The Shop > Electronics & IC Programing
Adventures in old 80s computers.
S. Heslop:
--- Quote from: AdeV on July 31, 2014, 12:21:49 PM ---Don't start me on old computers...... I have a room full of Sharp MZ80K, A and Bs, with disks & printers, a handful of Sinclair QLs, an old Amiga kicking around somewhere, an Osborne OCC-1, a MicroVAX-3100, plus a load more...
I plan to hook some of the Sharps up to Arduinos & use them for data capture - just for a laugh really, and because they look cool compared to the <s>beige</s> black box/laptop.
--- End quote ---
That's an impressive collection. Especially the Osborne!
Brass_Machine:
ahh... the memories. I had an Atari 1040st. Those were the days... Loading a game via tape (on an atari 800xl)! beeeeeeeep. Braaaaaaaap.
S. Heslop:
In my lifetime i've only ever loaded one game off of a tape. It took so long I didn't want to do it again!
vtsteam:
I have an Amiga 2000, I think a 500, once built an LNW-80 from bare boards (a hopped up color high speed (4mhz!) TRS-80 that I overclocked to 5.33 Mhz.), and I even have an original stock IBM PC stored away.
The last 16 bit computer I used was an old AT 486 DX66 clone, that served up until 5 years ago as a router under Coyote Linux, loaded off a floppy.
I'm thinking of resurrecting it yet again to run TurboCNC under DOS. The thing is a tank -- all metal case.
Anyway, following your progress Simon with great interest. As I mentioned FORTH works great with these old machines if you get into programming -- makes them lightning fast with tiny memory usage, and 16 x 64 screens are perfect for it. Easy to embed assembly language in it to do miraculous stuff, considering the age of these things.
DavidA:
One of the big advantages with the old 8 bit machines, particularly the BBc series, was the number of pors available.
My Dell Inspiron lap top, three year old, only has three USB ports, one LAN port and it's dvd drive. Oh yes, and the smart card dock. A bit limiting for experimental work.
The 486 below it has numerous serial ports + the LAN and a collection of jack sockets. As well as the 3.5" floppy and the DVD/CD drive.
And, of course, that super useful printer port.
Dave.
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