brad@kontron.UUCP (Brad Yearwood) (05/14/88)
Not really a Lisp language issue, but...
Some time ago, I rescued a Symbolics LM-2 from the scrap grinder.
I have the processor (with magtape interface), two video displays,
two keyboards, and what appears to be a Chaosnet transceiver. I do
not have the disk drive, tape drive, mouse, proper video cables (though
I do have a few very short cables from other equipment that seem to work),
or software.
The equipment appears to be in good physical condition, and the little
hex display on the front shows what would appear to be sensible things
upon reset.
As it seems impractical to revive and use this machine in the absence
of one or more similar companion machines, I would like to know if any
person or organization could use it to advantage, either as an operating
machine, or as a source of spares.
If you believe that you could make good use of the machine, please send
me a note describing your current configuration of similar equipment
and your intended use.
Any informed statements that the beast is useless to anybody and should
be sent back to the scrap grinder would also be appreciated.
Brad Yearwood {voder, pyramid}!kontron!brad
777 W. Middlefield Road, Apt. 180
Mountain View, CA 94043
(415) 965-7020sanborn@brillig.umd.edu (Jim Sanborn) (05/14/88)
Brad Yearwood writes that he's somehow managed to "rescue" an LM-2,
and would like to know how it can once again be made useful. This
was the 1st Lispm I ever used, so I'm happy to throw him my $0.02 worth...
I believe you've got two options. When Symbolics announced the 3600
machine (1st of the 36xx series), there were only a few (maybe 60-100)
LM-2's in circulation. I believe they tried to get them all back;
yours is the 1st I've heard of since then. I don't know if you've
contacted them--your posting didn't say--but you might find someone
there who can help you.
Your second option is to get in touch with someone at the MIT AI Lab.
They still have some CADRs (and parts) there, tho I don't know of any
LM-2's there. Anyway, the LM-2 pretty much *is* a CADR, so someone
there should be able to help.
Finally, my best advice to you is to ransom the thing back to Symbolics
for whatever their current top o' th' line is. The LM-2 was an unstable
beasty put out to develop a market; it wasn't supposed to last. Lucky
for Symbolics that so many people took the bait. Good luck with the
restoration; it'd be nice to see one o' them big ol' keyboards and nifty
screens in action again!
-Jim Sanborn
Internet: sanborn@brillig.umd.edu
Usenet: ...!uunet!mimsy!sanborn CS Dept, U of Maryland
Phone: (301)454-1564,2002 College Park, MD 20742