- test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org - classiccmp.org

by pb0aia＠iaehv.nl

On 1998-07-10 Chris said: cl>I recall seeing mentioned somewhere a URL from Finland that has cl>info and archives for MicroVAXen. Anybody know of that and could cl>pass the URL on to me (and the list)? Please take a look ar http://vaxarchive.ml.org, a site I am building to be filled with VAX (and maybe PDP) info. Some data and a lot of links are already there. Kees -- Kees Stravers - Geldrop, The Netherlands - pb0aia at amsat dot org Sysadmin and DEC PDP/VAX preservationist - http://vaxarchive.ml.org Net-Tamer V 1.08.1 - Registered

28 years, 1 month

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Some things seen

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

It just looked odd. It was like a regular PC case but smaller. It was two shallow plastic tubs. At front, all there was was two 1/2 height 5.25" drives. The whole thing was about as tall as 1 full height. In the back, it had the standard MB connectors (RS-232, Parallel), composite RF, and a 9-pin video (I don't recall what type). It had one horizontal expansion slot with the little cover missing. I peeked inside but couldn't see the ISA connector. >Could you elaborate on "peculiar" (and what is a Heathkit kit XT?). I >have a peculiar-looking plastic computer from Heathkit called the ET-3400, >but it couldn't possibly be confused with an XT. > >-- Doug > > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

Ethan, The z80 believe it or not is still in production and has to be one of the most common 8 bitters along with the 6502. It also has one of the bigger resources for tools, code, and knowledge around. < I gave away a couple of 68K S100 boxes to a friend a couple of years ago. < Since then, I've gotten that Z80 Starter Kit with the S100 connectors. Wh < sorts of boards might I be able to find for which there is Z80 code? Coul Unlike PCs the z80 world doesn't really revolve so closely around boards or one vendors word of how the OS is implemented. So... it sorta makes the question open ended. < I find/build a floppy controller and get some sort of CP/M BIOS ROM and < turn it into a CP/M machine? I guess I'd need a serial port for a console Getting a bios rom would be near impossible, as most cpm systems did not do rom bios like PCs do! The bios was loaded at boot time. the loader was a minimal chunk of code (as small or smller than 128 bytes) that loaded the bios which then loaded the rest of the OS. That made the bios very changable as the users discression. Writing your own bios and putting it an eprom(or EEprom) is very doable. The book you need (or the chapter in) is the CP/M alteration guide. that can be found at the site listed. Finding more boards (assuming S100) is also not that hard. there are people here that can help right here on classiccmp. One development platform is to get MYZ80(it's on the web at the SIMTEL site) a z80 and CP/M emulator that runs on 386 or higher dos(or win 3.x, maybe w95) platforms. With that on your PC you can surf the web for tools and apps needed to run languages, assemblers, debuggers and what have you to develop code. < at least a 5.25" controller, and BIOS source (with a cross assembler). Any disk size/format you may want is doable from old single density 8" to IDE or SCSI. You might find hardware for any or all, but 5.25/8" was common. FYI: if your writing the code, most 8" double density controllers with 765 or the more commonly used in that time frame WD179x can also do 3.5" formats. < Anything else? Is 32K reasonable for CP/M, or should I go for 48K? The For CP/M 32 is the minimum to do useful work even though you can run the assembler and debuggers in 20k. A good system is 48 or better 56k with some setup to switch out the eprom to get access to all 64k. < only copy I happen to have, BTW, is an original CP/M distribution disk < for the Commodore 128. Will that be adequate, or should I dig for somethi < more generic? The C128 is furthest from generic IMHO, but if you have a c128 it's a good place to start as a development platform. FYI with notable exceptions CPM (primary componenets are CCP, BDOS and BIOS) is generic for all 8080/8085 and z80 system and only the bios code is different as that's where all the IO work is done for terminals and disks. There is a CP/M website on the net where you can get binaries or even sources as well as manuals. I'd look here if I were you: Visit the "Unofficial" CP/M Web site. MAIN SITE AT : http://cdl.uta.edu/cpm MIRROR AT : http://www.mathcs.emory.edu/~cfs/cpm Applications, look at the FTP site at OAKLAND.EDU and SIMTEL, I'd guess there are 20-30,000 programs out there and most with sources. Good luck, Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

$>Set mode/device=tongue/position=incheek < I'm desperately searching for an IMSAI 8080. I know you have all < probably heard this before but does anyone know where I should start. < I'm going to the MIT Swapfest this month and hoping to get lucky but Desperate? I know people desperate for heart transplants or hardware to keep their old maching going because it runs their business but, really! ;-) Done forget there are loads of other S100 hardware looing for homes and also noteworthy! Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Some things seen

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Today, I saw a peculiar-looking all-plastic computer that was labelled "Heath Computer Systems". Is this the Heathkit kit XT? ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Oh, boy. What a haul!

by IVIE＠cc.usu.edu

> 3. Odd DEC single-board computer. 10" x 7" labeled DEC 54-16489, Has two > 84-pin PLCC chips > with the LSI LIA 0433 and 0434 marks. Has a DB25, DB15, and DB9. > Recognizable chips > include 8051, FD1796, CDP 6402 (RCA), and D7201C (NEC) Can anyone > identify this? Offhand, it sounds like a DECmate, probably a III. Roger Ivie ivie(a)cc.usu.edu

28 years, 1 month

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Oh, boy. What a haul!

by Anthony.Dellett＠Staples.com

What are the chances of getting one of the sets of 11/34 docs? I got one of these and a set of docs would just rock! Thanks Tony > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard A. Cini, Jr. [mailto:rcini@email.msn.com] > Sent: Friday, July 10, 1998 1:21 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Oh, boy. What a haul! > > > Hello, all: > > I made another trip to Temple University yesterday to > rummage through > their storehouse of old computers and documentation. I hate > to post a list, > but I don't have a working web site yet, and I want everyone > to know what I > have in case someone needs something. > > Here it goes... > > 1. Mac Portable (no HD, bad batteries) > 2. Many Unibus and Q-Bus boards > 3. Odd DEC single-board computer. 10" x 7" labeled DEC > 54-16489, Has two > 84-pin PLCC chips > with the LSI LIA 0433 and 0434 marks. Has a DB25, > DB15, and DB9. > Recognizable chips > include 8051, FD1796, CDP 6402 (RCA), and D7201C > (NEC) Can anyone > identify this? > 4. Three Motorola 68K educational computers. Has 32k RAM, > 68K, 6850, > 14411 chips and a > proto area. Also has two EPROMs. Any guess? > 5. Three KIM-1s!! (There are one or two more left, too). Two are > MOS-labeled, one is *brand new* from > Conversational Voice Terminal Corp. of Chicago. Need > data on this > one. The MOS-labeled ones > have 1976-dated ceramic chips. > 6. A S-100 backplane from Forethought Products. Has 8 > slots, some glue > and regulator chips. > 7. Lots of documentation. A sampling... > -- Intel: MCS80/85 User Guide (1983), Memory Handbook > (83), Embedded > Controller Book (88), Component Data Book (80; looks to be > full-line), OEM > Boards (87), 8080/85 Assembly Language Programming Manual, > Applications > Note --implementing a floppy system (1981). > -- DEC: Logic handbook (77), Microcomputer > Microprocessors (78) > -- Motorola: MC68020 User Man., MEK6800 Guide, 6809 Assembly > Language, 6800 Pgmr. Ref. Manual. > -- Full documentation set for the Rockwell AIM-65 > computer (user > guide, BASIC language, Programmers Manual, Hardware Manual, > Monitor Program > Listing). > -- Textbooks on microprocessors by Tocci & Laskowski, > and Camp, Smay > & Triska > 8. Old magazines. The guy who ran the CS department before > the guy I know > saved everything. Byte's going back to 1978 (too many to get > this trip), > Datamation, others that I never heard of. But, the jewel is > that I came > *this* close to getting the Altair issue of Popular Electronics. > Unfortulately, this guy only had as far back as 1/76. > Articles include: > Cosmal Elf construction articles, SOL construction, build a Scientific > Calculator, music with the 8080, TV Typewriter, SpeechLab, > Computer Club > listings, a personal microwave communications system, various > Classic-relevant product reviews and buyer's guides. > 9. DEC paper tapes: PDP-11 power fail, LPS11 tests, > General Test Program, > RK05 dynamic test, RK11 utilities, exerciser, static tests. > 10. Complete print sets for the following: PDP 11/34A (two copies, > complete), FP11, H960 cabinet, KSI-11, DLV-11, DL-11, H9720, > ET-LSI-11, > LSI-11 power supply, MS11, PC11, LPS11, MR11, M873, KD11F, > RK05 (regular, F, > and J). > > My plan is to scan the articles, and have an on-line > database hanging > off of a web site. I also want to implement a bar code system for my > goodies. That'll take a while, though. > > Anyway, thanks for the bandwidth. > > Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> > - ClubWin! Charter Member > - MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking > - Preserver of "classic" computers > <<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>> > > >

28 years, 1 month

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VM/SP

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> The question is, what was VM/SP? I know it was IBMs, and it ran on large > mainframes. Where can I find information about it? The only info I can find is in a couple of glossy brochures from IBM. One is about the 9370, the other about the 3090 series. Respectively, IBM Virtual Machine/System Product (VM/SP) This is a multi-user, multi-processing operating system for interactive processing. It provides productivity tools for commercial and engineering/scientific environments, decision support and program development. With its connectivity enhancements, this system is particularly suited for remote sites that have little or no programming staff. and Simple end-user interaction with VM The VM/XA Systems Facility and the VM/SP High Performance Option both provide a virtual machine environment. Together with the Conversational Monitor System (CMS), they permit each end-user to access the IBM 3090 system independently, with the perception that he or she is the sole user. Communicating with the IBM 3090 via VM/CMS, Vector Vacility users can develop, test and execute vectorised applications online, using a comprehensive range of IBM Assembler and FORTRAN compilers, libraries and productivity tools. VM also provides guest System Control Program (SCP) support, not only for other IBM SCPs but also for IX/370, IBM's implementation of UNIX. Sorry I can't be of further help. Philip.

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for...

by Anthony.Dellett＠Staples.com

Oh, I'd really love to get my hands on some old Cromemco and Northstar equipment too but the IMSAI is like a labor of love :) Tony > -----Original Message----- > From: allisonp(a)world.std.com [mailto:allisonp@world.std.com] > Sent: Friday, July 10, 1998 12:50 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Re: Looking for... > > > > $>Set mode/device=tongue/position=incheek > > < I'm desperately searching for an IMSAI 8080. I know you have all > < probably heard this before but does anyone know where I > should start. > < I'm going to the MIT Swapfest this month and hoping to get lucky but > > Desperate? I know people desperate for heart transplants or hardware > to keep their old maching going because it runs their business but, > really! ;-) > > Done forget there are loads of other S100 hardware looing for > homes and > also noteworthy! > > > Allison >

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for...

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for...

by Anthony.Dellett＠Staples.com

I'm desperately searching for an IMSAI 8080. I know you have all probably heard this before but does anyone know where I should start. I'm going to the MIT Swapfest this month and hoping to get lucky but fear I will not. Help! Thanks, Tony Dellett anthony.dellett(a)staples.com

28 years, 1 month

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PDP-11 info needed.

by cfandt＠servtech.com

Last night I poked a little around the RA60 and the 11/34A that I want to keep. I saw a cable ass'y attached to the RA60 which had two black cables (about 7/8"wide x 3/8" thick) and relatively small plastic 8-pin connector recepticles within a comparatively hefty backshell. Inside the 11/34A cabinet there were a group of four of the same small mating connectors which had four flat, red cables running from that group into a Unibus board in the the BA11 (forgot module number). A 12-foot long cable with two 8-pin plastic connectors each within a large backshell was laying inside the 11/34A box. I extrapulate from a couple of other private msgs that this is probably the UDA50 interface. True? Please tell me about this disk I/F. Any FAQ on it somewhere? Also, I would like to find the same tech info or descriptions on the MSCP interface which I understand the RL01s and RL02s have. Can anyone give me any info on the TS03 tape unit? It is the only one I can keep so I plan to lash it up to the 11/34A or maybe the 11/730 if I indeed keep that (or both by swapping cables?) Looks like a J-11 chip on the CPU board in an 11/23 chassis that was buried in the pile (darn little thing was so small compared to the 5000+ pounds of other boxen that I forgot to mention it in my first msg.) That's basically an 11/73 isn't it? More questions to come..... Thanks so far, Chris -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/

