test-drb October 1997

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

117 participants
323 discussions

by David_A._Vandenbroucke＠hud.gov

> DOes anyone have a computer which uses the EBCDIC character set, rather than > ASCII (did I get the acronym right? what does it stand for anyway)? I've never heard of a microcomputer that used EBCDIC, but there are a lot of things of which I've never heard. It is used in IBM mainframes and minis. Here at HUD we have a Hitachi mainframe that emulates an IBM, and it uses EBCDIC internally. We have file transfer utilities that take care of translating into ASCII as necessary. What does it stand for? Gee, it's been a long time. Let's see. According to the "SAS Compantion for the MVS Environment," it stands for Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code. That sounds redundant, but that's IBM for you. --Dav david_a._vandenbroucke(a)hud.gov

25 years, 10 months

Temple Univ. haul

by william＠ans.net

> I just passed on the optical mouse and some keyboards for the Sun's. Passing on the optical mice or keyboards (type 3 or 4) is no great shakes. However... Passing on Sun optical mouse pads for type 3 or 4 mice is a crime punishable by death. They are unique _two_ color pads (the horizontal stripes are a different color from the verticle ones) that Sun does not make anymore (contrary to Sun Direct's sales people, the pads they sell are for the normal type 5 mice). In short, the things are getting quite rare. > I will > be going back next Saturday to pick up some other things I will see if they > still have them. You will need a shoebox (has the HD) to really do anything > other then run the build in diagnostic. I get back to you You can boot the thing off a network - no local disk required. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

25 years, 11 months

Sorry, I need to get this to PG Manney, there was an error when I sent it direct....

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Sorry it took so long. I tried mailing you, but there was an error. ---------- From: PG Manney <manney(a)nwohio.com> To: photze(a)batelco.com.bh Subject: Re: The link you sent Date: Thursday, October 30, 1997 6:01 PM >It's really comforting to know that some people have consionace. >Thanks. I'm trying to raise my children with consciences, too. We're >Christians, and we feel that treating people *right* is very important Those people will be the future leaders of our world. >I hope >that you're not in a hurry: A friend's giving me a new board, and they say >that it could take some time to get it, but as soon as I get it, they new >board will get shipped to you. Don't worry, I won't give it to anyone >else. I always need motherboards and drives (got any old IDE drives around?), because I buy and sell computers. We're out here in the wilds of Ohio (USA), where many people have older systems...I even sold a Commodore the other day! I have an old IDE drive, it's a Segate 41 MB. It says ST-251, then on a seperate sticker it says -1 right next to the first one. Serial number is 25534738. It's the large kind, like they had back in the early 80's. If you repair computers, I have a additional 486/SX 33 that I could throw in. >remember the XT being the first IBM, but I might be wrong. The IBM PC (model 5150, IIRC was the first PC...you can tell that one from the TX sinc the PC had a small funny keyboard (very small, oddly placed "Enter" key), 5 slots (the XT had 8) and a Cassette plug next to the keyboard one. Also, the case said "IBM Personal Computer" instead of "IBM Personal Computer XT". The motherboard was redesigned in the XT (the PC, for example, had 2 banks of DIP switches on the motherboard, instead of one). The XT counted out memory when it booted up, the PC just gave you a flashing cursor to stare at. Actually, the IBM 5100 was the first desktop computer. It had 8" drives, a dedicated printer and all that...it bombed, and IBM didn't try again until the PC. >Lessee...I have several Commodores, a couple of VIC-20's (one in original >box with original packaging, used once.), a couple of Apples... two or three >PC's and an XT (I think). It would be better to send *anything* but the >IBM's, because everything else is plastic-cased, and therefore lighter. >Still, you're the customer! I'm new at collecting classics. What is a VIC-20? And what model of Comodore, and Apple? I have a TV screen, I even have one in the guest bedroom that's used once in a blue moon. Didn't the older Apples up to the IIGS have attached monitors? (I remember a few Macs that had one later than that...) >The Post Office tells me that 44 lbs will cost $89 US to send to you. If you >have a TV screen, you can save on the cost of shipping a monitor for an >Apple/Commodore/anything else. (The IBM will work a TV screen with the right >card, but colors are funny). Thanks, Tim D. Hotze

25 years, 11 months

Space problems in the UK and US

by sinasohn＠crl.com

At 05:44 AM 10/26/97 +0300, you wrote: >I have a similiar problem: Due to the large size of the XT style >motherboards, my desk devoted to classic computers isn't big enough. I can >fit the computer on, the monitor on the computer, and the keyboard on the >floor. When you try to type, it's not fun. (Type a command. Stop. Before Look into the monitor arms that let attach to your desk and support your monitor above the desk/computer. Many of them have a simple wire rack that pulls out in front to hold a keyboard. (Basically, it's just a square U of metal that slides in and out.) There are other advantages to this as well. If you're working on several computers that use the same type of monitor, you don't need to move the monitor to swap CPU's. Also, it lets you use the monitor-over-CPU set up for machines that aren't flat boxes (like a C64, atari 800 or SOL-20.) You can also swing it out of the way if you want to work on the computer. >PS- How do you post an origional message? Do you just send one to9 >classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu , or somewhere else? Yep. --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn(a)crl.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

