Ack! This sucks

[lotonah]

Hi everyone. Since I moved here nine months ago, I haven't met anyone who likes classic computers (or even computers, for that matter). All they want to do is get drunk and talk hockey.

So I know this sounds pathetic, but I'm really hoping that there is someone in the Penticton, B.C. area who would like to go have a coffee and brag about their past exploits. I used to belong to a few computer clubs back in the 80's and miss that camaraderie.

lol No, this isn't a veiled attempt at meeting up for sex. I'm serious about the computer stuff.

 

[NathanAllan]

Here in El Paso it's football or soccer so I know exactly what you mean, and they want to get drunk here, too. If I were in Canada I'd have coffee with you, that's for sure. I find that being on the forums is pretty good as a substitute for actual meeting, though drinking coffee alone is not so great sometimes.

How long have you lived there? Any good thrift stores in your area?

 

[Ole Juul]

Penticton? That's the nearest shopping town to here. It's about 1 3/4 hours away. I'm just outside of Princeton which only has one grocery store.

Around here they don't talk that much about hockey. It's all sleds n' quads. But the drunk part is definately true. That's what most people do outside of big cities. Yep, it sucks.

If you're ever over this way, stop in for coffee. I'm in the Coalmont General Store which is no longer a store but just a storehouse - of antiques and old computer crap.

 

[NeXT]

Pentiction?
Hey hey from Kamloops!
What's the vintage computer abundance like down there? Everything as far as Kelowna so far seems to all belong to the ERA now. The flow of electronics has long since dried up around these parts and prices are starting to get ugly.

 

[NathanAllan]

I have a friend in Kelowna, and he says about the same, not much to be had. He's more into the game aspect of tech, not so much into computers (I'm trying to get him into it, though). He did recently score a pretty nice TI 99/4-A.

 

[lotonah]

Hi Nathan,

I've been here about nine months now. Previously, I was in Kelowna (about 50 minutes away), which is about double in size (approx. 100,000 people). I was a manager at a computer store and got to talk computers all day.

Now I'm unemployed, and struggling to make friends here. Ah well, my new girlfriend is awesome so it's bearable.

There are no good computer stores here... or at least I've been unimpressed. As far as thrift stores, it's pathetic. I've been to several, they barely have televisions, never mind computers. I think a Vancouver trip is in order soon before I go nutso.

I'm guessing El Paso has a better selection?

 

[lotonah]

Penticton? That's the nearest shopping town to here. It's about 1 3/4 hours away. I'm just outside of Princeton which only has one grocery store.

Around here they don't talk that much about hockey. It's all sleds n' quads. But the drunk part is definately true. That's what most people do outside of big cities. Yep, it sucks.

If you're ever over this way, stop in for coffee. I'm in the Coalmont General Store which is no longer a store but just a storehouse - of antiques and old computer crap.

I just might have to make a drive out there someday, it's rare finding someone who likes to talk old computers. What kinds are you into?

 

[Ole Juul]

There are no good computer stores here... or at least I've been unimpressed. As far as thrift stores, it's pathetic. I've been to several, they barely have televisions, never mind computers. I think a Vancouver trip is in order soon before I go nutso.

In Princeton (15 min away) there's two computer places. One, I talk with, but he's not into vintage. The other is new and calls himself "The Ink Spot". I checked his stock and he's got less ink selection than the drug store used to have - and he's rude. The best bet for computers in Princeton is The Source by Circuit City (Radio Shack). The thrift store is awesome here, but they don't take computers because the ladies that run it don't want to sell something they don't know about. That's fair enough. I've found good stuff at the dump but there's not much stuff there any more. Yep, small BC towns have their problems when it comes to computers.

I just might have to make a drive out there someday, it's rare finding someone who likes to talk old computers. What kinds are you into?

I would be thrilled to get visitors! When you get to Princeton just go over "the brown bridge" and turn left (west). Fifteen minutes later along one of the most exciting roads in BC you will see my house. It looks like this - kinda vintage.

