> My girlfriend is a professional sculptress, I don't know why I
> didn't ask her to begin with. She recommended plain amonia, which I was
> sceptical of. I wanted to use Formula 405 basically because you had
> recommended it. Well, the amonia worked great and the case looks nearly
> brand new - it sure took several hours though. ;-) Never doubt a woman
I'm told that FANTASTIK handles static better than Formula 405.
I noticed a reference to trichloroethane a few days ago. I usta use it
years ago on Xeroxes. Be *careful* with it on hot parts. I'm told that on
contact with hot metal, trichlor produces phosgene gas, which was one of
the war gases used in WWI...slightly fatal. :>
> You could remove the keys and actually clean the
> contacts with alchohol. Is this possible, or am I just going to be able
> to get dust bunnies between the keys?
I've successfully used alcohol to clean keys by squirting it in there at
high pressure from a bottle.
Have you tried MEK? I think of alcohol (the kind without water) and MEK as
safe on almost anything.
Last night, a saintly gentleman was kind enough to present me with
several wonderful pieces of equipment and parts, including:
- IBM 5100 with a box of tapes!
- KIM-1 in original box(!) w/documentation, etc.
- Altos 5000 series Z80A with built-in dual 8" (might give this away if
u-pick-up)
- Tandy 200 portable with docs & carrying case
Plus a bunch of useful parts:
- Two SoftStrip readers in original boxes w/docs, etc.
- Three Shugart SA800 8" bare drives
- Two 5 1/4" bare drives
- Several PET motherboards and video power supplies (I'm giving these
away if u-pick-up!)
- Altos terminal (this goes with the Altos if someone picks up)
- IBM 5103 printer (companion printer to the 5100 PC)
- 4 slightly broken Tandy 200 portables (I'm giving these away if
u-pick-up!)
- Two unidentified front panels (look for mail on these)
- A CardBoard expansion bus (for the KIM, I think)
- PET dealer service manual stuffed with schematics, updates and
diagnostic program cassette tapes
- PET 80-column video/graphics board upgrade w/docs and box
Kai
>Roger Ivie wrote:
>>
>> No promises, but I _may_ have a CP/M boot disk for the thing and (depending
>> on how recently my cow-orkers have cleaned their offices) I may be able to
>> find a bit of technical info.
>>
>
>Wow, that would be great! It would also be good to get enough
>information to add it to the "Big List" that Bill maintains. In any
>case, thanks for the info!
OK, here's what I have found so far:
- Technical manual for "Microterm II" (also labelled "Series 2000")
- Technical manual for "Series 1000"
- A few other manuals, including a BASIC language manual and something
to do with 2780 communications.
Both technical manuals contain schematics. I've not yet compared the schematics
to see what the differences between "Series 1000" and "Series 2000" are.
I've not yet come across boot disks, but I've been informed that we still
have one of the machines in our storage shed, so I expect to find one when
I get _really_ serious about poking around.
Roger Ivie
ivie(a)cc.usu.edu
Phil:
I also have a "Datamasher", which did work at one point. Now, I can't seem to
get it to boot from the Diagnostic Diskette. I don't know if the diskette is
bad, or if the floppy is bad. I don't know if it is possible, but would you
be willing to make a copy of a known-bootable disk and send it to me?? I'll
cover the cost of postage. I'd also like to get some sort of operations
manuals, but that is probobly not in the cards at this point.
Anyway, when I first got the 23 (also known as the 5322; from a school in
Gerogia), I made contact with John Kelley, whose wife worked on the Datamaster
project. Below is a copy of the message thread. I thought that you might be
interested...
=================
#: 517922 S0/General [H]
07-Dec-94 18:27:07
Sb: #517503-#IBM 5322 Datamstr?
Fm: Richard Cini 70153,3367
To: John Kelley 73467,450 (X)
John:
I do have several questions:
1: An historical Perspective -- What was IBM's original purpose for that
machine?? I read somewhere that the Datamaster was supposed to be IBM's first
'personal computer' (which flopped after a short time, and was replaced with
the IBM PC). If that's true, how long did IBM make the 5322? The PC was
introduced in 8/81, but my 5322 has manufacturing date tags in late-1982.
