> In fact, the TI community is shrinking, and as the members of the
> community observe it shrinking, some are inclined to bail out ("rats
> abandoning a sinking ship"). Given that trend, the community will
The attrition may be due to limited software or simple the machines
failing. Likely the users have found other platforms (older cheaper PCs)
or even new ones. Also it may be more difficult to use older machine
>from the point and click mindset.
Don't forget peer pressure "Your still using that?".
> Of course, while my main loyalties are to the TI-99/4A, I recognize al
> the other "home computers" suffer from the same conditions, and I was
> hoping to create a dialog for HOW to do this, particularly strategies t
True but some suffer deeper. The more useful and more common software is
the more likely it is to be still in use. Hence the commodors/trs80s/cpm
machines. A quick survey of archive sites will show the common machines
based on software available.
> So what I was fishing for was the thoughts of those people who read thi
> List and understand the dilemma. In a Wintel-dominated world, is it
> even FEASIBLE to try to attract other people to choose from the
> abundance of small computer systems, otherwise destined for the landfil
> or recyclers?
Depends on their needs and how important compatability is to them. I
have a PC becuase I have to not because it's all that great. Some or a
lot of the world is PC based and I have to be compatable with them.
> My previous remarks about mainframes, which were interpreted as saying
> that they are not "home computers", were made from the point of view
> (and perhaps in ignorance) that, while C64s, Atari 8-bitters, TIs,
> CoCos, and other "home computers" that were sold FOR THAT PURPOSE in
> K-Mart and other department stores DO (or at least did) have a user
> community, sharing programs, encouraging other users, forming User
> Groups, publishing Newsletters, etc.,
> other machines (such as the
> PDP class of mains, minis, etc. and maybe Altairs and S-100 bus
> computers) do NOT have this aspect to their existence.
Excuse me? not so! Many of the s100 systems had very active user groupd
though they were more often segmented by OS rather than bus.
> I guess I
> do know about DECUS; don't know if something like that existed for
> PDP-11 owners or not, or even if professionally-oriented thing like
> DECUS would be applicable here. I certainly did not mean to imply tha
There are several groups for the PDP-8/10/11/vax other than decus but
decus goes back to day one.
What you forget is the intersil 6100 chip (pdp8! and the desktop version
the DECMATE) and closed PDP-11 systems (PDT11/150 and PRO350) were sold
in the same space and had very seperate communities outside of DECUS.
It's not as cut and dried as your words picture it. Personal computing
as adjunct to commercial computing was and is largely driven by cost,
capability and software. Many amazingly poor machines did well not for
the hardware but an abundance of software.
Food for thought, The ti9900 chip is nearly as old as the 8080 and it was
a 16bit design based on the TI990 minicomputer. Wouldn't you want that
machine? FYI it was not that large (comparable to a PDP-11/20.). Yet
the ti99/4a was year later...why? No support from TI, they figured you
get the mini and devlope applications using the chip so support was
limited. FYI, the ti9900 chip is a fairly high performance CCPU compared
to the 8080!
Allison
I have the following extra stuff taking up space if anyone would like any of
it:
1) TRS-80 Model 4, desktop model with dual floppies and 64k RAM. works
perfectly, and will include an original copy of TRSDOS 6. Asking $20 +
shipping.
2) Sears SR2000 printer...dual interface IBM/Commodore 8bit. Seems to work
fine though needs a new ribbon. $4 + shipping
3) Commodore Plus4/C-16 joysticks..a pair with the 8pin minidin connector.
loose. unable to test. $5 + shipping
4) Atari SC1224 monitor...color monitor for the Atari-ST's. works great,
though has some magic marker on the case. asking $10 + shipping
I'm selling off these to make room for additional aquisitions, so if
interested, please email me! Thanks.
Jeff jeffh(a)unix.aardvarkol.com
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amiga enthusiast and collector of early, classic microcomputers
http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lakes/6757
> I had a 1000HX (still have, I think -- it's out on loan) with internal 5
> 1/4, external 3 1/2
>
If it has a 5 1/4" internal (on the right side?) then it is a
1000EX and not HX.
They're similar but I forgot what the main difference was other than
the drives. I don't think the EX has a setup program like the HX's
SETUPHX is one. Wonder if it's possible to change settings on the
EX like the HX (EEPROM).
Marc
>>[1] The Central Point Option Board is a
device for an ISA bus PC that will read
almost any standard floppy. They are still
fairly commonly available for $20 or so.>>
I remember having one of these many years ago, but I can't find it anymore.
You mention that they are commonly available, but where do you recommend that
I start looking??
-------------------------------------------------
Rich Cini/WUGNET
- ClubWin Charter Member (6)
- MCPS Windows 95/Netowrking
> > >Speaking of names, the best (most descriptive) program name I ever r
> > >across was the CP/M debugger, DDT.
> >
> > Indeed! In fact, IIRC, it was advertised as, "DDT - kills bugs dead"
> >
> > Bob
>
> I remember using a debugger called DDT under TOPS-10 on the DEC PDP-10
> before there was anything called CP/M.
I've used DDT on PDP-8s (OS8), PDP-10s and 11s before CP/m existed.
However, Kildall was largely inspired by DEC OSs, hence DDT, PIP, dir,
REName, TYPE to name a few.
