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

by peacock＠simconv.com

>Well, obviously you use the right tools :-). Attacking any computer board >with a sheet-metal iron is going to do some damage. But I don't >understand why a PC motherboard is any more fragile than (say) a board >from a minicomputer, workstation, or whatever. Well, for one thing old boards used .1 inch traces, now with surface mount it's .05 or .025. I don;t know about you, but my hand (wasted from advanced age and hard living) isn't steady enough to solder a surface mount IC. Jack Peacock

28 years, 1 month

7
9
0 0

What's with the raw HTML?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Personally, I *love* IE4. However, the point of this message is to point out that you can make sure all your email is in plain text format by choosing Tools/Options/Send/Plain Text Its pretty simple, really. Cheers A >I'm almost certain that IE4/outlook express HTMLizes email you send from it. >there is a way to turn it off, but i dont remember how one does it. i'm >staying far away from IE4 myself!

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Mar 13, 21:28, SUPRDAVE wrote: > with all this talk of soldering and desoldering, is it possible for a layman > to do this with just a regular low wattage soldering iron? any tips from the > pros? Sure, with a little care and practice, but don't use a really low-power iron. Many of them don't have much thermal storage (some people call it thermal inertia) which means that when you place it on the joint, the heat flows out of the tip (to be shared with the joint) and it all cools down. It takes a while for the element to raise the temperature above the solder liquidus point again, and in the meantime that heat is travelling to all the places you don't want. Far better to use a reasonable wattage temperature-controlled iron (mine is 50W), which heats the joint up fast, so you can remove the iron fairly quickly. For the same reason, don't use *too* fine a bit. For larger stuff, I use a 120W Weller soldering gun which I bought in the heyday of valves (vacuum tubes, for you colonists). At the University, we have a Steinel temperature-controlled hot-air gun which chucks out lots of air at up to 400C, great for surface mount removals (and refitting/reflow, with care). There's a proper SMD station as well, but only one person is allowed near that. However, I confess I'm a member of the blowtorch club at at home. I can confirm that it's possible to remove DIL and SIMM sockets that way, as well as ICs! Personally, I use a fairly large piston-type desolder sucker. I hate braid - although it's good for removing bridges on SMDs - and hate those awkward desolder bulbs. I once had a vacuum desoldering iron, but it was always getting clogged... -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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What's with the raw HTML?

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Mar 14, 12:16, Kip Crosby wrote: > >I don't think the sender INTENDS to send out HTML. If you really look > >close at such messages, you will see an actual message.... Sure, but it's no less irritating. I've stopped reading most of them. Once or twice I've replied with suggestions to fix it; sometimes the sender has even fixed it :-) > That's it. MIME-enabled clients read the MIME part; MSIE4 reads the HTML > part; MS-Outlook and Outlook Express I _think_ offer the choice between the > two. Microsoft no longer considers flat-ASCII mail to be an important > fraction of the traffic. Unfortunately, quite a lot of *mail* readers can't handle that, especially the "multipart/alternative" header. Zmail stubbornly refuses to display either part, so I resort to /usr/sbin/Mail or /usr/bsd/mail if it's important. As far as I'm concerned, MIME is fine, but HTML has no business in email. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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IIGS

by francois.auradon＠worldnet.att.net

Hi, I just picked up an Apple IIGS without the keyboard. Can I use a MAC keyboard on it? Also it was connected to an Apple IIe via a super serial port on the GS and an I/O controller on the IIe side. Is that some sort of "Networking"? There was no disk drive attached to the IIe. ------------------------------------------------------------- Francois Visit the Sanctuary at: http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon

28 years, 1 month

4
3
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Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

And I just learned that it was safe to tuch motherboard/cards when your computers on! (BTW, any one know aout DIMM stuff?) Ciao, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Allison J Parent <allisonp(a)world.std.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, March 14, 1998 10:52 PM Subject: Re: Getting bent (ON topic if not thread) > ><>FYI in the old days when people would salvage chips of old unmarked card ><>a popular way to remove them was a propane torch and pliers! >< ><Old days??? I recovered chips using this method a few months ago... > >Same here but some of the kids may never have heard of a propane torch! > ><Cool! If one is careful, there is more than just chips that can be ><recovered using this method -- at one point in time I could recover usabl ><chip sockets (even some 40-pinners) that I'm still using for other ><projects, and I now have a *boatload* of 8-switch DIP switch packages fo ><my hardware playing... > >Also SIP resistor packs, caps and even SMT devices. > >I've also been known to use gas stoves and even electric stoves. I've >found the electic stoves with care can be used to pull chips with no >board damage. > >Allison >

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

>Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 20:39:33 -0600 (CST) Why do you say this? I found an AIWA all-in-one thing (radio,tape, phono,cd) in the trash a few years ago, and it has worked fine. Does it damage CDs or something? > >I have [music] CD's going back to the mid-80's. They all work fine. >(P.S., never buy an Aiwa CD player.) > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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What's with the raw HTML?

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Curretly using IE4, I've got to say that MS does have some innovation left. The problem is that it comes TOO LATE to be useful. However, seeing as how the current version of Netscape and IE use HTML emails, and how an aditional 1 million people support it (with Hotmail), and how, when you get down to it, it does increase functionality, it's going to be a standard. IE4 does send it by default, but, you can change that by clicking on Format -> Plain Text. If the e-mail that you wish to respond to's in plain text, that's what it'll send. The problem is that if M$ supports it, the WHOLE WORLD suddenly has to all have HTML-ized e-mail readers. It's nice if you have it, but a pain in the A** if you don't. Ciao, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: SUPRDAVE <SUPRDAVE(a)aol.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Sunday, March 15, 1998 5:05 AM Subject: Re: What's with the raw HTML? >I'm almost certain that IE4/outlook express HTMLizes email you send from it. >there is a way to turn it off, but i dont remember how one does it. i'm >staying far away from IE4 myself! > >david > >In a message dated 98-03-14 15:20:25 EST, you write: > ><< That's it. MIME-enabled clients read the MIME part; MSIE4 reads the HTML > part; MS-Outlook and Outlook Express I _think_ offer the choice between the > two. Microsoft no longer considers flat-ASCII mail to be an important > fraction of the traffic. > > Kip Crosby >>

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

What's with the raw HTML?

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

I'm almost certain that IE4/outlook express HTMLizes email you send from it. there is a way to turn it off, but i dont remember how one does it. i'm staying far away from IE4 myself! david In a message dated 98-03-14 15:20:25 EST, you write: << That's it. MIME-enabled clients read the MIME part; MSIE4 reads the HTML part; MS-Outlook and Outlook Express I _think_ offer the choice between the two. Microsoft no longer considers flat-ASCII mail to be an important fraction of the traffic. Kip Crosby >>

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Series/1 noisese and failures... 4967 dead?

by rexstout＠ptld.uswest.net

Well, without changing the blower motor or fuses, I plugged in my newly rewired 4967 hard drive. I turned it on, the power supply made that electrical buzzing noise that big PS's do(and a 220v motor in the background running at half speed), then the drive started to spin up. Is there a miniaturized jet plane in there? ;-) Anyways, it starts up(power light comes on), and then after about 10-15 seconds there is a clunk sound and the drive kinda shuts down until it tries again about 20 seconds later(or maybe because I turned on the CPU). I'm not quite sure what ti think. I haven't bothered taking it apart yet(too much work to get the PS/controller unit off). Anyone have any ideas, or know someone who would? --------------------------------------------------------------- | http://members.tripod.com/~jrollins/index.html - Computers | | http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/1681/ - Star Trek | | OrHam(a)qth.net list admin Call sign coming soon! | ---------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

2
4
0 0

BBS Server/Clinet Software

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

There are plenty of free and shareware BBS programs on the 'net. Check out www.cdrom.com (SimTel) and www.filelibrary.com (Channel 1) for stuff. Channel 1 needs you to register, by the way. Here is a question for you all: How is it done that several people can dial up a BBS at the same number and all connect? >Hello. A while back, I was asking about BBS stuff. Does anyone have a BBS >program (prefferably color, etc., possibly HTML-style), with server/client >software that they could give me? (I could pay for software, shipping, >etc.) > Thanks, > >Tim D. Hotze > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

4
3
0 0

Cipher Model ST150S-II

by DJM1＠bit-net.com

I recently aquired 3 of these tape drives and have been trying to locate any information on them to see if they are any good/worth useing. I was surfing the web and saw some Email messages you sent concerning these tape drives. Could you share any information you have? I would prove to be most helpful to me. Thank You Dennis Magnan dmagnan(a)hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

3
2
0 0

What's with the raw HTML?

by lisard＠zetnet.co.uk

anthony clifton: :Er...most ISPs (except the really big guys where all bets are off) really big guys...? well, aside from the hourlies, who would that be? aside from aol and compuserve (which don't sell internet access, they sell a nice new toy) the largest over here is really demon internet, with 90k users. what about over there? are there very big companies there that aren't the "pretend" ones? (we're assuming you meant compushite and arseholes online in your original comment, however.) our experience of ISPs is generally good, except that they all seem to have bandwidth problems. maybe that's because stuck as we are right between america and europe, we're in the middle of nowhere. ;> ;> anyway, this is way off-topic, so to bring it back on: what machine did the first tcp implementation pootle along on? also what's the smallest machine tcp has lived on so far? -- Communa (together) we remember... we'll see you falling you know soft spoken changes nothing to sing within her... Net-Tamer V 1.08X - Test Drive

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

VT320 and Ultrix

by pjoules＠enterprise.net

I have just got a couple of VT320s and connected one to my MicroVAX II instead of the Wyse 50 that came with it. I see more messages during the boot process now, including a menu at the start asking me what language to use. When I am using Ultrix and running vi how do I get back from edit to command mode - I can't find an Esc key on the VT320? TIA Pete

28 years, 1 month

2
2
0 0

New web page

by rexstout＠ptld.uswest.net

I finally finished this version of the web page, it now has pictures of all of the expansion cards I have, taken with a Mavica FD-7 digital camera... That is one great camera! Too bad I don't own my own, I had to borrow one(actually, I took the cards to the camera)... The main page is completely different, I made very few modifications to the links, and added/deleted a few things from the computer page. Go check it out at http://members.tripod.com/~jrollins/index.html. --------------------------------------------------------------- | http://members.tripod.com/~jrollins/index.html - Computers | | http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/1681/ - Star Trek | | OrHam(a)qth.net list admin Call sign coming soon! | ---------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<>FYI in the old days when people would salvage chips of old unmarked card <>a popular way to remove them was a propane torch and pliers! < <Old days??? I recovered chips using this method a few months ago... Same here but some of the kids may never have heard of a propane torch! <Cool! If one is careful, there is more than just chips that can be <recovered using this method -- at one point in time I could recover usabl <chip sockets (even some 40-pinners) that I'm still using for other <projects, and I now have a *boatload* of 8-switch DIP switch packages fo <my hardware playing... Also SIP resistor packs, caps and even SMT devices. I've also been known to use gas stoves and even electric stoves. I've found the electic stoves with care can be used to pull chips with no board damage. Allison

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

request for comments on some used equipment

by mor＠crl.com

Yesterday, I saw three interesting machines but I didn't get them because A) I was short on cash and B) I'm really running out of room around here and trying not to buy everything I see... I'm not at all familiar with any of these, but if I were to go back and possibly get one of them, I'd like some comments on them to help me decide: - Amstrad PCW 8256 (z80/cpm system?) - Sanyo MBC 550 (straight PC clone?) - Olivetti EVT300 (I may have botched the part number from faulty memory, it's a stylish black metal PC-ish box with one 3.5" floppy--related to AT&T 6300?) All were priced in the 10-15 dollar range. Which, if any, would you buy? -- mor(a)crl.com http://www.crl.com/~mor/

28 years, 1 month

4
4
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What's with the raw HTML?

by engine＠chac.org

At 12:23 3/14/98 -0600, you wrote: >I don't think the sender INTENDS to send out HTML. If you really look >close at such messages, you will see an actual message.... >buried amongst the tags....which, when read on a client like Eudora or Netscape, >look fairly normal....it >contains a plaintext version of the message AND the HTML-ified version, >which is what your plaintext email reader is seeing while Eudora and >Netscape can pick out the plaintext version. That's it. MIME-enabled clients read the MIME part; MSIE4 reads the HTML part; MS-Outlook and Outlook Express I _think_ offer the choice between the two. Microsoft no longer considers flat-ASCII mail to be an important fraction of the traffic. __________________________________________ Kip Crosby engine(a)chac.org http://www.chac.org/index.html Computer History Association of California

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

Resetting-up S/36 (5363) - How do I do that?

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

I convinced the 5363 to give me Service mode. (Diddled with plugs behind the keyswitch until it let me try IPLing.). The IPL fails, someone has nuked these harddisks. (Erased, not destroyed). So, I have the whole set of SSP, RPG, and Utilities disks, how do I do a reload? I have the directions for doing this on a 5360, but not 5363. I'm at the microcode loading stage, but where the 5360 has 1 disk for microcode, I have 2. I can finish loading the 1st disk, but I can't get it to load the second - I don't know how. Anyone know? -------

28 years, 1 month

2
3
0 0

BBS Server/Clinet Software

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Could be, but I'm also asking for CLASIC stuff. ;-) I'll check, but seeing as how batelco.com.bh (the ONLY Bahrain ISP... owned by the gov't.) isn't really up to date.... thanks anyway. Ciao, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Tim Shoppa <shoppa(a)alph02.triumf.ca> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, March 14, 1998 7:39 PM Subject: Re: BBS Server/Clinet Software >> Hello. A while back, I was asking about BBS stuff. Does anyone have a BBS >> program (prefferably color, etc., possibly HTML-style), with server/client >> software that they could give me? (I could pay for software, shipping, >> etc.) > >There's an entire "alt.bbs.*" as well as a "comp.bbs.*" hiererarchy on >USENET. Wouldn't that be a more appropriate place to ask? > >Tim. (shoppa(a)triumf.ca)

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

BBS Server/Clinet Software

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hello. A while back, I was asking about BBS stuff. Does anyone have a BBS program (prefferably color, etc., possibly HTML-style), with server/client software that they could give me? (I could pay for software, shipping, etc.) Thanks, Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

What's with the raw HTML?

by kyrrin＠jps.net

Rant mode on... Is it just me, or are others on the list not pleased about what seems to be a sudden influx of raw HTML code posted here? Sorry to be such a snit about this, but wading through that crap is making it a lot harder to read the articles. The Web is not the Internet, and the Internet is not the web. Last time I checked, CLASSICCMP was a TEXT-BASED mailing list. Rant mode off. We now return to our regularly scheduled posts. ;-) BTW, I would ask those who are posting raw HTML code to please stop! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272) (Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net) "Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."

28 years, 1 month

4
4
0 0

Altos and JX questions

by adam＠merlin.net.au

Hi! I had some luck today, and picked up and Amstrad CPC464, two IBM JX's, and an Altos 486. No idea what I'll do with the spare JX - but they are neat. Did it take JR cartridges, or ones of it's own? And does anyone know whether they had to have their own system disks, or could they boot off standard DOS? Currently I'm stuck with the default BASIC. The Altos is something new for me - it appears to be from 1984, and has a number of ports for terminals on the back. It says that it is running a 4186 as the cpu, but I don't know that one and the cpu is covered by the power supply. Was this actually the 80186, or something else? And does anyone know anything about Altos and the Altos 486? Thanks heaps, Adam.

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

Annals of OS and network history

by lisard＠zetnet.co.uk

On 1998-03-10 classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu said to lisard(a)zetnet.co.uk :It's been a long time since I've looked at a CS book, but I :remember the Turing machine as a *theoretical* machine that reads :and writes symbols on an *infinitely long* tape. I'm sure somebody :could build an approximation of this, but the main interest in the :Turing machine is that it is used as the definition of :computational "power." One of theories is that no machine built :today, or at any time in the future, no matter what the :architecture, will be able to compute anything that a simple Turing :machine cannot compute.. that's the one. alan turing defined these machines as part of his contribution to the proof that mathematics has some unprovables. anything that can be proved, period, can be proved by a turing machine; anything that a turing machine can't prove is unprovable. kurt godel (most famously, perhaps?) and alonzo church producd alternative theorems to demonstrate the same thing, but turing's work laid the basis for computer science, and turing himself became quite active within the field of early uk computation (the original ACE design is his, and he subsequently worked on manchester's computers). there are even such things as "universal turing machines", which can be given definitions of turing machines and used to solve such problems, which we suspect led directly on to universal computers which could be programmed to simulate special purpose devices. the "infinite tape" idea is as important as you suggested, however. -- Communa (together) we remember... we'll see you falling you know soft spoken changes nothing to sing within her...

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

TOday's finds...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Today's haul... TWO Aquarius II computers (Serial numbers 8 and 10) Lots of software for the above (cartridges/ cassettes) box of 10 disks for the Aquarius drive (no drive, alas) teletext software/cartridges, several modems for the above Printer for the above Two tape drive units One prototype smart card unit (credit card size card) - for videotext access Prototype Commodore disk drive interfaces (2) for Aquarius Schematics and manuals for Aquarius Extension interface Prototype 16K RAM unit (functional) OSI superboard II with homemade case, including voice synthesis add-on Another good day. I'll be trading at least one of the Aquarius II computers, probably. Offers? Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Old Sony Z80 comp...

by afritz＠iname.com

At 10:59 AM 3/13/98 -0800, you wrote: >I have several SMC-70 disks that include the o/s, word processor >(Benchmark), MEX114 communications, etc. I have no idea whether the o/s >will support your 'odd pieces' however. Are these things readable by PC floppy drives or do they use an odd geometry/layout (eg, Apple)? If so, images of them would be nice. Otherwise, I guess I can find a way to get them out here (AZ). Adam ( Adam Fritzler afritz(a)iname.com ) http://afritz.base.org/ http://www.primenet.com/~afritz/ Linux/mac68k: (Linux for 68k Macintoshes) http://www.maclinux.org/ http://www.afritz.base.org/linux-mac68k/ Linux/MIPS for DECstations (Linux for MIPS DECstations) http://decstation.unix-ag.org http://www1.softway.com.au/people/paul/dec/index.html

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

IBM S/s

by peacock＠simconv.com

>It was thus said that the Great jpero(a)cgo.wave.ca once stated: >> >> > You forgot the AS/400 series. >> There's one already! > > Oops. Missed it. How about 1130, 1401, 7090, 4300 series? And the ancestor of the powerPC, what was it, 801?

