test-drb October 2016

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

203 participants
312 discussions

by silent700＠gmail.com

Here's a scan - and special bonus audio tracks - of a brochure and 7" record I found on ebay recently: http://chiclassiccomp.org/docs/index.php?dir=%2Fcomputing/EG%26G "Data on a Platter" from a company called EG&G (anyone heard of them?) describes their vinyl (as in analog audio record) data storage scheme and how it will fit into your business. There's no date anywhere but the brochure is a great example of 60s typefaces, not to mention language. The recording includes examples of how the data sounds if played on a regular phonograph. Who's up for decoding it? -j

8 years, 2 months

New acquisition. Ploycorp Poly 1. New Zealand school computer

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Terry - - Congrats! I never knew about these systems! Thanks for sharing this history with us! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 10/9/2016 5:13:58 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, isking at uw.edu writes: On Oct 8, 2016 5:33 AM, "Terry Stewart" <terry at webweavers.co.nz> wrote: > > > Hi guys, > > > > In case anyone is interested... > > http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2016-10-9-poly-acquisition.htm > > > > This could have been the BBC of New Zealand schools... (-: > > > > Terry (Tez) > > >

8 years, 2 months

Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!]

by vintagecomputer＠bettercomputing.net

-------- Original message -------- From: "Ian S. King" <isking at uw.edu> Date: 2016-10-09 2:30 PM (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!] On Sun, Oct 9, 2016 at 2:37 AM, Dave G4UGM <dave.g4ugm at gmail.com> wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Brad H > > Sent: 09 October 2016 07:41 > > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts > > <cctalk at classiccmp.org>; jwsmail at jwsss.com > > Subject: Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!] > > > > > > > > I'd like to learn more about programming, esp for my 6800.? It'd be fun > to test > > its limits and see what uses I can find for the graphics board I got. I > just don't > > understand how they programmed the thing. All the hex stuff throws me > > off.? :) > > Does it have a serial interface and memory. In which case it was probably > programmed in Assembler. > When I started with 6800 board and 256 bytes of memory, and toggle > switches to load it I used to hand assemble the programs to get the > hex/binary. > I soon got bored of the toggle switches and built a little box with an old > calculator keyboard and display and some TTL so I could enter data quickly. > > > Dave > > I recently acquired a SWTPC 6800, a machine I remember from when it was new.? :-)? There are many programming environments available for it - I'm working to get Forth running on mine, then I'll branch out. It's been said that the 6800 inherited a lot of ideas from the PDP-8, and I agree with that to some extent.? The ISA is actually very clean and neat, once you wrap your head around it - I used to program 6800 assembler professionally, my first paid job as a programmer!? Unlike the PDP-8, I/O is memory-mapped.? Depending on what monitor ROM you have (if any), you may have different system services available.? One very useful system is the one that can read S-records from the serial input, allowing you to easily transfer programs onto the machine. If you want to grok the 6800 in fullness, there are online scans of Motorola's programming manual for the device.? Another great resource is the swtpc.com site, even if you don't have a SWTPC machine (what do you have?). Have fun with it!? Cheers -- Ian -- Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu> Dissertation: "Why the Conversation Mattered: Constructing a Sociotechnical Narrative Through a Design Lens Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org> Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org> University of Washington >There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon >could go to China." I've an original SWTPC 6800. ?Also have an ASCI System X and a Tektronix 6800 board bucket. ?Right now I'm enjoying working with the SWTPC. ?I'm trying to deck it out as completely as one could have. I don't quite understand assembly.. I assume to program in that, as with BASIC you need to load an 'assembler' language first? ?I tried this with my Digital Group system with 5 different tapes marked 'assembler' but never got them to load. ?Not sure if I understand the concept.

