August 2018 - vcf-midatlantic

Interest in a Workshop at System Source, in Hunt Valley, MD?
by J. Alexander Jacocks 26 Aug '18

26 Aug '18

All, Since we can't have a workshop at InfoAge, this fall, I propose (along with Bob Roswell) that we have a workshop at Bob's System Source Computer Museum, in Hunt Valley, MD. I talked to Bob, and he and I are both available on the following dates: September 29th/30th November 10th/11th We're not yet sure if this will be a 1-day or a 2-day workshop. Please let me know if you are available on either of the dates, and I'll tally the results. Thanks! - Alex

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Ebay laugh
by Mike Loewen 23 Aug '18

23 Aug '18

Ebay #142914386597 "1970's Computer Mainframe Hard Disk - 14" "Good condition. No markings." Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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OT: Visual BASIC consultants/experts?
by Evan Koblentz 23 Aug '18

23 Aug '18

For work (TechRepublic) I need to interview someone who's a VB6 expert. It must be someone who does enterprise-scale software dev as their full-time job, not a hobbyist. Email me off-list if you know of anyone.

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Ampro LittleBoard/286 Software?
by J. Alexander Jacocks 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Does anyone on the list have the software (particularly setup.exe and the SCSI toolchain) for an Ampro LittleBoard/286? I just picked one up, and would like to get it going again. Thanks! - Alex

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Museum Report
by Gordon 'gsteemso' Steemson 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Hi folks, > Some of us in the TRS-80 community > refer to it as the “T” word. When said with > an underlying affection and respect, it’s all good. > It’s a way of “owning/“ the term. However, > when said with derision or out of > ignorance, its offensive. I have almost always said it that way -- not with any value judgement in mind, but simply because it is considerably faster than saying it the "correct" way. That said, I initially heard that form of the name when I was an immature and easily-amused teenager. Obnoxious-Youth Me found it made for a very vivid mnemonic association, in addition to being more convenient to enunciate. (For the record, I never actually _used_ a TRS-80 of any type, though I have enjoyed brief interactions with a few specimens set up by our fellow retrocomputing fans.) It came as something as a shock when, after 25 years or so of using "Trash-80" merely as a streamlined way of saying "TRS-80," I first encountered someone to whom the term was strongly offensive. It took even longer for me to grasp just _how_ strongly it offended, simply because the Platform Holy Wars dispute had degenerated to "Mac vs. IBM" with rare interjections of "Amiga!" by the time I encountered it. The various 8-bit platforms remained in minor use by those disinterested in forking over non-trivial sums of money to get something more current, but had long since ceased to even be referenced in that futile conflict, let alone be actual contenders therein. My two cents; quote or ignore as preferred. Gordon "gsteemso" Steemson Instigating Cat-Herder and Agitator-by-Default for the Seattle Retro-Computing Society

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Trash talk (was: Museum Report)
by Herb Johnson 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

> It came as something as a shock when, after 25 years or so of using > "Trash-80" merely as a streamlined way of saying "TRS-80," I first > encountered someone to whom the term was strongly offensive. It took > even longer for me to grasp just _how_ strongly it offended, simply > because the Platform Holy Wars dispute had degenerated to "Mac vs. > IBM" with rare interjections of "Amiga!" by the time I encountered it. > The various 8-bit platforms remained in minor use by those > disinterested in forking over non-trivial sums of money to get > something more current, but had long since ceased to even be > referenced in that futile conflict, let alone be actual contenders > therein. > > My two cents; quote or ignore as preferred. Not to hijack the thread; but referring to previous generations of personal computers as either "Trash 80's" or "holy wars" or "the various 8-bit platforms" - all are somewhat derisive references to computers which, in many cases, the person using such words has no experience with. I appreciate that Gordon is telling his story as someone who now know better; thank you. The TRS-80 is well-discussed in this this thread. I'll address the references to earlier computers, those being the systems of interest and experience to me. So - before "IBM vs. Mac", there was "IBM vs CP/M systems". Calling all those systems "8 bit ... minor use .. futile conflict" and inferring their owners were too cheap to upgrade to "more current"; more examples of derisive comments. Again - I appreciate the writer, Gordon, has disavowed these words today; they represent (I hope) the words of his earlier days-of-youth. But they are still obnoxious terms; and untrue too. The 8-bit and 16 bit systems of the late 1970's and into the 1980's were often performance competitive with the IBM PC's of that era. They operated not-inexpensive business and personal software which provided useful results. Small businesses in particular - one of the early drivers of personal computing - were well invested in that hardware and software. Whereas, for IBM PC's early years, there was a LACK of software. Much of the early IBM-PC software was simply re-assembled-for-MS-DOS CP/M software. My Ithaca Intersystem will run rings around an IBM-PC of the same year of manufacture. I know that - because Jeff Duntemann *showed that to me at the time*, he had both. He's a writer and publisher known in the IBM PC era and from times prior. As for the modern obsession of "must have newest computer... must have newest software". In the 1970's and 80's, people and businesses expected to run computers and software for YEARS - and they did, quite successfully so. As did their cars, their appliances, and many other items of comparable cost. Flipping computers began in the 1990's, when Tiawan clones of IBM PC's became cheap and plentiful, and technology moved much faster, and of course PC's were extremely standardized. Those were not the conditions of the 80's, and less so in the 1970's. Many people, ran those computers for a long time. Why do you suppose, they bothered to SAVE them, decades later, after using them? Where do you think *we* got those systems today, decades later? How come, they *still* run? All clues to value, then and now. I'll end the lecture here with some simple advice. Computers of an era ought to be judged in the context of their era; and not based on "trash talk" from owners of successor systems. And in many cases, those successors companies and products, obtained their value from work done (or people trained upon) those prior systems. They owe their success, to the past. Thus, the value of retaining past works. Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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AT&T Technical Workstation / Counterpoint C-19
by Herb Johnson 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Computerworld Nov 16, 1987 title "Counterpoint, Multitech join" San jose CA - Counterpoint Computers last week completed a merger with Multitech Industrial Corp, a member of the MSC Group, a Tiawanese comglomerate.... founder and President Pauline Alker.... headquarters here. ... Founded in 1984, privately held Counterpoint ... investors are AT&T and Kyocera Corp. book Distinguished Asian American Business Leaders By Naomi Hirahara Pauline Lo Alker, who entered the computer field in the 1960's, pioneered the way for Asian American women to excel in high technology. In 1984 Alker and the director of engineering of her division at Convergent decided to launch their own enterprise, Counterpoint Computers Inc, in San Jose. ... the Tiawanese company Acer, became one of Counterpoint's largest customers...she later became the president of Acer America's sales and operating division. "google is our friend" Herb -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net

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Rescue needed here in central NJ
by Evan Koblentz 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

We need someone with an SUV, minivan, etc. to rescue the Counterpoint systems here in central NJ. It's three CRTs and several components that are PC-sized. Contact me off-list if you can help. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan(a)vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] AT&T Technical Workstation / Counterpoint C-19
by Lou 20 Aug '18

20 Aug '18

Nice finds! Always great to uncover more UNIX systems. Are you getting everything from within the warehouse for the museum or only the bulk of the systems? Either way I cannot wait to see what these systems look like in person!

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Interest in a Workshop at System Source, in Hunt Valley, MD?
by Lou 20 Aug '18

20 Aug '18

You mentioned something about this at the last workshop right? Out of both dates November seems more grounded in the reality for me, but as always I cannot make any promises with how the Missus can be!

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