11 Apr
2001
11 Apr
'01
7:15 p.m.
List it be:
All system listed are fully operational with perpherals.
Loose boards and spares not included nor are PCs
even though many are classic.
Allison
S100 based systems
-------------------------------
Altair 8800
Processor Tech SOL
NorthStar* Horizon (2)
CCS2200
Compupro Z80
Explorer 8085
Killer an S100 machine of my design (z80s, 8085, 8048)
Z80 based Packaged or Single board based Systems
-----------------------------------------
AmproLB
Kaypro 4/84
NS* Advantage
Epson PX-8 laptop
Visual 1050 (2)
DEC Vt180 (several)
Tandy TRS-80
Micromint SB180
Single board computers
----------------------------------
Kim-1
Motorola 6800 D1
SC/MP
SC/MP-II NIBBLE (tinybasic)
RCA COSMAC ELF
Intersil 6960 6100 sampler (cmos PDP-8)
IMSAI IMP48
Technico Superstarted board TI9900 cpu
MultiBUS based
------------------------
Hurikon ml92 (z80 based)
Intel MDS800
MISC systems
---------------------
TI99/4a (3)
tandy COCO-III
PDP-11 based systems
----------------------------------
DEC Pro350
DEC Pro380
DEC LSI 11/03
DEC PDP 11/23
DEC PDP11/23B
BA11VA with TU58 and 11/23
VAX based
----------------
MicroVAX-II BA23
MicroVAX-II/GPX BA123
MicroVAX 2000 (3)
MicroVAX 3100/M10E (3)
MicroVAX 3100/M76/spx
PDP-8 Based
--------------------
Decmate-III (2)
PDP-8/f
Terminals
-------------
Vt100
Vt125
Vt320
Vt340
VT1200
H19
11 Apr
11 Apr
9:38 p.m.
I started collecting systems only about 2 1/2 years ago...my objectives were
to get all the computers I could't afford as a kid....I was one of the early
youngsters growing up starting with the 1977 TRS-80 model I...it was well
out of my (and family's) price range...not to be deterred, I learned
programming by hanging around Radio Shack while my Mom shopped...after a
couple of years when my father figured out I wasn't outgrowing my computer
"phase" he bought me one in 1981, a TRS-80 Model III 48K 2DD for $2500 with
an insurance settlement.
(2x) Commodore PET 8K 2001 (1 works; other needs to be debugged)
(2x) Apple Lisa 2/10 (working 10mb widget hard drives!)
(3x) TRS-80 Model I (EI, floppies etc.)
(12x!) Commodore PET 8032/4032 etc. with 8250 fdd (long story)
TRS-80 Model III (my first machine)
Leading Edge Model D (my first employer)
Akkord Jonathan (probably the only real reverse engineered Mac clone out
there ~1991)
Northstar Advantage
IBM ThinkPad with Go! Operating System
NEC UltraLite Autograph (prototype pen machines)
Heathkit H89
Nextstation
Osborne One
Apple Mac SE
Apple II+
Atari 800
(2x) Commodore 64
SpectraVideo SV328 (in bad shape)
Casio Zoomer
HP 200LX (my PCMCIA software runs on this)
What I still need to get:
- Kim-1 or similar microprocessor trainer
- S100 Computer
- Ohio Scientific (any)
- Processor Technology SOL
12 Apr
12 Apr
8:52 a.m.
In all the collections I am seeing I am surprised no one has listed an ICON.
I believe this system was local to Ontario, Canada. The systems were made
especially for schools, with a bunch of them in my high school. Either the
GUI or the paint package included was called AMBIENCE. The OS was QNX. The
case was like the PETs - steel one piece with monitor. But it was a colour
monitor and there was also a trackball.
Cheers,
Bryan
10:08 a.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Pope" <bpope(a)wordstock.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 6:52 AM
Subject: Re: Collection list (just for phun)
In all the collections I am seeing I am surprised no
one has listed an
ICON.
I believe this system was local to Ontario, Canada.
The systems were
made
especially for schools, with a bunch of them in my
high school. Either
the
GUI or the paint package included was called AMBIENCE.
The OS was QNX.
The
case was like the PETs - steel one piece with monitor.
