9 Jun
2024
9 Jun
'24
1:52 a.m.
On Sat, Jun 8, 2024 at 7:43 AM Jon Elson via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
wrote:
On 6/7/24 20:42, Vincent Slyngstad via cctalk wrote:
Is it Artronix or Artronics, out of Plainfield, New Jersey (according to
the label, formally TechArt Systems 2000)? Because if the latter, I have
one right here, though I can't tell you the model number because it is not
displaying one. The serial number seems to indicate it was made in 1984.
Here's a link to an ad in PC World circa 1984 ==>
https://books.google.com/books?id=-C_xVnQCcsEC&pg=PA48&dq=artronics…
The LINC exhibited at VCF 10.0 was one of two systems the fine folks of the
Washington University team who originally designed and built the LINC
scraped together and got working in time for the Festival, and their
presentation therein. That system went with Bruce Damer to the DigiBarn
(Bruce was instrumental in putting together the presentation for VCF X) and
then a few years ago went off to the System Source Museum in Maryland. The
second backup/parts system went with me. I eventually sold my system* to a
private collector. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to do anything with
it.
Sellam
* When my collection was effectively stolen, the console was taken by the
scrappers but I retained the CPU cabinet. I eventually sold the CPU to the
private collector, and I more recently learned he was subsequently able to
recover the console from the said scrappers and reunite the parts to make
the system whole again. In any event, it was due some parts and much
effort to be made working.
On 6/7/2024 6:19 PM, Jon Elson via cctalk
wrote:
An Artronix PC? I seriously doubt it, but it is possible.
There is at least one LINC that was restored about a decade
ago, and taken out to VCF 10. If an Artronix PC did evade
the scrapper, it would not be that hard to get it running again.
Jon
OK, I have to chime in here. I worked for
Artronix about
1972. The LINC computer was developed at MIT for use in
biomedical research labs, and a bunch of people involved
with it later moved to Washington University in St.
Louis. The Biomedical Computer Lab there later added some
features such a a crude memory mapping unit and more
memory, and called this the Programmed Console, so as not
to scare people away. Artronix began building these PC's
and selling them to hospitals for radiation therapy
planning. I have no idea how many were sold. They were
built into a desk, and used 7400-series logic chips. They
etched their own PC boards, drilled them by hand and
soldered in the chips by hand. I wrote a series of
diagnostics for them.
Do any survive? I've looked for them but never found one.