In a message dated 98-01-27 11:09:28 EST, you write:
<< REXX on a PC? I think I have heard (very dimly) of this (there was
something called REXX-88 or some such name when I was at IBM) but I
haven't used REXX for years! What does it run on? Will it run on a
Compaq 386? An IBM AT? >>
any machine that can run pcdos can have rexx installed as part of the dos
upgrade. according to my dos 7 manual, any machine xt and above with 512k or
greater can accomodate it.
david (pcdos7 user)
I never saw anybody use the cassette port for practical purposes. In fact, I
never saw a cassette drive from IBM. Good trivia question. Has anybody ever
seen one? I do remember reading something years ago about hobbyists using
the cassette port for plugging in wierd hardware hacks.
The original PC came with Cassette Basic. As I recall, defaulted to that if
you had no DOS boot disk. GWBasic and BasicA had to be loaded off the DOS
disk.
-----Original Message-----
From: Zane H. Healy <healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Monday, January 26, 1998 11:45 PM
Subject: Re: Development, round II
>> BTW has anyone ever seen someone use the cassette port? I supported
>>several hundred early PC user's and never even heard of anyone using the
>>cassette port.
>
>Well, just off the top of my head, the original IBM PC came with two 5 1/4"
>floppy drives. That tells me you'd have to be crazy to even attempt using
>the cassette interface. Either that or have some special purpose
>application (don't even want to imagine what).
>
> Zane
>
>
>| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator |
>| healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast |
>| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector |
>+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
>| For Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
>| see http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ |
>| For the collecting of Classic Computers with info on them. |
>| see http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/museum.html |
>
>
>
Another fellow with more DEC'ish stuff available. Please reply
directly to the original author if interested.
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From: yven(a)smart.net (James J. Yven)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro
Subject: FS:VR201 monitor $25
Date: 27 Jan 1998 13:19:18 GMT
Organization: Smartnet Internet Services, LLC of Laurel, Maryland
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Xref: Supernews70 comp.sys.dec.micro:8215
DEC VR201 monitor, in great shape, $25
also various Rainbow software and hardware available.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, SysOp,
The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fido 1:343/272)
kyrrin2 {at} wiz<ards> d[o]t n=e=t
"...No matter how hard we may wish otherwise, our science can only describe
an object, event, or living creature, in our own human terms. It cannot possibly
define any of them!..."
I stand corrected. A dab of white grease will do ya. Vaseline works in a
pinch.
No off topic or lewd comments on this please....
-----Original Message-----
From: SUPRDAVE <SUPRDAVE(a)aol.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Monday, January 26, 1998 11:54 PM
Subject: Re: back ontopic: mac 400k drive.
>In a message dated 98-01-26 23:36:11 EST, you write:
>
><< The grease on the eject rails hardens and causes this behaviour.
You -can-
> get it out with the paper clip if it moves at all, but you have to push
> hard. >>
>
>
>turns out that's exactly what it was! thankfully the drive mechanism
separates
>from the rest of the drive with screws. i had some head and disk cleaner
>(alcohol) in a spray can, so i just sprayed it on the parts and worked them
>back and forth until they were loose. i've no grease, but at least its
working
>just fine now.
>
>david.
>
From: "Cliff Gregory" <cgregory(a)lrbcg.com>
Subject: Re: Okimate 10
> The Okimate 10 uses a serial connection designed for computers without a
> parallel port, such as the Commodore. There are interface cables made to
> allow such a computer to communicate to a printer with a standard centronics
> connector.... [snip]
The Okimate Printers employed a modular interface called a "plug-n-play
module, usually you would find them being Centronics parallel or
Commodore Serial (I am sure there was an Atari SIO too, but I can't be
certain...)
As far as hooking printers to the
IBM, it takes a parallel port adapter and special printer driver
software.... Given the general speed of the Commodore serial port I
would not bother. Besides, color dot matrix printers can be had for
under $50 at many thrift shops.
P.S. The Okimate is a real hog when it comes to color, expect about only
8 full color pages from a color ribbon, period. The ribbons are thermal
transfer and are one-shot.
00101011110100100100011110100111010101010011100100110101000101001110011010011
From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)wco.com>
Subject: Re: Interact Model One
>On Sun, 25 Jan 1998, Scott Ware wrote:
>> I recently acquired an Interact Model One computer. It's a relatively
>> small unit with calculator-style keys and a built in cassette deck for
>> data storage. Inside, there is an 8080 CPU and 16 Kbytes of RAM. The
>> latest date codes on the components place its manufacture in early 1978.
><snip>
> Scott, I've got one of these systems, and I've only seen two others: one
> owned by Doug Coward and another that (I THINK) Marvin Johnson bought at
> VCF 1.0.[snip!]
At a very reasonable price too I might add, I was tempted to get it
myself...
> These are not very common machines. I think they were used as training
> computers for those "Become a Computer Technician" ads you see in computer
> magazines for those cheezy tech schools.
I remember seeing Protecto Enterprizes (and possibly COMB too) selling
them they referred to them as "16K color computers." This was before
Protecto started selling VIC-20s and B-128s...
