I've found those on various 286 systems. I made a key fob out of mine!
>>
>> The 286 chip in the T3100 series was smaller than the regular 286 chip
>> (IIRC). The "fun" part about it was that it just dropped into the socked
>> (loosely), and was held in place by the heatsink that snapped on top [one
>> of Toshiba's *many* bad designs). If the computer would get bumped
I am in need of a few things for a Toshiba T4600 VGA 486 laptop. The
unit could probably use a new battery, this one holds for less than 5
mins after all night charging. I'm also interested in the users manual
and possibly a docking bay, or at least the model number or part number
of a suitable docking bay. Other reasonable items such as PCMCIA items
that will work on it I may be interested in as well.
___________________________________________________
Russ Blakeman
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
___________________________________________________
Hi,
A reply to a previous post and some other things...
On Sat, 29 Aug 1998 Tony Duell wrote (Re: MAC ATTACK):
>The normal sets in the UK are of 2 forms - either integral handle/blade
>(just like a normal screwdriver) or a set of 1/4" hex insert bits and a
>handle. In neither case will they fit into a classic Mac, alas. The
>problem with the insert bit type is that the bit holder is too large to
>fit into the Mac.
CPC plc sell a "Macintosh Computer Case Screwdriver" for 1.19 pounds (+VAT).
The order code is TL01544. They also sell a more or less identical one (Ideal
brand) for over 5 pounds.
Repair of switchmode PSU from SyDOS 44e external drive case
-----------------------------------------------------------
I am trying to repair the PSU from an old SyQuest external drive case. The PSU
is made by Skynet, model SNP-9533-2. It has +5V and +12V outputs, both rated at
2A.
The fault is a short between the +5V and ground lines. This showed up as a
twitching of the cooling fan, as the unit repeatedly shut down and started up
again. Thanks to the sci.electronics.repair FAQ, I have found the faulty
component. A schottky rectifier has gone short circuit. There are two identical
rectifiers in parallel. The other one is okay.
So, I need to find a replacement for the broken rectifier, which is marked as
follows:
31DQ
04
3F
According to the data sheet available from www.irf.com, the specs are:
I Rectangular waveform 3.3A
F(AV)
V 40V
RRM
I @ tp=5us sine 470A
FSM
V @ 3Apk, T = 25C 0.55V
F J
T -40 to 125 C
J
Will it be okay to use any diode of higher rating than the original? Can anyone
recommend a suitable replacement, or does someone have a spare 31DQ04 diode?
Mac SCSI cable
--------------
I have a Mac SCSI cable, which has 50 way Centronics type connectors on both
ends. On one end there is a small "extension", the body of which is about 2cm
deep. It has a male Centronics connector on one end, female on the other. The
Apple logo is moulded into it, and the Apple part # is 590-0304-A. What is the
purpose of this?
When it is in the SCSI cable, I cannot boot (my non-Apple computer) without
having the external MO drive turned on. Without this thing,it works fine. Maybe
something to do with TERMPWR?
Wangtek tape streamers
----------------------
I was lucky enough to find Wangtek 5525ES and 5150ES SCSI tape streamers the
other week, along with a couple of Adaptec PC SCSI controller cards. One of
these, assuming that they work okay, should finally allow me to read (if not
make use of) my Amiga UNIX tape.
Did the Wangtek streamers normally come with any PC driver software, or is this
not necessary?
Hitachi CD-ROMs
---------------
I have some old external Hitachi CD-ROMs (model CDR-1503S, I think). These have
37-way D connectors on the back, and they came with a couple of 37-way D
cables. It looks like you can daisy-chain two or three of these to one PC.
The Hitachi web site was unhelpful. Does anyone know anything about these? Do
they need a special interface card, or do they plug into the 5.25" drive port
on the back of my PC (which is a 37-way D connector)? Does anyone have suitable
drivers? It would be a shame to get rid of them, since they seem to work; at
least, after powering on I can eject and insert discs.
Sinclair Oxford 300 calculator
------------------------------
I bought one of these the other week. Is this the same Sinclair as produced the
ZX80, ZX81 etc.? A quick description:
Unit is powered by 9V PP3 type battery, has an 8 digit red flourescent display.
A minimal range of scientific funtions; (arc)sin, cos, tan, ln, e^x, square
root and reciprocal. There is a switch on the back to choose between degree and
radian modes. Calculation of (for example) the sine of a number takes about two
seconds. Unless I haven't figured out how to use it properly, the answers it
gives are rather inaccurate; for example:
square root of 2 = 1.4139192
e = 2.6108 (obtained by entering 1 and using e^x function)
It may be faulty; repeatedly pressing the 0 button causes the number entered to
be variously 22000000, 22220000 or 20000000. (Though I just tried this again,
and it seems okay now.)
-- Mark
I used to maintain one of these beasties in the late 1980's. It used
Altos III
terminals, which were just WYSE-50's with different color plasteek and
slightly different firmware.
It ran XENIX, which it seemed like it was of Edition 7 vintage. This
particular
one was a bit tempremental, and went down every few months or so
due to hardware problems.
It used a pair of Quantum 40MB FH hard disks. It think it could
accomodate
a 60 or an 80 as well, if I'm not mistaken (as I frequently am).
Actually, it was a cool little machine. It was used for Cellular
Telephone billing,
and I learned how to use Unix on it. Shoot, I even remember the default
root
password after the Xenix was installed: 'sotla' :-)
Jeff
On Sat, 5 Sep 1998 11:09:04 -0500 "David Williams" <dlw(a)trailingedge.com>
writes:
>On 5 Sep 98, at 11:52, Allison J Parent wrote:
>
>> No, server is a newer concept. It was an integrated multiuser system
>where
>> there was one CPU (Z80) per user and likely ran CP/M, MPM (or clone
>like
>> turbodos). The 8086 was likely a local server for disks and such to
>the
>> local z80s. They all used the bus as a physically short network to
>> exchange data.
>
>The Altos 586 ran Xenix off the 8086 IIRC. My father's office used
>one about that time for their accounting. They looked at the Altos,
>a Fortune and one other Unix based system at the time and picked
>the Altos. They felt the company had a little better staying power
>over the others. Not a bad little system, they ran 3 users with no
>more than 1 meg of memory and could have put a couple more on
>it. Don't recall the sizes of the disks.
>
>
>-----
>David Williams - Computer Packrat
>dlw(a)trailingedge.com
>http://www.trailingedge.com
>
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Hi People.
I'm building out the VCF links page and would like to invite suggestions
or requests for submission for inclusion on the page.
The URL is http://www.siconic.com/vcf/vcflinks.htm. You can scroll to the
bottom of the page and click on the "Submit a Link" button, or just e-mail
me with a link.
I could especially use some help in fleshing out the specific computer
links groups, such as Commdore, Atari, Radio Shack, etc. as well as adding
sections for additional computer families.
Thanks!
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 08/25/98]
>
> Check the stuff Frank Larosa has on his site at
> http://www.searchlight.com/frank/milo.htm
>
> He has a Model III set up with external drives to include a 3.5" drive.
I'm not
> sure what you can do for a hard drive but if you can get some
makes/models I
> can see what I can scrounge up. As for a full height floppy, the one you
have
> is most likely a Tandon belt drive and you should be able to lube and
clean it
> and get it back on line with a little more detailing. Most likely the
head(s)
> need to be cleaned with denatured alcohol and the mechanism all lubed
> (liberally and then wiped off) with a silicone based oil, much like
sewing
> machine oil. I do use sewing machine oil, the type they have at Walmart
in a
> white and red bottle sold under the Singer name. I just refill the needle
oiler
> I bought at tandy some years ago. Use it on VCRs, appliances, etc.
>
I may be able to get the lower drive working by oiling it, but not the
upper drive. My friend's 4-year old cousin put a penny in the top of the
computer, and it fell on the disk drive PCB. When I took the computer
apart, the penny was still there - fused to the top of the board, with a
black ring around it. I'm not sure if they're Tandon or ALPS. The
keyboard was made by ALPS, but I didn't look at the drives.
I looked at Frank's TRS-80, and I tried to put my drive in it, but it was
too long and wide. I noticed that his was a Model 4. It may have a
different drive mount. From the picture, the mount looks like it's shiny
metal. Mine's a dull, gray plastic.
I'll try to get the model numbers from it. I think the stickers are still
on there.
I have an Apple IIe, with two floppy drives, and an imagewriter printer.
Have you any idea how I could get rid of them short of sending them to the
land fill?
I live in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Nellie McCann
Hello everyone,
I am needing schematics for an Osborne 01 computer, or some help in
repairing it..
I just purchased it last week and was using it for about 30 minutes (It
had not been used for some 13 years).. Worked perfectly and is in mint
condition.. Then all of a sudden a crackle and smoke poured out.. It
was still working but I quickly turned it off to save it from further
damage..
I took it apart for a quick look expecting to find a burnt electrolyte
capacitor in the power supply but did not see any damage.. I am afraid
to power this unit up again for fear it will damage the mainboard.. Can
anyone help me this is one of the finest old computer I have ever owned
and I want to get it working again..
There must be someone that has schematics out there for it.. or maybe
someone can help me dx it..
Thank You.. Phil Clayton
The 286 chip in the T3100 series was smaller than the regular 286 chip
(IIRC). The "fun" part about it was that it just dropped into the socked
(loosely), and was held in place by the heatsink that snapped on top [one
of Toshiba's *many* bad designs). If the computer would get bumped
suddenly, or if the chip would move due to expansion and contraction of the
chip from heat, it would need to reseated. There was also VERY little
airflow in those machines. The power supply has a 1 1/2" fan, and the hard
drive and floppy drive were directly in front of the internal air vents,
basically blocking the already limited (because of fan size) airflow. The
HD controller was also buried under the hot power supply. The controller
would heat up, and the P/S would heat up, causing the HD controller to blow
>from overheating, and making it seem like the heads in the HD were stuck
(don't know if toshiba did this on purpose...). The HD's, if you can find
one are around $150 for a 20 meg. I don't know the cost of the
controllers, because I sold the thing for parts before I even thought about
looking in to it.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
PS>> when the P/S starts blowing out air about as hot as a hair dryer set
on "low" (about an hour and a half), you better turn it off an let it cool
down for a bit (or just put it on ice).
