Amiga.org

The "Not Quite Amiga but still computer related category" => Alternative Operating Systems => Topic started by: redrumloa on January 09, 2008, 11:26:52 PM

Title: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 09, 2008, 11:26:52 PM
HERE! (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270200654756&ssPageName=ADME:B:BCA:US:1123)

Oh man, I just know this is a steal. I'll be able to get it working just fine. Not quite an Amiga killer, but my 128 sure is an Amiga killer  :-P
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: adolescent on January 09, 2008, 11:31:48 PM
Looks a little busticated.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 09, 2008, 11:34:54 PM
Quote

adolescent wrote:
Looks a little busticated.


Naah, looks like an easy fix to me. These old computers have electrolytic capacitors that dry up or leak. Open her up, spend a weekend replacing capacitors, re-seat socketed chips and it should be good to go. It "not working" is probably why I got it so cheap. I've already rejuvinated an old Televideo TS803H this way. The picture shows me the monitor works and it is not total DOA. Piece of cake. :-D
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: Retro_71 on January 09, 2008, 11:39:42 PM
Congrats !!!!
As always everything is outside Australia...  :-(
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: monami on January 10, 2008, 12:03:12 AM
it looks way before my time... what exactly is it? i think dr who may have put it on ebay?
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: bloodline on January 10, 2008, 12:03:48 AM
I agree with RED, other than the Monitor and the Harddrive, I expect everything can probably still be replaced.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 10, 2008, 12:22:18 AM
Quote

monami wrote:
it looks way before my time... what exactly is it?  


Kaypro 10, a luggable computer. Before there were laptops, there were luggables.
4Mhz 8bit processor
64K RAM
5.25 floppy drive
10MB hard drive
9" green screen (monochrome) monitor, 80x24 text
CP/M operating system

The Kaypro 10 was introduced in 1983, back before Microsoft had any real foothold in the computer market. Back then CP/M was the standard OS for business. It is hotly debated, but truth be told MS-DOS is a ripoff of CP/M which would probably be illegal if it was released under today's laws.

A cool thing is my C128 also runs CP/M, so I can run the same program on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo :-D
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: spihunter on January 10, 2008, 12:27:36 AM
Z80 @ 4mhz baby!!

Contiki port?
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 10, 2008, 12:33:24 AM
Quote

spihunter wrote:
Contiki port?


I don't think a CP/M Contiki port ever happened. However, a buddy of mine has a made a functional tcp/ip for cp/m among other goodies :-)
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: AeroMan on January 10, 2008, 12:34:57 AM
Nice machine ! :-D
...My wife said she will remove my testicles if I buy another computer...
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: spihunter on January 10, 2008, 01:09:32 AM
Quote
a buddy of mine has a made a functional tcp/ip for cp/m among other goodies


Sweet! Thats a good friend to have. Link?
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: huronking on January 10, 2008, 01:21:50 AM
Yeah, man that is pretty sweet.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 10, 2008, 03:40:44 AM
Quote

spihunter wrote:
Quote
a buddy of mine has a made a functional tcp/ip for cp/m among other goodies


Sweet! Thats a good friend to have. Link?


http://tcp.dr.ea.ms/ (http://tcp.dr.ea.ms/)
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: tiffers on January 10, 2008, 04:08:45 AM
Quote
A cool thing is my C128 also runs CP/M, so I can run the same program on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo :-D


Don't you mean 'I can read the same disks on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo'? Or do these machines all use the same CPU? Isn't the 128 a 6502 (variant), meaning it won't run Z80 binaries?

I remember people touting one of the pluses of MS-DOS was that you could read the same disk on whatever computer was running it, as opposed to CP/M which was meant to be the case, but just wasn't because everyone had their own implementation of CP/M. Microsoft just standardised one variant from the bunch.

tiffers
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: justthatgood on January 10, 2008, 04:34:47 AM
Is that milspec?
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: amigakid on January 10, 2008, 05:19:22 AM
Can you put up pics of her internals when you start your project, and some after pics?  i love restoring old comps and this one looks like a real fun one.  Good luck
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: adolescent on January 10, 2008, 05:34:39 AM
Quote

Don't you mean 'I can read the same disks on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo'? Or do these machines all use the same CPU? Isn't the 128 a 6502 (variant), meaning it won't run Z80 binaries?


