11 Nov
1998
11 Nov
'98
1:15 a.m.
> I stumbled on this site a while back and a few on
the list may be
> interested. Postings of want to buy and sell of "classic" type systems.
> I have not had any response from the post I put there several months back -
> Looking for DEC equipment but others may have better luck.
Were you aware of the fact that the listed site is in
the Netherlands? Just
curious as unless you specify US shipping only you may be greeted by replies
from former Soviet block countries as I have on other Euro sales sites.
Same on eBay or anywhere else - the net doesn't end at the
borders of states (maybe but China and North Korea). If you
insit on special rules, like only cash, no sale to white men,
or only within a special county, you have to post it.
Seems Czechs, Romanians, East Germans
East Germans ? Geee - did you miss some years ? They have
nowadays the newer PCs :)
and all the like are just anxious as can be to
get US technology, old or new and in many cases without regard for shipping
costs.
This time is gone since years - when it comes to PC tech,
Taiwan ships as fast as they get payed - no matter who is
ordering.
I'm not sure enough myself of customs laws of
present day to go through
all of that but I know at one time there were heavy restrictions on exports of
hardware and software.
There are sill a lot of US enforced restrictions about
computer parts (And the US government still tryes to
pressure other countries to maintain similar rules),
but in fact they never have been a hurdle at all. They
just liftet the price (like any other law that tries
to forbid people to get what they want).
As a matter of fact, all this regulations just hit
the US economy more than any other.
As long as it is about the EU, there are no more import
taxes or special rules regarding computer parts. They
droped all EU taxes and most of the regional import
taxes on computers - So if something contains electronic
parts - just try to find some way to declare it as computer
parts.
Gruss
Hans
--
Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
HRK
11 Nov
11 Nov
3:31 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
I frequently get given 286 and 386 computers as well as hearing about people
that are just throwing them away. Does anyone else on this list try to find
homes for these things, or know of homes? It seems such as waste to throw
out perfectly good computers just because they don't run the current rage of
the day.
A couple of places I have found: people who need word processing, but can't
afford a computer; elementary school classrooms where the district either
won't or can't buy computers for them; some "rescue mission" type
places
where basic training is provided.
5:05 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
At 09:31 AM 11/11/98 -0800, you wrote:
I frequently get given 286 and 386 computers as well as
hearing about people
that are just throwing them away. Does anyone else on this list try to find
homes for these things, or know of homes? It seems such as waste to throw
out perfectly good computers just because they don't run the current rage of
the day.
I have stacks of them in the basement. By the time I get them, they're
often divorced from their docs and software manuals. I don't have
similar piles of WordPerfect 4.2 or whatever to load on them. Giving
someone a computer like this can be a burden if they think they should
be running Windows 95, or are tantalized by the net and today's software.
And then there's tech support and maintenance - you realize you'll be
on the hook for charitable support well beyond the device itself.
- John
10 Nov
10 Nov
6:11 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
John Foust wrote:
I have stacks of them in the basement. By the time I
get them, they're
often divorced from their docs and software manuals. I don't have
similar piles of WordPerfect 4.2 or whatever to load on them. Giving
someone a computer like this can be a burden if they think they should
be running Windows 95, or are tantalized by the net and today's software.
And then there's tech support and maintenance - you realize you'll be
on the hook for charitable support well beyond the device itself.
I fully understand your point and on local sales I state on the reciept that the
unit is AS-IS, with no warranty, and without any support of any sort. I even do
this on donated units or even ones I trade or give to people or groups. What the
capabilities are of the machine is explained to them well before anything changes
hands.
I have a dining room full of various machines as well as a 30' office trailer and
part of a warehouse being loaned to a small group of packrats I belong to. There
are plenty of people that have some background with the older machines and are
willing to experiment when a PS/2 model 80 tower in working condition is offered
for trade or $20, without monitor or keyboard. Example is the Compaq portable I
posted yesterday....mentioned it at work and a coworker traded me some ammunition
he had excess (about $50 worth) that I can use with deer season, even up for the
Compaq portable. He also understands that I will provide no support, free or
otherwise.
