test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by jeffh＠unix.aardvarkol.com

I found what looks to be a few intersting disks today, though at the moment I can't check to see what's on them or anything. They are all for the CoCo though, and all Tandy-labled disks in Tandy jackets still...and some are even for OS-9. They are: Flightsim I, (c) 1984 Multiview for OS-9 L-II, (c) 1987 OS-9 Pascal Disk I & II (version 02), (c) 1983 C Compiler for OS-9 Systems (version 01), (c) 1983 Color Disk EDTASM (version 01), (c) 1983 Ghana Bwana, (c) 1984 OS-9 Profile, (c) 1984 Biosphere for OS-9, (c) 1985 At least now I've got a few CoCo disks to try once I finally find a disk controller for my III! Jeff jeffh(a)unix.aardvarkol.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Amiga enthusiast and collector of early, classic microcomputers http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lakes/6757

28 years, 4 months

Wanted -- Atari ST 1040 drive

by manney＠nwohio.com

A customer's Atari 720 K 3 1/2" floppy drive died. Anyone have one? According to him, this takes standard IBM DSDD 720K drives, but not Tandy (I guess, because of the strange data cable.) Thanks, manney(a)nwohio.com

28 years, 4 months

weekend additions

by 107765.1161＠compuserve.com

Message text written by INTERNET:SUPRDAVE@aol.com >i also picked up something called a mattel aquarius for $10. the box was still sealed up, even the staples were intact! i havent used it yet. any opinions on the copy option board or the aquarius would be welcome. < I'll send you e-mail on this, but for the benefit of anyone else: I happen to maintain the FAQ on the Aquarius, and on the "add-on" computer keyboard for the Mattel Intellivision, known as the ECS. Since you have the manual, some of the information in the FAQ will be duplicative, but some could be very useful. For instance, depending on the package you got, the Aquarius does not come with the cable needed to hook it to a cassette recorder. From the (brief) description in the manual, the cable SOUNDS like the Radio Shack cable-- five-pin DIN connector on one end, and plugs for the cassette EAR, MIC and REMote connectors on the other. Unfortunately, the Aquarius cable is NOT wired the same as the Radio Shack cable; and, the manual doesn't supply a diagram of any Aquarius ports to allow you to easily figure it out yourself! The FAQ explains how to make your own. Also explained is how to attach a serial printer (either a DB-25, or a Radio Shack printer intended for use with the CoCo) to the Aquarius. (The Aquarius printer port is quite unique: it's a mini-stereo socket-- just three separate lines.) Gil Parrish 107765.1161(a)compuserve.com

28 years, 4 months

TI-99/4A Cartridge Lifespan

by 107765.1161＠compuserve.com

Message text written by INTERNET:classiccmp@u.washington.edu >I managed to get at least of the necessary pieces to have a usable TI-99/4a although I think I've don't have the proper pieces for video, since all I get is B&W.< It's probably not worth your effort to mess with a malfunctioning /4a; get another one. I see these units ALL THE TIME in the $3-$4 range, and I don't even pick them up because I already have more than I'll ever need. The trick with the TI is to find the "expansion box", particularly one well populated with cards; that adds (with the right cards) 32K memory, 1 or 2 disk drives, and serial/parallel ports. (Obviously, you can expand it more if you want to get serious about the TI, but this is the "plain vanilla" disk system.) Then you can run disk-based software without dealing with cartridges all the time. Still, you can have some fun with a non-disk system. The cartridges can allow you to do serious work and save the output to tape. There is also an adventure cartridge that contains the basic parser, etc., and then the different adventures can be loaded from tape. A nice setup for a small-memory computer. By the way, your cable might be your problem on having a monochrome picture. Many of the old home computers put out a monochrome signal on one of the pins, and a color composite on another. Gil Parrish 107765.1161(a)compuserve.com I'm wondering why of the six cartridges I've got three work just fine. Two don't work at all, and one "Parsec" works if I fiddle with the tuner on the TV after it's running, yet the initial screen that lets you choose BASIC, or the game is normal. Is this a indication of dead carts or a problem with my computer? What is the estimated lifespan of the standard cartridge, and how can environmental conditions effect this? Thanks, Zane <