What was it like working on a project like that? I've always been
fascinated by the thoughts of people who basically created a
multi-billion-dollar industry, the market climate, as well as comparing the
capabilities of those machines to today's. In fact, I collect old,
historically-significant computers.
2: Was there any real software available for that machine, or was it
around for too short of a time to garner any significant market support?
3: What was its specifications? I didn't take the whole thing apart yet,
I
just cleaned it up and turned it on to see if it worked. (Yes, it works!)
4: Do you have any of its documentation original; maybe a system manual
or
a system diskette? How about schematics or a service manual?
5: Anything else that you may find useful.
Thanks so much for your (and your wife's) help!
Regards...
Rich
There are 2 Replies.
#: 518568 S0/General [H]
09-Dec-94 08:51:43
Sb: #517922-IBM 5322 Datamstr?
Fm: John Kelley 73467,450
To: Richard Cini 70153,3367 (X)
Richard,
I will convey your questions to the expert and get back to you. I can tell
you this regarding creating a multi-billion-dollar industry: the folks doing
the development work were too busy with heavy overtime in the trenches to have
much opportunity for "big picture" thinking. IBM had a very structured
software development process.
Back to you later,
- John K.
#: 519705 S0/General [H]
12-Dec-94 08:52:04
Sb: #517922-IBM 5322 Datamstr?
Fm: John L. Kelley 73467,450
To: Richard Cini 70153,3367 (X)
Rich,
Things were busy this weekend but I did get some info for you.
The System 23 (Datamaster) was indeed the first move towards a PC. It was
the first IBM product to use a non-IBM processor, namely the Intel 8085.
Interestingly, this fact is what made the product revolutionary within IBM,
and a threat to some. Apparently there was much conflict internally over the
non-Blue processor. Some say that the only reason the product saw the light
of day was that Frank Cary (then chairman of IBM) had gotten convinced by the
backers of the system. Otherwise it would have died of attacks from the
entrenched interests.
It was actually IBM's first attempt at a PC. IBM provided business software:
billing, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, inventory,
report-writer, etc. IBM provided telephone support through an Atlanta location
to users of this software. The "real" PC came along right on its heels and so
it never saw large volume, but thousands of users called the support lines, so
it was in use. There may have been third party software as well.
Some of the managers and developers who worked on this product also worked on
the development of the real PC. The 23 apparently started shipping in 1980,
and was still being sold when the IBM PC emerged. Big brother was then
eclipsed by little brother.
We don't seem to have much documentation or info on specs but something may
turn up. I'll have to get back to you on that.
To me, the interesting thing is that this "PC version 0.5" was almost killed
by internal interests, just as the real PC was almost killed.
Good luck with your collection!
- John K.
=======================
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 11:23:18 BST
From: Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk
To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
Subject: EBCDIC
Message-ID: <9705238670.AA867090681(a)compsci.powertech.co.uk>
Last week - while I was on holiday on the Noprfolk Broads - someone (I
forget who) asked if there had ever been a microcomputer that used
EBCDIC.
Anyone else out there have one of these? Know any more about it?
{etc.}
Philip.
At 13:54 23/06/97 -0800, you wrote:
>> On another note, has anyone ever seen (or have) a Basis-xxx? I know it
>> has a number in the name, but I can't remember it. It was an Apple ][
>> clone that also ran CP/M I believe? Something like that. I'm sure
>> someone knows about it. I only knew one guy who ever had one, but I never
>> saw it. It was a friend in high school back in 1989.
>
>I believe these were designed/built in Europe, probably Germany.
In Italy there was Lemon computer building Apple-clones.
Has anyone heard about them?
Sam Ismail <dastar(a)crl.com> writes:
> On another note, has anyone ever seen (or have) a Basis-xxx? I know it
> has a number in the name, but I can't remember it. It was an Apple ][
> clone that also ran CP/M I believe? Something like that. I'm sure
> someone knows about it. I only knew one guy who ever had one, but I never
> saw it. It was a friend in high school back in 1989.
Yep, a Basis 108. They are something like the Apple ][+ with
integrated language card, Microsoft Softcard and some sort of
80-column display on the motherboard, all housed in a big brown cast
metal case with a detachable keyboard. Um...there are also integrated
serial and parallel I/O, but I think there was something
not-quite-compatible about the way they were decoded so one or the
other or maybe both did not appear to be at the canonical slot
addresses.
