test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Uncle Roger <sinasohn(a)ricochet.net> wrote: >My main problem with PS/2's is cost and scarcity of MCA cards and >memory and such. At the UW-Madison surplus shop, they have several banquet tables full of boxes of PS/2 MCA junk cards, all at ~dollar prices. I don't know what's in there, though. - John Jefferson Computer Museum <http://www.threedee.com/jcm>

28 years, 2 months

Anybody want an Osborne?

by francois.auradon＠worldnet.att.net

That is totally understandable. Oh well. >>> Joe >>I don't think I would pay $20 for just a connector. It' the little thingy on > > It may be a little thing but the owner's not going to let me start taking >pieces off. Sorry. > > Joe ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Francois Auradon. Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon

28 years, 2 months

Etymologies...

by pvhp＠forte.com

classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu Subj: Re: Etymologies... PG Manney wrote: >Where did the following terms come from? > >-Dongle ? >-Byte (named after nybble, or vice-versa?) In support of Eric Raymonds's Hacker's Dictionary Dennis Shasha and Cathy Lazere* attribute the coinage of the term byte to Werner Bucholz who was chief architect of the IBM Stretch project. That being the late 1950's/ early 1960's I suspect that spellings such as "byte" and "nybble" were also puns of another sort: at that time a good deal of comedy material was floating around concerning the fad that had sprung up after world war II to name various small businesses along the lines of "Ye Olde Cheese Shoppe", "Ye Olde Liquore Store", "Ye Olde Flowere Shoppe" and such like. The intent was to convey some old world charm and respectability but by the early 60's "Ye Olde Used Carre Lotte" had a humourous ring to it and was lampooned in cartoons (I think things like Hanna-Barberra's Flintstones poked fun at "Ye Olde..."). Hence the "binary digit" -> bit (from the 1930s) became "byte" a larger and more respectable measure of storage (BTW in IBM speak one never mentions 'memory' it is 'storage'). At that time (early 60's) a four bit instruction set was not unheard of for computers hence the half byte or nybble came into being (simple pun on bite/nibble). *"Out of their Minds: The lives and discoveries of 15 Great Computer Scientists" (c) 1995 ISBN: 0-387-97992-1 >-Mainframe (Why not just...like..you know...call it a computer?) One of the basic units of IBM packaging is the "frame" which _roughly_ translates to four squarish 19" racks stuck together in a square. A given computer installation may have one or more frames for DASD (pronounced Dazz-dee meaning "Direct access storage device" or disk drive), a DASD controller (no kidding these things occupy a whole frame) and the Central Electronic Complex (CEC or CPU - a.k.a. the "Main" frame) >-DB (as in DB-15, 25) I've also heard them called D-sub xx) ? >-Mouse Apparently invented around 1964 by Douglas Englebart - according to Time/Life books "Understanding Computers" series. In the "Input/Output" volume on page 67 referring to equipment used at The 1968 Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco: Technically known as an "x-y position indicator for a system," it was something Englebart had invented four years earlier and had named - because of its small size and tail-like cable - a mouse. Peter Prymmer

28 years, 2 months

Availability?

by zmerch＠northernway.net

This was just sent to me, and I am forwarding it unto you in case any of y'all can help this guy out -- sounds like a good guy to me. Please respond directly to him if you can help him out. Thanks! ----------------------------------------------- >Delivered-To: zmerch(a)northernway.net >Delivered-To: m600(a)list.northernway.net >X-Authentication-Warning: rac6.wam.umd.edu: kosack owned process doing -bs >Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:18:51 -0500 (EST) >From: Daniel S Kosack <kosack(a)wam.umd.edu> >To: m600(a)list.northernway.net >Subject: Availability? > > >Howdy, > > I'm curious to know how available used T600's are. I have a T1400, but >I think a T600 would actually be more useful considering I have no hard >drive and DOS apps are large. I'm a big MS-Works 1.0 fan (I have the DOS >version, which fits on multiple disks) so I think I would get along with a >T600 just fine. I remember when they first came out, and I've got a few >100's, so I'm somewhat familiar with the line. > > Thanks for any info. I'm in the greater Washington DC metro area >(United States). If there are any used/refurb computer places you know of >in that vacinity that may have one, I'd be interested. I'd be even more >interested if I could possibly trade my 1400LT for one (it's not in the >best of shape, bad battery and not so hot screen anymor and manuals are >lost, but it works). > >Dan Kosack. -- Roger Merchberger | If at first you don't succeed, Programmer, NorthernWay | nuclear warhead disarmament should *not* zmerch(a)northernway.net | be your first career choice.