25 years, 11 months

Sorry, I need to get this to PG Manney, there was

by manney＠nwohio.com

>Sorry it took so long. I tried mailing you, but there was an error. ...and I thought computers never went wrong! <g> > >It's really comforting to know that some people have consionace. > >>Thanks. I'm trying to raise my children with consciences, too. We're >>Christians, and we feel that treating people *right* is very important >Those people will be the future leaders of our world. >>I hope >>that you're not in a hurry: A friend's giving me a new board, and they say >>that it could take some time to get it, but as soon as I get it, they new >>board will get shipped to you. Don't worry, I won't give it to anyone >>else. > >I always need motherboards and drives (got any old IDE drives around?), >because I buy and sell computers. We're out here in the wilds of Ohio >(USA), >where many people have older systems...I even sold a Commodore the other >day! >I have an old IDE drive, it's a Segate 41 MB. It says ST-251, then on a >seperate sticker it says -1 right next to the first one. Serial number is >25534738. It's the large kind, like they had back in the early 80's. It's a 40 MB hard drive (6 Heads, 820 Cylinders, 17 cylinders) > If you repair computers, I have a additional 486/SX 33 that I could throw >in. Glad to take it! >>remember the XT being the first IBM, but I might be wrong. > >The IBM PC (model 5150, IIRC was the first PC...you can tell that one from >the TX sinc the PC had a small funny keyboard (very small, oddly placed >"Enter" key), 5 slots (the XT had 8) and a Cassette plug next to the >keyboard one. Also, the case said "IBM Personal Computer" instead of "IBM >Personal Computer XT". The motherboard was redesigned in the XT (the PC, >for >example, had 2 banks of DIP switches on the motherboard, instead of one). >The XT counted out memory when it booted up, the PC just gave you a >flashing >cursor to stare at. > >Actually, the IBM 5100 was the first desktop computer. It had 8" drives, a >dedicated printer and all that...it bombed, and IBM didn't try again until >the PC. > >>Lessee...I have several Commodores, a couple of VIC-20's (one in original >>box with original packaging, used once.), a couple of Apples... two or >three >>PC's and an XT (I think). It would be better to send *anything* but the >>IBM's, because everything else is plastic-cased, and therefore lighter. >>Still, you're the customer! > I'm new at collecting classics. What is a VIC-20? The VIC-20 was Commodore's first computer...2K of RAM (I think), did sounds and color TV screen stuff. >And what model of >Comodore, Commodore 64 and Apple? Apple II C (I think). I have a TV screen, I even have one in the guest >bedroom that's used once in a blue moon. Didn't the older Apples up to the >IIGS have attached monitors? I don't think so. I'm no Apple expert, though. thedm(a)sunflower.com says he knows Apples and can answer questions. Chuck Cokendale ccdale(a)dcache.net knows Commodores. (I remember a few Macs that had one later >than that...) >>The Post Office tells me that 44 lbs will cost $89 US to send to you. If >you >>have a TV screen, you can save on the cost of shipping a monitor for an >>Apple/Commodore/anything else. (The IBM will work a TV screen with the >right >>card, but colors are funny).

25 years, 11 months

Kaypro 2 vs. Kaypro II

by sinasohn＠crl.com

At 06:41 AM 10/23/97 -0400, you wrote: >disks. Possibly the drives just need cleaning, though. I just wish I had >a cleaning kit for 5.25" drives (ugh!). I think it's already been >mentioned where those are available. I picked up a kit with both a 5.25 & 3.5 cleaning disk at CompUSA for like $2. --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn(a)crl.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

25 years, 11 months

My Recent find

by ejames＠newwave.net

Hi To Everyone on the list I have been following this list for a couple of months now and here is a Short list of my finds so far. Commodore 128 1902 moniter 2 1571 drives and Okidate Plug N Print 10. Texas Instruments tI994a with Biege plastic Cover and tape Deck Color Computer 2 with cassette deck Atari 800 and Tape deck and my latest find a Amiga 1000 with 1080 moniter and 512k memory anyone have more information on expansion of this computer?? Bruce James ejames(a)newwave.net

25 years, 11 months

Corvus Concept

by kevan＠heydon.org

Hi, Last night I acquired a Corvus Concept CPU box and hard disk unit. Does anybody have any information about these? More specifically I am missing the monitor and keyboard and have no documentation on the specifications of these. They are both 9pin D connectors and that is all I know. -- Kevan Old Computer Collector: http://staff.motiv.co.uk/~kevan/