----------
> From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake(a)bbtel.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Followup to Toshiba 3100e
> Date: Friday, September 04, 1998 5:52 PM
>
> Next best thing to thermal transfer compound. Evidentally the 286 chip is
one of the
> older non-C types that generate a lot of heat
>
> ___________________________________________________
>
> Russ Blakeman
> 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
> ___________________________________________________
>
>
_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
< It is not obvious what it is. Has a 5 1/4" floppy and a hard drive, an 8
< cpu and about 6 or so Z80's. There are no obvious monitor or keyboard
< connections, just connections marked port 1, port 2.... to port 6 and a
< number marked as being hard drive expansions and one marked as "Altos ne
Of course ther are no monitor or keyboard plugs... Thats a PC thing. ;)
It expected serial terminals like vt100 or ADM3s and the like.
< The copyright marks on the boards are marked 1982.
<
< Anyone know what this is? A 1982 server perhaps?
No, server is a newer concept. It was an integrated multiuser system
where there was one CPU (Z80) per user and likely ran CP/M, MPM (or clone
like turbodos). The 8086 was likely a local server for disks and such to
the local z80s. They all used the bus as a physically short network to
exchange data.
Allison
That wasn't my problem. I really don't care about the date. The problem
is, when I typed the date, NOTHING happened, because the keyboard was
gummed up. I normally just type 11/11/11 at the date prompt, anyway.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Phil Clayton <handyman(a)sprintmail.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: WTB: TRS-80 stuff.
> Date: Friday, September 04, 1998 10:01 PM
>
> Jason, I think the problem is that the original version of TRSDOS you are
using
> will not accept a date after 1989.
> As you say it boots fine to a date prompt..
> You will need to get LDOS to correct this funny flaw in the operating
system.
> Guess They never expected them to be around so long..
> But it sound like you have it working..
>
> Phil...
>
One of my finds this week was an Altos model 586-30E.
It is not obvious what it is. Has a 5 1/4" floppy and a hard drive, an 8086
cpu and about 6 or so Z80's. There are no obvious monitor or keyboard
connections, just connections marked port 1, port 2.... to port 6 and a
number marked as being hard drive expansions and one marked as "Altos net".
The copyright marks on the boards are marked 1982.
Anyone know what this is? A 1982 server perhaps?
Thanks
Hans Olminkhof
ATTN: Rescuers in England/UK! This fellow's looking for a home for a
MicroPDP-11/73, and it sounds like it's well-equipped. Please contact
him directly if interested.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
From:
helbig(a)man.ac.uk (Phillip Helbig)
Newsgroups:
comp.sys.dec
Subject:
free VAX 11/73 with tape drive in Cheshire
Date:
5 Sep 1998 12:40:26 GMT
Organization:
University of Manchester, NRAL
Message-ID:
<6srbfq$c0f$1(a)probity.mcc.ac.uk>
Reply-To:
p.helbig(a)jb.man.ac.uk
NNTP-Posting-Host:
multivac.jb.man.ac.uk
Lines:
48
Path:
blushng.jps.net!news.eli.net!news-out.internetmci.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!194.72.7.126!btnet-peer!btnet!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!peer.news.zetnet.net!peer.news.bb.u-net.net!u-net!yama.mcc.ac.uk!man.ac.uk!HELBIG
As mentioned before, I'm planning on doing inventory on some old VAX
stuff I have and having a big give-away in a few weeks. By the way, I'm
still looking for stuff myself, especially tape drives (8mm) and bigger
SCSI disks---see http://multivac.jb.man.ac.uk:8000/helbig/vms/vax.txt .
I especially want VAXstation 4000 or VAXstation 3100 boxes.
When picking up my last lot, I decided to save an 11/73 from
destruction, hoping I could give it a good home. I don't know much
about it except that it has a good tape drive in it and two sizes of
floppies (no, neither is 3?"---5" and 8"). I need to get rid of this
quickly, as it is filling up my car and making it difficult to drive.
It's a rack-mount.
If you want it, then come and get it, but you better hurry 'cause it's
going fast. Previous experience shows that there is a big demand for
these old systems. It's first come, first served. I would prefer
people who will take it in any case, as there's not much point in
looking at it and I want to unload it directly from my car into your
vehicle.
I could arrange to obtain some manuals and perhaps even software
distribution media, but not before you pick up the VAX (since I don't
want to drive anywhere with it in my car); you could come back for them
or I could probably tell you where to pick them up, perhaps on the way
to picking up the VAX.
Email is the best way to contact me, though the other methods below are
OK as well.
I barely managed to get it in the back of a VW Polo estate (the previous
model; it wouldn't fit in a new Polo) with the back seat folded down.
So you need a car at least as big, where the dimensions of the opening
are as critical as the volume. If you're not too far away, I could
drive it out myself (which might save some effort) but only if you
promise me to take it in any case. As far as I know, it is in working
order and there is at least the OS and some compilers installed on it.
I don't know WHICH OS is on it.
--
Phillip Helbig Email .........
p.helbig(a)jb.man.ac.uk
Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories Tel. .... +44 1477 571 321 (ext.
297)
Jodrell Bank Fax ................ +44 1477
571 618
Macclesfield Telex ................ 36149
JODREL G
UK-Cheshire SK11 9DL Web ...
http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pjh/
My opinions are not necessarily those of NRAL or the University of
Manchester.
----------
> From: Russ Blakeman <rhblake(a)bbtel.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Followup to Toshiba 3100e
> Date: Friday, September 04, 1998 10:54 PM
>
>
> Oh I know the type your talking about, square 286 clamped in with
pressure
> contacts on all four sides. The last one I saw like that was in a Delta
Gold I
> had over 10 years ago. It had the white thermal compound on it to the
heat sink
> cover but of course that unit had more than enough air flow being a
desktop
> case, unless you got sloppy and let the ribbon cables block the air. I've
only
> worked on 2 T3100's and that was external work so I can't attest to what
may be
> inside.
>
They were supposed to have the terminal compound between the chip and
processor. Toshiba didn't put the compound on, leading to another
premature failure and more excess heat.
>
> So the hard drives are a special type huh?
>
They were made by JVC and had a 26 pin (IIRC) connector, with no power
connector. My WANG WLTC has the 10MB version of the JVC drive, and my
Tandy 1400HD has an ALPS 20MB with the same connector. I think they were
fairly common in old laptops, but just fairly hard to find now. The drive
usually didn't go bad in the Toshiba. It was the controller. I know two
people who replaced the HD, only to find that it didn't work, either. They
sent the HD's back to the company and scrapped the computers.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
I got e-mail from Adrienne Carter at Money Magazine (!) asking about
the value "either financially or sentimentally" of the Commodore 4032
Pet. I pointed her at e-bay, but she doesn't seem to be just looking
for a place to sell one. Unfortunately, I don't know much anything
about those machines. So, if any of you out there want to chat about
that machine, kindly write to her at this address after removing the
letter "x"s from it: Adrixenne_Carter(a)tixmexinc.com .
Thanks,
Bill.
normally one of the components is trying to do something with the power,
but it can't. sort of like when you short a wall transformer and it starts
to hum. Another example is how some of the old computer screens or TV's
sometimes put a high-pitched whistle.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Osborne 01 computer smoked..
> Date: Friday, September 04, 1998 9:18 PM
>
> On Fri, 4 Sep 1998, Tony Duell wrote:
>
> > semiconductors have failed. If the supply is 'tweeting' then the most
> > likely problem is either a short on the secondary side (e.g. a shorted
>
> Question: how can a power supply make noise when it fails in the manner
> described above?
>
> Sam Alternate e-mail:
dastar(a)siconic.com
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
> Ever onward.
>
> September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
> See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
> [Last web site update: 08/25/98]
>
I have three Apple II motherboards, several floppy drives, and cards
laying around. I would like to get one Apple II running. I don't have
any experience with Apple II computers. Is there any old timers on the
mailing list who can give me some help. I also will need the software
for running the computer (the boot disk, ect.).
--Alan
That is probably room for *an* RL02 or RA8x at the top of the cab...
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 |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Larry and Tony are discussing a blown capacitor...
>> I'd replace it. A 250V _AC_ capacitor, class X. You should be able to get
>> that from a good parts company (alas, being in another country I can't
>> help you there).
>>
>> Then try again. Put the PSU on dummy load if you like (I certainly would)
>> - a 6V 6W bulb on between the +5V output and the 0V pin. Let it run for a
>> few minutes - taking care not to touch the PSU board as there's mains and
>> rectified mains all over it. If it runs for (say) 5 minutes on dummy load
>> it's safe to try it in the computer again.
[...]
> You have referred before to this dummy load 6V 6W device. If my
> memory of Ohms law hasn't failed me completely this works out to
> a 1 amp limit. I also imagine this has to be on the power good line.
> Is there any reason you use this configuration ? I have some old 6V 6W
> bulbs . Would these work just as well ?
Eh? 6V 6W bulb is exactly what Tony suggested.
To be more specific, many power supplies have regulator circuits that
expect some current to be flowing in the load. These PSUs will push out
the wrong voltages, or shut down altogether, if you power them up with
nothing on the output.
Therefore, when testing power supplies, connect some sort of load device
- it doesn't matter what as long as it draws roughly the right amount of
current - to the output. Most computer PSUs regulate the voltage on the
5V rail and hope all the others will follow, so this is the best place
to connect the load.
Light bulbs make good dummy loads because (a) they light up when the
current is flowing and (b) they are relatively small, cheap and easy to
obtain compared with (say) resistors of similar value.
12V bulbs (e.g. car running lamp (0.3 A) or indicator lamp (1.75 A)) are
good for loading 12V lines should you need it.
6V bulbs are good for loading 5V lines. 6V 6W flashlight bulb is good
for small and medium PSUs; for larger power supplies I use a 6V 24W car
headlamp bulb (yes, my truck has 6V electrics). 12V bulbs also work at
5V, but remeber they have a much lower resistance at 5V than they do at
12.
DON'T use the "power good" line to connect the dummy load. This is a
digital output - usually TTL level - which can only drive a few mA.
DO connect the "voltage sense" line(s) to the load as well as +5V and
ground.
Philip.
On 4 Sep 98 at 1:24, Sam Ismail wrote:
> This guy was a mega turd. Although his FAQ was good, and his amazingly
> peurile action of obliterating the FAQ over his personal holy war against
> perceived or actual piracy of mostly obsolete software was indeed bizarre,
> there are plenty of replacement FAQs available to help out the novice.
