HP 64000 in Kansas City

From: J. David Bryan <jdbryan_at_acm.org>
Date: Mon Apr 12 09:45:19 2004

On 10 Apr 2004 at 23:28, Joe R. wrote:

> Maybe I'm wrong but as I recall, the 64000 is a LARGE desktop unit with
> about a 13 or 14 inch screen, keyboard etc all built into one BIG unit.

OK, I see where the confusion lies. The unit that you describe above is a
64100A Mainframe. The right-hand vertical front panel containing the
floppies/tape/blank says "64000" in the upper left corner, but that's the
generic product family, not the unit model number.


> The 64100 is portable machine that's similar is size and style to a
> Kaypro computer (but slightly larger).

That's the 64110A mainframe.

I'll scan a couple of pages from the "HP 64000 Installation and
Configuration Reference Manual" (64980-90921, June 1982) tonight that show
the differences and post a URL tomorrow.


> The two do similar jobs but they're very different in size and weight.

Right. The 100A was the primary development station for bench-top use, and
the 110A was developed a bit later for field use. I have the HP Journal
issues around here somewhere that describe the units, but I can't seem to
lay my hands on them at the moment.


> Due to the very different styles of construction and size, I'm sure
> that they use very different interface cards.

They actually used the same cards (e.g., so that you could take an emulator
and analyzer into the field), but the 100A accommodated 10 option cards,
while the 110A only handled 5.


> I have a couple of both but I've never used the 64100 and I haven't
> used the 64000 in a long time.

If you look on the lower left-rear of the big unit below the serial plate,
you'll see that it says "64100A Mainframe." :-)


> FWIW I just passed up a couple of 64000s in a scrap place.

Speaking as someone who bought a new, complete 64000 system at full price
nearly twenty years ago: "Ouch!"

                                      -- Dave
Received on Mon Apr 12 2004 - 09:45:19 BST