[Rhodes22-list] Old Macs & PCs

[Joseph Hadzima]

Hi 

Speaking of early computers, did anyone read "Byte"
magazine in the 80's?

I found it interesting that the big add on devices were
made for the Apple computers.  

First came a Z80 card - which replaced the 6502 processor
so people could run a non-apple OS called CPM. Why you ask?
Because more softeware was available for CPM based
machines.

Later, came something called the MacCharlie - which was
another silly device to convert a Mac so it would run M/S
DOS, and also all the available programs.

This year Apple announced that they were converting from
the PowerPC processor to Intel (the same used in the PC).


What a long strange trip it's been!

joe/hadz


--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:

> Philip,
> 
> We went through this while you were off list.  My partner
> bought Apple 
> II serial number 1935.  Floppy drives were $500 extra. 
> You loaded the 
> machine operating system and programs with cassette
> tapes, from cassette 
> players with audio outputs (cassette players not
> provided.)  I believe 
> they came with 8K of memory, and there was jubilation
> around the office 
> when we upgraded (at great expense) to 16K.
> 
> The original PCs also were available without floppy
> drives.  I still 
> have an original PC-DOS on a cassette tape.  We bought
> IBMs stripped 
> down, and added memory, drives, etc. and sold them for
> 1/2 what IBM was 
> selling them for--and double what all the parts cost us. 
> This was 
> illegal, and IBM sent the Feds after everyone doing this.
>  (By Federal 
> Law PCs had to be licensed by the FCC to ensure their
> radiation was 
> within proscribed limits.)
> 
> Most of us just tried to keep our heads down, but many
> were driven out 
> of business.
> 
> Michael Dell was doing this in Texas at the same time we
> were doing it 
> in NY and California.  He hired lawyers, stalled, and
> repeatedly broke 
> the law.  It turned out well for him.
> 
> Bill Effros
>