The "new" FAQs can be downloaded from the Ground FTP server at
ground.ecn.uiowa.edu
> This debate is being perpetuated by people who have absolutely no life
> whatsoever. I engaged in that debate for a few weeks and then went on
> with my life. This was 2 years ago, AND THIS DEBATE IS STILL RAGING!
Things have improved on the csa2 newsgroup following NM's departure.
You forgot to mention his trademark "read the FAQ, stupid" response to
every naive question. As you said, definitely a group for the
sociologists to enjoy in years to come on Dejanews...
Phil
**************************************************************
Phil Beesley -- Computer Officer -- Distributed Systems Suppport
University of Leicester
Tel (0)116 252-2231
E-Mail pb14(a)le.ac.uk
Problem has apparently been solved by re-seating the 286 chip and putting
silicon grease between the chip and the heatsink. It has been going now for
several hours.
Thanks anyway, folks.
Cheers
Charlie Fox
On 03 Sep 1998 18:16:16 -0700, Frank McConnell <fmc(a)reanimators.org> wrote:
> One of my other projects is tracing-down IMSAI intellectual property.
> IMS sold out to Fischer-Freitas Corp. some time around 1979. My attorneys
> are looking into this now; we're retrieving the court docket from the
> bankruptcy court in Southern California.
>>Heh. Have you read _Once Upon a Time in ComputerLand_ by Jonathan
>>Littman (I think)? If not, you should.
I'll try to locate a copy. This is all part of learning about a
particular computer line...I was about 11 at the time, so my focus was on
playing in the park, not computers.
Thanks for the input.
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin/CW7
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
Just received a pair of 3100e/40's. One seems ok, the other will boot ok
but after about four minutes the screen will freeze and the keyboard will
become completely inoperative.
Turning it off and on results in three or four bright vertical lines on
the screen and no other activity. Turning it off for twenty minutes or so
results in it booting up normally as above.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to start?
Regards
Charlie Fox
yea, i have an old compute! magazine that had a write-up about him. his game
was some strategy scenario with the us<->ussr or something like that. he was
talking about the future of gaming.
In a message dated 9/3/98 7:45:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
sinasohn(a)ricochet.net writes:
> Speaking of characters, btw, anyone know what ever happened to Chris
> Crawford? He wrote some really popular game for the Atari 8-bit computers,
> then went on to develop a hit game for the Mac (something about running the
> world or something? Sorry, I was never really into games.) He was another
> neat person. A physicist turned programmer
"Richard A. Cini, Jr." <rcini(a)email.msn.com> wrote:
> One of my other projects is tracing-down IMSAI intellectual property.
> IMS sold out to Fischer-Freitas Corp. some time around 1979. My attorneys
> are looking into this now; we're retrieving the court docket from the
> bankruptcy court in Southern California.
Heh. Have you read _Once Upon a Time in ComputerLand_ by Jonathan
Littman (I think)? If not, you should.
At one point (before 1979) Bill Millard was pursuing an
income-sheltering scheme that involved selling IMS to a
south-of-the-border company that would liquidate it, then sell its
intellectual property to yet another company located on the Isle of
Jersey. Said third company would license the intellectual property
back to IMSAI Manufacturing Corp. which would make and sell computers.
IMSAI Manufacturing Corp. would pay a licensing fee; the third company
would pay Millard royalties.
I gathered this was never really completed, but Millard ended up going
to some effort in an attempt to put things back the way they were,
un-incorporating the old IMS Associates Inc. and IMSAI Manufacturing
Corp. to release the names, and incorporating new ones of each. Also
I thought that it was IMSAI Manufacturing Corp. that filed for
bankruptcy and presumably sold its assets to Fischer-Freitas. IMS
Associates was (I think) still the parent of both IMSAI Manufacturing
Corp. and ComputerLand.
Or maybe I don't understand it at all, IANAL. If you'd like to
explain it to me I'd appreciate it.
-Frank McConnell
Hans:
>>Did you talk to them ? Their website (http://www.gmtme.com/index.html)
>>presents only a few new products - noting of the old stuff.
No, I did not. I got the impression that the intellectual property
associated with the old MOS stuff remained with the bankruptcy estate. GMT
only purchased certain inventory on hand (probably wafers, etching
chemicals, etc.)
> The non-CSG assets stayed with Escom until they filed for receivership
> (bankruptcy), in 1996. The assets were then sold to a Netherlands-based
> company (Commodore NL??), who then sold the Amiga assets to Gateway (the
> Holstein cow people). I don't think that anyone truly knows who owns the
old
> 8-bit assets. Commodore NL sells PeeCee compatible machines under the
> Commodore name, so I'd bank on Gateway owning them. If anyone on this list
> knows anyone at Gateway, now may be the time to use the relationship.
>>I think this is a formidable example for all our old (pre 1980) toys -
Almost all of the small (and >>even some of the big)
manufactiurers/designers have vanished. So who owns the design,
>>the ROM code, the spechial chip designs, the manuals and any other soft ?
One of my other projects is tracing-down IMSAI intellectual property.
IMS sold out to Fischer-Freitas Corp. some time around 1979. My attorneys
are looking into this now; we're retrieving the court docket from the
bankruptcy court in Southern California.
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin/CW7
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
Thanks to the advice on restoring my rained-on Osborne 1 (especially from
Tony Duell - thanks Tony), it is now up and running, and asking for a boot
disk, which of course I haven't got.
Is there any way to create a boot disk from an image, and if so where can I
find such an image? I'm pretty sure my Osborne has a double-density
controller (it is the blue version, and the floppy drives appear to be
plugged into a daughterboard).
I addition to a PC with a 360K floppy drive, I have a copy of Sybex's
22disk and a copy of a much earlier program called ALIEN.COM, both of which
can read and write CP/M disks in a variety of formats. (BTW, does anyone
have a version of ALIEN.COM later than 1.0Fj?)
I also have a Commodore 128D, plus external 1571 and 1581 drives, and I've
found a CP/M program called Jugg'ler-128, which is supposed to allow
reading and writing of around 140 different CP/M formats (including, it
seems, Osborne 1 single-density).
So given these resources, is it possible for me to create an Osborne 1 boot
disk? I understand that I can get one (for a small fee) from the Dina-SIG
CP/M System Disk Archives via Don Maslin, but this involves getting the
disk shipped halfway around the world, not to mention the added
complication of getting a few Australian dollars converted into (even
fewer) US dollars.
Also, is it possible to get images of the other disks that originally came
with the Osborne 1 (Wordstar et al)? Are there any licensing issues with
this? I would have thought that, since the programs came with the machine
originally, owning the machine would imply having a license, but I'm sure
things are more complicated than that.
Thanks in advance.
| Scott McLauchlan |E-Mail: scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au |
| Network Services Team |Phone : +61 2 6201 5544 (Ext.5544)|
| Client Services Division |Post : University of Canberra, |
| University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA | ACT, 2601, AUSTRALIA. |
In a message dated 8/27/98 9:03:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes:
>
> The Unimat (it's still being made) is a nice machine, but IMHO a little
> small for the sort of things that I'm likely to need....
>
i really dread continuing this off topic discussion, but american science and
surplus (sciplus.com) sells the unimat 1 for $300. is it any good? i had a
friend who had one in grade school, but i dont think he ever did anything with
it. i can imagine it could come in handy for turning small parts, computer
related and otherwise.
Doug Yowza <yowza(a)yowza.com> wrote (after me):
> >IANAL.
>
> OK, this has got to be the worst acronym yet. Are you describing your
> personality, are you trying to tell us that you're not a lawyer, or
> what?
Well, when I typed it I was thinking "I Am Not A Lawyer", but as long
as you're asking I'll answer "all of the above."
-Frank McConnell
I have an old WANG WLTC that a Cap will explode if is left plugged in for
more than a minute without the battery in it.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Osborne 01 computer smoked..
> Date: Thursday, September 03, 1998 9:15 PM
>
> > Has anyone else had this problem with old computers befor..?
>
> I've seen a Tektronix terminal where all the mains filter capacitors
> exploded but the terminal was otherwise fine. No idea why...
>
> -tony
>
To Sam and any others:
> Also, who owns the rights to the Altair 8800 now? Percom? ICOM? Ed
> Roberts? What happened after all the buyouts and bakruptcies?
I'll do some research on this if someone can give me a complete chain of
ownership (as far as anyone knows), approximate dates, addresses, any notes
on bankruptcies, etc.
My attorneys are alyaws looking for interesting projects :-)
Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com>
- ClubWin/CW7
- MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
- Preserver of "classic" computers
<<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>
I do, I think. Lemme check.
>Someone here mentioned a few days ago that he had the drivers
>for a hitachi cd-rom drive. Does anyone remember who it was? I want to
>test this thing before shipping it.
At 01:04 PM 9/2/98 PDT, you wrote:
>These days, but I think 1983 is a little different. And if a book is
>successfull, why wouldn't they think about a second edition. The
>compelling reason to save a floppy version is that they might want
>to go back and edit something.
If you wrote a book in 1983, had the second edition in 85, then they
discontinued the 8-bit ataris. Now it's 1995, you're moving, and you've
got this box with an old atari and a bunch of disks. You look at the
Pentium PC on your desk, reminisce for a few moments, laugh, and toss it on
the trash pile. With your original manuscript disks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
At 12:04 PM 9/2/98 PDT, you wrote:
>if an author is proud of his book, he won't trash the manuscripts.
Not necessarily. He may have hundreds of the printed copy, and not think
that the original manuscript, on an 8-bit Atari floppy, for example, is
worth keeping around.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
At 06:49 PM 8/31/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Marvin, this came out as an unviewable HTML and PLAIN text document on my
>end that PINE's external viewer couldn't handle. When I replied it came
Eudora assumes it's an attachment and puts it in a file; I end up with
hundreds of stupid little files called "reoldcom" or whatever. PITA.
>this problem of posting their messages in HTML. I think you guys should
>be able to configure your mail program to send only unencoded plain text.
On the other hand, this particular Marvin (not the one we're used to) is a)
probably a CPA and thus perhaps not truly computer literate (why else would
he be dumping perfectly good 486's?) and b) not subscribed to the list, so
unless you BCC'ed him, he didn't get it. (Probably wouldn't get it anyway.)