But it was a
colour
monitor and there was also a trackball.
I remember the Icons well from my school days. I have a semi-serious belief
that the Ontario government and/or the Toronto Board of Education has
attempted to erase all evidence that the Icon ever existed. For those who
didn't grow up in Southern Ontario, the Icon project was an ambitious early
attempt to put a computer in every school. Unfortunately, it was sabotaged
by the politically motivated insistence on a "made in Canada" solution.
A consortium was put together that created proprietary hardware running a
Unix variant (years before Linux put Unix in the mainstream). In a world
rapidly being swamped by the enthusiasm and high hopes of the "Home
Computing" revolution, where Commodore, Apple and Atari were king, the Icon
was a costly failure. It limped along for a few years, but once the
government lost its initial enthusiasm for computer-assisted learning, the
plug was quickly pulled. The last place I remember seeing an Icon was at
the Ontario Science Centre, where they were used to run programs like
Forest fire fighting simulations. I'd love to get one if I ever run across
one.
Regards,
Mark.
12:57 p.m.
On Thu, 12 Apr 2001, Mark Gregory wrote:
I remember the Icons well from my school days. I have
a semi-serious belief
that the Ontario government and/or the Toronto Board of Education has
attempted to erase all evidence that the Icon ever existed. For those who
didn't grow up in Southern Ontario, the Icon project was an ambitious early
attempt to put a computer in every school. Unfortunately, it was sabotaged
by the politically motivated insistence on a "made in Canada" solution.
A consortium was put together that created proprietary hardware running a
Unix variant (years before Linux put Unix in the mainstream). In a world
rapidly being swamped by the enthusiasm and high hopes of the "Home
Computing" revolution, where Commodore, Apple and Atari were king, the Icon
was a costly failure. It limped along for a few years, but once the
government lost its initial enthusiasm for computer-assisted learning, the
plug was quickly pulled. The last place I remember seeing an Icon was at
the Ontario Science Centre, where they were used to run programs like
Forest fire fighting simulations. I'd love to get one if I ever run across
one.
Yes, I'd like to add one to my collection too. I'm seriously interested:
cash or trade. If any of you in the 51st US State come across an extra
one please let me know :)
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
2:22 p.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Gregory" <gregorym(a)cadvision.com>
From: "Bryan Pope"
<bpope(a)wordstock.com>
> In all the collections I am seeing I am surprised no one
has listed an ICON.
> I believe this system was local to Ontario,
Canada. The
systems were made
> especially for schools, with a bunch of them in
my high
school. Either the
> GUI or the paint package included was called
AMBIENCE.
The OS was QNX. The
> case was like the PETs - steel one piece with
monitor.
But it was a colour
> monitor and there was also a trackball.
A consortium was put together that created proprietary
hardware running a
Unix variant (years before Linux put Unix in the
mainstream). In a world
rapidly being swamped by the enthusiasm and high hopes
of
the "Home
Computing" revolution, where Commodore, Apple and
Atari
were king, the Icon
was a costly failure. It limped along for a few years,
but
once the
government lost its initial enthusiasm for
computer-assisted learning, the
plug was quickly pulled. The last place I remember
seeing
an Icon was at
the Ontario Science Centre, where they were used to
run
programs like
Forest fire fighting simulations. I'd love to get
one if I
ever run across
one.
I wish I'd know more about them, I saw 4 in a junk shop a
few months back, but without any software or manuals. They
looked pretty beat up and I think they wanted $10 cdn each
for them. I have QNX on a CD and they're located not too
far from here.
I'm still looking for NVRAM to revive a sparc 1+, a cable to
get the VAXstation connected as well as complete ICON, timex
Sinclair, TI, TRS80, coco, and a SOL. Garage sales are just
starting so I'm hopeful that I'll find a few more.
6:22 p.m.
On 12-Apr-2001 Mark Gregory wrote:
A consortium was put together that created proprietary
hardware running
a Unix variant (years before Linux put Unix in the mainstream). In a
world rapidly being swamped by the enthusiasm and high hopes of the
"Home Computing" revolution, where Commodore, Apple and Atari were
king, the Icon was a costly failure. It limped along for a few years,
but once the government lost its initial enthusiasm for
computer-assisted learning, the plug was quickly pulled.
