test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> Color Computer 2: White, 4K-64K One is definatly a coco2 with 64k. no question. > Color Computer 3: White, 64K-128K I suspect the board I have is one of these with 128k (four 41464s) and a lot of the logic is on an ASIC. > I've never heard of a TDP-100. The Color Computers had ROM BASIC and TDP is TANDY DATA PRODUCTS when tandy was trying to seperate from the Radiocrap idea in the early 80s. TDP-100 It's coco 6809, cart port and configureable for 16 or 64k. This one has 64k I suspect it's the COCO-1 but case color is white and black and keyboard is chicklet style. Has all the joystick connectors and the like. It's design is lots of chips compared to the other two I suspect early design. Also it's serial number 0000038! It also has lots of mods. The inboard386/pc and inboard386/at are similar save for one is designed to replace the 8088 and is 8-bit ISA and the other the 286 with 16bit ISA. The /PC version has 1mb of ram but with more (4mb) I could use it as a slow (it's 16mhz) linux box. A schematic of the connector for the ram expansion would be useful, I can hack my own board. The PC version cannot use the motherboard ram as far as I can see in the book and even if it could I need more. Allison

27 years, 12 months

TI-99/4A Comments

by BNICALEK＠aol.com

To clarify some statements that have already been made on the TI-99/4A, I'd like to comment: << True, that's bizarre... they appear to be especially common in the northwest. But just try to find a PEB! >> There were approximately 1+ million consoles manufactured by Texas Instruments from 1981 through early 1984. There were also approximately 250,000 Peripheral Expansion Systems also manufactured. So, while it's true there were more consoles, PEB's are not hard to find. << What I need is the Speech Editor cartridge! >> To Jeff Hellige - these are little rare to find, but are still available. I got mine for around $20 from someone in California. But, you can call up any vendor and get them from around $25-30, due to their rarity. << Personally, my opinion of the TI-99/4a varies from stupid piece of shit to semi-decent machine. Today I feel like stupid piece of shit. It was almost completely closed, it's BASIC sucked and was slow, it's keyboard sucked, and if it wasn't for the hordes of TI-99 faithfuls it would've been just a footnote. I don't understand what the big attraction was, but then, I came from the world of Apple ][, to which nothing could compare (uh oh, here come the holy wars). >> To Sam -- The TI-99/4A, in my opinion, is at the very least a semi-decent machine. The BASIC interpreter is what slowed things down a bit, but you have to look at it from a different perspective - no PEEKs or POKEs just to program graphics and/or sound, like some other machines (no, I'm good enough not to mention any names). The keyboard did "suck" compared to that of a PC, but it was very simple - especially suited towards children. From my own experience, I found the keyboard easy to use compared to a Commodore 64 - the touch response was better. The big attraction came from the fact that it was 16-bit, had full color, sprites (smoothly-moving objects), excellent speech synthesis, easy to use cartridges, and expandability. Some of the games were amazing (like Parsec and Alpiner) - way ahead of its time. And you can do word processing and spreadsheets with it as well. << Even the original PC was really bad, mostly closed design. They were all noteable as it told marketers what would fly and what had to be there. Amusingly the ti has what every P5 box has today, graphics, sound, games so they weren't that far off <in a perverse sort of way>. >> Allison -- I couldn't agree with you more. The TI-99/4A was an amazing machine when you look back at all the components and features it had. It's still easier than my P120 I'm using to type this message - as there's no icons to click, no finagling around to get where you need to go or to do this. Just press 2 keys and you're in the program with the TI. Now that I call ease-of-use! << EVERYONE knows that MY COMMODORE 64 is WAY better than YOUR APPLE! >> To Les -- Yes, the Commodore 64 IS better than the Apple - I must admit! --------------------- And to Bill and others -- So you can begin to see with all these replies that people at least knew about the TI-99/4A and its positives/negatives. But that's to go with any machine. It's about what you learned on, and what you grew up with. In my case, this is the computer I learned on, and I'll stick with it forever because once you get used to one thing, it's hard to change sometimes. Same goes I'm sure for everyone else on this list server. The TI-99/4A was one of the most popular computers ever made back in the early 80's. Again, 1 million consoles gives you a hint. And, I'll tell you why they're like roaches sitting around -- most people bought them for around $50-100 when TI was going out of business (late 1983 into early 1984), played a few games on them, and then said, "I'm done!". Instead of throwing them in the garbage, they thought they were worth something, and now you see them all around in thrift stores. I even went to a local fair around town last year and picked one up for $5! But remember, for these people, that's all they wanted to do with this computer. But for those that were serious, you could do much, much more with it! Bryan Nicalek bnicalek(a)aol.com