28 years, 1 month

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New Acquisitions, H8 Question

by cgregory＠lrbcg.com

>1 - Heathkit H?? (like the Z89) No doubt an H88. Generally there will be a Heathkit sticker on the back with the model number. The Heathkit 88 and Zenith 89 are virtually the same machine with differing name plates. >there are two cards marked H8-4 >and H8-5. The H8-4 is a multi I/O card, and I have no idea what the H8-5 >is yet except that it has what appear to be audio cables coming from the >card. The H8-5 is a serial I/O and cassette interface card. I have the complete documentation including the assembly instructions. From the Introduction: "Your Heathkit Model H8-5 Serial I/O and Cassette Interface Card provides you with two input/output ports to the Heath H8 Computer. One port provides a cassette tape interface while the other port provides a serial I/O port.... The Cassette tape interface, along with the H8 front panel monitor, provides you with a fully automated Load and Dunp facility. This greatly increases the system's usefulness by enabling you to store programs and data for later use. The interface will automatically compensate for variations in tape speed and will accept a wide range of input levels. Both high and low level outputs are provided to match any tape unit you wish to use.... The serial I/O port normally operates with the system console. It provides serial communications at speeds from 110 to 9600 Baud at either 20 mA or RS-232 compatible levels...." >1 - Heathkit Dual Floppy >1 - Heathkit H-8 w/ H17 dual Floppy Drive I you ever wish to part with either, let me know. Cliff Gregory cgregory(a)lrbcg.com

28 years, 1 month

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Wang Thang

by ds_spenc＠alcor.concordia.ca

On Fri, 3 Jul 1998 blindpete(a)stratos.net wrote: > Hi > > Yes a reality, and a nic name I got from some friends. Then congrats on the Wang repair! Loss of eyesight is probably my greatest fear. > I used it mostly to write messages on from calls ect, I would leave it on > all day, and get some help later on some one would read it back to me so I > could braille it out. What did you do when there was a power failure? :) > The drive was ten MB and had Wang dos on it and the word prosser was also > on it. > The monotor was a Wang monotor, I don't know if they are still available. Unlikely. Which is one reason I'm so peeved at the Salvation Army store for tossing all of those old monitors and terminals. > This Wang I had was baught at a flee market, a fellow had 20 or 30 of them > he was selling complete for $25 about ten years ago. Sounds like a good deal! > A friend saw it and snagged one for me he knew I was interested in > computers, and thought it would make a interesting birthday present for me. > I sold it eventually because I couldn't het a sinthasiser that would work > in the card slots, they worent ISA or any thing like that, not sure what > they wore. Some proprietary Wang bus, I presume. It's got 86 pins, at 0.125" spacing. > Pete > Net-Tamer V 1.11 - Registered Doug Spence ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/

28 years, 1 month

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Intel bubble memory modules

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

Hi all, I went to a surplus store today and they had, I think, 2 Intel bubble memory modules, about 4 x 4 cm x 1cm thick. Would anyone like me to look at or buy them? They also had a Commodore 64, beige with dark keys, modified with 2 BNC jacks on the back. I could find no documentation that went with it. Their price was $10 USD. -Dave

28 years, 1 month

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Intel bubble memory modules

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

Hi Doug and all, At 03:32 AM 7/9/98 -0500, you wrote: >On Thu, 9 Jul 1998, dave dameron wrote: > >> I went to a surplus store today and they had, I think, 2 Intel bubble memory >> modules, about 4 x 4 cm x 1cm thick. Would anyone like me to look at or buy >> them? > >FWIW, one day I needed a new bubble. I tracked down the company (MemTech >at http://www.memtech.com/) that bought Intel Magnetics, and asked them >the price for a new 128K bubble. I think it was $300+. I'll take the >bubbles if they're under $5 each. > I went back, and could find only one! It was loose in a box of some small AC power socket modules, could not find anything that it came out of. The price was $4 +tax. It is an Intel Magnetics 7110-1 with a date code (I guess) of 8204. There is a string of 80 Hex characters printed on it, mostly "F", a 320 bit error map of some kind? I will let you know if I find any more. I plan to go back to look more anyway, there also appeared to be a cabinet with a 8 inch floppy drive in it (horizontal). I couldn't really get at it to examine it closely. (There was a bunch of bad UPS's around and on top of it). -Dave

28 years, 1 month

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Commodore 64, was Intel bubble memory modules

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

At 06:50 AM 7/9/98 PDT, you wrote: > >Interesting, I would guess that's for video, not ethernet though. Was it >the thick one with the round old-style led or the 'c' thin model? >The reason why I ask is that I wonder what they could have fit inside... > >>They also had a Commodore 64, beige with dark keys, modified with 2 BNC >>jacks on the back. I could find no documentation that went with it. >Their >>price was $10 USD. >>-Dave >>

28 years, 1 month

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PET 2001 corrections

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

> From: Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk > Subject: Re[2]: PET 2001 > >> Or is it 9"? I can't check mine because they are both locked in my > >> father's bedroom at this hour. > > > > 9". All the ones I've seen were 9". 9", 8" the Commodore ads said 9" display... But of course there is only about 8" showing... reminds me of that class-action monitor suit, (Our agency will make $9 for the three monitors it bought a few years back, in 2000, I still have the refund cards.) > I agree with Pete, not that it makes much difference. > >> Supposedly the 2001N and 2001B came with 12" screens, but I've never seen > >> one. > > No. Never. 12 inch screen on 4032 (or possibly 4016) and above only. the 12" models used the new video display chip (and newer motherboard w/speaker) for which only 4.0 BASIC was coded, only the 4000 series. [snip] > First PETS: 2001-4 and 2001-8 (also called 4k PET and 8k PET). Blue trim, > blue-white phosphor, mangled and rebadged cassette (I can't remember whose) > that you open by lifting the lid. they were SANYO decks, no tape eject button, you had to lift the lid, I have two (one in the PET and one external!) > > Then: 2001-4 and 2001-8 get Black trim and C2N cassette deck Black C2N, custom case, no counter. Nice looking deck too, I called that design the 'brick' datasettes, the later cream 'brick' added a counter but they wern't as reliable as the black ones. The best are the (VIC/64 era) low-profile 1530s. Nice units! > > Then: Green screen. > > Next was the ROM upgrade. Usual models were 2001-8N, 2001-16N, 2001-32N, > 2001-8B, 2001-16B and 2001-32B. These had full-sized keyboards and external > C2N decks. In the UK, 2001-8N with tiny keyboard and built in C2N was > common. This was not a new motherboard in an old case - the case was a > different shape (slightly less tall). Larry has suggested that these might > be the 2001-8K, K standing for Calculator (-style keyboard) (sic). I got the 2001-8K from my Spring 1980 Commdoore Product Catalog, listed were: PET 2001-8K Integeral cassette, upgrade (they list as 3.0) ROMs PET 2001 Professional Computer (these were the N series, 8N, 16N, and 32N) graphics full-sized keyboard. CBM 2001 Business Computer (non-graphics keyboard, Upgade ROMs, etc.) listed as 16B and 32B CBM 8000 Business Computer (Available June 1980) 80 columns, 4.0 ROMs listed as 8016 and 8032 [snip] > >> PET 2001NT Teacher's PET. Same as 2001N, just rebadged > > I've never heard of 2001NT. [snip] > > > Mine is just labeled "PET 2001-8K" I think, with no 'N' or 'B' anywhere, > > but mine has a 9" screen and a full-size keyboard with graphics symbols. > > Strange. Full size keyboard with graphics symbols should be 2001-8N Commodore was not a wasteful company (at least in the beginning,) maybe they used an older label?? I would not put it past em. > > cassette-beside-the-keyboard. I've got one here. And the /B and /N series > > were called 3000's not 2001 everywhere except the USA. The 12" versions > > Are you sure? I thought the 2001-8N and 2001-8B got renamed 3008 a bit > later. Never saw a 3000 in my neck of the woods, though I did see pictures (like in the PET Personal Computer Guide, etc.) I think they were more abundant in Canada and the UK. > > > didn't appear in the UK until later. According to my (USA) manual, the > > 2001/B (aka 3000 here) was a 9" screen too. IIRC, the 4000 was the first > > with a 12" screen, [bzzz] Read above, the 8000 was the first 12" model. > > The 12" screen version was > > eventually called the 8000 series here, and had different firmware (and > > up to 96K RAM I think, bank-switched). The difference between a 4000 and an 8000 is an extra k of screen RAM and the video startup code in one of the ROM chips. The 64k expansion board came later and was fully integrated lastly in the 8296 (mainly european release) > Um. The first with the 12 inch screen was the 8032. Different firmware > and re-done video circuitry. Later some of that was put into 4032, > making the "fat 40" Bank switched RAM made an 8096... > > > One of the differences between the business and home versions (apart from > > graphics symbols on the keytops) was whether the machine powered up in > > upper- or lower-case. > > Was it? That's weird! Yep, darned annoying if you like the graphics symbols. The 4000/8000 series also extended the line height by a pixel or two (thanks to the new VDC) which left a gap between lines, can be gotten around by printing CHR$(142) -uppercase, no gaps- and then poking 59468,14 -set back to lower case-. It was a routine in the screen printing code doing it. I think three or four graphics symbols were readily unavailable, (you would have had to print them out with CHR$()s and then build your program lines around them) two of which I really liked to use, that PET (at school) did't get used much by me... (=P) > Take a couple of steps back and get a wider view: > > PET had two internal character codes. [clip alot of tech stuff] > > And that was the second problem. Later PETS swapped lower and upper > case letters. So now ASCII codes 65 and up, which still mapped onto > screen codes 1 and up, gave LOWER case letters, but you pressed SHIFT > for upper case. However the OS and BASIC (one and the same, really) > treated unshifted as letters, and shifted as meaningless graphics > characters, whichever mode you were in. > > Confused? It is, isn't it! One of the Original to Upgrade ROM fixes... You knew the programmer had an old ROM PET when the case in their text was inverted. > > >> ROMs (which I think came out in 1979?) fix both of those things. > > About then. The monitor - hex only - replaced diagnostic routines in > the original ROMs. A listing was actually given in the original PET > manual, but I couldn't get it to work whenever I typed it in... I have it on a Commodore tape and the diagnostic tape too! > > >> I don't have a machine with BASIC 4.0, so I don't know how that starts > > It says "COMMODORE BASIC 4.0" but I can't remember whether between *** or > ###. > *** COMMODORE BASIC *** Original ROM ### COMMODORE BASIC ### Upgrade ROM *** COMMODORE BASIC 4.0 *** 4.0 ROMs > >> Upgrade ROM machines also have a Microsoft easter egg in them > >> whcih is missing from the original ROMs.) > > Indeed. Type WAIT 6502,100 and you get a screen full of MICROSOFT! > > There was a very-short-lived BASIC-2, and BASIC-3 (more-or-less the upgrade > > ROM set) was around for a while before 4. 4 has extra commands for the > > disk, instead of having to use the generic IEEE channel commands, but > > otherwise it's almost the same as 3. Short lived?? - it seemed to be around for a few years to me... > I have heard all sorts of numbering schemes for BASIC versions. The > only thing they agree on is 4. AFAIK, the BASIC in 3008 and friends was > identical to the upgrade ROMs that went in original PETs. I go by Original, Upgrade, small screen 4.0, and large screen 4.0, and 80 column 4.0. There were enough differences in the small and large screen 4.0 ROMs to keep some 4.0 games from working on large screen PETs. > > > Only the original ROMs start up with ***; all of the later ones used ###. > > That clears up my mystery above. Thank you. [bzzzz] *** were used in 4.0 too, but at least they did add 4.0 to the message. > > >> It might also be important to mention that the PET has a timer that > >> operates in real time. And it has the same character set(s) as the VIC-20 except for the british pound symbol which replaced the PET's back-slash (\) > >> and C64 the 64 set was 'pudgyier' to reduce video artifacting on TVs but you can't switch between the upper/lower-case text character > >> set and the upper-case/graphics set without issuing a POKE command. (Was > >> it 49512,12 and 49512,14? My memory is rusty.) > > Hope this clears up some misconceptions. and that is why I made the PET FAQ! ;) -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363 Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga Software.

by lfb107＠psu.edu

>and doesn't intend to (Workbench is still in development and 5.0 is >coming up) What happened to 4.0? Les

28 years, 1 month

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PET 2001

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

>> About then. The monitor - hex only - replaced diagnostic routines in >> the original ROMs. A listing was actually given in the original PET >> manual, but I couldn't get it to work whenever I typed it in... > > Don't thoes diagnostics need loopback connectors for the user port (links > things like video signals to the user port pins) and the keyboard > connector? They do indeed. I have a set somewhere. I was given them by another PET owner who had bought them but never used them, being afraid he'd damage the machine by so doing. I don't recall anything in the PET circuit diagrams etc that suggested you could damage the PET with these, but then again... Philip.