28 years, 1 month

4
5
0 0

Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 11:09 AM 3/11/98 -0800, you wrote: >The reason I can't say the same for CD-ROM's is that I don't have any that >are more than a decade old. Some of my floppies will be 30 years old >pretty soon. I have [music] CD's going back to the mid-80's. They all work fine. (P.S., never buy an Aiwa CD player.) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
1
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request for comments on some used equipment

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 06:16 AM 3/13/98 -0800, you wrote: >because A) I was short on cash and B) I'm really running out of room >around here and trying not to buy everything I see... I'm not at all Ah, I'm not alone! 8^) > >- Amstrad PCW 8256 (z80/cpm system?) "Personal Computer Word Processor" I have book 1 of the "User Guide - CP/M Logo & Word Processor Manual". Seems like it came with "LocaScript" a WP, DR Logo, and CP/M Plus. A pretty interesting looking machine, actually. >- Sanyo MBC 550 (straight PC clone?) Not exactly "straight". Semi-compatible, iirc. Very early in the PC timeline, and probably pretty significant. >- Olivetti EVT300 (I may have botched the part number from faulty >memory, it's a stylish black metal PC-ish box with one 3.5" >floppy--related to AT&T 6300?) Could be an AT&T 6300; I seem to remember Olivetti and AT&T worked together or something. >All were priced in the 10-15 dollar range. Which, if any, would you >buy? Well, depends on your interests. If you're interested in PC (i.e., Intel x86/MS-DOS) history, definitely go for the Sanyo. If you're more into the older, more proprietary systems (S-100 stuff/CP/M) go for the amstrad. If you're a Unix/workstation person (Sun, Apollo, UnixPC, etc.) or perhaps into foreign stuff or something, go for the Olivetti. (Note, I don't *know* that the Olivetti runs Unix or anything, just a longshot possibility.) Me, I'd probably go for the Sanyo first, then the Amstrad. The amstrad, btw, came with a printer. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
0
0 0

Amstrad disks

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 07:17 PM 3/11/98 +0000, you wrote: >PCW8256/PCW8512 : AMSM8256/8512 5.48 I have one of these manuals, with some waterlogging, if anyone wants to avoid UK shipping. Cost is $.55 + shipping from San Francisco. (that's 55 cents, which includes a 1 cent profit. I'm gonna be rich! 8^) --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 02:25 PM 3/11/98 -0500, you wrote: >There's also the problem that folks seem to think that CD-R's are >indestructable so they do not take care of them (i.e. not putting them back >in the jewel cases, playing shuffleboard with them, etc.). CD's too. I saw a guy pull a stack of 15-20 CD's out of his pocket, no case or anything, and start shuffling through them like a deck of cards. Picked one out, put it on the seat beside him, took the CD out of his player, and put it and the rest back in his pocket. I guess they still worked (though his player had a (I think) 10 second buffer, so it has plenty of time to do retries.) 'course he didn't look like the sort of bloke who listened to anything older than a week. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
0
0 0

Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by peacock＠simconv.com

>BTW, I've seen a few non-name SIMMs with dry joints between the >surface-mount chips and the carrier board. Resoldering those was an >entertainment... > >Probably more on-topic for this list is a 30 pin SIMM that I have in my >spares box. It's 256K*9, using pin-through-hole chips (normal 41256 DRAMs >in 16 pin DIP packages). It does use the normal SIMM pinout AFAIK. Those are adapter boards to convert old DIP DRAMS into SIMMs. I did a bunch when 1MB SIMMs were $50 each. There are still places that sell them, JDR in California for one. Jack Peacock

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

IBM S/s

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

i've got a PCRT, the desktop form factor, but i need the proprietary keyboard. any leads? david In a message dated 98-03-13 13:17:41 EST, you write: << PC/RT? Anyone want to get rid of one? Thank you, David Wollmann dwollmann(a)ibmhelp.com DST ibmhelp.com Technical Support >>

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

The reason why people think it's "illegal" to solder PC parts is because high temeratures can damage semiconductors, or so it says on every soldering guide I have ever seen. That's what those heat sinks are for. Now about the sockets, I'd imagine quite a few SIMMS were broken trying to fit them in. While mostly, it's easy, I had to pound on some DIMMS I was installing into 10 Macs recently. By the way, does anyone want an Orchid RAM expansion board for a PS/2? Sorry, no driver files or anything. I will give it for free. AFAIK, it works and has either 1, 1.5, or 2 MB RAM on it. > >I've seen this stated on several newsgroups as well, but I can't >understand why it's impossible to solder a new SIMM socket onto a >motherboard. You can break up the old one, desolder the pins one at a >time, fit a new one (I've seen them on sale in the UK), and solder it in. >Takes about 10 minutes. I've done it before now. > >There is a myth doing the rounds that it's impossible to use a soldering >iron on PC parts. I don't know where it came from, but it's 100% false. > >BTW, I've seen a few non-name SIMMs with dry joints between the >surface-mount chips and the carrier board. Resoldering those was an >entertainment... > >Probably more on-topic for this list is a 30 pin SIMM that I have in my >spares box. It's 256K*9, using pin-through-hole chips (normal 41256 DRAMs >in 16 pin DIP packages). It does use the normal SIMM pinout AFAIK. > >I think it came from an Amstrad machine, and I think there are diagrams >of them in some Amstrad service manuals. > > >-tony > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

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NYTIMES article

by pjoules＠coleg-powys.ac.uk

I got into the web site today, out of interest, and went as far as the registration page which is working today. They want $35 per month from foreigners just to enter the site :-( Regards Pete

28 years, 1 month

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Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by Marty＠itgonline.com

I used to populate the XMS cards with 256K DRAM as well, largest being 2MB (72 chips). As I recall, the 256K DRAM dips were down to about $2.50~$3.50 a pop when our benevolent Congress stepped in to help us and the price rose to the $12.00+ range. I was impressed. We had orders to fill and were being burned bad.... those weren't the days. Marty Mintzell ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Getting bent (ON topic if not thread) Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 3/13/98 3:17 PM At 12:52 3/13/98 -0600, David wrote: >256K DRAMs bring back all sorts of bad memories. We used to sell 384K >expansions for the PCjr....Not only were they hell to populate, but when >the DRAM prices went through the roof, we were only selling a few at ~$300 >a pop. The thing about those Everex 3MB XMS cards was, I actually did several of them (groan) with DRAM I'd stocked up on. At the worst of the RAM spike, the best price I could have gotten on 256K DRAM was US$12.45 per chip. Which made those d**n Everex cards worth, nominally, over $1300 each.... but we just gritted our teeth, because a 9-chip 1MB 30-pin SIMM was $595! __________________________________________ Kip Crosby engine(a)chac.org http://www.chac.org/index.html Computer History Association of California ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists2.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998Mar13.151714.1767.31564; Fri, 13 Mar 1998 15:17:17 -0500 Received: from host (lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id MAA16957; Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:09:44 -0800 Received: from mxu2.u.washington.edu (mxu2.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.9]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id MAA19848 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:09:27 -0800 Received: from relay.batnet.com (relay1.batnet.com [204.188.144.18]) by mxu2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with SMTP id MAA28221 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:09:26 -0800 Received: from goldrush by relay.batnet.com (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id MAA13871; Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:08:49 -0800 Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980313120654.00f77620(a)pop.batnet.com> Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:06:54 -0800 Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: Kip Crosby <engine(a)chac.org> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Getting bent (ON topic if not thread) In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19980313125240.008fd8e0(a)pop3.webzone.net> References: <3.0.5.32.19980313102815.00f64130(a)pop.batnet.com> <9803131239.ZM19878(a)indy.dunnington.york.ac.uk> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Sender: chac(a)pop.batnet.com X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

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Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Mar 13, 12:52, David Wollmann wrote: > Now we just have to worry about busting the cheap plastic > retainers on some of the older sockets. I hate it when I have to trash a > mobo for a busted SIMM socket. They're not usually very hard to replace. I've fixed at least two motherboards such as you describe by using the SIMM sockets swiped from one that really was DBR. Even new SIMM sockets aren't expensive. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

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Old Sony Z80 comp...

by afritz＠iname.com

I know there has already been a discussion on the Sony SMC-70, but it seems to have terminated after being sidetracked into a discussion of floppy connectors. I've stumbled upon quite a large collection of Sony modules for these things. This is currently what I have sitting in front of me: SMC-70G Micro Computer ??????? Genlocker SMI-7012A Dual Floppy Unit SMI-7074 NTSC Superimposer SMI-7050 Cache Disk Unit -- What is this? SMI-7075 Videotizer Now, is there anywhere that I can get an OS and the software to use all that equipment with? Can someone 'lend' me images of thier floppies? (If anyone has them!) The main computer module is fuctional -- I can boot it to the point where I get a console monitor and get type 'b' and get into 'Sony BASIC'. I don't currently have enough RGB NTSC video equipment to test the rest out. Thanks, Adam ( Adam Fritzler afritz(a)iname.com ) http://afritz.base.org/

28 years, 1 month

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Sun3x boot prom

by jmg＠iac.net

Anyone remember how to set the default boot drive on a Sun3? This is not a Sun4, so the monitor commands are completely different >from anything manufactured in the last ten years.... Thanks! --jmg

28 years, 1 month

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VAXServers

by allisonp＠world.std.com

Recently there were a number of VAXservers offered from VCC. The disposition is they are gone. Some comments for those that are curious. They were VAXservers (KA410e) meaning they do not have the graphic console and they are old and as 3100s go slow. Compared to a m30, m38, m80 series these are the slowest models. So if you not familiar with VAXen...they were designed and intended as cheap servers. Each one weights about 20-25 pounds basic weight of the 3100 pizza box regardless of model. I priced packaging and shipping in the USA as $30-50 each (even the tape drives weigh alot!). Thy may be small but they weigh a lot. That's a lot of money. I can't deal with it. So I'm not into shipping them. Many people wanted one shipped from VCC and none took into account that the source had a job to do and no time or resources to pack them and send them to indiviuals for free and there was no way to recover the cost back. Me I'm broke so I can't lay out cash to ship them. Take this as a hint when trying to procure systems/pieces. The source generally desires LOW EFFORT/COST meaning you pick it up. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Altos and JX questions

by adam＠merlin.net.au

>The infamous Japanese PCjr? The JX was the last straw for the jr community. >When we heard about it we though IBM was fixing to revive the jr--little >did we know. Is there any chance you could post a couple snapshots of the >JX somewhere? I'd love to have a look at one so I can cry in my beer. I opened one of them up to check her out, and have a shot of the system with the cover off. As soonas I get the film proceesed I'll put them up. An ugly beast though - I like them, but they are an ugly dark gray. >IIRC, the JX could boot PC-DOS 2.10. If it's inwards are anything like the >PCjr, it's a 128K box, so unless it has been expanded, you're probably >stuck with DOS 2.10 or 3.x. It seems they were 512k as standard, but there was no seperate video ram so 64k of that was taken. thanks heaps, Adam.

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digital group Z80 computer

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Mar 12, 22:01, Doug Yowza wrote: > Speaking of IMSAI's, I just bought a PROM/RAM board from somebody (it's on > its way) without knowing exactly what it is (that's my standard MO). All > I know is that it's a Vector Graphics board for an IMSAI (and comes with > the original receipt from IMS, as well as an original IMSAI catalog!) and > I can tell from Bill R's Tandy catalog > (http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/Tandy_TOC_Frames_Page.htm) > that it was intended as a front-panel replacement (are your fingers red > and swolen?). > > My guess is that a PROM/RAM board is sort of a ROM emulator. Am I close, > or is it just a board that can handle PROMs and RAMs? I'd expect it's just a board that can hold either PROMs or static RAM. A "ROM emulator" usually refers to some plug-in device, often controlled by a logic analyser or EPROM programmer with a ribbon cable, that pretends to be a ROM. Used for development purposes: instead of switching the machine off, counting to 15, pulling the EPROM, blowing another, fitting it, straightening the pins, fitting it again, powerering up... you can modify the code on the fly (or while the machine is halted). Do you mean it's a board that can do vector graphics, or that it was made by "Vector Graphics"? I assume the latter, as the former doesn't fit with the rest of your description. A "front panel replacement" usually means a ROM/PROM/EPROM board with bootstrap and perhaps monitor code, so you could type simple commands and get a (textual) response on a VDU instead of having to toggle the switches and watch the blinkenlights. Quite often, ROM boards could be could be jumpered for different addresses, not just a bootstrap address, and sometimes they could hold byte-wide static RAM instead of byte-wide EPROM. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Dept. of Computer Science University of York

28 years, 1 month

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NYTIMES article

by dastar＠wco.com

That NY Times article that Charles Fox mentioned requires a username and password to access. Charles, could you pull that from the web site and post it here for all to see? Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass Coming Soon...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0 See http://www.siconic.com/vcf for details!

28 years, 1 month

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Okay, it's been awhile, but....

by sar＠know-it-all.com

Is there any chance you still have that Timex/Sinclair for sale that you were talking about eight months ago? DOOD! -Scott A. Rossell-

28 years, 1 month

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IBM S/s

by william＠ans.net

(Another cheap way to start a dumb thread) I came across a thread on a newsgroup about IBM naming schemes, and was wondering about all of the Systems/ and Series/. This is what I could come up with for the hardware... S/1, PS/1, PS/2, S/3, S/4, S/23, S/32, S/34, S/36, S/38, S/88, S/360, S/370, S/390, AS/400, RS/6000, ES/9000 Are there any I missed? William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

28 years, 1 month

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TRS80 Model 4P gate array help

by K.J.Whitehead＠massey.ac.nz

Ok...here's the problem The machine come up with garbage on the screen.It would also seem that the video is inverted, I can see the retrace lines etc, so the horizontal blanking is not working either by the looks of it. What I suspect is wrong is that either U42 (the 6845 labeled in my machine as a motorola SC80757P) or U102 (the 4.3 video support chip) is faulty (or both?). Does anyone have any info on U102 (what is it..can I get another?) or any other thoughts. Some other notes are. 1. It seems to boot (I get a very crappy tandy logo in inverse on the screen) though the screen is so unstable as to be unreadable. 2. It does not matter if it is in 64 or 80 column mode, the video is still crap. 3. I suppose the Char generator rom could also be a problem Any help would be appreciated. BTW does anyone have the diagnostic disc for the 4/4P ? Cheers +----------- Keith Whitehead -----------+ | Physics and Chemistry Depts | | Massey University | | Palmerston North | | New Zealand | | | | Ph +64 6 350-5074 Fax +64 6 354-0207 | +------------------------------------------+

28 years, 1 month

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digital group Z80 computer

by rnjslonneger＠worldnet.att.net

I have a Z80 computer that I built from a kit in 1978 and I hate to just set it on the curb and scrap it. It was designed and sold by 'the digital group' of Denver, CO. It has a Z80 8 bit microprocessor, 2.5 mh, 64K memory, 80 X 24 output to a monitor, dual 8" floppy drives added later from Bell Controls of CA and a CPM operating system. Components: 1 Cabinet containing processor board, memory boards, disk I/O boards, TV output board and power supply. 2 Keyboard 3 Dual 8" floppy disk drive 4 19" monitor for output 5 Modem 6 Documentation I would like to donate it. Interested? Ron Slonneger Peoria, IL

28 years, 1 month

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Annals of OS and network history

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

>anything that a turing machine can't prove is unprovable. kurt godel I'm reading Douglas Hofstadter's Godel, Escher, Bach, which is about information, patterns, number theory, intelligence, and so on. I implore everyone to read it, it is something any scientist ought to be familiar with like the three laws of motion. Copyright 1979, ISBN 0-394-74502-7. He wrote some more books after this one, but this one is better. Two others I have read deal with the same thing. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Pericom MX7200...

by afritz＠iname.com

Can someone tell me what this thing is? It was a freebie (a appearnlty rightly so). It's got a genuine MC68000P12 in it. When I plug the video in and turn it on, it just sits at a blank screen with a flashing cursor in the corner. I've gathered that it's somesort of graphics workstation but I know nothing more. Thanks, Adam ---------- Adam Fritzler afritz(a)iname.com http://www.afritz.base.org ----------

28 years, 1 month

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7474 Chip Replacement QUESTIONS

by peacock＠simconv.com

>Instead, Q is low and NOT Q is high which is the reverse of what SHOULD >be the case. What's the deal? Bad 7474? Or is my thinking SCREWED UP? > >IF my thinking is correct and my suspicion that the 7474 is bad, is it >safe to replace it with a 74LS74? A friend of mine and I had a long >conversation about what you can replace with what and I've forgotten >what he told me about that. > considering the low speed of a 6800, an LS (or even an HCT) should work...but, are you sure it isn't the case of a fast pulse on the D input when CLK is hit (on the falling edge if memory is correct)? and you aren't seeing it (using a logic probe or a triggered scope)? did you check the voltage in to D? maybe it's in no mans land (i.e. around 2v). Maybe its the IC driving the flip flop D input thats bad, or a fast pulse is hitting the R* input Anyway, I'd take it out and put in a socket if you think its most likely cause Jack Peacock

28 years, 1 month

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Sharp MZ-80K

by mike＠boink.demon.co.uk

Just in case you're interested, I've set up a sharp MZ-80K oriented site (below). If you have any information which may be suitable for inclusion, please let me know. Thanks -- Mike http://www.boink.demon.co.uk/sharp/

28 years, 1 month

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DEC 5500

by Mzthompson＠aol.com

On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 Nick Amato <naamato(a)wooj.merit.edu> wrote: >I have the opportunity to snarf a DEC 5500 for free. This is a >refrigerator-sized Q-bus machine that runs an old version of >Ultrix (which is 4.2 BSD based). > >There are several cages of disks in the package. Supposedly, >around 2 GB total storage. And, a few DECprinters (9-pin dot matrix). > >And, I'm told that it boots. > >Has anyone had any sort of experience with one of these? > Yeh, I've got one, and even better, the book for it. It uses the KN220 CPU module set running at 30MHz, 32 bit data path It has Ehternet support (both AUI and thinwire) using the DESQA controller. It supports DEC's DSSI drives (i.e. RF71 380M, RF72 1G) and will mount three of these in the BA213 cabinet Mine supports SCSI drives (i.e. RZ55 300M, RZ56 600M) and has an iterface for external drives It will support DEC's SDI drives (i.e. RA series) using a KDA50 module set. It has a serial console port using DEC's MMJ connector Mine has a TK70 tape drive using a TQK70 controller It will support the TK50Z tape drive on the SCSI bus or the TK50 drive using a TQK50 contoller It will support the TLZ04 tape drive on the SCSI bus It will support the TU81 tape drive using a KLESI controller (I think I have a spare controller somewhere.) Mine has two MS220-AA 32 Mbyte memory boards, I think it supports 4 total It supports the Ultrix operating system, version 4.0 or later. This is the same as for the DS2100/3100, 5000, and 5400. By all means snarf it up. Mike

28 years, 1 month

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Backing up RSTS.

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

Well, since the failed codes I got says the HDA is toast, I got to back this sucker up, real quick. I only have TU58's on the 44. I have a lot of them though. How can I tell RSTS 8.0-07 to back up to them? -------

28 years, 1 month

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X1541 cable

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I thought it could only work in standard mode, but I will rotate them and see. Could it be an weird parallel port? Also, what is the assembly languge command for the line that is used for data on X1541? (SELECT IN line) > >Hmm. Mine worked the first time, after I tried each of the parallel port >modes on my motherboard. Did you try varying those? > >- John >Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm> > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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digital group Z80 computer

by Marty＠itgonline.com

I'm interested. Please email me: marty(a)itgonline.com ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: digital group Z80 computer Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 3/12/98 3:38 PM I have a Z80 computer that I built from a kit in 1978 and I hate to just set it on the curb and scrap it. It was designed and sold by 'the digital group' of Denver, CO. It has a Z80 8 bit microprocessor, 2.5 mh, 64K memory, 80 X 24 output to a monitor, dual 8" floppy drives added later from Bell Controls of CA and a CPM operating system. Components: 1 Cabinet containing processor board, memory boards, disk I/O boards, TV output board and power supply. 2 Keyboard 3 Dual 8" floppy disk drive 4 19" monitor for output 5 Modem 6 Documentation I would like to donate it. Interested? Ron Slonneger Peoria, IL ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists3.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998Mar12.153824.1767.31402; Thu, 12 Mar 1998 15:38:26 -0500 Received: from host (lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists3.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id MAA24850; Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:30:10 -0800 Received: from mxu1.u.washington.edu (mxu1.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.8]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id MAA04756 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:29:39 -0800 Received: from mtigwc04.worldnet.att.net (mtigwc04.worldnet.att.net [204.127.131.33]) by mxu1.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP id MAA27054 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:29:38 -0800 Received: from [12.66.3.50] by mtigwc04.worldnet.att.net (post.office MTA v2.0 0613 ) with ESMTP id AAA28480; Thu, 12 Mar 1998 20:18:13 +0000 Message-Id: <l03130301b12df1681685(a)[12.66.3.28]> Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 14:18:02 -0600 Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: Ron and Jean Slonneger <rnjslonneger(a)worldnet.att.net> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: digital group Z80 computer Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu, Anthony Clifton <wiredone(a)raccoon.com>, tcarlson(a)ncsc.dni.us X-Sender: rnjslonneger(a)postoffice.worldnet.att.net X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

28 years, 1 month

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Annals of OS and network history

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<>> And not so recently starting with the AT and all after the keyboard <>> interface chip is a slave cpu (8041a or 8042). <> <>Well, my 8089 data sheet is copyright 1980, 8041 series predates the 8089. Also the 8089 still needs the page register as it's limited to 20 bit addressing when it's used with 286 and later parts. I may add the 8089 was no fun to use. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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NYTIMES article

by foxvideo＠wincom.net

Hi, gang: Check out the NY Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/03/circuits/articles/12die.html Regards Charlie Fox