27 years, 12 months

4004

by fmc＠reanimators.org

jpero(a)mail.cgo.wave.ca writes: > Hi, The grey/beige HP terminal with heavy keyboard that have > black and white "squashed" monitor shaped does have this 8008 chip > in one of its "card". Accessible by tripping two catches between the > shells to hinge up the monitor to reveal the cards in bottom case > part. What you're writing about is the HP 264X line of terminals. They don't all use 8008 CPUs. The 2640s do, but I'm sure the 2645s use 8080s (and think the 2641, 2644, 2648A do too), and the 2647F uses some proprietary HP CPU. Not sure about 2642, 2647A, or the 2649s which are customized for specific applications, e.g. there was a flavor of 2649 used as the system console for HP 3000/33 minis. Fun terminals. I could go on for a while about them. The 2640s and 2641/4/5s have a facility allowing the downloading of code from the host. Somewhere around here I have a Space Invaders game and a Pac-Man game that run in the 2645s, and have heard of a driving game. Also have heard that some folks in the Gaithersburg, MD area turned a 2645 into some sort of BBS some years ago. The "two catches" are hidden. Look on the case left and right sides, you will see horizontal slots between the base and the CRT housing. Inside those horizontal slots, a couple of inches back from the front, are vertical slots. The object is to stick a "terminal key" (basically a thin flat piece of metal, but a stiff paperclip can be made to serve) into those slots to push open the catches that are at the top of the slots. While pushing, lift the CRT housing. If like most of us you have no more than two hands (and only one key) you may find it convenient to do one side at a time, which is OK. -Frank McConnell

27 years, 12 months

WANT TO BUY YOUR OLD-ASSED COMPUTERS!

by dastar＠crl.com

I want your old microcomputers from the 70s and 80s. I do NOT want any common PC clone. I am looking mainly for stuff that doesn't exist in any way shape or form today. I am looking for rarer models, as I already own most of the more common micros of the early micro-revolution. Please e-mail me at dastar(a)crl.com with what you got and we can work out a deal. Thanks. ---END USENET MESSAGE--- So this guy, Gary, responds and tells me he has an IMSAI 8080 and a Victor 9000 he wouldn't mind getting rid of. SCORE! So anyway, he used to be an attendee of the Homebrew Computer Club, which if you don't know was a bunch of hackers and geeks (including of course Jobs and Wozniak) who got together every week or month in (I believe) either Mountain View or Sunnyvale, to show off the computers they were building. Read Steven Levy's _Hackers_ for the complete (and very entertaining) story. He was telling me all these cool stories. One was about how a Lawrence Livermore National Lab employee made a bunch of paper-tape copies of Gates' BASIC when it first came out and brought them to a meeting of the HCC, claiming that on his way over, a box of stuff dropped from a bus, and when he went to go check it out he found all these weird paper tapes in it (40 or so) and that everyone was welcome to have them, whereby he began tossing them out into the audience. Gary of course got one of them, and invited me to look at and touch it under the condition that I didn't drool on it and muss it up. It was in perfect condition! The neatest thing about it is that it had "Z80 BASIC COPYRIGHT MICROSOFT" punched into it (that isn't the actual message, I've forgotten what it said already). He said the week after, Bill himself showed up and whined to the crowd, asking "How am I supposed to make any money off this if you guys are pirating my stuff?" I'm sure, in hindsight, Bill certainly doesn't mind the fact that the Microsoft BASIC standard created by the piracy of his original BASIC has made him a $32 billion man today. He went on to tell me the stories about how he built his IMSAI and applied fixes and patches for flaws in the design, and showed me the schematics and took me through some of the documentation. He's a really neat guy. We're going to be staying in touch. He's moving soon and he says when he cleans his garage out and figures what else he has he will probably let me have some of it, including his full run of Byte magazine starting from issue 4. He also has a CompuPro 8/16 that he wanted to hang onto, as well as a Heathkit H19 terminal that he built from the kit, but he says he might not want to take them with him. So anyway, that's what a day of tooling around the bay area got me. I also met Paul Coad at a parking lot sale and we ran into Doug Coward (you may have checked out his Web museum page, I forget the URL). It was a good day. Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

