test-drb March 1999

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

191 participants
1003 discussions

by edick＠idcomm.com

Nope, the 99/4 was never intended to fill any niche other than the home/video-game market. The 990 series was a "business minicomputer" while the 9900 was a microcomputer development environment. It's kind-of like comparing a 747 with a bicycle. Each has its place, of course. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Max Eskin <max82(a)surfree.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 28, 1999 10:44 AM Subject: Re: Just another Rinky-Dink Florida hamfest >On Sun, 28 Mar 1999, Richard Erlacher wrote: >>Yes, that's probably a chassis for a 9900 system. I once marveled at the >>similarity to S-100 when it was shown to me in a TI sales office when I was >>considering using TI's 9940 single-chip microcontroller in a product. > >Is this thing in any way related to the TI-99/4A expansion box? > >--Max Eskin (max82(a)surfree.com) >

25 years, 3 months

Just another Rinky-Dink Florida hamfest

by edick＠idcomm.com

I bet you're going to be disappointed in the TI chassis, Joe. TI made (back in the '70's) a line of their microcomputers which used a connector and a card form-factor like the S-100, sort-of, but which wasn't S-100. One easy way to tell the difference, I believe is that the TI system, which I never inspected, hence can't say for certain, used a global power supply rather than the s-100's on-card local regulation. Their power and other supply leads were in different places, too. Let me know if I'm wrong, Joe, as I hope you're getting something you can use, but something tells me . . . Dick -----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, March 27, 1999 12:51 PM Subject: Just another Rinky-Dink Florida hamfest > Went to another one this morning. Didn't find much except three Lisas >(two Lisa 2s and one Lisa 2/10), two HP 715/50s, two Zorbas and a *NICE* >S-100 chassis made by TI. I managed to get the L 2/10 and the Zorbas. >Pictures and questions to follow. > > Joe > > PS the HPs are still available if anyone wants them. >

25 years, 3 months

followup: Rinky dink hamfest

by edick＠idcomm.com

The Xerox 820 is one I really liked for a while. It only supported single-sided single density drives, but had on-board terminal-style video circuitry (24 lines of 80 characters) and used a BIOS which could be banked in and out, which I don't know for certain even banked in the entire BIOS. I once concluded that it only banked in the parts it needed at the time, thereby leaving a larger TPA. I'm probably wrong about this, but I don know the hardware was present to allow this. With the addition of a little daughterboard from Denver Business Systems, which replaced the 1771 FDC on the board, the device was double-density capable once the BIOS was patched. I even made and sold a daugherboard which replaced the CPU in order to interface WD1000-05 and 1002-05 boards (bridge controllers) by Western Digital. Both this board (the 820) and the TVI 80x seemed to be pretty solid boards for CP/M. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 28, 1999 6:46 PM Subject: followup: Rinky dink hamfest > Today I went to see a couple of the people that I meet at yesterday's >hamfest. One of them used to service XEROX computers. He told me that he >threw out three rooms full of old XEROX computers less than a year ago. :-( > He gave me part of the stuff that he had left, I have to take a Truck >(note capital) back to get the rest (estimated at two cubic yards but no >complete machines). So far I've found lots of docs and 8" flopppy disks >for the 820 and 16/8. The 16/8 looks pretty interesting, it ran CPM, >CPM-86 and MS-DOS. Does anyone have one of these? What's your opinion of >them? > > He has a floppy disk drive control box to manual operate 3.5", 5.25" and >8" drives during alignment. Anyone have an idea of what one of these is >worth with the alignment disks and manuals? > > Alos found a Lisa mouse to go with the Lisa that I got yesterday. > > Joe >

25 years, 3 months

8" drives

by edick＠idcomm.com

I've thrown out LOTS of 8" drives. I have a few packaged and, in some cases, powered single as well as double sided drives if anyone is willing to pay the freight. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 28, 1999 6:46 PM Subject: Re: Hard-sectored 5.25" disks >At 06:34 AM 3/28/99 -0500, Doug wrote: > > >>Maybe next month I'll drag home something with an 8" drive. :) >> > > Doug, how far are you from British Columbia? I know where there's a >Tektronix 4051 AND a 4052 up for sale. Both can use optional 8" drives, I >think they have drives but I'm not sure. I'm in Florida, so it's a mite too >far for me to go get. > > Joe >

25 years, 3 months

Rebirth of IMSAI

by edick＠idcomm.com

Speaking of the rebirth of IMSAI . . . Has anyone seen anything new on their web page? I've been following a few of the items and have seen no changes since the 20th or so. I'm not sure of the market for a hot pentium system packaged behind an Imsai trademark and front panel. I'd much rather see them pick up the support thread for the already existing Imsai-branded hardware and publish the existing doc's on their web site. I'm sure there is a market for between 50 and 500 of each of several boards, and, if he already has the rights and the artwork, reproducing the originals. If he ( Todd Fischer ) made them, perhaps to order, and perhaps with a dry-film solder mask and high-quality bright-white silk screened legends, with some jumper definitions as are on many no-longer-current PC ISA add-ons, to distinguish between the old boards and the new as well as to minimize the support requirements, I don't think he'd lose his shirt. I've been after the original spec's for the IMSAI pre-1977 bus timing, etc, in case anyone has that data in shareable form. I've found the schematic for my IMSAI PIO-6 board but only half the manual, fortunately with the schematic, of the PIO-4. I don't seem to have any bus timing informtion, though. Any help with this would be appreciated. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 28, 1999 2:25 PM Subject: Re: Rebirth of IMSAI >> As the purchaser of mostly Thrift-Store Classics (i.e. incomplete, dirty, >> sometimes broken machines for $10 and less) I really don't know what was >> being displayed in the showroom. I remember the cool 3D wireframe stuff >> on the Northstar Advantage, the Juggler and Boing! demos on the Amiga, the >> aforementioned Christmas Demo, and that's about it. > > >There was a (tape) program for the TRS-80 model 1 called (IIRC) Micro >Marquee. It let you type in a message and it would display it on large >characters built from the graphics blocks (something like about 12 >characters/line, 3 lines/screen), scrolling up the screen. > >There was a default built-in message which seemed to be advertising for >the machine. Something like 'Hello, I'm the new TRS-80 computer that >you've heard so much about...' I've always assumed that was a shop demo >program. > >There was a demo program for the PERQ. It showed some very fast graphics >(windows moving over the screen, lines being drawn, etc). AFAIK, they >_were_ being created in real-time - it wasn't just a set of full-screen >bitmaps. Don't think you could call it a 'store demo', though. > >-tony >

