27 Jan
1998
27 Jan
'98
12:30 p.m.
Who among you collects mainframes? I couldn't resist asking in light of the
"what's the heaviest portable" thread, because the CPU of IBM System/3
Model
15 I have weighs 1800 lbs.
This list community has already dealt with the question of why collect
mainframes, so let's try to avoid a repeat performance and stick to
answering the lead question.
Many mainframe collectors aren't on the Internet (and frankly, they tell me,
they don't miss it). These people are retired and grew up with big iron so
its natural for them to be drawn to mainframes.
I have the Sys/3 and an IBM 360/22 (complete systems including keypunches
and boxes of unused 80-column cards).
Yours in good faith
Kevin
27 Jan
27 Jan
12:46 p.m.
Who among you collects mainframes? I couldn't
resist asking in light of the
"what's the heaviest portable" thread, because the CPU of IBM System/3
Model
15 I have weighs 1800 lbs.
Well, I don't have any mainframes, but if I had
enough room(like a small
warehouse), I would definitley be looking for one... For now I'm content to
try to fix my IBM Series/1 minicomputer, which was hard enough to get home.
I would hate to see what would happen if I tried to get a mainframe into my
basement.
I have the Sys/3 and an IBM 360/22 (complete systems
including keypunches
and boxes of unused 80-column cards).
That brings up two questions:
1) Where do I find old punch cards(used or "new")
2) Would it be possible to hook up a punch card reader to a PC? Read old
punch cards with your PC using a mainframe emulator! Yes, I have seen
mainframe emulators. I think it's mostly for development(it's a System/370
assembly language emulator IIRC), and it's in one of the big archives...
I'll try to find it and post the URL.
Meanwhile, I'm sitting here pissed of at the President, because the TV
station here put him on instead of The Simpsons... >:-(
-JR http://members.tripod.com/~jrollins/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/1681/
3:43 p.m.
At 06:46 PM 1/27/98 -0800, you wrote:
>Who among you collects mainframes?
Paul Pierce (and yes, he is lurking out here somewhere...) Pix at
http://www.teleport.com/~prp
That brings up two questions:
1) Where do I find old punch cards(used or
"new")
Boy, can I relate to *that* one! As part of the preparations for an
exhibit (that I am *still* working on) I needed to find a quantity of punch
cards (unpunched) to feed to my unit-record equipment and mini-computers.
I chased that one for a *long* time, getting a partial box here and there
from people usually using them as notepads. I finally
stumbled into a
decent quantity from a local recycler who had heard of my search.
Turned
out that he had just cleaned out an old data center that had been relocated
and found a couple of pallets of them! (salvation!) I grabbed about a
dozen boxes. Don't know if there are still any left...
2) Would it be possible to hook up a punch card reader
to a PC? Read old
punch cards with your PC using a mainframe emulator!
To a PC? Probably, but seems somewhat sacreligious. (and excessively
complicated) I've actually hooked up a DEC card reader to one of my
Altairs for a recent job while I was still restoring the PDP-8 that it
actually should have been hooked to. Took about 4 hours to wire the cable
and interface, and another 1.5 hours to hand assemble the code to run it...
-jim
---
jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com
The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw
Computer Garage Fax - (503) 646-0174
1:34 p.m.
Who among you collects mainframes?
Well, I want to, and missed out on an IBM 7094 just a few months ago. I am
pursuing some Burroughs stuff at this moment, as well. Most everything
else in the 200 pound plus category is a mini (IBM S/1, SGI 2500T,
PDP-8/S, Interdata 14, IBM RS/6000/T3B).
I couldn't resist asking in light of the
"what's the heaviest portable" thread, because the CPU of IBM System/3
Model
15 I have weighs 1800 lbs.
Any chance you could post some information on the beast (or maybe some
pointers to some pictures)? I know just about nothing about the S/3s,
other than they are just about IBMs first minis.
Many mainframe collectors aren't on the Internet
(and frankly, they tell me,
they don't miss it). These people are retired and grew up with big iron so
its natural for them to be drawn to mainframes.
Who else is there (other than Paul Pierce, who occasionally posts stuff
here)? I would love to know what machines are out there!
I have the Sys/3 and an IBM 360/22 (complete systems
including keypunches
and boxes of unused 80-column cards).
Hmmmm...a S/360 you say...hmmm.
Does the thing work?
I have been looking for a S/360 or S/370 for a while now with no luck. The
only ones I have found were carcasses in an mid-east Illinois junkyard.
Even the really cool control panels (just about the best ever put on
computers) were completely stripped.
William Donzelli
william(a)ans.net
2:14 p.m.
At 21:30 1/27/98 -0500, Kevin wrote:
Who among you collects mainframes? I couldn't
resist asking....
Well, the CHAC has the last known SDS 930, so I guess I do!
__________________________________________
Kip Crosby engine(a)chac.org
http://www.chac.org/index.html
Computer History Association of California
28 Jan
28 Jan
1:06 p.m.
New subject: Z280 systems
Some of you may remember one of the last issues of SuperMicro magazine
had a Z280 S-100 boards on the cover and a nice article about the board
and a system using the board, as I recall.
Does anyone have an idea where I could find or look for a Z280 based
system, either ZCPM, or???. And either single or multiple processors.
My goal would be to have a fairly complete system, however I think that
would be possible from most any S-100 components, if one had the CPU.
Does anyone still manufature S-100 stuff or its replacement Bus, which I
don't recall???
Or Z280 Z380 VME systems.
I guess I better stop there or I'll leave the realm of "classics"
thans,
Mike
9826
days inactive
9827
days old
5 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
engine＠chac.org -
jimw＠agora.rdrop.com -
kstumpf＠unusual.on.ca -
mallison＠konnections.com -
rexstout＠ptld.uswest.net -
william＠ans.net