28 years, 1 month

2
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old AOL disks

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 05:15 PM 6/29/98 -0700, Sam Ismail wrote: >> >> > Didn't AOL get its start by being bundled with PC-GEOS? > >As far as I know, AOL used to be called AppleLink, which was an Apple >online service. I don't remember if it mutated into AOL, but there once was a service called QuantumLink that sold branded network services such as AppleLink and AmigaLink and probably a few more "Links". - John

28 years, 1 month

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Hey, English blokes...what's an Apricot?

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 04:09 PM 7/5/98 -0700, you wrote: >Ok, so I picked up an Apricot today for one whole dollar. I can't make >out any model number anywhere on the unit. All I got was the main unit. Check out <http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/4462/apricot.html> which is "ACT Apricot computers" according to my bookmark file. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

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Intel bubble memory modules

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Interesting, I would guess that's for video, not ethernet though. Was it the thick one with the round old-style led or the 'c' thin model? The reason why I ask is that I wonder what they could have fit inside... >They also had a Commodore 64, beige with dark keys, modified with 2 BNC >jacks on the back. I could find no documentation that went with it. Their >price was $10 USD. >-Dave > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Kaypro10 manuals needed

by bsittler＠nmt.edu

First, get a book on CP/M (the operating system used by the Kaypro 10.) If you need more detailed technical information or have trouble finding a CP/M reference, send me e-mail. Essentially, the Kaypro10 is a 4MHz Z-80 based CP/M machine with a 400Kb floppy and a hard disk (I think.) It was often used for word processing, usually with MicroPro's WordStar. It has a *slow* modem, a serial port, and a parallel port. I'm working on compiling some information on the Kaypro so it can be emulated; once I do this, emulators may serve as "active documentation" for this fine but somewhat obsolete line of computers.

28 years, 1 month

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old AOL disks

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 02:55 AM 7/9/98 -0400, Doug Spence wrote: > >This just found in COMPUTE!'s Gazette magazine, March 1986, p.26: > >"Several months ago Commodore agreed to lend exclusive marketing support >to a new online service, QuantumLink, which would be designed solely for >Commodore owners. [...] says Steve Case, Quantum's vice president of >marketing. Wow, that's the guy. I didn't realize the link between QuantumLink and AOL. What I do remember is that their services were incredibly lame in terms of user interface, speed, national network, etc. compared to Compuserve. For a while, Commodore shifted at least its developer support to BIX, Byte's online service. A quick jump to www.bix.com shows it's still alive, run by Delphi. Hunt around in those issues from '87 to '90 or so, especially Compute's Amiga magazine or coverage, and you'll find articles I wrote. For a while, I had a by-lined monthly column there, with my picture and everything. When it first appeared, my fans were shocked to learn I was such a young guy. They thought I was an old portly man with a beard. - John

28 years, 1 month

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VB4DOS

by 0513307＠ptfe30.hro.nl

Hello, i am Michel Smit, I'm a VB5.0 programmer. Once there was a VB4DOS if i'm right. You should have a copy of it. Is it possible for me to recieve a copy of VB4DOS? My ICQ UIN: 3233370 My email: michel.smit(a)unforgettable.com Thanx already, Michel Smit. P.S. I have lots of software to trade with.

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga Software, cont'd.

by poesie＠geocities.com

OK- another quick question- what model(s) of Amigas would this be used on? also, if I can get a hold of one or some, would it be worth it? -Eric From: Captain Napalm <spc(a)armigeron.com> > The Kickstart disks are essencially the first stage boot disks and load >the basic OS into memory. Later Amigas had most of this OS stored in ROMs >and the need for Kickstart disks went away. The Workbench disk is, for lack >of a better term, the desktop program (something like the Finder under >MacOS, or Explorer under Windows 9x).

28 years, 1 month

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PDP-11 info needed.

by mbg＠world.std.com

>Last night I poked a little around the RA60 and the 11/34A that I want to >keep. I saw a cable ass'y attached to the RA60 which had two black cables >(about 7/8"wide x 3/8" thick) and relatively small plastic 8-pin >connector recepticles within a comparatively hefty backshell. Inside the >11/34A cabinet there were a group of four of the same small mating >connectors which had four flat, red cables running from that group into a >Unibus board in the the BA11 (forgot module number). A 12-foot long cable >with two 8-pin plastic connectors each within a large backshell was >laying inside the 11/34A box. I extrapulate from a couple of other >private msgs that this is probably the UDA50 interface. True? Sounds good to me... >Please tell me about this disk I/F. Any FAQ on it somewhere? RA60 is a removable disk, part of the RA series of MSCP (mas storage communications protocol) disks... MSCP is a Digital proprietary protocol, but if you check the uncommented source for the DU handler on RT-11, you'll find lots of info on how to program it (or at least you'll have a chance to figure it out -- it's uncommented) Other members of the family are the RA8x series and the RA9x series... >Also, I would like to find the same tech info or descriptions on the MSCP >interface which I understand the RL01s and RL02s have. MSCP was used for many disks put out by Digital, but not the RL01 or RL02... these disks are smarter than an RK05, but still required programming at the cylinder/head/etc level instead of abstract objects like blocks... >Looks like a J-11 chip on the CPU board in an 11/23 chassis that was >buried in the pile (darn little thing was so small compared to the 5000+ >pounds of other boxen that I forgot to mention it in my first msg.) >That's basically an 11/73 isn't it? You don't mean an '11/23' chassis... it may be a BA23, or a BA123 (or a BA-11). If you have a J-11 chip on a board, we'll need to know more about the board. Is it dual high? (KDJ11-A -- 11/73A). Is it quad high? (KDJ11-B -- 11/73B or 11/83, KDJ11-D -- 11/53, or KDJ11-E -- 11/93). Is there memory on the board? (KDJ11-D or KDJ11-E) Is there a space for a 40-pin chip? (FP chip, KDJ11-A and KDJ11-B) etc. Then again, you could tell us the M-number and we could tell you what it is... :-) Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com | | Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com | | Digital Equipment Corporation | | | 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 | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga Software.

by poesie＠geocities.com

I ran across a box of 300 disks that were used on a classroom of Amigas (for an art school.) there's alot of unlabeled stuff, but also cryptic things like "TV/Text" etc. also, 4 disks that are as follows: Amiga Workbench v1.2 Amiga Kickstart v1.1 Amiga Extras / Amiga BasiC v1.2 Amiga Kickstart v1.2 can someone give me an idea as to what these are? especially the TV/text program. if anyone is interested, i could create disk images of these and dump them someplace on the web. -Eric

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for VAX FAQs

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< > It may be repairable, but it's still dirt slow. We used to use ours to < < I thought this was classiccmp, and not high-speed-VAX-list :-). It was slow! However people liked them as a machine could be fitted to one 40" rack maybe two and run forever in a closet. That and the VAX archetectures ability to stand heavy loads and slow down gracefully made them good workhorse machines for many tasks. it upside was it used unibus perpherals, compact, ran under 10a@120V and was generally a 24x7x365 machine. For a lot of people they are nice as they get you a "real iron" vax and still fit it in a room. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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PDP-11 info needed.

by allisonp＠world.std.com

At 00:26 08-07-98 +0100, ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote: < On another subject, in several of the PDP machines here there's an M7856 < module (the DL11-W option) designated as "SLU and realtime clock". What < exactly does SLU mean in this case? Serial Line Unit? Correct SLU= serial line unit and a DLxxxx is a standard serial interface for PDP-11 software. < "CONSOLE". It does have a cable running from the module connector out to < 25pin "D" connector bolted to the back of the cabinet which in turn has a < ten or 15-foot cable attached. Yep, serial console usually a printing console (la120) as printed logs go to console for some OSs (rsts and RSX-11) < There are a group of 16 D25 connectors on the back panel of the machine < (cabled to the two M7819's) obviously for the user terminals. Unlike the Yes, user serial lines one per. < IBM 9370 and HP 250/30 machines I have, on which the operator's console i < attached to one of the corresponding group of user terminal connectors, i < seems there typically is a separate serial console connector for the DEC < world just for the system operator. Is my thinking correct here? The system console is a unique device and all (rare exceptions) pdp11 systems expect it and its address and interrupt will always be the same. < The second M7856, what could that be for? The cable attached to that othe < M7856 has a connector on the other end with, IIRC, 6 or 7 pins inside a < flat, white nylon shell. Length of the cable is about three or four feet. < The nylon shell end connects to nothing that I can see anywhere. another serial line with a current loop (20ma) for some terminal or printer. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for VAX FAQs

by cfandt＠servtech.com

Hi folks, Still busy rummaging through the truckload of PDPs and VAXen and peripherals and manuals, etc. I'm looking for any info sources to learn more about a VAX 11/730. FAQs are what I need. Web searches using Metacrawler and DejaNews yield rather meager results. Sites like the excellent PDP site: ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/ are what I really would like to find. I know I have probably found a good home for the 11/750 but I am considering keeping the 730. First I need to do a heap of studying to check the completeness of the box and to more fully understand what peripherals and accessories I that should keep (which are already setting in the garage) or to search for. Could any of you folks help point me in the proper directions? Thanks for all your help and support so far. --Chris -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for VAX FAQs

by mbg＠world.std.com

>On Wed, 8 Jul 1998, J. Buck Caldwell wrote: > Ethan Dicks wrote: >[...] >> >> > It will also run Ultrix (BSD UNIX). I recommend an old version, say, >> >1.1. >> >> Um... Ultrix is NOT BSD Unix. You may only have been saying that >>they're similar, however.... > >It is almost completely 4.2 BSD with some exceptions. And those exceptions are the 4.3BSD code which was ported... :-) Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com | | Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com | | Digital Equipment Corporation | | | 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 | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga Software.

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Workbench is the Amiga Graphical Operating System, the synonym of Windows on a PC or Finder on a Mac. Kickstart is a low-level piece of software, that could be on ROM or floppy. I'm sure you can guess what Amiga BasiC is. I don't know about TV/Text. Were there any books? BTW, don't put them on the web, the copyrights still hold. I mean, go ahead if you want to, but Amiga has not made the stuff PD and doesn't intend to (Workbench is still in development and 5.0 is coming up) > I ran across a box of 300 disks that were used on a classroom of Amigas >(for an art school.) there's alot of unlabeled stuff, but also cryptic >things like "TV/Text" etc. also, 4 disks that are as follows: > >Amiga Workbench v1.2 >Amiga Kickstart v1.1 >Amiga Extras / Amiga BasiC v1.2 >Amiga Kickstart v1.2 > >can someone give me an idea as to what these are? especially the TV/text >program. if anyone is interested, i could create disk images of these and >dump them someplace on the web. > >-Eric > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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VM/SP

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

This started as a joke, but turned into something interesting. Someone posted on alt.os.multics about setting a UNIX to pop up the VM/SP logo from /etc/issue. I did one better and crocked up a way to make UNIX actually act like VM/SP at the logon (Mutilated copy of telnetd and a new login program). The question is, what was VM/SP? I know it was IBMs, and it ran on large mainframes. Where can I find information about it? Oh, if you want to see the results of my screwing around (And my first hackery in C that ever worked!) telnet at ubani.umtec.com. -------

