test-drb April 2009

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

204 participants
261 discussions

by scheefj＠netscape.net

Hello all, Does anyone have any AUI cables they do not need? I could use about five or six and the shorter, the better. The minimum is 2 meters, I believe. Cables at 2m or 3m would be ideal. This would be a contribution to the "worlds most complex network" that is growing in my basement. Also a source for some thick Ethernet cable would be a big help. Contact me off list if you can help. Jim

15 years, 2 months

Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar

by adamg＠pobox.com

The first three volumes of the Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar books are now available for online viewing (but not downloading) at Google Books. These books collect Steve Ciarcia's 70s/80s Byte columns - lots of interesting stuff. Links here: http://www.circuitcellar.com/newsletter/0409.html I have no relation to these scans but thought I'd pass the link along since these books come up now and then on the list and have lots of classiccmp-relevant content. -- Adam

15 years, 2 months

Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar

by lynchaj＠yahoo.com

We'll see what Steve has to say about it. I think he has those books for sale, doesn't he? I used to have my secretary xerox his columns (no, I didn't cut out of my Byte magazines, though that collection has long since been deep-sixed) but I don't know whether I still have those copies - probably "somewhere" but I'll be damned if I know where that "somewhere" is. I've built a number of Steve's projects. In my workshop a few days ago I saw his EEG project waiting to be revived. But there is so much to do.... Vern Wright -----REPLY----- Hi! Steve and Sean generously released BYOZ80C to allow online publishing. I very much enjoyed his book and commend him for both writing it in the first place and also releasing it so as to help keep the home brew computing tradition alive. http://www.scribd.com/doc/13388965/Build-Your-Own-Z80-Computer You can see the full description of the release statement on the first page. Thanks and have a nice day! Andrew Lynch

15 years, 2 months

PCs for "real" work? (was RE: CDC Remote Calculator, circa 1965)

by IanK＠vulcan.com

For me, the decision wasn't about Windows vs. whatever else. It was cheap, crappy commoditized PC hardware. For years, I'd upgraded my home desktop machine at such time as I wanted some new toy that wasn't supported on the existing hardware, or I felt I needed more performance/resources/heating. :-) That would happen, on average, every two years or so. Over the past year, I tried to upgrade three times, to be foiled by hardware failures each time. The last motherboard would not even boot up an OS. These weren't cheap bargain-table motherboards, either - they were from reputable vendors, midrange in their price ranges. (I don't need insane gamer perf features.) One burned up, one had quirky, fatal flaws (couldn't detect more than one graphics adapter) and one just never got off the dime. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of hardware. I hack deep into hardware both for a living and as a hobby. But if I'm going to spend time hacking hardware, it should be at least twenty years old - in other words, I should be doing it because it's FUN! Then, when I need to see if Bitsavers (thank you!) or Google can help me dig out some obscure fact or figure, I want my desktop to be a reliable appliance. It should Just Work. That's how I ended up with Macs. It's not the OS, although I do like the idea of Unix under the hood rather than a compromised derivation of VMS. It's the hardware. It's the integration. It's the appliance-like nature that, I must admit, I ridiculed for years. But when I want to check my email or Google a part number, my Macs always work. Of course, not to be a complete conformist :-) I don't have an Intel-(de)based Mac in the house. I'm typing this on a PowerBook G4, and my main desktop is a pair of dual G4 PowerMacs, each running two monitors and sharing mouse and keyboard through Synergy. (One of these days, I'm going to improve their integration so it looks like multimon a la Xinerama.) If they weren't so stinkin' expensive (even with being four years obsolete), I'd have G5s, but the G4s are just fine for email, etc. If I can't do it on my Macs, I probably don't need to do it. Of course, I'm planning to rebuild my VAX 4000/300, and I plan to put SMTP on it this time. I know VMS will always get me my email.... Cheers -- Ian ________________________________________ From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Jochen Kunz [jkunz at unixag-kl.fh-kl.de] Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 11:50 PM To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: CDC Remote Calculator, circa 1965 On Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:18:46 -0700 "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> wrote: > A PC isn't a "real" computer? PeeCees are no "real" computers. PeeCees are a pile of cheap junk. At least when compared to proper personal computers like e.g. Sun, HP or DEC workstations or even a Mac. But this gets religious now. ;-) -- tsch??, Jochen Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/

