customer's needs. They are also the only machines I have ever seen that use the IEEE 896 "Futurebus," and although I could ramble for much longer, I should get to the point... The VCF museum in New Jersey has an XD88/30 on permanent loan along with its accompanying monitor, intact with original disks, but unfortunately no peripherals. Over the past year or so I've slowly worked to restore it to functionality and I have finally hit a roadblock I'm not sure I can figure out alone. We were able to slurp an intact copy of UTek V off the original hard drive before it failed, and after some power supply maintenance were able to actually boot the machine off a SCSI emulator. It appears the hardware itself is fully functional as the machine passes all diagnostics and we are even able to navigate the filesystem over serial console. But not having a keyboard means the system will not start X or do anything graphical, as it assumes it is an XD88/01 headless machine. We acquired a keyboard -- at moderate expense, they're unfortunately quite desirable to collectors for some reason -- but quickly came to the realization we were missing something else as the connectors were physically incompatible and entirely different pinouts electrically. It turns out, as mentioned in the manuals (available on the Tek wiki), the /30 (and probably /35) machines specifically use an "MIS" module inline with the keyboard to combine inputs with the optional dial box. We do not have this box and the manuals do not elaborate on if the box is "smart"/actually does anything beyond simply combine pinouts. By beeping both sides out and making up a little adapter with DuPont wires, we were able to power up the keyboard and get it receiving data from the computer enough to come out of a "lock-out" mode and start being able to transmit data of its own...but we have not yet figured out how to get the computer to recognize its keyboard and take in data to display on the screen. Without knowing if we're missing any translating logic in the MIS box, we are at a bit of a brick wall. I have some very rough pinout scribblings I can provide to try to make this less confusing, and I haven't totally exhausted adapter combinations to try...but I am putting out a plead for help! If anyone has an XD88, or worked with them in any capacity, I'd absolutely love to talk and compare notes. I threw some images of the system in an Imgur album for those interested: https://imgur.com/a/YFEbijI Once we're able to get the system booted and able to wipe potential PII I would be happy to share the disk image, since I know software for them is basically nonexistent and a handful of the surviving machines were recovered diskless. In general I am working on putting together a public page with my notes and research on the machine to hopefully help anyone who might have one. Any questions and comments are welcome! Take care, CJ R.

11 months

1
0
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More for VCFMW: DECmates, Pros, rainbows, PDP8, 861-C pwr controllers

by Paul Anderson

More for VCFMW: DECmates, Pro350/380s, rainbows, PDP8, 861-C pwr controllers as is without power cords. Boards, boxes, CPUs, systems, etc I trade for coins! Please contact me off list. Thanks, Paul

11 months, 1 week

1
0
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8P8C but width of an RJ-11

by Cameron Kaiser

I'm trying to source a new I/O cable for a Convergent WorkSlate (this one is grody from degenerating plasticizers). It's 8P8C with a little offset snag reminiscent of a DEC MMJ, but it's the width of an RJ-11: while an "RJ-45" Ethernet cable is too wide, a phone handset cord is the right width even though it obviously doesn't have enough connectors. I messed around with filing down a junk Ethernet patch cord but that's just making a mess bigger than the icky cable. I think this is a standard connector, but I'm not sure which? -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser(a)floodgap.com -- When in doubt, take a pawn. -- Mission: Impossible ("Crack-Up") ------------

11 months, 1 week

6
14
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Norton Utilities on 5.25" floppies

by Van Snyder

I have Norton Utilities on 5.25" floppies. I don't have a drive so I don't know whether they're readable. Send me a PDF for a shipping label for 8"x10"x1" 8oz envelope and they're yours. Van Snyder

11 months, 1 week

1
0
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PiDPI-8/I revision question - version 2 - reposted

by Mike Katz

Oscar, I am building a second PiDP-8/I kit that I bought, unassembled, from a gentleman in the UK, a couple of years ago. The circuit board in the kit is labeled Rev 2.2 2016-02-16. You call this the 2016-18 version. This version did not come with the LED spacers or the LED cover bracket and the switches have a much larger front metal piece and have mounting holes in them. Would it make sense for me to buy the LED spacers, LED bracket and possibly the updated PC board for this kit before putting it together? If so how much should I send you? What else would I need to upgrade to go with the newest PCB? If I don't upgrade the PCB, Are there any cuts and jumpers that I should do before assembling the circuit board? What is the correct deposit switch inversion for this board? Will I have any problems running any of the Raspberry Pi versions on this kit (Zero through 5)? I will be benchmarking the new build of the PiDP SIMH software on a bunch of different Pi's so compatibility is an issue. Thank you, Mike P.S. Is there any chance you will be at VCF Midwest this year?

11 months, 1 week

1
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Re: Free Vintage Computers - Manchester NH area

by Stephen Pereira

All, I have been contacted by an individual who will be taking the entire lot off my hands. Should this deal fall through for some reason, I will re-post my offer. smp - - - Stephen Pereira Bedford, NH 03110 KB1SXE

11 months, 1 week

1
0
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PdPI-8/I revision question - version 2 - reposted

by Mike Katz

Oscar, I am building a second PiDP-8/I kit that I bought, unassembled, from a gentleman in the UK, a couple of years ago. The circuit board in the kit is labeled Rev 2.2 2016-02-16. You call this the 2016-18 version. This version did not come with the LED spacers or the LED cover bracket and the switches have a much larger front metal piece and have mounting holes in them. Would it make sense for me to buy the LED spacers, LED bracket and possibly the updated PC board for this kit before putting it together? If so how much should I send you? What else would I need to upgrade to go with the newest PCB? If I don't upgrade the PCB, Are there any cuts and jumpers that I should do before assembling the circuit board? What is the correct deposit switch inversion for this board? Will I have any problems running any of the Raspberry Pi versions on this kit (Zero through 5)? I will be benchmarking the new build of the PiDP SIMH software on a bunch of different Pi's so compatibility is an issue. Thank you, Mike P.S. Is there any chance you will be at VCF Midwest this year?