Keep in mind, folks, that the list is echoed to a web site. If someone
does a search on, say, "Altair", they're going to find several of the pages
with list messages. They'll then send a message to the address listed (the
list) asking how much their Altair is worth, or what have you. Probably
without checking the date, btw, which is why we occasionally see messages
like "I see you are searching for a rare commodore 64 power supply; I can
sell you one for $199 plus shipping" when no one's been looking for a C PS
for months.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
At 06:30 PM 8/31/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Max Eskin wrote:
>>
>> Who _is_ Jerry Pournelle?
>
>Columnist in Byte, "The User's Column", later renamed "Computing
...
>good science fiction writer and half of the best science fiction
Well, I'm not so crazy about him as a sf writer, but I did feel that his
columns in Byte did well in showing, in a way that a techie could
understand, what it was like for a user to be confronted with new
technology.
Nearly ran him down one time, though, on my skateboard, because I was busy
checking out his wife. 8^) Wasn't (isn't) she a expert in special ed or
something like that?
I remember him; he (99.99%) probably doesn't remember me. But love him or
hate him, he was a fascinating character. Not sure if he claimed it
outright or just alluded to it, but I always got the impression he had been
a spy or something in the 50's/60's. Any truth to that?
Speaking of characters, btw, anyone know what ever happened to Chris
Crawford? He wrote some really popular game for the Atari 8-bit computers,
then went on to develop a hit game for the Mac (something about running the
world or something? Sorry, I was never really into games.) He was another
neat person. A physicist turned programmer.
Lastly, anyone know whatever happened to the local San Francisco BBS
Newsbase and its denizens?
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
>17400 can't be a disk address... The physical address range for I/O
>BTW - what sort of DEC disk do your disks emulate? That would help
>in being able to tell you what address you could twiddle with, and
>what toggle-in boot code to try...
174400 is the RL02, and it's vaguely possible that this is the CSR
he meant to type. He describes the disk packs as being Diablos, and
RL02 packs do have the same form factor. But if this were the case,
then the device he should be trying to boot from would be DL0:, not
the DK0: he's been trying so far.
177400 is the RK05, and this is possible too.
Of course, we've so little information
that this is all just shooting in the wind!
-----
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
Hi gang. Just to let you know, the Adesso TruForm (AEK-606) wave style
keyboard works great with the apple2GS. For those of you like me with
big hands and wrists that don't like bending sideways during typing, this
thing is a godsend. US$89.95 at CompUSA, probably cheaper in MacMall.
--
Jim Strickland
jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is not relevant to vintage computers but it is relevant to people
who, unbeknownst to them, are sending HTML in their e-mail. Hope it helps
someone.
Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 08/25/98]
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 1998 19:45:55 +0000
From: Mark <mark_k(a)iname.com>
To: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com>
Subject: HTML in email
Anyway, here are some instructions on how to turn off this mis-feature. Telling
senders of HTML messages how to do this will allow them to turn the HTML off.
Regards,
-- Mark Knibbs
mark_k(a)iname.com
Removing HTML from Internet Mail and Outlook Express.
=====================================================
Internet Mail
-------------
Go to the Mail menu, select Options.
This brings up a set of tabs. The first tab is marked Send.
Near the bottom of this is a section Mail Sending Format.
There are two bullet holes (radio buttons), set this to Plain Text
instead of HTML.
Outlook Express
---------------
Go to the Tools menu and select Options. click the second tab which is marked
Send. Here you have both mail sending format and news sending format.
For both put the bullet point next to Plain text and not HTML.
>The drives are Diablo 30 drives, and the disks (there are several), are
>marked PDP-11 system disk, and PDP-11 Backup disk. The previous owner
>told me when I picked them up, that they should boot. Last night, I tried
>playing around with it again, and tried to access the disk status
>register (round about 17400(8) from memory, but I'm at work just now and
>it was late last night, so my terrible memory can't be sure...). It
>seemed to contain 000000 (from typing @17400/). :( Which doesn't, as far
>as I can tell from the assorted docs, look to promising for the state
>drive.
17400 can't be a disk address... The physical address range for I/O
page addresses is 17760000-17777776. On some machines this can be
shortened to 760000-777776, and on some, even further to 160000-177776.
(Though if you are referencing the I/O page from within a program, you
must use a 16-bit value in the range 160000-177776, and the memory
management must either be off, or setup such that the mapping registers
for that range point to the actual I/O page).
Have you examined memory beginning at 0 to see if there has been any
code actually loaded from the disk? (Deposit something like zero or
177777 in a bunch of locations beginning at address 0, and after trying
to boot, check those addresses... if they are different from what you
entered, then that might indicate the disk has actually done something)
BTW - what sort of DEC disk do your disks emulate? That would help
in being able to tell you what address you could twiddle with, and
what toggle-in boot code to try...
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 |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Tim,
The drives are Diablo 30 drives, and the disks (there are several), are
marked
PDP-11 system disk, and PDP-11 Backup disk. The previous owner told me when
I
picked them up, that they should boot. Last night, I tried playing around
with
it again, and tried to access the disk status register (round about
17400(8) from
memory, but I'm at work just now and it was late last night, so my terrible
memory
can't be sure...). It seemed to contain 000000 (from typing @17400/). :(
Which
doesn't, as far as I can tell from the assorted docs, look to promising for
the state drive.
An other potential problem is that I believe a clock pulse was generated by
a
CAMAC crate attatched to it. I've got the crate, but cannot attatch it at
present
because it needs a 110V supply, and I don't have my 110V transformer just
now.
My house is a 240V only zone at the moment, or at least as long as these
machines stop tripping the surge detector!. I need to install a more
forgiving
fuse box.
Thanks for your help.
Grant
>>at $ prompt type in drive name
>>
>> $ DK0
>
>What sort of media are you actually trying to boot? Why do you think
>it's got a valid boot-block?
>
>>It now takes me back to the @ prompt.
>>Type in 0g
>>
>> @0g
>>
>>and I get 000002 back.
>>I'm assuming that the '2' I get back is an error of some sort. Can anyone
>>shed any light
>>on this one for me.
>
>Nope, it's not an error - it's the address the CPU stopped at. It's
>certainly the case that at address 0, there's a "HALT" instruction
>(i.e. the contents are zero.) This is very possibly because the boot
>block you read into location 0 was all zeroes - i.e. not a boot block
>at all.
C'mon guys, be nice. It's probably someone doing a school report or
something. www.chac.org/chhistpg.htm has plenty of links to pictures.
Try the PDP ftp archives, they have some good pics.
>I have a nice 10MB file of a PDP-1...should I send it to her? ;)
>
>
>
>
>> Please send me a imagen of minicomputers
>
>
>........................................................................
>
> @
> /
> / Shift Lever
> (D)/
>\===================================== @ ================ Floor Plan
===
>BNL |- - -Phase Shifter- - - -|--/ Get Wired!
>- ------------]=[]@----------------------@
415.276.4979
>Trans- ] ]](A) Toll Free 1.888.208.6655 (B) ? (C) Rear
Connection
>mission ]]]]]]]]]]]]Driveshaft]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
> ] ]]
>71 ------------] web superstation of the stars...
>van burnham http://www.futuraworld.com
>production manager
>wired 520 third street fourth floor san francisco ca 94107 united
states
>........................................................................
>for immediate emergency wireless access send email to
van-page(a)wired.com
>van(a)wired.com van(a)futuraworld.com pingpong(a)spy.net
vanburnham(a)aol.com
>
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Well, my new (old) PT SOL machine showed up (after nearly being lost by UPS) last night.
Of all the classic machines I have gathered, this one was by far the best kept of the bunch.
Bob Stek, the docs showed up (thank you) the same time. How nice :)
Tony
-----== Sent via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Easy access to 50,000+ discussion forums
>So what is it? Any model number on the machine?
>Francois
The model is Compact Computer 40, abbreviated as CC40. It's a small
9 X 5.5 " unit, gray, with a full keyboard including numeric keypad,
and a one-line 30-character display. It has 8k RAM and 2k ROM (I
think) and BASIC and a monitor in ROM. A cartridge port, HEXBUS port
for plugging in cool stuff which I don't have (like a tape drive),
and AC adapter port. Runs on 4 AA batteries. Has lots of math
functions as well. Comes with a manual, mostly about BASIC, and anothe
r book called 'Learn BASIC: A guide to programming the TI CC40'
It's made in 1983. There is an ad for it that runs '20 pages of notes,
a thesis, algebraic formulas. Can you make a date at eight?
Turn to your TI Compact Computer. By 7:14 your TI CC40(tm) has your
notes filed, the changes made in your thesis, and all those formulas
worked. The CC-40 goes where you go -- the classroom, library,
anywhere. It's cordless, compact, sophisticated. It gives you much of
the problem solving power of Apple or IBM personal computers. But
it's a fraction of the size and price..." the ad goes on to say
6K RAM, 34K ROM, which doesn't agree with my manual. This thing
runs at 2.5 Mhz,BTW. So, if anyone has any cartridges or accessories
(that tape drive sure looks nice!) that they would be willing to
sell/trade/give to me...
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Hi Scott,
Just checking whether you're still trying to sort things out or what not?
Regards,
Jon
>Jon Healey wrote:
>>
>> Hi Scott,
>>
>> I think I'd be interested in the xerox and the Amstrad.
>> Are they spoken for yet?
>>
>> Where are you located? I'm in NH.
>>
>
>Neither are claimed at the moment. In the case of the Xerox, it has a
>lot of documentation and will be quite heavy to ship I think. Give a
>couple of days to sort out the stuff and I will be back in touch with
>you.
>
>I am located in Rocky Mount, NC.
>
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>Kirk Scott
>scottk5(a)ibm.net
>
All is OK! Even the power supply is quiet now. I think it may have been
squealing only when the full load wasn't being drawn (I had both drives
disconnected) and only for a few seconds after power-up.
Anyway, the problem with the LCD panel was really nothing. The new
connector simply needed to mate with longer pins to make proper contact.
The pins at the back of the LCD panel were long enough, but the ones
inside the machine were not. I ground down the connector a little bit and
it works now.
I also fully disassembled the casing to get at the variable resistor that
controls the "contrast", because it was so dirty that I couldn't get a
stable picture at all. I used an aerosol contact cleaner on it.
I did find a loose paperclip during the disassembly. Hopefully it didn't
do any damage while it was in there.
The picture is now stable and clear. I used to get corrupted characters
and strange lines on the display at seemingly random times, but I used the
machine for at least six hours straight tonight and it never came back.