My computer tastes run more towards the old and minimal than any particular brand. I could probably put together a couple of XTs from parts because there's a lot of stuff here from that era. XT era DOS software is my favourite world. I've also got a number chassis for Compaq portables. Basically, most of my basement is full of boxes of old computer and electronics stuff. In completed machines I've got an IBM model 25, some AT, Sharp PC4501 and Toshiba T3100 laptops. Also 386s, 486s, and of course P1s up the yingyang. I haven't really gotten there yet like other folks around here. Note though that DOS is still my main OS because I think it is superior in many ways. I also run Linux and FreeBSD for their networking fluency. I'm sure we have lots to talk about even though I'm just an old dingbat and not a professional.

 

[digger]

Somewhat off-topic perhaps, but I'm just wondering... Living in those lovely yet remote areas, what kind of Internet connections do you folks use? Two-way satellite? Old-fashioned dial-up? A 3G dongle? Or can you actually get DSL or cable out there these days?

 

[lotonah]

In Princeton (15 min away) there's two computer places. One, I talk with, but he's not into vintage. The other is new and calls himself "The Ink Spot". I checked his stock and he's got less ink selection than the drug store used to have - and he's rude. The best bet for computers in Princeton is The Source by Circuit City (Radio Shack). The thrift store is awesome here, but they don't take computers because the ladies that run it don't want to sell something they don't know about. That's fair enough. I've found good stuff at the dump but there's not much stuff there any more. Yep, small BC towns have their problems when it comes to computers.


I would be thrilled to get visitors! When you get to Princeton just go over "the brown bridge" and turn left (west). Fifteen minutes later along one of the most exciting roads in BC you will see my house. It looks like this - kinda vintage.

My computer tastes run more towards the old and minimal than any particular brand. I could probably put together a couple of XTs from parts because there's a lot of stuff here from that era. XT era DOS software is my favourite world. I've also got a number chassis for Compaq portables. Basically, most of my basement is full of boxes of old computer and electronics stuff. In completed machines I've got an IBM model 25, some AT, Sharp PC4501 and Toshiba T3100 laptops. Also 386s, 486s, and of course P1s up the yingyang. I haven't really gotten there yet like other folks around here. Note though that DOS is still my main OS because I think it is superior in many ways. I also run Linux and FreeBSD for their networking fluency. I'm sure we have lots to talk about even though I'm just an old dingbat and not a professional.

I see from the flags that you run on your website that you're from Denmark. Cool! My family is from Sweden/Norway (although I don't speak any of it).

I'm afraid I've had to resort to eBay to get a large chunk of my collection. The last item I got by stumbling across it was a Pong clone at a church yard sale almost 8 years ago. Actually, that's not true, I got a few ColecoVision cartridges from Value Village three or four years ago now.

I had a private collector give me most of his collection last year, he wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it since he was getting too old to use it (his memory was unfortunately deteriorating). It was a pretty emotional day for him, he'd taken excellent care of it all (that's where I got most of my TRS-80 equipment).

My computing interests are all over the place. Atari, Commodore, Apple, TRS-80, MS-DOS, CP/M... love it all. My biggest problem is I have no focus. I'll learn some trick on the Apple, and then jump to the Atari... I figure I'd be a top-notch assembly programmer by now if I could just stick to one platform.

Since you seem to lean toward MS-DOS more, I should mention that part of my collection. I have recently finished refurbishing an IBM 5155 luggable, although the 2nd memory expansion card decided to give it up now, so I'm back down to 384Kb. I also have a nice Compaq Portable III with a gas plasma, an IBM PCjr (which needs a replacement monitor), a Tandy model 1000TX, a 286 clone, a 386 clone, a 486 clone, and a P3 machine. Of course I still have my modern stuff, too... between my girlfriend and myself I have every major version of DOS/Windows except Windows ME running somewhere around here.

I know this is going to sound blasphemous, but my primary system is a Mac Pro running the latest version of OSX. It's my beast I love running VM Ware on it, I have XP Pro, MS-DOS 6.22, Windows 2.1, NextStep 3.3 and the latest Ubuntu build as images for it. I'm gonna try getting OpenGEM on it soon, too.

