The question in my mind is whether there are enough sources of the required
parts that the people willing to pay IMSAI's rather generous price will be
able to see a clear path to somewhere. Where that might be is another
question.
I always appreciated the "look" of the IMSAI with its big paddle-switches as
opposed to the little ones on the ALTAIR. However, if I were going to use a
front panel again, I'd use neither type of switch, myself. I built a very
flexible front panel at one time using pushbutton switches with an integral
LED, which, conveniently enough, comfortably sat on a 14-pin wire-wrap
socket. When you wanted to set a switch, you pressed the switch if it
wasn't already set. When you wanted it cleared, in the event it was set,
you'd press it to clear it. it was difficult to get confused about which
LED was associated with which switch. Another switch promotes the data into
a presettable counter bank for each byte of the addresses or data. It's
easy to step sequentially through a block of address space or data values.
If a guy wants a box like the one that was on "War Games" I guess he'll want
this one, though.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: allisonp_at_world.std.com <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: imsai 2
>> I'm curious what will happen with the IMSAI in view of the lack of
>> current-generation 8080's. Maybe they'll substitute an FPGA. Otherwise,
of
>> what use will it be?
>
>Assuming you mean that 8080s are not available...Lots of places still
>sell them. I doubt they will need more than a handfull to satisfy any
>likely orders.
>
>Allison
>
>
Received on Tue Aug 17 1999 - 16:33:34 BST