the best compact computer for this would be a PS/2E (9533) it doesnt apply to
this list because the announce date was ~1993 but its small, quiet (no fan),
and has 4 pcmcia card slots. even though its only a 486slc, its quite snappy.
i bought two for $30 and fixed them both.
david
In a message dated 98-01-14 13:44:22 EST, you write:
<< My main problem with PS/2's is cost and scarcity of MCA cards and memory
and
such.
What I'd really like to find is an *affordable* compact
notebook/laptop/lunchbox with 1.5 (i.e., for a thick card) ISA expansion
slots to use as my voicemail machine. I thought I had that in my Altima 2,
but the *%$#@^% voicemail card has some components that stick out too far to
fit. My current machine ('286 desktop + composite monitor) is too noisy and
sucks up too much juice. (Oh, and battery power would be nice for when the
fuse blows.) >>
First of all, let me apologize to anyone receiving this email who
considers it garbage.
Have several items related to the IMSAI computer for sale:
Vector Graphic, Inc. [Rev 3] PROM/RAM BOARD w/cable and connector/pins.
MAY 1976 IMSAI Complete Product Catalog - "The Complete Microcomputer
System". Original price $1
IMSAI Domestic Price List for November '77
Invoice dated '78 (from IMSAI).
Comes in what I assume is the original box, but this cannot be
verified. Card has never been used and accessory items are still in
original packaging.
If you are interested, please make an offer an all items. Best offer by
2/1/98. JPEG's can be sent upon request, and I will try to answer any
questions.
Thanks
Andrew
By the way, although I don't collect computers, I might trade for an
interesting old Apple or Atari.
>some of the 98xx
> calculator/workstations, but I think those were either programmed like
> calculators or in HPL, not BASIC.
I just shipped off an HP 9831, which ran BASIC.
manney
ps Hey, Joe -- I still haven't received the $10,000 check for it yet.
Remember, I'm selling at original HP prices! <g>
At 11:21 AM 1/14/98 -0500, you wrote:
>A type of non-volatile memory composed of a thin layer of material that can
>be easily magnetized in only one direction. When a magnetic field is
>applied to circular area of this substance that is not magnetized in the
>same direction, the area is reduced to a smaller circle, or bubble.
One of the differences with bubble memory is that it has to be accessed in
a serial / sequential manner -- on a 1 megabit bubble device you cycle thru
all the bits, then grab a certain set of bytes from the device according to
an index or FAT. Tho the devices are rather quick, they do not have the
speed of hard drives. I believe you could put 8 devices in parallel, and
that would increase your access 8x, tho.
> It was once widely believed that bubble memory would become one of the
>leading memory technologies, but these promises have not been fulfilled.
>Other non-volatile memory types, such as EEPROM, are both faster and less
>expensive than bubble memory.
The cost of manufacturing bubble memories did not drop in price much unlike
other technologies of the day.
You are correct, tho. Bubble memories are completely non-volotile and
require no power to preserve their memory -- I have no clue as to the
bit-rot spec's, tho. (A decent magnet will squanch your data.)
I have an article in Rainbow magazine on how to build a 128K byte device as
a near-line non-volotile storage unit for the CoCo -- designed by that
great master Dennis Bathory Kitsz. (apologies to Dennis if I misspelled.)
HTH,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger Merchberger | Why does Hershey's put nutritional
Programmer, NorthernWay | information on their candy bar wrappers
zmerch(a)northernway.net | when there's no nutritional value within?
R,
I'm also sending this to the classic computer mail list since several
people there have asked abou this stuff.
At 06:54 PM 1/13/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Joe:
>
> I found another guy that has an ISIS-II system, but it's centered on the
>MCS-48/51 series. I was really more curious as to what the thing was used
>for.
I'm not sure, it's not in any of my Intel catalogs but I think it's
specificly for developing software and hardware for the 8048 CPU.
>
> The stuff that the guy has is extensive.
Yes, Intel made lots of this stuff. At least two different Intellec CPU
units, several different ICE (In Circuit Emulators), several different disk
drive units, one or two different EPROM burners, additional memeory units,
a bread board unit and more. My OLD catalog shows 42 different hardware
pieces. AND they were a number of different assemblers and high level
programming languages available. They called it "Intellec". Most of the
units can be used with any Intellec system and for any target CPU.