28 years, 1 month

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X1541 cable

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

This is the second time I've made one, and it STILL doesn't work. Neither do I want to buy one. Hints? I am using StarCommander and it doesn't detect the drive at all. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by jfoust＠threedee.com

lfb107(a)psu.edu (Les Berry) wrote: >I know I saw a post on this a while back but I don't recall >any of the suggestions for preserving old floppies. I've archived a number of my Terak 8-inch floppies by sending a disk image out the serial port, and capturing on a PC. I also wrote utilities to extract the files and get directories from these disk images containing UCSD P-System and RT-11 file systems. See my web page for more info. It would be great if there were a highly portable program that could be adapted easily to any system that would somehow (serial, Ethernet, file system, etc.) make a copy of all the blocks on a device. Of course, some operating systems already have such utilities that can be called into service for this task, but I think we need something that goes a bit deeper. For example, old media tends to have errors. This block-transfer program (and perhaps its resulting disk image) need to be smart enough to mark some blocks as "known bad" to let external programs work around the problem. Various built-in block-copy programs might react to this error in different ways, none of them pleasant to the data restoration task, of course. Most emulators can use a pristine disk image. Some emulators for archaic computers have developed their own formats for storing floppy, hard disk and tape images. Tim Shoppa <shoppa(a)alph02.triumf.ca> wrote: >I don't understand the difficulties here. You make a sector-by-sector >image of the 8-inch floppy and store it on whatever medium you regard >as being more archival. This is done quite easily on every system >I know with an 8-inch floppy drive; if you're having difficulties, let >us know your hardware and OS and a solution will be found. It would be great if there were more utilities that could operate on these floppy/hard/paper/cassette/N-track images: reading and writing files to them, getting directories of them, etc. jpero(a)cgo.wave.ca wrote: >For any paper based media, clone data to acid-free paper, mylar >or tyvek. Tyvek is nearly very HARD to tear and very strong. Paper-based media? You mean manuals, or Cauzin soft-strips? :-) Laser-printer and even some copier toners drive me bananas; a little heat or pressure or out-gassing plastic nearby and they fuse pages together or flake toner particles. >Also stray magnetic field hurts the magnetic based stuff. I may be completely off-base about this, but I've always regarded this as an urban legend, too. Go ahead, try to damage the bits on a floppy with a refrigerator magnet. It's not the same as a bulk eraser. - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 1 month

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X1541 cable

by jfoust＠threedee.com

"Max Eskin" <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >This is the second time I've made one, and it STILL doesn't work. Hmm. Mine worked the first time, after I tried each of the parallel port modes on my motherboard. Did you try varying those? - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 1 month

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NYTIMES article

by pjoules＠coleg-powys.ac.uk

-----Original Message----- From: Charles E. Fox <foxvideo(a)wincom.net> > Check out the NY Times article at >http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/03/circuits/articles/12die.html > I note that the registration page for their site says that registration is free to US residents, so will I get a bill ;-) Although the following page says that there is no need to register at this time, if I enter the URL given I keep getting thrown back to the registration page. What is the article about? Regards Pete

28 years, 1 month

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Free 8-inch floppies in South Australia

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Subject: OLD 8 inch floppy disks please take 'em. From: aek <aek(a)all-electric.com> Date: 1998/03/10 Message-ID: <350600A1.A84(a)all-electric.com> Newsgroups: aus.ads.forsale.computers.used,aus.electronics Y-ellow Y'all I have an unknown number of old 8 inch floppies in 10 boxes. Some are Burroughs brand others are verbatum. Plus two old disk cleaning kits. I guess you could use the cleaning disks but the rest of the stuff looks crusty. Take 'em away or pay the COD if you really want 'em. If no-one want's 'em they're beyond history. Batz ________ _ _ / ____|| | // AEK C/o / /| |____ | |// 11 Henley Beach Road _-_|\ / __ ____|| < Henley Beach / \ / / | |____ | \ \ South Australia 5022 \_.-*_/ / / |______|| |\ \ (+618) 8356 4081 v All Electric Kitchen http://www.all-electric.com

28 years, 1 month

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Slow week

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Well this has been really a slow wek on the finds. today I picked up IBM 6156 portable disk drive bay that holds 3 drives for the IBM RT PC. I got the user manual and the service manual with it for $25 at Goodwill. Picked up a MAc 512ke unit that I've been looking for at a thrift for 80 cents does not work, no screen display. Picked a complete manual set for the NCR PC6 along with 4 setup disk. A AST Bravo/286 for 80 cents without monitor or key broad have not tested it yet. today I also picked about 30 books and manuals covering all makes of hardware and some software titles. I've got hurry and a warehouse setup for the museum. Well that's it for now I will list some of the other items later. Keep computing !! John

28 years, 1 month

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AT&T 6300

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

>Return-Path: <CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu> >Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 22:13:20 +0100 >Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu >Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu >From: RICCARDO <chemif(a)mbox.queen.it> >To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> >Subject: Re: AT&T 6300 >X-Sender: chemif(a)mbox.queen.it >X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN > >At 12:54 09/03/98 -0500, you wrote: > >> >>I don't recall if there was a "WGS" or not (in storage now) but it does have >>the 25 pin video connector. The color scheme is brownish-black base with >>the top being approx 1 1/2" white bordered and about half of the middle >>section being black, the other half, or course, depending on the color of >>the drives in the system. >About the drives bay(s), have anyone a transparent-red HD cover in these >positions, like the Olivetti version have? I've wondered about those too. There are several AT&Ts in a trift store here and some have the red covers and some have a second drive in that position. I guess it's just a blank cover. Joe > > > >???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? >? Riccardo Romagnoli,collector of:CLASSIC COMPUTERS,TELETYPE UNITS,PHONE ? >? AND PHONECARDS I-47100 Forli'/Emilia-Romagna/Food Valley/ITALY ? >? Pager:DTMF PHONES=+39/16888(hear msg.and BEEP then 5130274*YOUR TEL.No.* ? >? where*=asterisk key | help visit http://www.tim.it/tldrin_eg/tlde03.html ? >? e-mail=chemif(a)mbox.queen.it ? >???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? > >

28 years, 1 month

2
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I have located Heaven... and it's inside ATS.

by peacock＠simconv.com

>Here's a question: What's the differences between a VAX 785 and a 780? > Hmmm, going strictly from memory, wasn't the 785 some kind of dual-processor or failsafe setup? I remember it dropped off the VMS supported hardware list back on V5.something or other. Jack Peacock

28 years, 1 month

2
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Terminals in my way...

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

To first update all of you on the three terminals I advertised before, the two Digitals are presently spoken for and the Visual 102 w/keyboard is still available. I need $5 plus shipping for it and an answer before the 15th or it finds a hole to fill in the nearby dump. I also have three Hewlett Packard 700/44 terminals with keyboards that look just like new and work great. Not sure which emulations they can do but while going through the setup before I saw quite a few. These have a current loop connector as well as a 25 pin RS-232 connector on back. I need $10 each plus shipping (pretty light for their size) or all three for $25 plus shipping. I'll hang onto these as I have money into them (swapped for labor charge equivalent) but I do need to find out soon before I bury them in my storage building for a while. Contact me by direct email please. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

2
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AT&T 6300

by chemif＠mbox.queen.it

At 12:54 09/03/98 -0500, you wrote: > >I don't recall if there was a "WGS" or not (in storage now) but it does have >the 25 pin video connector. The color scheme is brownish-black base with >the top being approx 1 1/2" white bordered and about half of the middle >section being black, the other half, or course, depending on the color of >the drives in the system. About the drives bay(s), have anyone a transparent-red HD cover in these positions, like the Olivetti version have? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Riccardo Romagnoli,collector of:CLASSIC COMPUTERS,TELETYPE UNITS,PHONE ? ? AND PHONECARDS I-47100 Forli'/Emilia-Romagna/Food Valley/ITALY ? ? Pager:DTMF PHONES=+39/16888(hear msg.and BEEP then 5130274*YOUR TEL.No.* ? ? where*=asterisk key | help visit http://www.tim.it/tldrin_eg/tlde03.html ? ? e-mail=chemif(a)mbox.queen.it ? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

28 years, 1 month

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Amstrad disks

by francois.auradon＠worldnet.att.net

Do they have the service manuals for the CPC et al too? If so I would be interested in the 6128 manual. What are the coordinates of the company? Thanks ------------------------------------------------------------- Francois Visit the Sanctuary at: http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon -----Original Message----- From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Tuesday, March 10, 1998 6:57 PM Subject: Re: Amstrad disks >BTW, the service manual (an Amstrad Service manual = parts lists + >schematics _only_, virtually no text) is available from CPC in the UK if >anyone needs one. It's not that expensive (say about \pounds 15.00). > >> >> Joe >> >> > >-tony >

28 years, 1 month

2
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Offering my help...

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hi. After noticing how boring stuff was getting (between exams (no homework), and decrease of after school activities), I've decided to beef-up my involvement. So, I'm offering my help doing classiccmp/semi-classic stuff. I can't do everything, but I can do web pages, basic tips, etc. If anyone wants my help, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks, Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 1 month

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This means my RA81 is toast, right?

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

Here we go... I moved the RA81 to school. Whilst running the RA81 checkout tests in the manual, I get to step 11 of the checkout tests, and I get the following: %RA81-TEST: SUBTEST:0F ERROR:D8 UNIT:000 %RA81-FRU-SERVO,HDA This indicates that the HDA needs replacing -------

28 years, 1 month

2
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Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

> From CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Wed Mar 11 12:38:47 1998 > Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu > Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu > To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> > Subject: Re: Preserving old floppies, fixed disks... > Mime-Version: 1.0 > X-Sender: dwollmann(a)ibmhelp.com > X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN > X-Lines: 72 > > At 11:46 AM 3/11/98 -0500, you wrote: > > > >I know I saw a post on this a while back but I don't recall > >any of the suggestions for preserving old floppies. I have > >a few things on 8 inch floppies that are pretty much irreplacable > >so any ideas are welcome! > > > > Other than storing them in a cool, dark place I don't thing there's a whole > lot you can do to curb the aging effects. We're starting to see problems > with 9 Track and QIC tapes (5-10 yrs. old or >), not so much with 8" > diskettes--yet. The concensus on the "Community Memory" computer-history list, IIRC, was that to preserve the DATA it was a good idea to periodically migrate it to newer (types of) media. If you want to continue using the same PHYSICAL media (type), for purposes of "completeness," sentiment, etc., I assume you could simply (?) read-and-rewrite the data back onto the "same" media (whether the "same tape," or just "another tape of the same kind," is up to YOU). I can however envision situations in which system resource limitations might make it difficult to do that -- only one drive, no spare "blank" media, insufficient memory to buffer a copy of ONE tape/disk while swapping to the next one (more of a problem with tapes than with disks). You might be able to get around some of these problems with clever programming (i.e. tracking media position and restoring positions around multiple medium-swaps!) -- but I'm not about to assume that you guys can all PROGRAM all the machines you COLLECT. (Can you?) Me, I'm a DIY-software-head. I don't buy, or even dumpster-dive for, much hardware that I can't at least POTENTIALLY program... Chris Chiesa ("the still-pretty-new guy")

28 years, 1 month

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Any other RSTS/E machines online?

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

When I get my RSTS online publicly, would I be correct in saying I am the only RSTS/E PDP-11 on the internet? -------

28 years, 1 month

3
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Preserving old floppies, fixed disks...

by lfb107＠psu.edu

I know I saw a post on this a while back but I don't recall any of the suggestions for preserving old floppies. I have a few things on 8 inch floppies that are pretty much irreplacable so any ideas are welcome! Also, I have a number of machines that I don't use on any sort of regular basis that have hard drives in them. I don't expect these things to last forever but is there something I can do to prolong the life of some relatively unused machines. (An old Xerox comes to mind) Should I "start 'er up" every so often (like a car in storage) or is it better to just leave well enough alone? Thanks! Les lfb107(a)psu.edu

28 years, 1 month

6
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Wanted stuff (Was: Pretty good week)

by lisard＠zetnet.co.uk

[tony duell] :> oh, add a sirius one to the list; we forgot it. :Still sure you don't want to LART me? There's a few about - I was "lart"? :given one a few months back. Strange machine - the disk controller :has a 8048-series microcontroller and a lot of TTL on it. It's an :8088 machine, but virtually all the I/O chips come from the 65xx :family, etc. not surprising, considering that chuck peddle designed the 6502 in the first place. he was especially keen on the 6522 and tended to scatter them around his designs like confetti... ;> the disk drives used gcr and ran at variable speeds, not unlike the mac's (although was the gcr encoding method a more traditional 4 bits onto 5, as opposed to apple's software-based 6-to-8?) and also boasted a capacity of 1.2Mb and a data rate of 500kHz. and an 800x400 screen that took memory from the main map, rather than its own little partition off somewhere else. it wasn't a cheap design, but it was what the ibm should have been if it *had* to use that particular architecture... :Yes, 'everybody's got an 11' - but it's the sort of machine you :should have anyway :-). IMHO it's a very clean architecture. hmm. maybe. *grudge grudge* yes, it is a very nice architecture, particularly in the way both the source and destination operands can be specified as being in memory for all instructions (rather than just loads) - but our objections to actually having one are not based in rationality in this case... :And surely it's better to have a real PDP8 than to have a simulator it depends what you want it for. we want it for the programming challenge (what can usefully be done within 4k?) and it makes sense for programming challenge phase 1 to be hacking out a simulator. getting the real pdp8 is something we'd see as the last step, not the first. :Well, a Daybreak (the smallest, commonest D-machine, I think) :turned up at a radio rally a couple of weeks ago. It was the first :one I'd seen outside a museum.... hmm - so how much did you pay for it then...? :> [tiger] :The design was sold to HH electronics, :who went broke (no idea whether the cost of making the Tiger had :anything to do with this), and the machine never went into :production. probably - ram was expensive, modems were expensive, 7220s were expensive... it would have been a hacker's dream, but for most hobbyists, possibly overkill. -- Communa (together) we remember... we'll see you falling you know soft spoken changes nothing to sing within her... Net-Tamer V 1.08X - Test Drive

28 years, 1 month

5
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strange IBMs

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

This morning I went to a trift store and found an IBM PC that said "Personal Computer 3270". How rare are these? I've never seen one before. I have seen AT 3270s but not a PC. This one had a full height hard drive with IBM logo on it and a full height 5 1/4" floppy drive with IBM's logo. It had model 5271 marked on the back. Also a few weeks ago I saw an IBM AT that was marked "Personnal Computer AT Store Controller". What is it for? I've never heard of one. The owner said that he had already "modified it" to make it a regular computer. Joe

28 years, 1 month

4
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Annals of OS and network history

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> More recently, Intel designed the 8089 I/O co-processor as part <> of the 8086 family. It had an instruction set optimized for I/O <> functions. And not so recently starting with the AT and all after the keyboard interface chip is a slave cpu (8041a or 8042). In 81 I started a system using multiple z80s and 8085s to do things like disk IO and loosely coupled multiprocessing (using z80s). When I had it up and operational it could outrun a dos powered 386/20. Slave procesors and distributed cpus are not new. One favorite is the PDP-12, a PDP-8 with a linc-8 as a peripheral. The PDP-10 used PDP-8 as an IO processor or later ones used PDP-11s. Even the Microvax-II disk controller had a T-11(chip version of a base PDP-11). Allison

28 years, 1 month

3
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Started up the S/34 - It runs.

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> Daniel, > > Does the system 34 use *" floppy disks? I don't know anything about S34 > but I think I got a bunch of disks this weekend and I think some them are > original disks for the S 34. > > Joe I don't know about Daniel's machine but every System/34 I've ever seen does. It takes them either singly or in "magazines" of ten diskettes. I recommend that anyone with a S/34 tries to get hold of some of the empty magazines - or even full ones. AFAIK, IBM's idea was you kept yor software, backups etc. in magazines, unless it was 3 disks or fewer. I imagine most people did what people nowadays will be forced to do - keep the disks in conventional boxes and load the magazines immediately before insertion into the S/34. Philip

28 years, 1 month

5
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Nuts! (Was: Re: Terminals in my way...)

by zmerch＠northernway.net

;-) Clearing the snow from my glasses, I saw Russ Blakeman typed: Nuts... Sorry, guys! "Merch" -- Roger Merchberger | If at first you don't succeed, Owner, MerchWare | nuclear warhead disarmament should zmerch(a)northernway.net | *not* be your first career choice.

28 years, 1 month

1
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Another hamfest find

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

I found an interesting gadget at a hamfest last weekend. It's a Digi-Viewer made by SwTPc. It's a gold colored metal box about 6 x 5 x 4 inches. It has the outline of an IC on it and 16 lights around the outline to represent each IC pin. There's a cable coming out of the box with a 16 pin chip clip on the other end. It's AC powered and looks like it uses incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs. I've never heard of one before but it looks like a prehistoric IC pin status display. Anyone here ever use one of these? BTW A friend of mine has a digital clock made my MITS. How rare are they? Joe

28 years, 1 month

3
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Another hamfest find

by go＠ao.com

Sure thing. I have one of those beasties. Before I could afford a good oscilloscope it seemed like a nice way to bench-test some digital (DTL & TTL) circuits. Modified mine with connector for the cable attachment to the box so I could plug in different IC clips for different sized components. Also could use it as a pretty dumb "logic analyzer" with a cable that had clips or probes on each pin. It never worked very well for dynamic circuits (not surprising) but I did get a lot of use from it while breadboarding. Gary At 03:18 PM 3/10/98 -0500, you wrote: >> I found an interesting gadget at a hamfest last weekend. It's a Digi-Viewer >> made by SwTPc. It's a gold colored metal box about 6 x 5 x 4 inches. It >> has the outline of an IC on it and 16 lights around the outline to >> represent each IC pin. There's a cable coming out of the box with a 16 pin >> chip clip on the other end. It's AC powered and looks like it uses >> incandescent bulbs instead of LEDs. I've never heard of one before but it >> looks like a prehistoric IC pin status display. Anyone here ever use one of >> these? > >Yes, I have seen them, but that's about it. SWTPC made quite a few things >that were not related to thier 680x based micros - in fact some things >were not digital at all! > >William Donzelli >william(a)ans.net >

28 years, 1 month

2
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Demography

by Marty＠itgonline.com

Pardon my ignorance but what is RCS/RI? Retro Computing Society of Rhode Island? Regardless, is there a web address I can visit? Marty ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Re[2]: Demography Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 3/5/98 2:30 PM > I'd be interested in the Sphere, SWTPC gear, etc you don't want. RCS/RI will be getting the bulk of it. That way, quite a few of us can enjoy it at once. The extras (I have three Spheres, for example) are being held for someone in hopes that a trade comes up. If it does not, the extras will be offered on the list. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists2.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998Mar05.143059.1767.30390; Thu, 05 Mar 1998 14:31:00 -0500 Received: from host (lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id LAA15048; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 11:21:55 -0800 Received: from mxu3.u.washington.edu (mxu3.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.7]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id LAA14458 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 11:21:42 -0800 Received: from il1.nyp.ans.net (il1.nyp.ans.net [147.225.190.5]) by mxu3.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with SMTP id LAA14269 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 11:21:29 -0800 Received: by il1.nyp.ans.net id AA02315 (InterLock SMTP Gateway 3.0 for classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu); Thu, 5 Mar 1998 14:21:32 -0500 Received: by il1.nyp.ans.net (Internal Mail Agent-1); Thu, 5 Mar 1998 14:21:32 -0500 Message-Id: <Pine.GSO.3.96.980305141907.468N-100000(a)titan.purch.ans.net> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 14:21:32 -0500 (EST) Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: William Donzelli <william(a)ans.net> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Re[2]: Demography In-Reply-To: <1998Mar05.125835.1767.86119(a)smtp.itgonline.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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Samsung S300

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

Anyone famillar with a Samsung S300? The e-mail address is julief(a)nytimes.com. >Dear Mr. Coward, >Just visited your museum web site. Very nice. Unfortunately, it didn't >contain the information I was seeking, namely, the retail price of a >Samsung S300 back in 1988. I'm with the New York Times and I need the >information for a story I'm working on. If you have an idea where I can >look, please message me. Otherwise, good luck with your museum. >Cheers, >Julie Flaherty ========================================= 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

1
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Fwd: Free to a good home - VT320's

by pjoules＠enterprise.net

I thought this might be of interest to the Brits on the list. I have asked him for a couple of them so leave some for me :-) Regards Pete On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 12:48:15 -0000, in comp.sys.dec "Jeff Chambers" <jeff(a)admswood.demon.co.uk> wrote: >I have 11 VT320's surplus to my requirements, which are free to a good >home - ie not for resale by a broker. > >My only requirements are that this is a UK offer (I am Leicestershire based) >and the prospective owner(s) collects or arranges carriage. The least hassle >you offer me the better chance you can have one/them! > >Jeff > >

28 years, 1 month

1
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Annals of OS and network history

by peacock＠simconv.com

>> and I am interested in something that had a processor that >> interacted w/the user and a separate one to do the processing >> (ie a real-time system capable of doing all that a normal one can) The earliest machine I know of that did this on a large scale was the 6000 series from CDC, starting with the CDC 6600 in late 60's, designed by Seymour Cray. The main CPU was a superscalar 60 bit processor with no I/O instructions or ports, just memory. All I/O was handled by PPUs (peripheral processor units), which if I recall were 24 bit CPUs, (very hazy recall here) using an older CDC 924 type instruction set. The PPUs had direct memory channels into the main CPU. The operating system posted messages to the PPUs for I/O requests. The PPUs were not user programmable, but could be programmed at the system programmer level. More recently, Intel designed the 8089 I/O co-processor as part of the 8086 family. It had an instruction set optimized for I/O functions. I vaguely recall someone made an S-100 board with an 8089 on it (was it Godbout?) but it never caught on. Jack Peacock

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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HP Integral PC

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 08:22 AM 3/10/98, you wrote: > Was it your mailbox that filled up and was bouncing messages all over the >place? I sure hope not! If it was, I truly apologize! But I download mail everyday, (although on weekends I don't always get to read it right away.) I did get the NEC stuff. Thanks! --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
0
0 0

Annals of OS and network history

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 04:00 PM 3/9/98 PST, you wrote: > and I am interested in something that had a processor that > interacted w/the user and a separate one to do the processing > (ie a real-time system capable of doing all that a normal one can) Godbout (CompuPro) made a processor board that had both an 80286 and an 8085. I know, because I worked on such a system in the early 80's. Meanwhile, in that same box, the disk controller had a Z80 on it. (I am *so* sorry I didn't go back and snag that system after we (the employees) left en masse due to not having been paid for several months.) In the early '80s, I felt rather strongly that the ideal system would be based on a z8000 (or 80x86 if you must) for number crunching and general processing and a 68000 for graphics and interface stuff. Put in two processors and let 'em do what they're best at. Still feel the same, only these days its the '586/'060 combo (or whatever the latest is). --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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Amstrad disks

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

I found an Amstrad PCW-8256 word proccessor this morning. It uses CF-2 floppy disks. Are these the same small disks that everyone was looking for a few weeks ago? Joe

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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Started up the S/34 - It runs.

