test-drb May 1998

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

148 participants
673 discussions

Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old

by desieh＠southcom.com.au

-----Original Message----- From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Tuesday, 26 May 1998 3:16 Subject: Re: Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old >At 01:46 PM 5/22/98 -0700, you wrote: >>> Your hopes are dashed. The only pricey IBM PCs are the ones that had 16K >>> installed at the factory and weren't upgraded. The 64K ones are relatively >> >>That's absurd (bordering on perverse) -- what could you DO with a machine >>like that? (Yes, run BASIC and use cassettes... I know.) > >In my day, sonny, 16K was plenty of room. Back then, we knew how to >program. It was an art. Not like the kids today, with their megabytes and >Gooeys and write-once-read-many, magneto-optical, doohickies... (whups, >gotta go, time for maaaatttlooock!) > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- O- > >Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad >roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know." >Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates >San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/ > I have one question , well I actually have two...... though, what software came on cassetes? and what is the most common fault in the IBM full height floppy drives that makes them die??? anyone??

26 years, 6 months

Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for oldcomputers...)

by JRichardson＠softwright.co.uk

>>>I hope that "16K" means "16/64K model" as opposed to "actually equipped >>>with >>>16K of memory." >> >>Your hopes are dashed. The only pricey IBM PCs are the ones that had 16K >>installed at the factory and weren't upgraded. So they only had 16K on board, and no empty sockets for expansion to 64K? Or do you mean that they just came with 16K but you could add the rest of the chips yourself? Interestingly enough I seem to remember that there was an unofficial mod that you could make easily to the 256K system boards to take them out to 512K... I don't know if that applied to all the XT 256K boards or not... cheers >Jules

26 years, 6 months

I need a VAX 785 bootdisk image... Anyone got one?

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

I need a diskimage for a VAX 785. Doesn't matter (yet) what boots are on it. If you have one, let me know, but DON'T mail it to the toad.xkl.com address, I'll give you another to mail to. (MM doesn't like attachments, and I doubt my terminal like binary files) -------

26 years, 7 months

Nasty little Sanyo (was Re:Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old computers))

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I have some of those in an "Advanced Computer Products" catalog, 1985. $1299. Not much I can say about them. They look kinda like stereo systems and "Sanyo" means "crap" in russian. >Russ/Alice Blakeman wrote: >> >> So it's unanimous - all Sanyo MBC-55x machines, working or not, that >> are not a part of a Camry fender, are to be executed immediately to >> save our planet. > >Well, I have three and while they are not (IMHO) a significant part of >computer history, they do play a part in the scheme of things and thus >are worthwhile keeping. Hmmm, judging by all the comments on this list, >maybe they were a significant part of computer history :). > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

26 years, 7 months

Tandy web page malarkey

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Actually, remember that they DIDN'T MAKE $599 per unit, because the cost <production was probably at least $250-350. Then they didn't directly sel <them to end users, but to resellers, for about a $100 max profit... it ad The stores had a margin of something like 35% in '78, it got better with time. Production cost was horrendous at ther start as yeild was less that 30% working systems due to bad design and test procedures. The -69A boards were slightly better than junk. The 69D board and revized assembly and test were still under 80% yeild. But even at that the production cost was in the $100-160 range for the 4k/L1 basic. Design weak points in the TRS-80 were data bus noise, poor memory timing, power and ground noise, no lowercase (all it needed was one ram), common keys missing of the keyboard and the parts count was too high. I had a simplifed design at that time that ran TRS80 l1/l2 basic that was functionally identical and used far fewer packages with better timing. No doubt all of that was the side effect of not understanding the original design. It all showed up big time with the EI! Also total sales for the first year of production were in excess of 250,000! Other than apple it was the most common machine out there and between the two they out numberd likely all other computers in existence to that date. Allison

26 years, 7 months

Mountain Computers AD/DA Card

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hi. I've got one of these in my Apple ][. Anyone got any info??? Ciao, Tim D. Hotze

26 years, 7 months

HP Portable Plus

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

-----Original Message----- From: Doug Yowza <yowza(a)yowza.com> >OK, I'm staring at my recently acquired HP Portable Plus with it's oddball >power plug. The FAQ tells me it wants 6V, but the only thing I have that >fits is an 8V supply from a 9114, which I'm sure will do the trick, but I >don't see two things: a polarity key and a power switch. Does the Plus >care about polarity? If not, how do I turn it on? What is the Portable Plus? Is it related to the HP110 ? Hans

26 years, 7 months

More stuff acquired

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

-----Original Message----- From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)wco.com> >I paid $120 for this lot, which was more than I wanted to. I guess I >didn't do too bad considering I talked the guy down from $200. Well, come >to think of it, with the completeness of the Yamaha, plus the fact that >MSX computers are so rare in the states, and the cool factor and scarcity >of the Integral PC, $120 isn't bad, but its still more than I wanted to >pay :) > I've been haggling with a guy for an Integral PC for a while. He wants $50. Maybe I should give in.

26 years, 7 months

Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

-----Original Message----- From: Desie Hay <desieh(a)southcom.com.au> >I have one question , well I actually have two...... >though, what software came on cassetes? >and what is the most common fault in the IBM full height floppy drives that >makes them die??? > >anyone?? > 1. I don't think any software would have come on cassette as it was meant to be used with the "Cassette Basic" in ROM. 2. I've noticed the little flat belt drives on the full height drives go slippery often and stops them working. Hans

26 years, 7 months

HP Portable Plus

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

Doug, The FAQ are wrong! It's 8 VAC the same as the 9114. There's no polarity key since it's AC. Turn the PP on by pressing any key (except shift, control or extended char) for at least 1/4 second. Turn it off by pressing the F8 key when OFF is shown on the key labels for that key. If OFF isn't shown, try pressing the USER or MENU keys until OFF is shown. The half-moon looking key controls the screeen contrast. Joe At 01:57 AM 5/26/98 -0500, you wrote: >OK, I'm staring at my recently acquired HP Portable Plus with it's oddball >power plug. The FAQ tells me it wants 6V, but the only thing I have that >fits is an 8V supply from a 9114, which I'm sure will do the trick, but I >don't see two things: a polarity key and a power switch. Does the Plus >care about polarity? If not, how do I turn it on? > >-- Doug > >

26 years, 7 months

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test-drb May 1998