Do you do any programming? I'm pretty good in BASIC, but I can do C++, Pascal, and Modula-2, still trying to wrap my head around Assembler. If you want to call it programming, I'm good at the whole HTML/CSS/JavaScript stuff, too.

 

[lotonah]

Somewhat off-topic perhaps, but I'm just wondering... Living in those lovely yet remote areas, what kind of Internet connections do you folks use? Two-way satellite? Old-fashioned dial-up? A 3G dongle? Or can you actually get DSL or cable out there these days?

Hi Digger,

I guess that compared to living in Europe, Canada still evokes images of the frontier lifestyle. I know British Columbia was only founded 150 years ago, but we've come a long way.

In Penticton, we have ADSL, and Cable internet. I know of private microwave systems, too. There's satellite internet and 3G service, if you need them. I guess dial-up is still available, but with so many other options out there I think 56Kbs is pretty much dead, except for old goofs like me who set up BBS systems for old time's sake.

 

[lotonah]

Pentiction?
Hey hey from Kamloops!
What's the vintage computer abundance like down there? Everything as far as Kelowna so far seems to all belong to the ERA now. The flow of electronics has long since dried up around these parts and prices are starting to get ugly.

Hey NeXT!
You and I actually talked briefly last year, while I was still in Kelowna. Now you're even further from me.
The scene is very quiet around here. I'm sure there are collections, but how do you meet people to talk about them?

One thing I was thinking about doing was approaching the Public Library/Museum and seeing if they'd be interested in letting me have a small vintage computer show there, maybe with some interactive displays. I think it'd be fun to teach young kids about the old stuff (let 'em play PacMan on the Atari 800 for a while). Maybe it'd get a few people to talk about their old Apple // collections, etc.

Most of the people I've talked to though got into computers around the Windows 98 era. Which I guess is starting to be old-school, but not really what I had in mind.

 

[NeXT]

Wait, we met last year?
Please shake the cobwebs from my brain. I don't remember.
Usually because there are no computer conventions here (I still insist on a VCF Northwest in Vancouver or something) in the north west we usually meet by accident be it a garage sale or here on a forum. It's about as out-of-the-blue as finding vintage hardware here.

 

[lotonah]

Wait, we met last year?
Please shake the cobwebs from my brain. I don't remember.
Usually because there are no computer conventions here (I still insist on a VCF Northwest in Vancouver or something) in the north west we usually meet by accident be it a garage sale or here on a forum. It's about as out-of-the-blue as finding vintage hardware here.

No, we didn't meet... we just talked. On here. If I remember, there was briefly ideas of trading some equipment, but it didn't go anywhere.
I'd love it if there was a VCF in Vancouver. I'd definitely try to make it out there for something like that. I used to go to the swap meets they had in Burnaby when I lived out there 20 years ago, and I was a member of Vantari, the Vancouver Atari users group (ran their BBS for a while).

 

[Ole Juul]

I see from the flags that you run on your website that you're from Denmark. Cool! My family is from Sweden/Norway (although I don't speak any of it).

I came to BC in '57 and I still read/write/speak Danish. The internet is great for keeping up language skills. Although I'm Danish, I was actually born in Øvik, Sweden.

I'm afraid I've had to resort to eBay to get a large chunk of my collection. The last item I got by stumbling across it was a Pong clone at a church yard sale almost 8 years ago. Actually, that's not true, I got a few ColecoVision cartridges from Value Village three or four years ago now.

I used to get a lot of stuff from PC Galore's freebox back when they first started. Also people used to give me all their old crap when I lived in Vancouver. I'd come home and find stuff on the porch. hehe

My computing interests are all over the place. Atari, Commodore, Apple, TRS-80, MS-DOS, CP/M... love it all. My biggest problem is I have no focus. I'll learn some trick on the Apple, and then jump to the Atari... I figure I'd be a top-notch assembly programmer by now if I could just stick to one platform.

