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Education Hardware Technology

Good Vintage Computers? 99

Posted by Cliff from the hardware-with-a-place-in-computing-history dept.
The Crooked Elf asks: "I'm going to be running an event dedicated to vintage computers and game consoles in a month for the computer science department at the University of Southern Maine. My current arsenal includes a TRS-80 Color Computer 3 and an old NES (with Zelda, Mario, etc), but I feel I need a few more items to display. I have a budget of around $600 for this event. Slashdot, what do you feel are other decent vintage systems that would be the most valuable and educational to present?"
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Good Vintage Computers? More

Good Vintage Computers?

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  • Commodore 64 ? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by da5idnetlimit.com ( 410908 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:18AM (#17366186) Journal
    Basically anything with a tape reader, or even better if you can find them, anything with puch cards.

  • Try a Coleco, Atari 5200, Odyssey^2, something like that.

    Kids, a NES isn't 'vintage'.

    Vintage computers? Get some old portables, or some of the oddball computers with integrated printers, etc.

    • An NES _is_ a vintage computer. It runs the same processor as an Apple IIe, an obvious vintage machine. The freakin' thing was released in 1984, after all. I used these machines when they were new as a kid, and I would certainly say they're vintage. Clothes, footwear, accessories and other items from the same era could be called vintage as well.
      • I would agree with the parent, NES is probably not really "vintage" but very close. The 6502 processor has been used in many many products, and is probably still used today. So I don't think the processor alone in itself is compelling enough to call the NES "vintage".

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Detritus ( 11846 )
          The Hewlett-Packard HP-33S scientific programmable calculator, a current product, is based on the 6502 architecture. They added ROM, RAM, an LCD controller and other stuff to the chip. Similarly, many TI calculators are based on the Z-80 and 68000.
    • Why not this. [answers.com]

      But seriously, folks... 5200? How about 2600? I still have my Apple IIe that I bought a kit for and "upgraded" to a IIc. Heh, what a ridiculous increase that would be in today's world. I think an NES would get the kiddies interested. You could demo a game or two.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by gdamore ( 933478 )
        Heh. I still _play_ with my NES. The carts are getting old, but the most important one, Dr. Mario, still works. :-) Still looking forward to the day when Wii VC includes Dr. Mario.

        But for truly vintage hardware, look for any of these:

        * TRS-80 model 1.
        * Anything from Commodore, but especially a PET (though I still think the C64 is a great machine)
        * PDP-10
        * Anything VAX
        * early SPARC systems
        * original IBM PC/XT
        * first generation Compaq (early "luggable")
        * first generation macintosh (early GUI designs)

  • Old Sun hardware is always neat (Score:3, Interesting)

    by the_humeister ( 922869 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:23AM (#17366228)
    Especially those lunchbox-sized Sparcstation IPX/IPC/LX/ZX computers. So cute [sunshack.org], even your girlfriend will love'em.

    • Yeah, I had a SparcClassic, but my wife didn't like my collection of old computers.... So along with my Sinclair QL, I gave it away to a computer museum that a high school teacher maintained.

      The only old computer I have left now is a C=64, with original monitor, and tape drives. I'd give it away, but the computer museum owner already had a few. Can't bring it to my heart to throw it away, so I wait for another geek that will take it from my hands and give it a nice place in his collection... (Warning:

    • wow, that SPARC shown in the picture was fully equipped with a vampire clamp and BNC/10Base2 adaptor.

      wewt!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by klaws ( 66658 )
      If you can muck up an old SGI, those are pretty neat, too. (But openprom is beautiful; I've been using a SparcClassic as an email server for the past 4 years now.)

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by Strolls ( 641018 )

        If you can muck up an old SGI, those are pretty neat, too

        They're not even so expensive these days, either. I saw some Indigos on eBay for free the other week - the guy obviously just wanted the space, for them to go to an enthusiast & thought this would the best way for them to get exposure. IIRC the special [ifrance.com] effects [atariarchives.org] to The Wrath Of Kahn were rendered on a farm of these, so a screen capture or movie playing would help make the exhibit more multi-media and mainstream.

        SGIs are also gorgeously [majix.org] good [apcad.de] looki [networktrust.jp]

    • confirming this - we have an IPX and IPC laying around, and they're nifty.

      Any older Sparcstations that are on the smaller side are pretty cool, really.

