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cyhist Apr. 8 1998 c
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========================================================================= Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 15:03:09 -0700
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Fred Cisin <fcisin@MERRITT.EDU>
Subject: Archiving obsolete machines (Was: [CM>] Card Readers
In-Reply-To: <c=US%a=_%p=UWYO%l=TELEGRAPH-980408193218Z-167878@telegraph.uwyo.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Tony R. Wickersham wrote:
>>>Obviously, I can't store one of every kind of old computer, but I can cheaply build a small inventory of the most popular models.
That brings up an important issue about WHICH machines to archive.
I would agree that a TRS-80 and an Apple ][+ belong in the archive.
BTW, when firing up an Apple ][ that has been inactive for an extended period, there will be poor contact between many of the chips and the crummy sockets that Apple used. With your thumb, press down on each chip. In more extreme cases, it may be necessary to pull chips out and plug them back in. Similarly, the card edge connectors for external peripherals on the TRS-80s (and the connection to the expansion interface and the serial port to expansion interface connectors) will need cleaning. Usually a pencil eraser will suffice.
I've also heard of people having problems with E-PROMs fading. Perhaps it would make sense to pull the E-PROMs from each machine and make an archival copy of their content.
>I should have hung on to my TRS-80 Model 1 a little longer! At least five years ago, I gave it to a daycare that was still using one. It originally cost me well over $1,000 (1978 or 79) to acquire. But it was just using space in my basement. I still have my two (don't ask) TRS-80
Want another one?
The model 3 or model 4, with the right OS (Newdos80 or LDOS) can read any of the model 1 disk formats. However, the hardware of the model 3 or 4 (WD 1791 or 1793 FDC) can not produce the correct Data Address Marks that model 1 TRS-DOS (with 1771 FDC) wants.
Hypercross, running on a model 3 or 4 can read a lot of other formats as well.
Obviously, any complete collection will need to have one or more fairly versatile CP/M machines. Preferably ones with easily configurable terminal, etc. parameters, such as the Morrow or Compupro. Does anyone have E-PROMs and/or boot disks for a DISCON??
Disk format conversion remains an important issue, as there were over 2500 different mutually incompatible microcomputer floppy disk formats! Any that are soft-sectored, double density are at least theoretically readable by the PC hardware. I still sell XenoCopy-PC which reads 400 of them.
>Model 100 portables. They still work. And one will last all day on a
You might want to also look at the NEC version of the Kyocera portables. It was a slightly higher end model in the same product ine.
--
Fred Cisin (510) 436-2663 Computer Information Systems Department
Merritt College 12500 Campus Drive Oakland, CA 94619
Xenosoft (510) 644-9366 http://www.xenosoft.com
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Fred Cisin <fcisin@MERRITT.EDU>
Subject: Archiving obsolete machines (Was: [CM>] Card Readers
In-Reply-To: <c=US%a=_%p=UWYO%l=TELEGRAPH-980408193218Z-167878@telegraph.uwyo.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Tony R. Wickersham wrote:
>>>Obviously, I can't store one of every kind of old computer, but I can cheaply build a small inventory of the most popular models.
That brings up an important issue about WHICH machines to archive.
I would agree that a TRS-80 and an Apple ][+ belong in the archive.
BTW, when firing up an Apple ][ that has been inactive for an extended period, there will be poor contact between many of the chips and the crummy sockets that Apple used. With your thumb, press down on each chip. In more extreme cases, it may be necessary to pull chips out and plug them back in. Similarly, the card edge connectors for external peripherals on the TRS-80s (and the connection to the expansion interface and the serial port to expansion interface connectors) will need cleaning. Usually a pencil eraser will suffice.
I've also heard of people having problems with E-PROMs fading. Perhaps it would make sense to pull the E-PROMs from each machine and make an archival copy of their content.
>I should have hung on to my TRS-80 Model 1 a little longer! At least five years ago, I gave it to a daycare that was still using one. It originally cost me well over $1,000 (1978 or 79) to acquire. But it was just using space in my basement. I still have my two (don't ask) TRS-80
Want another one?
The model 3 or model 4, with the right OS (Newdos80 or LDOS) can read any of the model 1 disk formats. However, the hardware of the model 3 or 4 (WD 1791 or 1793 FDC) can not produce the correct Data Address Marks that model 1 TRS-DOS (with 1771 FDC) wants.
Hypercross, running on a model 3 or 4 can read a lot of other formats as well.
Obviously, any complete collection will need to have one or more fairly versatile CP/M machines. Preferably ones with easily configurable terminal, etc. parameters, such as the Morrow or Compupro. Does anyone have E-PROMs and/or boot disks for a DISCON??
Disk format conversion remains an important issue, as there were over 2500 different mutually incompatible microcomputer floppy disk formats! Any that are soft-sectored, double density are at least theoretically readable by the PC hardware. I still sell XenoCopy-PC which reads 400 of them.
>Model 100 portables. They still work. And one will last all day on a
You might want to also look at the NEC version of the Kyocera portables. It was a slightly higher end model in the same product ine.
--
Fred Cisin (510) 436-2663 Computer Information Systems Department
Merritt College 12500 Campus Drive Oakland, CA 94619
Xenosoft (510) 644-9366 http://www.xenosoft.com
______________________________________________________________________