For some strange reason I can't get interested in the Atari or Apple thing. I guess the first few times I encountered Macs they turned me off really badly because of their lack of flexibility so I could never get over that. That's what happened with MS-Windows 3.1 which I ran for a couple of months. I couldn't figure out how to change it to the way I wanted it. Always the same windows doing things their way and not the way I wanted. I just dropped the whole thing like a hot potato. My problem is that I'm weird. I want to own what I have. CP/M interests me though. I've got a Kaypro sitting in a box in the basement calling my name. Also, if I had more skills, I think I could really get into old DEC equipment.

I just don't have the basic skills to deal with equipment outside of the 8088 - 386 range of hardware and the DOS - UNIX - LINUX software. It's basically a problem with the brain cell to time ratio. However, as a general computer user, I think it behoves me to know something about what a computer is and does. Even though I will probably never own a PDP-8 or even a MAC, lol, I think I should know something about them. So, one of reasons I hang out on this forum is that I don't want to be ignorant about computers. A lot of people have little general computer knowledge these days and I don't want to be like that. I'm already old. I don't want to be old _and_ ignorant.

Since you seem to lean toward MS-DOS more, I should mention that part of my collection. I have recently finished refurbishing an IBM 5155 luggable, although the 2nd memory expansion card decided to give it up now, so I'm back down to 384Kb. I also have a nice Compaq Portable III with a gas plasma, an IBM PCjr (which needs a replacement monitor), a Tandy model 1000TX, a 286 clone, a 386 clone, a 486 clone, and a P3 machine

I love those 9" monochrome screens! As to 384Kb, well I bet that's enough to get on the net. Hehe, I'd give it a try anyway.

Of course I still have my modern stuff, too... between my girlfriend and myself I have every major version of DOS/Windows except Windows ME running somewhere around here.

Here, it's DOS, Linux/KDE, FreeBSD. Anything with MS-Win on it doesn't get turned on and is just there to save some history.

I know this is going to sound blasphemous, but my primary system is a Mac Pro running the latest version of OSX. It's my beast I love running VM Ware on it, I have XP Pro, MS-DOS 6.22, Windows 2.1, NextStep 3.3 and the latest Ubuntu build as images for it. I'm gonna try getting OpenGEM on it soon, too.

My primary system is a P1 running MS-DOS 6.22. It's called ANA. Most text is handled on that and it is good for some network stuff as well. My secondary machine is currently running Kubuntu 8.04 and is an Intel P4-511-2.8GHz on an Intel D915G mother board. It's getting pretty long in the tooth now, but still manages to have over 50 windows open on 10 desktops while running internet radio. I'll wait a few years before I plunk a newer CPU and MB in the box. Lately I've been having more fun playing pretend sysop with the LAMP server in the basement and that's just a 1.4GHz with 512 MB ram. My girlfriend has also taken to using it for testing blogging software and configurations.

Do you do any programming? I'm pretty good in BASIC, but I can do C++, Pascal, and Modula-2, still trying to wrap my head around Assembler. If you want to call it programming, I'm good at the whole HTML/CSS/JavaScript stuff, too.

I'm just too stupid to do any programming. Like I said it's the braincell/time ratio thing. Hehe. Being a doshead though, I write batch files in my sleep. I don't think it's possible to run DOS in any useful manner without doing most of it with batch files. That's the way the old manuals explained it and I was the sucker that believed them. Boy do I wish I could do some DOS assembler though - or C in *nix. Oh well. One just can't do everything.

BTW, if you're wondering why this post is so long, it's because I just ate a whole 70% chocolate bar. It's too late for coffee. However, this house is known for the quality of the coffee, which is always served with cake/desserts etc. but since you're from further away, you can also expect lunch or dinner. I am Danish after all.

 

[carlsson]

Although I'm Danish, I was actually born in Øvik, Sweden.

Eh.. would that be Örnsköldsvik up in the north? The city perhaps most internationally famous for being the home of Peter Forsberg, the icehockey player?