The screen also used to be sensitive to movement and its position, and now
it doesn't care if I grab it and flip it up while I'm using it. I'm
guessing that several other wires were in the process of working loose.
The screen is just naturally hard to read, but not nearly as hard as it
was. The contrast has to be adjusted according to the user's viewpoint,
and it's not always possible to clearly see the whole screen at once
(especially up close).
At some contrast settings, dark patches appear on the screen. Also, areas
of the screen react to what is being displayed on other areas with a kind
of ghosting, which can be a little distracting when the contents of the
screen are busy. I'm guessing that this is normal for this technology.
One really cool thing is that the characters appear to "float" on the
screen.
I think I can confirm a 1988 date for both construction and purchase.
Most of the parts with identifiable date stamps that I looked at had date
stamps of late '87 or the first few weeks of '88. Also, the contents of
the hard drive which I never inspected very thoroughly (because of the
screen) included personal and business (including many local businesses
that I know) tax records from 1987 through to 1991.
And yes, I did delete files of that nature as I found them. There were
approximately 16MB worth of accounting files, and only software that would
be useful in accounting, so clearly this was an accountant's machine.
I'm a bit disturbed by the implications of finding such information at a
garage sale.
There is something strange about the display, BTW. It has
externally-accessible dip switches. Four of them. And there's a note
taped inside the panel that certain pieces of software require a certain
switch setting.
I attempted to install GeoWorks 1.00 and found that its installation
program is one of the programs that needs that switch setting. :/
And no, I didn't get GeoWorks running, because I don't have a
PC-compatible mouse. :/ (I picked up GeoWorks at the Goodwill this week.)
Anyway, I'm still up because I've been watching the news all night.
<shudder> Had it not been for that, I probably would have reported back
with my success a lot sooner.
Doug Spence
ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
>> In terms of copyright there is no thing like
>> 'lost ownership' Copyright (and other intelectual
>> property) is always originated by natural persons,
>> And if any kind of licencee (company, temopral owner)
>> is closed and no legal successor is available the rights
>> return to the original Author/Inventor.
> What happens if the author/inventor dies?
It comes to inheritance.
In fact, even copyright vanishes, but not before at least
50 Years.
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
>>>if an author is proud of his book, he won't trash the manuscripts.
>>Such grave pronouncements. You might as well argue that they
>>shouldn't throw away their drafts. Fact is, they do. Once the
>>book is in print, they've got a real copy. What compelling
>>reason did he have to save the old floppy version? It's not
>>as if he thought there was any demand for a second edition.
>>Computer books come and go in six weeks these days.
> These days, but I think 1983 is a little different. And if a book is
> successfull, why wouldn't they think about a second edition. The
> compelling reason to save a floppy version is that they might want
> to go back and edit something.
First, not everybody is collecting everything :)
Second, for a sequent edition you will use the
medias from the publisher, or jur write the
changes in one copy and give it to the publisher
(And if you're very successful, you just tell him
via phone wat to change :).
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
Dave Hick's fantastic HP calculator museum has an interesting page and
images of design studies and prototypes of a few HP desktop calculators
which illustrate how realistic some prototyping methods can be.
http://www.teleport.com/~dgh/designs/designs.htm
>
>As for computer cases, early models were probably handmade; it's not that
>hard. Take a run to your local Tap Plastics store. You can pick up all
>kinds/sizes of plastics that can then be made into just about anything.
>Also, model car/plane/boat shops probably have stuff to let you work with
>plastics.
>
>Even metal cases aren't that hard; I have a friend who built, as one of his
>first projects, an amazing set of cabinets/shelves for his Land Rover out
>of aluminum. Some simple tools are required, but nothing earth-shattering.
>
>I was talking to someone recently (Rax?) about building a custom
>wood-glass-and-brass case for a computer. Not that hard to build your
>first one in a plywood case, then worry about the production cases once
>you've got financing. (Of course, just make sure that cable going to the
>vax behind the curtain doesn't show! 8^)
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
>
>Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
>roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
>Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
>San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
>
>
>
At 02:31 PM 8/26/98 PDT, you wrote:
>Curious. Same goes for people who aren't in a large company and
>invent various other things. How did he 'invent' a gun without
>owning the necessary tools (at least I doubt a magazine writer would
>own this stuff) to process metal? Also, how did Woz make a case for
>the Apple ][, etc? Are there companies that take single orders
>like this?
Well, reloading is a popular sport -- you take used cartridges, cast your
own bullets (heat metal, pour into molds), and combine them with as much
gunpowder as you like. Modifying the casing wouldn't be too hard, I
imagine for anyone with any basic metalworking skills, nor would altering
the bullet mold.
As for computer cases, early models were probably handmade; it's not that
hard. Take a run to your local Tap Plastics store. You can pick up all
kinds/sizes of plastics that can then be made into just about anything.
Also, model car/plane/boat shops probably have stuff to let you work with
plastics.
Even metal cases aren't that hard; I have a friend who built, as one of his
first projects, an amazing set of cabinets/shelves for his Land Rover out
of aluminum. Some simple tools are required, but nothing earth-shattering.
I was talking to someone recently (Rax?) about building a custom
wood-glass-and-brass case for a computer. Not that hard to build your
first one in a plywood case, then worry about the production cases once
you've got financing. (Of course, just make sure that cable going to the
vax behind the curtain doesn't show! 8^)
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
So what is it? Any model number on the machine?
Francois
-------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the desperately in need of update
Sanctuary at: http://www.pclink.com/fauradon
-----Original Message-----
From: Max Eskin <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, September 02, 1998 3:05 PM
Subject: Re: TI Compact Computer 40
>
>
>
>
>I said it was _like_ a model 100, not an actual 100. It's very
>different, but the idea is similar.
I remember some laptop that had a special key combination to switch from LCD
to external monitor. You could not have both at the same time. Look for
extra feature keys (usually accessed by pressing a special FN key).
Francois
-------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the desperately in need of update
Sanctuary at: http://www.pclink.com/fauradon
-----Original Message-----
From: Shawn Rutledge <ecloud(a)goodnet.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, September 02, 1998 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: LCD woes
>> Anyway, the machine has a special card in it for driving the LCD panel.
>> It is labeled "LCD & HGC CARD". What is "HGC"? It has an external 9-pin
>
>Probably "Hercules Graphics Card" - Hercules made the original
>mono graphics card that was cloned a lot and most cards for driving
>mono monitors are that variety. It gives you 720 x 4?? dots
>with each pixel being on or off. As well as being compatible
>with the original IBM PC mono video card (which had only text mode).
>It does use a 9-pin connector.
>
>> port on it and I tried plugging the monochrome display into it, but the
>> picture was all distorted so I figured it was using a different frequency
>> or something. The cursor comes out about an inch wide, and none of the
>> craracters are recognizable, possibly just from overwritten numerous
times
>> in the same scanline.
>
>Hmmm are you sure the monitor is OK?
>>
>> Oh, and BTW, I electrocuted myself last night when I touched some exposed
>> wiring going to the LCD panel. It surprised me that there was that much
>
>Is it backlit? Fluorescent backlights use relatively high voltage.
>
>--
> _______ KB7PWD @ KC7Y.AZ.US.NOAM
ecloud(a)goodnet.com
> (_ | |_) Shawn T. Rutledge on the web:
http://www.goodnet.com/~ecloud
> __) | |
\__________________________________________________________________
>* X window * virtual reality * knowledge base * ham radio * electronics *
>
I see another rocket has blown up.
Looks like it's time to break out those
desk top analog computers that got us
into space the first time.
=========================================
Doug Coward dcoward(a)pressstart.com
Curator
Museum of Personal Computing Machinery
Sunnyvale,CA
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/museum
"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate;
Yes,and it can even inspire. But it can do so
only to the extent that humans are determined
to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is
merely lights and wires in a box."
- Micro68 computer User's Manual,EPA Inc. 1976
=========================================
FREE (yup, just shipping is all) to a good home....temrinals! One, two
or all.
1 - DEC model VT100, no keyboard but great shape and working. About
32 lbs shipping weight
2 - Visual model 102 complete with keyboard, great shape and
working. About 35 lbs shipping
3 - Texas Instruments model 911VDT, no keyboard. Great shape and
working. About 28 lbs shipping
NOTE....They go to that terrible place that many other unwanted
machines go soon - the DUMPSTER OF
DEATH if I don't get a firm response before long. I've held back
>from dumping them as I know someone out
there has a use for one or all of them. Shipping will be calculated
by USPS parcel post rates from me in zip 40144
to you and prepayment by money order or cashier's check is
required. I will ship the same or next day as I
recieve payment. If you want any of these contact me by direct
email SOON.
___________________________________________________
Russ Blakeman
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
___________________________________________________
>> In terms of copyright there is no thing like
>> 'lost ownership' Copyright (and other intelectual
>> property) is always originated by natural persons,
>> And if any kind of licencee (company, temopral owner)
>> is closed and no legal successor is available the rights
>> return to the original Author/Inventor.
>
>What happens if the author/inventor dies?
I just went through a huge ordeal similiar to this in trying to get
Resnova's NovaServer (BBS server) put into the public domain.
The following, of course, does not constitute legal advice. ;-)
To quote Peter E. Converse:
---Start Quote---
When you say that ResNova "no longer exists in any way shape or form",
that
may mean several different things. It may mean that ResNova has gone
through a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, that its corporate charter has
been allowed to lapse, or merely that its operations have been abandoned.
Each of these possibilities leads to several different outcomes.
First, if ResNova is bankrupt, any intellectual property (like NovaServer)
would pass temporarily through the hands of a bankruptcy trustee, receiver
or debtor-in-possession. Then, this person probably would have attempted
to sell this intellectual property to satisfy the debts of the company.
If
ResNova is still going through a bankruptcy, you could contact the trustee
or receiver by checking federal Bankruptcy records.
Second, if ResNova's corporate charter has been allowed to lapse (which is
what I think you mean, if I had to bet), that corporation still owns the
intellectual property in question, even though it no longer exists under
the laws of the state of incorporation (subject to my comments about
abandonment below). You might be able to arrange to purchase or license
the IP by contacting the officers of the company. To find out who they
are, you could contact the Secretary of State of the state in which
Resnova
was originally incorporated. This would probably be the State of its
primary operations, or, alternatively, Delaware, NY or Calif. Any
Secretary of State will tell you, over the phone, the name of the
registered agent (prob an attorney or officer of the company) who could
help you arrange a purchase or license.