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

I went and started the System/34 yesterday... Gave it a good looking-over first. The PSU is really interesting - There's a transfomer bigger than my head, wires about a quarter-inch thick, and stickers all over that say "DANGER! 580 VOLTS!" and "LINE POWER HERE WITH MACHINE POWERED OFF" But I found one little note inside which makes me think that it's single-phase reading "INPUT POWER 208V/1PH". Anyway, the previous owner gave me a userid and password, so I started it up - It's all menuized. Cute. The MACHINE IN USE light is burned out too. Oh - On the CE panel thee's a LAMP TEST button. It turns on ALL the lamps, not the the CE-panel lamps. Also, on power-on, you have to push LOAD to read in the bootstrap. Then supply it with a username and password. I was tld MJR was the system manager - Is that standard on all IBM stuff? -------

28 years, 1 month

6
13
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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

On Fri, 6 Mar 1998 00:50:19 +0000 (GMT) Tony Duell said: Tim said about bit-rot >> In the first stages of bit rot, single bits go "flaky" and will not >> read reliably. So the first thing to do is read the 1702A's multiple >> times and see if any are going bad in this way. Of course, be sure >> to save the results of each read pass... Tony replied with: >With _most_ EPROMs, bit-rot causes 0's to turn into 1's, but not the >reverse, since the fully erased (=discharged) state of the chip is full >of FF's. Thus if you start to detect flakyness, you read the chip n times >and logically AND the dumps. This is not hard to do given another >computer, of course. Tony, this didn't sound right to me so I looked it up and my book is saying that 1702A (and the 5204) erase to all 0s. Is this wrong? And I thought I'd pass along this neat table that I found on DataI/O web page while looking for device code for my Series 22. I reduced it on the xerox machine and taped it to my programmer. DEVICE DECIMAL DECIMAL HEX HEX HEX SIZE NO. BITS ADDR RANGE NO. BYTES CHECKSUM(1) =========================================================================== 2708 1K X 8 8K 0 ---- 3FF 400 3FC00 2716 2K X 8 16K 0 ---- 7FF 800 7F800 2732 4K X 8 32K 0 ---- FFF 1000 FF000 2764 8K X 8 64K 0 --- 1FFF 2000 1FE000 27128 16K X 8 128K 0 --- 3FFF 4000 3FC000 27256 32K X 8 256K 0 --- 7FFF 8000 7F8000 27512 64K X 8 512K 0 --- FFFF 10000 FF0000 27010 128K X 8 1M 0 -- 1FFFF 20000 1FE0000 27020 256K X 8 2M 0 -- 3FFFF 40000 3FC0000 27040 512K X 8 4M 0 -- 7FFFF 80000 7F80000 27080 1024K X 8 8M 0 -- FFFFF 100000 FF00000 2048K X 8 16M 0 - 1FFFFF 200000 1FE00000 4096K X 8 32M 0 - 3FFFFF 400000 3FC00000 8192K X 8 64M 0 - 7FFFFF 800000 7F800000 (1) Represents the checksum of a blank EPROM where memory locations contain FF hex. ========================================= 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

3
2
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Epson HX-20

by lfb107＠psu.edu

At 08:16 AM 3/10/98, Joe wrote: > The technical reference manuals sound interesting. How big are they? I >might get one just to add to my documentation library. There are two of them each about 250 pgs. > Is there a command to show the amount of memory in the HX-20? I'll try >it with and without the expansion unit connected and see what they do. BTW >is it normal for the HX-20 to turn on and show a menu for: 1) Monitor 2) >BASIC ? That's what these do. Do you have any user documentation for the >monitor and BASIC for the HX-20? Don't really see one. HX-20's came with 16k and I think the expansion doubled that to 32k. It looks like the command "STAT ALL" should give you what your looking for. Les

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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Annals of OS and network history

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Nobody has ever made a Turing machine (it's that nasty infinitely long <tape that keeps getting in the way), but that reminds me of something I'v <been looking for. Didn't Danny Hillis make a computer from TinkerToys <(TM) as part of his PhD thesis or something? I've been looking for the <schematics.... Yes I know but it has been done. Back when shift registers were commonly available with lengths of 1024 bits it was very trivial to string a few and get really long serial memory. With moden megabit rams it's not that much more difficult. The tape was not so much the problem but the programing... Allison

28 years, 1 month

3
2
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Epson HX-20

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

Doug, I'll let you know if he decides to sell. I think he's considering it. These are NICE units. They were used as controllers in some kind of survielence (sp?) systems so they were enclosed inside of another unit and have never been handled and they look like new. The technical reference manuals sound interesting. How big are they? I might get one just to add to my documentation library. Is there a command to show the amount of memory in the HX-20? I'll try it with and without the expansion unit connected and see what they do. BTW is it normal for the HX-20 to turn on and show a menu for: 1) Monitor 2) BASIC ? That's what these do. Do you have any user documentation for the monitor and BASIC for the HX-20? Joe At 11:57 PM 3/9/98 -0600, you wrote: >On Mon, 9 Mar 1998, Joe wrote: > >> I don't have them for sale. They belong to a friend of mine. If he >> decides to sell one, I'll let you know. Do they need a special tape or >> will a standard audio tape work in them? What's the expansion unit? > >Thanks, Joe, I would like to buy one, so let me know if he sells. I don't >know much about the HX-20, but I think the expansion unit was memory >expansion (from 16K to 32K?). I've talked to somebody that used to sell >these things as a dealer, and he still has the technical reference manual, >so if we become HX-20 owners, I'll see if I can at least get photocopies >of the tech ref. > >BTW, I saw an Epson HC-41 today. I think the HX-20 and HX-40 were sold in >Japan as the HC-20 and HC-40 (which was also called the PX-4, I think). >I've never heard of an HC-41 before today, but it looked sort of like an >HX-20 except it had chicklet keys and a non-QWERTY layout. It was >attached by ribbon cable to a rather large machine; the tiny Epson and >large machine it controlled where being sold as a matched set for $250. > >-- Doug > >

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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The free VAXen

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<is is just the same machine without framebuffer and monitor? My only VAX <(so far) is a VAXstation 3100 m38, and I'm finally starting to understan <why there is such a religious user base for them. ;-) <Also, Allison, which model is the guy giving away? Free! ;-) Specific type unknown. I plan to round them up and then see what we have. Allison

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Annals of OS and network history

by IVIE＠cc.usu.edu

<Didn't Danny Hillis make a computer from TinkerToys <(TM) as part of his PhD thesis or something? I've been looking for the <schematics.... I haven't seen schematics, but there was a write-up of a TinkerToy computer which plays Tic Tac Toe in Scientific American a few years ago; sorry, I don't remember the year. I do remember the description being good enough to make me feel that I understood how the thing worked and, with a little enthusiasm and a bunch of TinkerToys, possibly replicate. Perhaps now that I have a big pile of K'NEX I should find the issue and give it a go. IIRC, the Tic Tac Toe machine is essentially a ROM lookup table. You encode the current state of the board on a part of the machine which slides up and down then hoist that part to the top. As the part falls, it compares the state of the board to the various entries in the ROM. Upon finding a match, it waves a flag indicating its move. Roger Ivie ivie(a)cc.usu.edu

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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The free VAXen

by aaron＠wfi-inc.com

Hi, Pardon someone fairly new to the cult of VAX, but what are the differences between the VAXstation 3100 and the VAXserver 3100? Is it like Suns, where is is just the same machine without framebuffer and monitor? My only VAX (so far) is a VAXstation 3100 m38, and I'm finally starting to understand why there is such a religious user base for them. Also, Allison, which model is the guy giving away? Please let me know when you get them and what condition they were in, I'm really interested. 6/7 of my freebies have turned out to be expensive-to-ship parts boxes, the only real exception being a Sun 3/50 that was magnificent (complete with memory expansion board). Regards, Aaron

28 years, 1 month

1
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Epson HX-20

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

At 12:07 AM 3/9/98 -0600, you wrote: >On Mon, 9 Mar 1998, Joe wrote: > >> I just found two Epson HX-20 computers with expansion units, plug-in >> printers and plug-in micro-cassette drives. I've seen lots of these >> computers but not the other items. Can anyone tell me about them? What's >> a setup like this worth? Everthing is in PERFECT condtion, but no books, >> tapes or anything else included. > >I was thinking about getting one of these myself, and I checked and found >both ribbons and tapes still available (I think it was on Epson's Canadian >site). I don't think there's a bid enough market for these things to >come up with a pricing guide. Most people still give this stuff away for >free since it's worthless to them. > >I'll give you $40 for one to kill two birds with one stone: I'll get an >HX-20, and we'll establish the going market price for them. > Doug, I don't have them for sale. They belong to a friend of mine. If he decides to sell one, I'll let you know. Do they need a special tape or will a standard audio tape work in them? What's the expansion unit? Joe

28 years, 1 month

4
3
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Annals of OS and network history

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

William Donzelli <william(a)ans.net> writes: > In general, the unusual stuff dies early. That's a very interesting statement, but if you think about it it's both "exactly backwards" and "exactly true." Stuff becomes known as "unusual" precisely BECAUSE it "dies early" -- and is therefore not around to become "commonplace!" Dinosaurs are extinct today BECAUSE they died out 65 million years ago... Chris Chiesa cchi(a)lle.rochester.edu

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Annals of OS and network history

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

All right, I have another bombing of questions and theories for y'all. 1)What was the first network server product for the IBM PC architecture? 2)Let's take the GRiD server as an example (I have never seen a GRiD machine, BTW). How does it differ from any desktop system? 3)Have there been any machines that made extensive use of a truly unusual architecture? What I am looking for is twofold: I am interested if anything ever used a neural network-like arrangement, and I am interested in something that had a processor that interacted w/the user and a separate one to do the processing (ie a real-time system capable of doing all that a normal one can) These are for my personal investigations, but I have a feeling that many new ideas have been tried before to some extent. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

4
3
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HP Integral PC

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 07:49 AM 3/9/98, you wrote: >>FWIW, I got email earlier today from somebody who threw his IPC away when >>nobody took him up on his offer of taking it away for free.... > > That's very strange since I frequently see ads from people wanting to >buy them. There was an ad in one of the HP news-groups just a few days ago. [I missed the beginning of this; I apparently got booted off the list.*] I too am looking for one, and would gladly take one for free. Depending on my financial circumstances at the time, I would even pay for one. *Not being one to know when I'm not wanted, I promptly signed up again. 8^) --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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VAXServers (6 off) FREE in Vermont

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<>Hello all, < <>We have several (currently 6, more to come) VaxServer 3100's that <>we have retired from service. They had been doing Macintosh file = <>serving, <>for the last 5 years and have been replaced with NT boxes. I wrote him in the hopes of securing them, vermont it not far to go. Allison

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Zenith Luggable/DEC sw

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< I imagine I was just lucky and the DEC disks came in to the <shop separately, but a nagging idea of the Rainbows ability to boot <msdos came to mind. I also finally found a DEC k-b for a long-dormant <Rainbow which has a 5meg Seagate. When I get the 15-pin video cable <I'll be able to check further. Rainbows did run MSdos versions 1.1 and 2.11.. I may even have a copy of 2.11(rx50). Allison

28 years, 1 month

3
2
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Epson HX-20

by sinasohn＠ricochet.net

At 07:46 AM 3/9/98, you wrote: >>I'll give you $40 for one to kill two birds with one stone: I'll get an >>HX-20, and we'll establish the going market price for them. I hate to say it, but there is a market for them, (one of which is right here) and $40 for a machine as described (assuming it works) is rather on the cheap side. Probably closer to $75, maybe even $100+ if you put it up for auction on eBay. Something tells me I should really be tracking what I pay for my machines... I guess I'll start doing that. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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VAXServers (6 off) FREE in Vermont

by pjoules＠enterprise.net

Found in comp.os.vms: >Hello all, >We have several (currently 6, more to come) VaxServer 3100's that >we have retired from service. They had been doing Macintosh file = >serving, >for the last 5 years and have been replaced with NT boxes. >Our current options are either 1) find them a good home, 2) send them >to State Surplus Equipment, or 3) throw them out. >I can offer them FREE to anyone who wants them, PROVIDED you >arrange to either pick them up or have them shipped to you at no >cost to us. >Also available are a couple of Storage Expansion units for these boxes, >a few VT320's, and 3 TLZ04 tape drives. >The 3100's are rather minimally configured, nothing beyond the base >memory (8MB? maybe 16MB?) and a relatively small hard drive >(250MB?). I'm not primarily a Vax person, so I'm not sure what other >information anyone might need, but feel free to ask. >These machines do work. They came out of service between September >and now, and were under DEC service agreements until June 30th, 1997. >We intended to donate them to a sister college, who later decided they >didn't want them, and we tried a used equipment dealer who didn't want >them either. >If anyone's interested, please reply to me by email. If we don't get = >rid >of them by the end of next week, the whole lot goes to State Surplus. >Tony Harris >Network Administrator >Community College of Vermont >harrist(a)mail.ccv.vsc.edu

28 years, 1 month

1
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Searching for HW manual for HP card reader

by go＠ao.com

I'm looking for a manual (hardware / service / etc.) for an HP "9869A Calculator Card Reader". Just for clarification, this is a 50 pound table-top beast from the mid-70s that seems to be a full 80/40 column hollerith. Has 117v primary and a 34pin "ribbon" ("centronics-style") connector for I/O. I can probably make it "go" without docs, but it will be easier to repair and adjust if I have the specifics. Of course, the usual offer of payment for copies or (preferably) originals is in effect. Thanks for any info, Gary

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Annals of OS and network history

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<2)Let's take the GRiD server as an example (I have never seen a GRiD < machine, BTW). How does it differ from any desktop system? Too broad a question. What is a desktop system? I can come up with several that might surprize you. <3)Have there been any machines that made extensive use of a truly < unusual architecture? What I am looking for is twofold: I am < interested if anything ever used a neural network-like arrangement, < and I am interested in something that had a processor that < interacted w/the user and a separate one to do the processing < (ie a real-time system capable of doing all that a normal one can) IS there one or three questions in there? yes there have been some very unusual machines like transputers, connection machines, vector processors, Turing machines. the latter half of your question is too broad. My z80 s-s100 crate would qualify as the OS was distributed over several z80s but only on had the user interface. The Vax-11/780 had a qbuss PDP-11 as a diagnostic fromt pannel. An xterm on an eithernet to a server could even qualify. Allison

28 years, 1 month

2
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Started up the S/34 - It runs.

by dwollmann＠ibmhelp.com

At 03:55 PM 3/9/98 -0500, you wrote: >> [Not too heavy?] >> >> No, it's just actually not as heavy as it looks. Most of the insides are >> air. > >Well, that is true. Most big IBMs are that way. IBM still managed to use >some very heavy parts - heavy gauge steel chassis, big stiff transformers, >and disk drives with really big motors. > >Still, once a computer tips the scale over 300 or so pounds, I consider it >heavy. > >William Donzelli >william(a)ans.net > > Heavy? Not if you add the optional System/34 Transport Attachment (shoulder harness/hernia belt), IBM PN 74G5666. Sorry, couldn't resist. David dwollmann(a)ibmhelp.com

28 years, 1 month

1
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AT&T 6300

by lfb107＠psu.edu

At 08:54 AM 3/9/98 -0500, Ward Donald Griffiths III wrote: >> Well my 3B2 and 6300 cases match exactly. (Brown bottom, white tops, black >> inserts, etc.) > >Check for the suffix WGS after 6300. The 6300 WGS (_much_ more PC >compatible than the original) had that color scheme, the original had >a mostly black front. Does it have the DB-25 video connector? I'll >accept an interim color change that I might have missed -- I only >dealt with AT&T equipment when the WGS systems were just appearing >and the original 6300 and 6300+ had been discontinued -- but the >store kept so much old stuff in inventory that I shouldn't have >missed anything like that. I don't recall if there was a "WGS" or not (in storage now) but it does have the 25 pin video connector. The color scheme is brownish-black base with the top being approx 1 1/2" white bordered and about half of the middle section being black, the other half, or course, depending on the color of the drives in the system. Sorry the above is so confusing. Les >-- >Ward Griffiths >Dylan: How many years must some people exist, > before they're allowed to be free? >WDG3rd: If they "must" exist until they're "allowed", > they'll never be free. > >

28 years, 1 month

1
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Off on my travels...

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

I have, at some what short notice, been told I am going to Taiwan tomorrow (for two weeks). :-( I shall be able to redirect my e-mail, but past experience of such things shows that I usually get my list subscription forcibly set to "postpone" after about a week under such conditions. However, (and this is the real point of the message), I shall probably have some space for souvenirs on the return journey. Does anyone on the list know of _any_ Taiwannese computer equipment which could be considered a classic? (Preferably not a PC clone!) Philip.

28 years, 1 month

1
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Wanted for the "carcass"

by william＠ans.net

It looks like I am now the proud owner of a LINC-8 carcass - stripped of everything but the front panel, backplane, scope, supplies, and core stack. The LINC-8s are interesting machines in that they are a PDP-8s (staight-8s) with strapped on LINC processors. They were made for a few years in the 1960s until the PDP-12 came about. I am looking for ANY of the small DEC Flip-Chips in the R, S, B, G, A, or W category (I do not yet have numbers). These are much smaller than the more common modules found in later PDP-8s and -11s, but still have the familiar plastic handles found on the M series boards. These have no ICs on them, but may have weird looking hybrid grey SIP packages (at least I have seen some on R107 modules). Any leads would be appreciated. Thank you. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

28 years, 1 month

1
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value of Sol 20 and Imsai 8080

by jfoust＠threedee.com

"Bob Wood" <altair8800(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >I am in the market for a Sol 20 and and/or an Imsai 8080. A few weeks ago, a couple Altair systems on ebay.com went for more than $1500 each. However, an IMSAI was recently sold for $126 on comp.os.cpm. Prices are all over the map, from $0 to $1500 it seems. Aren't you the guy who's always posting messages to newsgroups, saying you're looking for these machines? Are you a collector or an arbitrageur? Judging by author profiles at www.dejanews.com, it looks like you deal in all sorts of collectables. Can you tell us more about your business? - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 1 month

1
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Demography?

by sethm＠loomcom.com

A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text Size: 1790 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/attachments/19980301/369a2334/at…

28 years, 1 month

17
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AT&T 6300

by lfb107＠psu.edu

At 06:23 PM 3/3/98 PST, Max Eskin wrote: >>I'll differ on this point. one of the primary things that killed the >'6300 >>was that it was NOT totally IBM compatable. The video subsystem (noted >>below) is a prime example. >Is it possible to somehow slap a CGA or any standard monitor into >one of those? Yup, just set switches 5 and 6 to on dipswitch 1 to disable the video controller. >Was the thing designed for UNIX or was it just a plain "enhanced" PC >clone? I think it was just meant to be an enhanced PC clone. I have to admit tho, the 6300 case design is still one of my favorites (looks real purdy sittin' next to a 3B2) and not a bad overall machine for it's age. Les PS If anyone else needs any dipswitch settings, etc. I have the tech manuals.

