test-drb October 1998

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

175 participants
1141 discussions

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Although it's certainly interesting, I doubt my new-found knowledge of the first microprocessor is going to radically change any of my view of the world. F14CADC doesn't mean anything different than 4004. But, what I guess might be significant is that this shows how major an impact the military has played on computers. The ENIAC, F14CADC, DEC Alpha, and other stuff I'm sure can all be attributed to the pentagon. And _that_ is significant because instead of saying that the computer is a triumph of enterpreneurs and daring capitalists, we can _also_ say that it is a triumph of America's great war machine. > >the F14 CADC was the first microcomputer system that made fly by wire >practical. The 4004 was the first commercially viable single chip CPU. >Clear statments that do not conflict but do make a statment that points >to their significance. > >< I'm not denying that Holt produced a CPU, and it may be important in th >< history of military computers. It is irrelevant in the history of the >< personal computer unless there was a personal computer designed that >< included it or a direct descendant. > >Or the technology that made the silicon possible for later commercial >designs. It doesn't have to be the same design. > >< I think it's great that Holt got his story out. Footnotes always add >< depth, but no chapters need to be rewritten. > >The assuption is they are accurate chapters. ;) the depth is needed to >see how the later chapters are significant. > > >Allison > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

25 years, 9 months

Apple IV/Lisa (was: Re: Somebody has a C65 on eBay)

by tomowad＠earthlink.net

>>>There's some evidence to suggest that the Lisa is the Apple VI, which raises >>>the question of what happened to IV and V. >> >> I think it would be more accurate to say that Apple considered naming the >> Lisa the Apple IV. "Lisa" was originally just a code name, after all. > >In what way can that be said to be more accurate? "...Lisa is the Apple IV" gives one the impression that the Apple IV was a definite computer, rather than just a name that was considered, but never actually used, for the Lisa. It is quite probable Apple considered using the name "Apple IV" for many computers that shipped after the Apple ///. Said Steve Wozniak, in reference to the Apple ///, "...when we reintroduced it we should have called it the Apple IV." (The Mac Bathroom Reader, pg 34). My point is, "Apple IV" is such a logical name for a computer from Apple that it could have been considered for just about anything. "Apple IV", however, is not the sort of name that was used as a codename at Apple, and therefore most likely would not have been called so in the development stage, though there are many prototypes that could have ended up bearing that name. Of course, I'm just hypothesizing here. :-) >Aside from the marketing model numbers, the only information I've ever found >regarding alternate names that may have been considered was the story about >the name "Applause". According to _The Mac Bathroom Reader_, by Owen Linzmayer, page 80: "Apple figured it needed a more professional-sounding name to appeal to the business market, so it hired an outside consulting firm to recommend a new name. Among others, they suggested Applause, Apple IV, Apple 400, The Coach, Espirit, Teacher, and The World. Quite an effort went into thinking up a different name, but the forthcoming computer had already received so much press coverage under its code name that Apple reverse engineereed the explanation that Lisa stood for 'Local Integrated Software Architecture'" If you're interested in reading about Mac History & prototypes, _The Mac Bathroom Reader" by Owen Linzmayer and _AppleDesign_ by Paul Kunkel are both excellent books. Tom Owad -- Sysop of Caesarville Online Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>

25 years, 9 months

Aquarius Data Recorders

by dlw＠trailingedge.com

I just received an email from a local group which has 250 new in box Aquarius cassette recorders. They are taking bids but I suspect you can't just buy a few but would have to take the whole lot. I have one but could use at least one more and maybe two and it would be nice to have the box and any doc or cables. Is there any interest in this out there? If so, how much would people be willing to pay? Don't forget shipping costs. Let me know. BTW, "local" in this case is Houston, TX. ----- David Williams - Computer Packrat dlw(a)trailingedge.com http://www.trailingedge.com

25 years, 9 months

by mew_jac＠swbell.net

25 years, 9 months

North Star Horizon Help

by kaikal＠MICROSOFT.com

Do you have the manuals? You'll need to check the port definitions that are set via jumpers on the open DIPs near the back of the motherboard. Also, I seem to recall that North Star DOS was generated for a specific RAM size -- I believe it's top-resident. A DOS set up for 16K would work on 32K or 48K, but not vice versa. Kai -----Original Message----- From: David Williams [mailto:dlw@trailingedge.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 1998 3:38 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: North Star Horizon Help Ok, I have a few minutes now to play around with the N* Horizon I've been fixing up. I've tried to power it up and it seems to hit the disk drive and then nothing. I've plugged some spare terminals into the port marked "Video Terminal Port" and played with baud rates and other comm settings but get nothing on any of my terminals. Also tried straight through and flipped comm cables. Can someone give me some info on these and maybe walk me through getting it set up and running so I can check and see if I've missed something? Oh, I'm trying both N*DOS 5.2 and N* CP/M 2.2. Thanks. ----- David Williams - Computer Packrat dlw(a)trailingedge.com http://www.trailingedge.com

