There's what appears to be a very nice Olivetti Programma 101 up on
eBay, with a little over a day to go and no bids. It's in the Netherlands.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8801280590&sspagename=AD…
The Programma 101 was a very advanced programmable calculator,
introduced in 1965. Discrete transistors, delay-line memory, magnetic
card I/O.
I've exchanged a little bit of email with the seller. He says its been
in storage for a long time, and a couple of rubber belts inside have
turned gooey, but looks to be complete and in otherwise good shape.
If you want a little bit of discrete-transistor goodness, I doubt you
can find it in any smaller package than this (Ok, so a 9100A/B has both
discrete transistors *and* core memory, but the Programma 101 was
earlier.) I don't have any relation to the seller, I just decided that
I wasn't going to bid on this, so I'd make sure the list saw the listing
-- this is a very desirable machine and I figure someone, maybe one of
the UK folks, would go for it.
--Bill
> ----------
> From: John R. Keys Jr.
> Reply To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 2:54 PM
> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re-finding more items as I open boxes
>
> Found the following while unpacking in the warehouse:
<<<<<clipped>>>>>>
> Took some other goodies home to play with like the 20th Annv. MAC,...
>
---
20th Anniversary Mac? You booger... I may have to grab it when
you're not looking.
;-)
--- David A Woyciesjes
--- C & IS Support Specialist
--- Yale University Press
--- mailto:david.woyciesjes@yale.edu
--- (203) 432-0953
--- ICQ # - 90581
Mac OS X 10.1.2 - Darwin Kernel Version 5.2: Fri Dec 7 21:39:35 PST 2001
Running since 01/22/2002 without a crash
Hello, everyone. My name is Joe, I am 17 years old, and live in central NJ.
I would like to figure out how to build a retro-type computer, either from
plans or from a kit. I am currently considering the Micro-KIM, as well as
trying to build a mark-8. Not sure what I want to do. If anyone can help me
along with this, I would be very appreciative.
Thanks
Joe
Does anyone make an interface card that will permit a "thumb drive" to be
addressed by the classic machines?
Some time ago, I had a sound card on my Packard-Bell 486SX20 machine. It
plugged into the motherboard. There was no specific provision for it in the
BIOS, but the CD-ROM connected to it acted like a "D" drive from Windows
3.1. I don't remember ever trying to access it from DOS, though.
Perhaps, instead of being plugged into the motherboard, this interface could
have the hard drive's ribbon cable plugged into it.
Does anyone make such a beast?
OK, branching off another thread. There probably aren't many, but there are
a few clones that I'd consider "interesting." I'd say the PCjr counts, it
was a pretty strange system - the unsuccessful IIgs of the PC world. Sidecar
expansion slots, IR keyboard and cartridges...
The last of the PS/2's had some strange designs. The 95 was really strange -
a fold-out power supply design with a spring loaded plunger power supply
connector. C2 level hardware, which meant if you forgot the BIOS password
you're SOL. I'd count the whole MCA based PS/2 line as a string of oddities
in the PC world.
There were some really odd Japanese designs as well. My favorite is the FM
Townes, which was a hybrid PC and game console. It ran a proprietary OS, but
could run language-localized Windows. It also had an oddball graphics system
that could overlay multiple screen modes over each other, so you could play
full-motion video games with text overlay.
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Visit www.microcomputerpioneers.com to read excerpts and order your
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NOTES: You can get the book from us or from amazon.com.
We thank all the people who emailed us about the book. We really
appreciate your interest and your comments. Please forward this note to
anyone who might be interested in Priming the PUmp.
Hi,
>> there is static on the crt's face when you power up?
>>If there's no provision for an AC plug, then you have
>>your answer as to where the power comes from. Didn't
>
> Indeed.
As an aside to this, the Sirius' monitor (like that of the later Apricots)
has a thin sheet of fabric stretched across the front of it (secured by the
front bezel) so there is no noticable static charge on the screen when it's
powered up.
Kinda puts paid to the quick and easy method of determining if it's getting
power.... :-(
TTFN - Pete.
> I know the Acorn
> Archimedes runs RiscOS, but what else? I'm not sure
> that the Acorn was ever even sold in the US.
As far as I know it was not. My first exposure to the Acorn
machines were those brought over in '87 for Apple's first
attempt at a RISC Apple II (Moebius).
I never saw a RISCOS machine sold here.
I've found a few of them on eBay for CHM. Shipping from the
UK is painful. I've also had an unusually high percentage of
them never arrive.
