Hello from Ohio

[Vint]

Hi,
Stumbled across Vintage Computer Forums in my everquest for all things vintage. I'm been retired for over two years now and so have a bit of time on my hands. Since retiring I've taken to collecting vintage 8-bit machines. Before that I simply collected pictures of vintage computers and all things to deal with the emulation thereof. As most of you are aware 'they' emulate a considerable amount of our beliked old computers. The program M.E.S.S. comes to mind.
Today I took pictures of my admittedly tiny 8-bit collection - but they are a quality lot. I have the major players represented such as a Tandy/Radio Shack, Timex, Texas Instruments, Apple, Atari, and Commodore. Emulators were, and are nice, but nothing beats the 'hands on' experience of the old machines. I'm kind of a keyboard freak - I like keyboards, and the old 8-bit machines had great and varied keyboards. The old 8-bit machines had character. Most of us cut our teeth on those old machines typing in BASIC program listings from the magazines of the day - Compute!, RUN, Ahoy, Rainbow, etc. I started out around 1977 with the 'programmable' TI calcs, TI-57, TI-58, and finally stepping up to the TI-59 with PC100 printer. In the fall of 1978 I bought a Radio Shack Model 1 Level II computer for $750. with a b/w screen, 4 k of memory, and a cassette drive. Every once in a while I drag out one of my old machines and type in some BASIC. I use two modern day PC's to facilitate my vintage fun. I have one sporting a video capture card to wit I hook up all my connections for my vintage machinery. Even have a XA1541 gadget to hook my Commodore 1541 directly to my PC. With two keypresses of the scroll lock key on my PC keyboard I'm switched to my other PC machine through an iogear 2 port switcher gadget, and can jump on the Internet or do the email briefly before switching back to the vintage era for more fun. It is sometimes difficult to remember which world I'm in. Then or Now:)
Here is a link to the pics I took today of my vintage machines on FLICKR - http://www.flickr.com/photos/26131074@N07/

[Erik]

Welcome to the VC Forums!

Thanks for sharing your pics, etc!

Enjoy!

[Druid6900]

Yes, quite a nice little collection.

Welcome aboard.

[Unknown_K]

Nice collection. What part of Ohio are you in?

[Vint]

Thanks for the welcome aboard guys :D
I'm from northeast Ohio, Unknown K - specifically Elyria, 25 miles west of Cleveland.
I noticed from reading here about that many are fond of the TRS 80 Model 1. Since it was my 1st full computer it retains a special place in my thoughts as well. It wasn't a happy machine to operate but it sure had character, don't you know :o The keyboard used to double bounce the keys and you'd be constantly backspacing to eliminate the double letters. Anyone remember that? Radio Shack was giving out free debounce tapes after a while to correct it. Then there was the constant volume issue of the cassette drive. I remember buying Microchess 1.5 for like $20. and spending all evening trying to get it to load - move the volumne up a bit, move it down a bit, wait while those asterisk blink, *C - oops, try it again! :( Lest we never forget the 'Dancing Demon' program, either. How cool was that :cool: I remember buying mail order from a place called Godabout in California for 16k of memory at the awesome bargain price of $150. back then. It sure was sweet to go from 4k to 16k of RAM - why that's almost unlimited memory! Then there were all the great computer magazines of the day. Don't I wish I had those back, that I blatantly just threw away :o Lately I've been 'buying back' items I, again - blatantly threw away in an earlier part of my life. (Hindsight is always 20/20.
Fond memories.

[Yzzerdd]

Hindsight is always 20/20

You couldn't be more right, Vint. I try not to think about the stupid things I did when I first got into collecting, the things I trashed. I was ignorant to think I knew so much 2 years ago and even today am constantly learning more.

That is a very nice collection of machines. I see you lean toward the systems with the computer built into the keyboard. I liked the Apple IIc and have one that is complete, but I don't really like it as a system, but instead as a concept. Maybe with the right programs that thing will come to life for me(hypethetically speaking that is, the thing already works)

I've never had a computer that operated off a tape drive, but I hear thost things are a pain to deal with. I'd like to try someday just so I am not judging what I do not know.

Your collection is bigger than mine, BTW. I have only 4 vintage machines, 3 are very very VERY well cared of, were picked with the most choosing eyes, but are extremely complete in nature. The other is laying in parts in the house I am moving to in WV. Thought I'd leave something valuable up there so I am more convinced to get myself up there.

Enjoy the forums, Vint!

--Ryan

[Unknown_K]

Thanks for the welcome aboard guys :D
I'm from northeast Ohio, Unknown K - specifically Elyria, 25 miles west of Cleveland.


Youngstown here.

