test-drb May 2014

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

171 participants
188 discussions

by roe＠liveblockauctions.com

I'd like to find a mouse for my DEC vt330 terminal; the spec calls for a VSXXX-AA roller mouse. Does anyone out there know if the VSXXX-GA is compatible? Thanks.

10 years, 1 month

MAI Basic Four 510 610 730

by ad＠ardiehl.de

Hi, yesterday i got a complete MAI Basic Four 510, similar to the 610/730 including 2 14" removable disk drives including a lot of disk packs. Due to the size i have yet transported one drive, the printer, terminals, disk packs and the documentation only. I have to pick up the CPU, the 2nd drive and the remaining stuff over the next weeks. Now i'm looking for the service manual since there seems to be a defect in the cpu power supply, the main fuse is blowed: M8001XX System 610/730 Service Manual Anyone out there having these or similar manuals ? These ones would also be very interesting: M80651A System 1350 Service Manual, Vol I M80652A System 1350 Service Manual, Vol II M80781A System 1600 Service Manual, Vol I M80782A System 1600 Service Manual, Vol II The new ones i got (Disk service manual and owners manual for the 610/730) will be scanned and send to Al within the next weeks. Thanks ---------------- Gr?sse Armin Diehl ad at ardiehl.de

10 years, 1 month

Data General desktop info

by supervinx＠libero.it

Hi! I repaired the PSU and a card. The machine greets me with "!" And now? I have no info at all...

10 years, 1 month

Pile of Mac G4s

by nospam212-cctalk＠yahoo.com

I have about 12 various models of Mac G4 towers. These were used for audio recording and art production and were being tossed. Before I spend the time to see what all is in each machine and their conditions I wanted to see if there was any interest in the systems. If not I won't bother with them as I have samples in my own collection already. Be aware they are rather heavy for shipping. Systems are located in Houston, TX. David www.trailingedge.com

10 years, 1 month

Catch and Halt Fire - Drama set in early days of personal computing

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

I watched about 3 minutes. Pure garbage. Halt and Catch Fire is not a real computer instruction that caused a race condition that made the computer stop working. I imagine a bunch of teenagers are scouring Intel technical manuals looking for the Code 2 Duo equivalent of HCF. No one looked, acted, or talked like that back in the early 1980s (I remember, I was there). Especially not IBM sales people. If you could find a chick anywhere that looked 1/4 as cute as the chick in the opening scene and who knew as much about computers, you were either in the future, watching a bad 2014 television drama, or you were someplace private by yourself with your pants down lost in your imagination. I'm sure I could come up with more criticisms if I could deaden my senses enough without taking out critical life functions to watch the rest. Unfortunately, this program was designed for the braindead, technically illiterate cultural group that comprises television watchers generally. Whoever wrote this knows a computer collector. However, based on the level of comprehension of the subject matter that gets incorporated into the script, the writer probably only likes the computer collector in as much as they can get fodder for their crappy TV scripts. If any Hollywood people are reading this and want to make a good historical computer based drama or movie (it's been all downhill since War Games), you know how to contact me. -- Sellam ibn Abraham VintageTech ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintagetech.com Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. The truth is always simple. * * * NOTICE * * * Due to the insecure nature of the medium over which this message has been transmitted, no statement made in this writing may be considered reliable for any purpose either express or implied. The contents of this message are appropriate for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. The right of the people to be secure in their papers against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated.

10 years, 1 month

Catch and Halt Fire - Drama set in early days of personal

by kurt＠hamm.me

I was there in the late 70s and early 80s. I absolutely enjoyed the first episode and looked at it like the beginnings of Compaq. The legal restrictions on reverse engineering were close enough. The sets and wardrobe were obviously well thought out and seemed familiar to me. I enjoyed them immensely. I loved seeing those old computers. This is a great opportunity to engage an audience outside of our close knit community. So many people lived through the time if not as profoundly as we did. How can this show be a bad thing for us? Sellam continues to be a prick about anything related to what he feels is his claim to computer history. I see his post as fishing for some piece of the action. It included a plea for the producers to call him and smacked of sour grapes for not being consulted. For my part, I am disgusted by anyone who would make a value judgement about physical appearance especially related to technical competency. It is a completely subjective evaluation and has no place in this discussion. We should relax and enjoy the first major impetus for remembering and collecting this past. IMHO. Kurt

10 years, 1 month

Listing of 60s mainframes/minis with CRT displays?

