[aklug] Re: CPU/RAM on older hardware

:o Somebody else remembers the old S100 bus??? :o

The first Dos box I bought? If I remember right, it was a Kaypro, with no more
than 512k(I bought RAM chips to pop in to upgrade it at some point), 8mhz, and
no HD. I added in a 10mb MFM my self sometime later. Nope, not even RLL lol. I
pretty much had to buy the system when I started in at school at Alaska Computer
Institute in the programming course, a school that no longer exists. I needed
something I could do homework on in Pascal and Cobol, which are rarely used.

Before that though, the first computer I ever owned was a TRS-80 CC2. And back
before even, that I was stuck borrowing. I remember reading about the brand new
IBM personal computers and thinking "what a stupid way to do things" about them
and the chip. And then they took over the world. I also remember the z8000
chip(not z80) being classified so that the Soviets could not buy it for use in
their missile program because it was so powerful.

Date: Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:38:52 -0600
From: Kenneth D Weinert <kenw@quarter-flash.com>
Subject: [aklug] Re: CPU/RAM on older hardware

On 09/04/2010 08:00 PM, Arthur Corliss wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Sep 2010, Christopher Howard wrote:
>
>> Hey, those of you (really old people) who had PCs back in the MS-DOS
>> days: what were the CPU speed, RAM, and hard drive size of your PC?

First computer I programmed on I had to build it first. S100 bus,
flipped switches on the front panel to load in the program.

Then we got a paper tape drive for it and you only had to toggle in the
bootstrap program. Then a Model 33 TTY for IO.

The first graphical device I programmed on was a Tektronix 4051 with
built-in BASIC and a DC300 tape drive.

I do remember (and used) Hollerith cards.

My first personal computer was a 8085 with dual 5 1/2" drives. That one
I don't know if it still runs, but I do still have it in a closet around
here. Had a Hercules graphics card for it.

My favorite vintage computer is the IBM 701C with the butterfly
keyboard. That one still runs as well.

I also have the PC Magazine issue that talks about the 20MHz 80386
Screamers. And the one that has the nifty typo on the front, especially
amusing because it was the one that talked about Technichal Excellence.
And the advert about the 10M hard drive that would only run you $10,000 :)

Have I qualified yet as an old geezer? :)

      
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Received on Sun Sep 5 10:08:23 2010