[TriEmbed] Old computers

[Rodney Radford]

I forgot to include the photos...


On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 5:37 PM Rodney Radford <ncgadgetry at gmail.com> wrote:

> One of the passions I have put time in the last few months are collecting
> and learning about old vintage computers.
>
> I currently have:
> * IMSAI S-100 system
> * Sol-20 S-100 system
> * TRS-80 Model 1 and 4p
> * Two Apple IIe systems
> * Kaypro 10 luggable system
> * TI 99/4
>
> I used to have a much larger collection including
> * Burroughs L5000 (google about that beast)
> * TRS-80 Model 2, 3 and 4
> * Zerox CP/M system (I think I still have it, but can't find it)
> * Pet Commodore 2001 (loaned to a 'friend' - never got it back)
> * several Apollo systems
>
> While I wish I could have kept all the old systems, it just was not
> possible due to storage space constraints.
>
> Back in highschool, a teacher gave me her old 4-function Singer (yes, the
> sewing machine) calculator. I, of course, took it apart... ;-)
>
> I did keep two parts from the calculator - the keyboard (mechanica marvel)
> and the storage device (a mechanical delay line).
>
> When I first looked inside, I saw the aluminum box with the words read
> amp and write amp on it, and I *knew* I had found core memory. Then I
> opened it and was completely surprised with what I found. It is a
> magnetostrictive delay line memory device - memory was stored by twisting
> the wire at one end, and the twist would propogate through the long coil
> and out at the other end. By varying the direction of the twist, data could
> be stored temporarily, and it was then sent back in again for storage again.
>
> The other item I kept from the calculator was the keyboard. On each
> keypress, the key was decoded with gears and levers that move magnets over
> reed relays - as that was more economical than a simple electronic keyboard
> decoder.
>
>
> Here is a link to information about the calculator (and some info on the
> delay line):
>
>
> https://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/friden1160.html
> <https://www.oldcalculatormuseum.com/friden1160.html?fbclid=IwAR1jtFCm3O_oRCn_hLop43h5fNOtefDedwSv1hVtzH7vUv_TSvCC4qqGjEs>
>
>
> Photos included of the delay line and keyboard. If we were meeting in
> person Monday, I would have brought them out for show and tell.
>
> I also really enjoyed the virtual vintage computer festival I mentioned
> earlier. Some really good talks on that, and my first of four books I
> ordered arrived today - the ENIAC Technical Reference manual, as written by
> one of the first female programmers on it.
>
>
> PS: If you have any old systems that need a home let me know. I really
> should have grabbed the TRS-80 Model 100 that I brought last year that was
> given to the club, but I let someone else take it (any idea who grabbed it?)
>
>
> Anyway, back to current time where I need to finish up an IoT device for
> work... ;-)
>
>
>
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