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101090 discussions

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<was based on the design Ray had come up with! They went to a lawyer but <were told that there was nothing that could be done since they didn't eve <have a receipt for their plane ride to Texas signed-off by Radio Shack <(they paid for the plane tickets themselves). Ray said he later learned <that the project manager who Ray and Manny had dealt with took credit fo <the TRS-80 design! The guy took Ray's design and passed it on to <corporate as his own! < <Comments from you RS-heads? Allison? Ward? Close enough. The internal story was it was a design that was used on the deektop of an engineer whose last name began with an L. Somehow I didn't buy it. The TRS-80 design was not very imaginative and some of the holes showed. What was scary is if the guy that did the trs-80 design was good he could have reduced the logic some and also incresed the speed! Allison

28 years, 3 months

Z80 disassembler for unix ?

by kroma＠worldnet.att.net

>I am looking for a free (gpl, etc) Z80 diassembler for unix (linux, if it >makes any difference). A quick web search has revealed nothing, but >before I write my own, I wonder if anyone else has come across anything. > Check out http://www.gr.osf.org/~emcmanus/programs/makedis.html -- Kirk

28 years, 3 months

Prices to pay for old computers...

by fmc＠reanimators.org

I wrote: > Except...on a peculiar ISA dual-port serial card that HP made > for the early HP Vectras. One D?-9S like a PC/AT serial > port, one DB-25S. To be fair, HP put a plastic tag out one side > of the slot to remind you that this was a serial port. Doggone it, I screwed up. The 9-pin connector is male, the 25-pin connector is female. So what you had sticking through the back plate was a 9-pin connector on top, a 25-pin connector on bottom, and a little plastic tag with orange print to one side of the 25-pin connector reminding you that this was a serial port. Thinking about it this morning I think I also remember an HP serial/parallel card with male 9-pin serial connector on top and 25-pin female connector on bottom...and a little plastic tag with black print to one side of the 25-pin connector reminding you that this was a parallel port. Good thing we didn't have many of those latter ones around in my shop, I was (still am, actually) in the habit of feeling out connectors with my fingertips to work out where the plug is supposed to go. How did things get this way? Well, HP was in the habit of putting female connectors on everything except cables and making their minis look sort of like modems. I once heard this referred to as "DTE in DCE drag" w/r/t the HP3000. -Frank McConnell

28 years, 3 months

Nasty little Sanyo (was Re:Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old computers))

by scottk5＠ibm.net

-----Original Message----- From: Russ/Alice Blakeman [SMTP:rhblake@bbtel.com] Sent: Friday, May 22, 1998 9:06 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: Re: Original IBM PC (was Re: Prices to pay for old ...... When I had this nasty little Sanyo MBC-55x machine....... Just saw one of these at a friend's place tonight and she was interested in getting rid of it. I think the model number was MBC-5510 (???). She said she also had a printer that came with it. What is it? What would be a reasonable price to offer for it? Kirk Scott scottk5(a)ibm.net

28 years, 3 months

Questions, questions

by Marty＠itgonline.com

I was told that most of these were pitched when they were replaced due to security concerns. Any truth to this rumor? ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Questions, questions Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 5/21/98 1:26 PM Marty wrote: > Speaking of Zenith 248 computers, does anybody have a guesstimate on > the amount of tempested Zenith 248's produced? They typically are > labelled Zenith Inteq. We had 25 of them in one course area on Chanute AFB prior to it's close and there were a lot of other secure areas that had requirements for them too. So just on one base you're probably looking at a few thousand. I don't even want to guess what the overall number was just for the USAF let alone the entire production cycle of the Inteq. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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* -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists2.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998May21.132642.1767.42874; Thu, 21 May 1998 13:26:43 -0400 Received: from host (lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id KAA10134; Thu, 21 May 1998 10:24:22 -0700 Received: from mxu2.u.washington.edu (mxu2.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.9]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id KAA83352 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Thu, 21 May 1998 10:24:10 -0700 Received: from bnllc2.blue.net (www.cruciblemagnetics.com [206.65.217.154]) by mxu2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP id KAA23448 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 21 May 1998 10:24:09 -0700 Received: from bbtel.com (brand238.blue.net [206.65.221.238]) by bnllc2.blue.net (8.8.8/8.8.5) with ESMTP id MAA14120 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 21 May 1998 12:24:37 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <35646348.5AF29E7E(a)bbtel.com> Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 12:24:24 -0500 Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: Russ/Alice Blakeman <rhblake(a)bbtel.com> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Questions, questions References: <1998May21.083932.1767.105139(a)smtp.itgonline.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

28 years, 3 months

Vax 785 and microcode

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

Here's a quote from a DEC manual I have: "The VAX 785 features fast RAM microcode..." Does that mean the 785 loads all it's microcode from the floppy? I've located the rest of a VAX 785 CPU, and I can have it, but the brakes in my car have failed (Rather spectacularly, I might add...) so they'll have to wait a day or two... Another thing: The emergency brakes in a Chevy Sprint will NOT stop the car in a hurry. They will, however, cause the car to SKID in a hurry... (No, I didn't hit anyone. But I did scare the bejesus out of myself.) -------