25 years, 3 months

The move is accomplished!

by mbg＠world.std.com

It's finally been done... after many weeks of talking about it and not having it happen, Allison and I drove up to New Hampshire this morning and drove back with a couple of tall (H960, 6') racks with the following: pdp-8/a pdp-8/e pdp-8/f lab-8/e pdp-11/34a vr14 lps DECwriterII 3 RL01s 1 RX01 3 Diablo RK05-work-similar TU56 DECtape dual drive Funny thing... the pdp-8/e was originally Allison's... she had given it several years ago to the guy from whom I got all of the above... In return for her help, she took the pdp-8/f (smaller unit than the pdp-8/e), a core stack from the -8/e, and a second serial line card. I believe she is pleased... I know I am... I took pictures and hope to document the procedure at some point in the future... Now to get them all wired back up and tested out... 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 | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ p.s. YIPPEE!!

25 years, 3 months

Jon Titus / VCF 3.0

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Just passing on a message from Jon Titus, the inventor of the Mark-8 Microcomputer (1974)... "I don't remember whether or not I gave you a formal acceptance for the Vintage Computer Festival. Put me down as a Yes. Would you have the organizers keep in touch with me about actual dates, etc? I'll need to do some advanced planning, and maybe I can include the trip as part of a business trip. Cheers, Jon" A

25 years, 3 months

Just another Rinky-Dink Florida hamfest

by edick＠idcomm.com

There were several manufacturers of cards shaped more or less like the S-100. One of the more common ones was the MOTOROLA EXORCISOR series, which were MOT's development system for their 8-bit devices. The way to start figuring out what you've got is to count the contact positions at the edge connector and determine the pin spacing. The S-100 used 100 contacts at 0.125" spacing. It also had on-board voltage regulator(s). Dick -----Original Message----- From: Marvin <marvin(a)rain.org> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 28, 1999 1:05 PM Subject: Re: Just another Rinky-Dink Florida hamfest > > >Joe wrote: >> >> RATS! I think you're right! I just brought it in and checked. The slots >> are wider than S-100 and the card sockets are offset to one side so S-100 >> cards hit one edge and won't go in. It also has a switcher power supply so >> it is regulated off the cards. Too bad, it is really a nice box. I may >> modify it back to S-100. Anyway what can you expect for $3? > >I am just curious what the size of the slots are. I have a couple of cards >that I thought were S-100 when I got them, but they are a bit narrower than >an S-100 card, and the fingers are wider. The dimensions of these cards are >8 3/4 " wide, 4 1/2 " high (excluding fingers), 7 5/8" finger width with >5/8" to the edge of the card on left side (component side up) and 1/2" to >the edge of the board on the right. The one I just grabbed says "638493 >Digital Timer" on the solder side of the board.

25 years, 3 months

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada declared safe haven for vintage minicomputers.

by kstumpf＠unusual.on.ca

There are very few computer collectors in Canada, especially those collecting minis. Almost all of March I've been trying to seed the small collector-base in southern Ontario by selling a bunch of DG NOVAs. NOT ONE TAKER nor interested party. Remarkable. Perhaps my prices were too high, but if someone wants something bad enough you would think he or she would at least contact me. Not one phone call or email. Weird. So it is because of this experience I recommend shipping any precious minicomputers to Kitchener. They are safe here. They won't be sold, tinkered with, or cannabalized. They won't even be LOOKED AT. This isn't a last resort pitch because I plan to hold onto the NOVAs. I originally needed the space for twin PDP 11/70s, but the corporate management of the present owners have put a hold on the transaction. Double yikes, eh. Thanks for listening and happy collecting. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- Kevin Stumpf * Unusual systems * www.unusual.on.ca +1.519.744.2900 * EST/EDT GMT - 5 Collector - Commercial Mainframes & Minicomputers from the 50s, 60s, & 70s and control panels and consoles. Author & Publisher - A Guide to Collecting Computers & Computer Collectibles * ISBN 0-9684244-0-6 .

25 years, 3 months

BA Stuff FS (fwd)

by william＠ans.net

Please contact him... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 23:31:37 -0500 From: don merz <71333.144(a)compuserve.com> To: Old Tube Radios <boatanchors(a)theporch.com> Subject: BA Stuff FS Boatanchor Goodies For Sale CONTACT: Don Merz, N3RHT, 47 Hazel Drive, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228 71333.144(a)compuserve.com [tube stuff snipped] DEC PDP-8F power supply. Big supply with 2 8" fans. DEC part number 70-13323-00. With AC-cord and output connector panel. This thing supplies +5, -5, -15 and +20, volts DC all at substantial ratings. Seems to be in nice shape. Worked when pulled from service. $30 WANTED Manual copy for Heath IG-1272 Audio Generator Manual copy for B&W Model 400 Distortion Meter CONTACT: Don Merz, N3RHT, 47 Hazel Drive, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228 71333.144(a)compuserve.com

25 years, 3 months

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test-drb March 1999