If you have any specific questions I will try to answer them.
Joe
Francois Auradon wrote:
> I have the complete set on mine: software neat case, manual (in French
> :) )and Power supply (220v :( )I would be interested in finding a US power
> supply as I don't think the machine can run for very long on the 10 alkaline
> bateries.
When I went to the US recently, I built my own 110/220V converter. I
found a small (10VA) transformer that had dual 120V primaries and wired
these as an autotransformer. Boxed it up in small wooden box and Bob's
your uncle.
PS If you can't work out how to do it from the above, don't try it
yourself, get someone with some more electrical knowledge :-)
Philip.
At 11:05 PM 1/13/98 +0000, you wrote:
>If you give me the model number, it's on your label somewhere with 4
>number, a dash then 3 number code, I will tell you what it's usually
>stock configuration and it's speed? I have the hefty book on this
>and too much info to take.
I'll check it out and let you know -- It's actually in Concord (about 35
miles from here) being used to run an engine dyno something-or-other program
that my mechanic has. (His main computer's a mac.)
>One comment: I wished....IBM did:
>None have produced in early generation of PS/2 series faster than
>25mhz anything. And design PS/2 ISA or PCI with 486 and has cache
>but it did not pan out as I wished! :) But 90 models and XP series
>uses processor card with different designs for each CPU type, XGA
>that no one likes. Weirdo PS/2 and $$$. :( Those PS/1 and
My main problem with PS/2's is cost and scarcity of MCA cards and memory and
such.
What I'd really like to find is an *affordable* compact
notebook/laptop/lunchbox with 1.5 (i.e., for a thick card) ISA expansion
slots to use as my voicemail machine. I thought I had that in my Altima 2,
but the *%$#@^% voicemail card has some components that stick out too far to
fit. My current machine ('286 desktop + composite monitor) is too noisy and
sucks up too much juice. (Oh, and battery power would be nice for when the
fuse blows.)
>> Y'know, I once saw an honest-to-god IBM stand-alone plasma monitor in a
>> surplus shop. 17" I think (or thereabouts). Pretty neat, but priced a
>> little high.
>Price? If you could recall? :)
I think it was about $150. I might pick it up now, at that price, but I saw
it before I started collecting computers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.crl.com/~sinasohn/
>>When I went to the US recently, I built my own 110/220V converter. I
>>found a small (10VA) transformer that had dual 120V primaries and wired
>>these as an autotransformer. Boxed it up in small wooden box and Bob's
>>your uncle.
>>
>
> And Bob's your uncle.? What does that mean? I thought Roger was our
>uncle? Aw well, never mind.
Oops! Sorry. I forgot most of you don't speak English ;-)
"Bob's your uncle" is an expression indicating the completion of a
simple task. Or something.
Philip.
>That sounds like the machines that I've seen. They're fairly common around
>hamfests and other sales. If you're interested in them let me know which
>ones you want and an idea of what they'e worth and I'll see about picking
>them up.
>
> Joe
>
Well basically I would like one of each model that came out ;)
Depending on the location where you are shiping cost will probably add a bit
to the total.
At 03:49 PM 1/13/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I got a line on an Intel ISIS-II development system with lots of
>accessories. What do I do with it if I get it?
Send it to me for the cost of shipping!!!! ;-) (Just kidding...)
Actually, I've always wanted to get my hands on one of those heathkit
gibbyframmers (with the Moto6800 CPU, six digit 7-segment LED display and
hex keyboard, etc. etc.) as I used one in college and had a barrel o'
monkeys interfacing things to it 'cause it was so easy.
Anyone here got a few extras of those???
(Heathkit used to still sell those just a few (up to 5) years back... but
they still wanted top dollars for them, too. :-( )
Later,
"Merch"
--
Roger Merchberger | Why does Hershey's put nutritional
Programmer, NorthernWay | information on their candy bar wrappers
zmerch(a)northernway.net | when there's no nutritional value within?
I acquired a pair of IBM Displaywriters today, complete with a printer, disks and documentation. One surprise was that the copyright dates on the various (first edition) manuals was 1982 and 1983. I had been under the impression that these machines predated the PC.
