16 Mar
1997
16 Mar
'97
12:03 p.m.
I have always wondered what happens to the software that was used on the
computers that show up at thrift stores. I understand that someone who is
just upgrading from a 8088 to a pentium will keep his software but what about
Atari's, Applle II's and Commodore 64's? Why keep the software if you are
getting rid of the hardware? Can anybody explain this to me? This came to
mind again because I just picked up a C64 at a thrift shop with a 1541 and a
BusLogic card (??) but there was nary a disk or cartridge.
BTW, can anybody tell me where I can get a boot disk for the C64?:-)
Lou
16 Mar
16 Mar
2:33 p.m.
At 06:03 PM 3/16/97 -0500, BigLouS(a)aol.com wrote:
BTW, can anybody tell me where I can get a boot disk
for the C64?:-)
You don't need a boot disk to run a 1541. The 1541 is a "smart" floppy
disk drive. It has a 6502 CPU and all necessary firmware built-in for
standalone operation. It works off the serial interface. I have even
connected a 1541 to my PC's serial port for transferring files to my C64.
George
--
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Network Architect, MIS enterprise document managment."
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4:01 p.m.
People usually keep the disks and reformat them to be used on the newer
system. In the cases of those upgrading to 3.5" from 5.25", the disks
usually get thrown out and the computer stuck in a closet. When the
computer is later sold, there is no software left to go with.
You don't need a boot disk for a C64; its OS is right in ROM. To run
the first program on a disk, press the RUN-STOP key and the C= key at the
same time. To run another program on the disk, move the cursor to that
program (PRG file) and type RUN in front of the name of the file. Delete
any numbers or characters not in the name of the file and put ,8,1 or
just ,8 (in some instances) after the filename and press Return. The
program will run.
Tony
------------------------
On Sun, 16 Mar 1997 BigLouS(a)aol.com wrote:
I have always wondered what happens to the software
that was used on the
computers that show up at thrift stores. I understand that someone who is
just upgrading from a 8088 to a pentium will keep his software but what about
Atari's, Applle II's and Commodore 64's? Why keep the software if you are
getting rid of the hardware? Can anybody explain this to me? This came to
mind again because I just picked up a C64 at a thrift shop with a 1541 and a
BusLogic card (??) but there was nary a disk or cartridge.
BTW, can anybody tell me where I can get a boot disk for the C64?:-)
Lou
5:43 p.m.
BigLouS(a)aol.com wrote:
I have always wondered what happens to the software that was used on the
computers that show up at thrift stores. I understand that someone who is
just upgrading from a 8088 to a pentium will keep his software but what about
Atari's, Applle II's and Commodore 64's? Why keep the software if you are
getting rid of the hardware? Can anybody explain this to me? This came to
mind again because I just picked up a C64 at a thrift shop with a 1541 and a
BusLogic card (??) but there was nary a disk or cartridge.
BTW, can anybody tell me where I can get a boot disk for the C64?:-)
Lou
I think sometimes the disks get relabeled and reused on the owner's
new machines. It also may depend on the thrift store, disk software
and program manuals may mean nothing to a thrift store employee,
sometimes I've seen a batch of disks in a package in one part of the
store, manuals for them in another and the computer components and
cables priced seprate in other locations. Sometimes I only see hardware
and no software (they may just toss the disks).
I'm getting pretty good at Thrift shopping, if I see one piece of
equipment or peripheral that remotely relates to my collection, I will
scour the store. Example: I see a PET computer or drive or printer -
first a quick check for computers, drives, printers, then IEEE-488
cables and interfaces, PET books, disks, and very important - don't
forget datasette tapes (One day I'll find the mother lode of Cursor
Magazine tapes!) Don't forget the ribbons, some of those printer
ribbons are hard to find - or expensive as heck.
I have a good idea of what I have and am looking for, I know the ports
and video standards of my machines and pretty well what stuff is/was
available for them.
Be prepared!
The 64 never needed a boot disk. Though there was the 1541 test/demo
usually packed with the drive. And then later on the 64 did have a
'new' disk based OS, GEOS.
My wife another collector of things (other then computers) also is an
advocate to act as ignorant as you can when buying a real find, If you
see an MITS Altair, don't go and snatch it up and rush for the register,
pick it up and look at it scratch your head, wander around a bit
carrying it (check out the other computers or whatever against it), and
don't act as if is the 'holy grail' of your collection that it really
is. (this is VERYimportant at flea markets where prices aren't on the
stuff.)
Another idea is to say something like 'what is it?' or 'can I hook
this up to my 386?', 'can it run Lotus?' 'can this get me on the
information-highway?' to prove that you know little about computers and
also hopefully devalue it when he/she says 'no' or 'I don't know'
(this
may backfire if they think you are a real rube and try to play on your
ignorance.) Make a real-low offer and say you'll take your chances. If
they are somewhat sales-savvy you may have haggle up to a still low
price. :-)
Larry Anderson
17 Mar
17 Mar
4:42 a.m.