27 years, 12 months

(fwd) Re: CPM-L Digest - 5 Jun 1997 to 6 Jun 1997 (fwd)

by dastar＠crl.com

Another one, hope someone gets lucky. Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Z100 free Conditions: YOU PICK UP. YOU TAKE ALL SOFTWARE AND MANUALS I live in Northeastern Maryland. Close to an I95 exit. If interested email me at ltelets(a)tec1.apg.army.mil It has two 5 and a quarter floppies amd a detached monochrome monitor. It runs but could make a fine boat anchor *8^) -- Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

27 years, 12 months

(fwd) Free CPM computer (fwd)

by dastar＠crl.com

Hope someone can take advantage of this. Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass ---------- Forwarded message ---------- TeleVideo TS802 computer uupdated with 20 meg hard drive (partitioned 10/10). Its free. Machine has several upgrades; CPU speed 5 mhz, faster memory chips, Zsystem operating system. User friendly ZCPR plus auto loading function keys and a whole bunch of other upgrades I forget. Has Wordstar ver. 4.0, dBase ll loaded and configured on the hard drive. Machine has original manual and shipping carton. It's located in Edmonton, AB, Canada you can contact me: peterc(a)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca Peter -- Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

27 years, 12 months

Ccanner/Dig Cam/Camcorder?

by foxnhare＠goldrush.com

>Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 09:54:59 -0700 >From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)crl.com> >Subject: Digital Imaging (was: Re: Chisolm) >I have been trying to decide the best way to get images into digital form. >Naturally, a digital camera is one way, but not the only. There's also the >photo/scanner method, camcorder/video capture, and probably others. As I >see it, the pros/cons are: >DigCam: + Easy to use, convenient > - Expensive to buy, somewhat limited capacity, > no hard copy of images (except printer output) >Photo/Scanner: + Hard Copy, can be used for other stuff too > - Film and Developing can be expensive, takes time >Camcorder: + Easy to use, Allows for selecting the right image > from several views > - Video capture hardware/software isn't cheap >So, does anyone have thoughts on which is best? I'd like a scanner for >other things, but they're expensive too. There's also the question of 35mm >vs. polaroid and type of scanner. (Not to mention where the heck would I >put it!) I've got a camcorder and my girlfriend's mac supposedly can do >video capture as is, but I've got to find software and figure it out. -----------> I myself went with the scanner, mainly because I want to do some OCR with it as well as scanning, flat bed is better than a ahndheld, and you would not believe the prices nowadays. You can get a new Microtek E3 for under $200! (for IBM or Mac!) Check your local discount mail-order firm. - - - - - - - - BTW (and to keep on-topic), anyone know of some decent OCR software that can reliably convert dot-matrix hard copy? The Omnipage LE (shipped with the scanner) can't make heads or tails out of most of it (and barely works with the dot-matrix stuff it can. :/ (I have a couple issues of the Commodore Gazzette (pre-COMPUTE!) and alot of it is dot matrix.) Larry Anderson -- -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- Visit our web page at: http://www.goldrush.com/~foxnhare/ Call our BBS (Silicon Realms BBS 300-2400 baud) at: (209) 754-1363 -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

