[HN Gopher] Ask HN: Which vintage computers do you find interest...
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Ask HN: Which vintage computers do you find interesting?
I recently got into retro computers. Besides just buying them, I
want to actually experience and use the technology. So far I've
spent most of my time with a C64: programming and learning
different system quirks. Programming on these machines is really
something else! Right now I have my eyes on Acorn. Mostly because
they were the first ARM/RISC computers available in the market (to
the best of my knowledge), but I would also love to hear other
recommendations. I want to acquire something interesting, that
would be challenging and rewarding to program with.
Author : albertkoz
Score : 7 points
Date : 2021-07-21 18:15 UTC (4 hours ago)
| cbxyp wrote:
| Transmeta CPUs were cool
| gnufx wrote:
| I'd suggest more interesting systems, but probably interesting in
| inverse proportion to how you could get hold of one :-/. Not
| wanting to dampen enthusiasm for old systems, but was there
| anything radically different about things like C64 and Acorn
| products?
|
| If you don't need hardware, there might be more interest in
| programming on simulators for various old systems.
| johng wrote:
| Wanted to pick up some old SGI stuff but it's still hard to get
| and very expensive.
| gnufx wrote:
| I did try to tell people there was money in old SGI and Sun kit
| rather than just scrapping it (and then had to buy spares from
| a scavenger of Sun kit I know of before Sun shut them down). I
| didn't realize there was much of a market for real SGIs now,
| though. We used to have a literal stack of Indys to swap in
| when one off maintenance packed up. Now I only have a mouse
| somewhere.
| johng wrote:
| Old Amiga stuff is still attainable and supposedly really
| rewarding to play with/program.
| Dracophoenix wrote:
| Which models are attainable in particular? I've always wanted
| to have a Video Toaster capable machine (A4000T especially) but
| I can't seem to find them anywhere.
| s800 wrote:
| A2000 is far more obtainable, sometimes already found with a
| Video Toaster installed. And with PiStorm and other plug in
| accelerators, the processing power of the 2000 vs 4000 (with
| some caveats) is less important.
|
| Also the A4000T is very 'collectible' right now. $$$
| h2odragon wrote:
| I liked the Victor 9000's [1]; much like IBM PC's but better in
| several ways. never really caught on.
|
| [1] http://www.oldcomputers.net/victor9000.html
| bediger4000 wrote:
| Radio Shack Color Computer III - they had a multi-tasking OS,
| OS-9, that worked via memory bank switching. It had a windowing
| system that worked via in-band signalling, which is quite
| different than any windowing system today.
| pcdoodle wrote:
| Slot 1 based Pentium 2/3. The golden age.
| xkeysc0re wrote:
| The C64 is really sweet - one of my goals is to eventually
| develop a game for it (thinking a monorail/train sim like a
| simplified version of
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Densha_de_Go!_2_K%C5%8Dsoku-he...)
|
| Right now I'm interested in the Phillips MSX systems and PC
| Engine, as they both have a catalogue of unique platform-specific
| games (such as the original Metal Gear!) and are less-trodden
| territory for retrocomputing which, alas, makes them a little
| pricier. But part of the fun of retrocomputing is that it can be
| a passive hobby where you set some price alerts on ebay and
| craigslist and then try and go for the score.
|
| If you haven't, be sure to check out
| https://old.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/
| the_only_law wrote:
| I'm into a weird part of retrocomputing where I mess with things
| other than just general purpose computers. Most of my equipment
| is old network/telecom stuff (mostly ISDN and general T1/E1 stuff
| rn, but I want to get into ATM) and network analyzers. Notably my
| Agilent J2300E which is a massive Windows 98 machine that look
| like a laptop but contains all sorts of sync and async serial
| interfaces too expensive to put on modern PCs (go find how much
| it costs to get a V.35 adapter) as well as all sorts of modules
| for various interfaces lile token ring, fddi, fast Ethernet,
| T1/E1, ISDN BRI, ATM, etc. It also has a nice software suite for
| emulation / analysis. If you're curious why do have all this
| shit, in currently working on a user mode ISDN stack for Linux,
| which is keeping my love for programming on life support.
|
| But to answer the question, here's what on my wishlist:
|
| HP-86 - recently sold my HP-85 with serial and GPIB expansions
| which I regret and will hopefully pick up an HP-86 to replace it
| eventually. Finding the serial and GPIB cartridges again my he a
| task.
|
| Lisp machines, particularly a MacIvory - no chance I get my hands
| on one anytime soon.
|
| One of the Tektronix Smalltalk Workstations - Will probably never
| even see one in my lifetime.
|
| DEC VAXstation - May be purchasing one of the larger ones later
| this year. Will probably stick NetBSD on it.
|
| DEC AlphaServer - Particularly models of which I find
| aesthetically pleasing. Not a Compaq or HP AlphaServer. The ones
| I like are always just a bit out of my price range. Will probably
| stick NetBSD on it.
|
| IBM 5100 (running APL) - rare and always too expensive on the
| occasion I see one for sale
|
| PDP- _X_ - Actually a chance I might be able to run into a DEC
| PDP machine and be able to afford it someday.
|
| I kinda want an early AS400 , but will settle for a not quite
| retro iSeries.
|
| Not quite computers, but I also want:
|
| HP 700/70 - A windowing terminal which was based off an old
| window standard for terminals called AlphaWindows (for which I
| also need to find the spec because the current implementations
| are currently commercial software). I've see a few listings for
| these terminals, but always super shady.
|
| X.25 Equipment - PAD's, switches, etc. I'm starting to thing X.25
| was a legend because I have yet to find anything hardware related
| to it.
|
| Anyway my end goal it to have a crazy home network with all the
| crazy protocols I hack on sectioned off and connected to the main
| (modern Ethernet) LAN with my retro stuff sitting on various
| networks.
| gnufx wrote:
| Tasteful. LSI-11 for the likely cheapest PDP (though we weren't
| -11 fans)?
|
| X.25 may have been legendary, but certainly not mythical! It
| was what the UK academic network ran on long ago, and worked
| well, but was steamrollered by IP (which ran over it for a
| while). I was rather surprised at how primitive
| computing/networking was at the US equivalent lab when I spent
| a summer there. I wouldn't know where to look for kit now, but
| it's surprising what lurks in the bowels of academic
| establishments! I've seen suggestions it's still in use in
| other environments. There was something of a competition for
| the most obsolete bits found by out Field Support.
|
| Edit: There's probably assorted X.25 in Jim Austin's
| collection, specifically on the GEC 41xx:
| http://www.computermuseum.org.uk/
| billconan wrote:
| In the 90s, I once saw a commercial on a magazine selling a
| notebook computer that looks like a cheese. I always wanted it,
| but I don't recall the brand.
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(page generated 2021-07-21 23:02 UTC)