Allison
>Speaking of names, the best (most descriptive) program name I ever ran
>across was the CP/M debugger, DDT.
Indeed! In fact, IIRC, it was advertised as, "DDT - kills bugs dead".
Bob
At 10:45 AM 7/3/97 +1000, you wrote:
>Take one "Classic" Mac case. Make another slot for a second floppy drive.
>Insert 64K of memory and an 8085 (could be a Z80). Sell lots (or, as I
I think I might have a picture of one around somewhere (probably on my
girlfriend's Mac); if I can find it, I'll put it somewhere accessible if
anyone's interested in seeing it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
sinasohn(a)crl.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/
At 10:31 PM 7/2/97 -0700, you wrote:
>
>I have to get this off my chest.
>
>Commodore 64s have to be the god damn shittiest made computers ever. I
>had to test these 1571 drives that I sold someone and brought out 2 C64s
>I have in my garage and 2 power supplies because I know how notorious
>each part is for not working. I plug each in and niether work. I try
>the other p/s...same thing. I get ANOTHER p/s...both dead. I get yet
>ANOTHER power supply and 3 more C64 consoles I have. Of those 3, 2
>worked! Is this a shittily engineered system or what? What bad weed
>were these idiots who designed this smoking? I've never had such bad
>luck with any other system. Out of all the systems I've ever acquired,
>the commodores and their stupid prone-to-burning-out power supplies have
>been the most likely to not work. I've gotten systems out of the rain
>that have been sitting in the elements for probably YEARS that have
>worked. But a C64? Hell no! Piece of crap!
>
>There must be some well-known fix for these idiotic things. I turn them
>on and get just a pure black screen. This is what happened to the first
>C64 I ever got from a friend 9 years ago. It just up and died on me all
>of a sudden one time when I was using it. Screen went black. There's
>got to be an easy way to fix these stupid things. Either that or there
>must be a well known joke passed around in commodore circles about how
>unreliable these junk heaps are. What a depressing hunk of crap.
>
>Aye.
>
>Sam
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
As you sig says, you are a JAckass, but calling you a jackass is not fair to
the jackass. seeing that this is flamebait, I have to say that I NEVER had a
Commodore 64 that did not work. Now if you want to talk about shitty
commodore stuff, that would have to be the C=128 keyboard. the electronics
in it are fine, but the keyboard is crap. all in all however, Commodores
still rule over Apples anyday, sure the wonderful apple disk was faster, but
a fast disk alone dont make a machine. That is just like having a 454
supercharged big block in your garage, with nothing to put it in.....
i posted a note locally about ti99 goodies and someone emailed me back with
an offer for a northstar advantage and a cordata. i need info on what these
are and if they're worth getting.
david
I am posting this again to hopefully get more response. Right now we are
collectively committed for 46 units of the Panasonic Hand Held
Computers. I am hoping to at least double this figure. The more we
want, the merrier for all. I'll include a little more information about
these units. To those of you who have already submitted requests or have
read this message, you can skip the rest of the message after my
signature as you've seen it before.
These units are a Panasonic HandHeld Computer circa 1984. They have a
FORTH-like language in ROM called "SNAP". They have a built-in thermal
printer. They have 8K of RAM running off a 6502 CPU. The custom-designed
memory expansion tray which each comes with allows up to 10 additional 8K
EPROMS along with the 3 that the HHC itself allows for. It has a 26
character by 1 line display, and its dimensions are 9" by 3.5". It has a
full "qwerty" keyboard.
Now please read the rest of the message for instructions on how to
reserve 1, 2, 3 or more of these babies for yourself at a maximum price
of $10 each.
Sam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 10:52:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)crl4.crl.com>
To: Classic Computer Discussion <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: Panasonic Handhelds
PANASONIC HANDHELD UPDATE:
This is the latest message from Mike who has the hundreds of Panasonic
HandHeld computers. In case its not obvious what's going on, I put in an
offer of $10 each for 50, $9 each for 100, $8 each for 150, etc. I don't
have $2000 lying around with which to buy them all up. I have a plan,
but first read what Mike had to say:
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 10:39:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mikeooo1(a)aol.com
To: dastar(a)crl.com
Subject: Re: EPROM Burners re: Classic Computers
Dear Sam,
I believe the total number of HHC's available will be about 400.Based on
your offer I assume that for 150 of the units you would be willing to pay at
the rate of $10 for the first 50,$9 for the next 50, $8 for the next 50 and
$7 for the next 50 whcih would come to $1700 for 200 units.Would you be
interested in 300 units for $2000 even?To make the offer even sweeter I'll
throw in the memory expander trays with each unit.The cost for each tray
alone was well over $100 when they were purchased,as well as a quantity of
the MCM 68674 8K eprom chips that the programs were written on.
As always Best Regards,
Mike
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END FORWARD
So here's my plan...anyone and everyone who is interested, reply to ME
(do not reply to classiccmp! People will hate you and want to drown your
pets!) telling me how many you want. Do this soon. I will save all of
your e-mails and then at the end of say, 10 days I will tally up the
total and make Mike an offer. So again...
Reply to ME only (dastar(a)crl.com)
Tell me HOW MANY of the Panasonic HandHeld Computers you want.
Do it SOON.
You have about 10 days.
Price will be NO MORE THAN $10 EACH.
I'll get back to everyone in 10 days or so.
Sam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
