Hi Folks,
Please forgive my ignorance in this respect, but are HP9000 series 300 and 700 workstations considered classic computers yet. The ones I'm thinking of were new around about 1992, and are pretty well complete - although the owner can't get them to boot now. You might have seen my list of stuff I posted here last week - same stuff.
I thought I'd better make a posting asking a bit more about their classic status now - since I didn't get a single expression of interest in the equipment.
Are they desirable at all - or just old boxes? The lack of interest might have been because I stated thet they were uk based, do any other Brits subscribe to this list?
So many questions, so little time....
Seriously, if anyone can spare a few minutes to steer me in the right direction on getting rid of these things I'd really appreciate it.
Many thanks
Adrian Manise
> > There actually may be more PDP-12s out there today than there are PDP-8s
> > or PDP-8/Is. Certainly more than the PDP-8/S or LINC-8 machines.
>
> If only I could find a LINC-8. :-/
Something I've been wondering about -- my prep school had what I very
strongly remember being labeled as a LINC-5, definitely DEC, a large
cabinet with formica counter under a blinkenlight front panel. And
a TTY or Flex-o-writer positioned next to or mounted on an "L" or
return extension of the counter. The powder blue/lime green color
scheme from the LINC-8 photos looks right, but it was definitely in
the neighborhood of ~5 feet tall rather than a standard 19" rack. It
was built out of what must have been Flip Chips, in a cage around to
the right of the unit as you faced the console.
Sadly they decommissioned it after my first year (1981/82), and I never
got a chance to learn anything about it - it was reserved for upper
classmen only. Also, the sole teacher who understood the beast (Mr.
Garrison, noted for his gruff nature and pipe smoking) was leaving or
retiring after that year.
Is my memory faulty and this had to be a LINC-8, or was there such a
thing as a LINC-5?
Thanks,
--Steve.
LINC Links:
The LINC: An Early "Personal Computer" [Quick history. --S.]
http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=1493/ddj0004hc/do200007hc001.htm
Laboratory Instrument Computer (LINC) "The Genesis of a Technological
Revolution" [Nice, narrative history of the original development. --S.]
http://www.nih.gov/od/museum/exhibits/linc/main.html
What different PDP-8 models were made?
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dec-faq/pdp8/section-6.html
> One of my main beefs are the number of sellers in the US
> who restrict the volume of bids by refusing to ship to
> anywhere outside own their limited vision of the world.
> Either thru fear of unknown extra efforts, (which for the
> most part are minimal) or even ignoring the "will ship to"
> section.
My pet hate is people that charge 50% to 100% more postage to ship from the US to Australia than it actually costs. I have been gouged, *over*charged, an amount almost equal to the cost of the item before now. That is to say that on a US$25 item I might be charged US$35 postage, but it's only cost US$18 for them to post.
I've walked away from purchases where postage costs have been this disproportionally high.
Chris J.
Oh yeah,
there are other stories concerning left behind comps.
ironic though, i listen to a satellite hobbiest radio
network (www.w0kie.com) and thier playing the blues as
i am writing this.
while working security at a local plant, the managers
were so used to my scrounging that they usually told
me about new stuff in the scrap bin during my break.
so as usual, when hearing about "some computer stuff
in the bin" i go out to it expecting more plc stuff
(joy, more westinghouse pc-1100's to add to my
collection).
i look into the bin and find two boxes with non
standard port/ connectors on it marked "four phase
systems".
i was about to load them into my car - when i thought
why, i'll never find anything more for this comp
no docs or hd's,printer etc.
it turns out that i left 460/470 cpu's go for scrap!
next week - same story but these are still on the
loading dock - yep my jaw about hit the floor when i
found a rack with the hd,diablo disc
drive,comms,printer and terminals next to the rack and
a box of spare cards for both cpu's aggghhhhh!
i still have that half of the system.
but wait it get's better!! last week - i call the
local retired ibm c.e. and we start talking about old
comps when i bring up the rare four phase stuff.
yep he said it - "wow i just threw a complete system
470 away last year" - doh!!!!!!
of all the systems i have passed up - the iv-70 is the
one that haunts me the most - so close yet so far.
someday - i may find the cpu's, or part with the half
that i have (no, not scrap but trade or give away).
one note - i am glad that the VCF does have a complete
four phase system 470 perserved - that fact alone
help's me sleep at night when i remember my mistake of
leaving the cpu's in the scrapper.