It all depends on each person's circumstances. You (in general) aren't going to
get rich on this stuff but might make a dollar or two on each. Many of the
machines I have are unusable excess from various groups that have special needs
from computers, in exchange for labor done for them
(time I had planned on
donating anyway). It works out. Some of the oddball machines
I've gotten were
from trading labor on a job for the item when I was
self employed full time.
11 Nov
11 Nov
5:21 a.m.
New subject: What's up on my last reply to your last email?
Hi Russ,
About the 859x stuff, are you still with me?
I just found out the cost is to obtain cache module, it's reasonable
and from several sources!
Are you sure those DX 33 complex cards does have the connector
for cache daughterboard?
Thanks once again!
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
12:38 p.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
John Foust wrote:
And then there's tech support and maintenance - you realize you'll be
on the hook for charitable support well beyond the device itself.
I have not provided much tech support for these machines. Since there are
people that *really* take advantage of "free" support, I tend to weed that
type out quickly. The remaining people are pretty good to work with. I
have no problems providing help to people that need it, but I get *real*
tired of someone who asks the same question several times over a period of
time, especially when they phone at the house and want to tie me up for a
period of time. I must be getting old as my memory cells sometimes go
disfuntional :).
6:32 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Marvin wrote:
I frequently get given 286 and 386 computers as well
as hearing about people
that are just throwing them away. Does anyone else on this list try to find
homes for these things, or know of homes? It seems such as waste to throw
out perfectly good computers just because they don't run the current rage of
the day.
That's a tough one. It seems like most organizations that accept
donations get plenty of useful 486 and Pentium machines, so they trash
everything less powerful than a 486. You might consider positioning them
as application-specific embedded systems rather than general purpose
computers. Take a 286, add an ISA card and some free software, and you've
got a network router or a digital answering machine. Add Linux to a 386
box and you've got a web server and network router.
-- Doug
12:46 p.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Marvin wrote:
I frequently get given 286 and 386 computers as well
as hearing about people
that are just throwing them away. Does anyone else on this list try to find
homes for these things, or know of homes? It seems such as waste to throw
out perfectly good computers just because they don't run the current rage of
the day.
Many cities have computer recycling centers where they take PCs that can
run Windows, refurbish them, and then donate them to schools. Notice I
said "can run Windows". Unfortunately, anything that doesn't fit this
definition is foreign to them. So you'll have to find a practical
application for 286's.
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: 11/02/98]
10 Nov
10 Nov
9:59 p.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
Sam Ismail wrote:
Many cities have computer recycling centers where they
take PCs that can
run Windows, refurbish them, and then donate them to schools. Notice I
said "can run Windows". Unfortunately, anything that doesn't fit this
definition is foreign to them. So you'll have to find a practical
application for 286's.
Unless you're talking about Win98, 95 or Workgroups, a 286 with 1 mb of ram can
and does run Windows 3.11 very well. I have 2 machines here in the 286 class that
run Netscape (older version) under Windows 3.11 and have 4 mb of ram on a fair
sized hard disk (120mb). They're also PS/2's to boot.
I believe Allison has a model 50Z (a 286 also) running Windows for her scanner.
The PC/XT class may be junkers for them though.
12 Nov
12 Nov
5:32 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Russ Blakeman wrote:
Unless you're talking about Win98, 95 or
Workgroups, a 286 with 1 mb of
ram can and does run Windows 3.11 very well. I have 2 machines here in
the 286 class that run Netscape (older version) under Windows 3.11 and
have 4 mb of ram on a fair sized hard disk (120mb). They're also PS/2's
to boot.
Hey, you're right. Maybe you ought to hold a seminar on how to make 286's
useful so these centers can get some use out of it.
That's the story I got from one recycler. And it seems to be the rule
with all the recyclers I know of.
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: 11/02/98]
11 Nov
11 Nov
10:46 p.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
Sam Ismail wrote:
On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Russ Blakeman wrote:
I do in a way, it's called selling them rigged in various ways to locals that are
still happily using them, at a fraction of the cost of even a used Pentium system.
Just like in the car market, some people gotta have a new one every year, others
are happy with one that gets them where they are going. I'm happy with my 74 Chevy
crew cab pickup.
Recyclers are in this for the wrong reasons many times, such as the gold extractor
that was brought up last year.