Sounds like the Comterm here in Qu?bec. Same reasoning, only a bit
later (during the early "IBM clone" period) and it had to be made in
Qu?bec. Imagine an IBM-compatible in a case that looked like an Apple ][.
It was barely compatible. Most software failed on it. Espcially
educational games which sort of defeated the idea.
The last place I remember seeing an Icon was at
the Ontario Science Centre, where they were used to run programs like
Forest fire fighting simulations. I'd love to get one if I ever run
across one.
Yow! I remember that game. I played it for hours as a youth. I
guess this was the first case (out of many in later years) of "I'm going
to play this computer game until I understand it and how to solve it".
There were 2 outcomes : you water bombed the fire RIGHT AWAY and put
it out or the fire escaped and spread and eventually consumed everything no
matter what you did. Not very rewarding...
-Philip
3:58 p.m.
About a dozen of these came up for sale in a local junk store about 3 years
back. Didn't have the money at the time, so I had to pass. There was a
similiar venture by the Quebec DoE , the machines were made in France.
Can't remember the name. Someplace in Toronto and Montreal there has to
be a stash of these. A local collector and former collegue of mine gobbled up
a pile of Hyperions and about 10 boxes of related material a couple of years
ago here. A considerable number of insurance companies used them.
His collection has to be the definitive Hyperion collection.
larry
In all the collections I am seeing I am surprised no
one has listed an ICON. I
believe this system was local to Ontario, Canada. The systems were made
especially for schools, with a bunch of them in my high school. Either the GUI
or the paint package included was called AMBIENCE. The OS was QNX. The case
was like the PETs - steel one piece with monitor. But it was a colour monitor
and there was also a trackball.
Cheers,
Bryan
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)look.ca
4:23 p.m.
New subject: Collection list (Icon)
At 08:52 AM 12/04/2001 -0400, you wrote:
In all the collections I am seeing I am surprised no
one has listed an ICON.
I believe this system was local to Ontario, Canada. The systems were made
especially for schools, with a bunch of them in my high school. Either the
GUI or the paint package included was called AMBIENCE. The OS was QNX. The
case was like the PETs - steel one piece with monitor. But it was a colour
monitor and there was also a trackball.
Cheers,
Bryan
I have been trying unsuccessfully to track one down. (My high
school friends always say" Oh Yeh, we threw them out last month".) So far I
have only turned up a little of the documentation and part of a network hub.
Regards
Charlie Fox
Chas E. Fox Video Productions
793 Argyle Rd. Windsor ON N8Y 3J8
foxvideo(a)wincom.net
Check out:
Camcorder Kindergarten at http://chasfoxvideo.com
7:51 p.m.
New subject: Collection list (Icon)
You got me curious about the ICON too. So I did a little
web surfing and came up with the following link to a school
page handbook that describes ICONs in the computer lab.
Who knows, maybe they still have them and are ready to
get rid of them. If you get a bunch... hold one for me, please. :)
-Bill
http://ecdhs.haltonbe.on.ca/StudentPlanner/atop.shtml
On Thu, Apr 12, 2001 at 04:23:44PM -0400, Charles E. Fox wrote:
I have been trying unsuccessfully to track one down. (My high
school friends always say" Oh Yeh, we threw them out last month".) So far I
have only turned up a little of the documentation and part of a network hub.
Regards
Charlie Fox
Chas E. Fox Video Productions
793 Argyle Rd. Windsor ON N8Y 3J8
foxvideo(a)wincom.net
Check out:
Camcorder Kindergarten at http://chasfoxvideo.com
13 Apr
13 Apr
9:31 a.m.
New subject: Collection list (Icon)
Here are some more I found:
http://www.interlog.com/~perelgut/resume.html
^^^ One of many I found who worked on the ICON system...
http://corax.cwrl.utexas.edu/cac/archives/v7/7_3_html/7_3_6_Joram.html
http://www.occdsb.on.ca/~sel/newswave/ontario.htm
http://www.classiccmp.org/mail-archive/classiccmp/1997-10/0046.html
http://www.arcosoft.com/people.htm
From going through a bunch of sites it looks like the
ICON was somehow
connected to Unisys. Plus somewhere I remember reading that the
ICONS were
based on the 80186. Of course this last bit may be totally wrong...