27 years, 12 months

cocos and stuff

by sinasohn＠crl.com

At 02:01 PM 6/10/97 -0400, you wrote: >(there is a port) and how hard. Do they run any real OSs or some TRShack? I am told that OS-9 is a pretty good OS, but I don't have any real experience with it. I'm sure there are OS-9 resources out on the net somewhere... --------------------------------------------------------------------- O- Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad sinasohn(a)crl.com that none but madmen know." Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/

27 years, 12 months

TI-99/4A Comments

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> > After the collapse of the market for the TI 99/4a, Radio Shack sold many > of the parts (including the keyboard, the internal switching power supply The TI99/4a is not a switcher. I have both the RS powersupply board and two TI99/4a (a black one and a grey one) and neither use a switcher! Now the original ti99/4 with the chicklet keyboard (scarce) did use the switcher. Allison

27 years, 12 months

cocos and stuff

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> Somewhere in the back of my head I had the idea that a TDP-100 > was a Coco with added serial hardware included so that Radio > Shack could sell it as a color video terminal. Does anyone > else remember this, or am I completely out of my mind? Looking at the board and my moto data book says no serial devices (6850 or the like). Allison

27 years, 12 months

Sage IV...

by thedm＠sunflower.com

Im not rich, Don't have one. Do I want one? Help me out here? what is it? ---------- > From: Kevan Heydon <kevan(a)motiv.co.uk> > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> > Subject: Sage IV... > Date: Tuesday, June 10, 1997 11:08 AM > > > Hi all, > > I have just recieved this email offering me a Sage IV. I am not > interested as I already have one so the cost of shipping to here in the > UK isn't worth it. So if someone wants it contact him directly. > > Kevan > > ------- Forwarded Message > > To: collector(a)heydon.org > Subject: sage IV > > Hello, I own a Sage IV computer and have some word processing software > and spreadsheet software for the computer. I also own two amber > monitors for the Sage IV. If you are interested in purchasing these, or > know a source in the United States that is interested in this computer > equipment, please leave me a note on the web, or at CompuServe 76627,224 > Jim Krasno (my wife is Nancy Nelson) > Jim > > ------- End of Forwarded Message > > > >

27 years, 12 months

TI-99/4A Comments

by allisonp＠world.std.com

Hi, I should qualify myself as comming from when personal computer meant you owned a computer be it a minuteman-1 missle guidence computer(all transistor), mark-8 or a PDP-8! The TI99/4a was 81 technology and should be compared to that not a P1000000! This seems to occur often. It compared to the PCjr with the chicklet keyboard or COCO1 with same at a time when the osborne-1 totable was new and neat. Apple/III had bombed on the market. It compared to z80 based system at 4mhz and a few emerging at 6mhz or the other non-IBM-PC 8088/6 based s100 systems. There were even 68000 based system but 8mhz were fast ones. It was color! At a time when that capability was uncommon. It didn't require an engineer to hook it up or make it do something/anything. At that time S100 systems, apples, and the like were rarely packaged systems. The trs80 and others started something with ready to run boxes that were also slow and cranky. Can I say it better as...back then a lot of things were starting to shake out, emerge and outright happen. The TI99/4a was one of those and it was far cheaper than a PC even at it introduction price. 1980 to 1984 was an interesting time. Who knows, if IBM and intel didn't hook up we could be running unix on a fifth generation z8000. Allison

27 years, 12 months

TI-99/4A Comments

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> I have a question for you folks. I have a basic TI 99/4a.... that's it. N > cables, no peripherals, no nothing with it. I am wanting to get this Minimally you need the power brick that was 18Vac and 8.5vac, and also the video cable that took compossite color to channel 3/4 or the other that allowed direct hookup to the TI color monitor. FYI sams photofact had a print set for the machine and it was set CC2, TI99/4a model PHC004a. There was also a 66 page technical manual from TI on the console and expansion box. Allison

