Computer memory question

The system I was using was based on 75 ohm RG59 with F connectors.
Oh. I did not know that even existed; all my gear was the 50 Ohm stuff.
Remembering that IBM bought PC DOS from Microsoft who weaseled it out of Seattle Computer Products. Seattle DOS was somewhat of an IP skirting workalike of Digital Research's CP/M-86.
I always marveled at the similarity of DOS and the Digital Equipment PDP-11 O/S called RT-ll. Now I am wondering who copied whom.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Foxbat
Any system that had a PIP utility made me wonder.
That damn thing (peripheral interchange program) drove me crazy because the syntax was backwards. DEC fixed that when they invented VMS with a simple/straightforward COPY command.
 
You're really digging a hole for yourself with your continued attempts at rewriting history. Early computers had sockets for all of the chips as the chips couldn't tolerate the heat of soldering. Resistors, capacitors and coils were often soldered directly if there was a printed circuit board. You haven't lived until you've seen a computer built with wire-wrapping. Kit computers have been around since the 70s for the relatively hard core hobbyist.


Computer Shopper was one of the go-to resources for DIY and it debuted in 1979. Back then the 5.25" floppy disc had substantially replaced the 8" floppy in popular use.

IBM Compatibles weren't the first consumer-assembled computers by a long shot and they were on the scene well before the early 90s. I remember installing an RG59 coax cable networking card in a home-built XT in 1988. It was connected to a Leading Edge branded XT-class computer (probably a Model D) located about 40' away.

You are wrong on many counts and before you respond further, you should really do some digging into the facts.
Let’s back up how much did a ibm 286Xt computer cost in 1986. 10,000 dollars for a 286 with dual floppy, NO ONE we are talking 1% had computers back in the early and mid 80’s,the parts for computers back then no one could afford, the floppy drive was over 300 bucks. In fact back most had tape drives.

Back then the federal government agency I work for NO ONE HAD DESKTOP COMPUTERS. Everyone worked off of the Main Frame meaning you have a keyboard and a monitor at your desk that connected the main frame computer.
 
Who knew a “Computer Memory Question” thread would turn into a thread of members questioning each other’s memories about computers?
:hiding

In 1978 I had a Northstar S-100 computer system with a 2 MHz Z80A and 32 KB is Static RAM on two memory cards. I had to write my own I/O driver for the video card and designed & built a 4 channel 8-bit A/D card to take a joystick input and turn it into a pair of signed bytes for a game I was writing in Z80 assembler. The Golden Age of Home Computing. I recall my graphics board was 160 x 72 based on character cell graphics of 2x3 and an 80 character by 24 line screen.

It is still taking up space in my basement.
 
Let’s back up how much did a ibm 286Xt computer cost in 1986. 10,000 dollars for a 286 with dual floppy, NO ONE we are talking 1% had computers back in the early and mid 80’s,the parts for computers back then no one could afford, the floppy drive was over 300 bucks. In fact back most had tape drives.
Again, you need to give up on the idea that you accurately remember much about the good old days of microcomputers. To wit:
  • IBM never offered a 286-based XT. The AT introduced the 80286 as well as 16 bit expansion slots.
  • The XT came with a hard disk so there weren't any XTs with dual floppies (the hard disk occupied one of the two drive bays)
  • Between Apple, Atari, Commodore (6502 family), Kaypro, Eagle, Osborn (8080/Z80 running CP/M) and dozens of others, there were millions of "personal computers" in the hands of consumers in the early 1980s.
  • In 1985, we saw the first wave of practical 68000 based computers released (Amiga, Macintosh and Atari ST) as well as practical IBM compatibles. C-type cassette tape drives were pretty much a bad memory.
Back then the federal government agency I work for NO ONE HAD DESKTOP COMPUTERS. Everyone worked off of the Main Frame meaning you have a keyboard and a monitor at your desk that connected the main frame computer.
I worked for the Oregon PUC in 1980 and we had the Apple ///. We used ADP timesharing for the really heavy lifting (electricity usage modelling).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Foxbat and TheKrell
Again, you need to give up on the idea that you accurately remember much about the good old days of microcomputers. To wit:
  • IBM never offered a 286-based XT. The AT introduced the 80286 as well as 16 bit expansion slots.
  • The XT came with a hard disk so there weren't any XTs with dual floppies (the hard disk occupied one of the two drive bays)
  • Between Apple, Atari, Commodore (6502 family), Kaypro, Eagle, Osborn (8080/Z80 running CP/M) and dozens of others, there were millions of "personal computers" in the hands of consumers in the early 1980s.
  • In 1985, we saw the first wave of practical 68000 based computers released (Amiga, Macintosh and Atari ST) as well as practical IBM compatibles. C-type cassette tape drives were pretty much a bad memory.