by dmonnens＠gmail.com

Thank you to everyone who has responded so far. Let me clarify a little - Marty and I are looking for a list of computers >from about 1971 and earlier (1977 at the latest, but the real focus is on the 1960s) that had the capability of playing Spacewar. We've had reports of a few different machines running it, but obviously there are going to be a lot of gaps in oral history. Having a list of machines with displays (CRT, vector, or other) would help identify where some of those gaps might be. Here are all the machines we've had reports of Spacewar on them: 1. PDP-1 2. PDP-4 3. PDP-6 4. PDP-7 5. PDP-8 (probably text-based version) 6. PDP-10 7. PDP-11 8. LINC-8 9. DEC-10 10. HP59825 desktop calculator 11. 544 ARTW/Trajectory Division 12. PLATO 13. DDP-224 14. IBM System/360 (IBM 2250 Model 1 display) or 2250-4 (a 2250/1130 Model 4) 15. CDC-3100 16. Data General NOVA 17. IMLAC PDS-1 18. Virtual Machine Facility/370 (VM/370) Note some of these have multiple versions created in different locations independently. 1972 is a key date because that's when PLATO went on the ARPANET, and software could be more widely distributed. This was also the first year that Spacewar was written for a home computer in BYTE Magazine. 1977 was the release of the arcade version and publication of a version for the Altair 8080. Want to clarify that we're not looking for home computer releases, unless maybe you have examples earlier than 1977. > On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 05:08:41PM +0100, Dave wrote: > > > > If you are talking 1960's I think the real answer is "not much". I > There was quite a bit actually. The LINC, LINC-8, PDP-1 and > PDP-12 all had vector displays. There was also an add-on for the > original PDP-8 and PDP-6, display 340 or something like that. > These are all DEC of course, Martin might be interested in the > TX-0 from MIT unless it's out of scope. > /P

10 years, 1 month

7, 500 Amiga Pirated Amiga Warez Disks & Demos- Need to find someone to archive them and find them a home

by slandon110＠gmail.com

Guys I bought an Amiga with over 7,500 Pirated Amiga Warez Disks And Demos, you name it its on these disks. Just looking to sell them cheap to someone outright who will archive them and post them online for everyone. Like 250 dollars for the entire lot cheap. And they will ship media mail even cheaper

10 years, 1 month

A small collection of PDP8's and PDP11's in Adelaide

by bob.willson＠adelaide.edu.au

Hi All, I have a small collection of PDP8's and PDP11's in Adelaide South Australia. The group is made up of a PDP 8/L, 2 X PDP 8/E's, 2 X PDP 8/F's, a PDP 11/10, a PDP 11/20, and a PDP 11/44. The 8/L is bare but the rest have RK05's except the 11/44 and an 8/F with floppies. Their purchase was arranged by me in the 1970's and they have been given to me by the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. They have been stored in an air conditioned environment since purchase. A couple of years ago when I began to think about disposing of this equipment my ambitions were quite small and I thought I would just put them up on ebay and see what happened. Since then I have looked at the computers more closely and with the assistance of the former engineer involved at the time we have put 3 of the computers back in operation. As far was we can tell the PDP 8/L runs trivial programs, the PDP 8/F with floppies runs OS/8, and one of the PDP 8/E's runs the processor OK but the Plessey disk (RK05 look alike) didn't boot (but we'll fix that). Currently the former engineer is a lecturer in Computer Science and has expressed an interest in one of the PDP8's in a running state as an exhibit in his office. I may keep the 11/44 but we need to dispose of the rest, eventually, and in a running state. We think we will put up the 8/L for sale first. The package consists of the 4K PDP 8/L, a BA08 Expansion Box containing a KV8/L controller, a Tektronix 611 display and a 1250VA DEC Autotransformer to run the 115V 8/L system in the 230V land of Australia, and associated documentation. The PDP 8/L powers up and the fans and power supplies check out. Memory addresses can be examined by auto incrementing through memory. Data can be deposited in memory. Trivial programs seem to execute and switches seem to perform their intended function (allowing for a little intermittent functioning after 30 years stasis). I believe both the PDP 8/L and the KV8/L controller can be functioning systems. I know there is an international market for this equipment but is there anyone or any group in this country (Australia) that we might give advance notice of an intention to sell this sort computing equipment? Let me know if you are interested or want further information (bob.willson at adelaide.edu.au). Regards, Bob. -- Bob Willson Phone : +61 08 8272 3659 School of Psychology Fax : +61 08 8303 3770 University of Adelaide Email : bob.willson at adelaide.edu.au Adelaide, South Australia 5005 CRICOS: 00123M

10 years, 1 month

Basic Four 410 / Microdata 1600

by ad＠ardiehl.de

Hi, i recently got a MAI Basic Four 210 from the Netherlands. The CPU now powers up, have not yet tried the 14" Piram harddisk. I would like to know if the CPU is working. It seems to be based on a microdata 1600 but equiped with dram and cmos ROMs. The machine has switches were it can be set to boot standard/alternate >from disk, tape or from a serial terminal. Since the tape drive has a capstan roller transformed to liquid and i have not yet tested the disk i would like to know how to boot from a terminal. I have not yet read the microcode proms nor have i checked if they are soldered or on sockets. Does someone out there have access to the cpu manuals that are stated in the service manual ? 1300 CPU Technical Manual, Document No. SM 1200 M1300 Series CPU Organisation and Description Reference Manual Pictures from the machine are here: http://www.ardiehl.de/basicfour/mai210/pics/small/ and the manuals are on bitsavers in pdf/mai, the service manual also contains the cpu schematics, the ones for the tape controller and the disk controller are included in the tape / disk service manuals. What do you think are the chances to get the disk up and running. (since i have no tapes of other software) All seems to be stored dry, no rust, nor a lot of dirt in the machine. Seemd to be powered on the last time more than 15 years ago. ---------------- Gr?sse Armin Diehl ad at ardiehl.de

10 years, 1 month

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test-drb May 2014