Thanks to everyone that responded. I have more than I needed as I found
them for $10 each at Computer Recyclers and a few others from private
parties. I no longer need any more, unless of course you just have to
give them away ;-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
At 02:07 AM 8/17/98 -0400, you wrote:
>
>
>On Sun, 16 Aug 1998, Joe wrote:
>
>> sing. You should hear two of those on a 426 Hemi at WOT!
>>
>Big old engines, big old computers...the appeal is pretty similar...What's
>the Hemi in?
A 1970 Superbird what else! Big engine, big car, NO computers!
I also have a '70 Dodge Challenger RT convertible with a 440 6 pak. :-)
These are the remains of my car collecting days.
>
>> And if you tweak the engine for more efficiency,
>> >many of them automatically compensate -- no need to swap out jets and
>> >other mechanical parts by trial end error.
>>
>> Yes but I can still swap a jet faster than I can burn an EPROM! The big
>> advantage of the EFI is that it's more precise than a carburator, can
>> monitor and adjust for more conditions and employs feed back sensors for
>> even more precise control.
>>
>Don't forget the most important thing, you can REALLY control the spark
>curve :)
Yes and the transmission shift points in some cars.
>
>> Another motor-head!
>> >
>And one more.
They're everywhere!
Joe
>
>rob
>
>
Hi,
I'm combining several responses here on early programmable
calcs ...
At Wed, 19 Aug 1998 17:41:17 Doug Yowza wrote:
>Hi, Alex. I really think this is the coolest find yet. I have a desktop
>programmable computer from 1959, but mine is analog. I haven't heard of
>any desktop programmable solid-state digital machine that predates your
>Mathatron.
So far, I haven't either. The Anita and Friden EC-130 electronic
calculators both came out in 1963, they're generally regarded as
the first two electronic desktop calculators but neither are
programmable. I'm not aware of any other programmable calculator
coming onto the market until the Wang units.
>
>> Another "crossover" machine that I have a little info
>> (mainly pictures) of is the HP 9830, called a calculator
>> but in fact a computer with BASIC.
>
>The 9830 doesn't get discussed much, but it's one of my favorites.
>There's a lot of noise on this list about the Altair, a "PC" from 1975
>that was just a big box with lights and toggles. In 1972, the HP 9830 was
>an elegant light-weight desktop computer with full alphanumeric keyboard,
>built-in secondary storage, built-in display, built-in BASIC, and it just
>plain works. There was nothing else remotely like it at the time, and it
>was even reasonably priced (around $5000, I think).
In addition to the pictures I have on my Web site, David Hicks' Museum
of HP Calculators has a bunch more info on the 9830 and the
available peripherals (including things like printer, plotter, paper
tape reader, digitizer, etc.). I was surprised when I got my
9830A and it had aftermarket ROM and memory cards in it. The ROM
is a "Fast Basic" card and it and the memory were made by Infotek.
The 9830 has a bus architecture for it's main ROM and memory
cards, and it has an I/O bus on the rear. I don't know if HP
ever published the specs for these buses, perhaps Infotek reverse-
engineered the timing/functionality to make their cards. Also
curious about the Infotek cards was that the markings on all
the ICs on their cards had been intentionally rubbed off. I
wonder if that was to make it harder for others to clone their
design. At any rate, it predated the Apple II by about 5 years,
it has built-in BASIC and storage, and you could add stuff to
it. What more could you ask ;-)
The darned things are built like a tank, too. Extremely heavy
and rugged. There is also a 9830B version, but from what I can
tell by comparing the guts they are the same except for the
memory cards (the 9830B supports more RAM). It looks like the
Infotek memory card in my 9830A was used to upgrade it to the
same amount as would be in a maxed-out 9830B (16K, I'm not sure
if this is words or bytes).
>
>-- Doug
At Wed, 19 Aug 1998 19:12:22 dave dameron wrote:
>At 05:41 PM 8/19/98 -0500, Doug wrote:
>I found a book I would recommend if anyone finds a copy, although I am still
>getting used to it. It is "Computer Structures: Readings and Examples" by
>Bell and Newell. It uses strange notation (for me) and even the table of
>contents is "virtual".
>
>Anyway, it includes descriptions of 2 desktop calculators, both about 1968:
>an Olivetti 101 (USD$3500) and a HP 9100A. The HP uses core memory, its
>program ROM uses 16 layer PC board technology. The HP article is a reprint
>from the HP Journal. Does anyone have either of these?