8 years, 2 months

Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!]

by vintagecomputer＠bettercomputing.net

I'd like to learn more about programming, esp for my 6800. ?It'd be fun to test its limits and see what uses I can find for the graphics board I got. I just don't understand how they programmed the thing. All the hex stuff throws me off. ?:) Sent from my Samsung device -------- Original message -------- From: william degnan <billdegnan at gmail.com> Date: 2016-10-08 8:54 PM (GMT-08:00) To: jwsmail at jwsss.com, "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!] To me, getting old computers up and running, or programming on them *is* the game as far as I am concerned.? More fun than most packaged software games.? I have made my own games, and I certainly play computer games, but that's not why I am interested in vintage computing. I just spent a few hours tonight attempting to network my NeXTstation color computer and get to the post of accessing the vcfed.org forum so I could post a message on there.? Just for fun, using ancient dawn of the WWW technology.??? Feels like a game to me, there is no practical purpose to doing this other than enjoyment. My point is for those of us who pooh pooh vintage gamers not to take themselves too seriously.? We're all just playing games if you ask me.

8 years, 2 months

cctech Digest, Vol 28, Issue 4

by trayres＠gmail.com

I'm interested! I'm down in California and I also have no idea what it's worth, I'm new to the PDP scene. On Oct 9, 2016 10:00 AM, <cctech-request at classiccmp.org> wrote: > Send cctech mailing list submissions to > cctech at classiccmp.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.classiccmp.org/mailman/listinfo/cctech > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > cctech-request at classiccmp.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > cctech-owner at classiccmp.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of cctech digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. PDP-11/23 system for sale in Portland Oregon (Scott Baker) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 8 Oct 2016 11:31:29 -0700 > From: Scott Baker <scott.l.baker at gmail.com> > To: cctech at classiccmp.org > Subject: PDP-11/23 system for sale in Portland Oregon > Message-ID: > <CABW5Ymky8tCrsTKL4ehEUDt4vtkDxO1hYTDAUS2ANnxxux8Ykg at mail. > gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Hi, > > Pictures can be found here: http://sierracircuitdesign. > ddns.net/temp/pdp11/ > > The system is located in Portland, Oregon. Local pick-up is preferred. > Not sure if it still works. I have not tried to turn it on in years. > I do not have any software of floppies for it. > I'm not sure what it's worth. If you are interested in it, make me an > offer. > > Regards, > Scott > > > End of cctech Digest, Vol 28, Issue 4 > ************************************* >

8 years, 2 months

TPC-I back in one piece (was Re: TeleVideo progress)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Ian S. King > What I want to record here for posterity is how to open one of these > things. I archived this to the Computer History wiki: http://gunkies.org/wiki/TeleVideo_TPC-1 Hope that was OK! Noel

8 years, 2 months

Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!]

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

no real interest in playing games though the curiously of seeing star trek game on friends Digital Group Computer ( had little screen in the front of it... I want one for SMECC display working or not) group and getting a baudot teletype model 14 lead to me starting a computer company in 1979... The big and best game for me was THE HARDWARE and running timeshare systems ) hp-2000 then later hp-3000 later also became full line Independent HP PC products dealer.... but that was just selling stuff not the feel of thrill and adventure the other phases had! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 10/9/2016 9:07:45 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes: > > Find better games :) > > Nope, not even. Has as much appeal as base jumping. I'd rather be I think I'm with you on this one. The only computer games I find even mildly interesting are ones that involve thought and/or hackery to complete. I found the HP67 Games Pac (A set of programs for a handheld calculator with a numeric display) to be much more entertaining than anything on a modern console. But even so, I even enjoy those games that much. Relaxation for me is reading the service manual for something I don't own, figuring out what the schematics really mean, etc. Or mindlessly stuffing a PCB. -tony =

8 years, 2 months

Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!]