Third, if ResNova's shareholders, officers, directors and creditors have
all disappeared, you might be able to treat this intellectual property as
having been "abandoned." Unfortunately, if you do so, you may be
subjecting yourself to legal liability for unlicensed use of the IP in the
event that any of these folks turn up later. The burden in court would be
placed on you to prove that you made a rigorous effort to find the owners
and that they really had abandoned the asset. I would suggest making
thorough investigations as described in the above two paragraphs before
simply assuming that the asset has been abandoned.
Of course, you should understand that this information is merely general
and is not legal advice rendered as to specific facts. You should
probably
consult an attorney before taking any actions in this matter.
Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. I represent a number
of
software developers, consultants, consumer product marketers and IT
professionals.
Good Luck.
Peter E. Converse
The Law Offices of Peter E. Converse
8 South Michigan Avenue
Suite 2600
Chicago, Illinois 60603
(312) 214-0661
(312) 332-0600 Fax
convers(a)interaccess.com
---End Quote---
--
Sysop of Caesarville Online
Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>
For anyone who was wondering, those RAM chips I was offering for free found a
home in a computer at the Red Cross courtesy of Russ. Thanks. Beats the heck
out of throwing them out. :)
--
Jim Strickland
jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
At 07:29 PM 8/25/98 -0700, you wrote:
>You bet I was there...what an incredible time! It was a
>fantastic event and well worth enduring the 110? heat!
Cool! Next Saturday our local Atari club meeting will be centered around
stories from the folks that went.
>Don Thomas has posted an excellent account
Saw that and a couple of others; it did sound like fun!
>I myself will be posting pictures as soon as they are scanned...
Excellent! Let us know when they're up!
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
>>> (Caveat: until someone comes forward to claim legitimate ownership.)
>> Jup, but acording to your ridiculous justice this means
>> bancrupcy for the next 3 generation to anyon of 'Us'.
> Not necessarily. I think some of this old technology could arguably be
> considered in the public domain, with companies having folded, owners
> having died, etc. Case in point: the IMSAI 8080. I think whatever
> vestiges of ownership of the IMSAI 8080 have been lost to time after the
> transformation into ComputerLand, the subsequent bankruptcy and then the
> re-birth of ComputerLand as Vanguard. This is what I gather after having
> read the book _Once Upon a Time in Computerland_.
In terms of copyright there is no thing like
'lost ownership' Copyright (and other intelectual
property) is always originated by natural persons,
And if any kind of licencee (company, temopral owner)
is closed and no legal successor is available the rights
return to the original Author/Inventor.
> Also, who owns the rights to the Altair 8800 now? Percom? ICOM? Ed
> Roberts? WHat happened after all the buyouts and bakruptcies?
Don't know, but they are not free.
Sad but true.
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
These days, but I think 1983 is a little different. And if a book is
successfull, why wouldn't they think about a second edition. The
compelling reason to save a floppy version is that they might want
to go back and edit something.
>>if an author is proud of his book, he won't trash the manuscripts.
>
>Such grave pronouncements. You might as well argue that they
>shouldn't throw away their drafts. Fact is, they do. Once the
>book is in print, they've got a real copy. What compelling
>reason did he have to save the old floppy version? It's not
>as if he thought there was any demand for a second edition.
>Computer books come and go in six weeks these days.
>
>- John
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
I said it was _like_ a model 100, not an actual 100. It's very
different, but the idea is similar.
>Yes the RS-232 is fully complient.. I use mine all the time..
>Goto www.TRS-80.com you will find out all you need there..
>Even a Model 100 user's club on the internet..
>
>Phil...
>
>Max Eskin wrote:
>>
>> I was just given one. It's a little Tand Model 100-like thing, it
>> came with a user's guide and some kind of book for learning BASIC.
>> Unfortunately, the manual is rather selective. Could someone tell me
>> if I can use the serial port on the back for RS-232 communications,
>> and what are the pin equivalents? If not, is there any kind of
>> modification that could be made? Also, does anyone have any software
>> cartridges for it they would be willing to send me? What is assembly
>> like for this processor? Does anyone have any comments about it?
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
>> Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
if an author is proud of his book, he won't trash the manuscripts.
>
>On Wed, 2 Sep 1998, John Foust wrote:
>
>> who've since tossed their floppies with the original manuscript.
>> Without this, we're back to scanning and OCR and proofreading.
>> They'd thought that absolutely no one was interested. For example,
>> Sheldon Leemon, author of "Mapping the C-64", tossed his old Atari
>> floppies that had held his manuscript.
>
>This is something I hadn't considered. The authors of some of the most
>classic of computer books (I could name a bunch of Apple ones, like
>_Benath Apple DOS_ for one) should be contacted and asked to hold onto
>their original manuscripts if they still have them. While it wouldn't
be
>a total loss if they are thrown out, since at least the book survives
in
>thousands of coipies, it would be nice to have the original manuscript
>around in digital form to be preserved for millenia.
>
>I wonder if this is something we could turn into a concerted effort, a
>drive to root out old computer book authors, or if anyone is really
>interested.
>
>Sam Alternate e-mail:
dastar(a)siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Ever onward.
>
> September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0
> See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!
> [Last web site update: 08/25/98]
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
HGC _could_ stand for Hercules Graphics Controller. I don't know.
The display... are you sure you haven't shorted anything with solder?
Have you tried using a VOM in O mode to directly stimulate the display?
Touching it to various pins should get various lines to appear.
>'fixing' my portable '286 box with LCD display (which I think is
_barely_
>classic).
>
>The cable leading to the display had had three of its wires pulled out,
>and I figured that this was the reason for the very weak and grungy
>display.
>
>I managed to solder little bits of wire into the holes and solder the
>stray wires from the cable onto those, but then I realized that I
couldn't
>plug the thing in anymore as the holes (from the underside) had filled
>with solder. :/
>
>And I also realized that my solution was a bad one because the
protruding
>wires would short against the metal frame that holds the LCD panel in
>place.
>
>So I used the connector from the C64 keyboard instead.
>
>Anyway, I got the cable rebuilt. I've tested it with the multimeter
and
>all the wires make contact and go to the right places.
>
>But now I can't get any kind of display from the LCD panel. It doesn't
>light up at all. It looks like it's totally dead.
>
>I put a monochrome display adapter card in the machine, and it will
boot
>up with that and display fine on a monochrome monitor. So the machine
is
>_mostly_ OK.
>
>I'm not sure the power supply is OK, though. It squeals now.
>
>So basically, I've turned an ill-looking display into a dead display,
and
>for some reason a healthy power supply is now sounding sick.
>
>Bleah!
>
>Anyway, the machine has a special card in it for driving the LCD panel.
>It is labeled "LCD & HGC CARD". What is "HGC"? It has an external
9-pin
>port on it and I tried plugging the monochrome display into it, but the
>picture was all distorted so I figured it was using a different
frequency
>or something. The cursor comes out about an inch wide, and none of the
>craracters are recognizable, possibly just from overwritten numerous
times
>in the same scanline.
>
>I don't know where I'll go from here. I'm just taking a breather
>before continuing. I wanted to be rebuilding the TS1016 RAM pack by
now
>instead of still messing with this damn PC. <s>
>
>Oh, and BTW, I electrocuted myself last night when I touched some
exposed
>wiring going to the LCD panel. It surprised me that there was that
much
>juice going through there. My thumb and forefinger are still tender.
But
>the display was still working at that point, and looking much sharper
than
>it had been. But the machine wouldn't close up properly because the
>connector was too thick and that's why I went back in today, just to
>reverse the cable so that the big fat Commodore connector was on the
>inside instead of on the LCD panel end. (Which meant pulling the
connector
>apart and rebuilding it the other way, just so it would fit in.)
>
>I haven't crossed any wires, I haven't plugged anything in backwards,
and
>I haven't dropped anything into the machine, so I don't know what I've
>done wrong.
>
><s>
>
>
>Doug Spence
>ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
>http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>Also, who owns the rights to the Altair 8800 now? Percom? ICOM? Ed
>Roberts? WHat happened after all the buyouts and bakruptcies?
Which rights? The name? The design? The PC board layouts? The
documentation?
I would think the only things left to worry about are the name and
any copyrights that might exist on the PC artwork. I doubt the
actual design is protected at all - it's almost exactly what you'd get
if you just took one of the Intel 8080A databooks and copied the CPU
implementation. Why would anybody want to
make an exact clone of the original design anyway? A couple
months after the introduction of the Altair there were hundreds
of garage-based businesses selling much better designed S-100
CPU's and peripherals!
-----
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 2081
I also have a TI-74, with all of the rom cartridges, and the
PC interface... I have not yet bought the printer for it...
If you use AltaVista search for "TI-74", you should get the TI
web site, which will point you to another site, which is where
I actually purchased the stuff from. I also got some manuals on
the TI-74... they have RAM cartridges, ROM cartridges, the
printer, the TI->PC interface (and software) and some other
stuff as well. They also have stuff for the TI-95 (ProCalc)
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 |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
>>>Us.
>>>(Caveat: until someone comes forward to claim legitimate ownership.)
> There are one possible way, but it isn't very safe - see below.
Addendum: I'm not a lawyer - just some publishing knowledge.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
>>Us.
>>(Caveat: until someone comes forward to claim legitimate ownership.)
> I wonder if there is legal precedent that might establish a reasonable
> level of due diligence to determine that a copyright asset has indeed
> been abandoned, and a legitimate method by which someone else could
> be considered at least allowed to reproduce it but perhaps not claim
> ownership of it. In short, a process to follow that would establish
> that something is on its way to becoming public domain. Without
> preservation now, the asset might be truly lost.
There are one possible way, but it isn't very safe - see below.
> For example, I've contacted several authors of early computer books
> who've since tossed their floppies with the original manuscript.
> Without this, we're back to scanning and OCR and proofreading.
> They'd thought that absolutely no one was interested. For example,
> Sheldon Leemon, author of "Mapping the C-64", tossed his old Atari
> floppies that had held his manuscript.
Just loosing _one_ media doesn't mean loosing copyright.
If one wants to get rid of his rights, he has to proclam
this in a prominent and usefull manner - like anouncing
it in a state publication or any kind of aprobiate publication.
Like puting an anouncement in a sourcefile.
