On 6/11/24 02:02, Dave Dunfield via cctalk wrote:
> Chuck Guzis wrote:
>> I find myself in the position of trying to figure
>> out what the latest posts have to do with 'Experience using an Altair
>> 8800 ("Personal computer" from 70s)'.
>
> Thanks! It's gotten so off-topic, I've all but stopped following this thread.
>
> I recently found a new home for my Altair, and in doing so, I set it up and
> run it to show it working. This reminded me of my Altair emulation I wrote
> back around 2003 when I decided not to maintain the Altair in a "ready to go"
> state and packed it away.
I never expanded my 8800 beyond the original 4-slot kit with
limp-wristed power supply. The construction (I built from the kit) I
found to be appalling. More than once I zinged myself brushing against
the line voltage traces on the front panel board. And that awful white
wire. A couple of years later, I used an Imsai 8080 and was more
favorably impressed.
My first disk system was an Integrand S100 box with a power supply
suitable for arc-welding that even came with the blueline prints for the
construction (now hopelessly faded). I used Don Tarbell's controller
and some Calcomp drives. After one of the drives failed, I got a couple
of Siemens FDD-100 drives that probably still operate.
At any rate, the Altair and the Integrand with its disk box sit on a
shelf in a dusty corner of my workshop. I suspect that the capacitors
in the Altair have long dried out. Still have no idea what to do with
all that heavy iron--I haven't touched it in perhaps 40 years. I
congratulate you in finding homes for yours--I doubt that will happen
with mine.
--Chuck