28 years, 1 month

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PET 2001

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

Right. Lets hope my mail software (Lotus Cack-Mail) doesn't crash just as I get near the end of this reply, as it did last time. First, all concerned should glance at Larry A's PET faq, the address of which he posted a few messages ago. Pete Turnbull wrote: > On Jul 7, 6:29, Doug Spence wrote: >> On Mon, 6 Jul 1998, Olminkhof wrote: >> > 8" screen >> >> Or is it 9"? I can't check mine because they are both locked in my >> father's bedroom at this hour. > > 9". All the ones I've seen were 9". I agree with Pete, not that it makes much difference. >> Supposedly the 2001N and 2001B came with 12" screens, but I've never seen >> one. No. Never. 12 inch screen on 4032 (or possibly 4016) and above only. >> I'm looking at an old copy (don't have a recent one on file) of Jim >> Brain's "Canonical List of Commodore Products" and notice that one of my >> PETs doesn't match any model on the list. From this list: >> >> PET 2001-4K 4kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Black Trim. >> PET 2001-8K 8kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen >> PET 2001-16K 16kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen >> PET 2001-32K 32kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen First PETS: 2001-4 and 2001-8 (also called 4k PET and 8k PET). Blue trim, blue-white phosphor, mangled and rebadged cassette (I can't remember whose) that you open by lifting the lid. Then: 2001-4 and 2001-8 get Black trim and C2N cassette deck Then: Green screen. Next was the ROM upgrade. Usual models were 2001-8N, 2001-16N, 2001-32N, 2001-8B, 2001-16B and 2001-32B. These had full-sized keyboards and external C2N decks. In the UK, 2001-8N with tiny keyboard and built in C2N was common. This was not a new motherboard in an old case - the case was a different shape (slightly less tall). Larry has suggested that these might be the 2001-8K, K standing for Calculator (-style keyboard) (sic). All of these had small screens. >> PET 2001B-8 8kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen >> PET 2001B-16 16kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen >> PET 2001B-32 32kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen >> PET 2001N-8 8kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys >> PET 2001N-16 16kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys >> PET 2001N-32 32kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, BASIC 4.0, Num. Keys. >> PET 2001NT Teacher's PET. Same as 2001N, just rebadged I've never heard of 2001NT. AFAIK, N = Non business keyboard. The top row of keys was !"#$%^&'() like the tiny keyboard machines - numbers were only on the number pad. B = Business keyboard. Top row of keys was 1234567890, shift gave you !"# etc. This meant you couldn't get some of the "graphics" characters that came from shift-! etc. Hence the reference to "Num. Keys" above. > Mine is just labeled "PET 2001-8K" I think, with no 'N' or 'B' anywhere, > but mine has a 9" screen and a full-size keyboard with graphics symbols. Strange. Full size keyboard with graphics symbols should be 2001-8N > I don't think Jim's list is quite correct. For a start, there were lots > of 2001 PETs with 9" screen and the graphics keyboard, without the Nor do I. All 2001 PETs had 9 inch screens. > cassette-beside-the-keyboard. I've got one here. And the /B and /N series > were called 3000's not 2001 everywhere except the USA. The 12" versions Are you sure? I thought the 2001-8N and 2001-8B got renamed 3008 a bit later. > didn't appear in the UK until later. According to my (USA) manual, the > 2001/B (aka 3000 here) was a 9" screen too. IIRC, the 4000 was the first > with a 12" screen, at least in the UK (USA might easily be different, of > course), and that's borne out by my manuals. The 12" screen version was > eventually called the 8000 series here, and had different firmware (and > up to 96K RAM I think, bank-switched). Um. The first with the 12 inch screen was the 8032. Different firmware and re-done video circuitry. Later some of that was put into 4032, making the "fat 40" Bank switched RAM made an 8096... > One of the differences between the business and home versions (apart from > graphics symbols on the keytops) was whether the machine powered up in > upper- or lower-case. Was it? That's weird! Even weirder, though, was the lower case implementation. Take a couple of steps back and get a wider view: PET had two internal character codes. Screen codes and "ASCII". Screen codes went from 0 to 127, and didn't include control codes; they then went from 128 to 255 in "reverse field" (inverse video). Bit 6 (the 64s bit) told you whether it was a shifted character or not. 0 to 31 were @, ABC...Z, [\], up arrow, left arrow. 32 to 63 were conventional ASCII. 64 to 127 were the graphics characters you got from shifting these. First problem - nowhere for lower case. PET, in translating ASCII (or PETSCII as it became known) into screen codes, didn't bother to implement lower case. First it checked for control codes (0 to 31 and 128 to 159) and then it ANDed the ASCII code with 63 and stuck it on the screen. Well, sort of. The ASCII codes for the shifted characters were displaced from the unshifted ones by 128 instead of 64. Now, lower case mode. Early PETs kept the bottom 128 ASCII codes exactly as they were. Lower case went in the top 128 - NOT where you'd conventionally put it (those who followed the algorithm above will have worked out that the conventional ASCII codes for lower case would display space, !"#$ etc.). Since lower case was implemented in the character generator only - an I/O pin went to an address line on the character ROM - you had to use SHIFT to get LOWER case. And that was the second problem. Later PETS swapped lower and upper case letters. So now ASCII codes 65 and up, which still mapped onto screen codes 1 and up, gave LOWER case letters, but you pressed SHIFT for upper case. However the OS and BASIC (one and the same, really) treated unshifted as letters, and shifted as meaningless graphics characters, whichever mode you were in. Confused? It is, isn't it! >> Note that at least the early PET 2001 machines came with a white display. >> I think some of the 'newer' ones came with green phosphor instead.(?) > > My 2001-8K is white phosphor. The full-size-keyboard ones were green. The common arrangement. But the colour change predated the ROM and Keyboard Size changes. Just. >> But there's a lot more to 'features' than outward appearance. The machine >> uses a 1.0MHz 6502. It has an 80-pin memory expansion port on the right >> side (the 40 pins on the top side are all ground). There's an external >> cassette interface at the back, for TAPE #2. > > On the later models, that's TAPE#1 and the TAPE#2 is an internal connector. > >> There's an IEEE-488 aka GPIB, HPIB >> interface on the back that was used for printers, disk drives, modems, and >> probably other stuff. There's a user port on the back which is similar to >> the user port on the VIC-20/C64. IEEE-488 to RS232 converters were very popular here, since PET had no serial port. Alternatively, software could be written to drive a pin on the user port serially. I know. I've done it. >> The original ROMs don't have a monitor or support a disk drive, but ugrade "Don't support a disk drive" is a euphemism for so many bugs you can't use it at all! >> ROMs (which I think came out in 1979?) fix both of those things. About then. The monitor - hex only - replaced diagnostic routines in the original ROMs. A listing was actually given in the original PET manual, but I couldn't get it to work whenever I typed it in... >> I don't have a machine with BASIC 4.0, so I don't know how that starts It says "COMMODORE BASIC 4.0" but I can't remember whether between *** or ###. >> up. Upgrade ROM machines also have a Microsoft easter egg in them >> whcih is missing from the original ROMs.) Indeed. Type WAIT 6502,100 > There was a very-short-lived BASIC-2, and BASIC-3 (more-or-less the upgrade > ROM set) was around for a while before 4. 4 has extra commands for the > disk, instead of having to use the generic IEEE channel commands, but > otherwise it's almost the same as 3. I have heard all sorts of numbering schemes for BASIC versions. The only thing they agree on is 4. AFAIK, the BASIC in 3008 and friends was identical to the upgrade ROMs that went in original PETs. > Only the original ROMs start up with ***; all of the later ones used ###. That clears up my mystery above. Thank you. >> It might also be important to mention that the PET has a timer that >> operates in real time. And it has the same character set(s) as the VIC-20 >> and C64, but you can't switch between the upper/lower-case text character >> set and the upper-case/graphics set without issuing a POKE command. (Was >> it 49512,12 and 49512,14? My memory is rusty.) > > All those POKEs are ROM-version-dependent. Wrong, I'm afraid. POKE 59468, 12 (UC/graphics) and POKE 59486,14 (LC) are INDEPENDENT of ROM version. On 8032/8096, 8296 and Fat 40 you can use PRINT CHR$(14) and PRINT CHR$(142) (CTRL-N and CTRL-SHIFT-N except that PET never had a control key) to change between the modes. These codes also change to wide line spacing in LC mode, which the pokes don't. Hope this clears up some misconceptions. Philip.

28 years, 1 month

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VM/SP

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> This started as a joke, but turned into something interesting. > Someone posted on alt.os.multics about setting a UNIX to pop up the VM/SP > logo from /etc/issue. I did one better and crocked up a way to make UNIX > actually act like VM/SP at the logon (Mutilated copy of telnetd and a new > login program). Fun! Now you need to write cmsh. > The question is, what was VM/SP? I know it was IBMs, and it ran on large > mainframes. Where can I find information about it? Virtual Machine System Product. I'll have a look thro' my IBM junk at home this evening, but I don't think I've got much on it. IBM draw boundaries in different places, but under VM operating system (CP, Control Program) usually ran CMS Conversational Monitor System - a bit like a shell, hence my pun above... The first scripting language for VM/CMS was CMS EXEC. I never used it but I understand it was awful. Later came EXEC2 - lots of & characters (I think - or were they % characters?) to identify names, or reserved words, or something. This was still the official scripting language when I encountered VM, but I, like everyone else, used REXX. This has exhausted my memory - I'm off home. Philip.

28 years, 1 month

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PET 2001

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jul 8, 19:01, Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk wrote: > I've never heard of 2001NT. I have, but I don't think I've seen one. Unless it's actually identical to another model :-) > AFAIK, N = Non business keyboard. The top row of keys was !"#$%^&'() > like the tiny keyboard machines - numbers were only on the number pad. > > B = Business keyboard. Top row of keys was 1234567890, shift gave you > !"# etc. This meant you couldn't get some of the "graphics" characters > that came from shift-! etc. That refreshes my memory. There's a POKE to get the graophics but the default is as described. > Nor do I. All 2001 PETs had 9 inch screens. That's what I thought, but I didn't want to be to dogmatic (just for a change :-)) > > cassette-beside-the-keyboard. I've got one here. And the /B and /N series > > were called 3000's not 2001 everywhere except the USA. The 12" versions > > Are you sure? I thought the 2001-8N and 2001-8B got renamed 3008 a bit > later. Not absolutely sure, but around that time the local authority was buying a lot of PETs and I never saw a 3000 less than 16K, and never saw a business-keyboard 2001. > > didn't appear in the UK until later. According to my (USA) manual, the > > 2001/B (aka 3000 here) was a 9" screen too. IIRC, the 4000 was the first > > with a 12" screen, at least in the UK (USA might easily be different, of > > course), and that's borne out by my manuals. The 12" screen version was > > eventually called the 8000 series here, and had different firmware (and > > up to 96K RAM I think, bank-switched). > > Um. The first with the 12 inch screen was the 8032. Different firmware > and re-done video circuitry. Later some of that was put into 4032, > making the "fat 40" Bank switched RAM made an 8096... Hmm, that does sound more likely. Come to think of it, the 8000 were the fiorst I saw with a 12" screen as well. > > One of the differences between the business and home versions (apart from > > graphics symbols on the keytops) was whether the machine powered up in > > upper- or lower-case. > > Was it? That's weird! Yes :-) > Even weirder, though, was the lower case implementation. [ snip ] > Confused? It is, isn't it! I remember it caused som amusement with non_PET printers. > IEEE-488 to RS232 converters were very popular here, since PET had no serial > port. Alternatively, software could be written to drive a pin on the user port > serially. I know. I've done it. I've done that too. And there were a few serial converters, as Philip says. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

1
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Amiga 2000

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Well, thank you, but here is a question that wasn't answered by the pinout: how do I double the frequency to 30hz, which is the lowest my monitor can do, according to the manual? >It would take less bandwidth to actually answer the question, so here you >are. > >1 XCLK* (External video clock) >2 XCLKEN* (External video clock enable) >3 Red (Analogue red video output) >4 Green >5 Blue >6 DI (Digital (TTL) intensity output) >7 DB (TTL blue output) >8 DG (TTL green) >9 DR (TTL Red) >10 CSync* (Composite sync) >11 HSync* (Horizontal sync) >12 VSync* (Vertical sync) >13 GNDRTN (Digital ground) >14 ZD* >15 C1* (Clock output) >16-20 Ground >21 -12V @ 50mA >22 +12V @ 100mA >23 +5V @ 100mA > >-tony > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

2
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FW: Auctioning Timex/Sinclair ZX-80,81 1000 w/RTTY&CW

by franke＠sbs.de

>>> Ahh, there goes my bid! >> This lot includes some real nice parts and collectiv >> parts .... and the bid already reached 76 USD. >> Shoud we start a bidding war ? :(( > Please don't, that's my bid! :) So, lets see how far I could push the price for you. 150 ? 200 ? ... :( H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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OS's In ROM's (was: Re: Mac Classic prob (was Macintoshes..

by tomowad＠earthlink.net

>Apart from the ST, which has already been mentioned : >BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, many older portables (Tandy 100, HP110, HP71 >and HP75 (almost), EPSON PX4 and PX8), there was a model of the Tandy >1000 with MS-DOS in ROM, one of the Torch machines had a CP/M a-like in >ROM, HP IPC, Tandy CoCo + disk controller (maybe this only counts as >Basic in ROM), and plenty more that I've forgotten about I belive Apple's Newtons have the OSes in ROM. They certainly do boot quickly and a chip swap is need to upgrade the OS. Tom Owad Sysop of Caesarville Online Client software at: <http://home.earthlink.net/~tomowad/>

28 years, 1 month

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PDP-11 info needed.

