< First off.. am I making a semantic error? The exact wording on
< the badgeplate of the 'good' machine reads 'VAXSTATION II/RC' and
< the dead one reads just 'VAXSTATION II'... all this time I have
< been refering to them as 'MicroVaxes'. Dumb? Irrelevant? Crucial?
Similar save for VAXstation was the marketing thing for a workstation
configuration and Microvax generally meant terminals for IO unless there
was a /GPX or /SPX then it was a workstation. Confused... so was
marketing.
< Upon power-up, the LED display on the back shows 'A'. The fixed
< disk, a Micropolis RD53-A, spins up and coasts down continuously.
The RD53 has a problem, there is internally a rubber bumper and the head
is stuck to it! Common problem on the Micropolus 1325s. The fix, open it
HDA, unlatch the head lock and force the arm to move then apply power and
close. recover data and dispose or if you nuts like me do surgery to
remove the peice of gum that used to be rubber and button it up and use it
a few more years.
< Cycling 'HALT' on the front panel causes the usual 'break' monitor
< printout and the pc state. The LED displays '8' and that's it... I
< have let it go for 10 minutes....
I think it's waiting for a terminal.
Allison
This snippet I grabbed last year as I was compiling my Commodore 8-bit write
up for Vintage Computer Festival 1.0 at least it's a lead... (my scrapbook
doesn't get cleaned much) I think it was a writeup on an awards ceremony for
the innovators of the microcomputer industry.
> One of the awards went to William D. Mensch, Jr., president and CEO, The Western
> Design Center Inc. Mensch was fundamental to the development of the Motorola
> 68000 microprocessor, and he went on to help invent and develop the 6502 chip at
> MOS Technology in the early 1970s. The 6502 was eventually used in Apple,
> Commodore and Atari computers.
>
> The second award in the category was presented to Chuck Peddle, president, Thstyme
> Ltd., and another MOS Technology veteran. Peddle pioneered the phenomenally
> successful 6502 microprocessor, and, under Commodore, led the development of one
> of the first personal computers: the PET (Personal Electronic Transactor), which put the
> 6502 chip to practical use.
Hope that helps!
--
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363
Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at:
http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
I just picked up an Apple SoftCard /// still shrinkwrapped. I almost
hate to open it up but I want to use it in my Apple /// since I collect
to learn and use instead of reselling. I'm pretty sure this is the
original shrinkwrap looking it over and the stickers on it but it made
me wonder. Is there any way to really know if someone is selling
you something that is in the original wrap or something they just re-
wraped? Guess you just have to follow the old "buy be ware".
-----
David Williams - Computer Packrat
dlw(a)trailingedge.com
http://www.trailingedge.com
> I just picked up an Apple SoftCard /// still shrinkwrapped. I almost
> hate to open it up but I want to use it in my Apple /// since I collect
> to learn and use instead of reselling. I'm pretty sure this is the
> original shrinkwrap looking it over and the stickers on it but it made
> me wonder.
Woha. Dont open. At least that what's I would do
(especialy since my Apple /// was stolen 2 weeks ago :().
Try to get a second one.
> Is there any way to really know if someone is selling
> you something that is in the original wrap or something they just re-
> wraped? Guess you just have to follow the old "buy be ware".
Yes, or at least there are some hints. First, the type
of platic film is changing constantly (but you need a bit
experiance, since not only the material is different over
time, also for example, at the same time, companies in
Europe liked different material than those in the US).
Second the aging is visible thru the consistence. While
the years it gets harder and harder. Even if you get the
same material as uses when original, it takes some years
to get the softener out. And third: In a lot of cases
there are stickers on top. If you rewarp the card you
loose them. And most visible, forth: if you juse it
there will be dust on the card and traces on the books.
I always try to keep original packt items as they are,
althru I have some early singleboarders (i.e. 6800),
where I have to fight myself every time I see them :)
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
At 21:55 10/09/98 EDT, SUPRDAVE(a)aol.com wrote:
>I tested the three C64s i got and none are getting video on a known working
>composite monitor. im also not getting a beep when i try ^G (assuming a
>speaker is inside the computer) do these systems need an rf modulator or
>require a tv?
If you're plugging the composite monitor into the RCA plug on the back of
the C64 you're not going to have much luck. That's the RF output. The
composite video is, if I remember correctly, on pin 4 of the AV DIN socket.