28 years, 1 month

5
5
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AT&T 6300

by lfb107＠psu.edu

>Hmm? It must be the contrast between the white 3B2 cases and the black >fronts of the 6300s, because I've always thought the 6300 was as ugly >as party politics. The 7300 (and 3B1), now that's another story. Well my 3B2 and 6300 cases match exactly. (Brown bottom, white tops, black inserts, etc.) les

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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HP Integral PC

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

At 11:58 PM 3/8/98 -0600, you wrote: >On Sun, 8 Mar 1998, Joe wrote: > >> >Any additional info (and offers to give me one) appreciated. >> >> Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha! Fat chance! > >FWIW, I got email earlier today from somebody who threw his IPC away when >nobody took him up on his offer of taking it away for free.... That's very strange since I frequently see ads from people wanting to buy them. There was an ad in one of the HP news-groups just a few days ago. Joe

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Motherload

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

I'm surprised the IBM drive caused such comment. All I was re-iterating was what the guy said "an original IBM 10Meg drive" - and as I saw IBM embossed on the front black plastic cover part, I figured thats what it was. It's just a 5" or so hard drive, and nothing special. Unless I'm mistaken, which is possible, as I don't know my stuff! Add to the list from the other night a mint Z80 Big Board II Cheers A -----Original Message----- From: Tim Shoppa <shoppa(a)alph02.triumf.ca> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Monday, March 09, 1998 3:46 PM Subject: Re: Motherload >> >> > original IBM 10Meg hard drive >> >> >> >> Did IBM make this? I thought it was Seagate...

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

WTB: Tandy 2500 XL

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hi. I just read about a Tandy 2500 XL with a 286 10MHz, 2MB RAM, MS-DOS and DeskMate GUI built into ROM. So, if anyone has one of these that they'd be willing to part with.... Thanks, Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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what are these cards?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

I picked up two cards rather than having them trashed. They're approximately square in size about mmmh....20cm to a side. I counted about 73 or 74 pins on the connector on one side of each card, the other side a solid block connect. The 1st card is labeled "Q050 DUAL TVT" and has a MCM2708(?) eprom and a 10 pin output port, whilst the 2nd is labeled "Q025 16K RAM". Were these worth rescuing? I can do images if really necessary. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Motherload

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

The 2650 card is called a SBC-2650, and the manual does not mention the vendor, but does mention Microbyte as the supplier of the software (eg: ACOS operating system). >> - S100 speech card >By who? Votrax, by any chance? Nup, board is labeled "Electric Mouth - 1 NETRONICS R&D Ltd. (c)1981" >> 4 x 1702A EPROMS that I was after! (whoo hooo) >Well, if you run out of these, they're readily available here in >North America, at $1.95 each, from Jameco Its not so much the value of them, but that I wanted some and *there they were* Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Motherload

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>> > S100 system with prototype of Signetics 2650 processor board >> > - this board later went into commercial production >> >> Who sold it, out of curiosity? >> >> I remember a _Radio-Electronics_ (or was it _Popular Electronics_?) article >> from '76 or '77 that had construction plans for a 2650-based machine. >> I don't remember it being S-100 based, though. I will put the whole story up on my website as soon as I can. The design was published either in Electronics Australia or ETI, and basically the gent was ripped off. However, he told me they sold perhaps 100 of these boards. I have lots of software for it, both on floppy and casette!! and this includes... wait for it.... an 8080A emulator. Bizarre. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Datanumerics

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

The beast runs OK, just a couple of LEDs out on the front panel, it seems. A brief brief play showed stepping through worked OK - will play with it more, later. At least the PSU is OK - next to check the EPROMs. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Matell/Radofin Aquarius II pictures up

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

The hitherto unseen Matell Aquarius II machine is pictured on the top menu option on http://www.comcen.com.au/~adavie/weird/ Enjoy! A PS: I have TWO Aquarius II machines.

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

TRS-90

by toonsband＠email.msn.com

Dear Friends: I have a TRS-80 Model II, expansion bay with one extra drive, and a daisy wheel printer. I don't exactly use this equipment much and would like to ger rid of it. Any suggestions? Thanks. Terry Moore toonsband(a)msn.com

28 years, 1 month

3
2
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Epson HX-20

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

I just found two Epson HX-20 computers with expansion units, plug-in printers and plug-in micro-cassette drives. I've seen lots of these computers but not the other items. Can anyone tell me about them? What's a setup like this worth? Everthing is in PERFECT condtion, but no books, tapes or anything else included. Joe

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

1978 Tandy Computers Catalog

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<I've been revising my web site a bit recently. One of the things I've <added is the entire 1978 Tandy Computers catalog which features such <things as the IMSAI 8080, Sol-20, Vector 1, etc. I don't know about <you, but aside from this one catalog, I had no idea that Tandy ever <sold anything like this. At any rate, the whole thing has been They didn't! I was working from them from 75 through 79 and help start the computer repair centers in ALlentown PA and then in Bethpage NY and while they did sell a few non tandy machines IMSAI, SOL, Vector were never seen in any of those places save for when I'd bring my altair or NS* to test out something. Now it's possible that one of the independently owned dealer stores held and advertized other machines. Even the Radio Shack computer centers didn't start opening until the beginning of 78. The trs-80 was mid '77 and Tandy did nothing in computers before that. Allison

28 years, 1 month

3
2
0 0

HP Integral PC

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

Doug, At 01:09 AM 3/8/98 -0600, you wrote: >I've had an HP IPC near the bottom of my wish list for a while, and I >might be able to get one. The owner wasn't impressed with my first offer, >but there may still be hope. > >Does anybody else have one of these? Yeap, I have two of them. I love them. > I've never actually seen one, but Then go look at "http://www.intellistar.net/~rigdonj/hp9807.htm". >the thought of an early portable Unix box appeals to me. I seem to >remember they ran an early (1.0?) version of HP/UX on a 68K (?) from ROM >(?). Only a ****VERY*** minimal system was run out of the built-in ROM. Usually HP-UX was run from an external hard drive or the built-in floppy drive. There was a plug-in ROM available that contained a complete HP-UX system. It was called the "Software Engineering ROM". It was optional and VERY rare. Disk based BASIC was available for the IPC and was also available in a plug-in ROM. > >Any additional info (and offers to give me one) appreciated. Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha!Ha! Fat chance! Joe > >BTW, I also saw a Mentor Graphics box today. It said something like >series 400, model 425. I vaguely remember that Mentor sold rebadged >Apollos with their CAD software. I was never crazy about Apollo Domain OS >from a programmer's perspective, but I do remember it being fairly >innovative/interesting at the time, so I'm thinking about getting the box. >Attempts to talk me out of it are warmly welcomed. > >Thanks, >Doug > >

28 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

Terminals FS/Trade

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

Have three older terminals, condition unknown but in good physical shape. They go to the big mainframe in the sky if I don't get an interested party by March 15th.... Digital VT100, no keyboard Digital VT220, no keyboard Visual 102 with keyboard I'm going to ask $5 for each plus shipping to more or less cover the time involved in packing and running these to the shipper, but otherwise they're here and awaiting some interested foster home to contact me about them. Neither weighs a lot but due to the glass crt they aren't featherwight either. COntact me directly. I'm in the process of finishing my new shop and these are NOT going into it and taking up much needed space. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Motherload

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

>> > original IBM 10Meg hard drive >> >> Did IBM make this? I thought it was Seagate... > >Well, there certainly were Seagate/shugart (I can't remember if it was >after the name change...) drives with 'IBM' moulded into the front panel. >I have a few lying about... Yeah, but it could also be a Winchester drive, (external?) I think that it was the first hard drive to use technology still used today. >> >> Tim. (shoppa(a)triumf.ca) >> > >-tony >

28 years, 1 month

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PSU

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I think you guys were right after all. It's a futile endeavour. I just trashed the AT case and the entire PS/2 system except the drives, cards, and ribbon cables. I couldn't stand it anymore. I will pick up another case, there's plenty left that are not necessarily PS/2. The thing did have an expansion card that had 2 MB RAM on it, I will ship it to anyone who wants it. > >The power good line is a signal from the PSU to the motherboard that >indicates that all the PSU lines are at the right voltages. If you can't >find a suitable signal on the PS/2 supply, then try connecting it to a >+5V line (red wire, normally). That should get the machine running. > > >-tony > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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1978 Tandy Computers Catalog

by bill_r＠inetnebr.com

I've been revising my web site a bit recently. One of the things I've added is the entire 1978 Tandy Computers catalog which features such things as the IMSAI 8080, Sol-20, Vector 1, etc. I don't know about you, but aside from this one catalog, I had no idea that Tandy ever sold anything like this. At any rate, the whole thing has been scanned and put on my web site. I tried to keep the page images small so they don't take forever to load, but it means that you can only read the tag lines and prices. Still, the pictures and prices are fun to look at. Take a look and let me know what you think. If there is sufficient interest, I might go back and scan the pages at a higher resolution and link the bigger images to the current ones. Also, let me know if you see any glaring errors on my site; I'm still tracking down some minor formatting problems, but most of it should be fine. Just pick the "classic computers" link on the first page and go from there to see the catalog. Hope you enjoy looking through it as much as I did! -Bill Richman bill_r(a)inetnebr.com http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r (Home of the COSMAC Elf Simulator!)

28 years, 1 month

1
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PSU

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

OK, despite your warnings, I pulled my AT motherboard out of its case and put it into the PS/2 tower case. It fits reasonably well physically, but I AM having a bit of trouble with the power supply conversion. I have pretty much figured out how to wire the psu to the motherboard, but the problem is the power good line. What is it, and what would I need to hook it up to for the PSU and MB to think that the power is good? (this is line 1 of P8 on most AT motherboards) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

3
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Motherload

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Today I found the motherload S100 system with prototype of Signetics 2650 processor board - this board later went into commercial production - homebrew video display for the s100 system - twin floppy drives, video card, memory cards, etc. - prototype of production 16K RAM card - additional memory cards - full documentation of all work - S100 speech card - about 8 S100 disk controllers (various versions of prototypes, I guess) Heaps of 2650 software, including FORTH, ACOS (casette operating system) and about 30 other tapes chokka, too much to list. - I know it has 8080A disassembler, PIPBUG monitors, etc etc. - i have source code and listings for all these languages and OS Mattel Aquarius, with ALL software (apparently) for this machine - SCHEMATICS and technical documentation for the aquarius!! - cassette drive - printer (x 2) using colour pens, i think - various RAM and ROM cartridges Mattel Aquarius II in original box lead on an Aquarius disk drive - will chase tomorrow. prototype Aquarius cartridges, including 16K RAM, and a teletext dongle (complete) C64 grey model - Prototype (functional) C64 modem - programmer's reference guide (I was looking for one of these) 4 x 1702A EPROMS that I was after! (whoo hooo) original IBM 10Meg hard drive interesting thermal(?) printers - silver paper with Aluminium that was sparked off - have 34? and 80 column versions (80 col new in box) lots more things that I haven't unpacked yet. A good day. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

3
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DEC PC 100+ FS/TRADE

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

I have a like new, great condition DEC PC 100+ (Rainbow?) with Seagate St412 10mb hard disk and dual floppy. One problem...NO monitor, NO keyboard. I'm sure these can be located though. The power supply case indicates a manufacture date of December 14, 1983. The unit looks as though it just came out of the box, other than the little DEC plate in the upper left corner of the front missing. The other one that says "100+" is intact though. I have no idea why this is missing. Make me an offer. Cash or trade or a combination. I'm always looking for PC components such as internal/external cdroms, sound cards, SIMMs (30 or 72 pin, parity if possible). Best offer gets this one. Email me directly. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

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Is it worth it?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<630Q2-A2/D2 /F2 (6) USED WORKING MICROVAX 8-SIO $ 285 Out of their cotton pickin minds! Way to high. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Is it worth it?

by dwollmann＠ibmhelp.com

What do you think? 630Q2-A2/D2 /F2 (6) USED WORKING MICROVAX 8-SIO $ 285 Davie Wollmann dwollmann(a)ibmhelp.com

28 years, 1 month

2
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PET Discussion (Was: Vacation Finds)

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> Subject: RE: Vacation Finds... >I just bought CMB 8032 complete with a 4040 drive and CMB (rebadged Diablo >630) printer and a Novation CAT accoustic MODEM. Modems for the PET are probably the hardest thing to find (I am still looking) as they had IEEE-488 interfaces. > I got all the original >disks and manuals and everything else with it including the warranty >papers. I got Commodore BASIC, SuperSpell, Word Pro 5 Plus Wordpro was IT for PET word processors those of you familiar with Easyscript for the 64 or Plus Script for the Plus/4 would recognize the simliarity. > something called Jinsam and a bunch of other stuff that I haven't figured out > yet. Believe it or not, I bought this from a NASA auction last week. > Joe Jinsam is a database management program, and I remember the ads extolling it's use by NASA, so I don't doubt it. I read about another NASA application for PETs in an early Micro magazine (sometime in 1980) something to do with launch countdown of un-manned missiles. As I have said before, it my not have been a graphics superstar but it had the interfacing (IEEE-488 and parallel user port) for just about anything scientific. Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our Commodore 64 BBS (Silicon Realms 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

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Vacation Finds

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

From: Ethan Dicks <erd(a)infinet.com> Subject: Re: Vacation Finds... >> >> Have been on vacation since Friday and still have a couple days to >> go... From the thrift store outlook in the area things are improving >> again (I guess people are starting their pre-spring cleaning) >> >> What I passed up on... >> PET 8032, 4040 dual drive. >Agggggh! I'd *love* to replace my long-lost 8032. [snip!] >Anyway, rambling aside, where are you on vacation and is the PET still there? >-ethan That was in Modesto, CA, (My vacation this time is closer to home). I think the proboability of those units being there are good (since most of the local 'thrifters' snag the IBM, Mac, and Amiga machines that show up). I would have gotten them myself but those PETs take up alot of shelf-space (which is limited for me cause I have several PETs already), and I was pretending to be strong (of course if it were an original PET, an 8x50 dual drive or a B-128 it would have been bought. :) That chain of thrift stores (they call themselves Thrift Center Thrift Stores) are interesting, on Wednesdays and Saturdays they have 1/2 price days and with their sometimes low prices you can pick up some really inexpensive hardware, they also strangely have been a good source for Atari 800s. Yesterday on our travels, we took off to Sacramento (California's state capitol) and discovered in our wanderings SEVERAL THRIFT STORES (Many within a square mile on just one street.) But given the time we didn't stop, *sigh*, but we now know where to look next time. We did stop at a warehouse sized used book store (on Power Inn Road) most of the stuff is discontinued school texts, some assorted stuff... Not much computer book pickings there unless you have an IBM, Apple II, or a Mac (finding quality older computer books almost the most challenging task only after finding software.) Been wandering the valley for most of this last week and plan to rest out at least today and possibly tomorrow before work on Monday. Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our Commodore 64 BBS (Silicon Realms 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

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Acquired Laser 50 (mail trades DO work)

by archive＠navix.net

To Greg Troutman: I received the Laser 50 in the mail today... just as promised!! Thanks a ton, and I hope you received my end the bargain as well? To the list, I posted this here just as an example that there are successful trades that take place because of the correspondance on the list. Greg got in touch with me because I posted information about some Apple cards that I had. We talked a bit, and decided this would be a fair trade, neither of us had worries that the other wouldn't come through on their side of the deal. It turns out we both sent our hardware out the next morning, and 2 days later I received mine! Boy Greg, I hope you got your ok... let me know. Anyway, that's all. Just some publicity that trades can go right, after having some bad experiences in the past, this re-opened my eyes to the possibility of doing more often. Thanks, CORD COSLOR -- ___________________________________________________ | Cord G. Coslor : archive(a)navix.net |\ | Deanna S. Wynn : deannasue(a)navix.net | | |---------------------------------------------------| | | http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4395 | | |---------------------------------------------------| | | PO Box 308 - Peru, NE - 68421 - (402) 872- 3272 | | |___________________________________________________| | \____________________________________________________\|

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Propose a slightly labor intensive but very practiceable method. > >Once the machine is operational step through the eporms using the front >pannel and write down the data on a sheet of paper...it's only 1024 bytes. >it can be then typed into another machine and stored, disassembled or >whatever. Hand disassembly of 1024 bytes it's not that bad, I've done >it in the past. Just received by email from the original owner... "When I got the DL8a there were only the 4 EPROMs. Not sure what's in them though, I found the what I assume was the code in the EPROMs when stepping through memory, but I couldn't be bothered trying to disassemble it. " I guess this implies that it was probably working, and that it would be safe to power-up and step through the memory myself. Any agreement here, or is this a bad idea? Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

Well the bottom line is... I'm not an electronics guy. The option I will be following is getting the 1702A EPROMS copied and a) backed up to several media formats b) duplicated to new 1702As. >I supose the solution is for him to build a 1702 reader (which is a lot >simpler than the programmer!) and to read the EPROMs himself. >The ultimate solution would be for somebody to program a 'spare' 1702 >with a known byte sequence, and use that to test the homebrew reader. A >lot of work, though. No, this isn't a solution. I'm a software guy - I'll re-engineer the 8080A code if and when necessary, but there's no way I'm going to build hardware for this thing. I just want to copy some EPROMS... not delve into clever engineering to make them redundant! By the way, I have found several 8080A disasemblers for MSDOS. THere are quite a few websites around carrying such goodies. > Or the one that's >X-rayed with a sufficient dose to damage the chips, or the one that's >lost, or whatever. Is the X-Raying a valid problem? Will X-Rays further damage already fragile EPROMS? As I said, I may have found myself four 1702A EPROMS, the only problem here is getting the code from A to B. Maybe the ideal solution would be for me to borrow a 1702 reader and do the job over here. That way, the irreplacible EPROMs don't travel at all. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Cheap 5 1/4" DD/DD Floppy disks

by jmg＠iac.net

Well, this is the chepaest I've found them: http://oracle.uvision.com/prdct/923/78.html $3.14 / box of 10 (plus shipping I presume)

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

OK, I've kind of settled on an approact to restoring the DL8A. I figure I'm completely unqualified to do any of this and so will rely upon advice and help from those of you who are. I think the first and most important step is to back-up the extant 1702 boot program. I've been thinking about this one (re: bit rot); would it be possible to get a disassembly of the code to see if it looks OK? It can't be too big - only 4 eproms total. Does bit rot proceed on a bit-by-bit basis, or are whole segments knocked out at a go (ie: bytes/multiples)? I presume that it will be possible to restore the boot program if there is some significant part of the eproms intact - opcodes anyway... The disassembly should give some clues as to operation of the machine, too. So, firstly I ask if anyone with a 1702 programmer who would be prepared to handle copying these 4 eproms for me to wave their hands in the air. I'll also need 4 of the 1702 eproms, so would appreciate anyone with those to also wave their hands. And finally, I'm looking for a PC based 8080A disassembler. My plan is to pull the chips and airmail them to a kind volunteer. Actually - although I don't have a lot to spend - I will be most happy to pay for the preservation (restoration?) of these data. I think its important. I do believe this machine is possibly unique; certainly rare - and worth restoring properly. I would note that the cosmetics are near flawless; this bodes well for the electronics inside, no? Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

5
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RSTS systat. Here's the proof! It works!