It's exactly the reverse way as claiming an title for a book
or movie - If you want to avoide that someone else will
use a title of a planned book, you have to anounce it in a
aprobiate manner - i.e. in Germay you till put an add in the
'Boersenblatt des Deutschen Buchhandels' - a 'news'paper
for publishing companies and book traders.
For this case (reprinting a book), there are two and a half
steps to perform:
First try to get knowledge of the holder of rights. Basicly
easy, since book rights are always originated by the author.
Find the author, and ask if there are current licences. Apply
for a licence. If he has no futher interest, he may offer it
exclusive and unlimited for just a beer or two. Try to get a
written statement.
Geting licence doesn't include source material like disks
or scripts - if they are lost, you still have to key in
every letter again ...
Second if you can't locate the author, or any other people
possible owning actual licences or able to legitimate their
rights, you are free to copy and redistribute the work.
The hard term is 'unable to locate the owner' - judges
(at least in Europe and especialy the US) put up very
high bars to cross. You have to show that you did anything
possible (Adds, writing to former publishers, companies,
familie, friends, etc. searching directories).
Now you can start to reproduce the book - BUT in your best
interest you should take step twoandahalf: Opening a closed
account (I don't know the exact US term - its an account
where yo ujust put in money, but never take it back - possibly
managed by a lawyer) for the author/owner of rights. Now
'just' pay the royalities into this account.
If a beliveable owner of rights shows up, you just have to
grant him access to this account. A possible 'new' royality
agreement has to be made at this point. If the owner of
rights disagrees with the summ (you have to open your books
for double check sales and business regarding this licence)
don't grant the access and wait for his court move.
As long as your amount of saved royalities is reasonable
any court decision inf favour or the owner wouldn't grant
more, so be aware and don't put the royalities to low,
becaus if the judge thinks so, the summs can be enormous -
at leat within the strange US system.
This method (step twoandahalf) can (and will) be used on
any matter regarding intelectual properies - books, music
('legal' bootlegs use this to avoid geting dumped in the US)
or patents (If company A won't give company B a licence, B
could try it via twoandahalf - as long as they are able
without support from A :)
The trick is that you are NOT stealing the property - you
are willing to pay, but some strange thing might hinder you.
(This is even at wartime true, which leads to the very strange
fact where Germany took a way more civilizated position than
the US - Germany payed royalities even during the war for
tecnologie used - including weapon tecnologie - while the
US just declared any German patent or Trademark non existent.
Some things can caus dizziness when thinking about)
Ok, back to our book project: If you get the permission
>from the author (like Sheldon Leemon) you're fine - don't
forgett to ask if theres still a licence, maybe even a
exclusive one for a publishing company, since in this
case you still have to look for the (original) publisher.
But regarding the KIM, with his chaotic past, a simple
solution isn't available.
Gruss
H.
Oh, and don't forgett: Even a non profit copying action
is forbidden. so if a C= group, for example, make copies
of the C64 ROM to distrimute within their group and friends
FOR FREE, they are subject to pay royalieties.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
I decided to run a number of different tapes to try to determine whether
my TK50Z drive was defective or the tapes were not bootable. Below are
the results of the tests. Since in each case the results are somewhat
different, I conclude that the drive reads OK, and that the tapes are
suspect. Does anyone have a different perspective?
- don
=======================
ULTRIX APPLICATION TAPE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> b mu
-MUA0
%VMB-F-SCBINT2, PC = 00007000, PSL = 041F0008
83 BOOT SYS
-DUA0
-MUA0
%VMB-F-SCBINT2, PC = 00007000, PSL = 041F0008
83 BOOT SYS
?02 EXT HLT **** Infinite loop without the halt ****
PC = 00002704
>>>
>>>
>>> VMS APP TAPE
^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>> b mu
-MUA0
%VMB-F-ERR, PC = 00000765
%VMB-I-STS, R0 = 000008C2
84 FAIL
>>>
>>>
>>> DEGAUSSED TAPE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-MUA0
%VMB-F-ERR, PC = 00000765
%VMB-I-STS, R0 = 000001F6
84 FAIL
>>>
>>>
>>> VMS 5.5 BIN TAPE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>
>>> b mu
-MUA0
%VMB-F-ERR, PC = 00000765
%VMB-I-STS, R0 = 000008C2
84 FAIL
>>>
Thats all folks!
I was just given one. It's a little Tand Model 100-like thing, it
came with a user's guide and some kind of book for learning BASIC.
Unfortunately, the manual is rather selective. Could someone tell me
if I can use the serial port on the back for RS-232 communications,
and what are the pin equivalents? If not, is there any kind of
modification that could be made? Also, does anyone have any software
cartridges for it they would be willing to send me? What is assembly
like for this processor? Does anyone have any comments about it?
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
The last step before I cart my Tek to Santa Clara for the VCF:
Insurance.
Insurance companies don't like things without a replacement value. I
have asked around how much to insure it for, and Dr Dooijes (curator of
the Computer Museum in Amsterdam) has suggested $3000.
Anyone else have any ideas:
Are there any other 4052s around?
What might be the market rate?
Whom else can I ask?
Also, anyone have any suggestions about how to pack it for the flight?
Large box with lots of foam seems to be the best idea so far. Unless I
can get hold of a Tek carrying case...
Philip.
At 02:22 AM 9/2/98 -0700, Sam wrote:
>
>Us.
>(Caveat: until someone comes forward to claim legitimate ownership.)
I wonder if there is legal precedent that might establish a reasonable
level of due diligence to determine that a copyright asset has indeed
been abandoned, and a legitimate method by which someone else could
be considered at least allowed to reproduce it but perhaps not claim
ownership of it. In short, a process to follow that would establish
that something is on its way to becoming public domain. Without
preservation now, the asset might be truly lost.
For example, I've contacted several authors of early computer books
who've since tossed their floppies with the original manuscript.
Without this, we're back to scanning and OCR and proofreading.
They'd thought that absolutely no one was interested. For example,
Sheldon Leemon, author of "Mapping the C-64", tossed his old Atari
floppies that had held his manuscript.
- John
>> I think this is a formidable example for all our old (pre 1980)
>> toys - Almost all of the small (and even some of the big)
>> manufactiurers/designers have vanished. So who owns the design,
>> the ROM code, the spechial chip designs, the manuals and any
>> other soft ?
> Us.
*g*
Toys R Us !
> (Caveat: until someone comes forward to claim legitimate ownership.)
Jup, but acording to your ridiculous justice this means
bancrupcy for the next 3 generation to anyon of 'Us'.
Still searching
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
> I thought I was the only one who owned a TI-74. I'm looking for the
> specs too. TI does mention some authorized service centers on their web
> page for the TI-74. I haven't got a chance to contact any of them for
> information.
I have one, and 4 spare printers (fleamarket haul).
> Check out: http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/7495.htm
Marysville, WA is kind of down under from Muenchen, Bavaria :)
> ----------------------------
> Zu denken ist gut, dass Sie sind gut
:))
Knapp daneben ist auch vorbei.
Altavista or German lessons ?
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
Today I saved from the mythical Company Dumpster the following Stuff:
DEC uVAX II/RC in 4' cab with Cipher Digital horiz. 9trk drive.
Printronix P 300 Line Printer (from long-gone Prime Mainframe)
Hewlett Packard :
(2) 7914 disk drive units, one damaged in fall.
An HP Systems cab with (1) 9144 and (2) 3000.
(1) 2563A LIne Printer. (Very nice condition)
Heads Up part: I do not particularly want the HP stuff, I took it
to be nice to the warehouse foreman (to whom it's just junk he has to
move around).
SoCal area HP collectors.... any Interest??? Anyone? I have more
than my share of non-DEC orpans now... heeellpppp....
WANTS: Unibus 9trk formatter card for Kennedy 9300, or preferably
a TE16 and cards in SoCal or thereabouts. Need vacuum column door
for abovementione Kennedy... or a whole 'nother drive... I'm not picky.
MINC stuff. FSW Votrax (commercial Version) for PDP-11.
An 11/750 w/magtape.... ?
Cheers
John
John Lawson <jpl15(a)netcom.com> wrote:
> (2) 7914 disk drive units, one damaged in fall.
I'm thinking these are largish floor-standing units (about half
washing-machine size) good for about 120MB. They could have cartridge
tape drives in them too, do they?
> An HP Systems cab with (1) 9144 and (2) 3000.
9144 is an HP cartridge tape drive.
A 3000 in that sort of cabinet is probably a Series 37 or Micro 3000,
a little departmental system good for about eight terminals. Should
have a key for the front panel and I hope it's there because
fabricating it could be a problem (it is a small metal strip with
indentations drilled in but not through its larger faces).
> (1) 2563A LIne Printer. (Very nice condition)
300LPM printer, could be serial or HP-IB or maybe parallel (with a
50-pin telco connector) though I only remember the parallel on its
bigger faster cousins. If serial, it would be usable with other
things; I think it speaks something like PCL but certainly not the PCL
of the many-DPI printers. Used to use one as a remote serial printer
hung off a 3000 and it was very reliable.
> SoCal area HP collectors.... any Interest??? Anyone? I have more
> than my share of non-DEC orpans now... heeellpppp....
I'm not quite SoCal (a little bit north of San Jose) and won't be able
to make it down there for a little while. Plus IDDD (I Don't Do DEC)
and so don't have any of the stuff you're interested in for a swap.
Also I have two 3000/37s of my own. So I won't be hurt if someone
else gets 'em, in fact that's part of the reason I am writing this
message, to help other folks down there figure out what this stuff is.
