ALTOS computer

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Wed Mar 4 23:21:12 1998

On Wed, 4 Mar 1998, Seth J. Morabito wrote:

> Howdy folks,
>
> I've spotted an ALTOS computer at WeirdStuff today. At first I thought
> it was a disk drive only, but it appears to be the whole computer.
>
> Could someone help me identify it? I think I'll swing by and buy it
> tomorrow to make sure it doesn't disappear, but right now I'm working
> from memory.
>
> I remember seeing lots and lots of ALTOS ads and info in my old BYTE
> collection (sadly, 3000 miles away from me right now), so I'm guessing
> it's not all that rare of a beast. The front is black and says only
> "ALTOS", and the case is metal with a faux wood-grain. (mmmm, how 70's!)
>
> There is one 8" floppy drive on the left-hand side of the box, one push
> button (reset?), and one flat-toggle switch (Must be power). That's
> it.
>
> It looks like your standard desktop late-70's-early-80's vintage S100 type
> computer, about IMSAI-sized. Should I pick it up? It's $12.50, seems
> like a rip-off to me :) Although it does have two manuals (!) with it.
> A rare find in themselves, probably.

The ALTOS is not an S-100 machine. But, more nearly a single board
computer. I would assume that the one you describe is an 8000-? version
from your description. They are Z-80 based and usually ran MP/M.

                                                 - don

> Although I do have an IMSAI 8080 in Connecticut (argh... again, 3000
> miles away :) my experience with S100 is very, very slim. I'm a bid
> DEC fan kinda-guy, so I'll need all the help I can get :)
>
> -Seth
>
> -Seth
>

    donm_at_cts.com
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Received on Wed Mar 04 1998 - 23:21:12 GMT

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