      Additionally, older SGI machines have some of the most awesome startup noises ever, as well as demonstrating that old hardware doesn't have to look like a pile of metal.
  • I hear these are still in use in jungle research because they can withstand tempature and other issues that come in the jungle. I have a 100 and a 102 model, both with 8k of ram. I also have the tape recorder to go with that and some software (tape and rom based). It was a great system to get me though school in those days; even though it was a bit heavy. Quella
    • You forgot to mention the best part about the Model 100: 24 hours of battery life from a set of 4 AAs. I think that 24 hours is a lot for a laptop these days, without swapping batteries like crazy.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Quella ( 879065 )
        You are correct sir. One only needed to run down and buy some more if they ran out. Often I would get hours of work on it from a single set. Then again, it was little ram, processor, and I could not watch my DVDs on it. If you needed the BASICS, this worked very well as a machine.
      • I have an old Model 100 with the bar code reader that I use grocery shopping.Scares the hell out of the stores,they think that the state has sent an inspector to make sure the prices are as posted.(Not so suprisingly,a lot of stores show a price and charge another,usually higher.)
        On a local website,I post the results and tell about the cheaters.(Hey every penny counts nowdays) Keeps the bastards honest.
  • I have a TI-99/4A and original IBM XT. I got rid of the TRS-80 Model III when I last moved. :-( I still kept all the software and run the old programs using an emulator on on current PC.

  • Pointers (Score:5, Informative)

    by faedle ( 114018 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:27AM (#17366270) Homepage Journal
    You might try asking on the Classic Computers mailing list: classiccmp.org. You might get people to loan you systems of interest.

    For my money, you'd probably be in good if you got a Commodore 64 (for obvious reasons) and a machine like a IMSAI 8080. Perhaps an Apple 2.

    In the grand scheme of things, the Tandy Color Computer 3 was largely irrelevant by the time it came to market...
  • I'd look for an old minicomputer, such as a PDP-8 or PDP-11, with a real front panel that has a full set of lights and switches.

    • Vintage Blinking Lights (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      "I'd look for an old minicomputer, such as a PDP-8 or PDP-11, with a real front panel that has a full set of lights and switches."

      Have you checked a movie set?

  • How about a vectrex? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by I(rispee_I(reme ( 310391 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:34AM (#17366316) Journal
    A nice example of the rarely-seen-these-days vector monitor. Available for about $50 on ebay.

  • Mac SE/30 (Score:3)

    by 192939495969798999 ( 58312 ) <[info] [at] [devinmoore.com]> on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:35AM (#17366330) Homepage Journal
    Those things were staples of every computer room as a file server, plus they had great games and that classic mac shape. They are remarkably stable, etc. I still have a Mac Classic, its awesome as well, but not quite as boxy.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Nutria ( 679911 )
      Those things were staples of every computer room as a file server

      Every? You've got to be kidding!

      "Some Mac faithful" would be more like it...

      But it was a darned fine desktop machine. I really liked mine.

  • Home computer "must haves" (Score:3, Informative)

    by Shrubber ( 552857 ) <pmallett@noSPaM.gmail.com> on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:36AM (#17366332) Homepage
    If you want to show the systems that really drove the home PC adoption market you have to get a TI99/4a and a Commodore 64, and I'd say an Apple 2e.
    • Ditto on the TI99/4A. For Christmas, my mother (a semi-retired grade school teacher) set up a mini TI99/4A computer lab in the basement of her house- it was a real hit with the grandkids, 4 computers and 4 kids. Surprising since most of these computers are 25 years older than the kids who were playing on them.

      In the end though, the little kids went back to playing Thomas the Tank Engine and setting up track- while my brother and I challenged each other to a two-player coopertative game of Hangman on the
    • If you want to show the systems that really drove the home PC adoption market
      Very true. And if you want to show the system that first tapped into the home computer market, borrow a PET2001 (C64 predecessor). I sold my last one recently for several times your budget, but you should be able to find one for loan.
  • just to show what japan and brazil got in 80's too?
  • An IBM PC/XT, a Commodore 64, and one of the original runs of the Macintosh, or the Apple II?
  • Can't have a vintage event without an Apple ][+, although I'm guessing your budget won't allow it. Perhaps you could borrow one?

    One thing popular during that time were timeshare computers. You might be able to find an old Teletype or Silent 700 terminal with an acoustically coupled modem, and have those dial into a machine hosting a few games such as Hunt the Wumpus, tic-tac-toe, or global thermonuclear war. Dumb terminals of that era can be had for pretty cheap -- a buddy of mine just picked up a Tele

  • TRS-80 Model 100. One of the first real laptops.