11 months, 1 week

1
0
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Free Vintage Computers - Manchester NH area

by Stephen Pereira

Hello all, I am winnowing down my collection of Vintage Computer stuff to make space for other storage needs, and to make life a little easier on those who I will eventually leave behind. I have the following stuff available for free to pickup in the Manchester NH area: - Sun Sparc Classic, with hard disk, CDROM drive, keyboard, some documentation, very large Sun video CRT. - Power Macintosh 7200, with keyboard - Power Macintosh 7300, with keyboard - Osborne I (3 inch screen) - Osborne II (5 inch screen) - a couple of original Macintosh powerbook laptops - Tandy 2800 laptop (286 + 287, EGA LCD screen), plus another for spare parts - some sort of Toshiba laptop - Macintosh Powerbook clamshell, with USB, Firewire, & CDROM drive - boxes of books & parts & cables I have a few photos of these as currently stored in my basement. All “working when put into storage”. The basement is dry and dehumidified. I cannot vouch for working condition today because of decaying capacitors and internal batteries over the past 15-20 years. I would greatly appreciate someone to take the entire lot. I just do not have the energy to go through the eBay Selling & shipping with all this stuff. If anyone is interested, please email me and we talk and I can provide the few photos and my address for pickup. smp - - - Stephen Pereira Bedford, NH 03110 KB1SXE

11 months, 1 week

2
1
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Computers in the Paul Allen collection

by Paul Koning

I don't know how many of you have read through the whole Christie's listings, so I figured I'd summarize the computers that are in the Paul Allen auctions. There are two auctions: https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/firsts-history-computing-paul-g-allen-co… starting Friday, and https://www.christies.com/en/auction/pushing-boundaries-ingenuity-from-the-… on September 10th. In the first one, I see these computers (ignoring microcomputers and personal machines like Tandy computers): Lot 102, LGP-30 (and other stuff) Lot 106, IBM 650 Lot 107, IBM 7094 Lot 111, PDP-5 Lot 112, PDP-10 (KA10) Lot 115, Straight 8 Lot 116, Linc-8 Lot 117, PDP-7 Lot 118, CDC 6500 Lot 119, Xerox Sigma 9 Lot 122, HP 2100S Log 125, PDP-10 (KI10) Lot 135, IBM system 6 Lot 137, DECsystem-2020 Lot 138, LISP machine Lot 139, Xerox Star Lot 144, HP 1000 Lot 147, Cray-2 Lot 149, System Concepts SC40 In the second one: Lot 16, Bendix G-15 Lot 17, CDC 160 Lot 30, Xerox Alto Lot 32, Cray-1 Some of these seem like things that are not totally out of reach; I wonder if some of you are thinking about bidding. paul

11 months, 2 weeks

5
5
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PC04/05 punches, card reader, 11/40, 45, 70 front panels

by Paul Anderson

Found while cleaning and getting ready for VCFMW: 2 either NOS or refurbished paper tape punches for PC04/05. I would say these are rather uncommon, if not rare. Documation M200 card reader and a few boxes of cards. Also PDP-8 and 11 interfaces. Various front panels before they go on ebay. I will trade for coins at VCF Please contact me off list. Thanks, Paul

11 months, 2 weeks

1
0
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M920 (unibus backplane jumper) to M935 (omnibus)

by Paul Anderson

Does anyone remember how this is done? Or the BC11- to the one used in 8s? Thanks, Paul

11 months, 2 weeks

4
4
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VCF Midwest DEC "Nut" Party

by Mike Katz

For all of you who are DEC computer nuts (or aficionados) we will have our second annual DEC "Nut" pizza get together after the show at my house on Saturday (Sept 7th) after 7PM. I am unemployed so I ask all who attend to contribute to the cost of the pizza (beer and pop will be provided). Please see me at the show for my address. I hope to see you there. Mike Katz +1 (773) 414-1044 (Cell)

11 months, 2 weeks

2
1
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A little off-topic but at least somewhat related: endianness

by Peter Ekstrom

Hi to the group, I am tinkering with some C-code where I am working on something that can process some microcode. The microcode is from a DG MV/10000 machine and while working on it, I noticed it is in little-endian. That's simple enough to work around but that had me wondering, why do we have big and little endianness? What is the benefit of storing the low-order byte first? Or is that simply just an arbitrary decision made by some hardware manufacturers? I am mostly just curious. Thanks, Peter / KG4OKG

11 months, 2 weeks

8
28
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DEC parts at WCFMW

by Paul Anderson

If you want any DEC parts, boards, options, etc brought up to VCFMW please contact me off list. I will probably be there Saturday only and leave by 7. If you would like to stop by on the way to or from WCFMW, I should be available by appointment except Saturday. I am located about 10 miles west of Champaign, IL close to I-57, I-72, and I-74. I have PDP 8 and 11 (Qbus and Unibus) boxes, systems and parts, as well as printers and a few terminals. I have several vaxes for parts, and some 3100, 3000, and 5000- including -25, 125, 133, and 200. Please email me off list with questions,and I'll give you my # to call. I have dozens of backplanes and front panels ( including 2 11/70) and probably over 1000 boards. I also collect US and foreign coins and currency, and will take them in trade for computer gear. If anyone is driving in from the NYC/New Jersey area I need a few small things picked up there. Thanks, Paul

11 months, 2 weeks

1
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Documentary on Lee Felsenstein, creator of the first video module card and Sol-20 and Osborne-1 designer

by Christian Liendo

The Daydreamer - Lee Felsenstein Legacy Technologies - Episode 02 This episode is dedicated to Lee Felsenstein, a trailblazer in the development of early personal computers during the 70s and 80s. Lee engineered the VDM-1 (Video Device Module) in 1976, the precursor to modern graphic cards. Along with figures like Steve Wozniak, he helped establish the Homebrew Computer Club, the first community for PC enthusiasts. Lee was also a co-founder of Osborne, designing the notable Osborne-1. Prior to his contributions to computing, Lee was deeply involved in the Free Speech Movement and developed “Community Memory,” a project considered the earliest form of social media. This episode celebrates Lee’s enduring impact across various communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU7BfeXaeuE

11 months, 2 weeks

2
2
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Re: LGP-30 (was LCM auction)

by Rick Bensene

Mark L. wrote concerning the LGP-30 computer in the LCM+L/Paul Allen Auctions: > I dare to bet it's the last one. Anywhere. It isn't the last one by any means. There are a few of these machines still around. Here are links to a few that are in collections: https://www.technikum29.de/en/computer/lgp30.php https://t-lcarchive.org/lgp-30/ http://computermuseum.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/dev_en/lgp30/lgp30.html (was known operational in 2007) https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/11/redditor-discovers-l… (Found in 2022) The LGP-30 was designed by Nuclear Physicist and Manhattan Project Team Member Stanley Frankel, who also designed a number of electronic calculators, including the SCM Cogito 240/240SR and the Diehl Combitron. An amazing thing about the LGP-30 is its relative simplicity(compared to contemporaries of the time), relying heavily on the aspects of its magnetic drum-based memory to hold the working registers as well as program storage for the machine. This means that the machine has very few flip-flops (requiring vacuum tubes), and uses a large number of inexpensive semiconductor diode logic gates for data routing and control functions. They weren't fast by any means, but were inexpensive and reliable, and required no special power or cooling, making them very popular in a wide variety of settings, from military to business. Quite a large number of them were made, and fortunately, some have survived to this day. I don't know if any of the machines that still exist are actually in running condition today, but there were a few of them that were known to be running in the decade of 2000. Rick Bensene The Old Calculator Museum https://oldcalcultaormuseum.com Beavercreek, Oregon USA