They were made in Germany and imported into the US. I can't remember
all the details, but I think Apple tried to restrict their import for
a while (maybe due to ROM copyright issues?) and the distributor
changed hands and/or locations a couple of times. For a while it was
in Scotts Valley, CA, then I think went to somewhere in New England.
Maybe I have it backwards.
I bought one used (via the net) for ~$500 ca. 1991 because I missed my
Apple ][+ (had left it with Mom, who just did not get the hang of
Wordstar under CP/M and now has a Mac Plus, and yes I got my ][+
back). And the posted ad was for a dream system: Basis 108, PCPI
Applicard, Vista 8" disk controller, Videx Ultraterm with a good
monitor that could really show the lotsa-text you could get with one
of those. All the stuff I had had in my ][+ and, more importantly,
*all the stuff I had lusted after*.
The only problems were due to some carelessness in packing, and the
system was shipped from Connecticut to California. Mistakes submitted
for your educational experience:
The floppy drives are mounted by way of having brackets screwed to
them which are then screwed to the base. The end result is that for
each of two floppy drives there are these two brackets holding a
floppy drive some distance above the base. Well, the shipper left
them in, and UPS threw the package around enough that the brackets
deformed and broke loose from the base. So the floppy drives with
brackets could rattle around inside. (To be fair, I'm not sure I'd
have caught this either, but I certainly won't ship things where two
solid objects are connected quite like that -- not without dismantling
them first.)
He had also left the peripheral cards installed. Apple ][ peripheral
cards just sit in their slots, there are no card guides or screws or
anything like that. Well, guess what the floppy drives whacked into
as they rattled around, not that I really think they would have stayed
in place anyway. The boards weren't broken, but some of the ICs had
been popped out and mashed. Between loose bits and spares that came
with the system and other bits I had around I was able to get it
working again, but still haven't replaced the floppy-drive brackets to
my satisfaction. So it has a couple of gaping holes up front with
half-height floppies showing where there should be full-height units.
...
I don't have room to set the system up at present, so it is in
storage. Except for its manuals, some of which are on loan to a
friend of mine over the hill in Santa Cruz (who had one when he lived
in Buffalo, NY and picked up another one at Weird Stuff a few years
ago). If y'all have particular questions about this send e-mail and I
will ask for them back and try to find the other bits in storage. It
is a fairly thorough set of documentation, including user group
newsletters, and would probably shed a little light on things I can't
remember about it and Basis and the moves in distributorship and so
forth.
One other thing I remember about this system is that the previous owner
had bought a set of Apple ROMs, then copied them *and* the Basis ROMs
into 2732?s with a switch on the back to select one bank or the other.
So he could boot with Basis or Apple personalities depending on what he
needed to be compatible with. There were some things that depended on
each, but I can't remember specifics.
I remember seeing slicks somewhere in there for another Basis system
that had two half-height 8" floppy drives in a similar case (different
cutout up front for the floppies), and have the impression that that
was a pure CP/M machine. Never saw one up close, though. Anyone know
anything about that?
-Frank McConnell
At 06:43 PM 6/21/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Allison J Parent wrote:
>
>> There is the matter of customs which many americans have little experience
>> with.
>I accept that....but you are such a big country. Isn't it about time you
>start looking outside and try to understand other cultures? (no offence
>meant)
>--
>================================================================
>Enrico Tedeschi, 54, Easthill Drive, BRIGHTON BN41 2FD, U.K.
>tel/fax +(0)1273 701650 (24 hours) or 0850 104725 mobile
>website <http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~e.tedeschi>
>================================================================
>visit Brighton: <http://www.brighton.co.uk/tourist/welcome.htm>
How quaint. A culture TROLL in a classic computer mailing list.
Perhaps you were looking for alt.usa-sucks.
At least the subject header now fits.
James
jscarter(a)worldnet.att.net
ive also got a pcjr, with a 128k module and a printer adaptor. isnt this
thing supposed to run whatever cartridge you plug in? i noticed it resets
when you insert one. my pcjr only boots to basic because ive been too lazy to
make a dos 3.3 boot disk. i also have a joystick and serial/video/rf
mod./300b modem in all their original boxes too along with a tech ref and
basic guide. i have a cable/dongle for it that will let you plug in a
standard cga monitor into the back. if anyone's interested, i could post the
pinouts of the dongle so you can use cga. the last hamfest i went to have
pcjr stuff for $1 a peice! that's where i got my missing psu from.
david
At 21:44 20/06/97 +0100, we wrote:
>>
>>>Besides, I was talking about CP/M for the Commodore 1541 drive. That's a
>>>multi-speed drive that uses GCR encoding, not MFM. Try writing THAT with
>>>22DISK on your PC-clone.
