Computer archeology
Jul. 19th, 2009 11:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
julesjonesI'm currently working my way through boxes of Stuff that have been in storage for a decade. This morning's first box to be unpacked revealed two items from the stone age of personal computing, an Epson PX-8 CP/M laptop complete with solid state drive unit, and a Sharp PC-1500 along with its external printer unit/cassette drive interface.
Yes, you read that right, a CP/M laptop. The youngsters amongst you will be asking "What's CP/M, Mummy?" and the geriatrics will be getting misty-eyed -- though possibly with tears of anger rather than nostalgia, depending upon which side of that particular OS religious war you were on.
These things still worked last time I switched them, around ten years ago. I'm afraid to turn them on now in case something goes bang when I don't have time to fix them, but they look absolutely fine. And I know that I won't do anything with them if I keep them (although the Sharp would be a perfectly good pocket word processor, I already have a herd of Psions and their keyboards are nicer). Must see ifcaerleon is still operating the Sunshine Home For Elderly Computers, or indeed if there are any collectors who'd be interested in them. You can actually still buy a brand-new Epson PX-8 -- these things were built to last, and they're fun toys for geeks who are into retro computers.
Yes, you read that right, a CP/M laptop. The youngsters amongst you will be asking "What's CP/M, Mummy?" and the geriatrics will be getting misty-eyed -- though possibly with tears of anger rather than nostalgia, depending upon which side of that particular OS religious war you were on.
These things still worked last time I switched them, around ten years ago. I'm afraid to turn them on now in case something goes bang when I don't have time to fix them, but they look absolutely fine. And I know that I won't do anything with them if I keep them (although the Sharp would be a perfectly good pocket word processor, I already have a herd of Psions and their keyboards are nicer). Must see if
caerleon is still operating the Sunshine Home For Elderly Computers, or indeed if there are any collectors who'd be interested in them. You can actually still buy a brand-new Epson PX-8 -- these things were built to last, and they're fun toys for geeks who are into retro computers.![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-19 08:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-22 07:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-22 07:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-21 04:45 pm (UTC)You've lost me grandma...
*runs away fast*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-22 07:06 pm (UTC)