by vintagecomputer＠bettercomputing.net

Flipping is just treasure hunting by another name. ?Estate and storage locker sales are the modern equivalent of digging for pirate gold. ?I think people worldwide love that stuff but particularly Americans because they have that brash adventurer spirit embedded in the national character. Sent from my Samsung device -------- Original message -------- From: ethan at 757.org Date: 2016-10-09 8:46 AM (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Cc: General at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!] >>>? Just like the car collecting, comic book collection and just about >>> most other hobbies when they mature.? The same type of people who The comic book market crashed due to the flipping side of it as far as I know. When it changes from a hobby to a speculative mania, I suppose that is when things eventually explode? They can go on a lot longer if backed by the government and low interest rates, see speculation in housing. Plus weak returns in other markets. Unlike basic needs like the housing market bubble (which has yet to crash, but probably will which isn't a bad thing) hobbies like Classic Computers probably have interest waves. Certain people who grew up with such and such hold it dear. Eventually interest in it will probably fade as the people with memories of the subject fufill reliving the experience, or die. And there is a lot of money to be made, then vendors might swoop in to make cash (see Roland and Yamaha with their recent Botique recreations of vintage analog synthesizers.) Also for much of the younger generation housing costs are so high (and perhaps job opportunities weak) that collecting things becomes more of a burden. It costs a lot of time to move stuff from apartment to apartment, and money to store it. Buying a house with low prospects of job stability is also a risk and can damage chances of relocating for jobs after layoffs. The damage of the years of offshoring and outsourcing is hidden behind the national debt, student loan debt and housing debt. Also there is some sort of American obsession with flipping stuff. A lot less shows about building new things versus shows about flipping stuff (be it Pawn shops, Storage Units, American Pickers type stuff, and of course -- housing flip shows.)

8 years, 2 months

ka... ching!

by aek＠bitsavers.org

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291894250804

8 years, 2 months

Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!]

by vintagecomputer＠bettercomputing.net

-------- Original message -------- From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> Date: 2016-10-08 2:17 PM (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Twiggys [was: Re: ka... ching!] On 10/08/2016 09:46 AM, js at cimmeri.com wrote: > I think the people who complain about "Altairs just sitting on > desks" might be doing so for at least one reason being because a > particular purpose seems to violate the original spirit, intent, and > purpose behind the creation.? I hear that a lot eg. "it's a shame > it's just sitting there, not being used." > > It's when other purposes come in, and begin to make this hobby > purpose more difficult to engage in and "unobtainium", that the > hobbyists lament.? If there were enough for everyone, then there'd be > no complaining. I have to confess to a certain amount of bemusement when I witness the phenomenon of game-obsession with early PCs.? With the exception of "home" systems, such as Commodore and perhaps Apple and the like, I knew very few people who *purchased* a PC for game playing.? Did people play games on PCs?? Sure--but that was rarely the reason that anyone ponied up for a 1970s or 80s multiple-kilobuck system.? Mind you, this was around the time that one could purchase a Porsche 914 for little more than $3000. Most of the people I knew purchased a PC to do business applications (AR, AP, GL, inventory, payroll or word processing) or worked with spreadsheets.?? Yet, very little of this is ever discussed on fora such as the Vintage Computer Federation site. Indeed, I think it's safe to speculate that the bulk of Intel Inboard cards were sold to those running Lotus 1-2-3. After we're all gone, what will future generations think of us? That we developed new hardware and software solely to play games? Wow. --Chuck > When I was a kid we had the IBM PCjr through PS/2. ?Concurrently I had my own Commodore 64. ?Up until we got our AT, the Commodore was the game machine. ?There were lots of PC versions of games out there but they *sucked* in terms of graphics and sound (we also lacked a joystick for the PCs) compared to the Commodore. ?King's Quest was the earliest game I played on PC.. but I don't recall it being available on Commodore at the time. ?One of my best memories was of the computer lab at our school. ?We had 30 64s up there chained to a 4040 (I think) via C64 Link expanders. ?We had a game day every so many weeks and had all kinds of fun trying to get games to load via that setup. I remember thinking of gaming on 'Dad's computer' as an odd idea. ?But then Test Drive came out. ?Then our school dumped the Commodores and went to PCs. ?People started showing up at school for game day with PC games like Empire. ?And then the PC finally started to catch up and surpass the Commodore in quality and the games reached a level the Commodore couldn't do. ?Between that and the ease of loading things quickly from hard drive.. the C64 ended up going into hibernation. ?After that it was all about upgrading the PC to run Falcon or some such acceptably.

8 years, 2 months

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test-drb October 2016