Text (and some/most of the photos) from the HP Journal articles about the
9100A (and a lot of other HP calcs) can be found on the Museum
of HP Calculators in the "HP Journal Articles" section. These make
for very interesting reading about the machine's architecture and
how it works. I have a copy of the original patent on the 9100
(unfortunately the quality isn't good enough to scan and I haven't
found an on-line source yet), this gives some real insight into
how the machine operates.
The Olivetti Programma 101 was apparently targeted more for the business
market than the scientific market, the pictures of it that I've
seen show that it's basically a programmable, four-function calculator
with several memory registers. Like the 9100, it used a magnetic
card to store programs.
>-Dave
>
At 12:38 AM 8/20/98 -0500, Doug Yowza wrote:
>
>Somebody with a better sense of calc history should chime in here, but I
>think Monroe, Olivetti, HP, and Wang all had programmables in the 60s.
As far as I know, the Mathatron, HP9100, and Wang calculators were
the only scientific-oriented programmable machines available during
the 1960s. I don't know if the Wang LOCI series was programmable
or not. The 300-series (300, 310, 320, 360) Wang machines used
a separate keyboard/nixie display unit and an electronics box
with the actual calculator (on some of the models four keyboard/
display units could be attached to "time-share" the calculator
electronics). The electronics box itself wasn't programmable,
but one of the keyboard/display models (I think it was the 370)
could be programmed to execute a series of key sequences, which
were then sent down to the electronics box to do the math.
In the early 70s (late 1970 or early 1971), CompuCorp developed
a pair of programmable calculators (one printing, one Nixie) that
were marketed by Monroe (the Model 1655 is the Nixie one) and Dietzgen.
Rick Bensene's Web page has a lot more info about the Wang
300 series calculators.
In the 60s, there were business-type programmable
machines from Monroe (EPIC 3000), Olivetti (Programma 101),
Smith Corona Marchant (Cogito 516 PR), and Canon (Canola 164P).
There is also the Burroughs C3660 business programmable, but
I don't know if it's a 60s machine or not, and Sony made
a programmable Sobax but I'm not sure when. All of these
machines were very large and were probably either transistorized
or used early Small-Scale integrated circuits.
>
>I have an HP9100A manual and the first HP _Keyboard_ that describes it. I
>think I recall at least four people on the list having a 9100. It was not
>the first programmable, but it was the first HP, and it is pretty cool
>with its built-in CRT and expansion bus.
Apparently there were also aftermarket accessories made for the 9100
by other companies. I recall seeing something on the net from
one company that took a 9100 and modified it to become an instrument
controller.
>-- Doug
At Thu, 20 Aug 1998 07:33:46 dave dameron wrote:
>Yes, that's it. My copy was published in 1971, so the HP9100A is one of the
>later computers in it. Yes it is neat with the custom CRT and all the boards
>stuffed into its case. I guess it sold for about $6000.
The 9100A initially sold for $4995. Its price was dropped to $4495
when the 9100B (with 2x the memory) was introduced (at $4995) a little
while later.
Hope this info. has been of some interest.
REFERENCED LINKS:
http://www.hpmuseum.org -- David Hicks' Museum of HP Calculators
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7510 -- Rick Bensene's Web Page
Regards,
Alex
Calculator History & Technology Archive Web Page
http://aknight.home.mindspring.com/calc.htm
At 12:38 AM 8/20/98 -0500, you wrote:
>On Wed, 19 Aug 1998, dave dameron wrote:
>
>> I found a book I would recommend if anyone finds a copy, although I am
still
>> getting used to it. It is "Computer Structures: Readings and Examples" by
>> Bell and Newell. It uses strange notation (for me) and even the table of
>> contents is "virtual".
>
>That wouldn't be Gordon Bell, would it? The book sounds familiar, but
>it's not on my shelf.
>
>> Anyway, it includes descriptions of 2 desktop calculators, both about 1968:
>> an Olivetti 101 (USD$3500) and a HP 9100A. The HP uses core memory, its
>> program ROM uses 16 layer PC board technology. The HP article is a reprint
>> from the HP Journal. Does anyone have either of these?
>
>Somebody with a better sense of calc history should chime in here, but I
>think Monroe, Olivetti, HP, and Wang all had programmables in the 60s.
>
>I have an HP9100A manual and the first HP _Keyboard_ that describes it. I
>think I recall at least four people on the list having a 9100. It was not
>the first programmable, but it was the first HP, and it is pretty cool
>with its built-in CRT and expansion bus.