25 years, 9 months

TI CC-40 was RE: Vaporware (and not) from '83 CES

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I have one; does anyone know where I could get a tape drive and some cartridges for it? >The TI CC-40 exists for sure - I've seen several of them. > >Bob > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Bob Withers Do or do not, there is no try. >bwit(a)pobox.com Yoda >------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >On Tuesday, October 06, 1998 7:07 PM, Kai Kaltenbach [SMTP:kaikal@microsoft.com] wrote: >> New computers announced at the 1983 CES: >> >> Vaporware? Please respond if you KNOW any of these exist for SURE. >> >> - Panasonic JR-200 (I think this may exist) >> - Sanyo PCH20/PHC25 (Z80, 4K/16K, $99/$199) >> - STM Pied Piper (CP/M portable, 64K, $1295) >> - TI 99/2 (Supposedly $100, including 4.2K RAM) >> - TI CC-40 (Compact Computer 40, laptop like Epson HX-20, 4 AA cells, 31 >> character LCD display, $249) >> - Unisonic Futura 8300 (Z80, 2K, Sinclair BASIC, $90) >> - Video Technology VZ200 (Z80, 4K, MS BASIC, $99) >> >> Not Vaporware >> >> - Jupiter Ace >> - Mattel Aquarius >> - Spectravideo SV-318 >> - Timex Sinclair 2000 >> >> >> By the way, has anyone actually seen an TI 99/4 (not 4a)? >> >> Kai >> >> > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

25 years, 9 months

Top 10 Holy Grails of Classic Microcomputer Collecting

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

Let's get this into the proper perspective here there is only one "Holy Grail" (unless you read National Inquirer then there are millions for $39.98 plus shipping and handling) Let's see if I can think of some true 'Holy Grails' of computing: 1) The pre Apple 1 prototype Steve Wozniac brought to the Homebrew Computer Club. 2) The original code listing for the BASIC he hand typed to demonstrate that computer. 3) The PDP-1 used to write and play Space War at MIT (with the original game controls) ( I know it's not a micro, but I like the idea. ) 4) 'The original' paper tape of BASIC that was pirated from Bill Gates. Now those would be 'holy grails,' something along the lines of you either don't tell anyone or are very carefull who you tell that you own them. Larry -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363 Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

25 years, 9 months

C65

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

> From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com> > Subject: Re: Somebody has a C65 on eBay > > On Mon, 5 Oct 1998, Cameron Kaiser wrote: > > > :: > > ::Somebody's posted a Commodore C65 prototype on eBay. 4 days left and the > > ::bidding is at $1025. > > :: > > > > That's nothing. The last one sold went for $1400. (!) > > Well, how many of these "prototypes" exist? Has anyone authenticated > these things? I would venture to guess a couple hundred to several hundred. Commodore was almost to production before they decided to drop the C65 (I remember reading 1991 as the year they dopped the project). After Commodore went bankrupt some of thier warehouse assetts were liquidated, the Graprvine Group in New York had bought the one with the most c65s and were selling them for I think about $100 a unit. It kinda resembles an Amiga 500 with the floppy drive facing forward (no neumeric keypad). The c65 would best be compared to the Apple IIgs, still has its roots in the 6502 but alot of the graphics and sound are adapted from Amiga technology. It would have done well with the people wanting a more amiga-like system without sacrificing all thier Commodore 8-bit drives and such. There are enough c65s out there that some people have FTP sites of c65 programs. Unfortunately I wasn't one of the people who got a c65 on time. *sigh* -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363 Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

25 years, 9 months

Corrections to trivia

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

> Intel supplied the ammunition for a >revolution: cheap computers. The high level of integration was what >enabled them to make it cheap, and they commercialized it. The level of >integration is the salient feature of the chip, but not the main feature >of the important event. It *certainly* wasn't obvious in the mid-70's, when Intel had picked up its pieces and put together a microprocessor chip (the 8080A) which cost a significant fraction of what a new car cost at the time, that VLSI CPU's were going to be replacing boards full of TTL logic. It was Intel's competitors - notably Motorola and especially MOS Technology - who were responsible for driving microprocessor CPU costs to the hundred-dollar-level and below. That's when times really began a-changin'. Tim.

25 years, 9 months

Vaporware (and not) from '83 CES

by bwit＠pobox.com

The TI CC-40 exists for sure - I've seen several of them. Bob ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Withers Do or do not, there is no try. bwit(a)pobox.com Yoda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Tuesday, October 06, 1998 7:07 PM, Kai Kaltenbach [SMTP:kaikal@microsoft.com] wrote: > New computers announced at the 1983 CES: > > Vaporware? Please respond if you KNOW any of these exist for SURE. > > - Panasonic JR-200 (I think this may exist) > - Sanyo PCH20/PHC25 (Z80, 4K/16K, $99/$199) > - STM Pied Piper (CP/M portable, 64K, $1295) > - TI 99/2 (Supposedly $100, including 4.2K RAM) > - TI CC-40 (Compact Computer 40, laptop like Epson HX-20, 4 AA cells, 31 > character LCD display, $249) > - Unisonic Futura 8300 (Z80, 2K, Sinclair BASIC, $90) > - Video Technology VZ200 (Z80, 4K, MS BASIC, $99) > > Not Vaporware > > - Jupiter Ace > - Mattel Aquarius > - Spectravideo SV-318 > - Timex Sinclair 2000 > > > By the way, has anyone actually seen an TI 99/4 (not 4a)? > > Kai > >

25 years, 9 months

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test-drb October 1998