Datapoint 8600

[Dr_Discette]

It looks like it might work for my 8650 turbo, but their minimum offer is over $150
Let 'em sit on the stuff...

More from the house today!

 

[SRE28]

check out the thread "New Datapoint 2200 owner" on VCF. I just donated 2 Datapoint 8600 processors to Dave at LSSM Along with a bunch of other Datapoint stuff. I was a tech for data point in the 70's-80's The 1560 system was not widely sold as it was a "Cludge" system using serial ports on the disk drive. Not a very fast system, even for it's time. The 1500 was a Z80 based system the was originally created as a low cost alternative to the 6600/8600 base systems. I don't think the 1500 series ran the RMS operating system, which was the big push in the 80's.

​

 

[hush]

I think the son re-activated the old listing, atleast that’s what I am thinking atm. Been too busy to talk with them for a few days

the unfortunate thing about "dumb pricing" for old keyboards is that the losers who hoard just the keyboards from systems they don't own and will never own have a lot of money and nothing better to spend it on

 

[xp0nentz]

Hi, I’m new here.
I have a Datapoint 8600 “rebadged 8200” and wanted to see if anyone can help me understand what I have here.

*note, I’m 99% sure it’s a 8600 NOT a 8200 because of the detached keyboard, the 8200 was a full terminal, also all the schematics of the inside of the unit I have matches the 8600 1:1

I’ve had her for a year or 2 now, when you look them up my post about it on Reddit is the first thing that pops up!
Everything I know or can find about it are can be found on this

datapoint :: 8600 :: 61294 8600 Brochure 1982 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

From the bitsavers.org collection, a scanned-in computer-related document.datapoint :: 8600 :: 61294 8600 Brochure 1982

archive.org

http://bitsavers.org/pdf/datapoint/8600/61115_8600_HardwareRef_May82.pdf

I’ve only seen 3 others in the wild. I had 2 of them but I had another collector buy one from me.

One was posted on Reddit by another user, and the last one I found in a museum in Europe..

I’m not gonna lie, this is WAY outside my knowledge or comfort level. So I would love to rehome her with someone who might be able to get it working..

Idk if trades are allowed on here, but let me know. I’m a big IBM guy, and I’m trying to restore my 5150 fully atm.

Thanks y’all View attachment 1295094

Hello, is this a computer or a terminal. I'm a little confused :/ I've never heard of a terminal being used as a computer other than the vt180 Robin.

 

[xp0nentz]

View attachment 1295367

WOWWW WOWW THERE'S A CDI DOT; THAT'S THE COMPUTER ON MY PROFILE PICTURE! THAT'S MY FAVORITE COMPUTER! WOW! IT'S SUCH A SHAME THAT THEY WERE A FLOP. I WISH I COULD OWN ONE! IT'S THE 4TH IMAGE! Alrighty, so if they opened that up, there should be the computer and the keyboard. Since that's the outer shell case which made it luggable. Keyboard should be above the computer. I hope they have the 3.5-inch DOS diskette. I'd really love to add that computer to my collection, sadly they cost upwards of 1300 USD and I'm 13 so I can't do much about that. @Al Kossow You guys at the CHM should try to get one of those machines, they're really interesting. Around 1983 (I'm pretty sure they were released around then) it was an IBM PC Clone, except instead of using 5.25 disks, they used the Sony manual shutter 3.5-inch diskettes, and then to convert IBM software, they sold a conversion kit. There was one on eBay a few months ago for 1750.

 

[pbirkel]

I've never heard of a terminal being used as a computer other than the vt180 Robin.

There's the Heathkit H89 (Zenith Z89) -- an extended H19 (Z19) terminal with an added CPU and FDD. Same idea as the VT180 which is an extended VT1xx terminal.

 

[NeXT]

so what ended up happening in the end? I see a few DOT's sold but the datapoint stuff seemingly disappeared into oblivion and r/keyboards.

 

[xp0nentz]

so what ended up happening in the end? I see a few DOT's sold but the datapoint stuff seemingly disappeared into oblivion and r/keyboards.

I bought one of the dots for 600 bucks, bargained down the seller, and then since my account was made the same day I shot them the offer, they checked my profile 4 hours after the purchase thought I was a scammer and canceled my damn purchase.

 

[xp0nentz]

I do wonder where the datapoint stuff went, seems like it just disappeared. What else did they have other than DOT and datapoint stuff?

