3 Mar
1998
3 Mar
'98
10:09 a.m.
Hi,
Does anyone know anything about the AT&T 6300? I've read a few
descriptions on the Web,
but was wondering if they are rare, difficult to find, etc? I have an
opportunity to get one
but don't know much about them.
Thanks...Win
wheagy(a)erols.com
3 Mar
3 Mar
6:42 p.m.
Win,
They're not as common as PCs or Commodores but they're not rare. There's
several in a trift store here (Orlando) including one 6300+ (286 CPU
instead of 8086). There is also two complete sets of docs and software there.
They are totally IBM compatable and most use 8086 CPU. Hard drives were
optional in them and not very reliable IMO. They use a special monitor and
video card and connector (DB 25). Color monitors for them are rare but the
color and monochrome monitors both use the same video card. The power for
the monitor is supplied through the video connector and they have a higher
resolution than standard CGA.
Joe
At 11:09 AM 3/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
Hi,
Does anyone know anything about the AT&T 6300? I've read a few
descriptions on the Web,
but was wondering if they are rare, difficult to find, etc? I have an
opportunity to get one
but don't know much about them.
Thanks...Win
wheagy(a)erols.com
6:47 p.m.
At 06:42 PM 3/3/98, you wrote:
They're not as common as PCs or Commodores but
they're not rare. There's
several in a trift store here (Orlando) including one 6300+ (286 CPU
instead of 8086). There is also two complete sets of docs and software
there.
Pretty much true...
They are totally IBM compatable and most use 8086
CPU.
I'll differ on this point. one of the primary things that killed the '6300
was that it was NOT totally IBM compatable. The video subsystem (noted
below) is a prime example.
The '6300 was Olivetti's (OEM'd by AT&T) take on a 'better' PC.
It failed.
Hard drives were optional in them and not very reliable
IMO.
The drives they used overall were not notably better or worse than most of
the time. They did make some poor choices at times on who to buy their
drives from.
They use a special monitor and
video card and connector (DB 25). Color monitors for them are rare but the
color and monochrome monitors both use the same video card. The power for
the monitor is supplied through the video connector and they have a higher
resolution than standard CGA.
(see note above)
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
10:28 p.m.
At 04:47 PM 3/3/98 -0800, you wrote:
Well, I'll put it this way. Four of my friends bought these machines new
and none of the hard drives lasted a year. One lasted less than two days.
To me, that's unreliable. They all replaced the built-in hard drives with
hard cards and all lived happily ever after.
???????
Joe
At 06:42 PM 3/3/98, you wrote:
You're might be right about the video if you had a program that wrote
directly to the video memory since the AT&T did have a higher resolution.
However they are compatable at the DOS level. One friend of mine still has
two of these that he bought in 1986 (?) and he's has never found anything
wouldn't run on them. He's not the kind to collect every program that he
sees so that may not be a difficult test.
They're not as common as PCs or Commodores
but they're not rare. There's
several in a trift store here (Orlando) including one 6300+ (286 CPU
instead of 8086). There is also two complete sets of docs and software
there.
Pretty much true...
They are totally IBM compatable and most use
8086 CPU.
I'll differ on this point. one of the primary things that killed the '6300
was that it was NOT totally IBM compatable. The video subsystem (noted
below) is a prime example.
The '6300 was Olivetti's (OEM'd by AT&T) take on a 'better' PC.
It failed.
Not necessarily. AT&T's marketing is what failed. That's what
happened
to the 7300, 3B1 and the 3B2s as well.
Hard drives
were optional in them and not very reliable IMO.
The drives they used overall were not notably better or worse than most of
the time. They did make some poor choices at times on who to buy their
drives from. They use a special monitor and
video card and connector (DB 25). Color monitors for them are rare but the
color and monochrome monitors both use the same video card. The power for
the monitor is supplied through the video connector and they have a higher
resolution than standard CGA.
(see note above) 
10:52 p.m.
I see the color monitors here (Twin Cities) alot from 1 to 30 dollars. John
At 06:42 PM 3/3/98, you wrote:
Win,
They're not as common as PCs or Commodores but they're not rare. There's
several in a trift store here (Orlando) including one 6300+ (286 CPU
instead of 8086). There is also two complete sets of docs and software
there.
They are totally IBM compatable and most use 8086 CPU. Hard drives were
optional in them and not very reliable IMO. They use a special monitor and
video card and connector (DB 25). Color monitors for them are rare but the
color and monochrome monitors both use the same video card. The power for
the monitor is supplied through the video connector and they have a higher
resolution than standard CGA.
Joe
At 11:09 AM 3/3/98 -0500, you wrote:
Hi,
Does anyone know anything about the AT&T 6300? I've read a few
descriptions on the Web,
but was wondering if they are rare, difficult to find, etc? I have an
opportunity to get one
but don't know much about them.
Thanks...Win
wheagy(a)erols.com
11:22 p.m.
Winfield Heagy wrote:
Hi,
Does anyone know anything about the AT&T 6300? I've read a few
descriptions on the Web, but was wondering if they are rare, difficult to
For what it is worth, I met a guy at the TRW swap meet who has about 6 or so
of the AT&T 6300. He mentioned a price of about $40 for a system and I
believe besides the box, monitor, and keyboard, it also included software
and manuals. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll pass your name
along to him when I see him at the end of the month. I could post his name,
but I only know him my his location :).
9801
days inactive
9801
days old
5 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
jimw＠agora.rdrop.com -
jrkeys＠concentric.net -
marvin＠rain.org -
rigdonj＠intellistar.net -
wheagy＠erols.com