13 Mar
1997
13 Mar
'97
10:37 a.m.
You all should have heard from me already - but let me say
once again - Welcome to the list.
We've got around 50 subscribers at the moment which is far
better than I thought we'd get for weeks.
Couple things:
1. I'll be setting up the classiccmp web site this weekend. If you
have any ideas for what should be there let me know. Currently, I'm
planning on putting together a list of all computers that meet the
"classic" criteria, copies of the various old computers FAQs, and
hopefully some .PDF (acrobat reader) files of articles from old
computer rags. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to maintain
a list of resources but I know of relatively few.
2. I'm going to a Salvation Army computer sale this weekend. If
any of you have really big wants - I'll look around. I'm always
hoping to find that elusive LISA-1 :).
-Bill
14 Mar
14 Mar
1:34 a.m.
Greetings all!
50 already? Wow, great!
My name is Ron Kneusel and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who
thinks playing with these classic machines is fun!
I'll do a quick run-down of what I have (to see if others have them and
wish to talk about them):
Heathkit H89, Kaypro II, Kaypro 2, SWTPc S/09 6809 system, Apple II+,
Apple IIe, Atari 400, Atari 800XL (dead), T/S 1000 (bad keyboard), TRS-80
PC-2, Mac Plus, Mac SE
Some questions for y'all..
1. Anyone else have a SWTPc S/09 system? If so, I'd really like to hear
from you!
2. Can anyone list all the models in the Kaypro line? It seems like an
"easy" series of machines to collect. Great design, too!
3. I, too, am interested in learning how to remove the marker from these
machines.
4. Anyone have a Jupiter ACE they care to part with?
5. Do you actually _use_ your machines or do you simply collect them
(which is just fine! I'm curious to see how people use them)
- Ron Kneusel
rkneusel(a)post.its.mcw.edu
http://keaggy.intmed.mcw.edu/my_collection.html
1:49 a.m.
It was thus said that the Great Ronald T Kneusel once stated:
Greetings all!
50 already? Wow, great!
My name is Ron Kneusel and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who
thinks playing with these classic machines is fun!
My name is Sean. (pauses for cries of "Hi, Sean!" to die down). I have a
problem. I ... I collect old computers.
I'll do a quick run-down of what I have (to see if
others have them and
wish to talk about them):
Heathkit H89, Kaypro II, Kaypro 2, SWTPc S/09 6809 system, Apple II+,
Apple IIe, Atari 400, Atari 800XL (dead), T/S 1000 (bad keyboard), TRS-80
PC-2, Mac Plus, Mac SE
Some questions for y'all..
1. Anyone else have a SWTPc S/09 system? If so, I'd really like to hear
from you!
Is that anything like OS-9?
3. I, too, am interested in learning how to remove the
marker from these
machines.
Has anyone tried Windex? Or empying the case and cleaning it with warm
water and soap?
5. Do you actually _use_ your machines or do you
simply collect them
(which is just fine! I'm curious to see how people use them)
I try to use the machines I have, and my big project right now is to
implement my own OS for them. Most of my machines (with the exception of
three) are in good working condition. One needs a replacement harddrive
(although getting VMS 4.7 on another drive might be a problem), another
needs a new monitor (proprietary I suspect) and the third one I still need
to examine (I suspect it still works, although the case is in poor
codition).
-spc (Software hacker)
4:21 a.m.
On Fri, 14 Mar 1997, Captain Napalm wrote:
It was thus said that the Great Ronald T Kneusel once
stated:
The Southwest Technical Products Corporation S/09 was a box that
contained a MC6809 cpu card in a SS-50 bus. OS-9 was one of several
OSs that ran on it, in fact I believe that it was the platform that
OS-9 was originally developed on. But I could be wrong about that,
and I suspect that Microware was working on predecessors to OS-9 on
MC6800 systems.
Ward Griffiths
1. Anyone else have a SWTPc S/09 system? If so, I'd really like to hear
from you!
Is that anything like OS-9?
5:59 a.m.
New subject: SWTPc S/09
On Fri, 14 Mar 1997, Ward Griffiths and/or Lisa Rogers wrote:
The Southwest Technical Products Corporation S/09 was
a box that
contained a MC6809 cpu card in a SS-50 bus. OS-9 was one of several
OSs that ran on it, in fact I believe that it was the platform that
OS-9 was originally developed on. But I could be wrong about that,
and I suspect that Microware was working on predecessors to OS-9 on
MC6800 systems.
Yup. The one I have, however, is designed for UniFLEX. It comes up with
the UniBug monitor which will let me change/dump memory and boot 8"
floppies, a hard drive, or a Winchester hard drive, all of which I don't
have. I was, through the great kindness of others, given a good FD-2
controller for 5.25" drives and the S-BUG monitor ROM. Unfortunately,
the S-BUG ROM will not work in the S/09 system, as stated in the system
manual. :( And the UniBug monitor is too wimpy to let me enter the FD-2
boot code by hand (I can enter it, but there is no "run" command!)
