The Retrocomputing Thread

[NejinOniwa]

but I caved in the end

The difficulty level of NOT making a Keine joke on this is beyond lunatic mode. __W__;

On the topic of IBM, I realize now that I've never mentioned that both my uncle and my half-uncle (and one of my sister-in-law(next year!)'s relatives which I don't remember face or name of) worked at IBM some decade ago. After which they've gone on to related companies, so no easy shot into the business for me. -w-; But meh.

Also COMPLAINT ABOUT LACK OF OLD COMPUTERS IN SWEDEN HERE.

[Dr. Kraus]

NICE BELLA, You are really lucky to have old computers in your area! (Most get thrown out around here or in the back room of peoples houses). I actualy started to boot up my old mac's (iMac g2 and Mac G3) with the pleasent suprise that they still work properly. Found that the RAM in the G3 was only 98mb of PC100 so I put in 256mb of PC200 which really changed the speed from annoyingly usable to clean web surfing and Photoshop 6.0 Apple Desktop. The iMac needs a clean install of OS X because no one remembers the username and we can't log on or anything

Good hunting, I actually might be able to go through some of my school's older computer and snag a couple!

[stewartsage]

Do not come to us complaining of having two VIC-20s.  I'll take two VIC-20s, a dozen IBM 5150s, maybe an IBM PC portable, an XT, another TRS-80, maybe an Amstrad CPC, Apple ][, Mac Classic, iBook G3, Powerbook 180c?

We have a ton of computers for sale around here dating back to Windows 3.1/95 era which is when most people in these parts started getting computers that they're willing to separate with.  I know someone who clings fiercely to their heavily modified IBM XT.  Additionally I have been informed that most other residents with computers that old cling to and protect them as well.  Not the school though; here we just have hints of IBM and DEC's former hold on the school before the accursed standardization.

Personally I prefer to refer to modern PC's as IBMalikes.

In other words: DAMN YOU NEW HAMPSHIRE!

[Red-Machine]

Bella, you're SO lucky.  Period.

[PizzaDrill]

Fun fact: IBM used to have a veritable monopoly on the personal computer market, and therefore for a number of years, I would see this in the hardware requirements for software:
"IBM/PC Compatible"

[stewartsage]

Still do see it, as far as I know.

[Bella]

@Nej: I know an ex-IBM who worked in the microprocessor division, as well as a family friend whose father was some sort of executive. Both worked at the Essex Junction/Burlington facility in Vermont.

@Kraus and Red: Luck has everything to do with it, too. It's always when I'm NOT looking for them that I find them! D:

@Stew: I WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT HAVING TWO VIC-20s! I'm afraid if I let them out of their boxes, imma end up with a bunch of baby Vic-20s. ;O;

Most people round here cling tightly to their computers too, until they throw them in the GOTTDAMN TRASHHEAP ARGH. >< IBMalikes, that makes me like PCs even more! :3

DUN DAMN NEW HAMPSHIRE, OUR BOUNTY OF OLD COMPUTERS COMES FROM OUR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION! We have IBM Territory to the West, and the Cradle of Computer Civilisation to the South, it's only logical that we'd have a hidden computer culture here. .__.

[Bella]

And now for another installment of...

ADVENTURES IN COMPUTER-HUNTINNNNNNNGGGGGG~

Today I went 'Hup Nawth with my dad cause of some business and house-building stuff... well, mostly for the ride, since I don't get up there very often (the Notch is sort of like the New Hampshire's Pillars of Hercules; it's terra incognita, or at least terra Vermontia, past those mountains). Anyway, in Littleton we passed a computer shop, and I was all like, "eeeeeeee!!!" and he was all like, "oh HELL no" and I was all like "u-ey! U-ey! U-ey!" and then he was like, "OH FINE" and we went back.

Into an old office building and up a flight of stairs we entered an office full of, if you didn't see this coming already, computers. Including some G3 Mac towers, classic iMacs and eMacs,  a giant pile of parts, and some old OS install disks -- in their original boxes -- including Windows Me and 95. *.*

Me: "I'm going to be straight with you: I collect old computers. Like, pre-millennium stuff. Have you any?"

Storekeep: "...there's an XP tower in my car I'm going to gut..."

Me: ಠ__ಠ

But we got to talking, and it turns out he has late 90s IBM Thinkpad that may or may not work (and may or may not have Windows Me installed) and he's gonna try to dig that out and give it a try. Then he asked about my computer collection, and I ran down the list (though I may have missed a few) at which point he got all thoughtful-like. Turns out he knows somebody in a neighbouring town who happens to be a computer collector (or hoarder -- there was mention of a STORAGE UNIT full of old machines), and that I should call him and ask if he's selling/purging any computers. Apparently he collects a lot of Apple stuff but ventures into other territories; there was mention of "some old IBM servers" and possibly minis. D:

Then he asked what I collected so he could keep an eye out for them; I wrote down a list something like:
Pre-2000 computers
Older the better
Apples and IBMs
Unusual or rare parts/machines
Preferably working, but non-working would be fine too

He said he'll email me if anything interesting turns up. And then told me to keep an eye out for G3 and G4 Macs and a 14'' Apple monitor, since he's collection those himself.

Yay for networking!

[Red-Machine]

Yay for networking indeed.

[NejinOniwa]

There's no such thing as a network ;_;

[stewartsage]

There's an old Thinkpad hiding upstairs in the library archives, but it may be in the property box of a dead employee so not even I am gonna ask about that.

[Bella]

Time for another installment of...

ADVENTURES IN COMPUTER HUNTING!

So, today we had to drive past Computer Hunting Ground #237. Me being me, I said something like, "pwese can we stop and see if he ever found that old Gateway laptop?" >sparklyeyes<
Dad: >sigh< "fine."

So we stop, get out of the car, trudge up the walkway to the Computer Repair Shack, knock, find Mr. Computer Repair Shack inside soldering a mobo, and I was like, "OLD COMPUTAHS PLZ" and he was all, "TO THE OLD COMPUTER CLOSET~"

First he pulled out a rather unexotic looking Gateway notebook and handed it to me.



Me: "Oh... that's nice..."
Mr. Repairman: "There's another."
Dad: "Come now SURELY you don't need TWO old Gateways... I mean... right?
Me: "PFFT! I can scavenge the other for parts if the need ever arises!"

Then the transaction took a turn for the.... 2am infomercial-ish.

IF YOU ORDER NOW, YOU GET NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT THREE GATEWAY 2000 COLORBOOK COMPUTERS! CALL NOW! LIMITED SUPPLIES!



Me: *DIALING PHONE*

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! IF YOU ORDER WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES, WE'LL QUINTUPLE YOUR ORDER! NOT ONE COLORBOOK... NOT TWO OR THREE... YOU'LL GET AN A-M-A-Z-I-N-G FIVE COLORBOOKS!



Me: oh hell yes. *‿*

THINK WE CAN'T MAKE THE DEAL BETTER? WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG! WHEN YOU ORDER TODAY, YOU'LL GET AN ATTRACTIVE AND USEFUL IBM THINKPAD 560 ULTRAMOBILE NOTEBOOK! DON'T DELAY! OPERATORS ARE STANDING BY!



Me: "IBM?! I'M SOLD!" *ω*

So, yes, I'm the proud mum of FIVE 1994 Gateway 2000 Colorbooks (two of which have been tested and power up - but can't boot for lack of a repair disk, or so theh error dialogue says), and a beautiful 1996/97 IBM Thinkpad 560. I call the Colorbooks the Clone Army, names 001 through 005. The 560's Ivana.  

The Clones came with two original ac adapters/power cords both of which work; I've never seen such old-looking laptop cords before:



Ivana came with a rebuilt IBM adapter; but it doesn't seem to work, since it can power up neither Ivana nor her sister, Iffy (at least it looks like most IBM Thinkpads use similar-ish AC adapters...)

[Dr. Kraus]

You won the lottery milady! CONGRATULATIONfadsjhf.ajsg A

[Bella]

Thanks Kraus-san. ^//^



Turns out that two of the five Clones are bootable! Just had to let their batteries charge for awhile! One has Windows 3.11 installed, and the other has 3.11 for Workgroups.



The trackball was hidden inside the case but I found it. Isn't it little and cute and retrotastic?



One of the Clones has a program called "Neko"; created by a Japanese programmer, this seems to be an early example of a interactive "widget". When you pull the pointer over the tiny cat he follows it reacts to movements; when you leave the window, he curls up to sleep.

[Red-Machine]

Awesomeness, Bella!  What processors do they have?