AT&T Technical Workstation / Counterpoint C-19
I got an email from someone who met us at Maker Faire last year. He told me he's got some never-released AT&T computers, so I took a ride to his storage locker today (here in central NJ) to see for myself. There are about a half-dozen Counterpoint C-19 computers with drive units, monitors, and various parts. I never heard of these. The guy said he worked for Bell Labs in early 1980s. He said Counterpoint made these as Unix workstations and delivered thousands of them to an AT&T warehouse. Then AT&T canceled the project and (supposedly) bulldozed the warehouse contents. He said the ones in his storage locker may be the only ones remaining. He also said some famous AT&T folks (K.; Ritchie, Korn) all used such systems. They run Unix System V. A few of them looked to be in very clean condition. Lastly, he said they were also planning to use the name "AT&T Technical Workstation" rather than the C-19 name. Google shows no results for either search term. We're definitely accepting these for the museum collection. Hopefully we can make a few running units from the various components. Anyone ever heard of it?
The owner sent me these links just now: - https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=counterpo... - https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=counterpo... - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net... <https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net.unix-wizards/14hFju53U8k/Av_szmvBH3oJ> - It looks llike Acer may have bought Counterpoint Computers Inc after C-XIX failed to launch in 86-87 timeframe: https://books.google.com/books?id=uaik0Y8QKcYC&pg=PP41&lpg=PP41&dq=counterpo... - Bottom of page 92: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1986/05/01663233.pdf . As I recall, the system had X 10R3 or R4 on it, which puts it around 86-87, before X11 in 88-89.
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the AT&T UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there. On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
The owner sent me these links just now:
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=counterpo...
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=counterpo...
-
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net... < https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./n...
- It looks llike Acer may have bought Counterpoint Computers Inc after C-XIX failed to launch in 86-87 timeframe:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uaik0Y8QKcYC&pg=PP41&lpg=PP41&dq=counterpo...
- Bottom of page 92: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1986/05/01663233.pdf . As I recall, the system had X 10R3 or R4 on it, which puts it around 86-87, before X11 in 88-89.
I didn't take pictures, but these did not look like UNIX PCs. They are gray slabs. I'll look up the forum thread. On 08/18/2018 07:30 PM, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the AT&T UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there.
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
The owner sent me these links just now:
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=counterpo...
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=counterpo...
-
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net... < https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./n... - It looks llike Acer may have bought Counterpoint Computers Inc after C-XIX failed to launch in 86-87 timeframe:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uaik0Y8QKcYC&pg=PP41&lpg=PP41&dq=counterpo...
- Bottom of page 92: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1986/05/01663233.pdf . As I recall, the system had X 10R3 or R4 on it, which puts it around 86-87, before X11 in 88-89.
________________________________ Evan Koblentz, executive director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit evan@vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation instagram.com/vcfederation
Are you sure you're not thinking of Convergent? That is the company that OEM'd the UNIX PC to AT&T -Alan On 2018-08-18 19:30, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the AT&T UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there.
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
The owner sent me these links just now:
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=counterpo...
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=counterpo...
-
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net... < https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./n...
- It looks llike Acer may have bought Counterpoint Computers Inc after C-XIX failed to launch in 86-87 timeframe:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uaik0Y8QKcYC&pg=PP41&lpg=PP41&dq=counterpo...
- Bottom of page 92: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1986/05/01663233.pdf . As I recall, the system had X 10R3 or R4 on it, which puts it around 86-87, before X11 in 88-89.
Quite sure. Talked to the guy for 30 minutes and saw it with my own eyes. On Sat, Aug 18, 2018, 8:19 PM alan--- via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Are you sure you're not thinking of Convergent? That is the company that OEM'd the UNIX PC to AT&T
-Alan
On 2018-08-18 19:30, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the AT&T UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there.
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
The owner sent me these links just now:
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=0DAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=counterpo...
-
https://books.google.com/books?id=vrrvpxLbx7UC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=counterpo...
-
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./net...
<
https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21search/counterpoint$20computers$20inc./n...
- It looks llike Acer may have bought Counterpoint Computers Inc after C-XIX failed to launch in 86-87 timeframe:
https://books.google.com/books?id=uaik0Y8QKcYC&pg=PP41&lpg=PP41&dq=counterpo...
- Bottom of page 92: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/co/1986/05/01663233.pdf . As I recall, the system had X 10R3 or R4 on it, which puts it around 86-87, before X11 in 88-89.
Evan, I was replying to Bill. I don't doubt the existence of Counterpoint. But I doubt they are similar to the Convergent developed AT&T UNIX PC 7300. -Alan On 2018-08-18 20:21, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Quite sure. Talked to the guy for 30 minutes and saw it with my own eyes.
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018, 8:19 PM alan--- via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Are you sure you're not thinking of Convergent? That is the company that OEM'd the UNIX PC to AT&T
-Alan
On 2018-08-18 19:30, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the AT&T UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there.
Thanks for clarifying. Soon this donation of possibly very rare systems will be at VCF headquarters. On Sat, Aug 18, 2018, 10:19 PM <alan@alanlee.org> wrote:
Evan,
I was replying to Bill. I don't doubt the existence of Counterpoint. But I doubt they are similar to the Convergent developed AT&T UNIX PC 7300.
-Alan
On 2018-08-18 20:21, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Quite sure. Talked to the guy for 30 minutes and saw it with my own eyes.
On Sat, Aug 18, 2018, 8:19 PM alan--- via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
Are you sure you're not thinking of Convergent? That is the company that OEM'd the UNIX PC to AT&T
-Alan
On 2018-08-18 19:30, Bill Degnan via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I thought there were some computer that looked everything like the
AT&T
UNIX PC except they said "Counterpoint" on them rather than AT&T. There was a thread about it on vcforum, someone should check in the workstations section/ask there.
participants (3)
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alan＠alanlee.org -
Bill Degnan -
Evan Koblentz