I've found the extensive UniFLEX archive on the net and have looked at
the code for the UniBug monitor but none of those versions match mine
(version 1.11) I'm considering writing my own ROM code if I could get
someone to make an EPROM for me.
Any help with getting this S/09 to be a regular -09 system so I can run
FLEX as a single user off of 5.25" floppies would be greatly appreciated!
- Ron Kneusel
rkneusel(a)post.its.mcw.edu
1:58 a.m.
New subject: The use of old computers
5. Do you actually _use_ your machines or do you
simply collect them
(which is just fine! I'm curious to see how people use them)
I like to use my machines. After all, that's what they were made for. The
problem is that I don't have room for them all so I can only set up one or
two at a time. I like to play classic games on them, and sometimes I do
some programming.
I have a portable Sord IS-11 from 1984, about the same size as the
smallest modern lap-tops, with built-in software in ROM, which I intend to
use for word processing in my work (I'm a part-time freelance computer
journalist) as soon as I can build a cable to connect it with my PC.
/F
PS. I mostly collect Commodore and Sord computers, although I am
interested in almost anything from the eighties.
1:20 p.m.
Ronald T Kneusel wrote:
<SNIP>
1. Anyone else have a SWTPc S/09 system? If so,
I'd really like to hear
from you!
Ohhh yea! Got lots! Got lots of documentation and software too.
--
| Allen Underdown - wbrco(a)valuenet.net |
| Amateur Radio Operator - N0GOM, computer geek, |
| homebrewer and outdoor enthusiast! |
| Try My BBS at 314.939.9445! |
3:31 p.m.
Hi,
Good to see so many classic computer fans. I currently have 82 classic
computers (65 different models, 17 duplicates). I'm looking for a
Commodore KIM-1 and PET 2001. If anyone is interested in swapping for a
Osborne I, let me know.
Ted
15 Mar
15 Mar
2:47 a.m.
New subject: Why would I do this?
Hi,
Good to see so many classic computer fans. I currently have 82 classic
computers (65 different models, 17 duplicates). I'm looking for a
Commodore KIM-1 and PET 2001. If anyone is interested in swapping for a
Osborne I, let me know.
Ted
Why would I trade/swap/sell my perfectly running MOS Tech KIM-1
board for a piece of junk Osborne 1????????? 8-)
Now you say you have 17 duplicates - what are they? Just don't say
17 Osbornes 8-)
BC
14 Mar
14 Mar
4:46 p.m.
New subject: SWTPc S/09 system?
At 09:34 AM 3/14/97 -0600, you wrote:
Greetings all!
H'lo...
Some questions for y'all..
1. Anyone else have a SWTPc S/09 system? If so, I'd really like to hear
from you!
I've got one in the collection. Needs a good cleaning, a boot disk, and
some docs... B^}
5. Do you actually _use_ your machines or do you simply
collect them
(which is just fine! I'm curious to see how people use them)
Mine tend to be in intermittant (if not frequent) use. Most reciently one
of my Altairs ended up hooked up to a DEC card reader, feeding data to my
PC, which... well... that would spoil the story! A longer form of the
story can be found on my web pages (see sig below) along with pix and (if I
get the time this weekend) an AVI clip of the operation...
While we're in the SWTPC arena, a question for the group:
I'm looking for some information, software, and docs on a recient addition
to the
collection.
The item in question is a board marked as a 'Digisector DS-68' from 'The
Micro Works'.
The board has a 1978 copyright on it, and appears to be designed for use
with an SS-50 bus machine such as the SWTPC 680x series of microcomputers.
Curiously, when it came to me it had been mated (fairly elegantly,
fortunately) to a MITS 4PIO board, apparently for use with an 8080 or Z-80
based system. (by someone with the full docs I would suspect)
I'd like to get it going in its original configuration/system. Any
assistance appreciated!
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
16 Mar
16 Mar
8:14 a.m.
Greetings fellow old-computer enthusiasts.
A few words about my interests. I'm mostly interested in 1970's
minicomputers and early workstations - the sort of machine where the CPU
is built up from a few 10's (or a few hundred) TTL chips. It's great fun
to hook a logic analyser to the output of the ALU and watch the data being
processed. That's something you can't (easily) do with a microcomputer.
And there's a certain joy to single-stepping the microcode on a PDP11/45
and figuring out just how it executes some instructions.
I'd love a machine built from discrete transistors, but nobody's offered
me one yet. I have a couple of programmable calculators with no chips in
them, but no complete computers.