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

Just a clip from the lineprinter: Ready sy RSTS V8.0-07 GALAXIA status at 04-Mar-98 03:06 PM Up: 5:07 Job Who Where What Size State Run-Time Pri/RB RTS 1 [SELF] Det ERRCPY 5/32K SR 1:47.7 0/6 BAS2F 2 [SELF] KB0 SYSTAT 13/32K RN Lck 1.3 -8/6 BAS2F Busy Devices: None [clip...] I've deleted most of the old accounts - The disk was at 8% free when I got it, now it's at 88% free... The accounts remaining look like they have system stuff in them, or are refrenced in the start-up files. I'm backing them up to DECtapes, then deleting them to see what happens. If it runs a month without the files on the tape, I wipe the tape. (Write nulls over it) I'm moving the 44 to school, there I'm going to attach it to the nameserver (Linux) and kludge up something interesting so that people can telnet to the RSTS without having to have accounts on the Linux box. Right now I'm working out a plan with the 23+. The move is scheduled for Monday. Fun! I get to lug the RA81 up a flight of stairs! :) Oh, and does removing the account (With REACT) kill the directory by NULLing over it, or do I have to go do something else to make sure they're gone? I did see a few accounting-type things in the [5x,*] area, so I killed them all sight-unseen. The system runs OK now... Kermit is still here, I assume I can keep that... OPSER and the batch stuff are missing, and the OS source has been removed, but if Kermit works I may be able to go find some nice person with 8.0-07 and get the files needed. I renamed the machine GALAXIA, and made a copy of the old Monitor .SIL so I can kill those too. Basically now, without some real digging, you can't tell where the machine came from. -------

28 years, 1 month

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8 bit ATARI disk compatability with standard DD/DD drives

by jmg＠iac.net

Several weeks ago I posted a question about whether a standard PC DD/DD drive could read/write ATARI floppy disks. I got one responce which was in the negative... however, at the time the comp.sys.atari.8bit faq wasn't available from my news server (both comp.sys.atari.8bit and news.answers). Well, it is now and I have a correct answer. Check: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/atari-8-bit/faq/ Subject: 11.2) Can I read/write 8-bit Atari disks on an IBM-PC? There are several programs that allow an MS-DOS system to work with an Atari-format diskette. The following require a DOS and disk drive on the Atari end capable of the SS/DD 180K format: [... details snipped for brevity] Guess it's time to get DosEMU working again. ;-) --jmg

28 years, 1 month

1
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Is this getting out?

by pjoules＠enterprise.net

It appears that what is happening is that the mail sever with the fulll mailbox is looking at the From: header of the message and thus sending the 'bounce' notification the the individual posters. This is, of course, better than bouncing the mail to the list as a whole but not as good as bouncing it to the list administrator who can then drop the offending account. Regards Pete

28 years, 1 month

1
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Apple IIc

by jmg＠iac.net

Well, I scored an Apple IIc with an external Floppy drive, Imagewriter printerer, and small composite green (maybe 9"?) monitor. $20 bucks. I also got some disks with it, but no games - mostly old nibble magazine disks. This thing has a serial port on it, anyone know what the pinout is and if these ports are compatible with Macintosh adapters? If not, what's the pinout and can I buy the DIN plug from Mouser? And hell, while I'm at it, where can I find a terminal program with x/y/zmodem capabilities? Is there anything like XIO2PC on the Atari for the Apple? Anyone know of a web page which documents DOS commands? Gee, I'm just full of questions. I'm still looking for a cheap source for DD/DD 5 1/4" floppies. The office supply store down the street wants $10 for a ten pack and I have to special order them, while $10 will get me a huge box of HD 3 1/2....grrrrr Thanks! --jmg

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<>I supose the solution is for him to build a 1702 reader (which is a lot <>simpler than the programmer!) and to read the EPROMs himself. Propose a slightly labor intensive but very practiceable method. Once the machine is operational step through the eporms using the front pannel and write down the data on a sheet of paper...it's only 1024 bytes. it can be then typed into another machine and stored, disassembled or whatever. Hand disassembly of 1024 bytes it's not that bad, I've done it in the past. Allison

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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TRS-80 Model II

by lwalker＠mail.interlog.com

I've searched the world web over ,but never did I find...... There seems to be a lot of info on Mods. 1,3,100,Coco etc. but nada on this beast. Any sites I might have missed ? Merch , Cord ? What I have is a TRS Model II with 1 internal 8' fdd and 1 external fdd , 3 humungous 5Meg hdd ( about the size of a large XT) , K-B , TRS model 7 modem , and a box of 8" disks with CP/M 2.2 , TRSOS, Scripsit and a bunch of other prgms. When I boot up with or without an OS disk I get a "boot error ht' msg. The dd spins up and sounds like its loading. Could it have been set up to boot off one of the hard drives ? I'm really a novice with TRS-80s but have Coco 1 and 2 in my collection and a Scriptsit cart. Is there something I'm not doing ? ciao larry lwalkerN0spaM(a)interlog.com

28 years, 1 month

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Finally gone...

by rigdonj＠intellistar.net

At 03:15 PM 3/6/98 -0500, you wrote: >For quite a few years, one bit of folklore that has popped up on a regular >basis is that of old IBM dinosaurs running our air traffic control system. >Well, I was just wasting some (work)time now looking at some recent >threads on <bit.listserv.ibm-main>, and it is fairly clear that the 9020s >are now all gone after probably too many years of service. > >The interesting thing is that the machines that replaced them, 3083s, are >also now considered classics. That's what you would referr to as using proven technology! This reminds me of a story about the HP calculators. When the HP 35 calculator came out some of the US Army artillery men at Ft. Sill saw how fast they were and their accuracy so they put in a requision to buy a bunch of them. The Department of Defense liked the idea but they had to have a feasibilty study to justify the purchase, so they spent $150,000 for a study that took two years and end the end the study did show the costs of the purchase to be justified. Next, the army went to HP to buy some HP 35s but they found out that the 35 had been discontinued and had been replaced by the HP 45. They tried the HP 45 and found that it was even better, so they requested that the HP 45 be purchased instead. Again the DOD liked the idea so they commissioned another $150,000 study to justify the purchase of HP 45s. After a year and a half, this study also found the purchase to be justified. The army then went back to HP to purchase their HP 45s and .... You guessed it, the 45 had been discontinued and had been replaced by the HP 55. So the army requested that HP 55s be purchased. The DOD commissioned a third study (only $100,000 this time, the beltway bandits had this down pat!) to justify this purchase. This time the study only took a year. Again the army personnel rushed to HP to buy HP calculators, only to find out that the HP 55 had been discontinued! The artillerymen gave up and went back to their charts and tables! Joe > >William Donzelli >william(a)ans.net > >

28 years, 1 month

1
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IBM's second tries

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

mold? if its everywhere inside, good luck! if its just the foam, rip it out. use that armor all all-purpose cleaner. wont take the colour out and cleans good. the pinout is proprietary. this is a ps/2 remember? the form factor is not AT compatible, so forget it. model 60 is 10mhz 286 with 1 meg. there are chips to upgrade to 386 from 286, but only access up to 16meg anyway. 24bit mem addressing. the hard drive is esdi type which connects like an mfm drive. can't do ide drives either. i dont know of a mca ide card. maybe aftermarket though. i have os2 1.3 never used, but i'm keeping that for archives. david In a message dated 98-03-06 20:28:14 EST, you write: << I got a PS/2 Model 60 and OS/2 2.0 (1992, but still classic) PS/2: a)How do I get rid of the mold inside? b)What is the PSU pinout if I want to put in a regular motherboard? c)Is there a way to upgrade the mb to 386 with <$10 and a 386 mb OS/2: a)I installed it on a 386 w/4 MB RAM (min. requirement). It CRAWLS. Should I replace the MFM HDD w/ IDE? b)Does anyone have os/2 1.x that they could send me? >>

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Cheap 5 1/4" DD/DD Floppy disks

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 98-03-06 16:18:31 EST, you write: << Well, this is the chepaest I've found them: > > http://oracle.uvision.com/prdct/923/78.html > $3.14 / box of 10 (plus shipping I presume) >> i have ~100 i'd like to get rid of. most are dd, a few are hd. they've all been used before, but i reformatted them on a pc so they all work. they all have their jackets too. they're not worth much in money terms, but anything similarly worthless for trade would be welcome. david

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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IBM's second tries

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

I got a PS/2 Model 60 and OS/2 2.0 (1992, but still classic) PS/2: a)How do I get rid of the mold inside? b)What is the PSU pinout if I want to put in a regular motherboard? c)Is there a way to upgrade the mb to 386 with <$10 and a 386 mb OS/2: a)I installed it on a 386 w/4 MB RAM (min. requirement). It CRAWLS. Should I replace the MFM HDD w/ IDE? b)Does anyone have os/2 1.x that they could send me? ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

1
0
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Calc wars

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Although recent world-wide test results have proven otherwise, the US board of education seems to think that calculators improve students' minds (I feel that the insane amount of money that schools put into technology these days is better spent on books and teachers). Therefore, in our school most seniors and juniors either own or rent a TI-8x. The TI-83 is the one that the school actually promotes, but TI-85s are often stole...ahem....seen as well. My friend is probably one of the few there to have a TI-92. I'll bet it could run System 1.0 with a few modifications ;) >I wonder what the odds of finding a ti-85 are and cost? They are hackable >from what I gather. > >Allison PS That OS I mentioned earlier is essentially Win3.1 for TI. It is a concurrent windowing interface. Right now, he's trying to figure out the concurrent part... ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

6
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Sol-20 revisited

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Assuming that this is electrically the same as the S100 version, then... < <The 8097 is the data buffer betwen the RAM and the S100 DI lines. It's <used on reading only. I don't see how it would affect writing to the RAM If the input is internally shorted to either rail. I've seen this mode of failure on old chips. <There are some 74LS08 AND gates that are used as buffers between the S100 <DO lines and the RAM inputs. It's possible that one of these has become <faulty, I think. Entirely possible. <There is a 74LS175 latch (well, actually a pair of them) between the RAM <outputs and the character generator. Now one bit of that chip could well <be faulty (IC6 on the S100 card, I think). Yes, also possible. <Not so. One of the most common failure modes of old IC's is that the <bondout wire between a pin and the silicon die breaks or comes adrift. If <the A2 line (pin 12) of the character generator had failed in this way - <or if the input buffer in the ROM had failed - we'd see exactly this <pattern. Also true but less likely. Allison

28 years, 1 month

2
1
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Is this getting out?

by kyrrin＠jps.net

Every time I've tried to post to this list, I've been getting it bounced back with a 'Full Mailbag' error. I hope this one gets through... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272) (Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net) "Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."

28 years, 1 month

3
2
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Is this getting out?

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

I have the same problem, but my mail still gets to the list. Most annoying, though. A -----Original Message----- From: Bruce Lane <kyrrin(a)jps.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, March 07, 1998 7:16 AM Subject: Is this getting out? > Every time I've tried to post to this list, I've been getting it bounced >back with a 'Full Mailbag' error. I hope this one gets through... > > >-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272) >(Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net) >"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own >human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..." >

28 years, 1 month

2
2
0 0

Found a Apple IIGS UPgrade

by KFergason＠aol.com

In a message dated 3/6/98 1:00:49 AM Central Standard Time, dastar(a)wco.com writes: << I believe there was an upgrade kit that came out a short while after the //gs was introduced that allowed one to upgrade their //e to a //gs. >> Also, the original beta GS's were in //e cases. I've always wondered what happened to the 2 our company had. I don't believe Apple wanted them back. Kelly

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Yes, you can diassemble the code, no problem. One thing to watch for is >to make sure that you know how the address and data lines on the board >are linked up. You see, all 8 data lines on an EPROM are equivalent. It >may be conventional to assign a particular pin as D0, etc, but there's >no reason that you have to. But obviously if you want to make sense of >the code, you have to know how the bits in the word are connected to the >8080. Ummmmm.... I was stunned tonight to look under the motherboard of this machine and find that it is totally wire-wrapped. Amazingly neat, but wire-wrapped and socketed - every single chip. Finding paths in this thing is going to be very very time consuming! This computer must have been extremely expensive in its day - the amount of work involved is incredible - not having made anything like it, I'm only guessing... but I'd guess many tens of man-hours. Coincidentally, I was on the hunt for another machine (Mattel Aquarius) and the owner and I got into a discussion about S100 machines - he has a garage of them, apparently (he used to design them) - and I told him about the EPROMs (1702As) and how I was going to back mine up - and he said "I have four of those things!!!" Yes, before you ask, I am going after those S100 machines :) Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Cheap 5 1/4" DD/DD Floppy disks

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

Thanks for the info! I appreciate it! Chris

28 years, 1 month

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Broken TRS-80 Model 1

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< Seems like old hardware is more available than old software <and documentation. I suppose copyrights still exist on this stuff, <but it seems like the web is the perfect place for old tech reference <manuals and schematics. Wasn't Allison involved with the TRS-80 <development? Know anyone at RS who might be able to sign off on <putting this stuff into the public domain so our types can publish <this documentation? I have not been at shack for nearly 20 years. As far as I know the docs for the TRS80 are still available from TANDY National Parts. Contact the local shack and see. If that's true any effort to make them PD is dubious. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Is this getting out?

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

It's getting out to ME. When you got the "full mailbag" error messages, did they show up as "return e-mail" messages? That probably means that one of the list-members who should have RECEIVED your message, had a "full mailbag" and couldn't take another message. Everyone OTHER than that guy, though, from whom you DIDN'T get an error message, probably DID get your message. Chris Chiesa "the new guy"

28 years, 1 month

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Found a Apple IIGS UPgrade

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

A few weeks back someone asked about Apple IIGS that looked like a IIe, well a got one today at an auction for free. The guy that won the bid on box of electronics gave it to me but he gave the color monitor to someone else :-( It looks just like a IIe or II case except for the IIGS logo on the lid next to the apple name. On the bottom it says Apple IIGS Upgrade Model No. A2S6001 with a serial number following that. No date is on the bottom but the mother board says Apple IIGS on it also and has 7 slots on the rear another to the side with a memory expander in it right now. It has the standard 15pin monitor hook-up like the Mac and round phono jack. The rear looks like a Mac LC or IIci. No date mb either that I can find. Have not fired it up yet. Also got a Tandy 1000RL for twenty with kb and mouse. Got a number of manuals, tech ref's and other written goodies also >from .05 to 3.00 each. Got a apple ext. 3.5 FDHD drive for free at the scrap yard but have tested it yet. A IBM 8535-312 missing the memory for $15 will fire it this weekend. Picked up a NeXt N4000B 17" monitor for 16 and a new NeXt software rel 08.30 chip with a date 1988 and serial number of 000A81. Well that's it for I got more stuff this week than I can list here for now. Keep Computing John

28 years, 1 month

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Finally gone...

by william＠ans.net

For quite a few years, one bit of folklore that has popped up on a regular basis is that of old IBM dinosaurs running our air traffic control system. Well, I was just wasting some (work)time now looking at some recent threads on <bit.listserv.ibm-main>, and it is fairly clear that the 9020s are now all gone after probably too many years of service. The interesting thing is that the machines that replaced them, 3083s, are also now considered classics. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

28 years, 1 month

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Strange PCjr found

by Marty＠itgonline.com

I have a PCJr with a box (dimensions are same depth and height as system unit but is about 2 1/2" wide) that is mounted on the right hand side of the system unit and contains a parallel port. Is this what you are describing? Marty

28 years, 1 month

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Demography?

by lisard＠zetnet.co.uk

On 1998-03-01 classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu said to lisard(a)zetnet.co.uk :On Sun, 1 Mar 1998, Captain Napalm wrote: :> Writable control stores: Don't count these out just yet. The new :>HP machines based upon the HP-PA stuff does have a writable :>control store. My friend has one of these boxes at home and he's :>been planning on playing around with this. :I've heard that even Pentiums will let you patch their microcode, yes? details...? *perk up noticeably* :but the idea as a general theme seems to be dead. I don't know the :reason for this except for speed and cost issues. we suspect it has something to do with microcode in general going out of fashion. these days even cisc machines are built with risc cores surrounded by hardware-based translators. some of the pentium clones even let you program them in their native languages. also, it's a bit difficult to write to a control store that's hardwired in silicon inside a plastic case... :< probably a better bet these days is to write a little inner interpreter for a risc, and it probably amounts to much the same thing. :True, some people are condemned to repeat history, but I'm willing :to bet that hardware byte-code engines will be pulled back into the :tar pit before they leave the cave at Sun (and other places). I :listed to a talk given by a Sun engineer on why they should build :these things, and the reasons he gave (such as byte-code is more :compact than other code) are really hard to buy. Defintely a :solution looking for a problem. there's only one reason why sun could want to do this - cheap java-only set-top boxes. it's a great way of locking out the competition (and given their current legal activities, you'd think they'd learn...) but whether it would make for the most efficient java platform is another matter. of course, there's also the proof-of-concept motive. "see? java *is* efficient, we've even built a chip with it..." :True again. p-Code made more sense then (when there was more than :one dominant architecture) than Java does now, but if Sun ever buys :into the idea of Java compiled to native code, there still may be :more hope for Java than there was for UCSD Pascal. well, if they do buy into that idea, let's hope it's at download time rather than with these damned silly just-in-time thingies (which only win if you execute a method more than once, and how do you know that until it's too late...?) elate (was taos) shows the way to go if you want platform independence these days, in our opinion. -- Communa (together) we remember... we'll see you falling you know soft spoken changes nothing to sing within her... Net-Tamer V 1.08X - Test Drive

28 years, 1 month

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Apple IIc

by pb14＠leicester.ac.uk

On 6 Mar 98 at 10:44, J. Maynard Gelinas wrote: > Well, I scored an Apple IIc with an external Floppy drive, > Imagewriter printerer, and small composite green (maybe 9"?) monitor. > $20 bucks. The little white one from Apple that matches the IIc? If so, did you get the stand? > I also got some disks with it, but no games - mostly old > nibble magazine disks. This thing has a serial port on it, anyone > know what the pinout is and if these ports are compatible with > Macintosh adapters? For pinout information plus info on terminal emulators and DOS and ProDOS, try (one of) the Apple II FAQs at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/ The Nibble magazine disks were a good find too. Phil ************************************************************** Phil Beesley -- Computer Officer -- Distributed Systems Suppport University of Leicester Tel (0)116 252-2231 E-Mail pb14(a)le.ac.uk

28 years, 1 month

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Slightly on topic... tip for linux?

by DSEAGRAV＠toad.xkl.com

Does anyone know if there is a tip for Linux? (The comm program?) It had an option to go to another port if the one needed was busy. Minicom can't do that. I would like that ability, 'cause when I connect the 44 here, I'd like to have people telnet to a port and get passed straight into the DH plug, via pip, without having to have an account on the PC -------

28 years, 1 month

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value of Sol 20 and Imsai 8080

by altair8800＠hotmail.com

I am in the market for a Sol 20 and and/or an Imsai 8080. I would like to know what the "going" price is so that I will know how much to pay for them if they become available to me. Any opinions would be welcome. Thanks, Bob ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 1 month

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VSchool: (Directed at kids, but adult's welcome too!) Just an idea...