 

[rightangle]

I do wonder where the datapoint stuff went, seems like it just disappeared. What else did they have other than DOT and datapoint stuff?

Same here. I've been VERY interested in Datapoint and would love to have honestly anything made by them... I just haven't gotten around to actually asking where/how to find that stuff. It really bums me out to see so much in one place not that long ago having seemingly disappeared. Just out of reach

 

[xp0nentz]

Same here. I've been VERY interested in Datapoint and would love to have honestly anything made by them... I just haven't gotten around to actually asking where/how to find that stuff. It really bums me out to see so much in one place not that long ago having seemingly disappeared. Just out of reach

Yeah. I would like to own some of the machines and I sadly can't.

 

[Al Kossow]

Same here. I've been VERY interested in Datapoint and would love to have honestly anything made by them... I just haven't gotten around to actually asking where/how to find that stuff. It really bums me out to see so much in one place not that long ago having seemingly disappeared. Just out of reach

Unless you want a box with no software, you haven't lost anything.
As far as I know, so software has been archived for the later Datapoint systems.

 

[tech58761]

...It really bums me out to see so much in one place not that long ago having seemingly disappeared. Just out of reach

Not to hijack this thread, but I did want to say I sympathize with you. Imagine the feeling of trying to chase down information on some equipment that was rare even when new and discovering that possibly the last set of prints for it had been in the filing room on the other side of one's workplace the whole time - that is, until a recent clean-out.

 

[rightangle]

Unless you want a box with no software, you haven't lost anything.
As far as I know, so software has been archived for the later Datapoint systems.

A box with or without software... I honestly wouldn't mind. As much as I appreciate something functioning, it's the story behind Datapoint that makes it significant to me—that's why I'm interested in getting one of their machines. That being said, it does make me happy to know that some of the software has been archived, and I appreciate your all's effort in doing so.

Not to hijack this thread, but I did want to say I sympathize with you. Imagine the feeling of trying to chase down information on some equipment that was rare even when new and discovering that possibly the last set of prints for it had been in the filing room on the other side of one's workplace the whole time - that is, until a recent clean-out.

You aren't hijacking this thread any more than I am ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯.

Thank you, I'm glad to hear you understand the feeling. Well, not glad that happened (assuming what you said actually happened and isn't a metaphor), but you get what I mean. That's really frustrating . I like the way you articulated it though. I don't want to say too much because I plan on making a sort-of documentary video about Datapoint in which I'll explain further, but I'll at least say that I have some ties to San Antonio (the city where Datapoint was located).

If only you magically knew to look in that filing room, and if only my age wasn't a negative number at the time Datapoint was around.

 

[Al Kossow]

There is software at the tech museum in San Antonio, and I have been asking people literally decades about
getting it archived and read. Unfortunately now, the main person behind it was killed in an accident recently.

LCM had a pile of Datapoint systems, I don't know if ICM ended up with any of the hardware or software they had.

 

[tech58761]

rightangle: Thanks. And yes, it was a real thing. I wish I'd thought of a plausible excuse to trawl through the files before they were all boxed up and sent back to that company (I do know one of their staff members and he confirmed everything for the earlier stuff was disposed of after making sure it was all accounted for). Sigh. Oh well.

 

[rightangle]

There is software at the tech museum in San Antonio, and I have been asking people literally decades about
getting it archived and read. Unfortunately now, the main person behind it was killed in an accident recently.

LCM had a pile of Datapoint systems, I don't know if ICM ended up with any of the hardware or software they had.

I haven't been to SAMSAT yet (I didn't even know SA had that sort of museum until I started researching Datapoint) but I plan on going next time I'm in San Antonio to see that exhibit. I would see if there was anything I could do there to help you get ahold of that software but I assume you've already tried everything that I could do. Regardless, that's a huge bummer... you'd think a literal museum would be more receptive to archiving and literally preserving the things they hold, especially by an archive as big and reputable as yours, but apparently not :/. And dang, I didn't know David Monroe was killed... just back in September apparently. Rest in peace.

Interesting... I can't find much from a quick search on the LCM or ICM and what they had/have, but I'll look more into it. I wonder what happened to the LCM's Datapoint systems. Either way, I live nowhere near the PNW so any of that wouldn't be accessible to me sadly.