I worked for the Oregon PUC in 1980 and we had the Apple ///. We used ADP timesharing for the really heavy lifting (electricity usage modelling).
1986

IBM XT 286
In 1986 the XT 286 (model 5162) was released with a 6 MHz Intel 80286 processor. Despite being marketed as a lower-tier model than the IBM AT, this system runs many applications faster than the ATs of the time with 6 MHz 286 processors, since it has zero-wait state RAM.
1625848910491.png

So I guess you were wrong. Do you see where it says. XT

 
Is that you Lesiure Suit Larry?:D
I'm stuck "In the Land of the Lounge Lizards"
Help... I need a walk-through

I bought most of the Sierra games. King's Quest series, Space Quest series, and yes, Leisure Suit Larry
After my package with the disks went missing at one of our computer club meetings, I mailed Sierra Software if They would allow me to purchase the game at the upgrade price, and they sent me a free replacement copy.
For one Christmas I asked for a copy of King's Quest, When my father went to buy it at Eaton's, they would not sell it to him. They said I would not have a PC at home, and must have some other computer.
I did get an Intel above board clone for my PC and used it as a ram drive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KE4EST and Comptech
So I guess you were wrong. Do you see where it says. XT
I do and I stand corrected up to a point. I also see where they called this model a unicorn: they are very, very rare.

The 5162 was labeled as an XT but it has most of the fittings of an AT class computer (but the case is too small to fit some of the taller 16 bit cards).

Here's some of the peculiarities:

 
I do and I stand corrected up to a point. I also see where they called this model a unicorn: they are very, very rare.

The 5162 was labeled as an XT but it has most of the fittings of an AT class computer (but the case is too small to fit some of the taller 16 bit cards).

Here's some of the peculiarities:

Here we go.. You were wrong like I told you in the get go... I am certified in 6 platforms going back as far as UNIX, Novell, and up to Citrix virtual server, I have worked as Network Engineer in the Federal Government for over 20 yrs. I am NO HACK
 
Okay, here’s another one of my Computer Memories. We’re going through some stuff we’ve accumulated over the past 30+ years and I have in my hands an autographed by Dave Haynie, #55/100 edition of “The Deathbed Vigil and other tales of digital angst” on VHS hi-fi cassette. It was next to my Amiga Animation Video Volume 1 and Volume Two.
7A3D9EEC-5AA2-405C-A4DB-4297EE28FE7C.jpeg

The back of the Special Edition is also signed by a number of the Amiga Team. End of a special system, multitasking but done in by no hardware memory management.
 
End of a special system, multitasking but done in by no hardware memory management.
Wasn't the whole Amiga O/S object oriented? That should take very little memory IMHO. No I don't know what "very little" might be. How much memory did it have?
 
  • Like
Reactions: navychop
My A1000 started life with 256 KB in late 1984. I was able to get another 256 KB and expand that to 512 KB (I regularly get bigger emails nowadays). It used a 3.5” floppy disk but it had a special format that was different from the Macintosh and PC of the same vintage.

When I bought my Amiga A3000 in 1994 it came with 1 MB and had ZIP chips instead of previously used DIP (the chip body was vertical instead of horizontal and the pins were staggered out one side of the body instead of both sides). It allowed much tighter memory density but at the price of great pains getting the chips installed. But it, like the Amiga A2000 before, was designed around easy expansion. It had a SCSI controller for the HDD, so you could easily support up to 6 drives, tapes, or CD-ROMs internally or externally. The downside was the cost difference between the more affordable IDE used in the A4000 later on and the more flexible SCSI platform.

Regarding Object Orient O/S, I don’t recall that term being used to describe AmigaDOS. I found it to have many similarities to RSX-11 and UNIX. It still amuses me when some modern system faults out and presents a “Guru Meditation Error”! That tells me someone had an Amiga in their past.
 
  • Like
Reactions: navychop
Yep. IIRC, the Amiga was the first with true multitasking amongst its competitors. Good system, and had some future for business use. Had a spreadsheet program, I believe.

But alas, all such sales were lost when it became “not a business solution” when the Guru Meditation error announcement came up. Business guys figured, if they’re not taking this thing seriously, why should I?
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: TheKrell and Foxbat
***

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)