test-drb November 1998

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

185 participants
940 discussions

Daybreak hard drives (was Re: Collectibles for the future)

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

>Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 22:36:51 -0700 (MST) I feel bad for companies that replace junk for free. In a way, it's great support, but it also indicates that they expect this stuff to go bad. I almost never have hardware problems (some people fry their mobo every day), but floppy drives are definitely the least reliable of all modern PC technology (maybe next to monitors). >I'm curious. I've got 3 zip drives in use, and they've all performed flawlessly >except that the one in my PC croaked. I called them and they fed-exed me >a new one, and I sent them the old one. *shrug* >-- >Jim Strickland >jim(a)DIESPAMMERSCUMcalico.litterbox.com >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there? >----------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

25 years, 8 months

Old, but not "Classic"

by netcafe＠pirie.mtx.net.au

-----Original Message----- From: jpero(a)pop.cgocable.net <jpero(a)pop.cgocable.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Friday, 13 November 1998 11:21 Subject: Re: Old, but not "Classic" >win95 is too much for anything less than 486dx2, 500~1GB and 16MB plus. Not really, it depends on what you are doing with it. I have some 486SLC and DX 33 machines with 10 mb and 270Mb HDDs in the cafe here, happily running Win95, Ishare client (for the net) Netbeui & IPX protocol stacks with Netware (have a 3.12 Server here) and Microsoft network clients, Plus an assortment of Netscape/Agent/Mirc/BP FTP etc etc etc. They work pretty well, my customers will soon complain if they don't. I >Win98 needs new machines. Can't agree with that at all. I have had several P60's (yes the original 5v Pentiums) with 16mb and 408mb hdds running 98, Ishare with the Active Desktop and full IE4 suite running in the cafe here for up to 3 months. Never had an ounce of trouble with any of them. Again, it depends on what you are doing with it. >All 3.x, 95/98 must have cdrom drives, Highly desirable, though not essential if you have another machine who's cd it can share. Network cards are very cheap now, and a small lan is far cheaper to setup than retrofitting a CD rom. Footnote: The P60's I sold earlier had 32x cdroms and 16bit sound cards fitted when they were eventually sold to customers. Again, I've had none come back with problems. >too many hardware and software are on cds. Hardware on CD???? What sort of compression software does that!!! ;^) Cheers Geoff Computer Room Internet Cafe Port Pirie South Australia. netcafe(a)pirie.mtx.net.au

25 years, 8 months

NEC Multisync (was Re: AcerStation)

by bpvh＠primenet.com

On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Max Eskin wrote: >Also: Could someone tell me the model number of the original NEC >Multisync? NEC's site has nothing about it, and I want to know if >that's it at the thrift store. Could someone also confirm that it >can do VGA modes? While surfing a while back, I came across the "NEC Technologies Knowledge Base". On my printouts, the address was: http://128.191.16.10/customersupport/finals/noncurrent.htm The MultiSync I (JC-1401P3A) is one of the monitors listed. The site has fairly good detail of the monitors in question. Under PC Compatibility, the monitor is listed as: 640 X 480: 56 to 62 Hz vertical refresh 800 X 560: 56 Hz vertical refresh I strictly an Apple IIgs man and do not have a clue what the above means, but maybe the site or info above could help. **** bpvh Internet: bpvh(a)primenet.com Delphi: BPVH **** **** Posted by an Apple IIgs using my own Proterm 3.1 Macro File ****

25 years, 8 months

8-bit FORTH

by cswiger＠wilma.widomaker.com

From: dave dameron[SMTP:ddameron@earthlink.net] Subject: Re: 8-bit FORTH >>the right balance of control - not as terse as assembly, and >>not as handcuff'd as BASIC. >> >I found FORTH to be _more_ terse than any other language, except maybe >APL. >I tried a forth computer 80188 SBC with FORTH in EPROM (Used in the Ah, won't argue with that. As was pointed out, one loves or hates it, sometimes get branded a 'religion', uses the HP calc style 'reverse polish' stack, etc. I'm not aware of many 'killer apps' written in FORTH, it seems to live in real-time controllers, telescopes, etc. >they could write on a single line. Very difficult to read!!! >476#!@NXDUP&+ >(just joking) One of the points in the TIL book was you can make your language as custom and weird as you want - if you want '$' to mean 'add two numbers', go for it. Some places call that 'job security'. :> Chuck cswiger(a)widomaker.com

25 years, 8 months

Saved Altair 4K BASIC

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

That seems sort of overpriced. I mean, 4 kilobytes of code for $150? Was this a reasonable price at the time, or were there similar programs for less? >Altair 4K BASIC - $150 > w/ purchase of an Altair 8800, 4K of Altair memory and > an Altair I/O board - $60 > >8K BASIC - $200 > w/ purchase - $75 > >Entended BASIC - $350 > w/ purchase - $150 > > >Altair PACKAGE ONE (assb, edit, monitor) - $175 > w/ purchase - $75 > >Altair DOS - $500 > w/ purchase - $150 > >Note: when ordering, specify paper tape or cassette. > > > > >Uh, is that a bootable paper tape ? > > > Chuck > cswiger(a)widomaker.com > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