>>>I used to know that only C=1570 and C=1571 were capable to read and write
>>CP/M disks in a proper way. (GCR+MFM)
>>By the way anyone else apart me owning a C=1570 here?
>>
>>Ciao
>>
>>i own a 1570, its a american one with a step down transformer, Its
>connected to my PC, and guess what, it writes CPM!!!
>Steve
>Emulator BBS
>01284 760851
>Keeping 8-Bit ALIVE
Hi Steve,
Yours was the only one response I get (since now) from C=1570 owners
Mine was made in Germany (did you buy it in the U.S.?)
Ciao
Emulator BBS 11,000 Emulator Related Files
01284 760851
Keeping 8-Bit ALIVE
I just got a couple of unidentified front panels. If anyone can shed
some light on what computers these come from, please let me know!
Front Panel #1:
- No bezel
- Has flat switches exactly like the Imsai except they're all black
- In the upper right there's a 16-key hexadecimal keypad; black keys
with white lettering.
- Two rows of switches; 7 in the upper left, and a row of 18 below.
- There are numerous LEDs arranged mostly in banks of 4 with 7545 TTL
drivers.
- The LEDs are on a riser card about 1/2" off the main front panel card.
The main card is dark gray and the LED card is green.
- Three 40-pin ribbon cable connectors on the bottom edge.
Front Panel #2:
- Very simple design with metal bezel. Looks like it's from a mini.
- 20 cup-shaped plastic paddle switches, some navy blue, some sky blue
in color.
- Switches are labeled "CLR, STP, MRD, MWR, ADR, EXE" and numbers 2
through 15.
- Three lights in the upper left are labeled "POWER, WAIT, CARRY,
ENABLE"
- There's a key lock in the lower right
- A bundle of cables trail from the panel terminating in two 46-pin
connectors and a few power leads.
- An ink stamp on the PCB reads "5172" - 5/1/72 perhaps?
thanks all! By the way, if someone needs one of these, let me know!
Kai
Once they are broke, they are broke, trust me on this, You can remove the
keycaps, but the switch itself is sealed in one piece.
----------
> From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)crl.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: apple II - SCORE!
> Date: Tuesday, June 24, 1997 12:40 PM
>
> On Tue, 24 Jun 1997 jpero(a)mail.cgo.wave.ca wrote:
>
> > Nip! Sad story about key problem...
> >
> > Can't you take that switch apart and clean it with alcohol? I had to
> > do that on my "speedy". Generic keyboard but used good quality gold
> > contacts switch in it only minor cleaning there then it worked 100%
> > The one key tab needed pounding to get anything but now I just
> > merely poke it. :) Total time of repair: 15 to 20 mins.
>
> I don't think you can do that with apple keys. Once they're broke
> they're broke. I could be wrong about this. I've just never tried it.
> At the time, I don't think I would've had the dexterity necessary to fix
> the key. At the very least I didn't have the brain capacity to think
> about it.
>
>
> Sam
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
> Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer,
Jackass
Im gonna take a risk here, but do any of these folks collect computers,
maybe the recent conversations havn't driven them nuts and they can give us
some information about old computers rather than start some type of
political hate crime debate. GROW UP EVERYONE.
----------
> From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)crl.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Why?
> Date: Monday, June 23, 1997 8:09 PM
>
> At 06:43 PM 6/21/97 +0000, you wrote:
> >I accept that....but you are such a big country. Isn't it about time you
> >start looking outside and try to understand other cultures? (no offence
>
> But we are a country of other cultures. My father came over from Germany
as
> a boy. My mother was of english descent (going back to Ann Boleyn and
> Katherine(?) Howard, two of Henry VIII's wives). My sister is an
honorary
> Nigerian. My girlfriend is Russian, French Canadian, and who knows what
> else. Her sister-in-law is a philippina. Some of my best friends
include
> jamaicans, scotsman, irish, french, german, native american, japanese,
> chinese, aussies, South African, eritrean, and so on.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
Something is odd here. There was some 25 PCjr messages in my box.
