From: Gavin Scott <gavin(a)learn.bio>
Subject: [cctalk] 50 Years of the HP 3000
Well, here we are. If you boot up a classic HP 3000
system and simply
hit return when it asks you for the date and time, it will default to:
As it turns out, I have a complete, working HP 3000 917/LX system, with
printers, a line printer with stand, 14-port terminal concentrator, four HP
700-series terminals (one new in box, one likely dead), SCSI disk storage
module with a couple of 2GB drives, DAT drive, and all of the necessary
cables. It all seems to work perfectly (with the exception of the one
worn-out terminal), and I booted it up a couple of months ago with no
problems. The passwords have been removed from the MANAGER.SYS account, so
the system is now wide open. There's also some software: ASK/ManMan,
FORTRAN, and of course TurboIMAGE and Query; also a copy of Reflection
(Windows emulator for HP terminals). There's also in excess of 100 pounds
of documentation, and some boxes of paper, including green-bar (remember
that?).
The thing is, despite aspirations from my youth, I really don't need a
complete timesharing computer system in my house, so I'm looking to sell the
whole thing as a package. It seems possible that someone on this list might
be interested, and I'm also open to suggestions about other places I could
list it. I took it to the west coast Vintage Computer Faire this year, and
there were several nibbles, but obviously I still have it. It's currently
located in the San Francisco Bay area, but I commute semi-regularly between
there and Portland OR, and could be fairly easily persuaded to deliver it
anywhere in either of those areas, or in between. (The system will fit in a
mini-van - barely - or comfortably in a full-sized pick-up truck with room
to spare.) I'd like to see $2000, but will cheerfully entertain offers
(cheerfully if they're reasonable, or met with hysterical laughter if not).
Feel free to contact me off-list if you'd like more details and/or pictures.
Thanks!
~~
Mark Moulding