February 2022 - vcf-midatlantic

General Electric Computer Program Data Recorder Cassette Tape Player (Essex / Caldwell)
by Christian Liendo 07 Feb '22

07 Feb '22

Not Mine, figured someone would be interested as it is free https://newjersey.craigslist.org/zip/d/caldwell-general-electric-computer/7…

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big crts for free
by skogkatt007＠yahoo.com 06 Feb '22

06 Feb '22

I have a 21" Radius and a 19" Mitsubishi. Both are VGA/multisyncers. Both have an appropriate cable. Both have significant screen burn. If anyone is interested in the entire units, or parts, any parts, case, boards, ???, they're yours. Entire units need to be picked up in Waretown. I suppose I could ship smaller/lighter component, but I'd rather not. Whatever. They won't be around for much longer. Emails only will receive replies.

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Apple ][ Plus System w/ Drives
by Anthony Scarola 06 Feb '22

06 Feb '22

Hello, I just joined the group. I live in Springfield, NJ. Looking forward to the 26th swap meet. I have a working Apple ][ Plus system that I would like to sell. Here are the specs: - Model A2S1048, SN A2S2-408572 - Cards: 1. Disk II Interface Card (650-X104) 2. Viewmaster (80 column card) 3. Serial Interface Card (670-X005) 4. Super Serial Card II (670-8020-B) 5. CTC Electronics (Language Card?) - Drives: 2 and have not yet tested them, but will this week - Display: Apple A2M2010, Green Phosphor, SN 0980696 Pictures below/attached. More on Reddit, here: https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/skuwsb/recent_auction_win_ap… I purchased it at an auction (Lettieri) a few weeks ago and sadly do not know it's history. I've been cleaning up, little by little, to resell. I usually sell on eBay but thought I'd share with the group first. Message me if you have any interest. Regards, Anthony [image: IMG_3786.jpeg][image: IMG_3787.jpeg]

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?Comcast at Home? internet speeds 1998 or so?
by Herb Johnson 04 Feb '22

04 Feb '22

> > I’m trying to remember what download speeds Comcast at Home offered circa 1998 > (when I first had cable modem). I remember the upload speeds initially Google Web search. Google Books. PC Magazine (PC Mag). Set "any time" to: from Jan 1 1998 to Dec 31 1998. search string: "cable internet services". 30 hits. regards, Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT comcast DOT net

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“Comcast@Home” internet speeds 1998 or so?
by John Heritage 03 Feb '22

03 Feb '22

Hey folks, I’m trying to remember what download speeds Comcast@Home offered circa 1998 (when I first had cable modem). I remember the upload speeds initially being 256-384 kbps but then Comcast cut the upload to 128 kbps. This was terrible not just because it was slow but it was barely enough bandwidth to even request data fast enough to saturate the download speed. I think the initial download speeds were 3 or 4 mbps with cable modems in 1998 (south jersey area - former Storer Cable area), but I have a couple of friends who think it was more like 768kbps - 1 mbps. Any one have memories of this time? P.S. My google-fu sees a lot of ~ 2.8 mbps down on Cox@Home and some other @Home providers around 2000-2003 but I’m having trouble finding earlier than that period online. Thanks! John

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ?Comcast@Home? internet speeds 1998 or so?
by Andrew Diller 02 Feb '22

02 Feb '22

https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/comcast-announces-10g-advances <https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/comcast-announces-10g-advances> Full Duplex DOCSIS4 changes things. As for 'not enough bandwidth (in coax)' - you have to understand what is happening. The entire path from the head-end to your home drop is being virtualized. “To do this, the team activated what we believe to be another world first – a virtualized cable modem termination system (vCMTS) powered by Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 Technology." The virtualization of the CMTS plant infra is going to allow these speeds (for customers that choose and pay for that tier). Yes, it's going to cost, and maybe you are good with 1Gb! But some people will want more. 10G is just showing the max bandwidth - I doubt there will be a plan for 10Gb available for a while. I am asking for a slot in any employee trials lol... -andy disclaimer: I work for Comcast > On Feb 2, 2022, at 12:09 PM, MikeWillegal via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > > From: MikeWillegal <mike(a)willegal.net> > Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ?Comcast@Home? internet speeds 1998 or so? > Date: February 2, 2022 at 12:09:44 PM EST > To: Neil Cherry <ncherry(a)linuxha.com> > Cc: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> > > > I can easily believe 660Meg down/40Meg up with DOCSIS, but certainly not multi-gigabit up with current technology in a production DOCSIS network. > > Mike W. > >> On Feb 2, 2022, at 11:56 AM, Neil Cherry <ncherry(a)linuxha.com> wrote: >> >> On 2/2/22 10:30, MikeWillegal wrote: >>> ... Comcast is using direct fiber connections for their really high speed services ... >> >> Grr, would have been nice if I had it all in one message (sorry). >> >> My connection isn't fiber, it's the old cable installed a few years ago. >> I test it to 660M/40M a week ago. Not sure if cache played a part but I think >> the test takes it into account to avoid adding that to the result. >> >> -- >> Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com >> http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site >> http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog >> Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies > > >

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Book - Ideas that Created the Future
by Andrew Diller 02 Feb '22

02 Feb '22

https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-That-Created-Future-Computer/dp/0262045303/ <https://www.amazon.com/Ideas-That-Created-Future-Computer/dp/0262045303/> Saw this mentioned on cctalk, I ordered it and got it- notable since it's probably the first paper book I've ordered from Amazon in 12 years. "Ideas That Created the Future collects forty-six classic papers in computer science that map the evolution of the field." So far it's fascinating to read the actual documents that defined where we are now. To see all 46 of the papers included, this link has them listed: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3471469.3471473 <https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3471469.3471473> Looks like IEEE members can download a PDF: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9357635 <https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9357635> I like having this in paper form FWIW. -andy

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ?Comcast@Home? internet speeds 1998 or so?
by Neil Cherry 02 Feb '22

02 Feb '22

On 2/2/22 08:05, Mike Willegal via vcf-midatlantic wrote: > things have changed a lot- a few years ago I was able to demonstrate about 2Gbps upstream in a lab environment to a single > mode with DOCSIS 3.1 technology Comcast is selling 3/3 Gbps in the business space and I hear that consumer will be able to get 3/something soon (not 3/3). Ob old man rhetoric: I remember when I was a kid you'd buy a DS0 and split into 9.6 with a Paradyne 740 mux and you were happy (if you could get it to work). ;-) PPS: I'm working with 400Gbs Ethernet that we bundle (400x8). The times they are a changing ... I started out with wet/dry loop (28.8 baud - AP wire service). -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ?Comcast@Home? internet speeds 1998 or so?
by Christian Liendo 02 Feb '22

02 Feb '22

It is probably rate limited 10G or what they call fractional. I have multiple 10Gbps circuits at work and we were offered fractional. They all seem to do the same thing. They run some SMF and put a box on your site that they manage to do the rate limiting. On Wed, Feb 2, 2022 at 10:32 AM MikeWillegal via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vcfed.org> wrote: > > I don’t think that Comcast is using DOCSIS for this high speed service as the 2 Gbps lab speed I mentioned is really only barely achievable in a dedicated lab environment and it needs to use of a ton of spectrum that is normally reserved for their video feeds. Comcast is using direct fiber connections for their really high speed services and I’m guessing that you would have to pay plenty for it. > > > regards, > Mike Willegal >

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] ?Comcast@Home? internet speeds 1998 or so?
by Mike Willegal 02 Feb '22

02 Feb '22

For DOCSIS 1.0, max upstream bitrate was either 5 or 10 Mbps, depending upon whether the physical plant could support 16QAM or required usage of slower QPSK modulation. Actual per modem maximum was significantly less because of the way upstream bandwidth was managed through a TDM scheme that required the cable modem to request upstream bandwidth every time it needed to send something. If I recall correctly most cable plants started out having a lot of trouble with QAM 16, so ended up at QPSK speeds to start with. Downstream theoretical max per modem was a bit under 40 Mbps, a bit higher in Europe because cable channels are 8Mhz wide instead of 6Mhz. Actual per modem rates would typically be significantly less. I can’t remember whether per CM rate limiting was provisionable by the MSO (cable operator) in the very first versions or not, but it wasn’t long before MSO had pretty good control of who could use what bandwidth. Regards, Mike Willegal things have changed a lot- a few years ago I was able to demonstrate about 2Gbps upstream in a lab environment to a single modem with DOCSIS 3.1 technology

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