11 months, 3 weeks

3
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Re: A little off-topic but at least somewhat related: endianness

by John

> From: Peter Ekstrom <epekstrom(a)gmail.com> > > I am tinkering with some C-code where I am working on something that > can process some microcode. The microcode is from a DG MV/10000 > machine and while working on it, I noticed it is in little-endian. > That's simple enough to work around but that had me wondering, why do > we have big and little endianness? What is the benefit of storing the > low-order byte first? Or is that simply just an arbitrary decision > made by some hardware manufacturers? Mostly because hardware support for dividing a word into smaller chunks (and addressing them individually) was something manufacturers added at different times, on their own initiative, and there was no agreed-upon way to do it. And since there are two obvious ways to turn a sequence of X Y-bit chunks into a word of X * Y bits and neither one is exactly "wrong," it ended up being a crapshoot as to whether manufacturers would do it the one way, or the other. (...or do something demented instead, like the PDP-11's "middle-endian" approach to 32-bit values...) And most of the debate probably came down to matters of taste; big- endian is how we write things on paper, so it seems "natural" to most people, while little-endian means that byte offset matches place value (i.e. byte 0's value is multiplied by (256 ^ 0) = 1, byte 1's value by (256 ^ 1) = 256, etc.,) so it seems "natural" to math types. That said - and I have no idea whether this actually influenced anyone's decision for any system anywhere ever - one hard advantage of little-endian representation is that, if your CPU does arithmetic in serial fashion, you don't have to "walk backwards" to do it in the correct sequence.

11 months, 3 weeks

2
1
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Re: A little off-topic but at least somewhat related: endianness

by Paul Koning

> On Aug 15, 2024, at 1:27 PM, Michael Thompson <michael.99.thompson(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > Danny Cohen, author of "On holy wars and a plea for peace", on the left and me in the white shirt, taken in 2003. > > MIPS CPUs can be configured by the hardware to run in either big-endian or little-endian mode. Indeed, though depending on the vendor, support for one of the modes may be marginal. I remember evaluating the Raza (now Broadcom) XLR processor when it first came out. Was told it supported little endian, which we needed. Tried to configure the eval unit in little endian mode -- dead as a doornail. Asked the rep. Answer: "well, the *hardware* is designed to support it, but the power on boot configuration code is big endian only". Oh. Ended up spending a month or two converting fun stuff like DDR timing tuning loops to little endian. It did eventually work, but no thanks to the people selling the device... paul

11 months, 3 weeks

1
0
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Harris TTL Proms..

by Holm Tiffe

Hi, in my stash of IC's Ive found a small box containing some Harris TTL Proms 75xx and 76xx. Interestingly the print is up right when the pin 1 is on the left side. I think they are pulled somewhere, otherwise they look linke new..even the pins aren't strongly rectangular..they are spread a little to the outside. I don't know what todo with them. If someone recognizes the numbers printed on them and think that he want those chips, I'll ship them worldwide for just the shipping costs. Drop me a mail, otherwise the will enter the dumpster in a week. Regards, Holm -- Technik Service u. Handel Tiffe, www.tsht.de, Holm Tiffe, Goethestrasse 15, 09569 Oederan, USt-Id: DE253710583 info(a)tsht.de Tel +49 37292 709778 Mobil: 0172 8790 741

11 months, 3 weeks

5
13
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Looking for cleaner schematic copies for Lomas boards

by Richard Cini

All – There may be some overlap between cctalk and other lists, but I’m working on some Lomas reproduction boards, the first being the Color Magic. I’ve made two prototypes, neither of which works with the Lomas 186 board I have. It’s a very long story (working on this for more than a year on-and-off), but I borrowed a working set of boards to assist with the reproduction so I can test from a known-working configuration. What I’m looking for is a clean scan of the schematics. There are two versions floating around, neither of which is particularly clean, so I’m looking for a clean copy so I can eliminate as many points of difference as possible. If anyone can assist with this, I’d appreciate it. Thanks! Rich -- Rich Cini http://cini.classiccmp.org

11 months, 3 weeks

1
0
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Schematic or PCB layout for MAI Jolt

by brad

Hi there,Haven't had much time for vintage computers due to my job dealing with new ones, but the odd evening I have been working on PCB replica projects.One of them is for the MAI Jolt. I recently picked up alsome NOS 6530-004s, and thought it'd be a fun replica to try. I have completed the backside in KiCAD by tracing photos of the board i found online, but unfortunately the only decent photo I was able to find of the top side has components installed, and I am not good with electrical guesswork.I don't know exactly how the JOLT was originally sold (kit? Assembled?) but I'm thinking if MAI were like most pioneers then they almost certainly would have provided a schematic to end users for modifications and troubleshooting.Does anyone know if such a thing exists? I've been searching the usual places without success.Or if anyone out there has a bare board (I know, I know heh).. and wouldn't mind sending a photo or two..BradSent from my Galaxy

11 months, 3 weeks

6
6
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Need audio gear moved from NJ to Chicago area (VCFMW)

by Paul Anderson

If you have room, I'll be glad to pay you for the help. Thanks, Paul

11 months, 3 weeks

1
0
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flyback transformer supplier

by wrcooke＠wrcooke.net

From time to time I have seen people looking for flyback transformers on the list. I just came across a resource that may (or may not) be useful for anyone looking for one. Hope this is of use to someone. https://www.technotronic-dimensions.com/sitemap.htm Will Grownups never understand anything by themselves and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them, Antoine de Saint-Exupery in The Little Prince

11 months, 3 weeks

1
0
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VCF West Aug 2 & 3 - Mountain View, CA

by Jeffrey Brace

Info here: https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/ Tickets are available here <https://connect.computerhistory.org/events/1ffceb98-f556-df49-f011-42475680…> Speakers List <https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/vcf-west-speakers/> Exhibitors List <https://vcfed.org/events/vintage-computer-festival-west/vcf-west-exhibits/> Program Book <https://vcfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/VCF_West_2024_Program_Book.pdf> Take care! Jeff Brace

11 months, 4 weeks

5
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Re: MS-DOS

by John

> From: Adrian Godwin <artgodwin(a)gmail.com> > > i think it was strongly disliked by many non-technical users because > it was the first one where MS tried to lock down some admin > functions, forcing the users to confirm or enter an admin password to > continue. This isn't necessarily bad but it was rather hamfisted and > disliked. This, 100%. On top of the usual "chews up more memory for not that much more functionality" issue that's always the case, the initial release of UAC was *spectacularly* braindead, to the point where the simplest way to make Vista usable was to disable it entirely - and once that habit was ingrained in users, they persisted on down the line, even well into Win10's lifetime. Windows really did need improved security/ permissions features, but their rollout was such a bungle that we ended up with a world where millions of people ran *less* secure by choice, because it just wasn't worth the pain.