I was talking to this guy I met at a flea market and he said he has a
storage device that writes data to a spool of wire. Can someone elaborate
on this?
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!
At 12:57 AM 1/14/98, you wrote:
>If you're talking commercial laptop, I believe it was the Radio Shack Model
>100. It was one of only two commercial laptops ever certified for Space
>Shuttle travel. Heck, lots of the newer Puntium laptops can't even be used
>on airplanes anymore, for criminies sake! How can you play cribbage across
>the Atlantic if you can't even spark 'er up??? ;-)
That's where it gets a little sticky. GRiD Systems started out only making
their laptops for the government, so it wasn't exactly commercial back
then. I;ve seen plenty of photos of GRiDs being used in the shuttle, as
well as lots of NASA projects and experiments on the internet that use one
GRiD or the other as it's brains. I do know that the Compass 1100 does
predate the m100 by a few years though.
-John Higginbotham-
-limbo.netpath.net-
-----Original Message-----
From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 8:31 PM
Subject: Amstrads in the US
>Well, Amstrad wasn't really big over here, but they did sell a few
machines.
>Other Amstrad's I've got (second hand) are the PDA600 "PenPad" and the
PC-20
>(sort of a CoCo-ish/Atari ST-ish one-piece PC).
>
>btw, there was another PPC640 that sold on eBay this weekend, but it was
>complete, with power supplies, software, and a really neat case. I didn't
>get it, though. 8^(
I have the complete set on mine: software neat case, manual (in French
:) )and Power supply (220v :( )I would be interested in finding a US power
supply as I don't think the machine can run for very long on the 10 alkaline
bateries.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Francois Auradon.
Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon
At 10:01 PM 1/13/98 -0600, you wrote:
>By the way they are not laptops either; I always have to find a table to put
>them on so I can use them. If I put them on my lap I'm always afraid to drop
>them ;-)
I used mine NASA-style sometimes: Velcro'd to any flat surface. Slight
change of subject: Does anyone know exactly what the first laptop to
accompany shuttle astronauts into space was? I hear it's the GRiD Compass
1100. I had that very model up until last week when I traded for a GRiD
1535exp w/docking tray.
Speaking of GRiDs, any people out there collect them or am I alone? I've
made GRiDs my collection specialty since they're small, tough and stackable.
GRiDSPeC Page: http://limbo.netpath.net/hw/GRiD
-John Higginbotham-
-limbo.netpath.net-
<Oh no! It's the new MicroSoft Allison! No more intelligent posts about
<non-MS computers/software Arrrgghh! 8^)
<
<(Sorry, couldn't resist!)
Oh Roger,
You shouldn't have oughta done that. ;-) Calling me microspooge is
frighten words. Oh heavens the lost data.
Allison
-----Original Message-----
From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 8:31 PM
Subject: Amstrads in the US
>btw, there was another PPC640 that sold on eBay this weekend, but it was
>complete, with power supplies, software, and a really neat case. I didn't
>get it, though. 8^(
How much did it go for? Just curious.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Francois Auradon.
Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon
<On the show, they spliced the wire to reformat a message on the wire... d
<you know what type of wire was used on these types of voice/data recorder
<and how would you splice them?
<
<(oh, and could you re-record over a previously used piece of wire?)
Lessee, yes you can re-record on used wire. In fact if you didn't erase
it you would get a overdub! Oh, the wire is soft iron, though any wire
of a magnetic alloy can be used. The technology date t before WWII to
some time in the late 40s-early 50s. It's problems were poor frequency
response, knots/kinks in the wire and head wear.
Allison
-----Original Message-----
From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: Firsts
>At 09:45 PM 1/12/98 -0800, you wrote:
>>> No handles??? 'Tain't a Portable then!
>
>Whups, forgot the 8^)
>
>>Hmmm, maybe having handles isn't the best criteria for determining if a
>>machine is portable.
>
>Hmmm...
>
>Panasonic Sr. Partner: Handle
>Apple Mac Portable: Handle
>HP LS/12: Handle
>Altima 2: Handle
>Good Composer: Handel
>Amstrad PPC640: Handle
>Bondwell B310+: Handle
>Osborne 01: Handle
>
>(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
>
Commodore Sx-64 Handle
Kaypro I Handle
Kaypro II Handle
Kaypro16 Handle
IBM portable PC Handle
Compac Portable Handle
MAC toaster style Handle (yes on top of the unit)(Oops does that make it a
portable?)