The C64 does not have an internal speaker. Sound is modulated on the RF if
you connect it to a TV, otherwise it's present on pin 3 of the AV DIN
connector. Either way, ^G does *not* give you a beep on a C64. To get
sound out of it you need to resort to POKEing (I can't remember exactly
where you need to POKE, but I'm sure someone else on the list can).
Regards,
| Scott McLauchlan |E-Mail: scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au |
| Network Services Team |Phone : +61 2 6201 5544 (Ext.5544)|
| Client Services Division |Post : University of Canberra, |
| University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA | ACT, 2601, AUSTRALIA. |
> On Mon, 31 Aug 1998 19:23:11 +1, "Hans Franke" <franke(a)sbs.de> wrote:
>>>does anybody know who has right now the rights for
>>>the KIM-1 design and the respective ROM code?
>>>Or more in general - is there any successor for
>>>the Commodore Semiconductor divison ?
> I did some research on this about 18 months ago in preparation for
> contacting Commodore's bankruptcy counsel to see about purchasing the rights
> to Commodore's 8-bit technology.
> Even though I read the Chapter 11 reorganization plan and Chapter 7
> liquidation motion, and my corporate counsel looked at the docs, it's really
> hard to trace the chain of asset transfers, since I could not find a
> specific list of those assets sold; only broad "all intellectual property"
> language was used.
> Collectively, Commodore's assets were sold to Escom (a German computer
> manufacturer) for $14 million, $4 million of which realted to CBM and $10
> million related to Commodore International Bahamas, Ltd. an affiliate of
> CBM. The former CSG operation located at 950 Rittenhouse Road in Norristown
> PA was purchased by GMT Microelectronics Corp., a company formed by former
> CSG management in order to purchase the chip-making assets. The purchase
> price was $4.3 million plus another $1 million to clear EPA liens. Assets
> included the plant, equipment, other inventory items at that location. Last
> year, I made a field trip to GMT and verified that they exist and are
> operating out of the old CSG building.
Did you talk to them ? Their website (http://www.gmtme.com/index.html)
presents only a few new products - noting of the old stuff.
> The non-CSG assets stayed with Escom until they filed for receivership
> (bankruptcy), in 1996. The assets were then sold to a Netherlands-based
> company (Commodore NL??), who then sold the Amiga assets to Gateway (the
> Holstein cow people). I don't think that anyone truly knows who owns the old
> 8-bit assets. Commodore NL sells PeeCee compatible machines under the
> Commodore name, so I'd bank on Gateway owning them. If anyone on this list
> knows anyone at Gateway, now may be the time to use the relationship.
I think this is a formidable example for all our old (pre 1980)
toys - Almost all of the small (and even some of the big)
manufactiurers/designers have vanished. So who owns the design,
the ROM code, the spechial chip designs, the manuals and any
other soft ?
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
--- Paul Grammens wrote:
If it is the same drive as the Mac
drives, you should be able to pick up a replacement for a dollar or two,
worst case.
--- end of quote ---
As far as I know, it is the same in almost all respects, right down to the model number. But, the Lisa version supports the Lisa's auto-eject feature when shutting down from the front button, whereas the Mac version does not.
-- MB
Try taking the output of the VIC through the inputs of a VCR. I'm not sure
about this, but if I remember the monitor that was with my C64, there were
two audio, and two video jacks, or a special cable that would combine
everything into one plug. There was also another cable that would allow
the computer to connect to a TV (had a converter and Audio/Video in one RCA
jack, like a Nintendo). However, I no longer have the computer, so I can't
be sure, but I do remember the four RCA jacks and the single multi-plug on
the back of the monitor. There was also a switch to change from 60-75Hz (I
think). The monitor would NOT work with a standard composite computer,
such as an apple.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Marion Bates <Marion.Bates(a)Dartmouth.EDU>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: VIC-20 -- no sound
> Date: Thursday, September 10, 1998 6:55 PM
>
> They didn't, so I made one to match your description here. It checks out
fine with the multimeter, but I still get video with no audio. Leads me to
believe there's a problem with the VIC itself.
>
> Or maybe my TV is really weird. There's been an anomaly with the C64 for
as long as I can remember, which is that when I use the video cable (the
one that splits into three RCA's, one for video and two for sound) with the
video-in jacks on the TV, I get a nice, sharp, black and white display, no
color. If I use the composite port and a TV/game modulator box, I get
(cruddy) color. I've checked every setting I can find on the TV for
color/B&W stuff, but everything looks right. ???
>
> Thanks again for the help.
>
> -- MB
