Any info on Lanier Computer

[HabboX]

I have found a Lanier computer, with two 5 1/4 floppies, monitor and a dot-matrix printer housed in a large soundproofing cabinet.

I have not tried to turn it on, but externally it appears in good condition.

I found it in the basement of a building that no longer exists. There used to be a bank above, but now it is a parking lot for a county building.

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about Lanier computers? I'm guessing it is from the mid-80's. My memory is fuzzy, but I think it was a model L-200. Any info is appreciated.

[ahm]

While I don't have any specific information on that machine, I do know that Lanier is known for office automation products.
I think you'll find that what you have is not a general purpose computer, but rather a dedicated word processing system.
Contact Lanier (http://lanier.com/) and see what they can tell you about it.

[HabboX]

I still haven't found any info on the Internet, but it looks most similar to the Commodore Pet 8032 (there's a photo on this website). I recall the futuristic angled monitor. Perhaps it is a rebranded Commodore.

[carlsson]

Does it have floppies, printer and monitor all in one? A PET 8032 neither comes with built-in floppies nor printer (thanks God, it is large enough already). The Commodore 8296-D though had built-in 5.25" floppies but no printer. If you can take a picture of what you have, more people can chime in telling you what it might be. Powering it on (if you dare) would tell even more.

[sbrown]

Perhaps, and this is a wild guess, it might be based off of the ibm pc.

I used to have a harris/lanier branded system that was a 286 backplane. It was kind of msdos compatible. Unusual keyboard, iirc. Based on talking to the guy I got it from, and where it was used (military manufacturing), I think it was a print server for terminals on a mini/mainframe. Unfortunatly, the hard disk controller was already fried, the battery was dead too, and then the rest gave up the ghost. Never did get to find what it actually ran.

As for finding info already on the net you may find yourself in the same position I did, little to no luck unless you can get a hold of someone that worked with the machine.

[HabboX]

OK. Today I was able to visit the cave where this computer is located and take some pictures of it. Please let me know what information you can provide about this computer.

http://www.lubbockradio.net/P1010001.jpg

http://www.lubbockradio.net/P1010002.jpg

http://www.lubbockradio.net/P1010004.jpg

http://www.lubbockradio.net/P1010005.jpg

http://www.lubbockradio.net/P1010006.jpg

[ahm]

A quick trip to Google reveals it is, as suspected, a dedicated (http://www.computermuseum.li/Testpage/DedicatedWPMicros.htm) word processor (http://www.stanford.edu/~bkunde/fb-press/articles/wdprhist.html).

[HabboX]

Cool. Thanks for the links. $13,000 for a word processor! That's like spending $25,000 today. Does anyone need a word processor? ;)

[Sandy Cagle]

I like your vintage stapler, did it come with it?

[HabboX]

Honestly, this computer is in a basement under what used to be a bank building, but is now a parking lot. There was NO light down there. I lit the computer with an LED light on my key ring and took a flash photo. I didn't even know there was a stapler down there. In fact you can see a lot more in the photos than you can in real life.

[dongfeng]

Are you going to rescue it? :D

[Sandy Cagle]

Honestly, this computer is in a basement under what used to be a bank building, but is now a parking lot. There was NO light down there. I lit the computer with an LED light on my key ring and took a flash photo. I didn't even know there was a stapler down there. In fact you can see a lot more in the photos than you can in real life.

I want your led light, doesn't it seem dangerous to have something plugged into an outlet down there? Sounds spooky. Anyway, are you going to rescue it?:super: It looks like a keeper (I mean the machine but also rescue the stapler).

[ahm]

The only reason it's still down there is because it's not worth stealing. :-)

[Sandy Cagle]

:computer: The only reason it's still down there is because it's not worth stealing. :-)

Come on, in 20 years it might be worth 1.50... but it's not the money that counts, it's the 5 1/4" drives.

[Woodym1]

As a child, I went to school at an exclusive military school with a wealthy young Lanier. Don't know if he was related. But he had a Dooling 61! (and a dozen other really pricey model airplane engines!) All meticulously maintained and transported by family members for his use on weekends. They had the first spring wound "Starter" I ever saw! Control line flying! 100 MPH! Today, they would arrest you for child endangerment!!

Lanier (company) did a lot in the office technology field. Copiers, word processors etc. that wase back in the dark ages. Don't know if they are even alive these days.