This seems to be the favorite from what I can tell from the many
discussions of Mini's. If I could get a hold of one of these, what parts
do I need, what can I use it for and how much should I have to pay for it?
Please feel free to email me personally if you do not wish to clutter the
list.
Bill Girnius
thedm(a)sunflower.com
Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu
>> a mention that I have a front-panel IMSAI I get hundreds of emails from
collectors and pseudo-collectors-wannabes who would bend overbackwards to
pay me good money for it. Are the only machines that people collect trendy
micros that have been featured in the "collectible" column of the _LA
Times_ and the like? Are classic minis, including PDP-11's and DG mini's
only items for the junk heap?<<
>I can't speak for everyone, but for some of us the problem isn't that
PDP-11's aren't "trendy" enough, the problem is space. I would love to<
This is THE critical fact. Go into an antique store sometime, and look at
the prices. You'll see some little knicknack for $300, and then you'll see
a huge, 150-year old carved mahogany wardrobe closet for-- $260? The fact
is EVERYONE has room for the small knicknacks, but few people have room for
the wardrobe closets. Similarly, I can (and some day, probably will)
decorate my office with cute little ZX-80s, Mattel Aquarius, CGP-115-type
printer plotters and the like, scattered around for people to look at as
curiousities (and ask about, if they're foolish enough to get me started);
but, what would I do with a mini or an IBM 360 if I had one? Not that
preserving some of the larger systems isn't a worthwhile effort, but I
think most people would echo W.C. Fields comparing women to elephants: "I
like to look at them, but I wouldn't want to own one."
Message text written by INTERNET:Philip.Belben@powertech.co.uk
>I have some comments on the PET FAQ, but I've lost Larry Anderson's
e-mail address. Accordingly I am posting it here, with apologies to all
who don't wish to read it.<
I believe it is foxnhare(a)goldrush.com
I've already sent him e-mail, directing him to Jim Brain's "Canonical List
of Commodore Products" which mentions a number of computer and printer
models he missed. I also mentioned the FAQ that Jim maintains on various
Commodore topics, although I assume he's familiar with that.
Gil Parrish
107765.1161(a)compuserve.com
Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu
>Mike has contacted the company with the HHCs and there is a guy there
counting up all the available units. Mike and I worked out a deal of
$1600 for 200 units, which puts the base price per unit at $8 before<
Again, bravo for undertaking this effort.
Once we all get our units, we'll probably need a separate listserv to
discuss them, swap programs and such. If folks have access to the internet
(usenet) newsgroups, I know of one which is virtually inactive and could
easily be hijacked for this purpose. ;-]
Gil Parrish
107765.1161(a)compuserve.com
Well I've done that too. Like with my Tandy Model4's, which I didn't know
anything about. But at least I knew it as all there. The places I get my
stuff, never have anything like this. You find me one, and well, if I can
afford it, I'll have a stab. Be a good reason for me to learn unix.
----------
> From: PDP11 Hacker ..... <ard(a)siva.bris.ac.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Minicomputer Storage Myths
> Date: Tuesday, July 22, 1997 1:45 PM
>
> From: MX%"classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu" 22-JUL-1997 17:57:36.60
> To: MX%"classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu"
> CC:
> Subj: Re: Minicomputer Storage Myths
>
> >Wanna here a crying shame!? I only collect micros, simply because I'm
not
> >at all familiar with Unix, Vax, or any flavor thereoff. I have an 18X24
> >room in the basement of my house devoted to not just storing my
collection,
> >but having it setup and running. If I knew more about these machines,
I'd
> >probably love to have one.
>
> That's no excuse! :-). When I got my first minicomputer I knew absolutely
> nothing about them (I'd never used a front panel, had only vague ideas on
> how a processor worked at gate level, etc). I suspect the rest is true
> of some other serious collectors on this list.
>
> Still, I sat down with the machine, and even more importantly the service
> manual, and I figured it out. It didn't take that long. And I didn't have
a
> group of experts to turn to, either.