11 months, 4 weeks

1
0
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RR Auctions Apple Auction Aug 22 2024

by Christian Liendo

There was a discussion about RR Auctions and this is their upcoming Aug 2024 auction https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/details/698-steve-jobs-and-the-apple-com… The focus is clearly on Apple and for Apple collectors, there are some non Apple related items. There is a PDP8 for sale as an example https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/349021906984242-digital-equip… Someone recently asked if people collect magazines and I see some for sale as well.

11 months, 4 weeks

3
3
0 0

Forgotten machines Discord broken

by Wayne S

Someone posted something on the “ forgotten machines” discord that bonks the iphone discord app. Can’t even run it, comes up for a second then disappears. Posting here because i can’t run discord so maybe someone can help? Can someone take a look? Sent from my iPhone

12 months

2
3
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Re: Looking for PSS RAM65 S100 Manual

by mar60bra＠googlemail.com

Hi Philip, I have found your inquiry on https://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/2015-March/005247.html. I have a Problem Solver Systems (PSS) RAM65 card that I would like to get working in my IMSAI 8080, but I can not find any manuals for it online. Does anyone on the list have a manual they could possibly scan for me. Much thanks in advance. Philip I have the same board but now information. In meantime did you get a manual or information about the RAM65? It would be glad if you can chair the information to me. Best regards Martin (Germany)

12 months

1
0
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Anyone near Los alamos NM?

by Bill Degnan

Computer rescue opportunity came in through vintagecomputer.net. northstar horizon. Contact me through vintagecomputer.net use contact form, ask for details. Thanks Bill

12 months

1
0
0 0

Needed: RL01/RL02 Right Side Inner Rail

by Jonathan Chapman

I have a RL02 that someone drilled the pop rivets on and removed one of the inner rails. I have no idea why -- this RL02 sat on a shelf above a corporate cab, so in their application I guess it didn't need it, but they left the other rail on! I do not have the missing inner rail, it was nowhere to be found when I purchased the system. I need to find a replacement so that I can rack the drive, as I have the outer rack rails for it. I would like to purchase/trade for/whatever the inner rail, or a junk parts bucket RL drive. Thanks, Jonathan

12 months

1
0
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the 1968 how to build a working digital computer

by Steve Lewis

Last month, I got to speak at VCF SW on aspects about the history of personal computers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpF6Ofrr6_0 (I botched a couple things, a link to corrections is in the Description) I brought up the 1968 book "How to build a working digital computer"(Alcosser). I was wondering about opinions here on that book - was it at all influential at the time? Or is anyone aware of actually building the system it describes? And - any thoughts on "digital computer" vs analog? I'm aware of early Heathkit analog computers. Is it fair to say quantum computing is sort of a return back to analog computing? I recently heard someone make a comment that we're near the end of the "3.3V era" (maybe this was in the recent X16 talk, where some of the challenges of the recent retro-remakes is exploring back to the 5V era and how it's getting more difficult to find modern-make components that support that). Has no one explored a "tri-state" system? (discrete regions across 5V?) - Steve (v* voidstar tech, not to be confused with voidstar labs)

12 months

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30
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VCF-West

by Ali

Hello All, I was trying to buy tickets for VCF-West and the ticketing system (through CHM) seems to be down. Anyone have more info or an ETA on repairs? Thanks. -Ali

1 year

5
7
0 0

Macintosh Plus clone

by Murray McCullough

I came across this today: “Electronics engineer builds 1986 Macintosh Plus clone”. Is there some reason one would want to do this? Not sure what the point is but it proves it can be done! Happy computing. Murray 🙂

