lenoil@mit-eddie.UUCP (Robert Scott Lenoil) (11/24/84)
I'm posting this as a favor to the author below; hope this was the proper
newsgroup. -R.L.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri 23 NOV 84 12:02:39 pst
From: Victor Frank <FRANK@sri-vax.ARPA>
To: INFO-MICRO@BRL-VGR.ARPA
Subject: NEW NEWSLETTER FOR ADVANCED COMPUTER HOBBYISTS (II)
[ Will someone please see that this gets on USENET ?]
* * * * * * * * * * PREMIER ISSUE OF 68796 HACKER'S NEWSLETTER * * * * * * *
My apologies to those of you who have received my previous message with
no U.S. mailing address. Our mailer croaked with "zero byte record too large
for user's buffer" or something like that. Maybe I sent a control character
by mistake somewhere. Looks like the mailer doesn't like backspaces!
NEW NEWSLETTER FOR ADVANCED COMPUTER HOBBYISTS
Net members interested in bringing up surplus Multibus and/or bare
computer boards, may be interested in receiving a sample copy of the 68796
Hacker's Newsletter, which is just now going into the mail. The initial
issue is mostly devoted to the set of WICAT MINISYSTEM boards (An out of date
68000 system sold by Unicorn Electronics), and the AMC 95/ and 96/1128 and
96/4116 boards (presently on sale at Halted Specialties); both Multibus
systems. The editor proposes a User's Group to help support these and other
"orphan" systems.
The newsletter will differ from most in that it will be mostly concerned
with hardware in detail, then with firmware and system software, and hardly at
all with the stuff you see in most of the computer magazines.
At any rate, 40 sample copies of the above newsletter, devoted to
hardware hacking on the 68000 and/or Multibus (IEEE-796) are available for
the asking. The mailing address is:
68796 Hacker's Newsletter
Victor Frank
12450 Skyline Blvd.
Woodside, CA 94062
If you send me a request by netmail, please include a U.S. mail address.phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) (11/24/84)
> issue is mostly devoted to the set of WICAT MINISYSTEM boards (An out of > date 68000 system sold by Unicorn Electronics), and the AMC 95/ and 96/ > boards presently on sale at Halted Specialties); both Multibus systems. Uh, I have a couple of comments. As far as I know, AMC did not sell directly to Halted. I would imagine the boards you'll find at Halted are either broken, down-rev, prototypes, or all three. All the prototypes I've seen had mistakes on them. That's why people build prototypes. I personally have built a prototype, decided the design could be better, and built another prototype. Down-rev boards are boards where a change was made to the design to fix a bug or enhance functionality. So don't be surprised if the down-rev board you purchased has bugs in the design. Don't expect the same quality as if you were purchasing the product through legitimate channels. The second comment is that AMC was taken over by AMD and turned into the MCS directorate. After trying that for 3 years, AMD decided it was not a good business for them and shut down MCS. They are accepting last time orders til the end of the year. The reason I mention all this is that if you really want to make those old AMC boards work, you might find it helpful to buy a manual before they are no longer available. I think they cost $15. ******************************************** * THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL POLICY STATEMENT * ******************************************** -- This may not even represent my opinion, much less AMD's. Phil Ngai (408) 749-5790 UUCP: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amd!phil ARPA: amdcad!phil@decwrl.ARPA