28 years, 3 months

[Rare systems] & Garry Kildor

by bwit＠pobox.com

The following quote is from Forbes Magazine 80th anniversary issue: "On July 6, 1994 Kildall, 52, walked into a Monterey bar. He was wearing motorcycle leathers with Harley-Davidson patches-a would-be biker. There were some real bikers in the bar. Something was said. There was pushing and shoving, and Kildall died from injuries sustained to his head. An inquest called the death 'suspicious,' but no one was charged." Bob ---------- From: Ward Donald Griffiths III[SMTP:gram@cnct.com] Sent: Friday, May 22, 1998 8:53 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: Re: [Rare systems] & Garry Kildor Desie Hay wrote: > >I'm sure a lot of people wish Bill Gates were in Gary's shoes (so to > speak). > > > > > well yes I suppose........but didnt Garry get killed in a bar fight a few > years ago??? No, he died of a heart attack after a good number of years on the PBS "Computer Chronicles" show. > No old Billy Gates has brought some good into this world............ > but 99.9999% of what he has done is just to steal and steal.......... Bill Gates and I are a month apart in age. My zits cleared up, he became a billionaire. I guess we're even. -- Ward Griffiths They say that politics makes strange bedfellows. Of course, the main reason they cuddle up is to screw somebody else. Michael Flynn, _Rogue Star_

28 years, 3 months

Prices to pay for old computers...

by cgregory＠lrbcg.com

There were several manufacturers who made drives for the Commodore line of computers. I have two or three examples around here someplace. Chinon is a name that comes to mind, but I know there were several more as well. Cliff Gregory cgregory(a)lrbcg.com -----Original Message----- From: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> To: Cgregory <Cgregory> Date: Saturday, May 23, 1998 2:34 AM Subject: Re: Prices to pay for old computers... >Well, if you're alluding to the Disk ][, this was not an effort by Apple >to be "non-standard", but was basically due to the brilliant hacks of >Steve Wozniak in adding an inexpensive and simple disk controller to the >Apple ][. And as far as aftermarket goes, I can't think of even one drive >that was made to work on any Commodore that wasn't manufactured by >Commodore, but I myself have at least five examples of disk drives made >for the Apple by random no name manufacturers. > >Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- >Ever onward. > > September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2 > See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details! > [Last web page update: 05/11/98] > >

28 years, 3 months

cat Xerox | Apple | Microsoft ?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<I whole-heartedly, unequivocally agree. But you're discounting Linux. <I'm surprised. Five years from now Windows' dominance will be a <non-issue. The world will have been made much more colorful and free by <Linux. I hope you believe me because I'd hate to prove you wrong in fiv <year's time (plus I need to get a win after being called on my "bzzt" fo <being wrong about the origins of Unix :) Linux is free and it may be better (it's abosolute hell to install) but Linux is not the default OS on every wintel box nor io it it shipped with more than a fraction of a percent of them. Also for those interested in running the small landslide of apps out there for DOS/WINDERS Linux is a non player. Why do I say that, I have linux, it doesn't run PADS, Gcadd, most of my cross assemblers and a few other apps I depend on. I've tried, even WP5/dos under linux is strange and tends to die. Setting up an IP network is pure hell compared to setting up DECNET. Like win95 and later it also requires more than the 8mb of ram I have or it runs poorly. It's windowing system is a hog (I'm used to running VMS/DECwindows and a half dozen engineers in 8mb on a VAX!). Linux(freeBSD, netBSD, Minix etal) is not the cure all, its a good competitor and offers things for some users that would otherwise have to run NT(even nastier) but, it's not engineerd for the common user. Then again, I've never installed a W95 system nor will I anytime soon. I do run W3.1 and compared to doing a dos6.22/w3.1 (or VMS) install linux is very painful and unpleasent. There is a lot to be fixed for the user that want's to run stuff rather than run make files. Like it or not a software investment determines the value of an OS in the long run. It's why I also run CP/M-80 still. This is computer history, it's also how we have the Y2k problem and some pretty dumb software as well. Allison

28 years, 3 months

Cassette formats (was: Prices to pay for old computers...)

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<At one time or another, I was struck by the similarity of the CoCo's <cassette format and the now-ancient Kansas City Standard. Were they <actually identical? Did RS implement the KCS for the CoCo, or was it <just something kinda similar? And if TRS-80-->CoCo and CoCo-->KCS, <does that mean that maybe IBM just adopted KCS instead of making up <their own format? (A shocking idea, I admit...) Unless the character rate was 300baud it wasn't true KCS. The only one I know for sure that was 300baud was the trs-80 L1 basic as L2 was faster data rate. They could have copied the data format or even the encoding but I'm fairly sure most were faster tha 300 baud used far less hardware (usually a output bit or two and an input bit) plus code to make it fly. I used to use a non redundant version of KCS that I did in software for 8085 and the like at 1200 baud, retaining the self clocking FM that KCS is. At one point I'd tried pushing and 4800baud FM worked rather well on a really good mono tape recorder, 10 KC is a resonable upper limit for good tape and heads even though most go to 12-17khz. As I could count on at least one edge per bit and if an edge did not occur for 2 bit times it's was an error (drop out or noise). Allison

28 years, 3 months

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