25 years, 8 months

8-bit FORTH

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

At 09:42 AM 11/12/98 -0500, you wrote: > >Another project in the tapes is an 'OS' based on a Byte book called >'Threaded Interpretive Languages' - just curious what opionions >are out there about FORTH as an 8-bit os. It seemed like just >the right balance of control - not as terse as assembly, and >not as handcuff'd as BASIC. > I found FORTH to be _more_ terse than any other language, except maybe APL. I tried a forth computer 80188 SBC with FORTH in EPROM (Used in the "Radio-Elextronics" Robot - 1986, 1987), and never became a great fan. I quess partly is I knew people who had pride on how complicated a program they could write on a single line. Very difficult to read!!! 476#!@NXDUP&+ (just joking) -Dave

25 years, 8 months

CompuCorp "Micro Computer"

by cswiger＠wilma.widomaker.com

From: Alex Knight[SMTP:aknight@mindspring.com] Subject: CompuCorp "Micro Computer" >guts of a couple of CompuCorp "Micro Computer" (at least >that's what _they_ called them) calculators on my >web site. They might weigh 3 1/2 pounds but some folks Hi Alex; Interesting site. I'm curious if you (or anyone else here) has heard of a programmable calculator by, I beleive' "Calcomp". We had one in high school in mid 70's - it came with an integrated printer, probably about 40 columns, can't recall what the display was, maybe blue flourescent, - and the interesting thing is you could program it with punch cards. Once you code something, you put a card into a hand held card punch holder that was a rubber backing with slots beneath all the holes, and use a stylus to punch out the holes. Then you could program it by feeding the cards into a little motorized reader plugged into the Calcomp. That was my first programming experience which led to a lust for Mark-8's and Altairs, etc. Chuck cswiger(a)widomaker.com

25 years, 8 months

Updates to Secret Weapons of Commodore

by franke＠sbs.de

Cameron Kaiser: > * CHESSmate (thanks Martijn van Buul) -- contains 6530 RIOTs, for you KIM-1 freaks and from the page: > 6530 RIOT (identical to KIM-1; 64 bytes RAM, 1KB ROM, 2 I/O ports, 8-bit timer), > [...] > The 6530 RIOT chip is identical to the twin RIOTs in the KIM-1, a > custom multifunction chip developed by MOSTek originally for that > system though versions of the RIOT also appear in the Atari VCS. The > MOS 6532 is not compatible with the 6530, however, and the 6530 is > unfortunately no longer manufactured. 6530s have been used in several Commodore boxes. Especialy within FD units. But they are _not_ identical to any KIM-1 6530, same as the 6530s on the KIM are not identical - The CS logic is always specific to each of the Models (althrough some have used the same schema) and of course the ROM content differs. Also some versions used less CS lines to recover some I/O lines. The 6530 was also not a special developed for the KIM, the KIM is only the most visible device using it. The idea of the 6530 was to offer a solution for small designs used in lagre quantity products, where the Chipcount is esential, and an additional ROM will raise the cost - and since such products, at least at this time tends to use ROMS, a genuine ROM production run has to be done any way, the usage of an 6530 lowers the cost, since the production process is the same from the customers view than with a ROM. Also the 6532 is somewhat compatible - this schould be changed into 'not pin compatible'. But beside that - nice page - great work - thank you. Hans -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

25 years, 8 months

Recent stuff I've acquired...

by karlm＠blitzen.canberra.edu.au

To add to my burgeoning collection, I must admit after joining this list I don't go past a 'second-hand' store without going in for a look :-) Over the last couple of weeks i've acquired.. * Various dumb terminals VT220's etc, some work some don't * An Apple IIc complete with monitor etc, now suitable modified with a 4-pin power plug to accomodate a PC 12v supply, and a DB-25 attached directly to the board for serial comms to my PC. Interestingly this IIc is an original motherboard, but with a Crystal hand-wired onto the board in place of the 74LS chip, thus avioding the IIc serial problem. I'll get around to documenting this mod soon, as I have not seen it anywhere. * A Mac+ suitable for conversion to a MacQuarium * A rather interesting Barcode reader/analyser with some form of microprocessor, an Intermec Trakker 9440, the Battery is totally dead, and I can't seem to find any info on the power supply voltage and as such haven't been able to power it up, but it's 10 years old (date 1988), at least I should be able to do something with the barcode wand. Anyone got any info on these? * A DEC TK50Z (found at the local recycling centre, and works fine) Cheers Karl ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Karl Maftoum Computer Engineering student at the University of Canberra, Australia Email: k.maftoum(a)student.canberra.edu.au

25 years, 8 months

DEC Equipment

by jrice＠texoma.net

I finally got to look at the old DEC equipment. There is a complete 11/780 system with several rl someting I assume are disk drives. This system is in several cabinets and is currently still cables together in a clean raised floor computer room. There are close to 100 pieces of VT220 terminals, some old ethernet hubs, some what I believe are old serial i/o hubs of some kind, dot matrix printers, printer/terminals like large old teletype machines, several older DEC laser printers like old HP laserjets, a large line printer like the old mainframe style. I will also probably get a PDP 11/34 in the near future. I'm not into DEC's but will act as a middleman for anyone who wants this stuff. Let me know, as I have to get it out of the plant pretty soon and I really don't have a lot of storage space. It is located about 60 miles north of Dallas. The PDP 11 is not ready to be released yet, the 11/780 is ready now. James

25 years, 8 months

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test-drb November 1998