1 Apr
2002
1 Apr
'02
5:41 p.m.
What are some good old computers manufactured in 1986?
Well, my Prime 2455 is one example...
That *may* be the year John's Cyber 180/960 was built...
Any Apollo workstation made that year...
Oh! Oh! Didn't the Mac II premiere in '86? Or was it '87?
IBM RS/6000? Kaypro 2000?
-dq
1 Apr
1 Apr
6:31 p.m.
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
(What I am trying to do together here is get a setup of only stuff made in
1986.... It'd be neat to have a system exactly the same age as me :))
----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas H. Quebbeman" <dquebbeman(a)acm.org>
To: "ClassicCmp List" <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 11:41 PM
Subject: RE: Computers Manufactured in 1986
What are some good old computers manufactured in 1986?
Well, my Prime 2455 is one example...
That *may* be the year John's Cyber 180/960 was built...
Any Apollo workstation made that year...
Oh! Oh! Didn't the Mac II premiere in '86? Or was it '87?
IBM RS/6000? Kaypro 2000?
-dq
6:58 p.m.
On Tue, Apr 02, 2002 at 12:31:35AM -0500, Torquil MacCorkle III wrote:
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
Well, some of them are ancestors of modern machines -- the Mac II of the
modern Macs, the Kaypro 2000 of modern PC clones (I believe), and the
RS/6000 of modern IBM UNIX workstations. So you could choose the most
compatible ones.
Or you could choose the most powerful ones (of course, power depends on
what you need -- CPU speed, I/O speed, ability to run particular kinds of
programs quickly, etc.). The powerful ones may be the power-consuming ones,
of course. So low power requirements would be another measure of goodness.
You could even look for the smallest and most portable machines.
But I would let them show their own strengths -- try them out, see if they
have some software or hardware you like, or some features that haven't been
duplicated in systems you're familiar with.
-- Derek
P.S. What about the Amiga and the Atari ST? No one's mentioned them yet.
2 Apr
2 Apr
10:25 a.m.
On Mon, 1 Apr 2002, Derek Peschel wrote:
Modern IBM UNIX workstations *are* RS/6000's. The RS/6000 wasn't out back
then. The IBM RT/PC was the UNIX workstation from IBM at the time.
PEace... Sridhar
Pardon the
ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
Well, some of them are ancestors of modern machines -- the Mac II of the
modern Macs, the Kaypro 2000 of modern PC clones (I believe), and the
RS/6000 of modern IBM UNIX workstations. So you could choose the most
compatible ones.
11:47 a.m.
On Tue, Apr 02, 2002 at 04:25:30PM -0500, Sridhar the POWERful wrote:
Modern IBM UNIX workstations *are* RS/6000's. The RS/6000 wasn't out back
then. The IBM RT/PC was the UNIX workstation from IBM at the time.
Someone mentioned RS/6000s and I just assumed that was right. Oops.
-- Derek
On Mon, 1 Apr 2002, Derek Peschel wrote:
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
Well, some of them are ancestors of modern machines -- the Mac II of the
modern Macs, the Kaypro 2000 of modern PC clones (I believe), and the
RS/6000 of modern IBM UNIX workstations. So you could choose the most
compatible ones. 
1 Apr
1 Apr
7:16 p.m.
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
(What I am trying to do together here is get a setup of only stuff made in
1986.... It'd be neat to have a system exactly the same age as me :))
In 1986 the computer I really wanted bad was a Toshiba T3100 laptop -- 286
processor, 10 MB hard drive and world's first plasma
display (I think). Cost $3,400 in 1986, but you can get one on eBay today for around 10
bucks or so. For example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2013655798
As far as non-minis go, this was the best of the best at the time, and arguably the most
"modern."
-W
P.S. I waited 2 years and ended up with a T5100 with a 386/16 and monster 40 MB hard
drive -- well worth the wait and the 5 grand
(particularly as my employer paid for it)!
7:38 p.m.
What about systems with ethernet. I'd prefer a medium between massive
power-suckers and portables... like say, desktops :)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne M. Smith" <wmsmith(a)earthlink.net>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 1:16 AM
Subject: Re: Computers Manufactured in 1986
processor, 10 MB hard drive and world's first plasma
> Pardon the ignorance here,
>
> But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional
one
> of the 1986 bunch?
>
> (What I am trying to do together here is get a setup of only stuff made
in
1986....