    40 character, 8 line LCD goodness. Ran for days on 4 AA batteries. And featuring the last professional code that Bill Gates worked on personally.

    You can get one pretty cheap:
    http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40& satitle=trs-80+model+100 [ebay.com]

  • Anything NeXT you can get your hands on (Score:5, Interesting)

    by istewart ( 463887 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:52AM (#17366486)
    This would be particularly interesting, since you can point out to the Mac users in your audience (and there's bound to be more than a few) that most of the basic concepts behind OS X were laid down in 1989. The downside is that a NeXT machine is likely to eat up your entire $600 budget and more.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by harrkev ( 623093 )
      Next is a great idea. Also, try to find a BeBox. Those things were cutting-edge when they were released, and oh-so-cool. You gotta love something with an interface called the "Geek Port."

  • My Age Showing (Score:3, Informative)

    by WED Fan ( 911325 ) <akahige@NOspAm.trashmail.net> on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @10:55AM (#17366518) Homepage Journal

    You need an Altair.

    That was my first in the 70's. Great fun and very open. Build your own cards. Wire wrap. Learn to solder. Great fun, great fun.

    Also, the Sincliar ZX80, Sinclair ZX81/Timex 1000, Kaypro II, Osbourne.

    When I strapped a 32K, banked switched ram pack to my ZX81, a buddy told me that I was crazy to have wasted my money, that I'd never use the 16k in one bank. The Sinclair had a the nasty habit of recording the entire memory used or not, when you saved to tape. So, the more memory you installed the longer the load.

    I also owned a few pirated computers:

    Anyone remember the Orange? It was an Apple, made in Taiwan from the specs Apple provided a factory when they wanted to go into mass production.

    I had a Genie, which was a knock off of the TRS-80 Model I, but you could get it in kit form. RS didn't much care until Genie started selling assembled units, if I remember correctly.

    And, my first "IBM PC Compatible was a Heath-kit.

    That was all when hacking meant building your own stuff, or getting into the hardware and making your own changes. Of course the lead solder didn't affect my mind...too much.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by martyb ( 196687 )

      And, my first "IBM PC Compatible" was a Heath-kit.

      "IBM Compatible" also meant that it might be compatible. An indicator was whether or not it would run Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Flight Simulator. (I seem to recall there was a third program, but it escapes me now.)

      BTW, my first IBM PC Compatible had an 80286 that ran at 10MHz with 1 wait state or 12MHz with 2 wait states. 1 MB of RAM. The bus ran at processor speed, so it could be iffy running at full speed. Hard drive (40MB Seagate ST251-1, 5.25"

  • Apple I (Score:5, Informative)

    by tie_guy_matt ( 176397 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @11:03AM (#17366592)
    You will never be able to afford a real Apple I. However if you want to let people play with a vintage computer (and a very important one at that) without risking a real classic you can by the Replica I for about $200. It is a replica of the Apple I (since Woz still owns the rights to the apple I and not Apple he has the rights to let others make replica's and clones) but it uses more modern parts. Here is the website: http://www.brielcomputers.com/ [brielcomputers.com]
  • A cheapo Amiga would be a great addition. It might be interesting to show a computer that still has unique abilities - folks love the multiple resolution "screens" that you can slide up and down.

  • Diversity (Score:2, Informative)

    by WED Fan ( 911325 )

    Back in the day, before the "IBM PC", almost every company was coming out with their own computer.

    Sharp had the MZ80K that had its own monitor and build in tape deck, and contrary to what others were doing at the time, instead of loading BASIC, it ran Pascal.

    Now, anyone have any info on the Acorn, and the BBC computer?

    I was stationed in the UK in the early 80's, at RAF Upper Heyford when the BBC ran a test. They broadcast, on TV, a short 1 minute blast of binary. I recorded it onto cassette (it had been

  • If you can find an Osbourne, it's a big deal for the history of the computers. It was the first real "portable" consumer computer.

    That 5" diagonal screen and 5.25 floppy drives were all the rage.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Nutria ( 679911 )
      That 5" diagonal screen

      The KayPro kicked the Osbourne's butt up one side and down the other.

  • If you can finagle some minicomputer-era hardware, like parts of a DEC PDP system (no one expects you to transport and functionally install this), that'd be cool for the "look how far we have come" tip.

    Some early kit-build micros would be nifty. An IMSAI or a SWTPC 6800 system perhaps.

    Early (pre 1980) "consumer" PCs, like an Apple ][ or a TRS-80 Model I. Or an original "calculator keyboard" PET. (Hell, I'd pay money to see one of those again.)