-Frank McConnell
Looks like a good bunch of DEC freebies (at least to non-profit folks)
available in Santa Fe, NM (at least if the Santa Fe Institute moniker is
any indication). Please contact this fellow directly if interested.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
From:
"Phillip Williams" <phdevaxvms(a)roadrunner.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.sys.dec
Subject:
its that time again
Date:
2 Sep 1998 05:04:51 GMT
Organization:
Santa Fe Institute
Lines:
20
Message-ID:
<01bdd62d$f7f45820$df733bc6@pilar>
NNTP-Posting-Host:
dial531.roadrunner.com
X-Trace:
santaclara.santafe.edu 904712691 23951 209.12.73.131 (2
Sep 1998 05:04:51 GMT)
X-Complaints-To:
abuse(a)santafe.edu
NNTP-Posting-Date:
2 Sep 1998 05:04:51 GMT
X-Newsreader:
Microsoft Internet News 4.70.1161
Path:
blushng.jps.net!news.eli.net!news.fiber.net!news-stk-2.sprintlink.net!news-west.sprintlink.net!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.internetmci.com!208.128.37.8!feeder.lobo.net!feeder.swcp.com!fugu!SantaFe!not-for-mail
well its time to go thru and sell or trade some stuff
RA92 qty 4
LN03Rs qty 2
DECstations 5000 qty 2
VT1300 qty 2
VT240 with modem (wow 1200 bps) qty 2
RX33 qty 4
BA200 with 16 megs KA650, QDSS, KDA50,CXA16,TK70, 2 RA70s with
OpenVMS 5.5-2 DECwindows/DECwrite/C/BASIC/FORTRAN/KERMIT
Once again if you are a none profit org and can arrange for pickup its
free and if you are a Homeless vet center then I'll pick up the price!!!
phillip
AfterMidNight BBS
56k connection with v90 with 30 megs of disk space and free web pages
IF YOU KNOW OF ANY VET THATS HOMELESS OR JUST DOWN AND
OUT WE OFFER FREE RESUME AND INTERNET ACCESS.
> <<
> Roger Lamson <rlamson(a)snds.com>
> San Diego, CA USA - Tuesday, September 01, 1998 at 12:39:56
> We have some old 1802 source code that was not documented,
> now we need to "reverse" engineer this code and develop
> flow charts so that we can then implement the correct algoithms
> in a new processor.
> Is there a cosmac 1802 users group out there?
> Is there a development system, UT20 from RCA out there?
> Thanks
> >>
> I'd offer this guy my COSMAC ICE, but currently I have no way to verify
> that it works (i.e., I haven't built my COSMAC ELF yet :-)
In fact, I still have a group of RCA tapes with an cross
assembler and other tools (for /360 compatible RCA Mainframe :)
- We just need one of these 1966..75 build dinosaurs.
Or to be more constructive, I'm still able to read and write
1802 Assm (or at least I belive to be - it's some years ago :).
Writing 'modern' Assemblers (Z80, x86, MIPS, ARM etc.) isn't
tragic at all.
I'm just a bit far away from SD.
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
I have just had laid on me a very nice condition (from a bank) texas
Instruments model 911 VDT video display unit. I only have the screen
unit, no keyboard. It has two jacks on back, one marked keyboard and one
marked controller (9 pin male d-sub)
FREE to anyone that wants it, you pay the shipping of about 30 lbs. I
need to hear from people soon on it or it will go dumpster diving and
not come up for air. As it is I still have the Visual 102 (complete) and
DEC VT100 (no keyboard) to GIVE AWAY and the last inquiring mind never
got back with me. These are also in great condition and working order
and available for the cost of shipping.
___________________________________________________
Russ Blakeman
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
___________________________________________________
I thought I was the only one who owned a TI-74. I'm looking for the
specs too. TI does mention some authorized service centers on their web
page for the TI-74. I haven't got a chance to contact any of them for
information.
Check out: http://www.ti.com/calc/docs/7495.htm
Jeff Salzman
----------------------------
Zu denken ist gut, da=DF Sie sind gut
>
>Does anyone know any technical dokumentation for the
>TI PC-234 printer and/or the TI-74 interface ? I couldn't
>find any usefull trace in the web.
>
One more question:
Does anyone know any technical dokumentation for the
TI PC-234 printer and/or the TI-74 interface ? I couldn't
find any usefull trace in the web.
Gruss
H.
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
> Since we are off topic, read the Bill of Rights and the Constitution
> sometime if you want an idea of just how many of your rights (re:
> freedom) have been usurped in your 'best interest' by our omnipresent
> Federal Government. This spy satellite pales in comparison to the
> invasion of personal liberty that has been either legislated by
> Congress or in the case of our Constitutional Rights bent in
> interpretation by the Supreme Court under the guise of a 'living
> breathing Constitution.' Bullshit. The Constitution doesn't need
> interpretation, it is written very clearly and has been raped.
I may be naive, but I understand that the satellite was owned by
a connecticut company who was have it launched to replace the one
which went bad earlier this year, knocking out millions of pagers,
etc.
> several years. Its the payload of the first that exploded that's very
> curious to me: a high-tech spy satellite capable of listening on on
> thousands of phone calls and other communications, costing how many
> billions? You'd think they would be REALLY, REALLY careful with a toy
> like that.
So would I... and I would have suspect that such a satellite would have
been launched from vandenburg. This is part of the reason I do believe
it was a communicates satellite.
BTW - if not from vandenburg, then aboard a shuttle...
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 |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
"Max Eskin" <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>Give me a break! Rockets explode all of the time. Plus, I would guess
>some of the parts they are using are old. I have the feeling cracked
>seals could once again be the problem. Also, rockets don't rely on
>computer controls. These are 20-year old technology. It's unlikely
>they have anything more than a bunch of servos like in a model car.
Actually, from the news report I heard, it was a new launch vehicle.
The maiden flight... That doesn't contradict the idea it may be old
technology, but supposedly the vehicle was one of a new series...
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 |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
Someone here mentioned a few days ago that he had the drivers
for a hitachi cd-rom drive. Does anyone remember who it was? I want to
test this thing before shipping it.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
>at $ prompt type in drive name
>
> $ DK0
What sort of media are you actually trying to boot? Why do you think
it's got a valid boot-block?
>It now takes me back to the @ prompt.
>Type in 0g
>
> @0g
>
>and I get 000002 back.
>I'm assuming that the '2' I get back is an error of some sort. Can anyone
>shed any light
>on this one for me.
Nope, it's not an error - it's the address the CPU stopped at. It's
certainly the case that at address 0, there's a "HALT" instruction
(i.e. the contents are zero.) This is very possibly because the boot
block you read into location 0 was all zeroes - i.e. not a boot block
at all.
-----
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology Voice: 301-767-5917
7328 Bradley Blvd Fax: 301-767-5927
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817
I got one with an expansion box, monitor, and 2 disk drives for $2.50. I
also got a LOAD of software with it. It was working fine 'till the monitor
blew. I tried fixing it, and got it working, but it was a bit wavy. Then
the P/S for the expansion unit blew, so I sold the whole deal for $20.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Jim <jim(a)calico.litterbox.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: trs80model1
> Date: Tuesday, September 01, 1998 8:06 PM
>
> Ooo, TRS-80 model 1. The first computer that ever inspired lust in my
heart
> - I don't suppose these can be had inexpensively...
> --
> Jim Strickland
> jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ooo, TRS-80 model 1. The first computer that ever inspired lust in my heart
- I don't suppose these can be had inexpensively...
--
Jim Strickland
jim(a)calico.litterbox.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I used to have a Model 1. I believe the logical answer for why Drive 0 was
at the beginning of the cable was do that it was the closest to the
computer, ant it would make it less confusing for novice computer users:
Closest drive gets the boot disk.
As for the drive with a resistor pack needing to be at the end of the
cable, I disagree. I had a two-disk system, and both drives were
identical. I know that, because when I first got the computer, I plugged
the drives in, turned them on, turned on the expansion box, and turned on
the computer, and they worked. I tried the drives the other way (switched
them on the cable), and they still worked.
I'm also sure that neither had the resistor pack, because when I got the
computer, it was supposed to have 4 drives. There was, however, another
Model 1 with an expansion box, but no drives. The person who was selling
the computers took drives 3 and 4 off of the one that I got, and put them
on the other one. My friend bought it, and the drives worked on it, too.
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: TRS-80 Hard drives (was:Cable needed)
> Date: Tuesday, September 01, 1998 1:42 PM
>
> It would have been a lot simpler if the connectors had been fitted in the
> opposite order so that drive 0 was at the end of the cable. Then the
> terminated drive always would have gone at the end of the cable, and
> would always have been Drive 0. No idea why they didn't do this.
>
> -tony
>
I don't think so. These are add-on modules specifically
for the PC-jr. I posted this because I'm pretty sure
there are at least a couple of PC-jr fans out there.
Jeff
At 11:51 AM 9/1/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Is PCjr stuff compatible with the IBM PC Convertible?
>
> 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 |
>+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
>
In a message dated 98-09-01 11:54:05 EDT, you write:
<< Is PCjr stuff compatible with the IBM PC Convertible?
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer >>
no. totally incompatible.
At 04:26 PM 8/31/98 -0700, Sam Ismail wrote:
>On Mon, 31 Aug 1998, John Foust wrote:
>
>> WinNT is quite stable. I've been running it for years - since 3.0,
>> I think, under heavy daily software development.
>
>Use Linux instead. Its far less picky about its hardware (and a whole
>lot more stable too, not to mention just a better OS).
Yeah, then there's that really big market of Linux users who love to
pay for software.
I use Linux alot, but not for running Microsoft products or Windows code.
All my firewalls and source code servers are Linux. The SGI version
of my product easily recompiles and runs under Linux and X Window.
We used it occasionally to use Checker and Electric Fence for debugging.
I've got hundreds of unsold CDs of a Linux-based 3D product in the
basement, left over from when my company was acquired. I'll gladly
send a CD of it for free to anyone in the world who wants to send me
a piece of old computer junk or software in trade. See my web page
to see what I like.
(See a description of Megahedron
at http://www.threedee.com/mhedron/mhedron.htm>,
and download a free, fully functional demo for Win95/NT x86 and AXP,
Linux and SGI IRIX from <http://www.threedee.com/demos/demos.html>.)
Frankly, Linux doesn't fit under the ten-year-rule. We'll need to
wait until 2003 for that. Sure, it might run on old PCs, though.
- John
Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>
The post about the Shugart HD's reminded me of something. I'm also looking
for a hard drive and external disk boxes for a TRS-80 Model III. I'm not
sure if the HD's needed to be special for the III (never had a HD for it),
but I had model 1 disk drives on it, and they were working. So any model
disk box should be O.K.
ThAnX in advance,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Guys:
I just snarfed some PC-jr modules:
2 - 128k Ram expansion
1 - Parallel printer module
1 - Speech Module
I cut open the speech and printer modules, and they seem to be
in pretty good shape, although I don't know if any of this
stuff actually works.
If this is of any value to anyone, I'll offer it for trade for
something interesting (I collect mostly Motorola related stuff),
or some reasonable $$.
PLease reply via private e-mail.
Thanx,
Jeff