>Of course, you may own a Cray 1 as your personal computer (used in the
>"accepted" meaning of personal property), but that doesn't make a Cray 1
>a "personal computer" in the taxonomical sense.
Let me offer that when a person talks about a 'personal computer', it
can be *anything*, including a cray-1. If, however, they talk about a
'peecee', then it probably means what you are referring to above.
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
There is (or was, I haven't been by there in a while) a Radio Shack outlet
type store
at Gessner and I-10 here in Houston. I have no idea what they sell there, as
I
lived less than 2 miles from the place for 6 years, and never went. :-)
Kelly
In a message dated 11/1/98 6:35:43 PM Pacific Standard Time, gram(a)cnct.com
writes:
> > However, can you tell me more about the liquidation center? Do they have
> any
> > big items like computers? And do you know where the other location is?
> >
> > Maybe one of the ex-Radio Shack people should join in on this topic.
>
> More than five years with the company (starting 18 years ago tomorrow
> now that I think of it), never heard of such centers. Must be since
> my time.
>
>I suspect that you have several. Hence, what is currently in your
>repository?
Several machines? Yes... follow the link on my web page to my list of
home systems to see what I have up and running...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
In a computer lab at my school, there is an NEC Multisync 17+
monitor. When off, fingerprints are visible on the surface. I guess
it has some kind of finish that got eroded by skin oil. Could this be
similar? What is this CRT from again?
>> > I've got an old CRT that is decaying along the glass edges.
>>
>> Are you _sure_. Glass is normally pretty stable, and if it was really
>> decaying I would have expected the CRT to have imploded. There's
about
>> 1/2 a ton of force on the screen of even small CRTs.
>
>No, I'm not sure. When I first saw it, I thought mold was growing
along
>the edges, but closer examination showed that that "growth" was inside
the
>glass, and the patterns were somewhat crystaline. I'll let you know if
>it spontaneously implodes.
>
>> However, there are CRTs that are made with a laminated glass
faceplate -
>
>That's probably it. I saw beads along the edge, so it must be the
plastic
>that is crystalizing. I'll still let you know when it spontaneously
>implodes, though :-)
>
>> No remaining phosphor? This is strange... What on earth is going on?
>
>It's possible that the phosphor was simply hidden by the now-opaque
>plastic crystal.
>
>So, how do you detect these laminated CRTs, and can they be sealed to
>prevent this type of decay?
>
>-- Doug
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
< I know about that. A ROM-based debugger would be helpful if I don't
< have a bootable system.
helpful with what? Even a rom based debugger presumes there are some
system resources that work. For a PC that would mean keyboard, video,
some ram and of course the rom plus some of the glue hardware. In
reality the only thin not working at that point is the floppy/hard disks.
Also most debug monitors are minimalistic and assumptions are you have
sources for what your debugging and prints if hardware. For a PC that
is not likely.
For a PDP-11 and most of the systems I listed before that is likely or at
least so to the module level. Different systems concept.
Allison
< I had not realized that the TU-58 was normally an internal unit. The
< one I picked up some years ago was an external unit. Perhaps it came
< from a VAX 750 rather than a PDP-11/44 which is what I thought
< I had remembered.
it was available both ways. It was used in the 11/44, PDT-11/130,
VAX 11/730 and 750s as internal. The unit was also available as
external.
< Any idea of where that "C" source code is? It might be necessary to
< replace the TU-58.
I forget where but it's flakey code. It was written to run on a unix box.
The file I have is TU58-emu.zip.
Allison
< Yes, that is true. The problem is that I am afraid that the TU-58 I
< have is showing signs of problems and I wanted to have a spare
< if that was possible. Do anyone have a spare external TU-58
< available? I don't likely have much use for the TU-58 more
< than once or twice a year, but I can't predict when it might happen
< again.
TU58s have two problems, dirty heads and drive roller turning to gum.
The first is a cleaning problem. The second is age related. I have
a fix for the later. Basically it involoves removing the drive hub,
scraping the gunk off it and using PVC or rubber tubing to replace the
rubber part.
< As far as RT-11 is concerned, I actually saw RT-11 run on the TU-58,
< but at the time, the TU-58 was connected to a PC running an
Running the real thing is more fun.
< But, then the other version of RT-11 was V5.4G which had been
< patched to make it Year 2000 compatible. So, there was an
< actual 20 year old tape drive that looks like a disk drive under
RT being quite old is an enigma in that it keeps going!
Allison
< >or with any of the other PDP-11/44 systems, I am looking for a TU-58
< >tape drive which I understand came as an external unit with this system
<
< I know on mine, it's located in the same rack as the CPU and the RX02
< drives. It's not external. They did make external ones, though I don'
< have one.
It was internal and primary use was diagnostis as it was on a serial
line making it the easiest thing to bring up.
Also the 11/44 interface was slow for some reason and the TU58 was
limited to 4800 baud or the 44 would lose data.
< >Does anyone have one that they are not using? I understand they were
< >used for diagnostics and if the tapes and manuals are still available,
< >might still be useful. Otherwise, I have some old tapes I would like t
< >read.
I have several but I do use them. I can read tape and transfer to
RX01/2. This is assumeing the tapes are still good (binder isn't
flaking).
< It's possible to run RT-11 off of them, which I believe is where the
< external drive came into play.
Yes, I have an 11/23 with an external TU58 that runs RT11. The one
internal to the 44 could also run RT if memory serves. RT11/TU58 expects
a DL compatable serial line to use the DD driver.
>'Some X has Y' does not prove that 'All X have Y'.
Not to mention the Ys that you cant get to from any X.... *momentary Godel
possesion* I couldnt resist.
My apologies.
- Mike: dogas(a)leading.net
Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com> wrote:
> "Personal Computer" is such a worthless term; we should throw it out.
> Because even the timeshare computers could be used "personally" if someone
> hacked in and killed all the other users' processes.
:WARN @;BACKUP STARTING IN 5 MINUTES
Hacked in? I'll have you know I had full authority to abort their
sessions. I was the operator, after all, and we had a scheduled time
for the backup. Same time every night and I gave them 20 minutes
notice (and again at 15, 10, 5, 1, and 0). It wasn't my problem if
they didn't want to stick around 'til I was willing to let them log on
again.
And if I may say so, an HP3000 Series III made a damn fine personal
computer.
-Frank McConnell