Somehow the discussion didn't get to me 'til it was underway.
I did go through them but I don't know anything. :)
Anyway, assuming PC Enterprises still carries this stuff, you might want
to check with them. The catalogue also doubles as an information source
since they give a few paragraphs on various tech stuff.
For instance what happens when your system board malfunctions, etc.
Here's some stuff from their PCjr catalogue that may
be of interest. There's a lot so this is just a few.
PCjr System Board #78739 $98
Power Supply Transformer (brick) #78712 $44
PCjr Power Supply Card (original) #78707 $49.95
PCjr Power Supply Card (heavy duty) #78729 $69.95
64K Memory & Display Expansion #78709 $50
Cartridge BASIC #78722 $119
Configuration Plus Cartridge #18026 $29.95
Allows for using BASIC/BASICA if you don't have
Cartridge BASIC
Compatibility Cartridge #18032 $39.95
Allows for running "modern" DOS apps that normally have
problems with the PCjr BIOS
Combo Cartridge V3.0 #18034 $89.95
Combination of four different cartridges (available separatly):
Compatibility, Quicksilver (memory speedup), Keyboard Buffer,
jrVideo (video speedup).
jrExcellerator Speed-up Board #14802 $99
Megaboard Sidecard #14031 $199
Adds 1MB to anything else you already have.
Load High Sidecar #97509 $35
Brings 640K system to 736K
There's a lot more (drives, video, etc.). Also info and memory expansion
for Rapport, Racore, and Quadram users.
This catalogue is from 1995 and no doubt they don't have everything
anymore (if their lack of Tandy parts is any indication).
PC Enterprises is the reason I have EMS and SCSI on my Tandy 1000 HX
but most of the stuff they used to have is no more.
1-800-922-7257 or 908-280-0025.
Getting help is also a problem.
Marc
--
>> ANIME SENSHI <<
Marc D. Williams
marcw(a)lightside.com
marc.williams(a)mb.fidonet.org
IRC Nick: Senshi Channel: #dos #IrcHelp
http://www.agate.net/~tvdog/internet.html -- DOS Internet Tools
Will someone please remove me from this list. Thank you.
--
+------------------------------------+
! Thomas Jarvis Bigshaker on IRC !
! ghjorth(a)sn.no Y.C.D.B.S.O.Y.A. !
+------------------------------------+
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.
At 00:02 22-06-97 PDT, you wrote:
<snip>
>Well, to get more specific, I have the (perhaps wrong) feeling that:
>
>a) You are against collectors who collect for the historical importance
>onyl and are not really worried if the item works or not (as long as all
>the parts are in there and the thing can be made to work if and when
>required). I have been ridiculized when I suggested this one way to go
>about collecting.
??? What on God's green Earth would make you think that? I collect a few
bits and pieces mainly for historical value (I've got an original Seagate
ST212 in one of my Micro-PDP11's that I don't ever plan to use; just
exhibit), and I've never been ridiculed.
Even if you have been jeered at, what of it? People have taken plenty of
pokes at me for my open criticism of Bill Gates, Microsoft, Intel, et al,
and my collecting of DEC stuff that's at least ten years old. My take on
this? Let 'em jeer. I see them as narrow-minded victims of the Wintel
monopoly's marketing sharks, and I am confident in the fact that I'll
likely forget more about computer hardware than such people will ever learn.
>b) You are against collectors who want ot take out bits and pieces from
>the systems in order to show them separately (but retaining and perhaps
>even ehibiting the "crippled" item). I have been refused help in thsi
>respect when it became apparent I was going to do this.
I don't see an issue with this. What I do have a problem with is people
who just blindly throw 'bits and pieces' or entire machines on the scrap
heap just because they think they're "obsolete" (an overused word if ever
there was one!)
>c) You are against helping "foreigners" (and therefore "different")
>collectors to export "your" stuff perhaps in the wrong perception that
>it will diminish the heritage of the country (yours). I have striken a
?!? Good Lord, man, who's been beating you up? I would WELCOME aiding
anyone, in any country, that wanted to restore or collect some piece of
hardware that I'm familiar with and needed help to get it going (I
obviously can't be of much help with stuff I don't know anything about).
