HP 9000 520

From: Curt Vendel <curt_at_atari-history.com>
Date: Sat Apr 7 13:04:11 2001

Hi Joe,

   Ah, my mistake, I thought you were referring to the HP 9000 K520 series which
is not that old, sorry.


Curt



Joe wrote:

> Curt,
>
> First, are we talking about the same machine? I'm talking about the HP
> 9000 520. Aka 9020. It's a large desktop machine with a built in keyboard
> and monitor. It looks like a grossly oversized Commodore 64. I think the K
> 520 is an entirely different machine.
>
> Next, I was speaking of old computers in general. Some of people on the
> list are always complaining about how the internet, E-bay (and now the
> ex-MITS building computer museum) are driving up the prices of old machines
> and how they can't afford old computers any more, etc, etc. However I
> manage to find something interesting nearly everytime that I go looking. I
> didn't even go out this week but still managed to aquire some HP Integral
> manauls, a HP documentation index and found the auction listing for the two
> 9000 520s. Last week I did go looking and found two NICE Kaypros with loads
> of original disks. The week before that I found an IBM L40SX, IBM P70, a
> Sun 635 MP, a HP 9000 520, a HP 9836, a HP 9000 series 300 and a HP 9000
> 835. My point is there are still loads of old computers out there and for
> cheap prices if anyone is willing to get off their a** and go look!
>
> FWIW I do consider the 9000 520 an odd machine. Perhaps unusual would be
> a better term. I've been collecting HP computers for a good number of years
> and I've never seen one before. I found (and bought) one a couple of weeks
> ago. Before that the only person that I know of that actually had one was
> Frank McConnell. My research indicates that there were a lot 520s used by
> the US navy and some of it's subcontractors but few elsewhere. Even my
> contacts at HP tell me that the 520 was problematic and was very late
> getting into production and was a commercail failure. Despite the large
> number of them used by the US Navy, very few managed to get into the
> surplus market. I couldn't find a single surplus dealer that had one or
> that even knew what they were.
>
> Joe
>
> At 10:32 PM 4/6/01 -0400, you wrote:
> >Joe,
> >
> > Old Odd Machine??? The HP 9000 K520 isn't that terribly old, I
> installed
> >one of those with HPUX 11.3 at GT Interactive in Manhattan back in 95' A
> >damn good and powerful machine.
> >
> >
> >Curt
> >
> >
> >
> >Joe wrote:
> >
> >> FWIW there were two of these for sale at the auction at the Goddard Space
> >> Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama this past week. A guy that I know went
> >> to the auction and I asked him to try and pick them up for me but I don't
> >> know if he did or not. He should be back in a day or two and then I'll
> >> know. The point is there's still lots of these old odd machines around if
> >> someone is willing to search for them.
> >>
> >> Joe
> >
> >
Received on Sat Apr 07 2001 - 13:04:11 BST