test-drb June 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

160 participants
580 discussions

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> > IIRC, the Victor 9000 was designed by Chuck Peddle, the > > architect of the 6502 (or maybe it was the 6500) processor. > > This might account for the Motorola/Mostek chip usage. > > Mostek? Where does Mostek come into it? > > Perhaps you're thinking of MOS Technology, which is *entirely* > different. Yup, that's a brain fart that's plagued me since the 80s. -dq

23 years, 9 months

Where can I find 5.25 DS/DD disks?

by retro＠retrobits.com

Hello all, I have a couple of questions regarding 5.25 inch, DS/DD disks... First, where is the best place to buy some new ones? Second, does any manufacturer still produce this media, and what is the shelf life? Basically, what I'm asking here is, will our 5.25 drives become useless before too much longer? I remember a discussion on the group a while back regarding the use of HD media in DD drives. After reading about two thousand messages more complicated than quantum mechanics, I gave up trying to figure it out :-) So now I've resigned myself to seek the newest 5.25 DS/DD disks that I can find. Any help appreciated! Long live my Commodore 128! Thanks in advance, Earl Evans retro(a)retrobits.com Enjoy Retrocomputing! Join us at http://www.retrobits.com

23 years, 9 months

The Original MS-DOS 4.0

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

This might be a topic better posted in the alt.folklore.computers USENET group, but let me try here first. This is from memory, and it's not as reliable as I'd like it to be. IIRC, OS/2 was not Microsoft's first attempt to create a multitasking operating system. They were working on, and I believe mostly finished, a DOS 4.0 that was multitasking. This was not the PC-DOS 4.0 for IBM, nor was it the MS-DOS 4.0 that we finally saw here in the states. This multitasking DOS 4.0 (from Microsoft, not a third party) was supplied with a computer that was old only in either the UK or more widely in Europe. It seems that the first letter of the computer manufacturer was an 'A', so the machine could have been an Apricot, an Amstrad, an Acorn, or lord knows. I read about this machine either in Byte during the late 80s or in a BIX conference (I MISS BIX!). I've searched the web for references to this multitasking MS-DOS 4, and have found nothing. Does anyone else remember this? Was the Byte article reviewing a sample of a product that never shipped? Did anyone get their hands on one? Does anyone have it? -doug q

23 years, 9 months

Paint JObs (was Re: Restoration of Discolored Plastic)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Keeping in mind, that (at least in the past) if you paid IBM enough, you > could get a mainframe done in just about any color scheme that you wanted. > > I have to think that the wildest one that I personally experienced, was at > a Ralston Purina (feed) plant. And yes, as you might guess (or fear) the > entire system was painted in red and white checkerboard. Most 370s I'd seen had been either the standard blue or the (older?) burnt sienna, but at IU Kokomo (or was it Fort Wayne?) they had a 370/25 that was canary yellow. Talk about putting your eyes out! -dq

23 years, 9 months

vax (fwd)

by vcf＠siconic.com

I think this guy may have fool's gold syndrome but if someone would like to help him out then please do. Reply-to: m.mcneely(a)prodigy.net ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 10:21:56 -0400 From: m.mcneely <m.mcneely(a)prodigy.net> Subject: vax i have a vax 4000/300 and codex 6745 i just unplugged from the wall in a major retail store im demolishing it was installed new in 90 i dont know anything about servers but i know it must be worth something it looks new it has 3 dec300servers in it, and plenty of other things [hubs routers monitors and key boards] that i dont know anything about what im looking for is {whats it worth} it was working when i unplugged it it still has the two floppies in the drive and i have all the cables that were hooked to it if you would like i can send pics i'd be willing to pay someone a commition for selling it for me thanks in advance Rick M.McNeely(a)prodigy.net Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for a six in a pile of nines... Coming soon: VCF 4.0! VCF East: Planning in Progress See http://www.vintage.org for details!

23 years, 9 months

Subject: the other side of the equation - your SO/spouse

by mmcfadden＠cmh.edu

Maybe I am lucky or my SO is special but we have come to an equilibrium. She has a few pieces of sailing and tennis equipment scattered around the property and I have lots of computer stuff. Last week she was looking for the lawn swings and looked in the attic of the garage. Her first question was "Where did all of that stuff come from?" Luckily I could "honestly" answer that many of the boxes were empty waiting to ship stuff. I seem to collect really good quality computer/medical equipment shipping boxes. It's much easier to send somebody a computer if it's packed right. She has never looked in the little travel trailer which we haven't used in years. Currently full of cables and old tape stuff. I can always point to her tennis racquet stringing machine in the rec room and sails hanging in the garage. I firmly believe and we have discussed this that a computer hobby is a lot cheaper than all of the people around here who go to the gambling boats, football/baseball games, golf, or out at the bars every night. Besides I'm usually not drinking, loosing money, or chasing women just out in the garage fiddling with the computers. The skills from this hobby also means that I can usually fix a dead phone, rewire broken mixer cord, replace furnace fan motor, fix plumbing, fiddle with electrical/electronic devices, take a VCR apart and sometimes even get it back together and working. I have an old house which means all these skills are survival skills. I also get called by neighbors to look at their computers and this nets me a few old machines/components. Mike My thoughts right now, nobody else's. mmcfadden(a)cmh.edu

23 years, 9 months

Your dream computer room.

by xds_sigma7＠hotmail.com

Well... It would be an entire building, I like Marvin's 10,000 sq ft. minimum, as for the fire protection, I'd for sure want halon or something similar, i.e. NO water! A raised floor of course, but with twice the normal height under the floor. Also, a basement area containing some massive transformers (so I could get 440 volt power), and diesel generators in the event of power failure. There would also be room for a water cooling system, in the event I ever get lucky enough to own an IBM 3033 or other water-cooled machine. Central air is a must, I'd require it to be a positive air flow environent, meeting mil specs. Definetly climate-controlled, I like the fireproof room for docs and software idea, also a seperate room for spare boards and misc stuff. It would have to have an area for disk pack storage too. Another seperate workshop-type room, with logic analyzer, scope, etc. Also, multiple humongous 3-phase UPS's, just in case. Hell, why not my own substation? Also, a loading dock at semi height would be good, and there would be a nice long sloped ramp too. Will J ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

23 years, 9 months

The cost of collecting debate

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

[..snip..] > Anyway, the IBM Incompatibles that I've got include : > Sirius (Victor 9000) ??? I remember Victor going through lots of trouble before it disappeared; did it in fact get revived for a while as Sirius? Or was Sirius another company, buying V9000s and rebadging them? A Victor 9000 is one of the few PC-alikes I intend on adding to my collection; a Tandy 2000 would be another. -dq

23 years, 9 months

Your dream computer room.

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Also, multiple humongous 3-phase UPS's, just in case. > Hell, why not my own substation? Will, don't stop there... why not go all the way and install a fast breeder reactor, so you'll be able to have all the electricity you need plus generate your own fuel for future use! Hey, the original post did say "Dream", didn't it? 8D

23 years, 9 months

TU58-K DECTAPE IIs available

by mrbill＠mrbill.net

I've got a box of five TU58-K DECTAPE IIs available, if someone has a need for them and has something to swap in return (I'm not lookin for much) let me know. Bill -- +-------------------\ /-----------------+ | Bill Bradford | www.sunhelp.org | | mrbill(a)mrbill.net | www.decvax.org | | Austin, Texas USA | www.pdp11.org | +-------------------/ \-----------------+

23 years, 9 months

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test-drb June 2000