new acquisition: Intel SBC 80/10+SBC-108
It seems to be "industrial strength" - I'm sure these were priced above the affordability threshold for most hobbyists...
Glenn, suffice it for me to say, as a digital engineer from the 1970's, that while Multibus systems when new, were not cheap; in the era, early digital computing technology (microprocessor or minicomputer), wasn't cheap either. And in due course, Multibus and other industrial-bus microcomputers, became "hobbyist"; and are hobbyist today, notwithstanding some legacy industrial uses still going on. But just because some 1970's computers were industrial, doesn't mean they didn't have a "hobby" impact or had early hobby activity. Just as college students "hacked" on expensive computers at their colleges, so did engineers and techs do the same at the time - either at work or when these systems became surplus. And today, there's a number of people "hobbying" on Multibus computers; and other such systems too. Certainly so, on the minicomputers preceding the microprocessor-based "boxes". I think to someone born after say 1995, all these "rows of boards in ugly boxes" look the same - S-100, Multibus, VMEbus, STDbus, SS-50, OSI, DEC, etc. So it disappoints me, when I see any of them referenced as "non-hobby" for one reason or another, past or present. It's my era to defend. 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 retrotechnology DOT info
On Sat, Sep 21, 2019 at 05:27:00PM -0400, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
I think to someone born after say 1995, all these "rows of boards in ugly boxes" look the same - S-100, Multibus, VMEbus, STDbus, SS-50, OSI, DEC, etc. So it disappoints me, when I see any of them referenced as "non-hobby" for one reason or another, past or present. It's my era to defend.
I took the origional posting as people weren't likely going to be buying them new for their personal use unlike say OSI which I think is true. My definition of hobby is personal use though that does bring up what the correct term to refer to when you were doing your own thing with work/school/other peoples equipment. The original definition of hacking covered some of that. Maybe my definition of hobby is too narrow. I caught the end of the Multibus era with my first job. Used purchased 286 processor cards and custom cards I and others designed for radar target simulator. We debated moving to Multibus II or VME and made the right choice of VME for later projects.
participants (2)
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David Gesswein -
Herb Johnson