It'd be neat to have a system exactly the same age as me :))
In 1986 the computer I really wanted bad was a Toshiba T3100 laptop -- 286
display (I think). Cost $3,400 in 1986, but you can
get one on eBay today
for around 10 bucks or so. For example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2013655798
As far as non-minis go, this was the best of the best at the time, and
arguably the
most "modern."
-W
P.S. I waited 2 years and ended up with a T5100 with a 386/16 and monster
40 MB
hard drive -- well worth the wait and the 5 grand
(particularly as my employer paid for it)!
8:33 p.m.
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Torquil MacCorkle III wrote:
What about systems with ethernet. I'd prefer a
medium between massive
power-suckers and portables... like say, desktops :)
Lots (OK, some) of the high-end 286 or 386 PCs at the time had
ethernet. My RT has ethernet, but in its original configuration it was
definitely a "power-sucker". Ditching ESDI in favor of IDE helped that
a lot. My MicroVAX II, introduced in '85 I think and still sold in '86,
has ethernet, but it is definitely a power-devourer.
Doc
8:35 p.m.
What about systems with ethernet. I'd prefer a
medium between massive
power-suckers and portables... like say, desktops :)
As someone else mentioned, the Compaq Deskpro 386/16 is your machine. Along with
the harder to find ALR Access 386, this was the
first 386 desktop and it led to the dethroning of IBM as king of the PC hill, as IBM
didn't release its first 386 machine until the
next year. Historically significant, powerful for its time, and you can use an ethernet
card with it too!
-W
1 Apr
1 Apr
7:24 p.m.
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Torquil MacCorkle III wrote:
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
That's going to be a very subjective call. What criteria define
"modern"?
The Intel-based 386 PC was out, Macintosh was out, Silicon Graphics
were building MIPS boxes.
The IBM RT was falling on its nose in the business world, and my boss,
who was at TJ Watson then, says they were doing early development on the
RS/6000. As best he can remember, and from the dates on the 7012-320 I
have, they actually started shipping in 1990.
From here, from my perspective of not being into electronics then at
all, it looks like every other garage was a computer company.
Just get one of everything, and have fun!
Doc
9:05 p.m.
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Doc wrote:
The Intel-based 386 PC was out, Macintosh was out,
Silicon Graphics
were building MIPS boxes.
In '86? Not quite.
http://www.sgi.com/features/2002/jan/20th/timeline.html
ok
r.
2 Apr
2 Apr
7:19 a.m.
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, r. 'bear' stricklin wrote:
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Doc wrote:
Well, maybe:
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/workstat/
1986
January
* Sun Microsystems first sells shares to the public. [110.219]
* IBM announces the IBM RT Personal Computer, using RISC-based
technology from IBM's "801" project of the mid-70s. It is one of the
first commercially-available 32-bit RISC-based computers. The base
configuration has 1 MB RAM, a 1.2 MB floppy, and 40 MB hard drive, for
US$11,700. With performance of only 2 MIPS, it is doomed from the
beginning. [6] [19] [41.114] [61.129]
* NeXT and Apple Computer reach an out-of-court settlement on Apple
Computer's lawsuit against NeXT. [110.99]
March
* Silicon Graphics decides to switch from the Motorola 68000 processor
line to MIPS Technologies' RISC processors. [29]
(month unknown)
* MIPS Technologies unveils the 8-MHz R2000 32-bit CPU. With 110,000
transistors, it achieves a speed rating of 5 MIPS. [38.75] (1985
[42.124])
* MIPS Technologies begins volume shipments of the 8-MHz R2000
processor. [29]
June
* Systems incorporating MIPS Technologies' R2000 processor begin
shipping. [89.13] [187]
Although I'll probably take SGI's word for it. :)
Doc
The Intel-based 386 PC was out, Macintosh was
out, Silicon Graphics
were building MIPS boxes.
In '86? Not quite.
http://www.sgi.com/features/2002/jan/20th/timeline.html
7:50 a.m.
