That "Thing" in my garage

From: Charles E. Fox <foxvideo_at_mail.wincom.net>
Date: Sat Jul 19 14:04:35 1997

At 11:22 AM 7/19/97 -0800, you wrote:
>> Spring having arrived here in the wilds of Canada, I moved some
>> stuff and got close enough to that thing I was given last fall to read the
>> labels on it. The box is a little bigger than a legal two drawer filing
>> cabinet, and weighs a couple of hundred pounds. There are three tags with
>> "M.A.I. Basic 4 Information Systems, each with a different model number...
>> #9152 upgrade, # 610, and #1321. There is also a tag saying that in event of
>> power failure the batteries are good for four hours!
>> The cabinet contains a backplane and several plug-in boards.
>> Does annyone have any idea of what this is?
>
>It sounds like you've got the main hunk of a Basic 4 system there.
>These are minicomputers that were sold with special-purpose software
>- accounting, doctor's office, etc. - for small business environments.
>
>Is it possible that there's a hard drive (likely 8" or 10.5") somewhere
>in the box? Any tape drive? How many DB-25's on the back for terminals?
>
>Tim.
>
>
        There are 16 db-25's on the back, also two drives about the same
size as the computer, the only one with a manufacturers label is Century
Data Systems, Model T-80A.
        It came from a municipal office. When the fellow said he had got a
new computer and asked if I wanted the old one, I thought he meant something
like an XT! Next time I will ask. There was also a Calcomp 1041 plotter,
which runs the test plot, but so far refuses to talk to my 386.

                                                Cheers

                                                Charlie Fox
Received on Sat Jul 19 1997 - 14:04:35 BST