I try to keep clear of the early 1980's micors that used some kind of
custom gate array (often in the video side). It's impossible to get
spares, so fixing them is something of a problem. I do have a number of
micros of that period using standard TTL chips, though. I do have some of
the machines with custom gate arrays (Oric, Atari 400, etc), but I don't
depend on them
Since somebody else mentioned the PC-jr, does anyone have a list of all
the PC-family models that existed? So far I've obtained the original PC,
PC/XT, PC/AT (both versions of the motherboard), XT model 286, PC-jr,
Portable PC (the 'sewing machine' case), and parts of a PC 3270. I know
I'm missing the convertable (? - laptop, I think), PC/370, AT/370, and I'm
not including the PS/2 range (yet!).
I try to keep my machines in working order - restoring them is most of the
fun, actually. And I use them for real work - in fact I don't think I own
a computer that would fit in on this list :-)
Am I unusual in that I also collect schematics and Technical manuals? I
find them as valuable as the machines, and buy all I can find. I own them
for machines I don't yet own, and possibly never will own. But they're
interesting to read none-the-less. Incidentally, I am looking for a
(copy?) of the XT model 286 motherboard schematic - that's the only one of
the original TechRefs that IBM can no longer supply, and I have all the
others.
--
-tony
ard12(a)eng.cam.ac.uk
The gates in my computer are AND,OR and NOT, not Bill
17 Mar
17 Mar
1:52 a.m.
It was thus said that the Great A.R. Duell once stated:
Greetings fellow old-computer enthusiasts.
Since somebody else mentioned the PC-jr, does anyone have a list of all
the PC-family models that existed? So far I've obtained the original PC,
PC/XT, PC/AT (both versions of the motherboard), XT model 286, PC-jr,
Portable PC (the 'sewing machine' case), and parts of a PC 3270. I know
I'm missing the convertable (? - laptop, I think), PC/370, AT/370, and I'm
not including the PS/2 range (yet!).
Don't forget about the PC RT machines, the first RISC based machines. Not
a bad machine, but in a strange twist of logic, it's the only IBM PC to have
a reset button - running an OS that needs to be shut down (Unix) else you'll
currupt the filesystem!
And yes, the IBM convertable was a lap top computer. Not a bad machine at
all. A friend of mine had one (his father worked at IBM Boca Raton - home
of the IBM PC).
I try to keep my machines in working order - restoring
them is most of the
fun, actually. And I use them for real work - in fact I don't think I own
a computer that would fit in on this list :-)
Well, I've used the the Tandy 6000 I have for working out a budget (since
it comes with Multiplan).
Am I unusual in that I also collect schematics and
Technical manuals? I
find them as valuable as the machines, and buy all I can find.
No, I try to do the same thing. I also try to learn the assembly language
for each computer as well (let's see - I know 6809, 68000, 80x88, VAX, MIPS,
and I can follow 8080/Z80 and 6502). I currently own the tech manuals for
most of my machines.
-spc (Have computer, will program)
2:17 a.m.
[IBM PC family]
So do I. Lets see : 68000 (a bit), 6502, Z80, 8080, 8085, 8048, PIC16Cxx,
PDP11, PDP8 (a bit), 6809, SC/MP, PERQ microcode, Saturn (HP's calculator
processor), 80x86, etc...
Don't forget about the PC RT machines, the first
RISC based machines. Not
Err, that depends on how you define RISC :-). I thought there were some
machines built from lots of small chips that would now be classed as RISC.
When did the PC RT's come out? I know it was arround the time of the ARM
(originally Acorn RISC Machine), but I'm not sure which was actually
first.
[...]
Well, I've used the the Tandy 6000 I have for
working out a budget (since
it comes with Multiplan).
That reminds me. I was given a Facit hand-cranked mechanical calculator a
few weeks ago. The chairman of an (electronic) calculator club had been
given 2 of them, so he passed one on to me ;-). It's in beautiful
condition, and works fine. I must use it next time I have a bill to add up
:-)...
Am I unusual in that I also collect schematics
and Technical manuals? I
find them as valuable as the machines, and buy all I can find.
No, I try to do the same thing. I also try to learn the assembly language
for each computer as well (let's see - I know 6809, 68000, 80x88, VAX, MIPS, -spc (Have computer, will program)
--
-tony
ard12(a)eng.cam.ac.uk
The gates in my computer are AND,OR and NOT, not Bill
10142
days inactive
10146
days old
12 comments
10 participants
participants (10)
-
ard12＠eng.cam.ac.uk -
bill＠booster.bothell.washington.edu -
danjo＠xnet.com -
ekman＠lysator.liu.se -
gram＠cnct.com -
jimw＠agora.rdrop.com -
rkneusel＠post.its.mcw.edu -
spc＠armigeron.com -
tedbird＠ix.netcom.com -
wbrco＠valuenet.net