15 years, 2 months

pdp11/70 front panel frame

by bqt＠softjar.se

micheladam at theedge.ca wrote: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> > Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009 4:48 am > Subject: Re: pdp11/70 front panel frame >> > If I remember right, the RDC panel reused the 11/70 panel frame, >> > by the way. >> > > [...] > > You remember right. I was a computer operator on an 11/70 in the late 70's. When the DEC service technician came by to switch out the standard front panel and replace it with the remote console, only the panel was replaced, not the frame. > > Should have kept it. It was pristine... What? You mean that DEC took the original 11/70 front panel? That's interesting. I have two RDC panels (as well as two original fronts), and both of the RDC panels had some sticker or text saying "Property of DEC. Must be returned if removed from contract." (or something like that) implying that the customer didn't own the RDC panel, and the original front panel were to be reused when the machine went off service. So they couldn't very well take that panel. It was the property of the customer. I thought that was standard procedure. Interesting... Johnny -- Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

15 years, 2 months

San Diego Wondering

by lynchaj＠yahoo.com

Am I the only classic computer enthusiast left in San Diego? [snip] If so, drop me a line. Don't mean to sound needy - but it's lonely down here. San Diego was a major epicenter of the development of the S-100 CP/M computer. We're all getting older but it can't be that of 3 million people I'm the only one left?!? Vern Wright -----REPLY----- Vern, I think the focus of S-100 system development has moved away from the local area and is now more of an internet phenomenon. CCTALK, Vintage-Computer.com forums, comp.os.cpm, is where a lot of activity takes place. There are vintage computer festivals and ham radio conventions where hobbyists meet but I think the bulk of the communication is via the internet. If you'd like to see active S-100 development take place once again, have you considered starting a home brew hobbyist S-100 project? I started a home brew computing project a couple of years ago (N8VEM) and it has been quite successful. There is a lot of interest and all sorts of people have built their own systems. I've had ideas of expanding the N8VEM system into S-100 for some time now and am building a hobbyist S-100 backplane. With the availability of low cost EDA tools and PCB fabrication its possible for home brew hobbyists to make their home brew systems available for everyone. Maybe if S-100 hobbyists would design and manufacture a completely open and free system similar to the N8VEM. Recently, a hobbyist made a completely new S-100 prototype board. I recall others (Dan Roganti?) designing new S-100 boards months ago too. For example, start with a backplane, another hobbyist makes a linear or SMPSU power supply PCB, another a CPU board, yet another builds a SRAM board, someone else a serial UART board, etc. Many hands makes light work so maybe it could happen. I am optimistic its possible although I am aware of the many hobbyist projects that have been attempted on CCTALK. I think it would be fun and might recapture some of that "lightning in a bottle" magic from the early home brew microcomputer community. Andrew Lynch

15 years, 2 months

CDC Remote Calculator, circa 1965

by rosemarypettit＠comcast.net

Chuck, As part of the promotion of this product, each Sales office got one. I was in Atlanta at that time (1966). So I got some time on it and hauled it out to Lockheed for a dog and pony show. Was called the 6060. No manual that I ever found even though I looked for years. I remember how heavy it was, a real back breaker to lug around. Eventually we had to send it back for "updating" and it was never returned. Billy Pettit

15 years, 2 months

In the Bay Area

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

As was last year, 2009 brings me to the Bay Area for all sorts of foolishness and relaxation. I will be in town generally from 3 MAY thru 7 MAY, and would be interested in meeting with anyone that would like to show off their collections, or even just meet for dinner and a beer. Any interest? -- Will

15 years, 2 months

Silicon Genesis: Interviews

by roger.holmes＠microspot.co.uk

On 23 Apr 2009, at 11:26, cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: > > Stumbled across this today and don't recall it having been mentioned > on the list before. > > "Welcome to Silicon Genesis, a unique collection of oral history > interviews with pioneers of the semiconductor industry. For access > to streamed versions of the videotaped interviews, see the > complete listing of interviews." > > <http://silicongenesis.stanford.edu/complete_listing.html> Too modern for me, my classic semiconductors are Germanium :-) Perhaps they allow the relay/valve/germanium generation (which does NOT include me by the way) to contribute too.

15 years, 2 months

CDC Remote Calculator, circa 1965

by cclist＠sydex.com

Ad for a CDC 6600 remote calculator terminal on ePay, item 390046087434. Has anyone seen one of these in the flesh, or was this a trial balloon that never flew? --Chuck

15 years, 2 months

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test-drb April 2009