At 04:32 PM 8/16/98 -0500, Doug wrote:
>One of the earlier better-known microcomputers was the Scelbi-8H (1973).
>Scelbi stopped making hardware in 1974, and supposedly went into the
>software and book-writing biz. I know he wrote a book on games for the
>8008, but I don't know the year.
>
It was 1976 and the games were "Space Capture", "Hexpawn", and "Hangman".
Of course the 8008 code was written earlier, in 1976 Scelbi was in the book
biz as you said, not hardware. The book has 8080 code added for each game,
looks like a translation mostly of the 8008 code with a few exceptions. The
games were not real time, (of course).
All the other magazines and newsletters sound interesting! At least "The
Computer Hobbyist" I think I have found all of them. Hal Chamberlin had a
vector CRT display, and "pong" was one of the games. Steve Ciarcia
redesigned it in an early issue of BYTE. Will also be interested in the VCF
2 program on these!
-Dave
At 09:34 AM 8/16/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Wow, I've thrown out a couple dozen VT100/102/131s in the last 5 years at
>work. I guess they were pretty nice 20 years ago coming from a VT52 ;) If
>anyone has fondness for them, I've got a bunch more that will probably be
>hitting the dumpster soon.
>
> -wayne
So... the obvious question for the shipping challenged, where would these
be starting from?
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
Try do search for information about the CASIO PB100 I believe they were the
same machines. The PB100 was my first pocket computer, I sold it to buy a
Sinclair ZX81 back in 1985 and I've missed it greatly since then.
Francois
-------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the desperately in need of update
Sanctuary at: http://www.pclink.com/fauradon
-----Original Message-----
From: Cord Coslor & Deanna Wynn <archive(a)navix.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, August 16, 1998 9:31 PM
Subject: TRS-80 Pocket Computer questions....
>I am wondering if anyone knows of a good source of Radio Shack
>TRS-80 Pocket Computer information. I just picked up a Pocket
>Computer (presumably the 'model 1', as it doesn't say Pocket
>Computer II, etc.). It is catalog 26-3501.
>
>Anyway, it came complete with the Printer/Cassette Interface
>unit.... which you snap the computer into, and the 'expansion unit'
>has cassette interface plugs, as well as a small calculator-like
>printer. Pretty snazzy little unit. Looks like it has never been
>used, and works like a charm. Also, I got the little guy for free!!
>Here's my question: It starts up to BASIC. And there are several
>modes of operation.... DEF, RUN, PRO, RESERVE. With a little
>tinkering, I have managed to figure out that the PRO mode is to
>program in BASIC programs. And, the RUN mode is to run them, etc. I
>am curious for full information on these modes. I also am wondering
>how to access the printer. Say, listing a BASIC program to it, or
>printing messages, etc., to the printer. On first guess, I figured
>it might use the LLIST and LPRINT type commands such as other early
>TRS-80 BASICs did (back in my days of adventure game making :-) ....
>but, I have been unable to get them to work. It seems whenever I
>enter those commands (or other incorrect commands), I get a
>1................................ up on the screen, this seems to be
>some type of syntax error.
>
>I guess I just don't know much about this part of the TRS-80
>timeline and am looking for any help. Accessing the printer, error
>codes, mode explainations, cassette commands in BASIC, etc.
>
>Thank you,
>
>CORD COSLOR
>
>--
> ____________________________________________________________
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>| Deanna S. Wynn : deannasue(a)navix.net | |
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>
If I remember right, NeXT computers are not that expensive. I think mine
was $450 including computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and sound box
(NeXT Station Color Turbo W/400MB hd and 8mb of RAM)
Tony
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Jenkins [mailto:adam@merlin.net.au]
> Sent: Friday, August 14, 1998 2:31 PM
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: Re: Altair - A different perspective
>
>
>
> >Exactly, the Altair helped kick-off the hobbiest movement by
> being cheap.
> >The Mark-8 did this earlier, but it was so slow and buggy that it was
> >pretty much a non-starter. The Altair was an improvement,
> but it was also
> >pretty much a non-starter that fizzled after about 10,000 units. The
> >Altair was the grandfather of the S-100 bus and CP/M, both of which
> >fizzled and left only a minor mark on MS-DOS, which didn't fizzle.