It was thus said that the Great Larry Anderson & Diane Hare once stated:
My wife another collector of things (other then computers) also is an
advocate to act as ignorant as you can when buying a real find, If you
see an MITS Altair, don't go and snatch it up and rush for the register,
pick it up and look at it scratch your head, wander around a bit
carrying it (check out the other computers or whatever against it), and
don't act as if is the 'holy grail' of your collection that it really
is. (this is VERYimportant at flea markets where prices aren't on the
stuff.)
I attended a very disapointed auction this Saturday. Disapointing not
because of the selection (hundreds of computers) but because of the way it
was held and because of Bidder #431 (and his partner, #51), who ended up
with the majority of the auction.
The auction was held at FAU (Florida Atlantic University) in Boca Raton
(right across the street from IBM - lots of PCs available). Unfortunately,
you had computers in one section, monitors in another, and keyboards in a
third. There were complete systems, but they were in the minority than
majority.
Dozens of Apple ][s, about four Apple ][c (only two ][c monitors, #431 got
ALL the Apples), possibly three or four dozen Macs (mostly SEs and Classics)
and almost 20 HP workstations (what I was after). Several large VAXen and
an IBM Series 1.
Of course, I didn't get the HPs, as #431 (and his partner) got them. I
seriously doubt that he even knew (not that he cared really - he seems
overly bored by the whole auction) what he got - proprietary hardware that
really only runs Unix (not that they would even boot - the system disks were
wiped before the CSE [1] department had them carted off), their monitors,
which are large fixed frequency and only usable on the HPs, and their
keyboards. When asked about them, they both said not to talk to them that
day, but call them later, when they figure out what they have (and charge an
arm and a leg for them no doubt). Okay, so I'm bitter 8-/
I may have also damaged my chances at buying the stuff from him cheaply as
I went as high as $200 for the HP units (the computers themselves, not
including the monitors (sold in a different lot) and keyboards (another lot,
mixed in with keyboards from PCs, Mac, terminals and whatnot). Sigh.
Be wary of auctions.
Another idea is to say something like 'what is
it?' or 'can I hook
this up to my 386?', 'can it run Lotus?' 'can this get me on the
information-highway?' to prove that you know little about computers and
also hopefully devalue it when he/she says 'no' or 'I don't know'
(this
may backfire if they think you are a real rube and try to play on your
ignorance.) Make a real-low offer and say you'll take your chances. If
they are somewhat sales-savvy you may have haggle up to a still low
price. :-)
I did get a Digital VT320 (or VT330) terminal from one guy (the keyboard
was in another lot - that guy gave me the keyboard!). I told him I was
interested in the terminal, I'll give you $15. He said $20. I told him
there wasn't a keyboard with it. He said pick a keyboard and take the
terminal for $20. So I got two VT320 keyboards (from the other guy) for
free, one IBM PC keyboard (the only maker of decent keyboards IMHO) and a
terminal for $20. I also bought another IBM PCAT keyboard for $5.
From another guy I got (for $20):
Wyse terminal (sans keyboard)
IBM PC (original)
IBM PCXT (original)
2 286 clones (one with a general purpose I/O board!)
386 clone (Zenith - with a strange controller card)
IBM EGA monitor
7 Mono/CGA monitors, some from IBM
All seem in working order (haven't actually tested them yet, but the PCs
look fine). The keyboards, the terminals, the EGA monitor and the 386 I'm
keeping, but if anyone is interested in the other equipment, I'll be willing
to sell them (like I need another 8 monitors 8-)
-spc (I'm calling #431 later today about the HPs ... )
[1] Computer Science and Engineering
4:11 a.m.
I have always wondered what happens to the software
that was used on the
computers that show up at thrift stores.
I was given a VIC-20 by a friend some time ago. Naturally, there was no
software with it. A few days later I visited a thrift shop and passed a
rack of old cassette tapes, going for SEK 2 (about $ 0.25) each. I looked
at them for a few seconds, decided that there was nothing worth having but
just as I was turning away something caught my eye. I looked again and
there, amongst heaps of 70's and 80's pop stars, were three original
VIC-20 games. A closer look also revelaed some pirated C64 games.
I dunno, but maybe this is what happens to a lot of cassettes: They get
bundled with music cassettes and are either thrown out or put on sale
separately from the computers.
/F
18 Mar
18 Mar
9:58 a.m.
On Mon, 17 Mar 1997, Fredrik Ekman wrote:
I dunno, but maybe this is what happens to a lot of
cassettes: They get
bundled with music cassettes and are either thrown out or put on sale
separately from the computers.
I suspect that this does happen quite frequently. I do look through the
music cassettes now at the Salvation Army shop I go to since I found
"Drop Zone" (lame) for the VIC-20 in there once.
I also found a few cartridges amongst the 8-Trak tapes. Big orange
cartridges for the Fairchild Channel 'F'. I've never seen one of those
game systems, but when I do finally find one I have five cartridges to
plug into it.
/F
Doug Spence
ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
9966
days inactive
9968
days old
6 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
ab616＠chebucto.ns.ca -
BigLouS＠aol.com -
ds_spenc＠alcor.concordia.ca -
ekman＠lysator.liu.se -
foxnhare＠goldrush.com -
george.lin＠documentum.com -
spc＠armigeron.com