    Stuff from the 80s, too. The early 16-bitters.

    Now, a question for

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by rvw14 ( 733613 )
      Now, a question for you. If you manage to pull together a significant and interesting cross-section of early PC history, how are you handling security? Consider that some of these systems were actually small enought to carry out in a coat, and many of the systems may be valuable enough to consider smash-n-grab.

      Good luck in running away with that Osbourne "portable". I might even take a nap before chasing you down. :)

  • While maybe not the most popular home computer, the 1979 Atari 800 was the most capable, and the most likely to still work. They were built like tanks (well, like game consoles anyway). I have serial number 0127 and it still works. The other advantage for your display is that they use cartridges for software that you can demonstrate, and also have high-resolution separate chrominance and luminance video output (S-Video before anybody called it S-video).

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by booch ( 4157 )
      the 1979 Atari 800 was the most capable [....] and also have high-resolution separate chrominance and luminance video output (S-Video before anybody called it S-video)

      The Commodore 64 had the same component video outputs. It used 1 RCA cable for each, whereas the S-Video uses a single cable with 4 wires.
      • The Commodore 64 had the same component video outputs.

        True. Commodore also had the awesome 1702 monitor. Still one of the best YC video monitors ever. Especially for the price.

        It used 1 RCA cable for each, whereas the S-Video uses a single cable with 4 wires.

        The Atari used a 5-pin round DIN connector, and you had to roll your own video cable. But the point wasn't the physical connector, it was that it was YC component video before Sony wrapped their marketing around it.
      • ...the original Religious War of personal-computerdom. It has set the pace for later religous wars between PC vs. Mac and Linux/open vs. Windows/proprietary.

        The Commodore 64 had the same component video outputs. It used 1 RCA cable for each, whereas the S-Video uses a single cable with 4 wires.

        The C64 also wasn't introduced until three years after the Atari 800--the PET and Vic-20 were Commodore's initial offering against the Atari 800 and they were decidedly less capable with video and did not have compon

  • Suggestions and Questions (Score:5, Interesting)

    by martyb ( 196687 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @11:23AM (#17366758)
    More info? Maybe you were thinking of sending out a notice, later, but could you please reply with the date/time and which campus it will be held on? I could make it to the Portland campus, depending on when it was scheduled. Or, better yet, set up a web page and give us the link so we can stay up-to-date and continue to contribute.

    Suggestions:

    1. IMSAI 8080 "War Games" aside, I actually worked on one back in 1977 or '78. Front-panel toggle switches; separate LEDs for EACH BIT of the ALU (and IIRC the current address, too). Ran CP/M. I think it had an S-100 bus for expansion. Storage was on an 8-inch floppy.
    2. Atari 400/800 running Star Raiders - 8 bit (6502 processor) at maybe 2MHz with maybe 8 KB of memory. Incredible game play and graphics for that day. (Aside: in 1981 while setting up for a concert at my college's student union, I saw a TV projector wheeled in for testing on the 15-foot diagonal screen. Within 15 minutes I had my Atari 800 hooked up to BOTH the audio system (300W: Bass; 150W Horn; 80W Tweeter - on EACH SIDE) and this projector and fired up star raiders. Going into hyperspace sounded as if a 747 jet was taking off!)
    3. Commodore 64 At a fraction of the price of an IBM PC, it had superior graphics, catridges, tape storage, and floppy storage available, too.

    But seriously, if you post the location, date, and time here - I expect a few people would be willing to show up with their oldie-but-goodie systems. Mine got junked for my last move, otherwise I'd certainly bring mine in! Good Luck!

  • If you can't get the original equipment, do a Google search on "VICE" for Commodore-related emulators that run on Windows PC's. These would at least give people a chance to see what the user interfaces looked like, and they will also let you run actual vintage programs. You should be able to find emulators for many "vintage" computers and game consoles.

    This would be an inexpensive solution that would provide real interactivity.

  • Isn't that like a good, vintage hooker? (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Sure, you'd be surprised at the tricks they can do, but then you feel ashamed at your lack of standards.
  • My father had a VIC-20 [wikipedia.org] when I was very young. It had cartridges like a game console as well as cassette tapes for input. It looks like there was a modem for it as well.

    I don't remember doing much with it but a bit of BASIC and playing some really weird games like Tooth Invaders (floss or die), Blue Meanies from Outer Space, and a bunch of text-adventure games.
    • How cool was Blue Meanies from Outer Space!!!!