28 years, 2 months

firsts (guis)

by pvhp＠forte.com

Regarding the first GUI: It would seem that Douglas Englebart's work at the "Augmentation Research Center" (ARC) of the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) in Menlo Park was the first GUI and was demonstrated at the Fall 1968 Joint Computer Conference in the San Francisco Civic Auditorium by Englebart. The computer used was the one at ARC (model unknown?) and was microwave linked to the display in the Auditorium. Input devices included a keyboard, a 3 button mouse (invented 4 years earlier by Englebart), and a chord keyset - described as an input device that resembled a five key segment cut from a piano keyboard. Alan Kay was in attendance at that show and drew inspiration for his later work at Xerox PARC on SmallTalk and the Xerox Alto (released in 1973, 2000 were made and it is credited as "a contender for the title of world's first personal computer"). The reference with all these claims is none other than the "Input/Ouput" volume of the Time-Life "Understanding Computers" series (c) 1986 (L.O.C. QA76.1486 1986 004 85-28832; ISBN: 0-8094-5666-4 or 0-8094-5666-2 (library binding)). There is a picture of Englebart conducting "a reprise" of his Joint Computer Conference show on page 65. Peter Prymmer

28 years, 2 months

Looking for a 14 pin DIN cable

by hansp＠columbia.digiweb.com

Doea anyone have a spare 14 connector DIN cable? I need one for connecting a disk drive to my Thomson TO-8 computer. I believe the same cable is used to connect drives to the Atari ST series machines. -- Hans B. Pufal : <mailto:hansp@digiweb.com> Comprehensive Computer Catalogue : <http://www.digiweb.com/~hansp/ccc/> _-_-__-___--_-____-_--_-_-____--_---_-_---_--__--_--_--____---_--_--__--_

28 years, 2 months

HELP!!!!!! MS Dos

by fbgte＠cibola.net

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? Thanks Mario

28 years, 2 months

Recording data to a strand of wire? AND Upcoming PBS special on bit rot

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<These two threads just bumped together in my head. Has anybody got <an idea of how long data should last on wire? It can't have the same If it didn't rust forever or until a stronger field distrurbed it. <Anyone want to try running some fine ferrous wire through an old <cassette (or even reel-to-reel) recorder, and see if the result is Wouldn't work. The gap in the head is too narrow, the media speed is too slow and the shape of the head would not favor it. Also wire requires a strong bias to work as your magnetizing a tougher medium. In real terms as a data storage medium it would be poor becuase of bit density and reliability. Even disks/drums of the time were very low density even though some were oxide coated or even a few cobalt plated. Allison

28 years, 2 months

WTB: SDS/XDS Sigma 7 and Honeywell CP-V manuals

by michael_wilson＠geocities.com

I am looking for manuals for the Sigma 7 computer system and the Honeywell CP-V operating system. Would appreciate any information about, or leads to help find these items. Thanks, David Wilson dmwilson(a)worldnet.att.net or David_Wilson(a)StrategicFulfillment.com

28 years, 2 months

Anybody want an Osborne?

by francois.auradon＠worldnet.att.net

-----Original Message----- From: Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, January 14, 1998 7:56 PM Subject: Re: Anybody want an Osborne? >At 08:21 PM 1/14/98 -0600, you wrote: >>If you can get just the video loopback connector I'll be interested, one of >>mine is missing it and I would like to replace it with an original. >>thanks for the post. > > I can get the connector if you're willing to buy the computer to get it >and can tell me where it is in the machine. > > Joe I don't think I would pay $20 for just a connector. It' the little thingy on the right below thew storage under the floppy, it has white writing on it that says "do not remove while power is on". this is where you plug in an extenal monitor but if you want to use the internal one, you have to have this loopback. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Francois Auradon. Visit the SANCTUARY at http://home.att.net/~francois.auradon

28 years, 2 months

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