 

[Ole Juul]

Eh.. would that be Örnsköldsvik up in the north? The city perhaps most internationally famous for being the home of Peter Forsberg, the icehockey player?

That's the one. It's up north all right. I think in those days it was know for Hägglund og Sønner (sp?). My parents lived there for part of the war and moved back when I was one. I don't speak Swedish but my first children's books (which I still have) were gifts from friends in Øvik.

 

[NathanAllan]

Hi Nathan,

I've been here about nine months now. Previously, I was in Kelowna (about 50 minutes away), which is about double in size (approx. 100,000 people). I was a manager at a computer store and got to talk computers all day.

Now I'm unemployed, and struggling to make friends here. Ah well, my new girlfriend is awesome so it's bearable.

There are no good computer stores here... or at least I've been unimpressed. As far as thrift stores, it's pathetic. I've been to several, they barely have televisions, never mind computers. I think a Vancouver trip is in order soon before I go nutso.

I'm guessing El Paso has a better selection?

No, not really. Things get used up here or torn down for parts as people think there's something inside that'll be worth something to someone but only as parts. I've been licky to run across that odd computer or bit and piece to something odd-- like the two coolest things I have in my collection are an Altos 986T with Xenix on a 10mb hard drive and a non-functional (for now) Tektronix 4052 computer.

I have to talk to a LOT of people to get anything interesting, though, adn leave myself open for any mostly modern junk that comes around, too.

Used to work in a computer store? I actually am trying to run my very own, and lemme tell ya, I'm not much better off Times really are rough in this neck fo the woods, but I'm determined. A very cool girlfriend (or wife) helps a lot, too. But being unenployed really sucks, I know exactly what you mean. Chin up! Things will change.

 

[lotonah]

I used to get a lot of stuff from PC Galore's freebox back when they first started. Also people used to give me all their old crap when I lived in Vancouver. I'd come home and find stuff on the porch. hehe

Now that would be cool. Actually, that would sometimes happen to me when I managed the computer store in Kelowna. I remember showing up for work one day and there was a TRS-80 CoCo waiting for me. Needless to say, I was a happy puppy.

For some strange reason I can't get interested in the Atari or Apple thing. I guess the first few times I encountered Macs they turned me off really badly because of their lack of flexibility so I could never get over that. That's what happened with MS-Windows 3.1 which I ran for a couple of months. I couldn't figure out how to change it to the way I wanted it. Always the same windows doing things their way and not the way I wanted. I just dropped the whole thing like a hot potato. My problem is that I'm weird. I want to own what I have. CP/M interests me though. I've got a Kaypro sitting in a box in the basement calling my name. Also, if I had more skills, I think I could really get into old DEC equipment.

I came at it from a different angle. When IBM machines (and then Compaq, etc.) first appeared, there was no way I would have ever been able to afford them. So I found reasons to hate them. Funny how the mind works. It wasn't until the first time that I saw Windows 386 that I thought maybe I'd actually like to own one. So I built one, a 286 with 1Mb of memory, out of parts that I could either get cheap or free. For the first six months I didn't have a case, it was just strewn across a desk. Motherboard here, a foot away was the 40Mb hard drive. Fun stuff. I remember being really, really impressed with Word for Windows 2.0, after using with First Word on the Atari ST for years.

Don't get me wrong, I'd used plenty of DOS machines before then, in high school I was doing Turbo Pascal programming on Apple //e's running CP/M and doing my homework on the Commodore PC-40's at work (I worked part-time at a computer store after school). I almost bought an Atari PC-1 (MS-DOS machine) because I thought they were cool. I almost bought an Amstrad PC-1512, but they were out of stock and it would have taken weeks to get me one... so I bought something else (an Amiga 500).