Tell you what... if you want proof of this, at least from me, I'd be happy
to offer any aid I can with the equipment that I'm familiar with. That
includes DEC stuff, from the PDP11/03 on up through the MicroPDP's and
VAXen. There are others on here who, I'm sure, would be willing to help you
in their particular areas of expertise.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272)
(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)wizards.net)
http://www.wizards.net/technoid
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
Today's scrounging haul:
TI99/4 Impact Printer, clean, working, new ribbon $ 1.00
Mac 20mb SCSI external hard drive $20.00
200 360k floppys, new in boxes of 10 $ 3.00
Mac ADB coil cord $
1.00
Tandy CoCo/1000 delux joystick NIB $ 1.00
Passed up on a C64 with PSU $ 3.00, Amiga A500 NIB $ 25.00, C-128 $1.00
(looked a little well used), Apple 2e $ 5.00 with Disk II.
This is a message I sent to the Electronic Organ list today. They were
discussing simulating a pipe organ with a computer.
I looked at the Alphasyntauri in my collection, and thought "Been there,
done that . . ."
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 08:40:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Charles P. Hobbs" <transit(a)primenet.com>
Cc: EORG-L(a)CFRVM.CFR.USF.EDU
Subject: Computer simulation of an organ
Anyone here heard of the AlphaSyntauri?
This was an organ keyboard, connected to an Apple II computer. The Apple
was equipped with sixteen 8-bit DACs (digital-analog converters). The
DACs converted digital waveforms (sequences of numbers in the Apple's RAM)
to analog, audio signals.
The AlphaSyntauri could play up to eight notes simultaneously (2 DACs were
normally assigned to each note). Tonalities could be easily selected via
software. There were even Fourier-analysis tools allowing the users to
make and manipulate their own waveforms.
This instrument was popular in the early 80's, but died out before the
age of MIDI. By that time, its output (8 bit DACs, relatively low sampling
rate) had made the instrument obsolete for most serious musicians (I have
one as a collector's item).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles P. Hobbs __ __ ____ ___ ___ ____
transit(a)primenet.com /__)/__) / / / / /_ /\ / /_ /
/ / \ / / / / /__ / \/ /___ /
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> So I am asking *you*, lover of the hardware to reconsider your thoughts
> and ask yourself what would your collection mean without all of the
> above. I, for one, will be glad to learn that you had second toughts
> about this. In either cases it could be useful to read here your
> motivations.
Interesting comment.
More information on the AIMs. I am currently working on a bulk deal with
Mike for $20 a piece. While these are truly AIMs, they are not "stock"
AIMs. They have been altered (really improved). While I think the
improvements are very nice, I would've preferred a stock AIM. However,
these definitely sound like nice units. Anyway, here's the scoop.
Sam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 1997 15:45:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mikeooo1(a)aol.com
To: dastar(a)crl.com
Subject: Re: AIM65
Gentlemen,
In response to all the interest so many of you have shown in my Aim 65
collection let me say that they are all in new working condition.The beauty
about the Aim 65 is that it was a single board computer which was self
contained in that it had its display,printer,and memory all mounted on its
board so that peripheral attachments weren't necessary.Yes,it comes with a
keyboard and power supply also.I developed a plastic enclosure and metal base
and ROM board for the system so the keyboard and power supply could be housed
with the Aim in a compact unit and programs could be burned onto eproms which
would seat in the ROM board rather than rely on tape storage which involves a
recorder hookup and would be quite slow. I didn't like the enclosure or the
unwieldy power supply that Rockwell created for the Aim so I had my own
plastic enclosure injection molded by a plastics manufacturer. I had a metal
base manufactured for the unit so it could be professionally represented as
an industrial computer rather than just the "hobbyist's computer" Rockwell
originally designed it for.I also have production equipment I developed for
creating programs downloading them directly from the Aim into the RAM buffer
of eprom burning devices and ultimately housing the programmed eproms in the
ROM board I developed which sat on the bottom of the case housing.I have
built a successful company around the Aim which is truly an amazing computer
and has withstood the test of time as many people are still using it today.As
for its value,the unit sold for approx.$450 (computerboard and keyboard) and
its part are still in demand today.The display chips alone cost $30 apiece
and there are 5 on each display while the print head alone sells for $105,the
entire printer about $180.