27 years, 12 months

Tandy 600

by kaikal＠MICROSOFT.com

Actually the Tandy 600 was a 1989 concoction. It looks like an early Toshiba laptop, with flip-up narrow LCD display. It has Multiplan, a subset of MS Word, a built-in modem, 360K 3.5" drive, 80x16 display, and sold for $999. I passed up one of these at a swap meet a few weeks ago. Kai > ---------- > From: Marvin[SMTP:marvin@rain.org] > Reply To: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu > Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 1997 10:21 AM > To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers > Subject: Tandy 600 > > In checking through the master computer lists, I found a Tandy 600 > computer that is not listed. In checking through the docs, I can't > find > any reference to what the CPU is and I would prefer not to take it > apart > to find out:). Anyone know what CPU it uses? The manual was > copyright > 1985 but I don't know when the machine was actually released although > I > would *assume* 1985. It operates with MS-DOS style files and with all > software residing in ROM. It appears that the basic machine comes > with > 32K of RAM expandable to 128K or 224K with special 96K upgrade kits. > It > is classified as a "lap-size" or "handheld" computer; this with the > dimensions being 11 1/2" x 12 1/2" x 2 1/2" and weighing about 9 1/2 > pounds. It comes with a 16 line x 80 character LCD screen, 3 1/2" > drive > and a build-in modem. Built in software includes MS Works V1.2 with > Word, Calendar, File, Telecom, and Multiplan. >

27 years, 12 months

Reminder: electronics/junk/computer sale June 14

by pcoad＠crl.com

This is a reminder for those in the San Francisco Bay area that on June 14 in Mountain View, there will be an junk/electronics sale. The location will be at Haltek (1062 Linda Vista Ave (Shoreline exit off 101)). I believe that this sale will have stuff from 7 different stores. The sale should run from 9am to 3pm. The stores participating are: Alltronics Campbell Techinical Excess Solutions Halted Specialities Haltek Test Labs Weirdstuff Directions: Take Highway 101 to Shoreline Blvd. West Turn Left on Terra Bella Turn left on Linda vista. Haltek is at the end of the road on the left. There will likely be a small get together (two people so far). Anyone who is interested in the get together let me know. There is a pretty good (if slightly expensive) Mexican food place nearby. Within a few miles >from Haltek just about any kind of food can be found. I'm not associated with any of the participants, I just a customer. --pec --------------------------------------------------------------------------

27 years, 12 months

cocos and stuff

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> RS published a technical manual for the color computer; I have a copy of i > somewhere. HOWEVER I found there's an app note from Motorola with schemati > that almost exactly match those in the RS technical manual. I don't recal > whether it was a 6809 app note or a 6847 app note though. If you can find > set of old Motorola data books you may be able to find it. Since I have three distinctly different generation boards I suspect the moto prints would hold to the oldest. Allison

27 years, 12 months

This weekend's haul

by zmerch＠northernway.net

Due to massive amounts of caffeine & sleep deprivation, Doug Spence said: >...and a BIZARRE >piece of IBM equipment: an external 5-1/4" floppy drive, model 4869. Actually, if one worked in an IBM shop, they were quite commonplace... especially when the PS/2's came out. The PS/2's had *no* way to hook an internal 5.25" floppy (due to size of case... and IBM's wanting to create a new standard...) so you had to go external if you wanted/needed to share data with other machines with 5.25" drives. >Now, on the subject of that weirdo IBM 4869 disk drive... what does this >plug into? The guy I bought it from said it was for an old PC. It has a >37-pin connector on the end of its cable. It's LARGER in two dimensions >than even a Commodore 1541 drive. Its power switch is very high quality. >:) Would this be a 160K drive? I haven't ripped it apart (yet) to see >how many heads the thing has. The size of the drive is mainly because of the PS & case (the case is *very* well RFI shielded)... the drive itself is a standard 1/2 height 360K 40TKDSDD 48TPI drive, with a standard 34-pin edge connector. I have one sitting on my desk at home, modified to use a standard cable (read: hole cut with dremel tool in top of case to fit cable) so I can use it with either my PC or with my Tandy CoCo3. *Very* nice drive. Trying to find a few more, so I can floppyize my CoCo2 and CoCo1. If you (or anyone) needs more info on this drive, lemme know. But I can tell you, that just taking it apart is *fun*, if you have 3-4 hours to get it apart and back together. I've had mine disassembled 3-4 times now, to figure where to cut holes & stuff for my cable mods. Enjoy! Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- Roger Merchberger | If at first you don't succeed, Programmer, NorthernWay | nuclear warhead disarmament should zmerch(a)northernway.net | *not* be your first career choice.