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

Hello. Several days ago, under the demography thread I briefly mentioned the "VSchool" concept. So, for those interested, here's what I want to do. Background info: The VSchool idea came from two needs: my need to create a virtual community, and, more importantly, the need for children (ages pretty much 6th grade-12th grade) to be able to learn at their own rate. At the subjects that they're interested in, or feel weak in. So, I then think of a place where all this could take place, actively, and freely. Now, Bahrain is far to remote to even begin to demonstrate something. Also, it's got limited resources and views. The Internet. It's used by far more than the population of any city, and equal to that of many countries. How I plan to pull it off: This is the area that I don't have to spend 50 lines telling you what CGI is and does. So, I'll use CGI (anyone got info on this?) to put up forms, (I can't program it... sorry...), and then we can make a chat room of some sort, possibly a Javascript password form. (Ok, so I'll need lots of help) So far, the best deal that I've seen in web hosting is digitalchainsaw (at http://www.digitalchainsaw.net) Anyway, we'll have two functions: Students will "enroll" (for free), and then they'll choose their area of expertise. There, they will be considered a teacher. In other areas, they'll be considered students. Teachers will work together to develop a curriculum. Then, they'll work together to teach others. I want to have a copmputer history as well as a computer interest group. I'm asking for your help. You would be considered a partner, if you wanted. Thanks, Tim D. Hotze

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>>I'd rather not do this, not because I don't want to help you, but because >>I'd be a little worried about sending 4 irreplaceable eraseable chips >>through the post. I would hope somebody Stateside could help you. > > Trouble is, he's in Australia not in the US. The ROMs are going to have >to be shipped unless someone in Au has a 1702 reader. Yes. I am fairly comfortable with sending these overseas for preservation. I expect to back the code up in several places; on the web, distributed to whomever of you indicates interest, and also on duplicate EPROMS, on my computer, tattooed in hex on my shoulder... that should just about do it. :) What sort of reliability does well made, but 23 year old, wire wrap circuitry have? Is wire-wrap susceptible to "slip"? Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>>I expect to back the code up in several places; on the web, distributed to >>whomever of you indicates interest, and also on duplicate EPROMS, on my >>computer, tattooed in hex on my shoulder... that should just about do it. >>:) > > I think it would look better on your forehead. Be easier to read too. :-) *makes mental note* Don't do it whilst looking in a mirror! > Is wire-wrap susceptible to "slip"? > No, it's more like it welds itself on. Especially if it's good >wirewrapping. Oh, the quality looks superb. This is one well-made machine. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Demography

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

Joachim Thiemann wrote: > While we're at it (the buisness of veering grossly off-charter), who > else here collects electronic music equipment of about the same vintage > as the computers discussed here? I have a Korg Poly-800, Yamaha DX-7II, > 2 FB-01's, CS-01, a Sequential SixTrack, 360 Systems MidiBass, and a > homebrew MIDI interface to hook some of this to my Amiga. I have Yes, but not very enthusiastically. I've never really got into electronic music, preferring to do my composing (and most of my playing) at the piano. But, (getting a little closer to the topic) I do have a rather fun device - a Bontempi organ with a number of built in rhythms implemented in 74-series discrete gate TTL. > BTW Any of you UK guys have collections of the old E&MM magazine? I'm > missing 1 or 2 issues in the 84 (83?) season... Sorry, not something I ever read. > > > > sing and play Piano and Bassoon; I have recently taken up > > photography. > > > > Eh, who'd have figured.. another bassoon player. Who is it? I missed > > some > > important attributions. 'Twas I, Philip Belben. For what it's worth. I don't think that bassoonists are rare enough that two or three on this list is statistically significant. Still, nice to hear from another one. (On the other hand, there is probably a strong correlation between bassoonists and eccentrics, and a stronger one between this list and eccentrics.) Philip.

28 years, 1 month

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Vacation Finds...

by MPritchard＠EnsembleStudios.com

I had a working CMB 8032, and one day a couple years ago, saw an ad in the paper "Wanted: CBM 8032". A couple in their 70's placed it. The wife is a writer, and not a computer user, and only knew how to use her CBM 8032 which was 15 years old and failing. I brought my 8032 (which I had set up in my office, after it fell from a high shelf and put a dent in the hood of my car) to them, swapped it out, swapped roms (mine had some sort of add-on board) and tore-down, cleaned, and re-assemble the keyboard for them. and off they went. I think they did have all the manuals and stuff for the computer, disk drives, and printers. alas, I don't have any PET computers anymore. > -----Original Message----- > From: Ethan Dicks [SMTP:erd@infinet.com] > Sent: Thursday, March 05, 1998 3:28 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Re: Vacation Finds... > > > > > Have been on vacation since Friday and still have a couple days to > > go... From the thrift store outlook in the area things are > improving > > again (I guess people are starting their pre-spring cleaning) > > > > What I passed up on... > > PET 8032, 4040 dual drive. > > Agggggh! I'd *love* to replace my long-lost 8032. It was one of the > item > burgled from my house a while back, along with an Amiga 500 and a rare > A500 > to 8-bit ISA adapter from Canada called "The Wedge". I _really_ wish > I > had that... it was built for a WX-1 MFM controller (or a DTC 5160 RLL > controller), but would work perfectly for an 8-bit Ethernet card. > > Anyway, rambling aside, where are you on vacation and is the PET still > there? > > -ethan > > ObBIO: 31, Male, collect 1802/6502/68000/PDP-8/PDP-11/VAX/SPARC. > Started > with the PET and Elf in 1977. Have spare Apple ][, C-64, Amiga and > SunSPARC > parts/systems for trade. My rarest find is probably my tiny > collection of > 4004 CPUs and support chips. >

28 years, 1 month

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Calc wars, other calc stuff, my own previous post (uVAX/GPX)

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

Hello all... me again. I apologize for writing twice in one day, but I've requested "Digest mode" and am finding several topics I can respond to. I should've waited before sending the previous message, but will now be aware of this and will cover ALL current topics of my interest in this ONE note, to save you all the pain of seeing SEVERAL messages from me. (If you'd RATHER have several separate messages, someone just say so...) 1) Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> quotes a message quoted by someone else, in which the original author says that "... it's the HP25 that I still prefer..." Original author, whoever you are, I wanted to let you know that I have a set of original manuals and -- if I can still FIND it -- the AC adapter, left over when my own HP25 was stolen from me one day in high school -- circa 1978... If you're interested in these items, e-mail me. 2) At a Hamfest last spring I acquired a TI calculator -- I forget the model number right off; I wasn't expecting to talk about this today, but it's the programmable one that reads-and-writes those magnetic cards -- along with programming manual(s) and the external PRINTER, not to mention a fistful of the magcards. The only trouble is, instructions stored in program memory randomly get altered, i.e. the memory is no longer reli- able (hmm, just like ME!). Is it "just old," and there nothing that can be done? Or can it be repaired? Much obliged, for any info anyone can provide. 3) At that same Hamfest last spring, some guy found out I was "into" calcu- lators, HP in particular (notwithstanding that TI-whatever I'd just bought), and talked my ear off about some "latest and greatest" HP calculator that "did it all," allowing you to mix "ordinary" calculator statements, BASIC, and C syntax "all on one program line," among many other things. I have forgotten the model number, so if anyone recognizes this description and can TELL me the model number, and of course where to find out more about the thing, I'd really appreciate it. 4) My HP-33C battery doesn't hold a charge anymore; please advise. Joe Rig- don...? 5) Re: that uVAX stuff I mentioned in my PREVIOUS message: I'd be MOST inter- ested in anyone who could trade "my" stuff in London, for "his" set of the "same" stuff in the US! I can provide a more detailed itemization of what I have. Chris Chiesa

28 years, 1 month

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CLASSICCMP partial digest 346

by cchi＠lle.rochester.edu

Hi. I'm new. But enough chatter. I see Bruce Lane <kyrrin(a)jps.net> is interested in uVAX II GPX video boards... That brings to mind the set of VCB02 boards-cables-and-keyboards which I've got "stranded" in London after a failed attempt to get them to Rochester, NY, from mid-Scotland "on the cheap." I'd love to hear from anybody who a) can get them from London to Rochester (or even just to the USA) cheap or free, or b) is IN or NEAR London and has an interest in them and something to trade which is already IN the USA... I know this is a long shot, but hey, I had to make a grand, if weird, entrance... Chris Chiesa cchi(a)lle.rochester.edu

28 years, 1 month

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Found a Apple IIGS UPgrade

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 98-03-06 02:26:00 EST, you write: << In a message dated 3/6/98 1:00:49 AM Central Standard Time, dastar(a)wco.com writes: << I believe there was an upgrade kit that came out a short while after the //gs was introduced that allowed one to upgrade their //e to a //gs. >> >> yes, and the upgrade cost $500. i have a magazine article about it. david

28 years, 1 month

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8080A disassemblers (MSDOS based)

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>> Well I don't know of a dos based 8080 disassembler but... There are >> several dos based programs that can emulate a 8080/z80 and run a any of >> the existing 8080 disassemblers. I have found several 8080A disassemblers. They are relatively easy to find using search engines such as AltaVista - but I will be happy to forward URLs to anyone who has trouble. THere are several sites with loads of disassemblers and assemblers for all platforms. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Mac 512k complete set FS/Trade

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

In addition to the previous Apple/mac items message, I also have the following fine machine for sale or trade: --MAC 512k system which includes cpu/monitor unit with original 400k internal floppy, enhanced keyboard, mouse, printer, manuals, software and applicable cables. The unit was owned by a friend of mine since new and only needs a repair or replace of the floppy drive as it's getting old and sometimes doesn't read the disk, does other times. Great condition otherwise. Entire set $75.00 plus shipping or will consider trades (as mentioned in previous) or other PC compatible parts. I'll also include text on upgrading RAM to 1mb using common DRAMs piggybacked. Contact me if interested by direct reply... -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

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Apple Items FS

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

To update everyone, the Vector 3 has a new home and is on it's way there. I have the following Apple components for sale but will trade as well. You have to pay shipping though either way. * Apple ImageWriter II color dot matrix printer with good color ribbon and mini-din to 25 pin sub-d male adapter cable. The printer itself has a female mini-din connector. $40.00 plus shipping * Apple 5.25" external floppy drive set. Two drives that chain together, marked Drive 1 and Drive 2. Excellent condition. $25.00 plus shipping * SIMMS - 30 pin 1 mb non parity for Apple and Macs that utilize 30 pin SIMMs, not SIPPs or DRAMs. I have 8 of these. Seimens type with 5 large chips and two small chips. $8.00 for the set or even swap for 8 PC compatible 1mb 30 pin type. Items I might trade for: -CDROM drives, internal or external. IDE, SCSI or proprietary. Proprietary drives MUST include applicable adapter card. All should have any available manuals and software if possible. -Sound cards. MCA, ISA, VLB, etc. 8 bit or 16. Again, it would be best to have any available software or manuals if possible. -SIMM memory - 30 or 72 pin parity or non-parity, but MUST be useful in PC's and compatibles. I have no use for the Apple/mac types (hence the sale of the above). -486 motherboards, with processor. EMAIL directly to me for more info... -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ * Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers* --------------------------------------------------------------------

28 years, 1 month

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I'm back! Now, who...?

by kyrrin＠jps.net

OK, I'm back from JPS Internet. Neat service! Now... based on the latest digest I got, it appears that someone (I'm not clear just who it is) has some MicroVAX II GPX video boards, cable, and mouse available for trade. Please get in touch with me if these are still available. The cable alone is worth the effort for me to obtain. Thanks! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272) (Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)jps.net) "Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."

28 years, 1 month

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Sorcerer

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

Sam Ismail said: >It seems that a lot of you blokes down under have Sorcerers. Were they >marketed a lot more "down there" than they were in the US? They are not >very common over here. I remember the first time I saw a Sorcerer. It was August or September 1979. I was just out of the Navy, working at TODD shipyards in Seattle. I was downtown and there in the front window of a computer store was a Sorcerer run a hi-res demo of liquid flowing out of a bottle. Very impressive, I wanted one. But I couldn't afford the $700-$800 I seem to remember it costing (Divorce). Well, today I have three. Two of them have their own cardboard briefcases. But I sure would like to find a copy of that demo. ========================================= 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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Info needed on Microbee, System 80, Pencil II, TI 99/4

by scott＠isd.canberra.edu.au

I need some information on some old micros I have in my collection. They are all Australian models apart from the TI, although some of them made it overseas. Pencil II --------- The sticker on the base says this machine was made by Soundic Electronics, although I believe it may have been distributed by Hanimex. I need information on the power supply. I have been told it's 9.9V DC 1A and 17.7V DC 500mA, but I need the pinouts for the 3-pin DIN socket the supply is meant to connect to. Microbee -------- I believe the DIN socket at the rear right-hand corner is a combined power supply, cassette in/out and composite video out socket. Can anyone tell me the pinouts? System 80 --------- Originally this had an RF modulator, but the one I have has been very heavily hacked. Can someone give me the pinouts for the video DIN socket? TI 99/4 ------- Note that this is the 99/4, *not* the 99/4a. Can someone tell me the power supply requirements and pinouts? It is *not* the same as the 99/4a. I *think* it may need +5, -5 and +12, but I'm not sure. Thanks in advance, | Scott McLauchlan |"Sometimes the need to mess with their heads | | Client Services Division | outweighs the millstone of humiliation." | | University of Canberra |___________Fox_Mulder_"The_X-Files:_Squeeze"_| | scott(a)cts.canberra.edu.au | http://www.canberra.edu.au/~scott/home.html |

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<also wave their hands. And finally, I'm looking for a PC based 8080A <disassembler. My plan is to pull the chips and airmail them to a kind <volunteer. Actually - although I don't have a lot to spend - I will be m <happy to pay for the preservation (restoration?) of these data. I think <important. Well I don't know of a dos based 8080 disassembler but... There are several dos based programs that can emulate a 8080/z80 and run a any of the existing 8080 disassemblers. I prefer MYZ80 and resource. 1k of 8080 code is not bad. What's tough is not knowing what a given port may do. Though guessing is possible. <restoring properly. I would note that the cosmetics are near flawless; <this bodes well for the electronics inside, no? Generally yes. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Silly question of mine: what is the machine supposed to boot >from? Oh, my terminology is wrong, I guess. I've not used a front-panel machine. I guess you'd call these roms the machine's OS? Of sorts. Well... what ARE they, then? >In the first stages of bit rot, single bits go "flaky" and will not >read reliably. So the first thing to do is read the 1702A's multiple >times and see if any are going bad in this way. Of course, be sure >to save the results of each read pass... Thanks for that suggestion. Wilco. Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>Are there any markings on the stickers covering the 1702A windows? Only numbers identifying their position. >What do you know of the history of the machine? Was it used for data >acquisition? Was it used for industrial control? Who was the previous >owner? What might they have used it for? This from the gent I bought it from.. this is ALL i know. "Hmmm.... The DL8a came in a job lot at an auction... It came with a CRDS PDP11/23 clone, A gutted Universe, a 19" monitor, several hundred kilos of RT-11 and Unix manuals, several hundred 8" disks, and some other bits and pieces.." >The EPROM's might hold bootstrap code, they might hold software that >drive some sort of device that you don't have, they might contain >a monitor, it's hard to tell. A disassembly will make that easy(ish) to determine, surely! >Have you checked out the power supply yet? This is definitely the >first priority. No, I've not checked it - having no equipment. I don't intend to supply power to it at all until I get those EPROMS copied. So I'm thinking it's actually a lower priority. I'll check the power while the eproms are away being saved. A

28 years, 1 month

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Strange PCjr found

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

yes, i've seen one of those funky pcjr models too. i wish i had bought it just for the curiosity factor. i dont remember what brand the expansion unit was though. my particular pcjr has another drive in an external case with its own power supply and a cable going to the unit like an apple ][ In a message dated 98-03-05 18:37:23 EST, you write: << I was in a thrift store during lunch and saw a PCjr which had a second box attached to the top which contained a second floppy drive. This almost doubled the height of the system and there was a larger side car type box on the side as well. Any ideas as to what this may have been? Was it just for adding a second floppy maybe? I'm thinking about going back by and picking it up. They also had a VIC-20 with the VIC version of the floppy drive which I think I grab as I don't have one of those. >>

28 years, 1 month

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486 upgrade boards

by manney＠lrbcg.com

Last I heard, Evergreen was still selling 386-486 upgrade chips, which are really quick. US$20 each, IIRC manney(a)lrbcg.com "Chicken Little was right!"

28 years, 1 month

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Vacation Finds...

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

Have been on vacation since Friday and still have a couple days to go... From the thrift store outlook in the area things are improving again (I guess people are starting their pre-spring cleaning) Stuff I got: - Timex/Sinclair 16k RAM unit with a few cassette programs for it. - Given to me, a COMPLETE IBM PC (read model 5150, the first IBM PC I think... (he had run this one until very recently when he got a new multi-media system...) The computer has dual floppy drives, a cassette port and everything! Computer, Monitor, Printer, (all IBM) IBM DOS and other disks and all manuals! (Wordstar, Microplan, BASIC, etc. etc.) Haven't powered this one up but the previous owner says drive A has problems, but once running he could work off of B. (if anyone is interested in it an willing to pick it up, I will pass it along, otherwise it will go with me to VFC 2.0 (Hey, Sam, wanna raffle off a COMPLETE GENUINE IBM PC?) What I passed up on... Mac Plus Some Atari Stuff (800, 520ST, ST floppy drive) Commodore 64 stuff (never a shortage there...) PET 8032, 4040 dual drive. I'm just waiting for the weather to improve one weekend, then the Flea Market I like will be going again... Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our Commodore 64 BBS (Silicon Realms 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

28 years, 1 month

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Old computer still accessible on internet?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> > Hey, does anyone have a list of classic systems that people have conn <> > to the internet? I know I've heard you guys several times talking abo <> > doing it. Well? < <RCS/RI has a VAX-11/750 on the net from time to time. I'm trying to figure out how to do that with a MV-II or vs2000. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Sol-20 revisited

by allisonp＠world.std.com

< Thanks Jim. Have you replaced the video ram in the Sol-20 before? < Also, do you know if parts are still available or will I have to < cannibalize from a similar vintage pieces part? < < Marty If it's a bad video ram swap it with the one next to it, if the pattern changes the ram is fried (I have tons of them). If the pattern doesn't change is likely a bad 74ls157 or 8097(74ls367). the test for a bad '157 or 8097 is to swap it with another on the board and see if the symptom changes. The fact that you've seen different patterns says the video rom is ok. Try popping out and reinstalling all the socketed parts and boards. You may have a crusty connection. Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Sol-20 revisited

by Marty＠itgonline.com

Thanks to all for the hints, help and tips on the problem of getting this Sol-20 running. I fired this up last night but the screen didn't appear as I remember it last time> I must be losing my memory. All testing was done with the Sol-20 barebone, no S-100 add-on cards installed. The screen appears as such: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ >$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The prompt > is at the beginning of the second line, and this pattern is repeated in all 16 rows, save the second where the prompt appears. The upper case light and local light are on, the shift lock light is off. The keyboard doesn't respond except for the - key which is to the left of * on the numeric keypad section on the right. Next, I disconnected the keyboard cable (after powering down for a minute or so) and get the exact same result as above, less the upper case and local lights on of course. Finally (after powering off) I removed the SOLOS prom board and of course don't get the prompt > but get a new video display repeated from top to bottom of an equal sign '=' followed by a lightning bolt, this pattern repeats = then lightning bolt (I cannot reproduce the symbol) endlessly from top to bottom. I also tried a different RG62 video cable in all tests and get the same results. Thanks again for your help- Marty Mintzell email:marty@itgonline.com

28 years, 1 month

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Datanumerics DL8A is here! Have a peek @ ...

by adavie＠mad.scientist.com

>> Eproms or PROMS? They're marked C1702A > >The first commercial EPROM's. 256 * 8. Very likely suffering >from some form of bit rot... If >they don't have opaque stickers over the quartz windows. put stickers on *right >now*! OK, they already had stickers on them. I guess I should get these copied. >Looking at the picture, there are 8 EPROM sockets with only 4 of them >filled. Right? And what's the part number on the 40-pin DIP near >where the power harness is attached? It looks a bit incongruous compared >to the other ceramic packages on the board. Are those 10-turn >trimpots to the left of that 40-pin DIP? Yes, 8 sockets... 4 filled. The 40 pin DIP at the front is AY-5-1013 / 7502 What's a trimpot?!! I can guess. They're marked Helitrim Cw12 and have a tiny screw at the top. >Where do the three ribbon cables from the CPU board going to? I assume at >least one goes to the front panel - I'd guess the middle one. The cables go to, from left to right... 1) a male 25 pin connector on the back of the chassis 2) to a board mounted behind the control panel - full of interesting small white chips labeled Beckman 3) This is a bit tricky; a bit of this one goes to the control panel, and another bit of it to a connector on the back (25 pin) with a sticker "TTY" beneath it. 4) a female 25 pin connector just above the male one Datanumerics DL8A can be seen at http://www.comcen.com.au/~adavie/weird/datanumerics.html Cheers A