>
> -tony
>
Wanna here a crying shame!? I only collect micros, simply because I'm not
at all familiar with Unix, Vax, or any flavor thereoff. I have an 18X24
room in the basement of my house devoted to not just storing my collection,
but having it setup and running. If I knew more about these machines, I'd
probably love to have one.
----------
> From: Carl R. Friend <carl.friend(a)stoneweb.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Minicomputer Storage Myths
> Date: Tuesday, July 22, 1997 11:42 AM
>
> In a few assorted threads I've seen under various names like "RSTS/E
> Manuals" and "Minis not 'Trendy'", several folks have put forward the
> argument that minicomputers are too large to collect easily. I have one
> word: "hogwash".
>
> For the most part, your typical minicomputer fits securely in a 19"
> wide rack. They're typically either around 5.5" or 11" high, or there-
> abouts, and they're usually 22-30" deep with some going a little
> deeper. They stack nicely for the most part as all the surfaces are
> at right angles to one another. They do weigh a certain amount, but
> usually do not top 100 pounds or so.
>
> Yes, collecting them does take creative space management.
>
> I noticed that one chap has installed his pdp11 under his bed; good
> call! I hadn't thought of that one...
>
> Another guy gripes about putting a mini in his Honda Civic for
> transport. My wife did just that when she came home with a DG Nova 1200
> for me a few years back; it fit very comfortably in the trunk. I just
> got back from a trip to the US Midwest with two minis in two 6' bays
> in the back of my minivan (story coming on my website).
>
> Kevan has room in his loft for a half-dozen minis or so (looked
> at the pictures) once he gets things organised (sorry, Kevan) with
> space left over.
>
> I keep three minicomputers (half-height Novas) on a kitchen counter
> underneath our coffee-pot (I really should get a picture of that). I
> also have a small rack with three of my pdp11s in it living in the
> dining-room of our house - it makes a wonderful stand-up terminal
> stand. Smaller racks can be utilised as end-tables.
>
> The ultimate space-management tool in dealing with minis is the
> six-foot rack. In one of them you can mount an easy half-dozen
> machines; if you share peripherals, they can all be used too. Un-
> fortunately, my wife drew the line at that one, so I use the "scatter
> method" of space management.
>
> The bottom line is that _it's not as big a deal as it's made out
> to be_! It can be done, it should be done, and not enough people are
> doing it. The machines are disappearing - and that's a shame.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> | | |
> | Carl Richard Friend (UNIX Sysadmin) | West Boylston |
> | Minicomputer Collector / Enthusiast | Massachusetts, USA |
> | mailto:carl.friend@stoneweb.com | |
> | http://www.ultranet.com/~engelbrt/carl/museum/ | ICBM: N42:21 W71:46 |
> |________________________________________________|_____________________|
<dollars or drive hundreds (thousands) of miles in a rented truck (unless
<you can fit a PDP-11 in the trunk of a Honda Civic) to pick stuff up.
I've loaded an 11/23 with rx02 drives sans rack into one easily. A DG mini
in one of the smaller boxes would fit. Keep in mind most of the minis the
basic CPU box is rack width (nom 19"wide x 30"deep) and usually under 11"
tall. Most 11/23s are in ba11N or S boxes that are 5-1/2" tall. An RL02
at 70pounds is rack width/depth and under 11" tall. The cak however can be
bigger.
I could easily fit a 11/23 or ther Q-bus pdp-11/rlo2/rx02 in any midsize
trunk they arent that big. Also some of the short racks (30", 40", 50")
fit in rooms easily. They are more than large enough to contain a PDP-11
or nova or several depending o disks and CPU boxes.
I'd jump on a Front pannel nova but I can't swing the shipping unless I can
keep it under 20$. Even thoug DG is only a few miles from here I've never
played with their hardware.
Allison
I'll look into it!
Mike
----------
From: PG Manney
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Wanted -- Atari ST 1040 drive
Date: Monday, July 21, 1997 4:03PM
A customer's Atari 720 K 3 1/2" floppy drive died. Anyone have one?
According to him, this takes standard IBM DSDD 720K drives, but not
Tandy
(I guess, because of the strange data cable.)
Thanks,
manney(a)nwohio.com