1 year

6
7
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Re: MS-DOS

by David Wise

I will never forget Windows ME. Bleargh! Dave I wrote PC BIOS code for Phoenix Technologies from 1996 to 2023, we had to suffer through every Windows release as old stuff broke and had to be fixed. ________________________________ From: Fred Cisin <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 6:05 PM To: David Wise <d44617665(a)hotmail.com> Cc: Murray McCullough via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: [cctalk] Re: MS-DOS Sorry, I can never remember which is which between Windows 2000 and Windows ME ("Millenium Edition") On Tue, 30 Jul 2024, David Wise wrote: > I think Windows 2000 is NT-based. > > Dave Wise > ________________________________ > From: Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> > Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 5:21 PM > To: Murray McCullough via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> > Cc: Fred Cisin <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> > Subject: [cctalk] Re: MS-DOS > > On Mon, 29 Jul 2024, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: >> I had not realized that 43 yrs. ago Microsoft purchased 86-DOS for $50,000 >> – US not Cdn. money. With this purchase the PC industry, IBM’s version >> thereof, began. I remember using it to do amazing things, moreso than what >> 8-bit machines could do! > > Ah, but there is so much more to the story, which deserves an entire > chapter in the history. > > More than you wanted to know? : (but even more details available if you really want them) > > Tim Paterson, of Seattle Computer Products was developing 8086 hardware, > but CP/M-86 was delayed. So, he wrote a temporary place-holder to use > instead of CP/M-86 until CP/M-86 became available. That was called > "QDOS", "Quick and Dirty Operating System". Later it became known as > "SCP-DOS" and/or "86-DOS" > > Then came the "culture clash" between IBM and Digital Research > (previously known as "Intergalctic digital Research"). That has been > documented elsewhere; some claim that there was not a culture clash, nor > an error. > > So, Microsoft (possibly Bill Gates personally) went down the street to > Seattle Computer Products, and bought an unlimited license for 86-DOS > "that we can sell to our [un-named] client" > > Tim Paterson, who later opened "Falcon Technologies" and Seattle Computer > Products both also retained licenes to be able to sell "the > operating system". Note that the version was not specified, as to whether > such license would include rights to sell updated versions; that error > (failure to specify whether future/derivative products were included) has > been repeated elsewhere (cf. Apple/Microsoft) > > Microsoft also hired Tim Paterson to maintain and update "MS-DOS". > > Microsoft sold a license to IBM, where it became PC-DOS. > And, it was available through Lifeboat as "86-DOS" > > In August 1981, when the PC (5150) was released, IBM started selling > PC-DOS. But digital Research was not happy with IBM selling a copy of > their operating system. > In those days, selling a copy was legal, if the internal code was not > copied. (hence the development of "clean-room reverse engineering") > It wasn't until the Lotus/Paperback Software (Adam Osborne) > lawsuit that "look and feel" became copyrightable. > > So, IBM agreed to also sell CP/M-86 IN ADDITION to selling PC-DOS. > . . . and sold UCSD P-System. > > But CP/M-86 was STILL not ready, so everybody bought PC-DOS, many of whom > planned to switch to CP/M-86 when it became available. > But, when CP/M-86 was finally ready, the price was $240 vs $40 for PC-DOS. > There are arguments about whether IBM or Digital Research set that price. > Although, if that price was IBM's idea, then why did Digital Research > charge $240 for copies sold through other sources (such as Lifeboat)? > > > Initially MS-DOS and PC-DOS differed only in name and trivial items, such > as "IO.SYS" and "MSDOS.SYS" being renamed "IBMBIO.COM" and "IBMDOS.COM" > When changes were made, Microsoft's and IBM's version numbers were > separated. > Thus 1.00 was the same for both > IBM released PC-DOS 1.10, and Microsoft released MS-DOS 1.25 > 2.00 was the same for both > 2.10 VS 2.11 (IBM needed trivial changes to 2.00 to deal with the > excessively slow Qumetrak 142 disk drives in the PC-Junior and "portable" > 3.00 was the same > 3.10, adding network support and the "network redirector for CD-ROMs > 3.20 VS 3.21, adding "720K" 3.5" drive support > 3.30 VS 3.31, BUT 3.31 was the first to support larger than 32Mebibyte drives! > 4.00 and 4.01 IBM/Microsoft did not provide third party vendors enough > advanced warning, so Norton Utilities, etc. did not work on 4.00 (NOT > 4.00 did not work with Norton Utilities!) > 5.00 > In 6.00 each company bundled a whole bunch of third party stuff (such as > disk compression) and each got them from different sources. > When Microsoft's disk compression was blamed for serious problems caused > by SMARTDRV, Microsoft released 6.20 (repaired and reliability improved > from 6.00). > Then 6.21 and 6.22 as a result of Microsoft's legal case with Stac > Electronics. > > > Please note that MS-DOS/PC-DOS ALWAYS had a version number, a period, and > then a TWO DIGIT DECIMAL sub-version number. THAT is what is stored > internally. Thus, 1.10 is stored as ONE.TEN (01h.0Ah), 3.31 is actually > THREE.Thirty-ONE (03h.1Fh), etc. > If there had ever actually been a "1.1" or "3.2", those would have been > 01h.01h (1.01) and 03h.02h (3.02), etc. > "1.1" was NOT the same as "1.10", nor "3.2" the same as "3.20", otherwise > VERY minor changes would be confused with serious changes, as happened > when some people called 4.01 "four point one". > > > Later still, Seattle Computer Products was on the rocks. There was some > speculation that AT&T might buy it, to get the DOS license (and not have > to pay royalties per copy!). After some legal animosity, Microsoft did > the right and smart thing, and bought Seattle Computer Products, thus > closing that vulnerability. > > Windows originally started as an add-on command processor and user > interface on top of DOS. Windows95 made that invisibly seamless, so the > user never saw a DOS prompt without explicitly asking for it. Windows 95 > still contained DOS (7.00), but the user never saw it. > > > Gordon Letwin at Microsoft developed OS/2. But Microsoft sold it off to > IBM, and it became known as an IBM product. > Microsoft used some key technology from it in developing WindowsNT. > Within Microsoft's offerings, NT competed with non-NT windows, such as > Windows95, Windows98, and Windows2000. > Windows[NT] Vista, XP, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 continued, and the old Windows was > "deprecated'. > > > Naming a version after the year it is released is great for sales in the > first year, and a serious liability in subsequent years, unless there is > actually going to be a new version every year (as automobiles do) > > -- > Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com

1 year

8
8
0 0

Re: MS-DOS (fwd)

by Fred Cisin

Did not show up on the list, so I am forwarding another copy; sorry if there are duplicates On Mon, 29 Jul 2024, Murray McCullough via cctalk wrote: > I had not realized that 43 yrs. ago Microsoft purchased 86-DOS for $50,000 > US not Cdn. money. With this purchase the PC industry, IBM's version > thereof, began. I remember using it to do amazing things, moreso than what > 8-bit machines could do! There are conflicting reports that list that price as $25,000, $50,000, or $75,000, although there is suppoirt for each for example: https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=99 "for $50,000 or $75,000, depending on how the cost is calculated." The price that IBM paid Microsoft is stated variously as $25,000, $50,000, to $430,000 Great detail, but a few items are arguable: https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-rise-of-dos-how-microsoft-got-the-ibm-pc-os-… "By most accounts, Nishi was the one most strongly in favor of Microsoft getting into the operating system world. Allen said in his autobiography Idea Man that Gates was less enthusiastic. Allen called Seattle Computer Products owner Rod Brock and licensed QDOS for $10,000 plus a royalty of $15,000 for every company that licensed the software." "In Big Blues: The Unmaking of IBM, Sams is quoted as saying Gates told him about QDOS and offered it to IBM. "The question was: Do you want to buy it or do you want me to buy it?" Sams said. Since IBM had already had decided to go with an open architecture, the company wanted Microsoft to purchase QDOS. Besides, Sams said, "If we'd bought the software, we'd have just screwed it up." "According to Allen, under the contract signed that November, IBM agreed to pay Microsoft a total of $430,000, including $45,000 for what would end up being called DOS, $310,000 for the various 16-bit languages, and $75,000 for "adaptions, testing and consultation." In contrast, the TV "Pirates of the Valley" made the false and absurd claim that bill Gates cold-called IBM to convince them to get an operating system! -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com

1 year

1
0
0 0

Norton Utilities on 5.25" floppies

by Van Snyder

I have Norton Utilities on 5.25" floppies. I don't have a drive so I don't know whether they're readable. They're yours if you send me a PDF of a shipping label for 8"x10"x1" 8oz. Van Snyder 2229 Shields Street La Crescenta, CA 91214 van.snyder(a)sbcglobal.net

1 year

1
0
0 0

DEC RM03 / CDC 9762

by Christian Corti

Hello all, we now have a RM03 drive, but are missing all the cables and the RH11 backplane, though I have the cards. Since the drive itself is a CDC 9762 I was wondering if I could ignore the Massbus adapter in the drive cabinet and use the CDC as a "normal" SMD drive (at least it uses the standard 60+26 pin cables). There are no service manuals/schematics of the drive itself, so I can't look there. And all I could find on the net were discussions of using the Massbus adapter for normal SMD drives but in my case, I don't want Massbus at all. Christian

