Altos machines

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Mon Mar 27 19:49:06 2000

The ALTOS server box I have has no 808x that I've seen so far, not that it's
been examined with any rigor. The second board is that 2900-based HDC I
once described.

The box is sort of squashed-hexagon-shaped, and the cigarette-stain-brown
doesn't wash off, so I suspect it's there by design.

Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: Altos machines


>
>
> On Sun, 26 Mar 2000 Innfogra_at_aol.com wrote:
>
> There was also a 486 that came packaged in a neat tan desktop case that
> was smaller than a PC. It had a single half high floppy and a single
> half high hard drive and ran Concurrent CP/M-86. Supporting three
> users, IIRC. I also have a recall of it being 80186 based, but could be
> wrong on that one.
> - don
>
> > Altos machines came in several generations.
> >
> > 1st Generation
> >
> > Altos 5-ZZ where ZZ was the size of the HD. These were Z80 machines with
5
> > 1/4 inch drives. These are small rectangular desktop boxes.
> >
> > Altos 8XXX-ZZ was a large heavy rectangular desktop box with Z80s or
68000
> > CPUs. These were generally multiuser machines. ZZ again refers to the
size of
> > the 8" HD(10=10 Meg, 12=20 Meg, 14=40 Meg HDs). They used a large custom
> > single board computer the size of the case. The drive controller was a
> > separate half card mounted on top of the SBC. The early 8000s had
separate
> > cases for the 8" FD & HD. In later models the drives and cards were
> > integrated in the same case. I think the 68000 processor machines were
> > labeled 68XX-ZZ but it has been too long to be sure. I also think the
68000
> > machines ran an early version of Xenix. You could get them in versions
up to
> > 9 users and a supervisor.
> >
> > 2nd Generation
> >
> > Altos 5XX & 6XX class machines. These looked like squashed hexagons,
flat on
> > the bottom and top with two angles on each side. These were medium sized
> > desktop cases, usually beige but often came in custom colors. They
carried on
> > the two circuit card configuration. Large SBC with secondary drive
controller
> > card.
> >
> > Altos 580 was my favorite. Half height floppy and St 225 20 Meg HD with
a Z80
> > and ran 4 terminals under MPM. They would also run CPM. These also came
with
> > FH 10 & 15 Meg HDs
> >
> > Altos 586 came with a 40 meg FHHD and the new 8086 processor and was a 6
user
> > machine. These often ran Xenix and were password protected.
> >
> > While I never had one I think the 686 series machines had the 68000
processor
> > and ran Xenix.
> >
> > These were all squashed Hexagonal shaped machines. I think this line
went up
> > to 9XX series numbers with greater amounts of users.
> >
> > 3rd Generation
> >
> > Then there were the Brown floor towers, Altos II & III. These were
multiple
> > card towers for large amounts of users. These had 80286 and 80386
processors.
> > I believe there were machines that continued the 680xx processor line
too. I
> > only had a couple of these.
> >
> > The Altos II terminal is a rebadged Wyse 100 and the Altos III was a
Wyse 50.
> > I think the Altos IV was a Wyse 60 but I am not sure at the moment.
> >
> > Paxton
> >
>
Received on Mon Mar 27 2000 - 19:49:06 BST