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"Worthless Pile of Junk"

B

Bobthearch

Experienced Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2009
Messages
226
Location
Raton, New Mexico
I've been posting and reading here for some time, but never got around to taking and uploading photos of my Collection. So here it is, the machines currently laying around, alternatively titled, "Pardon My Beige."

Compaq Portable. Saved this from the trash last week, and with the help of Raven, found out that it actually boots and runs just fine.

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Sun SparcStation 20, saved along with the Portable above. This probably runs too. I have the keyboard and mouse, but didn't save the monitor on account of the size and weight and missing base. And as luck would have it, this computer is not compatible with standard monitors without a special adapter. :(

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Also saved last week, a Gateway 2000 in a tall tower. This will probably be my next restoration project. Likely just needs a new hard drive; old one was removed and destroyed prior to scrapping.

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Bought this one a while back, an Apple G3 Beige. It came with OSX, which was a piece of crap, so I installed MacOS9 and now it's one of my favorite machines, definitely my favorite Mac.

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Someone gave me this a few weeks back, a Packard Bell MultiMedia 450r. It ran well when received, but was cluttered with crap. So the drive has been reformatted and ready for a 'new' OS. A friend is waiting on this one, to use for a simple Windows 95 game machine.

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Couple of Ataris, purchased from a forum member.

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This was my everyday laptop, an IBM 365XD. Bought it from a co-worker years ago for fifty bucks and used it for traveling - internet access at motels, GPS transfers, etc. Lots of accessories for this one too, including a couple docking stations.

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PowerComputing Mac clone. Made just before Apple shut down the clones, my purpose for keeping this is to have a machine for dual-booting MacOS and BeOS.

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Gateway 2000 desktop. This baby used to boot and run just fine after being rescued from a local school's storage room, but something has broken on it. Either a dead PSU or MB. A couple of members have asked if I'd part with this computer, so I intend to offer it for auction as soon as it's operational again.

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Not pictured, a stack of Leading Edge Fortiva 5000 machines saved from the trash at a local school. Currently being salvaged and cannibalized, trying to get a few working machines out of the pile. Some members have asked for these too.

Continued...
 
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Early IBM clone, by Leading Edge. I think this one boots into GEOS. Rescued from a local school a few years ago.

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IBM Personal System / 2, model 55SX. Also from the school.

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Couple of old Mac laptops, PowerBook 170. These once belonged to Los Alamos National Lab, nothing secret, just part of some old educational program there.

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Here's a computer so sub-performing that it's not even called a computer. IBM Personal Typing System. I'm not showing monitors with most of the other systems, although I do have them available. Had to make an exception for this one though, since the monitor is hard-wired to the computer. ??? Rescued this one from the school.

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Compaq Portable III. Runs DOS in a brilliant monochrome orange. :D Actually paid for this one, about $30 on eBay as I recall.

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This first affordable home computer gets No Respect, the Timex Sinclair 1000, with accessories.

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An odd one here, Mattel Aquarius and accessories. Printer, modem, tape recorder...

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A couple from Commodore, a 128 and 128D. The 128D was purchased; the 128 was saved from a local school.

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Continued...
 
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Last batch...

Kaypro portable. Wouldn't you love to rush through a major airport carrying this, especially with those sharp metal corners? This powers up fine, but haven't gotten it to boot. Either a bad boot disk or bad floppy drive.

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Mac Lc III. This one boots and runs great. But I've got another 10-15 of these and similar that need sorting through, all courtesy of the local school.

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IBM PC XT. There's actually three of these, similar but not all the exact same model. These were salvaged from a local school's storage room. The item on the bottom is a bit unusual, a dual Iomega Bernoulli drive that weighs a freakin' ton!

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Radio Shack Tandi Model III and Model 4. These used to work. Not so sure any longer.

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Bill Cosby's favorite, the TI 99/4a. These both boot and run like new.

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Nice! The Leading Edge Model D was the first computer I programmed on...GW-BASIC under MS-DOS 2.11! You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the Leading Edge Word Processor, would you?

You should be able to write out a boot disk for the Kaypro using ImageDisk. I wrote out a disk for my Kaypro II no-problem.
 
Do you have an IBM 5153 CGA monitor you'd be willing to sell, and do you have any other 51xx IBM accessories besides the dual Bernoulli unit (very cool)?
 
You wouldn't happen to have a copy of the Leading Edge Word Processor, would you?
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No. Unfortunately, as is often the case with rescued computers, the software and documentation isn't included. Either there's an administrator's office somewhere cram-packed with software and accessories, or it's long-gone to who-knows-where.

You should be able to write out a boot disk for the Kaypro using ImageDisk. I wrote out a disk for my Kaypro II no-problem.
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Perhaps, as long as the floppy drives are operational.

