My friend's storage unit finds...

[TravisHuckins]

So one of my friends was looking in one of their storage units as they said they had some old PC stuff that I might be interested in. Turns out that wasn't the case but instead they found this:



I told them how much it could be worth...

 

[1ST1]

Pretty cool!

 

[glitch]

Better than a PC -- nice find!

 

[roberttx]

Result!

 

[Dwight Elvey]

Besides the early IMSAI 8080 and the Hazeline terminal, the disk system is unique. Instead of using S100 memory space for ROM code, it DMAs the first sector into RAM from the disk. This can then bootstrap the rest of the system. It was the first disk system to come bundled with CP/M as well. Not having any ROM in the S100 means you can have 100% of the 64K as RAM.
The hole system is likely a very early machine, most likely bought in the first couple of years that the IMSAI was available.
Here is a bunch of information about the disk system: http://www.retrotechnology.com/dri/torode_designs.html
A real treasure to someone that knows what it is.
Dwight

 

[glitch]

Indeed, nice to find the disk controller and drives together -- providing someone hasn't just removed the interface board from the drive cabinet and used the disks as plain old Shugart interface drives.

 

[Dwight Elvey]

Looking at the picture, it is likely a rev3, as it has the extra switch on the front panel. This could do both double and single density.
Dwight

 

[8008guy]

I needs friends like you have!

 

[Ragnarock]

Is it for sale?

 

[TravisHuckins]

I dunno about it being for sale... they live halfway across the country from me.

 

[tezza]

What a find! Congratulations!

Tez