Bryan
Happy Friday and All....
You got me curious about the ICON too. So I did a little
web surfing and came up with the following link to a school
page handbook that describes ICONs in the computer lab.
Who knows, maybe they still have them and are ready to
get rid of them. If you get a bunch... hold one for me, please. :)
-Bill
http://ecdhs.haltonbe.on.ca/StudentPlanner/atop.shtml
6:32 p.m.
New subject: Collection list (Icon)
I remember the ICON! But I have never seen one since :(
They appeared in my final year of high school at Grimbsby S.S. in
1983/1984. In two words the ones we had looked like chocolate ET, but they
were much more advanced than the CBM Pet 4032s we had. The keyboard was
integral to the system unit and included a trackball as a pointer. The
monitor was green monochrome and stuck out from the system unit on a short
gooseneck. The CPU was a 68000, ran QNX and had a hard drive of unknown
capacity. I was overjoyed at not having to store programs on cassette tape
anymore! I remember programming in BASIC, using a scribble program with
the trackball, LOGO, and playing the original adventure.
In short, this is one oddball computer someone should get their hands on.
Edwin
At 09:31 AM 4/13/2001 -0400, you wrote:
From going
through a bunch of sites it looks like the ICON was somehow
connected to Unisys.
Plus somewhere I remember reading that the ICONS were
based on the 80186. Of course this last bit may be totally wrong...
Bryan
Happy Friday and All....
15 Apr
15 Apr
9:23 p.m.
Chandra Bajpai wrote:
I started collecting systems only about 2 1/2 years
ago...my objectives were
to get all the computers I could't afford as a kid....I was one of the early
youngsters growing up starting with the 1977 TRS-80 model I...it was well
out of my (and family's) price range...not to be deterred, I learned
programming by hanging around Radio Shack while my Mom shopped...after a
couple of years when my father figured out I wasn't outgrowing my computer
"phase" he bought me one in 1981, a TRS-80 Model III 48K 2DD for $2500 with
an insurance settlement.
Wow, nice dad! I had the choice between a used car and a computer in college. I
opted
for the computer and figured I'd ride the bus! (Got a car later.)
(2x) Commodore PET 8K 2001 (1 works; other needs to be debugged)
I used to sell these. The memory was notorius for "sticking". By switching
around the RAM
chips, it usually fixed it.
(2x) Apple Lisa 2/10 (working 10mb widget hard
drives!)
(3x) TRS-80 Model I (EI, floppies etc.)
(12x!) Commodore PET 8032/4032 etc. with 8250 fdd (long story)
TRS-80 Model III (my first machine)
I got one of these two. Damn thing takes up a lot of room!
Leading Edge Model D (my first employer)
Akkord Jonathan (probably the only real reverse engineered Mac clone out
there ~1991)
Northstar Advantage
IBM ThinkPad with Go! Operating System
NEC UltraLite Autograph (prototype pen machines)
Heathkit H89
Nextstation
Osborne One
Apple Mac SE
Apple II+
Atari 800
(2x) Commodore 64
SpectraVideo SV328 (in bad shape)
Casio Zoomer
HP 200LX (my PCMCIA software runs on this)
I have seceral of the ones you have above as well. Nice collection!
What I still need to get:
- Kim-1 or similar microprocessor trainer
- S100 Computer
- Ohio Scientific (any)
- Processor Technology SOL
Used to sell SOLs too. It's S-100, so by getting one you could
take care of your "S-100" machine and your "SOL", of course.
Eric
8677
days inactive
8681
days old
12 comments
12 participants
participants (12)
-
ajp166＠bellatlantic.net -
bpope＠wordstock.com -
cbajpai＠mediaone.net -
chomko＠greenbelt.com -
epgroot＠ucdavis.edu -
foo＠siconic.com -
foxvideo＠wincom.net -
gregorym＠cadvision.com -
KenzieM＠sympatico.ca -
lgwalker＠look.ca -
liste＠artware.qc.ca -
wstan＠localhostnl.demon.nl