PC of the future (as predicted in 1954)

Ganssle group ^ | 12-07-04 | Ganssle

[js1138]

Wish I have one of the original Pet computers. Big time collectible.

You have a list of collectible computers? I see them at garage sales, but have no idea of their relative value.

I've wondered about some of the Sinclair products. They were rather eccentric by American standards (TVs with one inch tubes, etc).

[RadioAstronomer]

Laugh if you like, but certain 6SN7's are bringing upwards of $100 each on eBay!

Good grief! I have close to 1000 tubes of various types in boxes in storage. Guess I better go see what I have.

[RadioAstronomer]

"If I only knew then what I know now."

You and me both!

[RadioAstronomer]

You have a list of collectible computers?

Here are the bigs:

Imsai 8080
Altair 8800
Any S-100 machine
Commodore Pet
Heathkit H8/H9/H19
Minivac 6010
Timex Sinclar
TRS-80 Model 1
Hp 85 (up and down depending on what day it is! LOL)
PDP-8
IBM PC-5100
SOL

There are more, but thats all I can think of off the top of my head this morning.

[js1138]

It's been a while since I've seen a Pet, although I see 64s occasionally. I have two Trash 80 model Ones in my garage. Both have the lowercase enhancement (done by me). I see Timex machines several times a year.

So what are they worth?

[RadioAstronomer]

The big money is the Imsai and Altair computers. The Timex and TRS-80 machines seem to sell at wildly different prices depending on who wants em I guess. Crap shoot there. Check E-Bay. Pretty good indication. Old Byte Mags (pre 1980) go for a good price as well. ASR-33 Teletypes have become collectible also.

[js1138]

Don't have any Byte magazines, but I have a nearly complete set of 80-Microcomputing.

[Huck]

Groovy. Thanks. The TV does look sorta hoaky now that you mention it.

[RadioAstronomer]

but I have a nearly complete set of 80-Microcomputing.

That may be worth some real money. Most likely more than the two TRS-80s themselves.

[19th LA Inf]

Does anyone around here remember Monroe Calculators?

About 1954 I worked three weeks straight doing calculations for a small fractionating column which would produce nitric acid by absorbtion of gas in water introduced at the top (or some such). The Monroe was the hand-crank powered kind. I had to calculate by trial and error the relative conditions at each level of the column. Typical engineering task in those days, I guess.

[WildTurkey]

this is a HOAX -- the printer/console looks like a DECwriter from the 1970's, the dials & annunciators & controls look like the console to a powerplant...

The Maneuvering room of a SSN 637 class submarine.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

My first PC at 10 or 11 years of age: I had the expanded memory of 64k too BTW...

[End Times Sentinel]

Computers are vastly over rated.  They gave me one here at work, but I spent all day yesterday making a punch card for it and I can't figure out where to put it in.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[WildTurkey]

My first computers:

Desktop:

Laptop:

[RadioAstronomer]

Slide rule bump. :-)

[RadioAstronomer]

I still have my K&E Log Log Duplex Decitrig.

[SwankyC]

LOL...It has a steering wheel....LMAO!!

[RadioAstronomer]

You would like this thread. :-)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for the ping....ROFL! over the wheel on the console....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

For the power plant guys, now you can have your dreams at home!