      "they're going to get even meaner now!"

      For Vintage, you have to include at least 1 computer that asked you to "Press Play On Tape..." to load a game!

  • SGI, NOVA, or Cray, oh my! (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Frumious Wombat ( 845680 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @11:52AM (#17367054)
    The old SGI, such as a personal Iris, an original Indigo (when they were indigo), or an Indy (with its jazz-riff startup sound) would all be good choices. Even the screensavers such as Electropaint are a sight, when you realize that they were running when PC's shipped with 4 unreadable colors or glowing green.

    I recently saved the memory from a DataGeneral NOVA-II; 16K of genuine Cores. You should look for some older core memory from an old IBM mainframe, or a Nicolet 1080, as those cores are big enough to see without a magnifier.

    I'm still fond of the VAX, but that's a conniseur's architecture. Nobody is going to casually understand the significance of a washing machine with blue trim.

    Just to be odd, you could try to get a full-sized picture of a Cray-1 or Cray-2, some add from the era touting their work in high-end computational science, and then put a Palm-pilot or some such down with its speed in Crays next to it. I had this discussion with my students the other day that I did most of the calcs for my thesis (not so long ago, either) on a machine that had less memory than a standard graphics card. It was a lot bigger too. It's good to show. Maybe just a big sketch showing size of machine at constant performance, starting with a Cray or IBM-360, and going to the modern equivalent.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by pathological liar ( 659969 )
      I second that. You can find old SGI gear (Indigo2, or maybe even an Octane) for nothing, or next to nothing. Not only are they relatively cheap, but they look impressive as well... and you can tie them to things people relate to -- for example, I remember reading somewhere that the graphics folks working on Hollow Man and Gladiator were working on Octanes, and using some of the bigger SGI machines for the actual rendering.

      Universities are a decent place to pick up old UNIX workstations as they're 'repurpose
  • There are bunches of olden computers out there that still work and have some neat proprietary hardware that were forerunners of the current high-speed interfaces or some of the oddballs that everyone asks why they ever were made. Get a 486 with a VESA local bus on, IBM PS/2 with MCA or a PS/2 with nothing else but an 8-bit ISA slot. If you're looking for older stuff, there's the classic TRS-80. I used to have a 50-pound 'portable' computer (286 with a fold-up keyboard and a crt screen complete with carrying
  • Don't forget the midrange COBOL stuff. Tandem and AS/400! (Disclaimer - you can still buy new versions of both with fancy new names and fancy pricing schemes). While not as exciting as an older PC these things were in the data centers for many a company in the pre-internet days and many are still around.

  • TUHS (Score:1)

    by _hAZE_ ( 20054 )
    If you haven't already, you may try contacting The UNIX Heritage Society [tuhs.org]. They're a group of individuals that love old hardware, and may have a member locally that would loan or otherwise provide you with older equipment.
  • They might have some really old stuff you can borrow for the occasion.

    The $600 might cover transportation and insurance.

    Closer to home, try any computer or engineering school that's been around a few decades and see what they have in their museums or basements.

  • I regularly take parts of my computer collection to the West Coast Vintage Copmputer Festival [vintage.org] and I can assure you there are computer collectors in every state (finding them may be another matter)

    It will save you time on getting things ready (except planning where to put various exhibits, power cords, etc.). The collectors know how to show off thier stuff, and probably result in a better presentation also as these collectors come with knowledge, history and lore about thier machines and using them in the

  • i know (Score:3, Funny)

    by indy_Muad'Dib ( 869913 ) on Tuesday December 26, 2006 @01:11PM (#17367896) Homepage
    you can rent my Wang for $100.
  • Displaying an old Altair is pointless if you don't know how to demonstrate its capabilities.

    If you're hanging out here, there is some good chance you know UNIX or Linux. That said, getting an old Sun E4000 server would make for a great display. Shipping usually costs more than the street value of the machine, but within your budget. Hosting shell accounts on a 12+ processor old school UNIX box would be great fun and no doubt offer opportunity for nostalgia from those who enjoyed the golden age of UNIX.
  • I think you definitely need to include a Speak'n'Spell in there. Great little computer with a VOICE SYNTHESIZER with a price low enough to make it a reasonable gift for your kids. I remember being amazed by it. I also remember getting a smack from my mother for making it say certain things...
    • And if you have a TI 99/4A with the Terminal Emulator Cartridge, here's the Speak'n'Spell's basic operating system in TI BASIC:
      10 Open #1:"SPEECH", Output
      20 Input A$
      30 Print #1:A$
      40 Goto 20

      Even more entertaining, type all that in and then type LIST "SPEECH", and the computer will read you the program.
  • Atari 520 STs. With original monitors, software and accessories. If there is a way to contact you, maybe we can work out a deal.

