FT: 8080A & TI 9918

From: James B. DiGriz <jbdigriz_at_dragonsweb.org>
Date: Sun Apr 15 13:33:32 2001

On Sun, 15 Apr 2001, Tony Duell wrote:

>
> > > Back when I was an impoverished student, I used to go to the local Radio
> > > Shack every few weeks to see if they had gotten an 8080A in stock. Never
> > > did get one, or build an S-100 machine like I wanted.
> > >
> >
> > Yeah well, that pretty much sums up the RS experience, until the 6809 system
> > showed up they really didn't have computers.
>
> In the early 1980s in the UK, Tandy (Radio Shack) sold off a lot of chips
> in what they called 'Treasure Bags'. These were bags of mixed ICs, but
> the contents were listed in the monthly sales flyers that just about
> everyone over here got sent.
>
> One bag (I remember it cost something like \pounds 4.95) contained an
> 8080A, 8224 clock generator, 8255, 8251, a few edge connectors, and a few
> other parts that I've forgotten. All with data sheets.
>
> I bought at least one (and some of the other bags -- one was a _lot_ of
> LS TTL). The 8255 and 8251 went into a couple of homebrew projects. I
> think I still have the 8080A unused somewhere, though. I'm keeping it as
> a spare for some of the stuff I have here with that processor.
>
> -tony
>

I wasn't disparaging Radio Shack, it was more an observation on the
technocultural backwater I was in. The only other sources for electronic
parts in town charged more than Radio Shack and had a limited
inventory , as well.

Names withheld to protect the guilty.

jbdigriz
Received on Sun Apr 15 2001 - 13:33:32 BST