by mbg＠world.std.com

>Eh? While the command set of the UDA50 is MSCP, I wasn't aware that MSCP >command packets were sent to RA drives. I don't see why it would be >impossible to make an SDI controller that used some other command set. Sorry, I was talking at a different abstract level.. just like the RQZX1 talks MSCP on the host side, and SCSI on the disk side, the UDA50 talks MSCP on the host side... I've never worried about what it actually talks on the disk side... >IMHO the RL11 is dumber than the RK11. For one thing the RK11 supports >spiral reads/writes. And to move heads you load the disk address register >with the cylinder you want to go to, not the number of cylinders you want >to move. With the RL11 you've got to remember where you are. Not just that, but the driver is responsible for trying offsets from the center track in case a read fails... Back when we first added support for the RL01/02 to RT-11, it was explained to us that with the RL11, some of the smarts are moved out to each disk unit. This way the controller doesn't have to have all the smarts... supposedly more cost-effective (?!) Anyway, if you lose track of where you are, you have to reset to track zero and re-seek. There are several offsets (positive and negative) that the driver is supposed to try when it fails to read (and maybe write) a block. As already mentioned, the driver has to take care of track to track changes... which means that the driver has to take a user request and process it as multiple single-track operations until complete... Where the RK driver was simple, the RL driver was a PITA... and the convolutions in the MSCP handler are even more impressive... Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry(a)zk3.dec.com | | Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg(a)world.std.com | | Digital Equipment Corporation | | | 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 | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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ISC Intecolor 8051 Circa 1978

by Marty＠itgonline.com

I recently rescued an Intelligent Systems Corp. model 8051 Intecolor terminal/pc, s/n 5013 from the side of a road (there were several printers which first caught my eye, this unit has a wood grained plastic cover which first made me think it was an old window air conditioner as it was face down and covered with other junk). I saw this advertised in the February and December issues of Byte Magazine as a model 8001. The December 76 Byte ad states this is an intelligent terminal that can be upgraded to a personal computer by adding Basic and extra ram (this appears to have been upgraded). I had never seen one of these in person before and didn't realize how massive they are: 17" high by 19 1/2 " wide by 22" deep, weighing at least 50 pounds (although I haven't weighed it). The tube is a 19" color. There are 9 slots inside with a CPU/I/O/Keyboard board (Intel 8080A), memory, additional memory board, prom board (with Basic and others) plus a floppy controller. Ports (DB25) are J1 Modem, J2 Floppy Tape, J3 Keyboard, J4 24 Bit I/O (this port is blank actually),J5 Floppy Disk, J6 USART (port is blank). Unfortunately there was no keyboard or documentation and outside of the Byte ads I don't know anything about this. Does anyone know where I can get a keyboard and documentation for this? Also the power cable is non-standard, per a friend of mine it was used by typewriter manufacturers and is known as a AC Victor cable. Thanks, Marty

28 years, 1 month

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Looking for VAX FAQs

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< Personally, if it came to building a board from scratch, I'd have to say I < compatible Dual IDE controller. Drives are cheaper. I can just see stickin < my BA123 - 20 g of space, for less than a grand. Gee, I wonder if the powe < (snicker). There are MSCP docs somewhere out their on the web - or you cou < people, I believe at least one of them has the MSCP handbook. I'd buy it i < Q-bus version, anyway) A IDE controller for Qbus is fairly straightforward if your willing to have a little local intelligence for cache and dma management. If your willing to write a non-MSCP VMS driver or unix driver for it. Adding MSCP may make it more difficult as there is far more taskwork. Doing it as scsi is not much worse... it's the scsi controllers and the associated software that are a pain. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Fw: museun? mag disk?

by pjoules＠coleg-powys.ac.uk

Please contact poster directly Phil Baumeister <baum-nospam(a)sonic.net> wrote in message <6nuqu8$qi8$2(a)ultra.sonic.net>... > please remove -nospam when replying > > i would like to find a home for a > 2314 magnetic disk file drive > that was once (1968) mounted > on IBM 360 main frames. > > items that are 20 years old are > junk and are trashed. but this > is 30 years old. where should > it end up? > > any suggestions? > > phil baumeister > >

28 years, 1 month

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FW: Auctioning Timex/Sinclair ZX-80,81 1000 w/RTTY&CW

by franke＠sbs.de

> Ahh, there goes my bid! This lot includes some real nice parts and collectiv parts .... and the bid already reached 76 USD. Shoud we start a bidding war ? :(( Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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TI99: Re: TIer since...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< all over the US. I went to one and I drooled all over a VAX with a < couple of winchester cabinets, 9 track tape drives, and a big terminal They can be big. Myself I run a slew of baby vaxen (2000s, 3100s and Q-bus Microvaxen). < server. My boss told me I should bid $1.00 on it. I joked and said, "If < I did that I might get it!" heheheh They make you haul the stuff off if That's their revenge. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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FW: Auctioning Timex/Sinclair ZX-80,81 1000 w/RTTY&CW

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Forwarded from the Greenkeys mailing list. Current bid is $56... - John Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 22:28:07 -0400 From: "Charles A. Days" <radiodaz(a)ici.net> Organization: Old Radio Days To: Major Domo <greenkeys(a)qth.net> Subject: [GreenKeys] Auctioning Timex/Sinclair ZX-80,81 1000 w/RTTY&CW interface Sender: owner-greenkeys(a)qth.net Hi, I am auctioning off my entire Timex/Sinclair ZX-80,81 & 1000 collection. I had used it for program development way back when. As well as Ham radio RTTY/CW. Go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=20430855

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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Apple and Commodore Computers

by franke＠sbs.de

>> Second, has anyone heard of a Commodore C64k?? I found a news post where >> a guy had two of these available, but I don't recognize the "k" suffix. > I think the person added it himself. > There are four flavors of the Commodore 64. > Commodore 64 - The original unit, roundy brownish-grey case dk. brown > keyboard, a good machine. And the brown and the beige case versions ad of course the golden. > Commodore 64c - The updated (low-profile lt.cream case, white keys) cost > reduced model unlike other reponses no voices were removed. The story is > Commodore did a 'bug fix' on the sound chip that affected games that utilized > a perceived flaw on the sound chip that made digitized sound playback easy, on > the 64c you can barely hear the digitized segments. This unit was also called C64-II. And remember the gray case version. > Commodore SX-64 - the Commodore 64 in a luggable all-in-one unit included 64, > 5" color display, built-in 1541 disk drive and audio speaker. Pretty cool, > used original C64 chips though Commodore altered the ROMs to better support > the built in drive at the sacrifice of cassette support (and compatibility > with some programs and hardware that required it.) Don't forget the DX. > Commodore-128 - One of the facets of the Commodore 128 is the C64 mode, the > chips reflect the older 64 and is 99.94% perfect in emulation except for one > memory location which can bump the computer into 2mgz mode thereby messing up > the display provided by the 1mghz 40 column display chip. :/ Some earlier > games inadvertanly activate this mode. And speaking of the 128 (Which I don't considere a C64) there are at least two versions of the 120D with detatched keyboard. > If I wanted to do only 64 stuff the original grey 64 is the one to get. :) Gruss H. P.S.: Nice PET - FAQ -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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Amiga 2000

by franke＠sbs.de

>>What is the pinout of the 23-pin port? > Max, your message consisted of one line of question with > dozens of lines of previous message. Please consider editing > out the parts you don't need. True > Also, there are dozens of web pages with the pinouts of the various > Amigas. Did you try a web search before you replied? I entered > "23 pin port amiga" in Hotbot and got 1,970 hits, many valid. Ever tried this for PET (a classic in any sense) ? > Is the Amiga a valid topic for the mailing list? Surely the > first models fit the ten-year-rule, but the A2000 falls short > by at least a year or two. There are other resources > you can tap - the Amiga news groups out-post the classic groups > by at least an order of magnitude, and that's only counting > the English-speaking groups. Shure, there are resources for anything, including a lot of obsolete computer things beside this list, but if you want to take this 10 year gudeline the hard way, you'll have to cut out any discusion about CGA for exampe - they are still in production. And fr the Amiga 2000 - I have two in my collection and considere them vintage :) Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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Heathkit ET-3400

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< old Altair hackers, so.... How hard would it be (for a software guy) to < replace the ROM with something else, say, a parallel cable from a PC that < fed data through the ROM socket? not easy at all. You really need to make or buy an eprom emulator that can do 6830 (an oddball pinout). < The clock is already very slow, 500KHz, I think, but I could slow it to < 1HZ if it would help. Could I software decode the address, do whatever < handshaking I need to do from the TTL-levels on LPT1, and emulate a ROM < without buying a ROM emulator? Not possible, there is a minimum clock spec as the internal registers are dynamic and would forget. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga 2000

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

That's correct. Now, the interesting thing is that according to pinout charts, the keyboard cables are the same (clock, data, not used, ground, +5). However, the keyboards are not compatible. Does anyone know what the difference is? >I don't know much about Amigas, but I beleive the mouse is a >quadrature-output mouse - what the PC crowd call a Bus mouse (and not a >serial mouse or PS/2 mouse). These mice are pretty generic apart from the >connector wiring. If you're prepared to change the connector (and trace >out the connections) then you can move these mice between systems. > >In the UK you can get replacement quadrature mice from Maplin - either 2 >button for the Amiga or 3 button for the Atari ST. I've modified these to >work on a Mac+, an old Amstrad that used a bus mouse, a Whitechapel MG1, >an Acorn Archimedes, etc. They're not cheap (about 3 times the price of a >PC serial mouse :-(), but they are available. > >-tony > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

3
2
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Apple and Commodore Computers

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

> I'd like to do some assembly language programming on my Apple //+. What > program was generally used to do AL programming? Did you typically use the > built-in Monitor, or was there an "Apple Assembler" program? > As for assemblers for the 64 if you want to do on-the-fly assembly Supermon is cool, there is a version of it in just about all the popular super utility cartridges (i.e. Super Snapshot, Final Cartridge, etc.) As far as more quality (disk based) assemblers I would go with Lew Lasher's Editor Assembler (circa 1985, hard to find, freeware, and nice) or Merlin (especially Merlin 128 for the Commodore 128). Both are good ones to learn with. There are other like Buddy, PAL, Bettwe Working, etc. but those use the BASIC interpreter to code (line numbers and all.) > Second, has anyone heard of a Commodore C64k?? I found a news post where > a guy had two of these available, but I don't recognize the "k" suffix. I think the person added it himself. There are four flavors of the Commodore 64. Commodore 64 - The original unit, roundy brownish-grey case dk. brown keyboard, a good machine. Commodore 64c - The updated (low-profile lt.cream case, white keys) cost reduced model unlike other reponses no voices were removed. The story is Commodore did a 'bug fix' on the sound chip that affected games that utilized a perceived flaw on the sound chip that made digitized sound playback easy, on the 64c you can barely hear the digitized segments. Commodore SX-64 - the Commodore 64 in a luggable all-in-one unit included 64, 5" color display, built-in 1541 disk drive and audio speaker. Pretty cool, used original C64 chips though Commodore altered the ROMs to better support the built in drive at the sacrifice of cassette support (and compatibility with some programs and hardware that required it.) Commodore-128 - One of the facets of the Commodore 128 is the C64 mode, the chips reflect the older 64 and is 99.94% perfect in emulation except for one memory location which can bump the computer into 2mgz mode thereby messing up the display provided by the 1mghz 40 column display chip. :/ Some earlier games inadvertanly activate this mode. If I wanted to do only 64 stuff the original grey 64 is the one to get. -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363 Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

1
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PET 2001

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

Sam Ismail wrote: >Could someone please describe the features of a PET 2001 for me? Thanks. > > Depends on the PET 2001, the earlier ones had a smallish calculator type keyboard with an integeral datasette unit. Newer models had a full sized keyboard and no built-in datasette. All of the 2001 series had 9"display, earlier ones displaying whitish-blue the rest gool 'ol green phosphor. The original BASIC (Powers up with *** COMMODORE BASIC ***) has neumerous bugs and lacked disk support the upgrade BASIC (### COMMODORE BASIC ###) had many bug fixes and is very close to 64 BASIC in operation and syntax. There are two motherboards associated with the 2001 the 8k static ram motherboard (only in original PETs) which was limited to 8k ram and used MOS RAMs (Which they soon stopped producing, they just weren't good at memory chips) and the later Dynamic RAM boards which were expandible to 32k. If you need more info there are a couple links: The PET FAQ geared for the recent or general owner of a Classic PET: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/petfaq.html and The PET Index for the Technical sort of person who wants to know what makes em tick! http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/~fachat/8bit/petindex/petindex.html -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (300-2400bd) (209) 754-1363 Visit my Commodore 8-Bit web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/commodore.html -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

1
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Terminals

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

as you might guess, the VT220 w/o keyboard is spoken for. The others still need homes though. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Russ Blakeman RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144 Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991 Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/ ICQ UIN #1714857 AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN" * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

1
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Apricots, etc

by lwalker＠mail.interlog.com

OK,for any of you blokes over in blighty I saw this post on Obsolete Computer Helpline. PLEASE DIRECT QUERIES TO THE POSTER BELOW ciao larry >Trig <TrigyUk(a)hitch-hikers.demon.co.uk> >Salisbury, Wilts U.K. - Sunday, July 05, 1998 at 17:15:08 > I have a small collection of 10 - 15yr old apricots, xen, xi and >various other related bits. > Can anyone help me find a home for these cute computers? lwalker(a)interlog.com

28 years, 1 month

1
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Amiga 2000

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

What is the pinout of the 23-pin port? >If your multisync syncs down to 15khz, there is no requirement for >special hardware. The NEC Multisyncs up through the 3D all sync >down to 15Khz as do many others. > >> >> >Also, are the keyboard and mouse PC-compatible? >> >> Alas, no. The keyboard will run you about $60, and the mouse about $15. >> Your best bet is to try and find someone local to you that has abandoned >> the Amiga to join the mindless masses. I recently got a rather nice setup >> that way very cheap. >> >> You didn't mention what kind of processor you've got in the system or what >> kind of boards it has. The stock is 68000, but it might have a 68020 or >> 68030 on an accelerator board. Do you have a Hard Drive controller? >> >> The ultimate A2000 would have a dual 68060/PPC acclerator, UW SCSI Hard >> Drive, about 128Mb RAM, Ethernet, either a Video Toaster or a Picasso IV >> graphics card and be running Amiga OS 3.1, of course you don't want to know >> the price of all of that. >> >> One of my main systems is a fairly beefy A3000 that I just got done putting >> in a Tower case this weekend (metal working skills required). The Amiga OS >> beats anything MS has ever put out, and beats MacOS on certain points. >> >> I think the best way to sum up Amiga's is that they are just plain fun! It >> would be well worth your time to either fix up that one, or find a working >> one. >> >> Zane >> | Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator | >> | healyzh(a)ix.netcom.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast | >> | healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector | >> +----------------------------------+----------------------------+ >> | Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | >> | and Zane's Computer Museum. | >> | http://www.dragonfire.net/~healyzh/ | >> > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

5
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termnals to get rid of...

