Can anyone tell me what this is?

[Chromedome45]

Ok I know it has the Intel label on it and a disk drive. But what exactly is it? The beige colored item in lower center of pic. Yes a lot of junk in there too!
And not much light.

 

[krebizfan]

Could you pull it out and give some closer images of it? It looks similar to a MDS system but most of the pics for that have a blue case. I think Intel's other development starter systems used modifications of the same basic chassis design.

Quick link: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/731/Intel-MDS-80-Microcomputer-Development-System/
I can't find any web site that has pictures of the complete Intel lineup.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I agree that it's an Intel development system--floppy and hard disk storage (which was pretty expensive for the time). But since the bottom unit is obscured, I can't say too much about exactly what's there.

I'm a little more curious about the gray terminal-like thing in the foreground...

 

[Chromedome45]

Chuck you talking about the small gray thing with a cable wrapped around it? Yes it is a small terminal I believe. Also the bottom obscured unit is identical to the top unit. Most if not all is available. But would have to check with owner.

 

[Chuck(G)]

FWIW, the Intel boxes appear to be the MDS Series 2 Winchester Peripheral Chassis;

http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stu...r_Peripheral_Chassis_Service_Manual_May84.pdf

I suspect that there are a couple of MDS main chassis somewhere in that pile also, as you can see the keyboard for one. The back of the big blue box next to them would likely also be a dual-floppy drive unit for an MDS.

I'm fascinated by little boxes with unknown capabilities. In particular, I wonder if the little terminal could be repurposed as a special-purpose calculator.

 

[Chromedome45]

I have one of those big blue MDS boxes. The drives are vertical side by side. Also there is a low profile version with the two drives mounted horizontally as well. I am going to use the big blue box and connect to my Tandy 6000 and test some full height drives with.

I saw the main part of the chassis but all the slots were empty. Almost looked like S-100? Or am I off base?

If you want that little gray terminal let me know. Just be advised it looks like nixie but I believe it is the greenish type old calculator displays that can do letters as well as numbers but not sure.

 

[tipc]

There were whitish versions of the MDS. I can't give any specifics.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Sometime during the MDS Series 2, Intel switched to a white/ivory color scheme. Visible in manuals of that time.

MDS weren't S-100 but Multibus predecessor to S100--industrial-strength bus done right. Still around today.

I'm interested in the little gray guy. Probably a VFD (vacuum fluorescent) display, as on old credit-card terminals--as long as the display is still good, it'd be useful.

ETA: You know, that gray gizmo looks like an old TDD terminal. Not nearly as interesting then.

 

[Chromedome45]

Chuck :: Next time I get over I will have a closer look at it. But I do believe it is a terminal

 

[rbmain]

Those beige Intel boxes are the iMDX-750 Winchester Peripheral that fit Intel MDS Series-II, -III, and -IV.

See, ISIS-MDS.COM