27 years, 12 months

Tandy 600

by bwit＠pobox.com

I have one of these and I believe it is based on the Intel 8086. Bob ---------- From: Marvin Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 1997 1:21 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: Tandy 600 In checking through the master computer lists, I found a Tandy 600 computer that is not listed. In checking through the docs, I can't find any reference to what the CPU is and I would prefer not to take it apart to find out:). Anyone know what CPU it uses? The manual was copyright 1985 but I don't know when the machine was actually released although I would *assume* 1985. It operates with MS-DOS style files and with all software residing in ROM. It appears that the basic machine comes with 32K of RAM expandable to 128K or 224K with special 96K upgrade kits. It is classified as a "lap-size" or "handheld" computer; this with the dimensions being 11 1/2" x 12 1/2" x 2 1/2" and weighing about 9 1/2 pounds. It comes with a 16 line x 80 character LCD screen, 3 1/2" drive and a build-in modem. Built in software includes MS Works V1.2 with Word, Calendar, File, Telecom, and Multiplan.

27 years, 12 months

8088s seattle comp.

by allisonp＠world.std.com

Subject: Re: Seattle Computer CPU Module > The 8080 is a 40-pin package. The Z-80 is a 48-pin package. If I > remember correctly (my life in computers started with the Z-80, really, Whn I got up off the floor laughing... The z80, 8085, 8080 are all 40 pin packages and the z80 in any varient was never in a 48 pin package. The z180 aka 64180 was a 64 pin package or 68pin plcc. > since my friend with the Altair when I was in the USAF didn't let me at > the hardware, he knew my [inclined to injure myself] soldering skills). > This generally means that an adapter was needed to plug a Z-80 into a > board designed for a 8080. But I started my real computer career when Not true. there were z80 based boards to replace the 8080 board. For a while due to costs there where boards that carried z80s that would plug into an 8080 socket to upgrade the machine to z80 perfomance... > computers showed up where you didn't have to count the pins on the CPU, > specifically the TRS-80 (later renamed the Model One). I remember the > first time I looked down into a Model 16 and saw the MC68000 and wondered > why the hell that thing wasn't climbing up the side of the Empire State > Building. What you missed was the ti9900 chip that was 3 years older and also 64 pins. FYI the ti9900 chips was a 16bit cpu! Allison --LAA09304.865785477/europe.std.com--

27 years, 12 months

Sage IV...

by kevan＠motiv.co.uk

Hi all, I have just recieved this email offering me a Sage IV. I am not interested as I already have one so the cost of shipping to here in the UK isn't worth it. So if someone wants it contact him directly. Kevan ------- Forwarded Message To: collector(a)heydon.org Subject: sage IV Hello, I own a Sage IV computer and have some word processing software and spreadsheet software for the computer. I also own two amber monitors for the Sage IV. If you are interested in purchasing these, or know a source in the United States that is interested in this computer equipment, please leave me a note on the web, or at CompuServe 76627,224 Jim Krasno (my wife is Nancy Nelson) Jim ------- End of Forwarded Message