Heh,
Which SGI would actually have an R2000?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doc" <doc(a)mdrconsult.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: Computers Manufactured in 1986
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, r. 'bear' stricklin
wrote:
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Doc wrote:
Well, maybe:
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/workstat/
1986
January
* Sun Microsystems first sells shares to the public. [110.219]
* IBM announces the IBM RT Personal Computer, using RISC-based
technology from IBM's "801" project of the mid-70s. It is one of the
first commercially-available 32-bit RISC-based computers. The base
configuration has 1 MB RAM, a 1.2 MB floppy, and 40 MB hard drive, for
US$11,700. With performance of only 2 MIPS, it is doomed from the
beginning. [6] [19] [41.114] [61.129]
* NeXT and Apple Computer reach an out-of-court settlement on Apple
Computer's lawsuit against NeXT. [110.99]
March
* Silicon Graphics decides to switch from the Motorola 68000 processor
line to MIPS Technologies' RISC processors. [29]
(month unknown)
* MIPS Technologies unveils the 8-MHz R2000 32-bit CPU. With 110,000
transistors, it achieves a speed rating of 5 MIPS. [38.75] (1985
[42.124])
* MIPS Technologies begins volume shipments of the 8-MHz R2000
processor. [29]
June
* Systems incorporating MIPS Technologies' R2000 processor begin
shipping. [89.13] [187]
Although I'll probably take SGI's word for it. :)
Doc
The Intel-based 386 PC was out, Macintosh was
out, Silicon Graphics
were building MIPS boxes.
In '86? Not quite.
http://www.sgi.com/features/2002/jan/20th/timeline.html 
1:08 p.m.
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text
Size: 628 bytes
Desc: not available
Url :
http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/attachments/20020403/f236c734/at…
8:48 a.m.
Doc said:
On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, r. 'bear' stricklin
wrote:
> On Tue, 2 Apr 2002, Doc wrote:
>
> > The Intel-based 386 PC was out, Macintosh was out, Silicon Graphics
> > were building MIPS boxes.
>
> In '86? Not quite.
>
> http://www.sgi.com/features/2002/jan/20th/timeline.html
It says they shipped their first RISC workstation in 1987. This was a
MIPS-based workstation...the IRIS-4D line. They didn't BUY MIPS until 1992,
though...
it's a good bet that the "decide to switch from..." line item below means
"SGI
decides to use the MIPS processor in the IRIS-4D". They didn't actually get
the 4D out till the next year...
Well, maybe:
http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/workstat/
1986
January
* Sun Microsystems first sells shares to the public. [110.219]
* IBM announces the IBM RT Personal Computer, using RISC-based
technology from IBM's "801" project of the mid-70s. It is one of the
first commercially-available 32-bit RISC-based computers. The base
configuration has 1 MB RAM, a 1.2 MB floppy, and 40 MB hard drive, for
US$11,700. With performance of only 2 MIPS, it is doomed from the
beginning. [6] [19] [41.114] [61.129]
* NeXT and Apple Computer reach an out-of-court settlement on Apple
Computer's lawsuit against NeXT. [110.99]
March
* Silicon Graphics decides to switch from the Motorola 68000 processor
line to MIPS Technologies' RISC processors. [29]
(month unknown)
* MIPS Technologies unveils the 8-MHz R2000 32-bit CPU. With 110,000
transistors, it achieves a speed rating of 5 MIPS. [38.75] (1985
[42.124])
* MIPS Technologies begins volume shipments of the 8-MHz R2000
processor. [29]
June
* Systems incorporating MIPS Technologies' R2000 processor begin
shipping. [89.13] [187]
Although I'll probably take SGI's word for it. :)
Doc
- Dan Wright
(dtwright(a)uiuc.edu)
(http://www.uiuc.edu/~dtwright)
-] ------------------------------ [-] -------------------------------- [-
``Weave a circle round him thrice, / And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honeydew hath fed, / and drunk the milk of Paradise.''
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kubla Khan
7:47 a.m.
Rumor has it that Torquil MacCorkle III may have mentioned these words:
Pardon the ignorance here,
But which would you guys consider to be the most modernly functional one
of the 1986 bunch?
(What I am trying to do together here is get a setup of only stuff made in
1986.... It'd be neat to have a system exactly the same age as me :))
My vote would be the Tandy CoCo3 - multitasking OS, maximum 106x28 screen
(under OS-9) 512K Ram, hacked easily to 2M (recently hacked to *64Meg*!!)
and other things. My first '386SX with VGA was solely a "nintendo" - when I
wanted to do _real work_ I turned back to my trusty CoCo3 - for a lotta years.
It debuted in '86, and production ran until '90 or '91, with closeouts
still being listed in the catalog until '92, so they're finally
_completely_ on-topic... ;-)
Laterz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig.
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
8172
days inactive
8173
days old
19 comments
12 participants
participants (12)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
doc＠mdrconsult.com -
dpeschel＠eskimo.com -
dquebbeman＠acm.org -
dtwright＠uiuc.edu -
pcw＠mesanet.com -
red＠bears.org -
torquil＠rockbridge.net -
vance＠ikickass.org -
wmsmith＠earthlink.net -
zmerch＠30below.com