I just don't have the basic skills to deal with equipment outside of the 8088 - 386 range of hardware and the DOS - UNIX - LINUX software. It's basically a problem with the brain cell to time ratio. However, as a general computer user, I think it behoves me to know something about what a computer is and does. Even though I will probably never own a PDP-8 or even a MAC, lol, I think I should know something about them. So, one of reasons I hang out on this forum is that I don't want to be ignorant about computers. A lot of people have little general computer knowledge these days and I don't want to be like that. I'm already old. I don't want to be old _and_ ignorant.

I find that the old computers have more in common than not. For instance, almost all of them run some sort of Microsoft BASIC, usually with a few extra commands that makes up their DOS. Only CP/M, Unix and MS-DOS seemed to have the DOS seperate from their BASICs.

I'm obviously glad that you feel that way about technology. Otherwise, I'd be talking to myself and I do that enough already

I love those 9" monochrome screens! As to 384Kb, well I bet that's enough to get on the net. Hehe, I'd give it a try anyway.

I don't know what the current version of GeoWorks Ensemble needs to run, but I know that it's internet-capable, and can surf webpages.

My primary system is a P1 running MS-DOS 6.22. It's called ANA. Most text is handled on that and it is good for some network stuff as well. My secondary machine is currently running Kubuntu 8.04 and is an Intel P4-511-2.8GHz on an Intel D915G mother board. It's getting pretty long in the tooth now, but still manages to have over 50 windows open on 10 desktops while running internet radio. I'll wait a few years before I plunk a newer CPU and MB in the box. Lately I've been having more fun playing pretend sysop with the LAMP server in the basement and that's just a 1.4GHz with 512 MB ram. My girlfriend has also taken to using it for testing blogging software and configurations.

I like that you name your computers. It's very "Jerry Pournelle" of you (I used to love reading Chaos Manor in Byte Magazine, he had all his machines named).

I'm just too stupid to do any programming. Like I said it's the braincell/time ratio thing. Hehe. Being a doshead though, I write batch files in my sleep. I don't think it's possible to run DOS in any useful manner without doing most of it with batch files. That's the way the old manuals explained it and I was the sucker that believed them. Boy do I wish I could do some DOS assembler though - or C in *nix. Oh well. One just can't do everything.

Batch files *ARE* programming. Guess what you've been doing? heh heh

BTW, if you're wondering why this post is so long, it's because I just ate a whole 70% chocolate bar. It's too late for coffee. However, this house is known for the quality of the coffee, which is always served with cake/desserts etc. but since you're from further away, you can also expect lunch or dinner. I am Danish after all.

Sounds good to me! :D

 

[lotonah]

No, not really. Things get used up here or torn down for parts as people think there's something inside that'll be worth something to someone but only as parts. I've been licky to run across that odd computer or bit and piece to something odd-- like the two coolest things I have in my collection are an Altos 986T with Xenix on a 10mb hard drive and a non-functional (for now) Tektronix 4052 computer.

I have to talk to a LOT of people to get anything interesting, though, adn leave myself open for any mostly modern junk that comes around, too.

Used to work in a computer store? I actually am trying to run my very own, and lemme tell ya, I'm not much better off Times really are rough in this neck fo the woods, but I'm determined. A very cool girlfriend (or wife) helps a lot, too. But being unenployed really sucks, I know exactly what you mean. Chin up! Things will change.

I'd say that the Altos and the Tektronix are definitely cool machines. I'd love to play around with those for a while.

If all I wanted to collect were Pentium 2 and Pentium 3's, I'd be in heaven. I have zero use for those, I'm looking for machines from the 70's and 80's, and those are fewer and fewer. Every time I have to pass up a rare computer on eBay I cringe now, 'cause I'm not sure if I'll ever see another come up for auction in my lifetime. Maybe yes, maybe no. Oh well, its not like I have infinite money, or space to store 'em.

How long have you had your computer store running? I'm guessing it's a Windows shop, right? That's what I was running, too... the owner thought I was a commie for owning a Mac. Except when that knowledge would earn him money, then suddenly it was a good thing that I owned one.

Yup, the support of your loved ones definitely helps. She wasn't really into tech when I met her, but I'm slowly turning her into a geek. What choice does she have, really? haha