At 07:59 PM 6/21/97 +0000, you wrote:
>Is "culture" banned from this site then? (We are getting there in the
>end....it's a CULTURE clash, is it?)
Yes! No more culture! Only trashy romance novels, Beverly Hills
90210/Melrose Place, and the Bee-Gees should be discussed here! And that's
Culture *Club*! (Seequa, seequa, seequa, seequa, seequa, seequa
chameleooooon...)
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/
Well after getting my Educator 64 working (yipee!) and realizing I have
alot of the Commodores I kinda wanted to collect from years back I
decided to write out a quick list (a>this is from memory so there
probably is stuff missing and b>it in no way shows how many repeats of
items I have (like 3 VIC-20s, umpteen datasettes, etc.) c>I have NO
interested in selling any of it.) Hope you find it interesting. (=))
Larry's Commodore Collection:
Calculators:
Minuteman 6
Minuteman 6x
Custom Greenline
Rechargable (greenline?)
Model 784D
PET Series
Original PET with original ROMs and 32k ExpandaPET board
PET 2001 Series w/Upgrade ROMs 32k
PET 2001 Series w/4.0 ROMS & MTU VM Graphics Board
CBM 2001 Series 32k
PET 4000 Series w/32k
CBM 8032
SuperPET Model SP9000
PET/IEEE-488 Peripherals/Firmware
RAM/ROM EPROM emulator
Centronics Printer Interface
4040 Dual Disk Drive
2031LP Single Disk Drive
8023 Wide Carriage Dot-Matrix Printer
Original 'modified' Sanyo cassete deck
C2N Datasette in black case
C2N Datasette in cream case w/counter
Toolkit ROMs (upgrade and 4.0 versions)
VIC-20 Series
VIC-20 (DIN power Supply)
VIC-20 Peripherals/Firmware
Commodore Joystick
Commodore Paddle Controllers
Commodore C2N/1530 low-profile datasettes
Commodore VIC-1541 Single Disk Drive
Cardco Cartridge expansion unit
Koala Pad
MSD 24k RAM cartridge
Commodore 8k RAM cartridge
Commodore 3k+SuperExpander Cartridge
HES HESMON utility cartridge
Omega Race
Tooth Invaders
Defender
Choplifter
Radar Ratrace
Donkey Kong
Cosmic Cruncher
C64/B-128 Series
Commodore 64 (8-Pin Video)
Commodore 64 w/stereo SID modification
Commodore SX-64 portable
Commodore P-500
Educator 64 (Commodore 64 in PET/CBM 4000/8000 style case)
64/B-128 Series Peripherals/Firmware
Commodore 1702 Color Monitor
Commodore 1541 Disk Drive
Star Micronis NX1000C Dot Matrix Printer
Citizen iDP560CD 2 3/4" wide Dot Matrix Printer
Kinney Video Digitizer
Alien Group Alien Voicebox Voice Synthesiser
Currah Technologies Voicemaster 64
Wico Trackball controller
Total Telecommunications 300 Baud Modem
Inkwell Tech. Lightpen
Lemans
Jumpman Jr.
SuperGraphics Jr.
HESMon 64
Gridrunner
Astroblitz
Commodore 264 series:
Commodore 16
Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4 w/standard 64 PS connector
264 Peripherals/Firmware
Atari style joystick adapter
Datasette plug adapter
+4/16 joystick
Jack Attack
Plus Calc
Plus Script
Commodore 128/128D series
Commodore 64C
Commodore 128
Commodore 128D (missing keyboard)
Commodore 128 Series Peripherals
Commodore 1670 1200 Baud Modem
Commodore Modem 300 - 300 Baud Modem
Commodore 1902 Color Monitor
Commodore 1541C Disk Drive
Commodore 1541-II Disk Drive
Commodore 1571 Disk Drive
Commodore 1581 3.5" Micro Floppy Disk Drive
Commodore 1764 RAM Expansion Unit
Commodore 1351 Mouse
CMD RAMLink Ram Expansion Unit
CMD HD series Hard Drive Unit
Aprotek 2400 Baud Modem
SuperSnapshot 5 Utility Cartridge
Lotsa Joysticks... ;)
Still Looking for:
8050 Dual Disk Drive
8250 Dual Disk Drive
SFD-1001 Single Floppy Drive
8010 Modem (acoustic coupler)
4010 Voice Response Unit (speech synthesiser)
CBM 9060/9090 Hard Disk Unit
B-128/B-256 Series Computer
Computereyes for Commodore 64
Commodore comaptible EPROM programmer
Commodore 65
Commodore LCD (I wish!)
