Classic computing as a hobby when rocks were still soft (was Re: SWTPC craze)

On Wednesday 14 March 2007 20:42, Ethan Dicks wrote: I had two DF32's and a TC08 and TU55 on the 8/I and used to run TSS as well as OS/8. I purchased the 8/L and 8/I from "Sonny" at American Used Computer located in Boston. I got a lot of modules and I/O gear indirectly from DEC. They knew I had DEC systems in my home - and would tell me when customers wanted to "dump" older equipment. Most of the stuff I picked up that way was at little cost or free. I picked up the PDP-12 by purchasing it directly from DEC. At the time, I worked at Fidelity - and was a large 11/70 user with RP04's, 9 Track Tapes, etc. I ran the "quant" group and we used the 11/70 to do "bond arbitrage analysis", "stock models", "portfolio analysis", etc. The PMs (Portfolio Managers) and Traders could access data/results interactively via terminals. We also "sold" DEC systems to our corespondents (clients) with our "value added software". So, needless to say, DEC "liked" me. DEC sold me a "demo" PDP-12 for $3,000 when the list price was $28,000. I later added an RF08 (dual disk - a whopping 512K of storage ;-), and a 9 track tape to the PDP-12. I also added two 8K banks of MM8I memory to the 12. Subsequently, I sold the PDP-8/I and moved the TC08 and TU55 to the PDP-12. I ran the PDP-12 at home for years. Other than "playing" with the it (Spacewar!, etc.), I developed my own stock analysis software on the 12 to help manage my personal investments. I few years ago, I donated the PDP-12 to the Computer History Museum along with the complete DECUS library for the PDP-12. (I was the last volunteer DECUS coordinator for the PDP-12). I forgot to mention that in the early 70's I picked up a RPC-4000 (drum machine) and restored it to "health". Around 1974 I donated it to a Philadelphia museum. Cheers, Lyle -- Lyle Bickley Bickley Consulting West Inc. Mountain View, CA http://bickleywest.com "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"