PAM computer, Convergent?

From: Frank McConnell <fmc_at_reanimators.org>
Date: Sat Jul 12 22:52:02 1997

Sam Ismail <dastar_at_crl.com> writes:
> Nope. I've got a Pivot. This was nothing like the Pivot. It was close
> to the shape of an Osbourne and it was beige. It was close to the
> dimensions of a tower case only it sits horizontally.

You are right, that is not a Pivot. Unfortunately I am not sure what
it is.

> I got mine for free.

Like I said, "bogus price". I didn't buy it. I didn't even inquire
at the counter. IBM-compatibles (and I think these were fairly so)
aren't real interesting to me even if George Morrow did let his name
get put on 'em. (Though I do have one of the Osborne 3 flavor...a
moment of weakness I guess.)

BTW, speaking of Morrow stuff, I met a guy at the Foothill swap meet
today who was selling a Micro Decision (claimed to be an MD-11 but two
floppies, no hard disk) for $30. I'm not interested -- got two of 'em
that I haven't touched for a while -- but thought someone here might
be. Has software and manuals but I did not see the big stack of
paper-bound manuals that I might expect; the seller said he got it
from an ex-Morrow employee and it may have been assembled from excess
parts but is functional.

Other stuff found at the Foothill swap:

Sinclair ZX-80. Well, it's in pieces, but board, case top, case bottom,
wall wart...yep, looks like they're all there. $5. First one I've seen
in years so I snagged it.

A couple of S-100 bits. Some HP employees were perturbed by the
prices of quality S-100 gear and so set about designing their own, and
it looks like they got to use HP's printed-circuit production
facilities. Apparently I missed the chassis but got the junk box for
another $5. Included are a pristine blank CPU board of their design,
as well as a couple of S-100 bus terminators. S-100 bus terminators
with the HP logo, whodathunkit? Part number on the board is
7373-60003, and the board comes with helpful instructions in the
traces (no solder mask or silkscreen):

                              TERMINATOR

                               THE LAST
                                BOARD

I think there is a story here, and I want to know more of it than
I got today.

Convergent Tech Workslate, plus printer and serial/parallel box,
condition uncertain. $26. Pricey but if I get it cleaned up and
working it could make a nice desk toy at the office. What sort of
power input do these things want?

Xerox 820 board, socketed but ICs not plugged in. Another project
that the owner lost interest in. $2.

-Frank McConnell
Received on Sat Jul 12 1997 - 22:52:02 BST