- vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Blit Express Lives!
by Kenneth Seefried 09 Jan '16

09 Jan '16

From: Systems Glitch <systems.glitch(a)gmail.com> > >The Blit Express is a high resolution (1664 x 1200 mono, forget the color res) >workstation graphics card from Bell Technologies. Thats the one based on the Intel i82786, right? Awful chip. It sold as a way to turn a 386 system into an alternative to something like a Sun 3/160. As we say in the South, bless their hearts. > I'm guessing there were sort of specific system requirements for it, since it > doesn't seem to like MFM/RLL drives, which of course would've been very > common then. If it's the i82786 based one, it's kinda picky about hardware configs (I seem to recall it required an unusually big memory region) but I ran it in a bunch of different systems (Intel and Compaq PCs at least). I'd go through the normal ISA bus IRQ/mem window/IO addy/etc diagnostic dance. I don't recall if I ran them with MFM/RLL disks, but I definitely ran them with ESDI disks. > There's almost no information on the Internet about these. Apparently mine is a > beta unit (don't know if they ever made it into production). Yours might be a beta, but the Bell Tech Blit certainly went into production and was reasonably successful. I have the X10 (yes, 10 not 11 and not the home control protocol) source around here *someplace* but will probably never find it. There's some stuff out there if you look hard enough. As I recall, at least the early X11 tapes came with the support source. Nosing around whatever is left of the Interactive and SCO Unix in the i386 era history will certainly turn up something. Tangent: anyone remember the Bell Tech HUB-6? ISA bus 6-port serial cards. Sold tons of them back in the day when SCO shipped product instead of failing to profit through litigation. Good times. KJ

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Congrats to Connor!
by Evan Koblentz 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

Everyone, Time for some special recognition. One of our youngest members, Connor, recently posted to an IBM mainframe list for some help with the Z890 that he bought from Rutgers University. Someone involved with IBM's SHARE (mainframe user group) read it and invited Connor to speak at their Feb. 28-March 4 conference in San Antonio -- and then HP Enterprise (that's the servers and storage people, not the ink cartridge people) stepped up to pay the cost of his trip! "Ya done good, kid."

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Retro does Vintage
by Douglas Crawford 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

http://imgur.com/a/w3AmK So, a "flower pot" iMac G4 makes a great PDP-8/E platform. My first running of anything PDP. This emulator was pointed out a ways back on the Yahoo board I think. Good fun. Not hard to use and has good "getting started" docs. Maybe you have a good reason to go get a cheap old cool iMac :)

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C64 games
by Bob Flanders 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/340596/7-forgotten-commodore-64-gaming…

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PDP 8i on Ebay...going once,
by william degnan 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

Ebay auction 201493504381 PDP 8i, two racks. Worth it? We'll find out soon. 3 hours left, no bidders. Prediction, this will sell. -- -Bill-

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] FS: Motorola 68HC11 Evaluation Kits, Complete in Box
by Systems Glitch 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

> Wow. I wrote a BSP for that board "way back when". "Bell System Practice?" Thanks, Jonathan

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FS: Motorola 68HC11 Evaluation Kits, Complete in Box
by Systems Glitch 08 Jan '16

08 Jan '16

All, I ended up with a bunch of these 68HC11 eval kits with a lot of lab gear from PSU's Allentown EE department. I'm selling off the last three. List price is $68.11 because that's what Motorola suggested on the front of the box -- make an offer :) Kit includes the 68HC11 single board computer, cross assemblers on 5.25" and 3.5" floppy, all manuals, and some promotional stuff. http://www.ebay.com/itm/272098952794 Thanks, Jonathan

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museumsigns
by Duane 07 Jan '16

07 Jan '16

Office Depot/Office Max has a HP 7612 on sale for $149.99. The reviews seem to run about 4 stars out of 5 -----Original Message----- From: Corey Cohen via vcf-midatlantic Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2016 6:48 PM To: vcf-midatlantic Cc: Corey Cohen Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Correction: Semi-OT: printer for new museumsigns I have a spare network enabled HP laser jet 4plus for VCF which we can use for printing high volume hand outs and stuff. It can print on some pretty heavy paper stock and is dirt cheap to run. I just have to move it to the new space and it even has serial so we can print from vintage machines. The problem Evan is trying to solve is the colour signage for the museum. If someone can recommend a good 11x17 printer, we don't need a scanner, for around $200 or less please post an online link. Thanks, Corey corey cohen uǝɥoɔ ʎǝɹoɔ > On Jan 5, 2016, at 5:45 PM, Dave McGuire via vcf-midatlantic > <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > >> On 01/05/2016 05:45 PM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> However, a freebie B&W letter-size laser printer will print for FREE, >> and would be a good thing to locate elsewhere. > > I may be able to supply a B&W letter-size laser printer to VCFed. > When everything is shaken out after Autumn and I move our work areas to > the new building I will see what is left. I should have at least one. > > -Dave > > -- > Dave McGuire, AK4HZ > New Kensington, PA

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Cheapest way to buy nice stools?
by Ben Greenfield 07 Jan '16

07 Jan '16

I would try a restaurant supply place preferably in Chinatown. Ben

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Timex/Sinclair, C=, IBM stuff in DC area
by Evan Koblentz 07 Jan '16

07 Jan '16

Available for adoption by a good home: - Timex Sinclair 1000 - Timex Sinclair 1016 16K RAM module - Timex Sinclair 2040 printer - Commodore 64 w/ drive - 1984 IBM PC with two 128K drives, Amdex amber monitor, Okidata printer, original boxes/manuals Contact: jakabp(a)si.edu (He's not on this list.)

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