1 year

13
31
0 0

Pick system in Manitoba looking for a new home

by Liam Proven

Would anyone like to rescue a vintage Pick minicomputer in Manitoba, Canada? https://discuss.systems/@ahelwer/112836345012817998 « A wide ask here so please boost: my grandfather is trying to get rid of an old business computer, and I was wondering whether any vintage computer people might want it. It was purchased for $50k from The Ultimate Corporation in the early 80s. This ran the Pick operating system, and my best guess is the hardware was originally manufactured by GE or Honeywell. It's about the size of a half-rack and currently lives in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It has sat covered in plastic in a chemical warehouse for the past 35 years. Where do people usually post stuff like this other than here? Thanks! » -- Liam Proven - Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven(a)cix.co.uk - Google Mail/Hangouts/Plus: lproven(a)gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/Flickr: lproven - Skype/LinkedIn: liamproven IoM: +44 7624 227612 ~ UK: +44 7939-087884 ČR (+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal): +420 702 829 053

1 year

9
11
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Re: DEC RM03 / CDC 9762

by Evan Linwood

"So... my recommendation is to look over schematics for differences. I think there are some." I have some RM03's and a 9762, and this matches my understanding of these drives also, in other words one or more of the cards in the RM drive itself were modified, meaning that the MASSBUS interface doesn't connect to the drive over a standard SMD interface. These cards (in the drives) are not very large or complex, I'm guessing it should be possible to identify the differences. Also please don't discard the MASSBUS adapters - they're probably of interest to the community!

1 year

1
0
0 0

Relay computers

by Tom Hunter

Recently people repeatedly mentioned relay computers. There is a very nice 8-bit relay computer implementation by Joe Allen. The computer looks and feels like the microprocessor trainer boards of the 70s. The CPU is implemented in 83 relays. Memory, front panel interface and serial port are implemented in a MicroChip PIC and a few ICs. This is a fully functional computer with a well thought out instruction set. Here is a link to a YouTube video showing the relay computer in operation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1hJoalcK68 Here is the SourceForge project page: http://relaysbc.sourceforge.net/ Joe used to sell the bare PCBs with programmed MicroChip PIC on Tindie and Ebay, but it seems he no longer has any PCBs left. Here is the Tindie link: https://www.tindie.com/products/jhallen/single-board-relay-computer/ Enjoy! Tom

1 year

11
16
0 0

WTB: Signetics 2519 .. (Apple I components)

by Igor

Hi all! Me and my buddy are building an Apple I replica, for now successfully. Recently we have tested the video signal :) However, we are having big problems (as you can imagine) with finding Signetics 2519 chips. I know many ordered them in bulk, so I would be thankful for any help (we have US address) or information. As for the other components, the 74160, 7450 and DS0025C are the blockers at this moment. These we would probably find much easier (already did actually, just looking to maybe get them from the same source). Thanks in advance, Igor

1 year

4
3
0 0

WTB: Shugart SA-4008 Hard Drive

by Jonathan Chapman

As above. Looking for a 14" SA-4008 for testing with the Ohio Scientific CD-23 disk system. We're at the point with it that we can get known good data off (we see FORTH source in it) but can't boot and get errors off some of the sectors/tracks. I'd like to be able to try and initialize it, but the SA-4008 I have contains useful information that we don't want to destroy! Thanks, Jonathan

1 year

1
0
0 0

Re: the 1968 how to build a working digital computer

by Marvin Johnston

One idea I've had for a number of years now is to use a PLC to simulate a relay computer. Seems like it would be a fun project. While I have the PLC, the time and motivation to do it is currently escaping me. The idea came as I was looking at the Simon computer construction project from one of the electronics magazines. Marvin

1 year

1
0
0 0

Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

by brad

Yes I find them useful also. But they are almost all archived on archive.org.. so I wondered how much value an actual paper copy would have. I thought Peoples Computer Company had a decent circulation (like in the tens of thousands) and could be expected to turn up from time to time. Have to pay more attention.Sent from my Galaxy -------- Original message --------From: Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Date: 2024-07-16 3:38 p.m. (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Cc: Bill Degnan <billdegnan(a)gmail.com> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters Personally I find them invaluable for research.BillOn Tue, Jul 16, 2024, 5:53 PM Brad H via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>wrote:> Just a 'survey' sort of question - how much value do you guys put in> vintage> copies of old newsletters, magazines, etc. I'm talking mid-1970s, like> People's Computer Company, etc. Someone has been selling them one at a> time> on ebay and they routinely go for $125+ each! Was PCC fairly low> circulation? I have no idea how rare these things are - if I should just> dive in to have my memento or wait. Looking at auction history it seems to> be the same group of 2 or 3 bidders going nuts over them.>>>> One newsletter I would love to find an original copy of is Micro-8.. but I> think the circulation on that was just a hundred or so, so probably> unlikely. It has some blurbs from Grant Runyan in there, who built my TVT> and Mark-8.>>>> But yeah, I just wondered if you guys think generally this stuff *should&> be> considered valuable - given most/all is archived online.>>>> Brad>>

1 year

4
3
0 0

Auction houses vs ebay

by brad

Question going back to the estate planning subject...do auction houses tend to receive higher bids than ebay for vintage computer gear? Are they any better in terms of finding the right buyers?One day I might want to sell my Mark-8 and TVT, not immediately though. But more and more am thinking of getting out before I'm gotten out.BradSent from my Galaxy

1 year

10
15
0 0

Fwd: Civility; Was Re: Re: LCM auction pre-notice

by Doc Shipley

Sellam, Stay the FUCK off my private email. That crosses the line and you know it. -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: [cctalk] Civility; Was Re: Re: LCM auction pre-notice Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 11:46:54 -0700 From: Sellam Abraham <sellam.ismail(a)gmail.com> To: Doc Shipley <doc(a)vaxen.net> On Mon, Jul 15, 2024 at 10:19 AM Doc Shipley via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org <mailto:cctalk@classiccmp.org>> wrote: On 7/15/24 12:12, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote: > The only thing criminal here is Paul Allen's handling of LCM. > With all due respect, man, your noise:signal ratio is getting really awful. Do you ever look at what you've typed and ask yourself if it's *useful*? The last I looked this mailing list was meant to be an exchange of information and a source of support, not a Reddit clone. Useful or not, it needs to be stated. I stand by the comment. Thanks for your feedback. Sellam

1 year

15
19
0 0

Re: NeXT computer system...

