16 Jul
1997
16 Jul
'97
5:39 a.m.
Howdy, guys & Gals!
I just came back from our local [p]university's junk-sale and I did find a
couple of interesting things:
they had all their equipment for sale: $5 per item. I left all the 8088 /
monochrome clone junk (I remember when these were bought... most *were*
junk).. I found an Epson LQ-500 with tractor feed -- $5. I picked up a Mac
IIsi ?/40 (nice Quantum 40Megger in it :-) for -- $5.00
[Drum roll, please]
And I found a Commie B-128. I've heard of the C-128... are these similar,
or is this actually the same thing, or what? I'm not big on Commie stuff
(goofiest basic I've ever played with... and slooooo disk drives) but I
collect for uniqueness, and this seemed rather unique.
It has a card-edge IEEE-488 port, card-edge cassette, cartridge, "normal"
RS-232 and other ports (that I don't remember... I just got a quick look at
it), the Serial number is 0025xx (don't remember last two digits, but it
seems early) and IIRC (but I haven't seen a C-128 in nearly a decade -- and
that was only at K-mart) it looks different from a C-128.
Did I do good?
Also, they had a PET-style CBM-8050 (or was that 5080...) dual garage-door
style disk drives, and a printer that hooked up thru a funky
Centronics-like cable. Interested in those? I could go back tomorrow.
Here's a question: Who's interested in typesetting equipment? They had a
Compugraphic machine with 8" drives there... dunno price. But it had
several font carts with it, and I do know this baby's classic. (The stuff I
used to work on was at least 10 years old, and this is older.)
Maybe I'll go back and get that tomorrow as well... if my wife doesn't kill
me first!
If anyone's interested in the other commie stuff lemme know today and I'll
snag it tomorrow. (E-mail's best... see below.)
Anywho, any info on the B-128 would be most appreciated!
Thanks one and all!
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger Merchberger | Why does Hershey's put nutritional
Programmer, NorthernWay | information on their candy bar wrappers
zmerch(a)northernway.net | when there's no nutritional value within?
16 Jul
16 Jul
6:50 a.m.
On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, Roger Merchberger wrote:
And I found a Commie B-128. I've heard of the
C-128... are these similar,
or is this actually the same thing, or what? I'm not big on Commie stuff
(goofiest basic I've ever played with... and slooooo disk drives) but I
collect for uniqueness, and this seemed rather unique.
The B-128 is a business-oriented machine that Commodore introduced in
about 1982. The numeric portion of the model number and the amount of
standard RAM are about all that it shares with the C-128. The standard
processor is a 6509, although an 8088 can be installed as well. The
display is 80-column monochrome. A version of BASIC is built in, and,
with the optional 8088, it can (supposedly) run CP/M-86.
As another B-128 owner, I'm interested in additional information on
this machine, as well. How about it, Commodore fans?
Also, they had a PET-style CBM-8050 (or was that
5080...) dual garage-door
style disk drives, and a printer that hooked up thru a funky
Centronics-like cable. Interested in those? I could go back tomorrow.
You may want to go back for the drive unit. There was a PET-style dual
drive unit at the store with my B-128 when I bought it, but I didn't see
the connection between the two items (which should have been obvious - a
Commodore with an IEEE-488 interface and a PET-style floppy disk unit) at
first and passed the drive unit up due to lack of space. Unfortunately,
it was gone when I came to my senses the next day and went back for it.
--
Scott Ware s-ware(a)nwu.edu
6:53 a.m.
On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, Roger Merchberger wrote:
Howdy, guys & Gals!
And I found a Commie B-128. I've heard of the C-128... are these similar,
or is this actually the same thing, or what? I'm not big on Commie stuff
(goofiest basic I've ever played with... and slooooo disk drives) but I
collect for uniqueness, and this seemed rather unique.
The B-128 was meant to be a "business" computer. Our high school was a
commodore school (no Apple II's here!) so they had a lot of these laying
around. Looking at the B-128/256 users manual I have...
6509 CPU with optional Z80 and 8088 CPU's for CP/M
128k memory expandable to 256k internally and another 704k externally for
a total of 960k.
"Ports" include: IEEE-488 Bus, RS232C, Dual 8-bit User Ports, and it had
"integrated" disk drive(s).
Those computers are REALLY neat looking. (You have to see one to know
what i mean) Sorta like a Funky looking PET.
Les
It has a card-edge IEEE-488 port, card-edge cassette,
cartridge, "normal"
RS-232 and other ports (that I don't remember... I just got a quick look at
it), the Serial number is 0025xx (don't remember last two digits, but it
seems early) and IIRC (but I haven't seen a C-128 in nearly a decade -- and
that was only at K-mart) it looks different from a C-128.
Did I do good?
Also, they had a PET-style CBM-8050 (or was that 5080...) dual garage-door
style disk drives, and a printer that hooked up thru a funky
Centronics-like cable. Interested in those? I could go back tomorrow.
Here's a question: Who's interested in typesetting equipment? They had a
Compugraphic machine with 8" drives there... dunno price. But it had
several font carts with it, and I do know this baby's classic. (The stuff I
used to work on was at least 10 years old, and this is older.)
Maybe I'll go back and get that tomorrow as well... if my wife doesn't kill
me first!
If anyone's interested in the other commie stuff lemme know today and I'll
snag it tomorrow. (E-mail's best... see below.)
Anywho, any info on the B-128 would be most appreciated!
Thanks one and all!
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger Merchberger | Why does Hershey's put nutritional
Programmer, NorthernWay | information on their candy bar wrappers
zmerch(a)northernway.net | when there's no nutritional value within?
10022
days inactive
10022
days old
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