24 Apr
2007
24 Apr
'07
7:42 p.m.
Thread was: Re: Lack of 8-bit threads (was Re: Linux question)
On Mon, 2007-04-23 at 22:55 +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
I've got an HP-150 which just developed a video problem. Any chance
the TechRef is downloadable somewhere?
At the
risk of starting a religious flame-war, my favorite of the
not-quite-compatibles was the HP-150. Sleek, stylish, small, hard-shell
diskettes, use of HPIB for disks and peripherals, and a touch screen.
SEXY!
I 'only' have the HP150-II. It's in a larger case, with a 12" CRT, an
optional touchscreen (which is fitted on mine) using an HP-HIL interface.
It has 4 expansion slots (as against 2 in the original 150), and alas a
lot more custom silicon.
I have the HP150 TechRef with the supplement for the 150-II. The case of the original HP150 seems to be very
similar to the case of
the HP9816, which is one of the nicest styled machines I've ever seen.
The eleectronic design of that box is pretty interesting too...
I agree. There are only three instances of companies failing which
actually bothered me. First, Processor Technology, with their gorgeous,
years-ahead-of-its-time SOL series, Digital Research, Inc., the source
of almost all software innovation in personal computers, and HP. Yes, I
know HP is still here, but, ending somewhere in the 1990s, they lost
that "magic touch." Previously, EVERYTHING they did was close to
miraculous. I don't think ANY company has come so close to doing
engineering perfectly for the state of the science (and art) involved.
Even more amazing was the CONSISTENCY with which they cranked out one
amazing feat of engineering after another. Now they are just another
manufacturer of PCs. Not that they are bad, or anything even like that,
but one no longer wonders if they have secret access to alien
technology. (The preceding is a statement of personal opinion,
I*S*GWS.)
Peace,
Warren E. Wolfe
wizard at voyager.net