--
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At 05:01 AM 1/27/98 GMT, you wrote:
>I have purchased from Timco a couple of times; he's slow to ship
>but okay to deal with. I guess that's an endorsement.
Me and my friend have had a hard time with Timco. He says he will hold a
product until payment gets there, but then he ends up selling a laptop to
someone else that he was supposedly holding for me for one week. I
eventually got a refund, but my friend had the same luck with him, only he
just got a refund for the cost of the item, not shipping.
Buyer beware. Maybe we just had a run of badluck with the guy. I'm not
condemning him for two mediocre deals, just telling it how it is.
-John Higginbotham-
-limbo.netpath.net-
Jason-
You missed my point and (obviously) poor attempt at a little humor. I'm not
connected with any authorized repair institution. I'm not sure that's what
you were implying, but it kind of sounded like that. All I was saying was
that if the mechanical parts were bent up or broke, it would be sensible to
replace it. A working 400k spare drive for a Mac would be cheap and
relatvely easy to find. Turns out it was only petrified grease. Great. Now
everybody has learned somethng.
I into classic machines as a hobby and don't try to make a living out of it.
I guess that if I did, I'd be more inclined to avoid buying parts and
repairing everything. I fix everything I can, and replace what I can't.
That's the reason that I subscribe to this list - to save a few bucks, learn
>from other people, and swap, buy, or sell hardware to and from other
collectors. I assume that's why most of us are here.
Big CHOMP!
>... You could hose up the head, or send a minute
> electrical charge through your body that could affect your ability to
> reproduce in the future. Unless you are really good with working on tiny
> mechanical parts, save yourself the headache and replace the drive.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
To vent abit...
This reponses is typical of tech-support droid who do not wants
anyone to mess with internal computer parts without giving any tips
or solution besides telling them off to "authorized sites". Compaq
is pretty bad especially when I own years out of date equipment and
needs trival info on two resistors to fix a SLT power brick, I'm
still have not gotten this information yet from anything else.
Without fixing that, I can't sell the SLT 286 to others without
losing that only different type working brick cuz I have SLT 386s/20
also. @&#!
No fun to listen this especially when if that drive
is no longer in production and *is* nonstandard. All we only do want
some info and real techies are far fewer and far between common guys
with stuff that can use support help so there should not have a fear
of losing $ to those few techies. I really appreciate if some did
released this design to private makers to keep making older non
standad floppy drives for older machines.
That goes double to: any laptop drives (oh how godawful different
they're are!), Mac drives (Apple destroys their return broken parts
when traded in for credits from their authorized service support
places, thus drives up the cost becomes harder to get by the minute),
and many other different drives.
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgo.wave.ca
Pero, Jason D.
www.timco-computers.com
Wow,
Great prices. Looks like they have an awful lot of worthless junque for
people who regularly crave such things. Been looking for a MAC board
for my 2page display, Guess I know where to get one...
Thanks for the ref..
-Mike
In a message dated 98-01-26 23:36:11 EST, you write:
<< The grease on the eject rails hardens and causes this behaviour. You -can-
get it out with the paper clip if it moves at all, but you have to push
hard. >>
turns out that's exactly what it was! thankfully the drive mechanism separates
>from the rest of the drive with screws. i had some head and disk cleaner
(alcohol) in a spray can, so i just sprayed it on the parts and worked them
back and forth until they were loose. i've no grease, but at least its working
just fine now.
david.
Well, I found out that Atari is kicking. Has anyone heard about the game
"Primal Rage" It's copywrighted to Atari Games.
Tim D. Hotze
PS-It's my opinion that OS/2 (there making a new version) and DEC will be
around, in one form or another, for quite awhile.
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Prymmer <pvhp(a)forte.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 27, 1998 4:59 AM
Subject: Re: DEC Sold to Compaq!
>classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
>Subj: Re: DEC Sold to Compaq!
>
>Richard A. Cini wrote:
>
>>Well, you could see it coming. Poor financial performance (and hence, weak
>>stock price) over the last few years. Weak products. Then, DEC sells-out
the
>>Crown Jewels (its Alpha procesor) to Intel.
>>
>> After listening to an interview with Eckhard Pfeiffer of Compaq, they
>>paid $9.6 billion for DEC's customer list, not its products. He mentions
>>nothing about DEC's products.
>
>According to the scoop on DEC web pages and in comp.os.vms and various VMS
>mailing list he said:
>
> We are committed to...investing in Digital's strategic assets,
particularly
> its worldwide service organization, as well as its 64-bit leadership with
Alpha
> microprocessors, OpenVMS, Digital UNIX and Windows NT enterprise systems,
> open storage, and software products," Eckhard Pfeiffer, president and
chief
> executive officer of Compaq, said in a statement.
>
>And all the VMS geeks are tickled pink that he mentioned VMS first on the
list
>of OSes and point out that DEC CEO Bob Palmer hasn't been known to do that.
>
>> It's a shame...but it seems to me that DEC should have seen it coming.
>>Death comes to the last of the old-line computer companies.
>
>Well IBM is still alive and kicking (rumour is that the whole OS/2 shop has
>been fired/re-assigned/real-estate liqidated but AS/400 minis and
mainframes
>are making a strong comeback). I Don't know much about Unisys though...
>
>Peter Prymmer
>
>
>