>
> I think that to say that the S-100 Bus and CP/M "fizzled" is
> to seriously
> understate the value of both. :) I'm sure you don't mean to
> suggest that
> they were without value, but keep in mind that 6 years of
> dominance (which
> is probably the minimum that one would give to CP/M and the
> S100) is an
> incredibly long time in the fledging personal computer
> field. True, it
> doesn't stand up that well to 15+ years of Microsoft, but it was the
> dominate architecture on teh market.
>
> >Low prices, enabled by the microprocessor, is one of the
> elements that got
> >us to where we are today. A high-degree of interactivity is another.
> >Computer graphics is another. The desktop form-factor is
> also a strong
> >survivor. So, if somebody were really looking at collecting
> Altairs as the
> >machine that "started it all", I think they have been misled
> and would be
> >better off collecting the IBM PC, early Apples, early HP
> desktops, the
> >PDP-8, and all of the PDP-1's they can find :-)
>
> I don't support these high prices, and I'm another of the
> collectors who
> wants to save and use, rather than simply buy and store their
> systems. I
> don't have, nor do I particularly desire, an Altair (but I do
> really want a
> NeXTCube), but the significance of the Altair and the
> hobbiest movement
> should not be measured in terms of computers sold. :) My view
> is that the
> Altair made it clear to hobiests that they could own a
> computer, and so
> even if they didn't buy one it started them dreaming about
> one. (And yes,
> I know it was not the first). This is much the same as with
> the Lisa -
> people didn't necessarily buy them, and indeed they ignored
> them in great
> numbers - but without the Lisa then I doubt the Macintosh
> would have been
> as successful. First you have the great implementation of a
> grand concept
> that you can never own, and then you follow it with an
> affordable version.
> Anyway, the point is that the Altair led to the hobbists, while the
> hobbists pushed the tech both in hardware and software, creating the
> potential for personal computers to move into new markets.
> True, this was
> a marketing dream of many of the computer companies before
> the Altair, but
> the Altair is definitly one of the most important systems. That's my
> opinion, anyway.
>
> As to prices, well I come form a number of collecting backgrounds, and
> prices are never increased so much by rarity or actual value, but by
> perceived value. When people started thinking Teddy Bears were worth
> money, the prices lept ahead - but only in the brands which
> the collectors
> recognised. The Altair is recognised as significant, is relativly
> uncommon, and every article on computer history sings it's
> praises. You
> could almost guarentee that the prices would go up.
>
> If only Apple IIc's were worth a fortune - then I could
> finally get my NeXT. :)
>
> Adam.
>
>
>That paddleboard connector on the VT100 is one of the cleverest pieces of
>design I've seen from DEC. The pins are supposed to short between the 2
>sides when there's nothing in the connector, thus linking the terminal
>logic signals to the DB25 on the back. Insert a paddleboard, and you
>disconnect them, allowing the paddleboard to connect separately to the
>VT100 logic and the outside world.
It is neat... I used that info to create my own sort of paddleboard
attachment which allowed me to have the terminal EIA/20ma
switch-selectable... I mounted a DPDT switch in the plastic panel which
goes on the back of a VT100 20ma option and wired it so it either routed
the signals through to the EIA port or shunted them off to the 20ma
option... only needed to intercept 4 signal lines, if I remember
correctly.. (or was it three).
I still have the 'option' in a drawer at work...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of ' ' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
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?
Okay. I have debated over and over, whether to say what I'm going
to say next. But I can provide a tidbit of interesting info.
Look: no flames... I feel bad enough as it is. Be *gentle*.
More than twenty years ago... in '75. I had an E-type Jaguar. I
paid about $2K for said car (4 years earlier) while serving in The
Glorious and Omnipotent Soldiers of His Majesty King Richard the
Nixon. I **loved** that car, lusted for it as a child, finally got
one. (poignant note: nice ones are now going for $40-60K)
Well. Back then, I was Very Poor, and the Jag was up on blocks
deteriorating and I was taking busses and bumming rides. One of the
regular customers at the little surplus shop I worked for came in
one day describing this *computer* he had gotten, and didn't really
want. At that time... computers were the one item I would have glady
traded spiritual equity to the Dark Side to have...
