Date sent: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 21:12:39 -0800 Send reply to: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu From: Marvin <marvin(a)rain.org> To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers" <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Subject: Kim-1 Computer I haven't seen one sell for a while. I have two, and both were donated to me. One was used by one of the co-authors of "The First Book of KIM". He would first try the program listings and then he would hook it up to a friend's Selectric to print the listings that appeared in the book. Quick 'n' dirty typesetting....... Paul Braun NerdWare -- The History of the PC and the Nerds who brought it to you. nerdware(a)laidbak.com www.laidbak.com/nerdware

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999, Sam Ismail wrote: Ebay auction records only go back 30 or 40 days. Anything older is flushed from the system. They aren't a repository like dejanews. There was a previous thread about compiling Ebay auction statistics and the possibility they might object to a for profit use of them. I tend to think they wouldn't as they don't even save the information themselves. That's why I previously asked whether any other list members were saving results. I keep an eclectic list of previous auctions and I tie it into my general browsing of the site so it doesn't come to more than a couple of hours a month. Only previous reference I have is the following. Is this guy talking about the same thing? -------- Vintage KIMSI, Unassembled Computer Kit, WOW Item #13701210 Currently $106.00 (reserve met) First bid $5.00 Quantity 1 # of bids 10 (bidding history) (include e-mails) Location Joplin Mo. 64804 Ends 05/17/98 18:45:30 PDT Seller old_audio (55) star High bidder nba03223(a)niftyserve.or.jp (17) star Vintage KIMSI, Unassembled Computer Kit, WOW!! RARE!!! Own a peice of computing history. This 1977 KIMSI single board computer was sold as a kit by Forethought Products, through Popular Electronics, and other magazines. These were the for-runner to todays PC.It is very rare to find one of these today, and this one is UNASSEMBLED!! which makes it twice as rare!! Comes with motherboard, parts, instruction book, schematics, as far as I can tell, this one is complete. Don't Miss This Chance!!! Thanks for looking! Buyer to pay Shipping $5 in the US -- Steve

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999, Stephen Dauphin wrote: Nope, this was just an S-100 backplane that the moronic seller sold as a "single board computer" to a stupid buyer for $106. That's probably about as much as it originally sold for in 1977. Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Always being hassled by the man. Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 12/27/98]

Sam Ismail wrote: I also had taken a look and couldn't find any past auctions on ebay. FWIW, I tend to look at buying on ebay as paying retail vs paying wholesale when out scrounging. It also sounds like she has a PET-1 w/ chicklet keyboard there too. Fortunately, she hasn't started disposing of the documentation that Dave kept, and I kind of doubt it is worth a lot (at least until I see what is there) so I may end up with that. Things like this are what keep the collecting of older computers exciting!

Of course the silly thing (and one most of us that ever worked in a production environment should see) is that having a box proclaiming "SERIAL NUMBER 1" means nothing. In 99% of all factories, stuff is made in lots and serials affixed later, mostly in the order that the poor underpaid prole reaches for the boxes on the skid! William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999, Tony Duell wrote: Neither are model numbers. Which came first, the Toshiba 1000 or the 1100? How about the Powerbook 100 or the 170? The IBM 5150 or the 5140? But I prefer it that way. It means that I might be able to pay less for a "first".... -- Doug

On Tue, 5 Jan 1999, Doug Yowza wrote: The 1100 came first (reference: Bruce Faust, VCF 2.0.2). The 5150 is obviously first since the 5140 was the PC Convertible circa 1986. Good thinking! Don't let it get out though. Shhh! Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Always being hassled by the man. Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 12/27/98]