Unless you're talking about Win98, 95 or
Workgroups, a 286 with 1 mb of
ram can and does run Windows 3.11 very well. I have 2 machines here in
the 286 class that run Netscape (older version) under Windows 3.11 and
have 4 mb of ram on a fair sized hard disk (120mb). They're also PS/2's
to boot.
Hey, you're right. Maybe you ought to hold a seminar on how to make 286's
useful so these centers can get some use out of it.
That's the story I got from one recycler. And it seems to be the rule
with all the recyclers I know of.
12 Nov
12 Nov
4:17 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 11:32:50 -0800 (PST)
Reply-to: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
From: Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com>
To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Old, but not "Classic"
X-To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Russ Blakeman wrote:
There are other reasons these recycler would not want to take in
286's... it's the memory in DIP's and some non standard SIPP's.
And by then many are failing, old croaking PSU's in XT factor cases.
Many can't see bigger than 120mb or so with IDE's because those MFM's
and RLL drives are already worn out.
Long ago, I picked up few 286 boards, there were too many problems
and hard to make it work reliably with IDE's and any cards. They got
trashed.
They want boards with user-defineable bios to support drives better.
Those many PS/2 machines has IBM MCA ESDI drives have high failure
rate. I had few dead ones and one dead one right now.
Also keep in mind 286 and 386 runs about the same in performance
wise and are designed to use 100ns memories originally when 386sx
16mhz came out. That is why many people on this list had no problems
adapting 386sx and 486SLC's to their decent 286 boards. (curious,
what is needed to build pair of PALs to complete that conversion?)
Aside from that, we have a 286 by a customer and it's worth too
little for 1MB, monitor, 40MB WD (not too reliable type) in a small
desktop, we will rebuild that by turfing the hd, motherboard out
first then put in decent components to help move the used machine out
that doors on sale. The old parts get used for teaching purposes.
Importantly, if machine can hold the win 3.x with good performance
they get used if not it's dumpster time. win95 is too much for
anything less than 486dx2, 500~1GB and 16MB plus.
Win98 needs new machines. All 3.x, 95/98 must have cdrom drives,
too many hardware and software are on cds.
Jason D.
Unless you're talking about Win98, 95 or
Workgroups, a 286 with 1 mb of
ram can and does run Windows 3.11 very well. I have 2 machines here in
the 286 class that run Netscape (older version) under Windows 3.11 and
have 4 mb of ram on a fair sized hard disk (120mb). They're also PS/2's
to boot.
Hey, you're right. Maybe you ought to hold a seminar on how to make 286's
useful so these centers can get some use out of it.
That's the story I got from one recycler. And it seems to be the rule
with all the recyclers I know of.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
9 a.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
How to make 286s useful? I know it's been brought up before, but arachne runs
on 286s, especially if they do VGA. *ponder* Gee, I know a lot of people who
need a computer for web foo. And I know a place that sells old PS/2 hardware.
(or it did last time I was there.) I'm thinking Christmas gifts...
--
Jim Strickland
jim(a)DIESPAMMERSCUMcalico.litterbox.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vote Meadocrat! Bill and Opus in 2000 - Who ELSE is there?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
11 Nov
11 Nov
10:41 p.m.
New subject: Old, but not "Classic"
Jim Strickland wrote:
How to make 286s useful? I know it's been brought
up before, but arachne runs
on 286s, especially if they do VGA. *ponder* Gee, I know a lot of people who
need a computer for web foo. And I know a place that sells old PS/2 hardware.
(or it did last time I was there.) I'm thinking Christmas gifts...
I'm thinking that I have a ton of PS/2 30-286 units and 55SX units without
keyboards and monitors that would suit your list quite well.
By the way, I sold 3 model 50Z's on ePay last week for $9.95 each plus shipping
(main unit only) without a problem and two of those were to the same bidder. Maybe
the rebirth of usefulness of these castoffs is around the corner?
9542
days inactive
9543
days old
13 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
blakeman＠creative-net.net -
dastar＠ncal.verio.com -
franke＠sbs.de -
jfoust＠threedee.com -
jim＠calico.litterbox.com -
jpero＠pop.cgocable.net -
marvin＠rain.org -
rhblake＠bigfoot.com -
yowza＠yowza.com