Andrew Bingham
2013-11-21 19:27:02 UTC
Hello,
I'm thinking of embarking on building one of the various computer designs
posted on this site, and have a few questions before I get started.
First, a little background on myself.... I was born in 1985, so most
vintage computers are older than I am. But my family wasn't into
technology when I was a child, so the first computer that we had was an
original IBM 5150 that was gifted to us...in 1994. 256 kB of ram, 1 DS and
1 SS drives, and the monochrome graphics adapter. Everything in the
original packaging, the 3-ring binder manuals, and copies of the IBM word
processor and such. In fact. the machine was used in an open house at the
IBM Plant in Burlington, Vermont as a display in the early to mid 80s -
there was a disk with it with programs and demos that were set up for the
public at the open house.
I loved that machine. The Model F keyboard, the satisfying "thwunk" of the
orange-red old-style power switch at the back right corner....
BASICA.EXE.... I taught myself BASIC from old books, and even wrote my own
nuclear reactor "simulator" program.
Eventually we "upgraded" to an Epson 8088 with the full 640k of RAM and a
CGA monitor.... and then a Northgate 286.... And finally, I managed to
convince my dad to buy a brand new PC instead of one a decade old, and I've
been on "current tech" ever since. (I still have the 5150, in all the
original IBM boxes, in storage back at my mom's place in VT. My youngest
sister managed to stick 2 5.25" floppies in drive A: and then broke off the
"close" tab on the drive trying to close it onto 2 of them, which removed
it from service.....sometime soon I think I'll have to fix it. It's
probably one of the nicest condition 5150s around these days, in the
original boxes for its entire life).
Anyway, I'm interested in building one of the systems that are part of the
general sphere of the N8VEM project "and friends". I'd like to recapture
some of the simplicity of those old machines and maybe experiment with
fusing them with modern technology like compactflash storage, ethernet, etc.
I have enough experience to be able to reliably build through-hole solder
components, and basic hardware/electronics debugging with a multimeter and
o-scope.
I'm leaning towards either
-The Xi 8088 based on my past experience with DOS and 8088s
-The Zeta based on it's relative simplicity and self-contained-ness and
ease of getting started - but I'd have to learn CP/M for the first time
Personally I'd love to go one iteration back in time and build an S-100
system because there are so many options as far as boards, but it looks
like the PCB availabiity is a bit more intermittent due to less demand
there. I like the idea of the S-100 8086 or 80286 running DOS.
Any thoughts on what to build would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
I'm thinking of embarking on building one of the various computer designs
posted on this site, and have a few questions before I get started.
First, a little background on myself.... I was born in 1985, so most
vintage computers are older than I am. But my family wasn't into
technology when I was a child, so the first computer that we had was an
original IBM 5150 that was gifted to us...in 1994. 256 kB of ram, 1 DS and
1 SS drives, and the monochrome graphics adapter. Everything in the
original packaging, the 3-ring binder manuals, and copies of the IBM word
processor and such. In fact. the machine was used in an open house at the
IBM Plant in Burlington, Vermont as a display in the early to mid 80s -
there was a disk with it with programs and demos that were set up for the
public at the open house.
I loved that machine. The Model F keyboard, the satisfying "thwunk" of the
orange-red old-style power switch at the back right corner....
BASICA.EXE.... I taught myself BASIC from old books, and even wrote my own
nuclear reactor "simulator" program.
Eventually we "upgraded" to an Epson 8088 with the full 640k of RAM and a
CGA monitor.... and then a Northgate 286.... And finally, I managed to
convince my dad to buy a brand new PC instead of one a decade old, and I've
been on "current tech" ever since. (I still have the 5150, in all the
original IBM boxes, in storage back at my mom's place in VT. My youngest
sister managed to stick 2 5.25" floppies in drive A: and then broke off the
"close" tab on the drive trying to close it onto 2 of them, which removed
it from service.....sometime soon I think I'll have to fix it. It's
probably one of the nicest condition 5150s around these days, in the
original boxes for its entire life).
Anyway, I'm interested in building one of the systems that are part of the
general sphere of the N8VEM project "and friends". I'd like to recapture
some of the simplicity of those old machines and maybe experiment with
fusing them with modern technology like compactflash storage, ethernet, etc.
I have enough experience to be able to reliably build through-hole solder
components, and basic hardware/electronics debugging with a multimeter and
o-scope.
I'm leaning towards either
-The Xi 8088 based on my past experience with DOS and 8088s
-The Zeta based on it's relative simplicity and self-contained-ness and
ease of getting started - but I'd have to learn CP/M for the first time
Personally I'd love to go one iteration back in time and build an S-100
system because there are so many options as far as boards, but it looks
like the PCB availabiity is a bit more intermittent due to less demand
there. I like the idea of the S-100 8086 or 80286 running DOS.
Any thoughts on what to build would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew
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