Bill
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 13:44:33 -0500 (EST)
From: William Donzelli
To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
cc: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: IBM system 3 Re: PDP-12 on eBay (IBM 650
on ebay)
Reply-To: cctech(a)classiccmp.org
> I curse this day --> Back in college (many years
ago, about 1983, before I
> got into collecting), I went to the apartment of a
fellow compsci major to
> quell some beer. In the middle of his living room
was a complete IBM system
> 3, in perfectly mint condition. He told me I could
have it if I could get it
> out of there. Idiot me said "You gotta be kidding -
no thanks". *SIGH*
This seems to be a good test to see if you are an
official old-timer in
the computer collecting hobby - passing up a free
machine that today
people would kill for.
I have been there, many times (IBM, Amdahl, DG). How
about others?
William Donzelli
aw288(a)osfn.org
--__--__--
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
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Hmm...
I'm ancient, not quite set in my ways, but close, and really want to get
hold of that book. The shot at getting one on e-bay was pretty close
(package, disk and all!), but the auction had already closed. Hmm. Do we
have acces, somewhere, to a 'grand library of esoteric tech-dom?' Might find
one there... -smiles-
Cheers!
Ed Tillman
Store Automation Tech Support Specialist
Valero Energy Corporation
San Antonio, TX; USA
Phone (210) 592-3110, Fax (210) 592-2048
edward.tillman(a)valero.com <mailto:edward.tillman@valero.com>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk-admin@classiccmp.org@PEUSA On Behalf Of Sellam
> Ismail <foo(a)siconic.com>
> Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:55 AM
> To: 'cctalk(a)classiccmp.org'
> Subject: RE: DOS 3.20
>
> On Sun, 12 Jan 2003, Tillman, Edward wrote:
>
> > Any ideas where to find one now though?
>
> Try a local thrift store. If you don't find the manual you're looking
> for, you may just find a good book on MS-DOS that has similar information.
>
> Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer
> Festival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> International Man of Intrigue and Danger
> http://www.vintage.org
>
> * Old computing resources for business and academia at
> www.VintageTech.com *
>
Guys,
After fighting (with no success) my 11/780 again today and wasting a
buttload of electricity doing it, it looks like I'm going to have to bite
the bullet and create a diagnostic application to help me figure what is
wrong with the beast.
I originally thought about writing a JAVA-based application that would
communicate with the console (card on the 750 and 11/03 on the 780) and by
using the minimal troubleshooting commands available, and at least isolate
what sections of the startup routines were failing or examine the memory
space to figure out what may or may not be responding or is out-of-whack.
I would appreciate it if anyone here had some documentation for the 780
outside of the following manuals:
Diagnostic System User's Guide
Hardware Users Guide
Remote Diagnostic Option Guide
... available for purchase - please let me know. These manuals I already
have, and if I can't get any clear documentation describing the routines
that the 11/03 is executing, then I'll have to manually (with the help of
this application) disassemble the code to determine what's not happy.
The built in console diagnostics of the 780 do not really give a clear
enough picture to find out exactly what has failed just by looking at the
program counter value when the 11/03 stops during the boot process (at
least with the troubleshooting docs I currently have).
I was hoping to create an application that would simulate the boot process,
but by examining/depositing register contents as the 11/03 would normally
execute them, and provide more detailed information.
Of course, this application, being serial based, could certainly extend
beyond the realms of the 11/780 and 11/750. You could conceivably deposit
boot programs into memory if your boot media fails, or even extend the
application to work with other computers/manufacturers as well.
Any suggestions or additional comments would be welcome. I would probably
make this application available under a GPL- style license, even though I
do not agree with Mr. Stallman's religious beliefs regarding commercial
application development...
(but that is a different story for another day)
- Matt
P.S. - Gunther - did you get your 780 running yet? Hopefully I can help you
out as well.
