Hardware Dump

[Clp727]

Oh my god! I just checked out one the links from my Google search (http://www.oldcomputers.net/) and they have an IBM 5100. The website says it cost US $19,975 w/ 64K RAM. That was in 1975!!

[hackajar]

Oh my god! I just checked out one the links from my Google search (http://www.oldcomputers.net/) and they have an IBM 5100. The website says it cost US $19,975 w/ 64K RAM. That was in 1975!!

Cool site, I burned some valueble work time on there!

[skroo]

I thought all this stuff I had stashed away was worthless!!

Heh, before you get too excited, you might want to check out what your stuff is going for on eBay. You've gotta have something seriously rare and/or prehistoric for it to have any real value; C64s and Atari 2600s and the like are dime-a-dozen.

[Clp727]

True. The stuff that I have is worthless. But it is kinda cool that some of the older hardware still has value. I guess it could be compared to cars.

[Thorn]

Oh my god! I just checked out one the links from my Google search (http://www.oldcomputers.net/) and they have an IBM 5100. The website says it cost US $19,975 w/ 64K RAM. That was in 1975!!

My father was working for IBM at the time, so I was able to use a 5100 back then. My friends and I had been programming APL on 370 mainframes. Being able to use the built-in APL was amazing, because it was an actual computer with a built in terminal.

[skroo]

My father was worked for IBM at the time, so I was able to use a 5100 back then. My friends and I had been programming APL on 370 mainframes. Being able to use the built-in APL was amazing, because it was an actual computer with a built in terminal.

Amusingly, it's also the key ingredient in some rather odd time-travel related stuff.

[HCentral]

I The other problem will be when everyone switches over to a non-lead based solder. The alternatives have to be done at a higher temperatures (potentially damaging the parts themselves) and look like crap (no more shiny solder joints, they will all look like cold solder joints). In the beginning I believe there will be a quality problem till everyone figures out how to do it right.

On the flip side, it's a good chance to pick up some cheap stock that will skyrocket when that one company figures out how to do it right. I agree there will be snotty, faulty joints at the beginning, but that's what the RoHS phase-in period is for. Manufacturers should be getting non-component-attachment lead out of their designs now and scrambling to develop/test/debug/implement a lead-free replacement immediately. </sarcasm>I'm sure everything will go as planned. <sarcasm>

[HCentral]

Sometimes, Fry's and other places have had "recycling days" where they encourage people to bring in old monitors and junk to drop off for "free."

Also, sometimes counties will have "toxic and hazardous chemicals dump days" where you can dump stuff off for free-- maybe computers are now on these lists too. (?)

In my town, Best Buy and Circuit City have thse garbage can-looking recycling baskets in their stores but they are only for cellphones and small rechargeable batteries. I like to swipe (is this theft??) cellphones out of there when nobody is looking. Radio Shacks also have free battery recycling. I've never seen free monitor recycling around here but it would be nice.

[[Syntax]]

I like all of you have a collection of stuff. Alot of it is project stuff, that I just havent had time to mess with. I also have my old PC collection, Macintosh LE or LS whichever one was the first model to have floppy and hd, previous to that they had dual floppy. Part of my collection (Commodore 64, Atari 2600, Tandy 1000, TRS80, a DEC System 3000 I think)..

But along with all that stuff is piles of items that are collecting dust, Id like a toughbook, even if broken, I repair laptops all the time.

I passed by Iras booth every year just to at least ask "what the hell is that?"

[HCentral]

Obvious newbie question but who is Ira?

[Deviant Ollam]

Obvious newbie question but who is Ira?

Ira Moser, or "Uncle Ira" as he is more commonly known at DefCon, is the owner of Moser Electronics Corp (MECO).

Typically the vendor with the most eclectic selection of stuff, Ira's table at DefCon often features ultra-ruggedized field tools used by utility companies, military, etc. old radios and communication gear, old but rugged laptops, and other wild shit. (i believe Ira had for sale an ejection seat from a MiG jet)

Ira's also a goon and an all-around cool frood. I've heard that he's cutting back on his numerous activities this year at DefCon in order to enjoy the event more and not work 110% of the time he's there.

[skroo]

Macintosh LE or LS whichever one was the first model to have floppy and hd, previous to that they had dual floppy.

IIRC, the Mac Plus was the first to support an HDD, though it was external; the first models to take an internal drive were the Mac II and Mac SE.

[John D]

Obvious newbie question but who is Ira?

Well his website is down (just has a splash page) www.meco.org hopefully it will be up soon.

Here is local newspaper article about him: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...217/cover.html

Here is an article DT wrote about him:
http://underground-online.troybrophy.../issue17/farm/

He is pretty much the Sandford and Sons of cool exotic hardware. If you have a chance and your are in Seattle you should try to make it out to MECO World Domination HeadQuarters. It is a crazy place.

JohnD

[HCentral]

Well his website is down (just has a splash page) www.meco.org hopefully it will be up soon.

Here is local newspaper article about him: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...217/cover.html

Here is an article DT wrote about him:
http://underground-online.troybrophy.../issue17/farm/

He is pretty much the Sandford and Sons of cool exotic hardware. If you have a chance and your are in Seattle you should try to make it out to MECO World Domination HeadQuarters. It is a crazy place.

JohnD

Daym. Cool stuff. I'm suprised I never heard of this guy.

[zeratul]

hardware dump using my blue tooth? is it posible?