28 years, 1 month

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Sol-20 revisited

by Marty＠itgonline.com

Thanks Jim. Have you replaced the video ram in the Sol-20 before? Also, do you know if parts are still available or will I have to cannibalize from a similar vintage pieces part? Marty ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Sol-20 revisited Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 3/5/98 11:41 AM On Thu, 5 Mar 1998, Marty wrote: > Thanks to all for the hints, help and tips on the problem of getting > this Sol-20 running. I fired this up last night but the screen didn't > appear as I remember it last time> I must be losing my memory. > All testing was done with the Sol-20 barebone, no S-100 add-on cards > installed. > > The screen appears as such: > > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > >$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ > $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The '$'s indicate a single bit error in the video RAM. Bit 3 is stuck. (wedged, dead, etc...) -jim --- jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174 ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998Mar05.114131.1767.30343; Thu, 05 Mar 1998 11:41:32 -0500 Received: from host (server(a)lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id IAA22176; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 08:17:28 -0800 Received: from mxu2.u.washington.edu (mxu2.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.9]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id IAA38986 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 08:17:20 -0800 Received: from agora.rdrop.com (0(a)agora.rdrop.com [199.2.210.241]) by mxu2.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP id IAA29419 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 08:17:20 -0800 Received: from agora.rdrop.com (1566(a)agora.rdrop.com [199.2.210.241]) by agora.rdrop.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id IAA01383 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 08:17:19 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <Pine.BSF.3.95.980305081417.730B-100000(a)agora.rdrop.com> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 08:17:19 -0800 (PST) Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: James Willing <jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Sol-20 revisited In-Reply-To: <1998Mar05.091805.1767.86032(a)smtp.itgonline.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

28 years, 1 month

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Demography

by Marty＠itgonline.com

William, I'd be interested in the Sphere, SWTPC gear, etc you don't want. Thanks- Marty Mintzell email: marty(a)itgonline.com ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Demography Author: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu at internet Date: 3/5/98 12:38 PM Well, lets see. I am 28 or so, living now in Carmel, NY (about fifty miles north of NYC), and like old things in general. Mostly. I am employed by one of the ISPs (originally the first ISP - the NSF) as an engineer. As you can probably tell by now, I tend to pick up the scraps of the network. I originally collected old radios. I had a small collection of consumer sets, some working, but dropped the hobby when two others came into my life - computers and old industrial/military electronics. The latter is simply from my consumer radio collecting days. The computers, however, probably started with the Apple II, like so many other kids in grade school. The first computer I ran into is my old DEC PDP-8/S, purchased "thru" a hamfest back in 1986. I was eyeing someone's PDP-11 boards (I was already a hamfest regular), and a man approached me with an offer I could not refuse - for $5, I could have a real, six-foot tall computer. I still have the machine. After that, I started getting others - mostly PeeCee and small mini machines. Sometimes they were pulled from dumpsters, other times they were purchased for a song. Right now, the collection consists of a PDP-8/S, PDP-8/E, PDP-11/23, PDP-11/34, Interdata 14, IBM S/1, IBM 5100, Sun 3/50, 3/60, 3/280 and 4/280, SPARCstation 370, SGI Iris 2500T, IBM RS/6000/T3B, and HP 2100A. Some machines work, some need work. There are parts of many others, but I am not counting those. I also have a bunch of ancient Sphere/SWTPC/Exorsisor stuff that I need to get rid of (I have no interest in it). Most of it will migrate to RCS/RI (so Allison can play with it). In addition to old computers, I collect old Naval radios and radar sets from the 1930s and 40s, as well as vaccuum tubes. At this point, I do not know which collection takes up more mass, as some of the shipboard radio transmitters are six foot monsters as well. Look at some of the old serials from the 1950s - they tend to show up as props in monster labs. And I do not play bassoon. I also voluteer time as part of the restoration crew on Battleship Massachusetts - a place with _real_ computers. Sorry guys, but engineering and craftsmanshipwise (is that a word?), the mechanical fire control computers are far more impressive than any of the digital stuff. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net ------ Message Header Follows ------ Received: from lists.u.washington.edu by smtp.itgonline.com (PostalUnion/SMTP(tm) v2.1.9i(b5) for Windows NT(tm)) id AA-1998Mar05.123803.1767.30360; Thu, 05 Mar 1998 12:38:04 -0500 Received: from host (server(a)lists.u.washington.edu [140.142.56.13]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with SMTP id JAA35718; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 09:27:16 -0800 Received: from mxu4.u.washington.edu (mxu4.u.washington.edu [140.142.33.8]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id JAA39600 for <classiccmp(a)lists.u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 09:25:40 -0800 Received: from il1.nyp.ans.net (il1.nyp.ans.net [147.225.190.5]) by mxu4.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with SMTP id JAA12370 for <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>; Thu, 5 Mar 1998 09:25:25 -0800 Received: by il1.nyp.ans.net id AA03664 (InterLock SMTP Gateway 3.0 for classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu); Thu, 5 Mar 1998 12:25:24 -0500 Received: by il1.nyp.ans.net (Internal Mail Agent-1); Thu, 5 Mar 1998 12:25:24 -0500 Message-Id: <Pine.GSO.3.96.980305115925.468J-100000(a)titan.purch.ans.net> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 12:25:24 -0500 (EST) Reply-To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Sender: CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu Precedence: bulk From: William Donzelli <william(a)ans.net> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Demography In-Reply-To: <34FED726.836C598(a)hf.intel.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

28 years, 1 month

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486 upgrade boards

by manney＠lrbcg.com

Last I heard, Evergreen was still selling 386-486 upgrade chips, which are really quick. US$20 each, IIRC manney(a)lrbcg.com "Chicken Little was right!" > > Does anyone have any upgrade board for PCs? I said 486, but I mean > > any such thing. This is part of a desire to find a way to salvage some > > systems. Does anyone have any MCA upgrade boards? There are some PS/2 > > 286 towers, which I would take if I could upgrade them to something > > 32-bit > > For various reasons, mostly related to the '100% documented PC', I have a > little kludge-board in an original AT motherboard in this PC. It's called > (IIRC) a 'Make-It 486', and contains a TI 486-a-like, the floating point > copro, and a couple of PLD chips. > > I've also got a similar 386 board that I found at a radio rally. It's > labelled 'Hyper386-SX 50/60/AT'. It contains an Intel 80386SX-16 + 3 > PAL-like things. From the name, I'd assume it would work in a PS/2 model > 50 or model 60. > > I've no idea where you'd find one, but they certainly exist. > > -tony

28 years, 1 month

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Demography

by prp＠hf.intel.com

> > > sing and play Piano and Bassoon; I have recently taken up photography. > > Eh, who'd have figured.. another bassoon player. Who is it? I missed some > important attributions. > and another bassoon player, long ago. I'm 43, started playing with computers before high school. That was less common then, though maybe not for the folks on this list. My dad had a "portable" Teletype model 33 (I have it now) with an acoustic coupler modem. He had accounts on GE timesharing (BASIC) and the nearby University of Wisconsin Burroughs B5500 (I used WIPL, a little like FOCAL.) I got a BS in EE and MS in Computer Science at UW, where I ran PDP-11's etc. in the CS lab. Have mostly worked at Intel in Portland since then. No time for more bio now, but there is some more info on how I started collecting on my web site.

28 years, 1 month

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Sun 2/120 (clone) available in the UK

by pjoules＠coleg-powys.ac.uk

>I have a Sun 2/120 (actually a Computervision manufactured clone) that I >don't have room for. Condition is unknown, but it does have keyboard, >mouse, monitor and a few spare multibus boards Do you still have it? Is it free :-) If yes to the above would collection be possible at the weekend if I could arrange it? Regards Pete

28 years, 1 month

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Demography

by jthiemann＠castleton.com

While we're at it (the buisness of veering grossly off-charter), who else here collects electronic music equipment of about the same vintage as the computers discussed here? I have a Korg Poly-800, Yamaha DX-7II, 2 FB-01's, CS-01, a Sequential SixTrack, 360 Systems MidiBass, and a homebrew MIDI interface to hook some of this to my Amiga. I have grandiose plans (ok, ok, not _so_ grandiose, but everything is relative these days...) to rip the 6581 out of my C64 (or better yet, find an old otherwise nonfunctional C64 and rip the 6581 out of there) and hook it up to a 68HC11 SBC I designed a few years back (the company I used to work for is still using and occasionally producing these) and controlling it (the 6581, that is) via MIDI as a cheap-o (and physically small) analog synth. (Cause let's face it, that's what the 6581 is...) BTW Any of you UK guys have collections of the old E&MM magazine? I'm missing 1 or 2 issues in the 84 (83?) season... -------------------------------------------- Joachim Thiemann DSP Coder, Castleton Network Systems I doubt therefore I might be. > -----Original Message----- > From: R. Stricklin (kjaeros) [SMTP:red@bears.org] > Sent: March 4, 1998 20:09 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Re: Demography > > > > > sing and play Piano and Bassoon; I have recently taken up > photography. > > Eh, who'd have figured.. another bassoon player. Who is it? I missed > some > important attributions. > > ok > r.

28 years, 1 month

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DEC GPX II Q-Bus boards

by jthiemann＠castleton.com

I think I have that card set (but not the roms - but I do have a spare ka630 board) with full instructions. I can dig up specifics over the weekend, when I'm back in Montreal. My uVaxII does have the ability to act as an X client - I tried it, I have the 3 Tk50 Ultrix distribution set (but who wants that if you can have NetBSD?) I think it can drive the GPX cards too, but have never seen it do so myself - I don't have a monitor to hook up to it. If anyone wants the cards (the GPX and the spare ka630), they're up for grabs - either for sale or trade since I'm not doing much with the VAX (I like my Sparc better) -------------------------------------------- Joachim Thiemann DSP Coder, Castleton Network Systems I doubt therefore I might be. > -----Original Message----- > From: allisonp(a)world.std.com [SMTP:allisonp@world.std.com] > Sent: March 4, 1998 22:06 PM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Re: DEC GPX II Q-Bus boards > > <I have a three board set of Q-bus cards plus the boot ROM for a uVAX > II, > <dated from 1987, which supposedly turns a VAX server into a > workstation f > <DECWindows. I think it was called the GPX II kit? Anyway, the > boards wo > <and I have the keyboard, dove bar mouse and cable, but no monitor. I > <believe this board set could drive several types of workstation > monitors > <and was programmed for monitor type thru some of the wires in the > kbd/mou > > I have no clue on the rom as the microvax-II already could run > decwindows. > DECwindows is a device and services under VMS. I would not mess with > that > rom unless you fully identfy it and its use. > > The monitors conformed to the boards not the other way round the cable > carried keyboard data mouse and RGB video for the monitor. > > monitors were vr260, 290, 320. > > <too? Any specs on it? Will it work in a VAX 3600? > > Yes. > > <Also, what versions of VMS support the GPX board? Is it still > current (V > <I have a VMS 5.5 set of tapes that came with the uVAX, from the old > days > <when the VMS license stayed with the CPU and DEC didn't hit you up > for > <license transfers. > > Most all from v4.2 and later. V5.5 would work well. FYI there is a > free > license available for hobby use to US decus members. > > > Allison

28 years, 1 month

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Picked up another truckload! Take a look?

by archive＠navix.net

Greets: Yep, this last weekend I picked up another truckload of goodies. Mainly Apple stuff but there is some TI, Mac, IBM, etc., stuff in there. The list follows here. Please let me know if you want any of this! Amazing how, until two weeks ago, I had very little Apple stuff, and now I have more than I can handle!! Also, for all of you who responded the last time I made a similar post, thanks for doing so! Your help on identifying many of the items was great. And for all of you who have requested stuff, I apologize in getting back to you in such a deliquent manner.... the e-mails are on file, I've just been so busy lately! I will get back to you and get this stuff out to you, that's a promise!! Please take a look at the URL in my signature at the very bottom... there's the complete inventory of what I have on-line, and also pages for what I am looking for. Other pages I have there are some interesting links, an Adventure International page (the classic game company-- Scott Adams), my autographed memorabilia page, classic computer photo gallery, downloads, and this 'what's new' list, and some other stuff you may like to browse. Anyway, here is the recent list of what I just got. Let me know if you can take some off of my hands or have some info. on it, ok? Thanks for your time, CORD -------------------------THE LIST----------------------------------------------------- Computers/CPU's ----------------------- * Texas Instruments TI-99/4a computer - with the silver case. Are these more rare than the tan cases? Model # PHC004a Ser # 8184424. *Apple //e computer. This has 2 drives attached internally as well. This computer also has keys with white lettering on them. I have others that are black lettered (???). Model # A252064. The twod rives are Disk ][. Drive Model # are A2M0003. Seriel # on the drives are: 416072 & 788419. Computer ser. # is 020130. Oh, computer also has a printer cable coming out the back. * Apple //e computer. This one has a volumn adjuster and a large ear-phone jack added into the case. Also this model has a the light to the left of the open-Apple button. Black lettering on the keyboard. Has been stripped of all the cards out the back, although looking in, it has some stuff in there yet. Model # A2S2064 * Apple //e computer. Has been stripped of just about everything internally. Need to open it up to see what exactly is there still! Monitors ------------ * Apple monitor: Model #A2M2010 - green phosphor with internal tilting screen. * Macintosh 12" Monochrome Display. Family #: M1050. Has a note that says, "blury screen." Haven't tested. * Apple Monitor ///. Model #: A3M0039 - made in June 1983. * Disk Drives/Other Storage --------------------------------- * Apple 3.5" disk drive... is this for Mac only or //e, etc also? Model #m0130. * 2 Apple Disk // drives... More info found above in the CPU section -- attached to a machine. * IBM 4869 5.25" disk drive. I have 3 of these. They have big, heavy duty cables attached which go to the machine. Does anyone have more information on these? Printers ---------- *Printer Pro Parallel Printer Interface for the Apple //+, //e, and //GS computers. With original box and instructions, cable and all original packaging. * Two Apple printers that weigh a ton!! Tan cases, 80 column printers (?) Model #: A9M0303. * Apple // Imagewriter // printer. * Apple wide-carriage printer (160 column?) Model # A9M0305 - no power cable. Books/Manuals --------------------- * Ernie's Quiz by Apple & Children's Television Workshop. Manual * Level II BASIC Reference manual for the TRS-80 - 2nd Edition. * Apple HyperCard User's Guide. * Apple // 80-Column Text Card Manual. * Apple // AppleMouse User's Manual * Ashton-Tate Developer Registry, 2nd Edition. Ashton-Tate made Dbase /// Plus. 540 pages. 1988 * Tank Tactics Teacher's Guide for Program Nos. 1-7 -- for Apple and TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo. With plastic * PCA/XT 88 Personal Computer User's Guide. 143 pages. No clue who published this, but a ton of good info. * Wing Commander ??: Vengeance of the Kilrathi manual. By Reveal Computer Products. 23 pages. * Learning BASIC Programming in 14 days on Your Commodore 64 by Gil M. Schecter (SAMS). 192 pages. * Radio Shack JP1000 Ink Jet Printer Manual User's Guide #26-2960. 200 pages (?) * Radio Shack JP1000 Ink Jet Printer Guide to Printing in Colour. #26-2963. 40 pages(?). * Radio Shack JP1000 Ink Jet Printer - Printer Driver User's Guide. 20 pages(?) * Write Now v. 2.2 for the Macintosh manual. 235 pages. * HyperTalk Beginner's Guide: An Introducting to Scripting. For Mac. 150 Pages. * Macintosh manual. (2 copies... one has water-damage). 160 pages. * Atari Games & Rectreations. Programming book for the Atari 400 and 800. reston Publishing Company.338 pages * The Epson Connection: Macintosh by Rick Dayton. 260 pages. Use of Epson printers with the Mac. * Apple // Monitor // User's Manual.12 pages. (2 copies) * Tandy Personal DeskMate 2 manual... for the 1000 series. 463 pages. * Apple // Apple 5.25 Drive Owner's Guide. 18 pages... for //,//+,//e,//c,//GS computers. * Apple // Extended 80-Column Text Card Supplement - for //e only. 60 pages. * Apple // 80-Column Text Card Manual for //e only. 75 pages. (2 copies) * About You Enhanced Apple //e: User's Guide. 14 pages. * BITFax manual: A Communications Program for Send Fax Modems. By Bit Software, Inc of Multipas, CA. 91 pgs. * Apple direct magazine. Vol. 3 No. 2 Nov. 1990. 32 pages. * Apple schematics sheet by Data Technology. The card this is for can be found at the bottom of the misc section * Apple // Technical Notes - May 1988 written by Scott Knaster of Apple Computer. 200+ pages, Stapes and 3-ring punched. Miscellaneous ------------------- *Archer joystick for a PC. It has a fairly 'tall' stick on it, with two buttons on the front. Also has trim settings, auto fire option, A/b selectors for both directions, and four suction cups on the bottom. Has both 15 and 9 pin plugs. *Joystick.... I'd like some information on this one. It is a tan box about 5 inches by 3 inches. The joystick itself is just 2 inches or so tall. Has trim settings also. Two buttons, which look like classic self-destruct buttons or something. Is was made by TG Products of Plano, TX. To connect it to a computer, it has a long blue ribbon cable (inch wide?) with 15 pins on the end. The pins are just out there all by themselves! Is this for an Apple computer? *MCP AP-16 Memory Module: I would like some info on this. This is some type of expansion card, etc. It is about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. It contains 18 chips, 10 of which say AM9016EPC & 8248FMP. The other chips are labeled SP225, SP229, P218, SP245-b, SP220, and SP238. The card also has a red switch on it. Really no other information... oh, it also has 4 led lights. Please let me know something about this! *Expansion card of some sort for the Apple //e. This is about 3"x2" as is (c) 1988 by Applied Engineering. It says ][e 64k on the side by the 'plug-in', and on the other side is says KEYBOARD. Please let me know how this thing is used! * 1.5 foot cable. Adapter of some sort. Looks like a PC joystick adapter. 15 pin male to 9 pin female. * Joystick -- called Laser Joystick. It is small has has 2 buttons on the side. I know of the Laser computer series, etc. (I have a Laser 300, some kids computers, and want a Laser 50!) by V-tech... didn't realise they made joysticks. Has a 9 pin connector on it. Does anyone know what computer this was for, or when it was made? * Some type of expansion card... presumably for the Apple. Has 19 various chips on it. Made by Data Technology Corp. Would love some more tips on what this might be. Software ----------- *Apple Presents the //e: An Introduction - and a backup copy which has been copied. *Apple DOS 3.3 DemoDisk * Courseware Sampler by Random House: Tutorial Comprehension. Side A & B - Apple * Courseware Sampler by Random House: Tutorial Comprehension. Side C & D - Apple * Apple //e and //c Diagnostic Disk * Using Context Clues, Program #1. for the Apple //. By Imperial International Learning Corp. * Sequencing Events, Program #4 for the Apple //. By Imperial International Learning Corp. * The O'Brien Vocabulary Placement Test by Activity Records for the Apple // - 48k. * Blank double sided disk * Knowledge Master disks. Used in schools for a national competition. Geez, I used to use these in school! For the Apple and I got 6 copies. * Mastertype's Writer for the Apple //e and //c. By Scarborough Systems, Inc. * Teacher's Software Library by the Duncan Institute of New Port Richey, FL. (Apple?) * Scholastic PFS: Write for the Apple //c & //e. By Software Publishing Corp. * Math Shop for Apple //+, //e, //c. By Scholastic. * Telewrite-80 vers. 1.0 Rev. B -- not original (copy).... for what computer I don't know? * IBM Assistant Home Solutions by IBM. * Visicalc in original box by VisiCorp Personal Software. Has both original disks and two backups. Original Manual, notebook for all, etc. * * 3.5" disks for the Mac. Hyperdrive boot disk, HyperStudio, Stupid Mac Tricks by Bob LeVitus, 3 disk by EduComp. -- ___________________________________________________ | Cord G. Coslor : archive(a)navix.net |\ | Deanna S. Wynn : deannasue(a)navix.net | | |---------------------------------------------------| | | http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4395 | | |---------------------------------------------------| | | PO Box 308 - Peru, NE - 68421 - (402) 872- 3272 | | |___________________________________________________| | \____________________________________________________\|

28 years, 1 month

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Info needed on Microbee, System 80, Pencil II, TI 99/4

by adam＠merlin.net.au

>Microbee >-------- >I believe the DIN socket at the rear right-hand corner is a combined power >supply, cassette in/out and composite video out socket. Can anyone tell me >the pinouts? I have one of these, but I'm afraid I can't help - the version you speak of should be the Microbee 64 with the Computer-in-a-book combined disk/drive power supply etc. I only have details for the 16k version. Nevertheless I'll try digging them up and see if they help, but hopefully someone else will be able to tell you more. The manuals I have lack details. >System 80 >--------- >Originally this had an RF modulator, but the one I have has been very >heavily hacked. Can someone give me the pinouts for the video DIN socket? I can do this. :) Going on the diagram I have here, we have: 3 ---- ---- 1 / \ / | \ / | \ 5 | 4 2 where 1 is +5v, 4 is video output, and 5 is ground. I have most (if not all) of the manuals for the System 80, including some doubles here. Adam.

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test-drb