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

Ok the 10th is right around the corner so I'll post this one last time before It goes with the scrap. Visual 102 terminal with keyboard - complete and working, good shape DEC VT 100 without keyboard - working as far as I can tell and good shape DEC VT 220 without keyboard - working again as far as I can tell, good shape. These are free except shipping. I need a firm answer for a home by Firday and then a money order for the estimated shipping by the 20th or they go to terminal heaven. hate to do this as I'm sure someone can use them. I still have the last of the working HP 700/44's with keybaord and lookig like brand new for $15 plus shippping too, but I have the room to put it back for a while and maybe even use it later. Direct emai please - RHBLAKE(a)BBTEL.COM or RHBLAKE(a)BIGFOOT.COM -------------------------------------------------------------------- Russ Blakeman RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144 Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991 Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/ ICQ UIN #1714857 AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN" * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

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FW: Houston area VAX for free!

by cfandt＠servtech.com

While hunting in DejaNews for VAX 11/730 info I found this to pass on. Msg a bit old it seems but may be worth checking to see if yet available. Of course, make sure you contact snowcrash(a)elitemicro.com directly :) >Subject: VAX for free! >From: snowcrash(a)elitemicro.com (Snowcrash) >Date: 1998/06/08 >Message-ID: <001801bd931c$18c716f0$7b7b7b7b@ironmaiden> >Newsgroups: muc.lists.netbsd.port.vax >[More Headers] >[Subscribe to muc.lists.netbsd.port.vax] > >This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > >------=_NextPart_000_0015_01BD92F2.2F4565A0 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > > OK guys, since all I have is an old 11/730, which can't support = >NetBSD, and basically I have no clue how to set any of it up, I'm gonna = >give it away. It is in the Houston, TX area. You pick it up or arrange = >the transportation if you are intrested. Here's what I know about it. > > >Vax 11/730 >(1) RA81 >(2) RA80 >(1) TU80 >(1) RL02 >Some other stuff I can't identify. >Also about 30 assorted terminals. > > Daniel Daley, CNE > snowcrash(a)elitemicro.com > > -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/

28 years, 1 month

1
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Amiga 2000

by jfoust＠threedee.com

I intended a very gentle guiding message for Max, and in no way said anything about censorship except self-restraint in the form of editing recommendations (endlessly requoted messages with one-liner replies drive me up a wall). I gave general advice to search the net before posting, as opposed to treating the mailing list as a magic oracle that answers all your questions. Save the list for the truly obscure questions, not the stuff that's on hundreds of web pages. - John

28 years, 1 month

1
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PET 2001

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jul 7, 6:29, Doug Spence wrote: > On Mon, 6 Jul 1998, Olminkhof wrote: > > 8" screen > > Or is it 9"? I can't check mine because they are both locked in my > father's bedroom at this hour. 9". All the ones I've seen were 9". > Supposedly the 2001N and 2001B came with 12" screens, but I've never seen > one. > > I'm looking at an old copy (don't have a recent one on file) of Jim > Brain's "Canonical List of Commodore Products" and notice that one of my > PETs doesn't match any model on the list. From this list: > > PET 2001-4K 4kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Black Trim. > PET 2001-8K 8kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen > PET 2001-16K 16kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen > PET 2001-32K 32kB, Chiclet Keys, Built-In Cassette, Blue Trim, 9" screen > PET 2001B-8 8kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen > PET 2001B-16 16kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen > PET 2001B-32 32kB, Business Style, no Graphics on Keys, 12" screen > PET 2001N-8 8kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys > PET 2001N-16 16kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, 12" screen, Num. Keys > PET 2001N-32 32kB, Home Computer, Graphics on Keys, BASIC 4.0, Num. Keys. > PET 2001NT Teacher's PET. Same as 2001N, just rebadged > Mine is just labeled "PET 2001-8K" I think, with no 'N' or 'B' anywhere, > but mine has a 9" screen and a full-size keyboard with graphics symbols. I don't think Jim's list is quite correct. For a start, there were lots of 2001 PETs with 9" screen and the graphics keyboard, without the cassette-beside-the-keyboard. I've got one here. And the /B and /N series were called 3000's not 2001 everywhere except the USA. The 12" versions didn't appear in the UK until later. According to my (USA) manual, the 2001/B (aka 3000 here) was a 9" screen too. IIRC, the 4000 was the first with a 12" screen, at least in the UK (USA might easily be different, of course), and that's borne out by my manuals. The 12" screen version was eventually called the 8000 series here, and had different firmware (and up to 96K RAM I think, bank-switched). One of the differences between the business and home versions (apart from graphics symbols on the keytops) was whether the machine powered up in upper- or lower-case. > Note that at least the early PET 2001 machines came with a white display. > I think some of the 'newer' ones came with green phosphor instead.(?) My 2001-8K is white phosphor. The full-size-keyboard ones were green. > > tape drive built in, to the left of the keyboard > > Keyboard dependent. > > But there's a lot more to 'features' than outward appearance. The machine > uses a 1.0MHz 6502. It has an 80-pin memory expansion port on the right > side (the 40 pins on the top side are all ground). There's an external > cassette interface at the back, for TAPE #2. On the later models, that's TAPE#1 and the TAPE#2 is an internal connector. > There's an IEEE-488 > interface on the back that was used for printers, disk drives, modems, and > probably other stuff. There's a user port on the back which is similar to > the user port on the VIC-20/C64. > > The original ROMs don't have a monitor or support a disk drive, but ugrade > ROMs (which I think came out in 1979?) fix both of those things. Well, they do, sort-of, but a bug in the IEEE routines prevents it from working with anything other than a printer. There were a few other bugs as well, and the upgrade ROMs themselves were replaced later. > (As an aside, original ROM machines start up with the message: > *** COMMODORE BASIC *** > > whereas upgrade ROM machines start up with > ### COMMODORE BASIC ### > > I don't have a machine with BASIC 4.0, so I don't know how that starts > up. Upgrade ROM machines also have a Microsoft easter egg in them > whcih is missing from the original ROMs.) There was a very-short-lived BASIC-2, and BASIC-3 (more-or-less the upgrade ROM set) was around for a while before 4. 4 has extra commands for the disk, instead of having to use the generic IEEE channel commands, but otherwise it's almost the same as 3. Only the original ROMs start up with ***; all of the later ones used ###. > It might also be important to mention that the PET has a timer that > operates in real time. And it has the same character set(s) as the VIC-20 > and C64, but you can't switch between the upper/lower-case text character > set and the upper-case/graphics set without issuing a POKE command. (Was > it 49512,12 and 49512,14? My memory is rusty.) All those POKEs are ROM-version-dependent. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

1
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My appologies

by buck_c＠polygon.com

The reply-to got me. My previous post to John was intended to go directly to him, not to the list. I failed to notice the automatic reply-to that sent it to the list as a whole. "Sorry - my bad" -- J. Buck Caldwell Engineer - Technical Support - Webmaster Polygon, Inc. email:buck_c@polygon.com phone: (314) 432-4142 PO Box 8470 http://www.polygon.com/ fax: (314) 997-9696 St. Louis, MO 63132 ftp://ftp.polygon.com/ bbs: (314) 997-9682

28 years, 1 month

1
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Hey, English blokes...what's an Apricot?

by franke＠sbs.de

> [8089] >>> (very fancy DMA chip). >> Thats like naming the Newton a fancy post it thing. The >> 8089 was a full featured CPU, just with an special >> command set suited for I/O operations. Anything from > True. I've got the 8089 data sheet, and a 3rd party '8089 I/O processor > handbook', and it is indeed a coprocessor. However, it's normally used > (and it's used in the Apricot) as a DMA controller, so it's best to think > of it that way, for all it can do a lot more. > It's a lot nicer than the 8237 used in the IBM PC. For one thing it > correctly handles the 20 bit address bus, so there's no problem with > crossing 64K boundaries. For another, it can monitor a Data Ready flag on > one port, and transfew data when the peripheral is ready. No need to have > DMA channels in the PC sense. >> serial I/O via disk I/O up to code translations could >> done in a very smooth and genuine way. > Howver the Apricot has a normal serial chip and disk controller, and only > uses the 8089 for DMA. Maybe I used the wrong words - poor english language skill - Of course a regular Serial I/O chip is still needed, the 8089 has no serial (or what ever) I/O of its own. But instead of the main CPU, the 8089 will respond to all requests for data transfer - shure, you could use two DMA chanals for input/output data, but in difference to an ordinary DMA the 8089 could also handle the status lines and drive a non hardware protocoll - from xon/xoff up to HDLC. Same for any other kind of I/O hardware, not only serial, since the logic is software not hardware. Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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Amiga 2000

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I just pulled an Amiga 2000 (I don't think it's >10 yet) from the trash. It didn't come with anything else, just the system unit. I looked it up, and I pretty much came up with the specifications. COuld someone tell me a little more about it? What kind of video can I use with this? All it has is a composite RF jack. Also, are the keyboard and mouse PC-compatible? ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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PET 2001

by MPritchard＠EnsembleStudios.com

>The case is made of bent sheet metal so you don't want a PET 2001 dropping >on your head. I had a CBM 8032, which when a shelving unit collapesed in my garage, fell from a height of 7 feet onto the hood of my car. The hood was torn up, and the 8032 had hardly a scratch, not even the tube.. and still worked fine. -Matt Pritchard Graphics Engine and Optimization Specialist MS Age of Empires & Age of Empires ][

28 years, 1 month

1
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PET 2001

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

Sam Ismail wrote: >Could someone please describe the features of a PET 2001 for me? Thanks. > > What is this, some sort of trick question? 8" screen chicklet keyboard tape drive built in, to the left of the keyboard Hans

28 years, 1 month

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Stuff for trade in UK

by mark_k＠iname.com

Hi, I have some junk which I would like to trade for other junk... - Two Wangtek tape streamers. One is 5125EN, the other 5099EN24. These are not- quite-SCSI devices; they require the correct PC interface cards -- PC-36 for the 5099EN24, and probably the 5125EN too. I don't have the interface card. I believe they work; before I figured out that they are not SCSI, connecting them to a SCSI controller allowed me to rewind tapes, at least - Commodore PET 8050 disk drive, in bits. I took this apart years ago to clean, and forgot how to put it back together again. Never had the right cable to test it out anyway. Could be useful for spares if you already have one of these drives. I would like to get hold of a Wangtek 5150ES or 5525ES tape streamer. Or make a suggestion. I live in Wiltshire, England. Bye, -- Mark

28 years, 1 month

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Amiga 2000

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

No, this is just a 68K, no boards of any kind, just the floppy drive >You didn't mention what kind of processor you've got in the system or what >kind of boards it has. The stock is 68000, but it might have a 68020 or >68030 on an accelerator board. Do you have a Hard Drive controller? > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Overhyped Innovations (was Re: OS's In ROM's (was: Re: Mac Classic prob (was Macintoshes..

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

Sorry to reply to such an old message, but... At 11:28 AM 6/27/98 +0300, you wrote: >>BTW, I enjoy collecting over-hyped innovations that never quite caught on >>in the way they were supposed to: Bubbles. Pen-based computers. Touch >>screens. Wireless networks. Bob. MSX. Robots. AI. Home automation. >>The Z8000. The iAPX432. Parallel processing. Voice recognition. Two things I have to debate here... First, pen-based computers haven't yet caught on at the consumer level (corporate/specialized use is another story -- ask your UPS guy) but the technology is about to: The Cross Pad. (Put your pad of paper on this clipboard-type thingie and take notes. Go home and upload them to the computer.) I described it to a CPA and his eyes lit up like a kid at christmas. Voice-recognition isn't commonplace yet (again, in the consumer world) but it will be. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

2
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Paper tape anyone?

