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  • Retro Want

    From poindexter FORTRAN@46:1/115 to All on Sun May 31 14:55:00 2020
    I'm waxing nostalgic about computers I've used, and I'm tempted to buy one
    as a (hopefully) semi-usable system.

    I either want a Mac IIci with a cache card, Quadra 700, or an old Sun,
    either one of the shoebox LX/IPX/Classic or Sparc 2/5/20.

    The problem with either of them are the peripherals. Sun back then used fixed-sync monitors. Ditto, I think, Apple.

    Does anyone have a similar retro rig running? How do they hold up in 2020?





    ... Would you like to wake up from this dream?
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    * Origin: realitycheckbbs.org -- yesterday's tech today (46:1/115)
  • From manimal347@46:1/700 to poindexter FORTRAN on Thu Jul 23 15:29:30 2020
    Re: Retro Want
    By: poindexter FORTRAN to All on Sun May 31 2020 02:55 pm

    I've been playing around with old hardware for some years, and using it today definitely isn't like back in the day. Part of the problem is because the whole computing ecosystem has left older machines incompatible. Modernish hardware doesn't use floppy disks, have serial and parallel ports, run 16-bit code, Ontrack boot manager, .etc. Most peple need a bridge machine from around 2000, maybe running Windows 98 or System 9. Recent example is a 486 laptop that can't use drives over 512MB without Ontrack. Ontrack won't work on a modern
    computer, and USB -> IDE adapters won't work with drivers under 512MB as they use CHS. That would have been the easy way to get the data over. I settled on parallel port, using old Laplink software. Laplink won't do LPT transfers on 2000 or newer. And if you were wondering, modern networking schemes are not compatible with 3.1.

    Most people just play games on these old machines, or maybe program. Once you get the machines set up, the software and interfaces often feel really old. And I think we've forgotten how unstable Windows 95, OS 7 .etc were. I'm not saying, don't do it, but don't be surprised by the cheap 16-color clip-art interfaces and Visual Basic software, constant hard disk access, GPFs, 50KB/s wifi speeds, .etc -- plus the things you wouldn't expect, like that no email service will work with older email apps.
    --- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
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  • From poindexter FORTRAN@46:1/115 to manimal347 on Fri Jul 24 06:53:00 2020
    manimal347 wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

    Most people just play games on these old machines, or maybe program.
    Once you get the machines set up, the software and interfaces often
    feel really old. And I think we've forgotten how unstable Windows 95,
    OS 7

    Yeah, unstable, but rebooting into DOS and re-running Windows was
    levels of magnitude quicker than crashing in Windows 10.

    System 7 was pretty bad - we had a file server called "Mr. Bus
    Error" because it crashed so often.


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    * Origin: realitycheckbbs.org -- yesterday's tech today (46:1/115)
  • From hohokam@46:1/104 to manimal347 on Mon Jul 27 19:35:06 2020
    I just put together an Athlon 1ghz system. In order to get it to work i had
    to burn 3 cd's and a boot disk. The system is new enough that usb drives work as a way to transfer files. I also found using a IDE to CF card drive to be
    use ful if you want to move a lot of information between them.
    I agree that windows 98/95/me have aged pretty badly. I was painfully
    reminded that building a computer used to be a day long affair (Recently, I built a workstation for the office in about 2 hours). I am enjoying using it. Currently it's just playing the Star trek after dark screen saver, but I also have the old build engine games on there. I found it relaxing to build and
    poke at.
    But yeah, in the days of cheap server hardware and raspberry pi these old machines don't do much.
    But my old Atari 800 is fun to look on the desk :)

    Peter James
    PDX Nerd since 1980

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    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (46:1/104)
  • From verviotik@46:1/104 to hohokam on Sat Aug 8 15:56:58 2020
    Hello there, sorry to bother you if this works, this is just a test.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (46:1/104)
  • From Kostie Muirhead@1:342/17 to verviotik on Sat Aug 8 15:17:21 2020
    Re: Retro Want
    By: verviotik to hohokam on Sat Aug 08 2020 03:56 pm

    Hello there, sorry to bother you if this works, this is just a test.

    Got you here
    ===
    Underminer
    The Undermine BBS - bbs.undermine.ca:423
    Fidonet: 1:342/17
    --- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
    * Origin: The Undermine - bbs.undermine.ca:423 - Calgary, AB (1:342/17)
  • From Nelgin@46:1/194 to verviotik on Mon Aug 10 00:19:08 2020
    verviotik wrote:
    Hello there, sorry to bother you if this works, this is just a test.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: Black Flag <ACiD Telnet HQ> blackflagbbs.com (46:1/104)

    You should probably create your own text post rather than hijacking someone elses.
    --- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
    * Origin: End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com (46:1/194)