by Tom Stepleton

On Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 18:13 PM Joshua Rice <rice43(a)btinternet.com> wrote: > I imagine it's quite difficult. Maybe not "functional Twiggy drive" > difficult, but probably "unmolested 128k Macintosh" difficult. > > It of course depends on who you know, and who you ask. Undoubtedly > there's a guy out there with a stack of them in a shed somewhere, but > getting hold of him is a different matter entirely. > I think this person exists and is relatively easy to contact: it's Rob Blessin of Black Hole Inc (https://next.blackholeinc.com/). If he doesn't have a 68030 board, ask around on the NeXT forums at https://www.nextcomputers.org/forums/ (I think these are also related to Rob in some way). In my experience the SMT capacitors pose a much greater threat to NeXT PCBs than the battery: these are classic early 90s caps that must be assumed to be leaking already. Replace them. Same goes for several of the through-hole caps in the N4000-series mono displays (ELNA "Long Life" my foot --- you'll find they come out moist and fishy-smelling). (Plus there are SMT caps in the display's digital board too.) As for the bright yellow Panasonic BR-2/3A lithium primary cell battery: I issue a challenge to this community. I've never seen one leak. Nobody I've asked has ever seen one leak. Rob Blessin who has handled thousands of NeXT boards has never seen one leak. It's a bit maddening since batteries are supposed to leak eventually and the Panasonics just seem like they... don't. In fact, they often still hold a good voltage, and I'll confess here: *I'm still running some of the 30-year-old originals in my NeXTs!* The replacements I got from DigiKey a few years back are sitting in my component stores gathering dust, just waiting. The challenge: have *you* ever seen a leaky Panasonic BR-2/3A lithium primary cell battery? Surely their day will come someday --- we'll see them start to go. But for now it sure feels like we're in the long, low bottom of a very big bathtub-shaped curve. --Tom > Josh Rice > > On 16/07/2024 17:24, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: > > how hard is it to track down a replacement NeXT cube motherboard? > > Bill > > > > On Tue, Jul 16, 2024 at 11:38 AM John Robertson via cctalk < > > cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > >> On 2024/07/16 6:28 a.m., Paul Koning wrote: > >>>> On Jul 16, 2024, at 9:05 AM, John Robertson via cctalk< > >> cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: > >>>> I'm just starting to clean up a NeXT system that a friend has had in > >> storage for decades... > >>>> I assume the thing has a battery somewhere - I just hope it isn't > >> Ni-Cad! > >>> At that age it might well be. So what? I think they are still > >> available. Or you can replace it by a non-rechargeable battery. That's > >> what I did with the ToD clock battery in my Pro; a lithium coin cell > with a > >> series diode to prevent "charging" is not an ideal solution but > adequate, > >> and it would be better if I used a Schottky diode rather than a plain Si > >> rectifier diode I happened to have lying around. > >>> paul > >> Battery leakage was the issue - having dealt with a great many logic > >> boards damaged or destroyed by leaking Ni-Cad batteries. > >> > >> I've since seen a photo of the inside of the NeXT and it looks like they > >> used a plug in Lithium battery, so that risk is no longer of much > >> concern to me. > >> > >> John :-#)# > >> >

1 year

1
0
0 0

Scientific Subroutine Package

by Rob Kolstad

Does anyone have access to compile-able files for IBM's Scientific Subroutine Package? 360/370, 1130 -- anything will do. I have a copy of 360A_CM-03X_SSP.tap and have even converted it away from EBCDIC. I have not, however, properly de-blocked it yet and figgered I'd ask if someone already has ready-to-go files. FORTRAN would of course be the origin; any language will do, however. RK

1 year

1
0
0 0

Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

by brad＠techtimetraveller.com

Just a 'survey' sort of question - how much value do you guys put in vintage copies of old newsletters, magazines, etc. I'm talking mid-1970s, like People's Computer Company, etc. Someone has been selling them one at a time on ebay and they routinely go for $125+ each! Was PCC fairly low circulation? I have no idea how rare these things are - if I should just dive in to have my memento or wait. Looking at auction history it seems to be the same group of 2 or 3 bidders going nuts over them. One newsletter I would love to find an original copy of is Micro-8.. but I think the circulation on that was just a hundred or so, so probably unlikely. It has some blurbs from Grant Runyan in there, who built my TVT and Mark-8. But yeah, I just wondered if you guys think generally this stuff *should& be considered valuable - given most/all is archived online. Brad

1 year

14
27
0 0

CRDS PDP-11/23 For Sale

by Henry Bent

Hi alll, I have a Charles River Data Systems MF211E, a branded PDP-11/23 that is looking for a new home. Right now it's running RT-11 but I've also run 2.9BSD on it. I got it with the intent to run Ultrix-11 but due to the non-standard disk controller I could never get that working. Everything was in fully functioning condition when it was powered down a couple of months ago. It has: M8186, a KDF-11A Clearpoint Q-RAM 22, a 1MB memory board FC-202, an RXV21 clone, connected to Shugart SA800s M7504, a DEQNA-M ethernet controller Dilog DQ614, emulating 4 RL02 drives, connected to a 52MB MFM drive in a separate enclosure H-11-5, a Heathkit serial card M9400-YE, a REV11-E terminator I believe it's an H9278 backplane but I'm not 100% certain about that I'm willing to entertain reasonable offers. It is currently located in NE Ohio, and due to age and the substantial weight I will not ship unless you want to pay to have full-service freight show up at my door. Please contact me off-list if you are interested. Thanks! -Henry

1 year

1
0
0 0

QED 993

by Paul Anderson

I'm trying to do some organizing and came across a QED 993. Anyone have an interest in it? Thanks, Paul

1 year

5
9
0 0

Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters

by brad

Yeah. I notice even Wikipedia has been really begging lately. I'm amazed they've all lasted as long as they have.That would really suck if archive went away. So useful.Sent from my Galaxy -------- Original message --------From: Sellam Abraham via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Date: 2024-07-16 7:50 p.m. (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Cc: Sellam Abraham <sellam.ismail(a)gmail.com> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Old vintage computing magazine/newsletters BTW, I wouldn't be depending on Internet Archive. Not that it's going awayanytime soon, but it may some day not be there.Like LCM.Sellam

1 year

1
0
0 0

Neurodata Catwriter

by Liam Proven

This seems to be a Belgian computer that draws a total blank on Google. https://www.facebook.com/groups/vintagecomputerclub/posts/8562290167137607/ Anyone ever heard of it? -- Liam Proven ~ Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven(a)cix.co.uk ~ gMail/gTalk/FB: lproven(a)gmail.com Twitter/LinkedIn: lproven ~ Skype: liamproven IoM: (+44) 7624 277612: UK: (+44) 7939-087884 Czech [+ WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal]: (+420) 702-829-053

1 year

5
7
0 0

LCM auction pre-notice

by Brent Hilpert

Just received a message from a friend mentioning stuff from the LCM is to be in a Christie’s auction in Aug-Sep. Online auction, viewing in Seattle by appointment. https://www.christies.com/auction/firsts-the-history-of-computing-from-the-… <https://www.christies.com/auction/firsts-the-history-of-computing-from-the-…> This appears to be just an upcoming auction advisory, there’s very little info. "CDC-5000 and Cray 2 will be offered alongside their miniaturized predecessors in the Altair 8800 and Apple-1" CDC-5000 ? predecessors ?