"I'll trade ya my old Jag for it!!" I blurted.
"Deal." he said. (O! to be young again!) [NOT!!!!]
What he had was a 1962 Bendix G-15, with all the docs and
everything. A real, vacuum-tube, hybrid, drum machine....
The previous owner, seeing the standard 220V plug, had run a long
cable from an outlet, around the building, over the roof, and in the
window. The Bendix was *actually* a 110V device... but someone had
installed the heftier plug due to the 175KVA the thing drew starting
up. Well, my 'friend' got it home, trundled it into the garage,
plugged it into the clothes-dryer outlet, and, thanks to ignoring Mr.
G. S. Ohm, blew out %70 percent of the thousands of germanium glass
diodes it used for passive logic.
I lived in an upstairs apartment... 900lbs of computer was out of
the question. One of the other guys at work volunteered *his*
garage, and we went to work changing diodes. Some weeks later, we
fired it up... no good. More (hidden) diodes. Again. Nothing...
ooops, drum clamped and motor disconnected... and clock track on
the drum...
Then it worked! My, were we happy!! it was about 5:30 am on a
sunday, we had worked through the night.. and there it was.. the OS
signed on to the console typewriter.. and it *was* a typewriter..
and IBM Executive that Bendix had fitted solenoids under.. the keys
looked like a ghost was typing when output was taking place.
Which gets me to the topical thread of this post: even *it* had
two games (on 5-level paper tape).. one was called Nim, and the
other was a version of Tic/Tac/Toe.. which re-drew the whole game
(on the s l o w typewriter) with every move.
Then, the lights dimmed, all the power supply meters dropped into
low-margin red zones, and the breakers snapped out. Fifteen seconds
later, my friend's sleepy wife stumbled into the Computer Room
(garage) and asked if we wanted some fresh coffee. You can guess
which circuit the coffee-maker was on.
Sigh. Five years later, he moved to a different state, and we gave
the G-15 to one of the Burroughs divisions for a lobby display. I
lost track of it in the rush of time and career.... what I'd give
to have it back. ((What I'd give to still have my Jag!))
sniff, sniff... One of these days, maybe I'll find another, on
it's side in some junk yard.... who am I kidding?
Anyway... just a little bit of history on Computer Gaming.
Cheers
John
>> Might this cabling 'trick' apply to the Apple III as well?
>>
>> And if so, does anyone know what's special about the cable? That might be
>> the source of my Profile problems with my III.
Doug, as I said, there's definitely nothing amazing about the cables for
the ///, at least not with the controller cards I have (I don't know if
anyone ever made any third-party controller boards?). They're either
straight through or complete crossover, but there's no odd connections
or anything.
cheers
Jules
>Yesterday I picked up an Osborne 1 from the dump. It seems to be in
>relatively good physical condition apart from a missing CAPS LOCK key
>(which I luckily found nearby). Unfortunately, it had been rained on. The
>keyboard was separate from the main unit, and it was full of water. The
>main unit seems to be slightly better off (at least water didn't pour out
>of it when I picked it up). I haven't pulled either apart yet, so I
>haven't seen what condition the internals are in.
I doubt the raid did much damage. Two years ago I bought a bunch of
Apple II systems from a school disctrict that had set out during a storm
the night before. The monitors were damp, water just poured out of the
Apple IIe's upon picking them up, cards were laying on the damp ground,
splattered by mud.
Everything worked perfectly, and was entirely dust-free.
Tom Owad
--
Sysop of Caesarville Online
Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>
Indeed, Dos 2.11 was the Dos version packaged with the PCjr (as well as
other systems, I think).
Cliff Gregory
cgregory(a)lrbcg.com
-----Original Message-----
From: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
To: Cgregory <Cgregory>
Date: Friday, August 14, 1998 11:52 AM
Subject: Dos 2.1 and 2.11
>
>Someone posted saying that there in fact was a 2.11 which I've not been
>able to find reference to. By any chance was that what came with a PCjr?
>
>
>colan
>