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 01:25 AM 7/7/98 -0700, Sam Ismail wrote: > >Anyone know where I can get a supply of ASR-33 punch tape? I've got a dozen-plus antique rolls that I got from someone on the Greenkeys RTTY mailing list, if you just need a pair. If you search the net for "paper tape", you'll find several suppliers to the computer-controlled machining market, with options for paper tape, mylar tape, oiled, etc. I've said it before, the Greenkeys list needs to meet the classic-comp list. Who doesn't want an ASR-33? :-) Sure, the RTTY people deal with both Baudot and ASCII-based machines, but they're dumping stuff left and right, due to these greybeards cleaning house to move into a condo or a Winnebago. - John

28 years, 1 month

2
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S-100 computers & peripherals available - interested? (fwd)

by kevan＠heydon.org

I said I would forward this on to interested people... Contact Art directly if you are interested. Note the contact before date of 7-10-98 so you will have to act quickly. -- Kevan Old Computer Collector: http://www.heydon.org/kevan/collection/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 18:44:42 EDT From: JARTART(a)aol.com To: collector(a)heydon.org Subject: S-100 computers & peripherals available - interested? I have to part with Vector Graphics System B computers, working with documentation and top of the line Malibu printers and Morrow Design harddrive (25MB) add-ons. All circa 1978+. Are you interested? Please contact me before 7-10-98. Art Jensen (800)666-JART e-mail = JARTART(a)aol.com

28 years, 1 month

1
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Apple & Commodore questions

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 09:29 AM 7/6/98 -0400, you wrote: > I'm picking up an original Mac Portable this week on my way to get more >PDP11 stuff at Temple University (in Philly). The Portable is missing a hard >drive. Which drive goes into this unit? I seem to remember a 40mb unit. It's a 40mb conner (cp-3044 or cp-3045) that uses a funky connector. To build a funky-to-SCSI cable, check out the Mac Portable FAQ at <http://www.bford.demon.co.uk/mac/portablefaq.txt>. Check out <http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/3959/index.html> as well. If you don't want to build your own cable, $35 will get you an adapter from <http://www.micromac.com/> which is MicroMac Technology (Also has specs). --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

1
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AOL History (was: QuantumLink AOL lore...)

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

Some of you (locals) may know I publish a weekly listing of free stuff happening in the City (plug, plug... see <http://www.sinasohn.com/freelist/>)... One of the upcoming events (at Stacey's Bookstore in downtown San Francisco) is this: Kara Swisher - Friday, July 17 @ 12:30 "AOL.COM: How Steve Case Beat Bill Gates, Nailed The Netheads, And Made Millions In The War For The Web" As a reporter for The Washington Post, Kara Swisher had the opportunity to go inside one of the most watched companies in the world, America Online. In her new book, AOL.COM, she captures the secrets of how AOL became the world's biggest online company. Revealing all the major moments in AOL's frenzied history; from its origins in the dreams of the eccentric entrepreneur, Bill Von Meister, to its triumph under the vision of the young marketing executive, Steve Case. For anyone interested in the Internet, technology, or modern business, AOL.COM is a must-read. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/

28 years, 1 month

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SF Bay Area Get-together

by fmc＠reanimators.org

A while back, I wrote: >(c) So...fine, here's a time and place for all us Bay Areans to > argue over: Second Thursday, 09 July 1998, 7:00 PM, El Paso Cafe, > 1407 W El Camino Real, Mountain View. Y'all can flame me about > this in public or private, and I'm still open to change, but I want > to announce the real time and place on 30 June. Well, I got busy, then there was some argument, and as near as I can tell all that came out of that argument was that it would probably be a good idea to move the meeting around the Bay Area to give more folks an opportunity to attend. Sounds like a good idea to me, but for now.... When: 09 July 1998, 7:00 PM Where: El Paso Cafe, 1407 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA What: random discussion over dinner How to get there:

28 years, 1 month

3
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Programming the 6502 (Zaks)

by adept＠Mcs.Net

I recall someone was looking for this a while back and since I already have a copy, I won't bid on this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=20139047 8 may seem steep as a starting bid but this is a great book and it's hard to find nowadays. On the other hand the original cover price was 14.95... Cheers, Dan

28 years, 1 month

1
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Paper tape anyone?

by dastar＠ncal.verio.com

Anyone know where I can get a supply of ASR-33 punch tape? Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever onward. September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2 See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details! [Last web page update: 07/05/98]

28 years, 1 month

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Tandy 25-1011 Plus Memeory Card for T1000 FS

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

I have a Tandy Memory Plus Expansion Board, tandy catalog number 25-1011 that brings the base memory of the machine from 128k up to 640k RAM. It came from a Tandy 1000 (no suffix) but will work on a Tandy 1000A and 1000HD. Full information documents are contained on line at http://support.tandy.com/support_accessories/2460.htm Not sure if your model works with it? Check the docs for your model 1000 at http://support.tandy.com/support_computer/2512.htm and look under the memory upgrades page to see if it will. I know for sure it will NOT work on the EX and HX models. The card is populated with the full 512k RAM to bring your 128K basic machine up to full DOS RAM. I need $15 for the card which includes shipping to you in the 48 lower US states. AK and HI should inquire to see if any additional shipping applies, probably won't. Email me direct if interested. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Russ Blakeman RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144 Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991 Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/ ICQ UIN #1714857 AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN" * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

1
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8-bit video cards in new systems?

by higginbo＠netpath.net

At 08:35 PM 7/6/98 -0500, Russ Blakeman wrote: >> Talking Sony CD-ROM here. I don't think those little 8-bit proprietary >> cards were even BIOS driven. > >I don't think they were.... My mistake. Sony CD-ROM card was mentioned in same sentence though (deftly saving my sanity, BTW.) :) I used to pull that trick to test old ST-225 Seagates when I didn't have an XT machine handy. - - john higginbotham ____________________________ - webmaster www.pntprinting.com - - limbo limbo.netpath.net -

28 years, 1 month

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8-bit video cards in new systems?

by higginbo＠netpath.net

At 06:25 PM 7/6/98 +0100, Tony Duell wrote: >Many modern machines will take an MDA or CGA card with no problems, I am >sure. But I could believe that there are some that don't. All the clone systems I have ever built or worked on supported MDA/CGA in BIOS, and also took 8-bit cards. I even had an MDA running in a Tandy 1000TX with CGA onboard. No hitches there, but that machine isn't exactly one of "today's" systems. I'd be skeptical of any of the newer proprietary systems, PB, Comaq, Dell, AST all spring to mind. >Don't you just tell it it has no hard drive installed, and rely on the >BIOS extension on the 8 bit hard disk controller? Talking Sony CD-ROM here. I don't think those little 8-bit proprietary cards were even BIOS driven. - - john higginbotham ____________________________ - webmaster www.pntprinting.com - - limbo limbo.netpath.net -

28 years, 1 month

2
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Dead PSU

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Well, no, I meant that if I get it to die on me, and unplug whatever "overloaded" it, it will start back up. BTW, if I do unplug it, it continues working, but the beats on the speaker slow down until they stop. It takes about 5 seconds. >But Max later said when he pulled the power he noticed about a second >later the fan jumped. I have seen that before too. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

1
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HP Portable Plus manuals FS

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

I have the following HP Portable Plus manuals for sale for best offer. Unless otherwise noted, all manuals are complete and are in HP binders and slipcovers and are in excellant condition. The Portable Plus uses software loaded in EPROM. The EPROMs are not included. MemoMaker/Time Management (no slipcase, no EPROM) Lotus 123 ver 1A (includes Utilities, Tutorial disc but no EPROM) E-mail privately if you're interested. Joe

28 years, 1 month

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HP 150 manuals and software FS

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

I'm thinning out my collection and I have the following HP 150 software & manuals for sale for best offer. Unless otherwise noted, all are complete and include discs and are in HP binders and slipcovers and are in excellant condition. I also have some HP 150 computers that I will be selling off. E-mail me privately if you're interested. Joe Series 100 Personal Card File Series 100 MemoMaker Series 100 MemoMaker (#2) Series 100 WordStar Series 100 WordStar Training and Installation Guide Series 100 Terminal User’s Guide Series 100 HP 150 Personal Computers Owner’s Guide

28 years, 1 month

1
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Dead PSU

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I'm a novice at soldering - I've made at most 10 connections in my life. And, there is the looking for replacements, possibly buying them. >Desoldering 20 capacitors and replacing them will take < 1 hour! > >There are other faults which cause the PSU to trip, but most of them >cause it to fail on light load as well. > >-tony > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

5
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Video game crash

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I don't think I've cost any companies anything via the 20 or so packages I've pirated over the years, because I wouldn't have bought them anyway (most of the stuff was expensive like Win95, MSOffice, etc.). >The delightful thing about discussions of the extent and effect of >piracy is that both sides of the argument have a very hard time >finding a shred of evidence, apart from the widely acknowledged >extent of piracy. > >In my anecdotal opinion, the sequence of >events was quite clear: Mom and Dad decided it was time to >get a computer for the kids for Christmas, they bought two-three >packages to go along with it, and by New Year's Day the kids >are having copy-parties with their friends. > >- John > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

2
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Apple & Commodore questions

by franke＠sbs.de

>> I'd like to do some assembly language programming on my Apple //+. What >> program was generally used to do AL programming? Did you typically use the >> built-in Monitor, or was there an "Apple Assembler" program? > Well, you had many to choose from. Probably the most popular was > Merlin by Roger Wagner. You also had the Apple's EDASM, and there > was the LISA Assembler (no relation to the computer), Big Mac Assembler, > Assyst, ORCA/M, probably a few others. Big Mac is still a usefull choice. ORCA/M is more powerfull, but a bit harder to get on. > Then of course there was the Sweet-16 mini-assembler built into the ROMs > of the Apple ][ (not ][+ or //e). It finally reappeared in one of the > later ]['s, but I can't remember which (the //c+ perhaps?) First thing I did after I had my own Apple ][+ was hacking in the Mini Assembler via the monitor (CALL -151) and save it to cassete tape. I had to modify it on the fly ... :) At least the dissassembler was still in ROM - Ohhh good ol times. > I did all my coding by poking bytes from the monitor. Its how I learned > and its the only way I ever felt comfortable with even though using an > assembler would have saved me countless hours. But I never liked any of > the assemblers (and I had all the ones I mentioned above). I'm prety shure Bic Mac is woth a try. After I had FD drives Eventualy I did my own assembler (/370 orientated - before the Apple, I did it the other way - I developed a set of Macros for the ASSEMBF to compile 8080 code (and 6502) on the mainframe) >> Second, has anyone heard of a Commodore C64k?? I found a news post where >> a guy had two of these available, but I don't recognize the "k" suffix. > He probably is just referring to the amount of memory it has and is > clueless enough about the machine that he would call it that. I'm > positive its just a plain old C64. Maybe - I don't know all the names for the different 65816 projects to boost the C64 - maybe it's one of those ? Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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DECmate III

by franke＠sbs.de

> Well, I have a board with a z8000 on it, is that the same? What OS would > these things run natively? Xenix ? At least there have been some ports. Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

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Hey, English blokes...what's an Apricot?

by franke＠sbs.de

> There's a mainboard flat in the bottom of the case. It contains an 8086, > between 128K and 960K of RAM (there are 2 versions of the board...), > optional 8087 copro, and an 8089 I/O processor One of the vew designs, that (tried) to uitlize the fill power of the 86-family. In faxt: today everybody is moaning about the 'crude' x86 structure (but using it) and nobody temembers that the CPU was only one single part of the design. A design ready to build high efficient and fast computers for multi programming operating systems (Unix et. al.) > (very fancy DMA chip). Thats like naming the Newton a fancy post it thing. The 8089 was a full featured CPU, just with an special command set suited for I/O operations. Anything from serial I/O via disk I/O up to code translations could done in a very smooth and genuine way. Just imagine that the HW depending part of any device driver would run on a seperate CPU - including all the time consuming puffer/unpuffer, notifications, polling and what-ever operations. The 86, 87 and 89 are three independend microprocessors suited for special tasks (asymetric multiprocessing). Today the x87 is reduced to an additional fp register set, the 89 is forgoten and everybody aplaudes the symetric processing hype :( Just think what kind of computing could be possible if this sceme had worked out - need more float ? just add some FPUs! need a lot of I/O ? add anoter IOC... Need huge 3D power? Add some 'MMX' processors and not just some new commands for the same old FPU. Think I should stop. Gruss H. /370 Veteran P.S.: The Apricot is still a white spot in my collection. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

