-----Original Message-----
From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, March 21, 1999 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: "new" classics (was Re: Pre-history of Digital Research)
><I think you'd find some additional interest from others (me at least) for
><modern kits or instruction sets like those to put these kinds of things
><together. I might be able to follow some instructions. I know that I
><couldn't just assemble one like you are now doing... yet. ;)
>
>It's something I'm not into. Publishing designs that can't be built unless
>your lucky to have the parts is not a winner. Trying to design something
>that most everyone can build is far to time consuming and would represent
>design compromizes that would be for the sake of buildability rather than
>some specific perfomance. then there is the issue of support.
>For example you can't get z280s as production has stopped. Some of the
>parts I use are based on my really deep junkbox. I do have two scopes,
>logic analyser logic probes, eprom programmers never mind the other tools
>like working systems to develop code on.
>
>Also something on that scale requires a lot of hardware to troubleshoot
>as initial bringup can include design errors, wiring errors and even a bad
>part. That leads me to why the Altair and IMSAI were replaced by AppleII
>and TRS80 style machines. Why, they were working out of the box and
>users could start coding ideas.
ok, I see (all of) your points and unhappily agree. So, what are the goals
of your system design?
- Mike
Received on Mon Mar 22 1999 - 07:35:17 GMT