Matthew Sell
Programmer
On Time Support, Inc.
www.ontimesupport.com
(281) 296-6066
Join the Metrology Software discussion group METLIST!
http://www.ontimesupport.com/subscribe_t&c.html.
"One World, One Web, One Program" - Microsoft Promotional Ad
"Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer" - Adolf Hitler
Many thanks for this tagline to a fellow RGVAC'er...
I buy and occasionally sell on EPay. Since I am out in
the boonies now, I no longer have the luxury of a great
curbside, dumpster, yardsale, or thrift-shop finds.
While despite this, I did retrieve 2 DEC Pros from the
town dump, and a complete Adam system, in the last 1
1/2 years here, and found a local salvager that gobbled
up the remains of a government department that was
closed down, there is very little available locally. It
becomes a challenge to acquire even parts for your
existing collection.
From my perspective EPay serves a valuable function,
and there are many of us far from urban centers. A recent
request for Vax parts from a person. unexpectantly, in
rural Alberta (Saskatchewan ?) drove that home to me,
and it is true whether you're one of our strange breed,
in India, Africa, or the Austalasia regions.
One of my main beefs are the number of sellers in the US
who restrict the volume of bids by refusing to ship to
anywhere outside own their limited vision of the world.
Either thru fear of unknown extra efforts, (which for the
most part are minimal) or even ignoring the "will ship to"
section. I routinely respond to something I'm interested
in with "will you not ship to Canada" and the answer is
almost invariably yes. They simply did the default form.
Most Canadians are aware of this frustrating US national
jingoism and rarely (never ?) do you find them posting
similiar restrictions on sales because they know it simply
involves filling out a small slip at the post office.
The problems with the commercial shippers like UPS is a
different number, and while it may work well in-country is
a disaster outside. Similarly where I live, we pick up at
the local post office so those who won't ship to a PO box
are city dwellers who don't realise the realities outside the
urban centers. Street addresses don't mean much here.
Lawrence
lgwalker@ mts.net
> > There actually may be more PDP-12s out there today than there are PDP-8s
> > or PDP-8/Is. Certainly more than the PDP-8/S or LINC-8 machines.
>
> If only I could find a LINC-8. :-/
Something I've been wondering about -- my prep school had what I very
strongly remember being labeled as a LINC-5, definitely DEC, a large
cabinet with formica counter under a blinkenlight front panel. And
a TTY or Flex-o-writer positioned next to or mounted on an "L" or
return extension of the counter. The powder blue/lime green color
scheme from the LINC-8 photos looks right, but it was definitely in
the neighborhood of ~5 feet tall rather than a standard 19" rack. It
was built out of what must have been Flip Chips, in a cage around to
the right of the unit as you faced the console.
Sadly they decommissioned it after my first year (1981/82), and I never
got a chance to learn anything about it - it was reserved for upper
classmen only. Also, the sole teacher who understood the beast (Mr.
Garrison, noted for his gruff nature and pipe smoking) was leaving or
retiring after that year.
Is my memory faulty and this had to be a LINC-8, or was there such a
thing as a LINC-5?
Thanks,
--Steve.
LINC Links:
The LINC: An Early "Personal Computer" [Quick history. --S.]
http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=1493/ddj0004hc/do200007hc001.htm
Laboratory Instrument Computer (LINC) "The Genesis of a Technological
Revolution" [Nice, narrative history of the original development. --S.]
http://www.nih.gov/od/museum/exhibits/linc/main.html
What different PDP-8 models were made?
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dec-faq/pdp8/section-6.html
I rescued a VAXStation 4000/60 from Weirdstuff a few months ago and made a
few attempts at locating VMS for it. I've had no luck, and due to a new
project I've gotten myself into, I'd really like to find a home for this
critter.
It's got 24MB RAM and a hard disk of some size (I knew this earlier
today..). It's in nice physical condition save the flip down panel cover
which got broken off.
If anyone wants this, and is in the SF Bay area (the closer to Mountain View
the better) please send me an email and we'l arrange a pickup time/date.
This is free to a good home.
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