18 Dec
2003
18 Dec
'03
5:11 a.m.
On Thu, 2003-12-18 at 17:38, Dan Williams wrote:
I had up until about 5 years ago two of these,
with all original 8"
software disks, double 8" drive and two external winchester drives. The
external winchesters where big mfm disks with a convertor board to scsi
or sasi I can't remember. They are great looking machines with a BIG
reset button and keyswitch. I wish I hadn't given them away. One of them
still had all the server software on it to boot a network of 30 odd 480z
machines which it did with ease until they replaced it with a nimbus server.
I still have one of the fileservers with the winchester as you describe
- I don't know of any other survivors, although 380Z standalone machines
seem reasonably common still.
I have several 480Z machines too, but unfortunately all of the
plastic-cased variety and not the metal ones.
I know where there's one of the 8" floppy units too which I have my eye
on in case it becomes available...
Shame you don't have the fileserver software still - I'm missing all the
stuff I need to get my fileserver going again if the hard drive ever
toasts itself :-( (currently it works happily and the 480Z machines
will boot nicely from it)
A 380Z in great condition,
On another note does anyone still have a nimbus with
c-dos and the 480z
network software installed on it. I have very fond memories of these
from school. I can remember when they replaced all the 480z's with
nimbus's (nimbi ?). They had a few 286's when I left which I believe
where around the ?2000 mark then.
I'm yet to look through quite what software I got along with this 380Z
and RM laptop, but there *may* be the relevant stuff there. Bit of a
long-shot though.
I know the borough I lived in (Bromley) used almost
exclusivly RM
machines was that the same everywhere in the UK.
Most places ended up with Acorn hardware in the end I think, even if
they had a 380Z or two - but it does seem to have varied between
regions. You mention Bromley, and RML hardware seemed to be quite
widespread in Milton Keynes too (that's where all of mine has come from
so far)
cheers
Jules