new find: an Intel MDS 800

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 20:13:15 -0400, you wrote: Sorry to hear that, in terms of 'collectors value and esteem' stuff. I did suspect something was 'up' when the datecode on the ID sticker on back was 1978. Mine seems to be a full 8051 ICE with all the trimmings, so I may even attempt some embedded programming with it- the system came with a box with four or five 'spare' 8051 'bond-out' processor chips in it, so it is probably servicible even if the 'pod' is blown. (there's probably been even at least one person, somewhere in the world, who would have been willing to pay the price of a good used sports-car for one of the spares, within the last decade) I have at least a few tubes full of 8031s, and even a couple NOS tubes of the elusive (RARE now) 8243 chip, so I can roll out a psuedo-single-chip 8051 project or two if I want, even without an 8751 programmer. Unless an EPROM is dead, everything else seems like standard replacable parts. (rationalisation and hopeful thinking) Actually, there's an added-in non-Intel jack on the back (I think 37 pin 'D' shaped but as everybody knows, probably not a 'Dsub' due to size) that the external dual-8" floppy enclosure plugs into. I suspect the system may have had something third-party added to support the two external drives, and some of the disks are labeled to indicate they are 'higher' density than the internal drive will support. This system has EVERYTHING, (including a plastic sleeve full of sales receipts, etc.) and I'm hoping full docs for all the stuff that was upgraded on it. There's a lot for me to go through yet. No matter what, it does feel good to finally have a piece of hardware with both Paper-tape in and and out jacks on the back.