Serial<->IEEE-488 interfaces
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Last week - while I was on holiday on the Noprfolk Broads - someone (I
forget who) asked if there had ever been a microcomputer that used
EBCDIC.
I have an IBM System/23 (aka Datamaster) at home. It has system board,
mono monitor, twin 8-inch floppies and PC-style keyboard in one box, and
a printer hung off the back. It has an 8085 processor, 64k RAM and 112K
ROM. The expansion slots are suspiciously IBM PC like...
This box programs in BASIC (the 112k of ROM contains almost a complete
mainframe basic with matrix ops, etc.) and uses EBCDIC as its character
set. It has interesting features such as a file system with 8.8
character filenames (as opposed to the CPM and later 8.3 that everyone
seems to use nowadays :-( ). If the printer is switched off or
disconnected, it fails power on diagnostics!
As I recall, I was given it by a friend at college in ?1988. He
informed me that his stepfather paid L11000 (i.e. UK pounds) for it in
?1980.
I once tried to get the BASIC manual out of IBM technical publications.
It was out of print, so they persuaded me to shell out L30 (about $40 or
$50?) for the mainframe BASIC manual. Not a good buy!!!
Anyone else out there have one of these? Know any more about it?
Philip.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Philip Belben <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Das Feuer brennt, das Feuer nennt die Luft sein Schwesterelement -
und frisst sie doch (samt dem Ozon)! Das ist die Liebe, lieber Sohn.
Poem by Christian Morgenstern - Message by Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk
Subject: Re: Classsic Computing Newsgroup revisited
Message-ID: <199706222028.4491(a)tw500.eng.cam.ac.uk>
>> I'm against new newsgroups being created, especially when the topics
>> are quite technical and already well-handled by existing newsgroups.
>> For example, people wanting Apple II help can go to comp.sys.apple2,
>> users of various CP/M systems hang around comp.os.cpm, PDP-11
>> users have vmsnet.pdp-11, etc.
>Agreed. Off-hand I can't think of a single classic computer which is not
>covered by at least one existing newsgroup. If you don't know which group
>to post to, you'll find that most of them are quite friendly to
>just-off-topic questions. If you find an obscure Z80 machine that didn't
>ever run CP/M, I'm quite sure that a post to comp.os.cpm would get either
>some help or a pointer to the appropriate newsgroup. I'd be _very_
>supprised if it got a flame.
Let's get this straight:
A) alt.technology.obsolete does not need to be created, it has been on
the net
for at least as long as I have (6+ months)
B) The newsgroup is currently dead (except for the occasional spamming
post.)
C) having specific newsgroups is ok, but what if you want the open
discussion
of computers like we have here? I kinda get irked seeing Spectrum
posts in comp.sys.cbm. But wouldn't mind on a mixed group, because I
am
in that mode when I am reading it. (sound logical?)
So, again, the newsgroup (alt.technology.obsolete) exists now and has
been in existence for quite a while and I suggest we put this good
opportunity (and name) to use.
Larry Anderson
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>From: "e.tedeschi" <e.tedeschi(a)ndirect.co.uk>
>Subject: bibliography
>What do you think of this bibliography? Have I missed any important book
>on the subject? Please help me in making this a useful refence for
>everybody to use, if you care. Thank you
There was also one by COMPUTE! Books, the (Small?) Computer Wars I
think the author's name is Michael Tomzyk. I have yet to find it (or
many that you mentioned) Though I found Steven Levy's Hackers very
entertaining!
One interesting book my wife came across in a thrift store is: "The
Compleat Computer" a compilation edited by Dennie Van Tassel. It was
printed in 1976 and has alot of press clippings, cartoons, articles and
anecdotes of the then blossoming microcomputer age. One nice bit is the
transcript of the session between Eliza (the psychiatrist program) and
Parry (the paranoid program).
Larry Anderson
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