The 128 has a Z80 for running in CP/M mode.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: AeroMan on January 10, 2008, 10:30:48 AM
spihunter wrote:
Quote
a buddy of mine has a made a functional tcp/ip for cp/m among other goodies


Do you think it will run in my TRS80 4P ?
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: tokyoracer on January 10, 2008, 11:00:15 AM
Pffft... That's no good... You cant put an Amiga OS on it! :-D
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: Agafaster on January 10, 2008, 04:47:01 PM
Quote

tokyoracer wrote:
Pffft... That's no good... You cant put an Amiga OS on it! :-D


Actually, there was an Amiga emulator for the Spectrum 128.
It did the animated hand and disk bit, then displayed a Guru Meditation error.
Satirical at the time !
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: Amigaz on January 10, 2008, 04:52:03 PM
What can you do with it? use it as a calculator?  :lol:
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: tokyoracer on January 10, 2008, 05:39:09 PM
I'm sorry to say but TBH, i'm not impressed by it at all. It looks hardly useable.
I guess looking at it from a hardware aspect it's more desirable but I guess thats' just me.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: orange on January 10, 2008, 05:56:40 PM
what about CP/M in ZX Spectrum +3 128K, would that tcpip run on that? (my first computer, eh the nostalgia..)
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: Debaser on January 10, 2008, 05:59:28 PM
Quote

tiffers wrote:
Quote
A cool thing is my C128 also runs CP/M, so I can run the same program on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo :-D


Don't you mean 'I can read the same disks on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo'? Or do these machines all use the same CPU? Isn't the 128 a 6502 (variant), meaning it won't run Z80 binaries?

I remember people touting one of the pluses of MS-DOS was that you could read the same disk on whatever computer was running it, as opposed to CP/M which was meant to be the case, but just wasn't because everyone had their own implementation of CP/M. Microsoft just standardised one variant from the bunch.

tiffers


{Bear in mind I am dusting off cobwebs here to the days of yesteryear..}

There were many many many CP/M variants back in the day.(CP/M 2.0, CP/M +, MP/M, oh man..) Isn't the version of CP/M that the 128 uses 3.0?? However Kaypro and the C-128 are very similar and we known to be quite compatable. I messed around with CP/M due to owning a 128 myself - and collected quite a few machines like the Superbrain, Kaypro II, Osborne Executive, and an Epson PX-8 laptop...they were a lot of fun.

Good for you Red! Enjoy it!
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: tekopaa on January 10, 2008, 06:00:39 PM
it loox lik3 SX-64 portable 64 :)
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 11, 2008, 04:59:21 PM
I was busy yesterday, but back :-)

Quote
Don't you mean 'I can read the same disks on my 128 as I do on my Kaypro and my Televideo'? Or do these machines all use the same CPU? Isn't the 128 a 6502 (variant), meaning it won't run Z80 binaries?


Others have replied correctly. The C128 also has a Z80 CPU for CP/M mode. I can confirm from first hand knowlege that CP/M binaries are compatability across a wide number of machines, the C128 being one of them.

Quote
I remember people touting one of the pluses of MS-DOS was that you could read the same disk on whatever computer was running it, as opposed to CP/M which was meant to be the case, but just wasn't because everyone had their own implementation of CP/M. Microsoft just standardised one variant from the bunch.


When it comes to the floppy disks themselves, it gets a bit tricker, yes. Most CP/M boxes had their own floppy format that other machines usually could not read. The list of various CP/M floppy types is quite long. A Osborne formatted floppy would not work in a Kaypro, for example.

However, this is where the C128 with 1571(and 1581) shines. The 1571 and 1581 are amazing drives. There is a free program called Juggler (http://www.herne.com/jugg.htm) that allows C128 CP/M to read and write more than 140 CP/M disk formats. I have used this in the past and it works perfectly. Pretty neat taking my old Televideo Wordstar floppy and running that version of Wordstar on my 128 without a hitch :-D
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: persia on January 11, 2008, 05:30:01 PM
Won't run Amiga OS4....
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 11, 2008, 05:46:31 PM
Quote

amigakid wrote:
Can you put up pics of her internals when you start your project, and some after pics?  i love restoring old comps and this one looks like a real fun one.  Good luck


I should be able to, if there is interest. I kind of wished I did that with my Televideo..
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 11, 2008, 05:48:18 PM
Quote
Do you think it will run in my TRS80 4P ?


Most likely, if not AJK would likely give a hand making it work.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: redrumloa on January 11, 2008, 05:51:14 PM
Quote

orange wrote:
what about CP/M in ZX Spectrum +3 128K, would that tcpip run on that? (my first computer, eh the nostalgia..)


More than likely, as long as it has a Z80 cpu. The code may need tweaked for the rs232.
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: persia on January 15, 2008, 06:32:58 PM
You want a sweet computer, take a look at the new MacBook Air.  At it's thickest it's 2 cm and that slims down to 4 mm!!!  Weighs all of 1.3 Kg.  80 GB HD, 2 GB Ram, iSight, Bluetooth, 34cm screen, multi-toch gestures, now there's a sweet machine...
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: arnljot on January 15, 2008, 06:40:12 PM
When you open her up you should hide a mini itx computer in there, and a kvm switch...

Confuse, baffle and scare your friends and neighbours :)

Cool buy!
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: jrkenn on February 04, 2008, 10:26:03 PM
Thats cool. I have a Hyperion made by Dynalogic that was made in 1982 that is like your Kaypro. They are fun to play around with. Here is a link to the one like I have. Old computers has your as well in case you have not looked.

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=339
Title: Re: I just bought one sweet, sweet computer!
Post by: persia on February 05, 2008, 04:32:49 PM
Should be able to easily gut it and replace the innards with a mini-mig.  How cool would that be!

:idea: