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Oldest PC still in use

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carlsson

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Intel and HP recently held a contest in Dutch IT weeky magazine "Computable", and found a winner at PHI DATA still using their 8088-based IBM 5160 (1983) for testing matrix printers. As The Register mentions, Dell ran a similar contest a few years ago in the USA and found an Altair 8800 still in business use.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/67/34933.html

Some readers' comments:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/35/34957.html

I wonder if it counts if one starts a business running on old computers, or if it has to have run since the computer still was modern.
 
I'm sure I could set up my 8800 to run some sort of "business" application and "win" a contest like this. . . I'm just not sure what I'd do or why. :)

The 8800 would probably be the oldest PC class machine but I'm sure there are still businessess running older mini and mainframe gear. Someone somewhere has to still be using an early IBM 360, for instance.

Erik
 
My Dad's company ran a 1978 Olivetti BCS2030 until 1996/7 :)

It kept catching on fire, so was proven to be too costly to keep running :lol:
 
"It kept catching on fire" - was it powered by coal?

BTW, haven't these old IBM 360 etc been constantly migrated onto new technology (IBM 390?) during the years, so it would be difficult to tell which parts are original? I know much too less about these machines.
 
"Erik" wrote:

> I'm sure I could set up my 8800 to run some sort
> of "business" application and "win" a contest like
> this. . . I'm just not sure what I'd do or why. :)

> The 8800 would probably be the oldest PC class
> machine but I'm sure there are still businessess
> running older mini and mainframe gear. Someone
> somewhere has to still be using an early IBM 360,
> for instance.

Does an Abacus still qualify?

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
carlsson said:
"It kept catching on fire" - was it powered by coal?
Click to expand...

:lol:

It kept burning out some of the boards inside... it would have been too much work to re-computerise all of the existing records at the time, so they just kept repairing it!

olivetti.jpg
 
"dongfeng" wrote:

>> "It kept catching on fire" - was it powered by coal?

> It kept burning out some of the boards inside... it
> would have been too much work to re-computerise
> all of the existing records at the time, so they just
> kept repairing it!

I'd say it caught fire through of lack of ventelation(?),
wouldn't you say?

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
"dongfeng" wrote:

> It was in the same spot from
> 1978-1996... I think it was just old :)

Well, it's a bit hard to see from that
picture you've sent in, but by just
looking at that metal casing around
it, I though that perhaps it was
overheating inside (you did mention
that it's happened a couple of times),
Though, I've only heard of cases where
something old has packed it in because
something in it gave way, but not to the
point where it's caught on fire or set
a fire, well no really I'm lieing I've
heard of electrical faults from other
household applicanses, like TVs (which
is a good one), but computer based
doesn't seem to ring any bells. Which
is why I felt that ventelation was an
issue.

Cheers,
CP/M User.
 
I wonder if anything like this has been done since?


carlsson said:
Intel and HP recently held a contest in Dutch IT weeky magazine "Computable", and found a winner at PHI DATA still using their 8088-based IBM 5160 (1983) for testing matrix printers. As The Register mentions, Dell ran a similar contest a few years ago in the USA and found an Altair 8800 still in business use.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/67/34933.html

Some readers' comments:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/35/34957.html

I wonder if it counts if one starts a business running on old computers, or if it has to have run since the computer still was modern.
Click to expand...
 
The fact is that there are still a few businessmen who eschew fashion and take a pragmatic approach. It doesn't take much to keep inventory, or write invoices. I have a friend who has plenty of modern computer power for browsing, the kids use, etc, who runs lotus on a 286 for his business. He likes it because it works well.
I'm just waiting for the day when he hands the Tax Dept a 5 1/4" floppy. lol
 
You see a lot of old computing hardware attached to machine tools and embroidery machines. The iron cost a lot, still works fine, so it pays to keep using the old gear.

I suspect that there are still some old Sun Engine analyzers out there still chugging away on their National IMP-16 CPUs.

And DEC PDP-8s can still be found in active use here and there.
 
I think there still must be a lot of old machines in function in laboratories, running proprietary software.

I know at least one mechanical testing setup that still uses an Apple II for calculating and outputting test results.
 
Perhaps it should be limited to the oldest personal computer (i.e. no IBM/360, PDP-8 or so on) still actually used as a such. Automated control of some machinery is not a typical PC - office - application.
 
Hmm, well, calling a PDP a personal computer, I don't know..

But I get what you mean :)
 
I think you are better of with old machines for many tasks.

1. Keeps workers from browsing the web and loading games onto test rigs.
2. You don't have software glitches or timing problems because the code used runs too fast on a new machine.
3. You never have overheating issues on old hardware because it doesn't run very hot.
4. Nobody wants to walk off with an XT while a newer laptop doing the same work will get stolen (had that happen at work in the middle of a data aquisition test).
5. IT doesn't want anything to do with the old stuff so they won't take it and break it.
 
i just saw a ibm 5160 being used at the dentist today, they use it to keep an inventory of medical records. rest of the computers are just plain ole ctx 386 systems weird thing is they started practice in 1996.
 
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