2
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Video game crash

by franke＠sbs.de

>> BUT, 1982 was one of those years when computers just exploded. >>Machines like the C64. Easy to set up, cheap, better graphics and >>sound. People started putting their Atari 2600s in the closet and >>going out and buying computers. Parents were complaining that kids >>were playing video games too much. The fad was over. >> Almost overnight 2600 cartridges when from $20-$30 to $3-$5 each. >>Atari was the head domino and when they fell, they all started to fall. > I was writing games for a computer music company with several > C-64 titles at the time, and it was my impression that the > software market disappeared once people figured out they could > pirate their friend's software, instead of buying it. Old story, But never true. Everything about copying was done on the Apple ][ years before the C-64 (remember Locksmith or Nibbler ? :). And everything is still the same - easyer than ever (Buy a CD-Burner at USD 100 and get an idot proof copy programm for free) - so the home software market is dead ? Come on, be serious - it's still the same - if one wants a software and it is availabe (in difference to the early Apple ][ age when a pirate copy often whas the only trace about the existance of a special soft) one still buys it, if the price is right - but if the shop asks USD 500 just for a pop up util, one might look around for a copy - everybody wants new soft NOW - and don't want do search weeks just for a pirate. I still belive that most copys are no harm to the manufacturer. Example - I spend something like USD 150 per month on games (just one or two new games - they are horrible expensive in Germany). Same with two friens of mine - some- times we but a game 3 times - one each, since noone wants to wait one day for the copy. Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

2
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Video Game Crash of 1983

by franke＠sbs.de

>> Video game crash of '83? Would you please explain? > In the early 80s there was a home video game boom started by the home game > PONG and all it's clones then Atari produced one of the first popular > cartridge programmable games, the 2600. Not soon after that there were > probably a dozen competitors including Matell (Intellivisaion), Magnavox > (Oddesy), Balley (Astrocade), etc. By about 1983 there was a major glut of > game machines and cartridges, too many to support the market... > Then the bottom fell out around 1983 with the avent of cheaper home computers > with just as good (if not better) game playing ability, which started > capturing the attenetion of the masses and the gamers stopped buying video > games in favor of computers, many of the game companies were hit REALLY hard > and some folded. Of course this was the start of the home computer wars. :) > Some were able to 're-tool' for home computer games and did quite well. Oh, and don't forget all the lame me-to companies who started bussines in 1983/84 and stoped even before the product was final developen - And do you still remember the even more lame cpmpanies who foget to cancel their product right away, when anybody was yelling 'Video Dames are Dead - Long Live the Home Computer' ? One of them I think was a smaal playing card manufacturer called Nintendo. Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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8-bit video cards in new systems?

by poesie＠geocities.com

this is newer, but i have several 8bit vid cards and assorted mono/cga etc type monitors. can i plug in one of those cards in a modernish system and realistically use it for a display? just need dos & linux term capabilities, but I'm not sure whether or not the system will like that, etc. any input here would be very helpful. thanks! -Eric

28 years, 1 month

3
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Hey, English blokes...what's an Apricot?

by franke＠sbs.de

>> Ok, so I picked up an Apricot today for one whole dollar. I can't make >> out any model number anywhere on the unit. All I got was the main unit. >> It has a male DB-9 video connector and a female DB-9 keyboard connector. >> It also has a DB-25 serial and an Amphenol parallel connector. It has a >> handle that you can pull out of the case from the front, so I guess it's >> somewhat portable. It has two 3.5" drives in the front. It simply says >> "Apricot" between them. No keyboard or display so I can't boot it >> unfortunately. > IIRC the 'Apricot' is a domestic (USA) Apple clone/look alike/work > alike. > If you don't find any better info, hollar, and I'll go through some of > my Byte/Kilobaud/InformationAge etc. I think it sounds a lot more like this fine early MS-DOS / CP/M-86 Computers from Apricot. Non-IBM-HW-compatible systems with a very nice and smooth design (compared to them, still (almost) any new computer looks like 1950's techniks). 3.5" FD way before IBM, and cute keyboards, mice, and even track balls. Gruss H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

1
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ZDS planar type memory board FS/Trade

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

I have a memory board for a planar type ZDS machine, came out of a Z248. This one is the newer type that has four SIMM sockets on it, uses 30 pin SIMMS. There is no memory installed, just the card itself, works great. Goes into the special 32 bit type slots like the CPU, IO and other type memory cards do on planar units. Not sure how many types of ZDS units this will work in. Need $15 for it which includes shipping in the 48 conus states. Will consider trades of equal value cards for ISA, VLB, PCI or even MCA slots, but please no network cards. Will also trade for one or two Microsoft InPort mice, without the cards since I have them. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Russ Blakeman RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144 Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991 Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/ ICQ UIN #1714857 AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN" * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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DECmate III

by IVIE＠cc.usu.edu

> Well, today I got around to testing MS-DOS disk images from the PDP-8 > archive on the DECMAte III. It read the disk, said "Starting MS-DOS...", > but then said, "XPU Board Error". It then entered a configuration menu > for the DECMate (cursor, baud, etc.). What is an XPU board? The XPU board is an add-in board which contains an 8088. The 8088 is used to run MS-DOS. Without the XPU board, you can't run MS-DOS. The APU board is an add-in board which contains a Z80. It's used for running CP/M. I'm a bit lucky in that I have an APU board for all of my DECmates (although OS/8 is a fine operating system, CP/M is home sweet home). Roger Ivie ivie(a)cc.usu.edu

28 years, 1 month

1
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Infos Draco - what is this?

by ekman＠lysator.liu.se

Hi! I chanced upon a strange thing in a thrift shop today. A hand-held terminal of some sort called Infos Draco. It was rather expensive (SEK 250) so I never considered buying it, but I wonder what it is. The case is mainly blue with some yellow and red details. Keyboard is in ABCDE (rather than QWERTY) fashion. The longest side is approximately 10" and it is shaped like an L turned up-side-down with a 40x8 character LCD screen on top. There are no manuals but the box seems to indicate Italian origin. It seems to run on batteries but can be plugged into the wall as well (standard Swedish 220V plug). There is also a phone connection and what appears to be a parallel port. I tried to start the thing, but only succeeded in a red light coming on and a happy beep when I pushed the ON button. What is it? What can it be used for? Does anyone want me to buy it for you? /F

28 years, 1 month

1
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Apple & Commodore questions

by rcini＠email.msn.com

Hello, all: I'd like to do some assembly language programming on my Apple //+. What program was generally used to do AL programming? Did you typically use the built-in Monitor, or was there an "Apple Assembler" program? Also, can someone point me in the direction of a listing/description of the Apple //gs Toolbox commands. I'm picking up an original Mac Portable this week on my way to get more PDP11 stuff at Temple University (in Philly). The Portable is missing a hard drive. Which drive goes into this unit? I seem to remember a 40mb unit. Second, has anyone heard of a Commodore C64k?? I found a news post where a guy had two of these available, but I don't recognize the "k" suffix. Thanks! Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> - ClubWin! Charter Member - MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking - Preserver of "classic" computers <<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>>

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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I think I'm going to be sick

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 08:07 AM 7/3/98 -0400, Doug Spence wrote: > >I asked the employees what had happened to all that 'old computer junk', >and was told that it had all been THROWN OUT LAST WEEK. >I'm feeling really depressed about this. >Well DAMN THEM TO HELL, and damn ME for not being more vigilant. >Dammit, I wish I had dragged ALL the stuff I wanted to the desk and paid >for it, and had them sit it in a back room until I could come back for it. >Dammit, I wish there had been some sort of warning. All I can say is that it doesn't hurt to tell everyone you meet that you're interested in old, junky computers, the kind that you're about to throw out, the ones that can't run Windows. :-) Tell everyone in the store. Tell them three times, three different ways. Leave your card. Leave an extra six cards. Write "Likes Old Computer Junk" on the front of each. This will at least improve your odds of avoiding this depression in the future. In their defense, they exist to attempt to sell the stuff they get. If it's not selling, what else are they supposed to do? If you want to be sad, ask to see what they cull at the start of the pipeline, when they perform triage as items are donated. I get similarly upset at the triage performed at the my favorite local junk spot, the University of Wisconsin -- Madison Surplus sale, as judged by what I find in the dumpster, and the condition and organization of what I see in the sale area. The almighty PC reigns, but are stripped and separated into bins: keyboards here, monitors there, cases here, spare cards here, manuals over there. I've found two of my Teraks in this shape: main unit separated from extra disk drive separated from monitor and keyboard, and any ancillary docs are long-gone. In the dumpster goes anything not easily identifiable as PC or office equipment, but they're quite lax about that, too - I've seen laser printers and faxes only a few years old tossed, along with desks and chairs that aren't stylish enough to sell quickly. If I ran the zoo! - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 1 month

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Old Catalogs & Equip.

by Ferock＠aol.com

I am interested in old (1980-1987) computer catalogs. I'm especially interested in BlackBox catalogs. I also am interested in acquiring old (1980-1987) computer connectors. Specifically, connectors that have their own housing and are used to connect two external devices. These connectors have circuity that converts the data, e.g. serial to parallel conversion or changing signal voltage. The VicModem is an early example of such a device. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Glenn Ferock(a)aol.com

28 years, 1 month

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Video game crash

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

Tom Owad said: >What ever happened to The Source? When did they shut down and why? I don't really know. >Video game crash of '83? Would you please explain? I sure you can find a better explaination in any of a half dozen books that are out about the video game business but here is my condensed version for what it's worth: Prior to 1983 Atari was making ALOT OF MONEY selling 2600 units and cartridges (remember PAC-MAN fever). It was the Microsoft of the 70s and early 80s. Many other companies, not wanting to miss the boat, saw this happening and jumped in with their their own systems. Some of these companies were betting the farm on this craze. And it seem like everyone and their kid sister was coming out with cartridges for these systems. (At one point you could send in to the makers of Gravy Train (or was it Chuck Wagon) dog food to get a cartridge called "Chase the Chuck Wagon") I have heard that black market copies of the programming manual for the 2600 cost $10,000, which is a small price to pay if you could possibly make millions making and selling cartridges. Some programmers made 1 million dollar bonuses on a single game and that was back when one programmer by himself would write a game in 6 months. It was a time of madness. BUT, 1982 was one of those years when computers just exploded. Machines like the C64. Easy to set up, cheap, better graphics and sound. People started putting their Atari 2600s in the closet and going out and buying computers. Parents were complaining that kids were playing video games too much. The fad was over. Almost overnight 2600 cartridges when from $20-$30 to $3-$5 each. Atari was the head domino and when they fell, they all started to fall. Some very large companies almost went lights out when the prices fell. Atari was split up into Atari Games(coin-op) and Atari Corp.(home computers) Other companies just faded away. Home video game systems did not come back into fashion until 1986 with Nintendo. For more details see http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/atari/Atari-Timeline.html ========================================= Doug Coward dcoward(a)pressstart.com Senior Software Engineer Press Start Inc. Sunnyvale,CA Curator Museum of Personal Computing Machinery http://www.best.com/~dcoward/museum =========================================

28 years, 1 month

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Dead PSU

by franke＠sbs.de

>>> I counted with a stopwatch. It beat very fast, so it might be even >>> higher than 120Hz, but it certainly is much higher than 60. I don't know >>> if they'll actually let me do this repair anyway. >> You counted 120 cycles per second with a _stopwatch_? > Yes, I wondered about that. 120 per minute is understandable, but 120Hz? > No way. Shure - take a 60 (or 50) Hz clock feed the signal and stop the time neded to show a minute (or 10 minutes to get fractions) - or take any other steping device and look at the stepping speed - This way you could even use an old Apple DISK ][ as a counting device - put it on track 30, hook up the signal and wait until it reaches track zero - you'll get an acustic feedback - now its just finger calculations. Servus H. -- Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut HRK

28 years, 1 month

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Apple & Commodore questions

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

The Mac Portable uses a special kind of hard drive. A normal SCSI won't work, and I don't think a powerbook hard drive will either. There is a company that sells Mac Portable upgrades, but their prices are ridiculous. Everything is in the triple digits. I'm not sure if they had any original parts. Their hard drive solution was an adapter board for more common drives. You should be able to find it via newsgroups or something. As for the C64, they may have confused it with a 'c', which is the later beige model. > I'm picking up an original Mac Portable this week on my way to get more >PDP11 stuff at Temple University (in Philly). The Portable is missing a hard >drive. Which drive goes into this unit? I seem to remember a 40mb unit. > > Second, has anyone heard of a Commodore C64k?? I found a news post where >a guy had two of these available, but I don't recognize the "k" suffix. > > Thanks! > >Rich Cini/WUGNET <nospam_rcini(a)msn.com> > - ClubWin! Charter Member > - MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking > - Preserver of "classic" computers ><<<< ========== reply separator ========== >>>>> > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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