25 Jun
2007
25 Jun
'07
1:44 p.m.
"I am still wondering why the IBM5100 gets regarded as
a significant
machine when the HP9830 was a couple of years ealier
and had a very
similar specificiation."
In a word - exposure. HP stuff is oftentimes a tad
esoteric for the *usual* goofy collector or whatever
you call peeps who are into this stuff.
OK, but how mwnay people rememebr the IBM5100 when it came out? (I am not
talking about the 5150, the PC). If you can find out about an obscure
(IMHO) IBM machine, then finding out about the HP9830 shouldn't be any
harder.
[...]
"http://www.hpmuseum.org/"
Very well done site, a little hard to find certain
information though (for me anyway).
I find the http://www.hpmuseum.net/ site to be more useful for these
larger machines. Not as many pictures, but plenty of useful manuals.
Tony, was the HP9830 a computer you could
enter
a shop and exit with one
on the arms?
Truthfully, how does this arise as a criteria? What
about units (that appeared later) with integral 12"
CRT's. Cuz the average chick or many dudes even
couldn't tuck it under their arm and go on their merry
way, does that make it any less a *personal* computer? If it won't crush the desk beneath it, I'd say
that
qualifies it as a pc.
Err, I've got a PDP8/e + TU56 DECtape + PC04 paper tape on my desk...
I think
the better definition of a
"off-the-shelf" puter is a puter you
can enter a shop, buy a system, bring it home. No
special questions,
training or instalation needed. And this should
be a
complete computer,
Again ancillary terminology is being introduced. Who
says a pc has to be "off the shelf" in the sense that
you can reach up and pull one down. Expressing
availability as "off the shelf" seems a bit arbitrary.