28 years, 4 months

CoCo disks

by zmerch＠northernway.net

Whilst in a self-induced trance, Jeff Hellige happened to blather: > I found what looks to be a few intersting disks today, though at the >moment I can't check to see what's on them or anything. They are all for >the CoCo though, and all Tandy-labled disks in Tandy jackets still...and >some are even for OS-9. They are: > Flightsim I, (c) 1984 This is one of the original flight simulators that came out for several 8 & 16-bit machines that IIRC the copyright was bought up by none other than Micro$hark. > Multiview for OS-9 L-II, (c) 1987 This is a GUI for OS-9... it was rather interesting [and I've heard useful with a hard drive], but *extremely* slow with floppies. > OS-9 Pascal Disk I & II (version 02), (c) 1983 Standard USCD P-code compiler... interesting thing is you could compile programs larger than 64K (max memory for a CoCo 1/2) out-of-box. > C Compiler for OS-9 Systems (version 01), (c) 1983 IIRC, *almost* standard K&R C... methinks there were a few *very minor* differences that were easy to code around, but non-standard nonetheless. > Color Disk EDTASM (version 01), (c) 1983 This can be fudged to use the 80x24 screen of the CoCo3 (quite nicely, I might add... as I used it quite often like this) but the line-editor was still weird. There are patches available to make this assembler support the Hitachi 6309 processor, which is a M6809 workalike -with enhancements.- > Ghana Bwana, (c) 1984 > OS-9 Profile, (c) 1984 > Biosphere for OS-9, (c) 1985 Never played with any of these... others will have to take the ball and run here. > At least now I've got a few CoCo disks to try once I finally find a >disk controller for my III! Uhhh, I might have one *for trade*. Presently, I have two available working Disto MC-1 [Mini-Controller 1] boards, but without getting into that entire pirating issue *again*, I have no available DOS's for them. I am looking for a shareware RS-DOS clone that I could burn into e-prom for you, or I could purchase ADOS-3 or Extended ADOS-3 for you and install it. Be warned: I don't have cases for these controllers, so you'll have to run them nekkid or fudge something of your own. (The Tandy FD-500/501/502 case will work fine... but you can't buy them thru RS anymore, AFAIK.) I'll keep looking for a week or two for a DOS you can use, and let you know if you're interested. See ya, "Merch" -- Roger Merchberger | If at first you don't succeed, Programmer, NorthernWay | nuclear warhead disarmament should *not* zmerch(a)northernway.net | be your first career choice.

28 years, 4 months

Atari still around?

by FAIAZMC＠hsd.utc.com

Yes! Sorry about the misspelling! The merger was done by ATARI giving a "bridge loan" to JTS. ---------- From: jpero(a)mail.cgo.wave.ca To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: RE: Atari still around? Date: Friday, July 18, 1997 1:00PM I had to jump in! :) Mike, are you talking about the Tandon as in "Tandem"? :) Is that person who now owns this JTS is american or not? I still waiting to see how good JTS are or still junk. I knew Tandon drives used to be reasonably good drive but WD jumped in and screwed it. Thanks. Jason D. > Yes there are still distributors around! I will put a list together. > Atari merged with JTS, a make of PC hardrives, owned by the person who > used to put out Tandem harddrives. Atari is now known as ATARI > INTERACTIVE, a maker of game software for all platforms! > Mike

28 years, 4 months

Commodore Shares...