(I couldn't resist either)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Francois Auradon.
Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon
>>It seems that portable machines are those which the manufacturer built
>>to be easily picked up (in some cases without grunting too loudly) and
moved
>>to another location to be used. This holds for suitable values of
"easily".
>
>Yep.
>
>>Yes, Roger. I know you were kidding.
>
>Aw, shucks. I thought I had ya fooled. 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.crl.com/~sinasohn/
>
In a message dated 98-01-13 22:25:52 EST, you write:
<< Kevin McQuiggin wrote:
>
> Wire recorders predated tape recorders. They were in use from the early
> 1930s, as I recall. >>
interesting topic. anyone care to describe exactly how it works?
david
uh, right! theres no way IBM is gonna put copyrighted software out on the net
for free. only way to get it is to acquire a copy from someone.
In a message dated 98-01-13 19:44:45 EST, you write:
<< >Hello,
> My name is Mario Soto and I am looking for a version of MS Dos
>5.0 or earlier. The catch is I need it on 720k disk can you help?
I think IBM has disk images available either on the WWW or via ftp.
I've only heard about such things and haven't found/downloaded
them >>
At 09:32 PM 1/13/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>The TRS-80 Model 100 and it's amigos the Nec 8201 and Olivetti ??? had
>Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradonhat's probably
>why they are called laptops and not portables.
Shoot, it's not even a laptop. I've seen Pentium notebooks bulkier than a
M100. :)
-John Higginbotham-
-limbo.netpath.net-
At 10:05 PM 1/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> I think if you consider the 5100 a portable, then so should you consider the
>> PDP-8. The 5100, while more *convenient* to move, perhaps, than, say, an
>> Altair, is hardly all that portable. It's listed as 50lbs (a stretch even
>> for me) and has no handle. You tell me how that's a portable? (It's much
>> like a TRS-80 Model III, only flatter. I think the III is lighter though.)
>
>Even if the implementation may be poor (ie. no handles), I think IBM
>really did try to make the thing truely portable. After all, all you
>needed to do was lug around _one_ 50 pound box to do useful things, rather
>than a processor plus a tube or printer, and perhaps an external power
I dunno... The 5100 was heavy, did not include a case, offered no
protection for the screen, didn't run on batteries...
I think it's only portable in comparison to the mainframes of the time --
that is, you could move it from room to room because it didn't need air
conditioning or special power or anything. But that's true of most of the
computers of the time. Yes, it was a one-piece unit, but I don't think
that's really enough. You wouldn't have really taken it home to finish up
or to a client's office to do an audit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.crl.com/~sinasohn/
classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
Subj: Re: Firsts
Allison J Parent wrote:
!<> >First programable calc
!<>
!<> Then there is the "first solid state electronic calc" which I think goe
!<> the Busicom from Japan that employed the first production run of the in
!<> 4000 chip set: the 4001 (2048 bit ROM), 4002 (320 bit RAM), 4003 (10 bi
!
!No, this was not the first by a long means. I vaguely remember a desktop
!HP job that was years earlier.
!
!There were designs that were RTL and utililogic and even earlier designs
!that were about the size of a desk drawer that were both totally
!electronic and to some extent programable.
A complete braino on my part: I had wanted to say some like either "first
LSI electronic calc" or perhaps "first microprocessor application".
Sorry I goofed.
As you pointed out in this and a subsequent post there were many "solid state
electronic" calculators available by 1971. Hey, for that matter IBM's S/360
shipped transistorized general purpose transistorized computers (running DOS
and TOS among others) by 1964, and by 1971 they were even beginning to
incorporate integrated circuitry into what would become S/370 computers.
Interestingly the architecture (or its modern desecndant) was not put on a
single microprocessor until just a few years ago (1995 saw the 3490 CMOS
mainframe on a chip). I would not for a moment call these devices mere
calculators though (despite the early reluctance of IBM's marketing
department to call things like the 701 a "computer" for fear
of upsetting the folks employed in that occupation in the 1950's).
Peter Prymmer
