4 May
2002
4 May
'02
1:58 a.m.
The TS-806 wasn't a multi-user system, per se. It had up to 6 attached
TS-800A's, which had their own Z-80s, memory, and video circuitry. The
TS-806 was basically a file server and comm-hub. Depending on what O/S you
were running (there were at least 2, and possible 3), you could lock files,
perform inter-terminal communications via mailboxes on the TS-806, etc. At
least one of the companies that produced an OS for it was based in Atlanta,
GA, in the basement of a photography store. I spent a lot of time debugging
for them.
I believe the TS-816 was still Z-80 based, but had 16 ports instead of 6.
I am not positive about this, as I never had one.
I used to write medical software (patient care plans, accounts receivable,
mailing lists, etc) on these beasts, using Microsoft compiled BASIC.
The TS-800As are the same form factor as the TVI-900/TVI-950. They do have
nice keyboards, some of the better ones, at the time. Although in my book,
nothing compares to the Cherry keyboard that was on the SOL-20. Oh, how I
covet a SOL-20 at a reasonable price...
--John
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
[mailto:owner-classiccmp@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Pat Finnegan
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 2:07 AM
To: ClassicCmp List
Subject: RE: "Televideo Systems"
On Fri, 3 May 2002, Douglas H. Quebbeman wrote:
Aparently so, but the TS-806 was a Z80 version also, with support for up
to 6 terminals on RS-422 (if the TS-806 is the system I took apart). I
remember it worked like a boot-server to TS-800's (or was it TVI-800's?)
as diskless workstations that connected back to the TS-806. It was fairly
cool, I always liked the shape of the things and the keyboards for some
reason... perhaps becuse it was the first 'multiuser' system I got to
see. I'm still amazed at how one could run 6 user sessions off a
processor that lacked 'protection' between tasks. I guess code was just
better written back then (no major MicroSoft apps to screw the system
up :).
After realizing that the 816 was an 8088 box, I'm a bit less interested in
it...
> Just pinging out there... I was wondering if
anyone had a
Televideo TS 806
> or TS 816 they would be willing to give to a
'good home'. I
have a bit of
> an attachment/longing for one, it was that
computer at my Dad's office
> (he's an Optometrist) that I never got to play with until it broke and
> (since I was rather young at the time) I took it apart. The
pieces have
since
been tossed by my parents in the interest of 'cleaning up'.
Wasn't the 816 the 8086/8088 version? The TS-803 had a Z-80. We had 25 of the TS-803 at RETS, and I've
been haggling
for the only one I know is left from the guy who has it,
so far, to no avail. I have manuals and lots of software
for it, including TELE-WRITE and TELE-DRAW. We had a
MouseSystems optical mouse on ours that worked with TELE-DRAW.
Cool. I'm pretty sure the TS-806 and TS/TVI-800's were text-only, but if
the text-mode software still is compatible, that'd be awesome.
-- Pat