27 years, 12 months

Bit-3 Full-View80 video card for Atari 800

by idavis＠comland.com

At 07:23 PM 6/9/97 -0700, Jeff wrote: >written specifically for the Bit-3 or not? Also, could someone tell me >the power requirements for an Atari 850 interface, as I also picked up >one of those but it didn't have the PSU. Thanks. > > Jeff jeffh(a)unix.aardvarkol.com >-- >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ >Collector of Classic Computers: Amiga 1000, Apple II+, Atari 800, >800XL, MegaST-2, XE System, Coleco Adam, Commodore 128D, 16, Plus/4, >VIC-20, IBM 5155, Kaypro 2X, Mattel Aquarius, Osbourne Executive, >Radofin Aquarius, TI-99/4A, Sinclair ZX-81, Timex-Sinclair 1000, TRS-80 >Color Computer 3, Model 4, and Model 4P. Also Odyssey2, Atari SuperPong >and Atari 2600VCS game consoles > I have been using the same power supply for my 850 as my 800. Come to think of it, just about everything I have hooked to my atari is using the exact same power supplies, except for the 1027 printer which has a different sized connector. I will double check the 850 manual when I get home, but I know I just grabbed a regular old atari 800 power supply and started using it. If it turns out to be different, I will post the requirements. Isaac Davis idavis(a)comland.com indavis(a)juno.com

27 years, 12 months

Trade for board?

by kyrrin＠wizards.net

Although I currently have a decent QBUS-to-SCSI adapter (Sigma Information Systems model RQD11), it does not appear to be capable of handling, or booting from, a CD-ROM drive with its current revision of firmware. Despite this, it does appear to work quite well (recognized by the MicroVAX it's plugged into, sees devices on the SCSI bus). Since I need to boot from CD, though, the board is of little use to me in its current state. Anyone on here interested in maybe trading me an Emulex or Dilog SCSI card for this one? I do have the original manual (and if you think that was easy to find...) ;-) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave BBS (Fidonet 1:343/272) (Hamateur: WD6EOS) (E-mail: kyrrin(a)wizards.net) http://www.wizards.net/technoid "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..."

27 years, 12 months

TI99 (was Re: 8088s seattle comp.)

by allisonp＠world.std.com

> Personally, my opinion of the TI-99/4a varies from stupid piece of shit > to semi-decent machine. Today I feel like stupid piece of shit. It was > almost completely closed, it's BASIC sucked and was slow, it's keyboard I have two of the beasts and a expansion box with floppy, ram, aftermarket ram and rs232 and ever the little talker thing and a box of games. It is slow. The manuals for the cpu and expansion were available, I got them. It's a compilation of the things you can do to a good cpu to make it run slow and try to do everything. > but then, I came from the world of Apple ][, to which nothing could > compare (uh oh, here come the holy wars). It's attraction? One it was cheaper than an apple with disks! When TI had the great sell off the console was $50, expansion $50, and modules $25-100. That made it appealingly cheap for what it was. I got my during the fire sale so they have been with me since new and work great. Parsec is still a favorite game. Since I have the editor, assember and other packages I also use it for assembly of TI9900 code for the technico board. An aside: The ti994a was an attempt at the time of emerging PCs to deliver the home computing applance. Everyone had an idea and generally the all were poor. Even the original PC was really bad, mostly closed design. They were all noteable as it told marketers what would fly and what had to be there. Amusingly the ti has what every P5 box has today, graphics, sound, games so they weren't that far off <in a perverse sort of way>. Allison

27 years, 12 months

Where do I find classic stuff in MN, SD, ND

by ekman＠lysator.liu.se

Greetings! I will be going to the US next week and would naturally like to take the chance to find some classic stuff. It presently looks like I will be moving around the states Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota. Unfortunately, airline baggage regulations will not allow me to purchase any considerable amounts of hardware, so I will be mostly interested in software. Does anyone have any information about shops or other places in those states where I may purchase classic software (or hardware)? I mostly collect Commodore, but anything is of potential interest. /Fredrik

27 years, 12 months

C64 thingy

by dastar＠crl.com

I picked up a Commodore 64 a while ago that had this special board inside. It was inserted between the keyboard and the motherboard. IE. it had a connector that plugged into the keyboard rolex connector on the motherboard and then the keyboard ribbon cable plugged into it. Then it had a 9-pin male D-type connector than came out the back of the C64. My guess is that it was for a numeric keypad or something. I forgot what was stamped on the circuit board. Any ideas? Sam ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass

27 years, 12 months

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