>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?
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/
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/
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/
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/
>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
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 >>
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
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
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
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To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
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Subject: Re: Getting bent (ON topic if not thread)
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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
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/
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
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
>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.
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
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!
(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
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 |
+------------------------------------------+
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
>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.
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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
----------
>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