I thought all those add-ons for the Acquarius were just vaporware... you prove me wrong!
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The computer, mini expansion, and 4 programs were all a package. The rest was scavenged one piece at a time. The modem, Logo kit, and 16k memory expansion are still in the cellophane wrappers.
One thing I've seen only once, was dirty and trashed, and still sold for a fortune... an Aquarius appliance controller. I guess you could program the start and end times for household appliances.
I think there's a few more software titles as well.

Do you have an IBM 5153 CGA monitor you'd be willing to sell, and do you have any other 51xx IBM accessories besides the dual Bernoulli unit (very cool)?
Click to expand...
It's been a long time since I tested that IBM stuff, if I ever did.
Two monitors are color and one is monochrome; not sure of the model numbers but I'll check later since you asked. Heck, I'm not even sure the computer models, since they aren't all the same.
No other accessories either. :(
Eventually I'd like to pick out one monitor and computer for myself and perhaps trade the rest. No time soon though; I'm up to my ears in 486es and Gateway 2000s that I'm working on in my limited spare time.

Thanks for the comments.
 
IBM "color" monitors are typically the CGA 5153 variety, the other IBM "color" monitor is the EGA 5154. When you get a chance to look through them let me know what you have, I'm going to be seeking out a 5153 shortly, and the ones on eBay are a ripoff.. :(

If your boxes aren't all 5160s let me know, I happen to have a 5160 on it's way to me in need of a monitor, but would consider a trade or purchase if you end up with a 5150 or XT-286 for sale.
 
Just made the trip upstairs to see exactly what I do have. Two of the computers are 5160 and one is a 5150. Two of the monitors are 5153 and one is a 5151.

At this point I have no idea which one(s) I'll be keeping.

and the ones on eBay are a ripoff..
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Maybe I should sell them on eBay then? :D
Just kidding.
 
Just because the ones on eBay are a ripoff doesn't mean that they'll get sold. ;D

The only one on eBay with a reasonable, but still high, price won't turn on and definitely needs repair work.. :p

If you end up not wanting the 5150 let me know - if you do keep it no big deal. I'd like to get one but am not actively looking - it's not even in my list in my signature (yet).

As for the 5153, I definitely want one. When you figure out what you're doing let me know. 5151 is monochrome btw, since I mentioned what the other two are I figured I ought to mention that. The 5151 likely goes with the 5150 and each 5160 likely came with a 5153, judging by the numbers.
 
I got one of those Packard bell boxes as well but I was lucky to land myself all the original documentation, bundled software discs, and restore media.
Their specs are garbage until you actually fill it with really nice hardware, then as you said, it makes a nice gaming machine.
 
Raven said:
IBM "color" monitors are typically the CGA 5153 variety, the other IBM "color" monitor is the EGA 5154. When you get a chance to look through them let me know what you have, I'm going to be seeking out a 5153 shortly, and the ones on eBay are a ripoff.. :(
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BTW, it's easy to differentiate the classic IBM monitors at a glance:

Two black knobs = MDA monochrome
Three black knobs = CGA color
Three gray knobs = EGA color
 
Nice collection.

I covert the TRS80s Model III and IV. Very rare here in NZ.

I could do with an expander for my aquarius too.

Tez
 
That's a big collection. I had never even heard of the Aquarius. It looks slightly better than the Timex.

BTW, I had one of those Timex's when I was a kid. I think my dad still has the thing sitting around somewhere. I remember it was the lamest junk ever! Now I want it, LOL.
Not sure what I will do with it though.

( For you Sinclair haters: I found this pic online: http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ZX81-doorstop.jpg )
 
carangil said:
That's a big collection. I had never even heard of the Aquarius. It looks slightly better than the Timex.

BTW, I had one of those Timex's when I was a kid. I think my dad still has the thing sitting around somewhere. I remember it was the lamest junk ever! Now I want it, LOL.
Not sure what I will do with it though.

( For you Sinclair haters: I found this pic online: http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ZX81-doorstop.jpg )
Click to expand...

Hehehe. Yes, the old doorstop joke has been around ever since they came out.

Actually they are (and were) pretty limited for anything apart from an introduction to computer programming (in BASIC) BUT on the other hand they were a lot of peoples' first introduction to computing back in the day...because they were so much cheaper than anything else.

Their IMPACT therefore, especially in UK, was considerable.

Tez
 
There seems to be a bit of software for the Timex 1000, but you need the 16K RAM expansion to use it. I read that the RAM expansion cart was prone to disconnecting and you lost your work if you bumped it. My first machine was a Timex 2068, much better design but little software for it and it would not run Speccy software without modifications to the hardware.
 
FYI, you can run that SPARCstation 20 "headless":
If you don't plug in the keyboard or mouse, it will use the serial port as console.
You just need to rig up some sort of terminal.
IIRC, the serial port is a 25-pin connector; default settings 9600/7/e/1, at least until the operating system takes over.

If I were you, I'd load OpenBSD on it.
 
Yeah when i was a kid the rampack issue was annoying. It kept unplugging. I just put a jumbo rubber band around it and that solved it all. The next annoying thing was using tape... All the cool kids had floppies!
 
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