>
I have a HP 9100 and the original HP Journal. You can order reprints
(color, I think) of the HP Journals through HP's website.
Joe
well, if people are putting in requests for various mac models that are
getting ready to be scrapped, i wouldnt mind having an se/30 or colour
classic. a IIfx wouldnt be bad except for the fact that it can only use
special simms.
>She said that they were invented by Hollerith
at the end of the last century for use with the census. Was I drunk or
did
we just go through a whole discussion about the cards being invented for
the Jacquard loom?
Different types of punched cards. Hollerith invented the modern
computer punch card. The Jacquard loom used punched cards in a linked
belt type arrangement, similar to a player piano, to control the shuttle
of his loom. Jacquard had more in common with pianos than computers.
Jack Peacock
FWIW Dept: Found this in comp.os.vms.... You Southwest folks may be
interested. If they were close I sure would consider them as I'd like to
find a Qbus SCSI controller (or simply use the machine as is instead of
upgrading my MVII.)
From: mesprime(a)aol.com (MES PRIME)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Old VAX hardware for sale
Lines: 24
Message-ID: <1998081415580800.LAA06833(a)ladder01.news.aol.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder01.news.aol.com
X-Admin: news(a)aol.com
Date: 14 Aug 1998 15:58:08 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Xref: post.servtech.com comp.os.vms:190118
We have just retired our old VAXs and are looking for a nice home for them.
We have two systems:
System 1is a Micro Vax 4 with 128M ram, expansion bus, Q-Bus, CMD and UC08
SCSI
Controllers, Emulex communication multiplexor boards and CP34 Panels, Drive
bay
and 19' Rack and DR11-C interface.
System 2 is a Micro Vax 3 with 64M ram, exapnsion bus, Q-Bus, Emulex UCO8 SCSI
Controllers, Emulex communication muliplexor board and CP34 Panels.
Also available ( serious ) a couple of working Deckwriter's
If intersted, e-mail me for more information:
mslaughter(a)basstickets.net
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Slaughter
IS Manager
BASS Tickets
1855 Gateway Blvd. Suite 630
Concord, CA 94520
Anyway, contact Mr. Slaughter directly!
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Is this iron old enough that someone here could help Vicki?
To: silent-tristero(a)world.std.com
From: Vicki Rosenzweig <vr(a)zebra.acm.org>
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 17:01:18 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: help--trailing edge equipment
Sender: silent-tristero-approval(a)world.std.com
Precedence: list
Reply-To: Vicki Rosenzweig <vr(a)zebra.acm.org>
Status: U
I'm not sure this is relevant to tristero, but I can't
think of who else to ask. I have a network of three
Sun Sparc IPXs, plus an Annex II terminal server and
a bunch of dumb terminals hanging off the Annex.
Xylogics, the company that made the Annex, is no longer
supporting that model, at all--the last time I tried
calling them about something, the only suggestion they
were willing to make was "we could sell you something
more modern." It may come to that, but I hope not.
Here's the situation: for Reasons Too Complicated To
Explain (in other words, I'd start frothing at the mouth),
the cables that connect the Annex to its dumb terminals
and to the Ethernet are in the open, under a desk. Thus,
they get kicked semi-regularly.
Someone kicked the cable connecting the Annex to the
Ethernet transceiver loose this afternoon. The first I
knew of it was when someone came to find me, and asked
why all the terminals were dead. When I tried to plug
it back in, I found I couldn't--a couple of the pins on
the transceiver had been bent out of shape. I replaced
the transceiver (with one of a different model, but which
I know is good--it worked elsewhere in this network).
Nothing. I rebooted the Annex: it gets as far as a set
of lights that translate to "trying to reach the Ethernet
to download software." I got desperate, pulled the only
other cable of the same kind off the network (which involved
undoing about eight NFS cross-mounts), and plugged it in
instead.
Nothing.
So, basically: I tried replacing the transceiver, I tried
replacing the cable, and the Annex box insists that it's fine,
it just needs to download software. Does anyone have any
idea of what might be going on here, or of how I can fix it?
(I do know where to buy a live chicken, but I suspect
management would look askance if I brought it into the office.)
Signed,
Desperate in New York
Vicki Rosenzweig
vr(a)cr.acm.org | vr(a)interport.net
http://www.users.interport.net/~vr/
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