    LK

  • I'd love to see an operating IBM 602A [columbia.edu] again. That was the last and best of the commercial electromechanical punched card calculators. Plug board-wired, mechanical add, subtract, multiply, and divide, punched card input and output. First shipped in 1948, and in commercial use well into the 1970s. 0.000003 MIPS.

    A full tab shop was an IBM 82 sorter, a IBM 407 tabulator, a IBM 514 reproducer/summary punch, a IBM 77 collator, and a IBM 602A calculator. Plus some IBM 024 or IBM 026 keypunches, of course.

  • Xenix!
  • From the DEC (Digital Equipment Corp) inventory...

    A MicroVAX II. First system with the CPU on one chip.

    A "Jensen" AlphaStation 150. Representing early 64 bit processing.

    A DECtalk or DECvoice unit. Featured voice in "War Games" and Steven Hawkings "voice."

    An 11/780. Would take up a lot of space, but there's a guy that converted the cabinet of one into a bar...

    Any of the long list of failed DEC PC products... better, but incompatible: VT180 "Robin", Rainbow, VAXmate, Pro 350... I believe that the "Rainbo
  • So, you have a month to gather and present ancient computer junk that no one cares about. Oh, joy.

    Can I make a suggestion?

    Offer to recycle any vintage hardware that comes through the door, and spend the $600 to haul it to the recycling center.

    And, as that crap comes in the front door, dust some of it off and put it on display. Have some old-timers handy to identify the items (or just a browser and wireless link--we don't need old-timers any more. Sorry.) Put the best on display. In no time you'll have colle
  • MITS Altair 8800 - the original personal computer. Came as a kit, was not pretty to look at or much fun to use, but it was a landmark computer design that deserves to be displayed and revered at any retro-computing event.

    TI-59 - programmable calculator with reconfigurable ROM modules, magnetic strip reader/writer, and an optional printer. With its tiny, revolutionary 10-digit LED display it plays the hell out of Guess Number and Statistical Analysis. It was actually extremely sophisticated for a pocket calc
    • The parent definitely deserves a modding up--it's rather complete, informative, and well-written.

      Some of the stuff mentioned may be difficult to find and borrow. I'd like to suggest a list based off of his so that you can focus more on the "gotta-gotta-haves" if resources and time put you in a bind. I'm presuming that you are focusing on microcomputers, so minicomputers, VAXen, Crays and such are "nice, but not necessary" for your purposes.

      MITS Altair 8800 or other early model kit computer. Where it all beg
      • Arghh. Modded you incorrectly under the new discussion system and there's no undo. I'd rather lose all my moderation on this page than modding you as 'flamebait'. Great reply!
        • Thanks for your comment on the reply. For me, that's as good as being modded up.

          As for incorrectly modding me, if that's the worst that ever happens to me on /., I'll probably be doing good. No problem. Thanks for the apology, anyway.
  • I have one of these Top-of-the-Line beauties "in the box" and i'll let you have it for, oh i don't know... two bars of Gold-Pressed Latinum.
  • The older, the better, but I'd think that finding an SE shouldn't be too hard. Even better if you can find a foreign System stack (the experience I had in high school playing with a Japanese machine was interesting for both it's GUIness and its ease-of-transition to another language).
  • i have an NEC Ready 7022 that, wait...nevermind, i'm still using it as a router/firewall/NAT box. you are welcome to my copy of Microsoft Bob that came bundled with the software however.
  • Go for the most influential. In my estimation, and in no particular order:
    • Commodore 64
    • Apple ][
    • IBM PC
    • Apple Macintosh (M0001)
    • Amiga 1000
    • Commodore PET
    • Compaq Portable
    • NeXT
    • Apple iMac
  • It might be a good gift for all your attendees if you spend that six hundred bucks on refreshments and instead put together a presentation of all the vintage computer emulators and resources (games, software, discussion groups, fan sites, etc.) that are freely available online, summarized with links on a web page for the event. That way they could all go home and play with this technology themselves on their own equipment instead of having to invest in hardware. And you could post a link to the info here,
  • If you are going to have a CoCo up, maybe you can find Robot Odyssey for it... There hasn't been any better electronics educational games for kids since then.

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