[Vint]

Ryan - You haven't experienced tape drives? Well, you didn't miss anything. They're still big in Europe, you know. When I started collecting 8-bit machines I decided early on that to keep costs down I would go with tape drives. The functionality of these older machines isn't demanded by me on a daily basis and I just wanted to be able to write some BASIC programs on them every once in a while, so this seemed like a good route for me to go. The tape drives are fun, but you certainly wouldn't want to make it a daily routine, because they are sloooow! I have since acquired disk drives for my Commodore and Atari machines. As you know the Apple IIc drive is built in. I really like the Apple IIc keyboard!
I visited your AT&T PC 6300 site and I really like your IBM 5150B - very nice! I also envy you your TRS80 Model 3 there :) I've always drooled over acquiring a nice Model 4 with dual drives, but unless I run across one locally, that'll never be. The shipping cost for one of those monsters would be out of sight. I've bought literally all my vintage stuff from eBay and the shipping has really dented my wallet. In defense of that I can say, at least I got exactly what I wanted. I can't imagine trying to duplicate my collection, even though it's small, by touring local flea markets and thrift shops. It's nice to be able to pick just the machine you want from so many offered.
Your focus on 'completeness' of systems and 'actual' frequent usage of those vintage machines is right on, by my way of thinking.

Also, "Hello Youngstown - home of the Unknown K" :D

[tezza]

Welcome to the forums Vint.

My first machine (System 80) was a cassette-driven TRS-80 Model 1 clone.

It taught one patience. :)

Like the TRS-80 it also suffered from keybounce, which was solved after my frist major upgrade....to a stringy floppy unit. The stringy floppy firmware had a debouce routine built-in! Yay.

Those were the days alright.

[Druid6900]

Should have taken it in for the XRX-3 cassette mod. I think it was all of 20 bucks installed (I hated doing the damn thing, but, after a while, it took 5 minutes to drop the six screws, flip the keyboard out, stick the PCB to the back of the logic board, connect the six wires and re-assemble the sucker)

In fact, I think I have several of the mods laying around here somewhere.

Sure squared up the audio input nicely and you could set the old volume control anywhere from 2 to 9 and still get a first try load.

[Vint]

Hello Tezza! Wow, New Zealand - now that's about as far away from where I am as one could get:) But with the Internet - you're right next door. Beautiful land, New Zealand, I'd love to visit there, but I doubt I'll ever be able to. Anyway, thanks for the welcome and I read with a smile about your mention of the Stringy Floppy. Exatron made that thing (I always liked the name.) When I had my TRS 80 Model 1 all I could afford was the cassette. My brother and I used to trade things back and forth all the time and so my older brother ended up with the Model 1 for a time. He bought not only the Stringy Floppy, at about $350. and a bunch of wafers of various lengths, but also a huge, heavy, clunky, (no lower descender letters), Radio Shack printer. He could afford such things, I couldn't. Later I got the whole outfit back in a trade, and I really liked the Stringy Floppy drive. The Model 1 worked from 1978 until around 1990 when it suddenly died. I had a Commodore 64 as my main machine back then, so the Model 1's demise didn't have any effect on me. As I remember I simply trashed the whole outfit. I threw out and/or gave away so many nice machines. Now I want them back, and - well, you know how that goes.

Oh, and Druid6900 - You mean the cassette volume on the 80 was a fixable (ref: XRX-3)! I'll file that bit of info away in case I run across a Model 1 ever again. Although I hanker more for a Model 4 because I really like the keyboard molded right in. A big one piece unit. Now that's how computers should look :) I never typed on one though - so it must be funky; hands on keyboard and now your face is right in the screen. Something to be said for separate keyboards :)

[Yzzerdd]

Well my Model III is the same way as the Model 4(IV?). It isn't all that bad. I sit back in my office chair with my hands extended and resting on the desk, and it works out quite nicely. i was dissapointed to find deep scratches in the case on the front from storage. Guess I need to be more careful. Looks like the AT&T chassis sitting above it fell and grinded on it. Oh well, I'll come across the top for one someday.

As you know, mine is totally complete except for a box, works like a charm. Some of the keys need more exercising, though. I tried my hand at it;s BASIC program. Different from the standard stuff, but I keyed in a program in the BASIC manual that allowed for a clock to be displayed in the lower right corner at all times until the BASIC program to stop it was run. Fun times. I can't wait to move to WV (June 10th) and have all my vintage beauties set up again. The IBM and the iMac are the only two up right now. The drest of my desk is a work area for a 21" monitor getting capacitors replaced, and other general crap. Oh well, less than a month and I will be back on all my others.

--Ryan
Gee I am REALLY good at veering off-topic

[tezza]

Although I hanker more for a Model 4 because I really like the keyboard molded right in. A big one piece unit. Now that's how computers should look :) I never typed on one though - so it must be funky; hands on keyboard and now your face is right in the screen. Something to be said for separate keyboards :)

Yea, I'd love a Model III or IV for the reason you say. They just look like a computer should have in those days, with their all-in-one design.

Interestingly, IBM made a big deal of the fact that their PC's (5150) keyboard WASN'T part of the main unit, as demonstrated with businessmen sporting the keyboard on their laps in old PC advertisements.

Tez