1 year

20
31
0 0

Re: Ebay past pricing

by Marvin Johnston

Message: 21 Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2024 06:55:09 -0700 From: Sellam Abraham<sellam.ismail(a)gmail.com> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Ebay past pricing To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Message-ID: <CAHJBWnQg8S3iJr+zofjcxhDkCX3qG-5oeXOtvrKPVpVEthROcg(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" I think we are talking apples and oranges. I use Worthpoint to find pricing for uncommon (I hate the misuse of the word "rare) items that don't show up in Ebay searches. So far, the only limitation I've found with Wortphoint is their lack of shipping costs which anyone who sells on Ebay knows is part of the Ebay price. That is not a serious enough reason for me not to use Worthpoint. A recent example of Ebay failures would be the pricing on Intel MDS system parts. Another example is Lobo Drives/System computers. Or the Lobo HD/floppy disk box. Do I need to go on? Marvin > On Sun, Jul 14, 2024, 11:49 PM Marvin Johnston via cctalk < > cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote: > > My opinion, it is the best I've seen for looking up past ebay sales. > > Marvin I subscribed to Worthpoint for a couple months and found it kind of worthless (see what I did there). Yes, it let's you go back further than eBay's Terapeak search (which is available free to all eBay sellers and goes back through two years worth of listings) but I found the data to be unreliable, incomplete, and it does not store enough details from the original listing for my purposes. I don't believe it differentiates between listings and actual sold items. In one instance I found one of my own listings, and I forgot what was wrong about it, but it had entirely wrong information. I don't believe it's at all worth $30/month. I'd maybe pay that for a years worth of access. Maybe. Sellam

1 year

1
0
0 0

Ebay past pricing

by Marvin Johnston

I would guess most people here are aware of how to use ebay to suggest (mostly inflated) pricing. In the past, I have used Hammertap and Terapeak, but they both seem to have gone away. That said, I finally bit the bullet and joined Worthpoint. So far it is the best I have used and at this point highly recommend it . The format is similar to Ebay BUT... it goes back in time much farther than anything else I've used. The farthest back I've seen so far is 2016. It even shows the one Intel MDS system Scott (?) posted about that sold for $500 about 1 year ago in July 2023. The pricing is comparable with the other services I've used at about $30/month for the basic searching ability (all I am interested in.). IMNSHO, it is well worth it as in addition to past pricing, it also goes back farther than anything I've used previously. My opinion, it is the best I've seen for looking up past ebay sales. Marvin

1 year

2
1
0 0

VCF Midwest 19 Table Registration Opening 7/14

by Jason T

Table registration for VCFMW 19 will open tomorrow (7/14) at 15:41 CDT! See our announcement here: https://t.co/yze7fmlCAH And our table info page here: https://vcfmw.org/tables.html <https://t.co/jYAY0KlknM>

1 year

1
0
0 0

A brief history of Cray

by Ali

Might be of interest to some on this list. A 30 minute video detailing the start of Cray computing from the Rand days all the way to its final resting place in HP.https://youtu.be/SOQ6F7HMfSc?si=YTGTcexPZOoNhxHZ

1 year

1
0
0 0

Value of Intel MDS System

by Marvin Johnston

In keeping with a previous discussion about reducing a collection size, I have an intel MDS system I am kind of looking to sell. This system consists of the processor box, dual floppy drives, two keyboards (one missing a keycap), and monitor. Unfortunately, no manuals or software came with it when I got it some 30 or so years ago. Also I have never powered it up and won't since it has been sitting for a long time and will need a careful checkout to make sure it is safe to power up. I do plan on attending VCFMW in early September, and can bring it with me (and Sellam) for pickup at the show. My route will be I5 to I80 from California so it might be possible for the buyer to make arrangements with us to transfer the unit to the buyer along the way. Generally speaking, there won't be much time along the way since I generally drive 24/7 except for short stops for gas and rest as needed Long winded way of asking here has anyone a clear idea of what to charge. It has been sitting in my garage since I acquired it. Marvin

1 year

6
5
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Data general MicroNOVA

by jake utley

I was lucky enough to pick up three MicroNOVA cards and one was a mN602 CPU card. I would love to rebuild the system it came from which was a MP/100 or MP/200 from my research since the mN602 is a nova 4 instruction set chip so is pretty powerful. Unfortunately I only have the CPU card a line printer controller and a mystery card I haven’t yet identified. I’m looking for these parts to help with this project. MicroNOVA MP/100 or MP/200 chassis and backplane 4220 paper tape controller 4337 video keyboard interface or 4207-S Async card. Disk controller MicroNOVA memory Would anyone know of someone who would have some of these parts as I think this would make an interesting system configuration.

1 year

2
2
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Revocable Living Trust for Computer Collectors

by Sellam Abraham

I think this is an appropriate time for this announcement. Over the many years I've been collecting, there have been more than several instances of a collector dying and their collection effectively being cast to the wind because their surviving spouse or family members have no idea what to do with their computer collection. We are all very aware of this unfortunate phenomenon. To that end, I've been developing a Revocable Living Trust (RLT) for computer collectors. I've been working on this off and on for the past many months, and though it isn't quite ready yet, this is a good opportunity to announce my plans. The advantages of a RLT are many for the computer collector, including simplicity, and one's continued access to and enjoyment of their collections while they are alive. It's a good start, but not a complete solution, as the effectiveness of the RLT depends on the trustees one has chosen to carry out their wishes once they've departed the mortal coil. That's where what I'm developing comes into play: a multi-modal trustee services corporation which one can name as (at least one of) their trustee(s), which in the event of one's demise will immediately launch into action to protect the trust assets (the computer collection) and distribute it as per the trust indenture. And so much more. The trust indenture itself will be cheap (a nominal $49 is my target price) but I have yet to work out the execution and pricing for all the other services that will be offered, which will include actually coming out to the collection site to secure the collection and handle or assist in its distribution. This message is intended to be a feeler to gauge interest in the product. To that end, if this is of interest to you, please contact me privately and let me know. I can actually set you up with the trust documents right away, as those are basically done at this point, which you can execute and get notarized, etc. to at least have that protection in place. The establishment of the trustee services corporation described above will take a bit more time. If I didn't myself fall ill within the last 9 months (heart attack, nearly died, subsequent heart surgery) I would have already had this ready to go. The irony of this all has not at all escaped me. Fortunately, my collection is now covered for when it's my time to go. How about you? Sellam

1 year

45
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