25 years, 11 months

Corvus Concept

by fmc＠reanimators.org

kevan(a)heydon.org wrote: > Last night I acquired a Corvus Concept CPU box and hard disk unit. Does > anybody have any information about these? More specifically I am > missing the monitor and keyboard and have no documentation on the > specifications of these. They are both 9pin D connectors and that is > all I know. Well, I am sitting here looking at a little book with title HARDWARE DESCRIPTION THE CORVUS CONCEPT You might think that with a title like that it would have connector pinouts, but, um, not quite. Well, it does have the pinout for the bus slots, which are like Apple ][ slots less DMA support. So what can I find about video? The display area is supposed to be 560 x 720 dots. The monitor used by Corvus was a Ball HD series monitor (so says the manual) in a Corvus-peculiar case (so says me). It looks like all the timing is derived from a 16.364 MHz clock that is generated on the memory board. That gets divided by the "horizontal counter" (74163s at U202 then U203 and U204) to produce a 34.669 KHz clock that is the horizontal scanning frequency. There is also a "vertical counter" (at U301) to produce a 50 Hz or 60 Hz vertical sync clock. "The video shift registers comprise 74S299 U106, U206 and 74ls299 U306..U806 for video data. The data is shifted at 16 MHz in two pairs of registers. The output of one register is fed directly into a 74S157 multiplexer U104 which is switched between two inputs at a 16 MHz rate. The other register feeds a 74S112 flipflop U103 which delays the data by 30 ms and then feeds it to the multiplexer. This makes a data rate of 32 MHz." I'm not much of a hardware guy, but I hope that gives you some clues for board-tracing and monitor selection. Note that the system can run the monitor in either landscape or portrait mode (hence the peculiar case, with slots for the base on two sides). I think you are supposed to tell it how you've got the monitor positioned with the VERT/HORIZ switch on the back. That doesn't change the video timing, it changes how the software draws into the memory. Now what about the keyboard? I gather there is a 6551 UART at U310 that receives keycodes, one for each key-down or key-up. Key-down codes have the most-significant-bit set; key-up codes have it clear but are otherwise identical to key-down codes. ... Some other notes. Jeff Kaneko wrote that the operating system was "Unix-like". I don't know, I haven't seen it run much less try to hack on it, but from reading the manuals I'd say it was more p-System like, except that it runs 68000 code instead of p-Machine code. The hard disk(s) could be hooked up over the Omninet (in which case the disk box was connected to an Omninet-attached disk server box) or via a hard-disk interface that sat in one of the Concept's expansion slots. There were also expansion cards to control 8" and 5.25" diskette drives. I'm not sure exactly how the VCR-backup stuff works. From reading another manual (the Disk Drive Installation Guide) it looks like there is an option for the disk to have a "Mirror" built-in. There are four DIP switches on the back that need to be set different ways for different circumstances: no Mirror built in => all closed Mirror built in, NTSC VCR => all open Mirror built in, PAL/SECAM VCR => 1 closed, 2-4 open ... Well, I hope that helps a bit. Yes, I have one of these. No, I haven't done anything with it as yet, save haul the CPU, monitor, and keyboard up to VCF for folks to gawk at. -Frank McConnell

25 years, 11 months

BBS Box

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

---------- From: Brett <danjo(a)xnet.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: BBS Box Date: Saturday, November 01, 1997 4:35 AM On Fri, 31 Oct 1997, Hotze wrote: Huh? I hope you mean text based versus graphics here 8-) Anything will be fine, but I want as much graphics cabilities as possible. > I'm really ready to learn, but at > this time of writing, I only have the 486/66, and an 080880/8Mhz, which > dosn't work. I really just want to make something for my friends and I to > meet on... here, Internet is still expensive, and most people refust to > upgrade to anything past Netscape 2.0. I need really to know about > multiple phone/modems. The phone isn't a problem, the modem is. How much > do the 4800's run for? I've already got two modems, one a 2400 sendf/9600 > recieve, and another a 33.6 both ways. I really need to know what to do, > the whole smackum, as I'm very "computer literate", in DOS and Windows, but > rather inexperianced with this kind of stuff. > Ciao, > > Tim D. Hotze >Tim - go right for Linux! Don't even think of FIDO - well think about it >8-) I only have a 28.8 connection, and I don't know where I can get an inexpensive Linux OS. Maybe you can help me. OR CAN ANYONE ELSE HERE HELP ME? >If you get UUCP support, you can acutally become a local provider. If your >buddies want web pages and a shell account to play with Linux is your best >bet. You can - with UUCP - even allow Internet EMail - and even even >access other systems if you set up your system correctly. You can send and >recieve email and files - oh say 4-8 times a day - more frequently if you >want and all of them will transfer in one shot so it is *like* FIDOnet. Can you help me with that? Explain more. That's very interesting. >I run Linux 2.0.28/9 on two machines - one is my dedicated comms server >with diald to make the connection and it has a HTTP server with EMail. >We only connect with one modem and everybody uses the same connection at >the same time. Yeah, but here, a dedicated connection costs about $10,000 a month. I don't even want to think of that. Possibly I could just connect then disconnect really quickly. >Get whatever modems you want to use - a multiple port serial card will >let you run as many modems as you can afford 8-) 16-32 way too many >phones lines to afford! DO NOT use internals - even with M$ stuff! Okay, no internals. But don't worry about the phone lines. 1: it's only 5, and 2. I can get them free. >FIDO net was set up to allow home computers to run like UUCP machines >(when they were the *rage*) so why not use the real thing? Why not? But I want to do this on my home computer :-) Just my $0.48 worth 8-) BC

25 years, 11 months

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test-drb October 1997