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> > >>Would this be for proffit or non-proffit purposes? > > > > Well, if we have to pay real $ for the info, we should try to make a > > reasonable return. I'm not really considering remanufacturing anything in > > any quantities, but just in case we need to, we can. > > I agree. Why would anyone pay ANY money for shares if they knew that > everything would ultimately become public domain. For the same reason that they put money in collecting tins - not just for charities but for other organisations - it's a good cause. I'll subscribe! > > Since the rights would be purchased by the computing community, they'd > belong to the computing > > community.<< > > > > I don't necessarily have a problem with this. If this ever comes to pass (a > > slim chance at best), we can make provisions for emulator licenses. > > The keyword being licenses here. No one asks anyone on here to work for > free and likewise, no one should be expected to shell out their hard > earned cash for the "greater computing good." Sure, Commodore went > bye-bye a LONG time ago but the rights to some of that stuff still won't > be cheap... No-one should be expected to, but I think you'll find more people are prepared to than you expect. I'm prepared to - I get my money's worth anyway (technical data for my several PETs, VICs and my 64), and I would be quite happy to see the stuff go PD thereafter. Returning briefly to the Commodore B series, how do the 8200 series machines fit in? I see old documents refering to the B and P series, and older ones refering to the 500 and 700 series (I think respectively), but the machines I've actually seen from that period are called 8296. There were two models that I've seen - the 8296D (with internal disk drives) and the 8296 (without). The motherboard is identical - two banks of 64k RAM, (I think) a high speed (2MHz?) 6502, and a couple of chips which you unsolder and move to adjacent positions for 40 column mode. The case is similar to the 8032SK - rounded, plasticky PET case with large green screen and separate keyboard, but returns to the edge connectors for the IEEE488 and user ports. The internal disk drive - which I have now added to my 8296 to make a D machine - is an 8252 (?) which plugs into the IEEE488 internally. Ironically, 8296 had a linear power supply and 8296D a switchmode! So how do the 8296 and the B/P machines relate? Anyone know? Also, how do you do the bank switching to get at the full 96K of RAM? (I think you lose 32K to the screen - very inefficient!) Philip.

28 years, 4 months

Tandy Service Manuals

by rcini＠msn.com

On Fri, 18 Jul 1997 19:57:22 GMT Benedict Chong wrote: >>Where can we get a list of catalog numbers of the various products for the various models. I'm waiting for my M4 and wouold like to have at least some technical manuals (so that I can rip apart the machine).<< I don't think that the master book in the Radio Shack store has a description of the product next to the catalog number. You would need a kind sole here with an old R/S catalog to give you the number. You could also ask the operator on 1-800-THE-SHACK. Just give her the model of the computer and say that you don't know the catalog number. ------------------------ Rich Cini/WUGNET - ClubWin Charter Member (6) - MCPS Windows 95/Networking

28 years, 4 months

USING classic chips (was Re: USING classic machines)

by chemif＠mbox.queen.it

At 13:24 28/06/97 -0400, you wrote: >> At 08:59 AM 6/27/97 BST, someone wrote: > Big advantage here over Atari and Amiga 68000 based >hardware is the high availability of dirt cheap networking and disk >hardware... other than that, I'll take the 68000 based stuff any day as a >personal preferance. If interested in such family of CPU's and want to use them as preference, be informed that Motorola use a 68k chip inside its GSM cellular phones (like 7000's and 8000's) I found this info on http://www.ibt.dk/morten/friends/hardware.htm Ciao! ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Riccardo Romagnoli,collector of:CLASSIC COMPUTERS,TELETYPE UNITS,PHONE ? ? AND PHONECARDS I-47100 Forli'/Emilia-Romagna/Food Valley/ITALY ? ? Pager:DTMF PHONES=+39/16888(hear msg.and BEEP then 5130274*YOUR TEL.No.* ? ? where*=asterisk key | help visit http://www.tim.it/tldrin_eg/tlde03.html ? ? e-mail=chemif(a)mbox.queen.it ? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

28 years, 4 months

Atari 400 / Odyssey ???

by coslor＠pscosf.peru.edu

Howdy: Today I'm looking for anyone that might have ANY old Atari 400 cassettes and cartridge games or other programs. Right now, I don't have a disk drive for this system, but am looking for one as well. Second, I am looking to buy an Atari 800xx system? Let me know if you have one for sale. Finally, looking for an old Odyssey game system. Any and all models are on my wish list... including the original Odyssey 'pong' unit, and the more modern models of the cartridge game console unit. If you have any of the above for sale, PLEASe let me know, and your price you would offer it to me for. Thanks, CORD COSLOR //*=====================================================================++ || Cord G. Coslor P.O. Box 308 - 1300 3rd St. Apt "M1" -- Peru, NE || || (402) 872- 3272 coslor(a)bobcat.peru.edu 68421-0308 || || Classic computer software and hardware collector || || Autograph collector || ++=====================================================================*//

28 years, 4 months

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb