My profile's on my III's can't be accessed through Prodos, but need a disk
called catalyst to get to the drive. If you need a copy email me
personally.
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Spence <ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, August 07, 1998 8:45 PM
Subject: Apple III & Profile
>
>Greetings,
>
>I finally got around to trying the Profile hard drive someone gave me,
>with my Apple III, but I can't get it to work. I haven't tried
>formatting, but I wan't to leave that as a 'last resort', in case there's
>something useful on the drive.
>
>I opened up the drive when I first got it, to see what's inside. The
>actual drive mechanism is a full-height 5.25" jobbie, and IIRC it's 5MB.
>I don't remember who the manufacturer was.
>
>I power up the drive first, and wait until the READY light stops blinking.
>I have no Apple III docs, I just 'guessed' that that was the proper
>procedure. I don't know if it is yet.
>
>I then boot up the III with the SOS 1.3 Utilities disk. I've used the
>configuration program to make .PROFILE active. The configuration file
>reports the following:
>
>item field value
> 1 - Device Name................ .PROFILE
> 2 - Device Type................ $D1 Block, Read, Write ( range
00..FF )
> Formatter present; NonRemovable
> 3 - Device Subtype............. $02 ( range
00..FF )
> 4 - Driver Status.............. ACTIVE
> 5 - Comment
> Apple /// SOS Profile Driver (C) Copyright 1981, Apple Computer
Inc.
> 6 - Configuration Block data
>
> Slot Number................ 04
> Unit Number................ $00
> Manufacturer ID............ $0001 Apple
> Block Count................ $2600 (9728)
> Version ID................. 1.00
>
>I can't edit the configuration block data, though. If I go down to item 6
>and hit RETURN, I get to the "Edit Driver Configuration Block" screen,
>which looks like it should have at least 16 values on it. It only
>displays "[FF]" at location 00, though, and although it says I can use
>arrows to go to other values, the arrows don't do anything.
>
>If I go to the "Device handling commands" section from the main menu, and
>attempt to Verify .PROFILE, the READY light on the Profile blinks, there
>is a clicking noise, and the READY light goes out. The program reports
>".profile - Volume not found". The READY light stays out for a while,
>blinks a few times, then comes back on and stays on.
>
>If I go to "List devices configured", it pauses when it gets to .PROFILE,
>and reports "(no directory)", and the drive behaves exactly as with
>Verify.
>
>It's possible the drive just needs to be formatted, but as I said, I don't
>want to do that until I'm sure there's nothing salvageable on it.
>
>I'm not even sure I've got the cabling right. I assumed it takes a
>straight-through 25-pin cable from the ProFile controller to the drive
>unit. No twists or turns along the way?
>
>Also, I've got two Profile controllers, one in slot 3 and one in slot 4.
>I coulfn't get it to work at all from the one in slot 3, simply because it
>seems to have been preconfigured to look at slot 4.
>
>Any helpful info will be appreciated.
>
>Hopefully I don't get frustrated and try formatting the unit before I get
>a reply. :)
>
>
>Doug Spence
>ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
>http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
For something this old, (and worthless?) you can't really put a price on it.
I have one also, but really has no value to anyone but myself. $100 maybe? If
you don't keep the machine, i sure could use a keyboard...
In a message dated 98-08-17 09:51:22 EDT, you write:
>The computer is an IBM RT Model 135, Type 6150. It has a 5 1/4 floppy,
>and two hard drives (100MB & 300MB), plus the usual video and
> network card.
>The monitor is an IBM Model/Type 5081-19, 19" color with RGB inputs.
>I am not trying to come up with some inflated value for this thing
>to take advantage of the insurance company, just a reasonable fair
> value to settle the claim.
>Has anybody heard of the Imsai Vdp 40 machine? What is it, and
how many have been made?
Not sure how many were made, but the VDPs came out in the late 70's,
around '78 or '79 as I remember. I bought several to use as special
purpose POS terminals in a casino. They were in a "standard" size
IMSAI/S-100 case, but they had a short motherboard (8 slot? have to
look) and bays for two full height 5.25" floppies. Typically they came
with an IMSAI 8085 CPU card, a two board floppy controller (not very
reliable), PerSci floppies, and a 64K DRAM memory board. The power
supply was scaled down from the big 500 watt version, plus it had an
extra regulator board for the floppy power. There was no front panel,
just two buttons, RESET and INT (I think this was connected to one of
the S-100 interrupt lines), and a power switch.
IIRC there were three basic models, the /40, /42, and/44. The 44 was
the high end, full 64K and the fast PerSci disks. Just before IMSAI
folded, they were offering a hard drive interface to some type of 5MB
top loading drive (I think it was some CDC drive equivalent to the DEC
RL02), at least the salesman called and tried to sell me some, but I
never actually saw them. IMSAI was famous for it's vaporware.
System software was CP/M 2 with NED (aka WordMaster), a nice video
terminal oriented editor.
I still have one, though it does need a little work on the motherboard.
How I got it was an interesting story in itself. Originally I had
bought four of them for a customer, in late '78, just before IMSAI
folded. After they were installed I didn't have too much contact with
the customer, but I knew they were in use for several years. About 12
years later a friend of mine came over one night, dumped a VDP40 on my
table and said I could have it. He had paid $5 for it at a yard sale,
knew I had some IMSAIs, thought I might want it. I opened it up, and to
my suprise found the custom serial card I had wired for the original
customer still in there, it was one of the original VDPs I had bought.
No idea how it wound up at a yard sale.
Jack Peacock
I've been trying to make an archive copy of my Mindset
software, because all of the commercial software for
the Mindset requires the original disk to be inserted
before running, including Microsoft GW Basic !
Does anyone have (successful) experience copying Mindset
disks, or know of a real kick butt copy program for the
IBM PC?
=========================================
Doug Coward dcoward(a)pressstart.com
Senior Software Engineer
Press Start Inc.
Sunnyvale,CA
Curator
Museum of Personal Computing Machinery
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/museum
=========================================
Guys:
I just wanna thank Seth and Allison for advising me on the uVax I was
contemplating.
The guy wanted $75 (which seemed reasonable), but I decided not to enter
the VAX
arena at this time. I have way to many things on the stove as it is.
Besides, after much soul searching, I've come to the conclusion that I'm
not really
a VMS kinda guy.
BTW-- I met Tim Hotze IRL this weekend. He's a nice kid. But since he's
moving
overseas, he can't bring all of the hardware he wants with him! Bummer.
He'll
have fun with the Apple ]['s I got for him, though.
L8r.
Jeff
This was a slow week. Not that I didn't find a lot but I was running out
of money! I did pick up *SEVEN* HP 64100 Logic Developement Systems.
And a HP 8180 pattern generator with a 8181 extender with all the cables
and manuals. I passed up a HP Touch Screen II and a HP 9826 and several HP
9000 300 series computers.
The HP 64100 LDS dates from the early '80s but HP is still making a
similar machine. These look like an oversize RS model 1s with a tape drive
to the right of the monitor and a opening to the right of the keyboard. The
opening is used to install an optional EPROM burner socket. The main unit
has slots for 9 expansion cards for logic analyzers, various CPU emulators,
extra memory, etc. I will probably keep one, the rest are up for grabs if
anyone wants them. I will charge a reasonable price to cover the cost of
packing and taking to UPS (Gag! I hate that place!) But be warned they are
bigger than a model 1 and weigh about 75 pounds bare. They're located in
Florida so you can figure out shipping. I don't have any of the plug in
emulators, etc but I do have two boxs of manuals. Most/ all of these will
be scrapped if no one wants them, they're too big to keep around.
Joe
Yeah. All the docs would be cool. The thing that really bugs me is that
I dont remember how to boot one :)
Sure did meet Allison, she's still got a Compupro RAM card floating
around somewhere for me. Since we work mere blocks from each other, it
shouldn't be tough to get it from her.
We can meet up at the Sept flea somewhere, I'll have my PDP collecting
girlfriend in tow.
I actually want to entertain the idea of maybe joining up with the west
coast folks to see if we can get a VCF together for us east coasters.
Hell, cant be any worse than running a Japanese Animation or Sci-Fi
convention (both of which I have done in the past).
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Stek [mailto:bobstek@ix14.ix.netcom.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 17, 1998 10:10 AM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: RE: Tony - SOL docs and MIT flea market
>
>
> Hey, Tony -
>
> Give me some time to make copies, and the SOL docs will
> be yours. Should I
> assume you also want the actual kit construction details, or
> will the theory
> of operation, schematics, etc. be sufficient?
>
> Yesterday was my first visit to the MIT flea market,
> too. Did you meet
> Allison? I bought a great new Integrand cabinet/power supply
> from her. I
> think I saw everything you bought except for the Osborne
> Executive (which I
> would have bought had I seen it first!) - I just have more
> self-restraint
> (or perhaps less money <g>) Perhaps we could go together in
> September. It
> may not be VCF 2.0, but it's what we got!
>
> Bob Stek
> bobstek(a)ix.netcom.com
>
At 05:37 PM 8/15/98 -0500, Doug Yowza wrote:
>$12K too much for you to pay for an Altair? OK, here's a guy that made a
>$25 Altair clone:
And don't forget, the C source and Windows executables to Altair and
IMSAI emulators are available on my web site.
I've put them there in the hopes of attracting someone who'd like
to verify their emulation, supply source code to bootstraps or
example programs, add an emulated ASR-33 for "reading" pretend
tapes and viewing output, sound effects, etc.
- John
Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>
Hey, Tony -
Give me some time to make copies, and the SOL docs will be yours. Should I
assume you also want the actual kit construction details, or will the theory
of operation, schematics, etc. be sufficient?
Yesterday was my first visit to the MIT flea market, too. Did you meet
Allison? I bought a great new Integrand cabinet/power supply from her. I
think I saw everything you bought except for the Osborne Executive (which I
would have bought had I seen it first!) - I just have more self-restraint
(or perhaps less money <g>) Perhaps we could go together in September. It
may not be VCF 2.0, but it's what we got!
Bob Stek
bobstek(a)ix.netcom.com
I came to own a scanner made by The Complete PC, Inc. Natrually there
isn't any software with the device do anyone here know where I could
find a program to use this thing? I know this isn't quite 10 years old
but in '99 it will be so could we bend the rules this time?
