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I anyone has an old computer they'd like to get rid of, I'll take it. By old I mean a 286 or 386 machine and a dos-only one would be even better. Yeah, I know, no one keeps these things, but I thought I'd try.

I need it to use Motorola software to program certain radios. Faster machines using a DOS command won't work.

Thanks,
Chas.

There is a Goodwill Computer Store out west HOU off Westheimer. I've never been. Perhaps they've got an oldie out there ?

Goodwill is what I would've suggested.

Piney wrote:There is a Goodwill Computer Store out west HOU off Westheimer. I've never been. Perhaps they've got an oldie out there ?

I'll call Tuesday. Thanks for the suggestion.

Chas.

Charles, while you wait, try dosbox http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for a X86 emulator. It runs the old (slow) DOS programs like joe and wordstar. Doesn't hurt to try!

Goodwill has become selective in the hardware they will accept. Due to limited space and resources they can only take the newer equipment that will sale quickly. Anything else is a white elephant and incurs an expense to get rid of.

If I had known 6 months ago I could have given you two 386sx-16 systems with 2 meg of ram and 120meg of hard drive space. I since donated them to some metal recyclers.

G.A. Heath wrote:If I had known 6 months ago I could have given you two 386sx-16 systems with 2 meg of ram and 120meg of hard drive space. I since donated them to some metal recyclers.

Almost the same here. I had an old old PC sitting in my garage, a 386 vintage, that I was going to use for a ham radio project of my own. I finally realized that that was one project that was not getting done in this lifetime, so I gave it to a young geek friend of mine who was going to cannibalize it. Didn't even know if it worked, but he only wanted it for the case, the 5.25 floppy and other internals.

I do still have a pretty old laptop out in the garage - possibly 10 years or more.

SATX-Scrub wrote:Charles, while you wait, try dosbox http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for a X86 emulator. It runs the old (slow) DOS programs like joe and wordstar. Doesn't hurt to try!

I was going to do that, but the danger is that a machine that is too fast can turn the Motorola radio into a door stop, or "bricked" as they say. I almost tried that several weeks ago before someone warned me. There's a program called GM300 Radio Doctor that runs on modern machines that may or may not work. If it works, great; if it doesn't you just bricked the radio.

Chas.

jimlongley wrote:I do still have a pretty old laptop out in the garage - possibly 10 years or more.

Do you want to let it go? If so, do you have any idea what processor it's running? I'll ask around and see if anyone has experience with it.

Chas.

Might try this site
http://oldcomputers.net/buy-sell.html

I never throw any thing away! Yes I'm a hoarder. I still have a couple laptops that don't even have colored screens... unless you count amber as a color
I'll have to see what condition they are in. And if I still have not re purposed the power supplies.

This post reminds me I Have A KAY-PRO 10 Mega bites they called a portable weighed about 35 lbs the key board cinched into the front and covered the screen which was about 8 " wide x 6 high & green.
Ashton Tate was a name that had somthing to do with it and danged if I dont still have all the books on programming.. I believe it was called CPM (Critical Path Method?) It was set up for me by a guy who worked for me, in my printshop.

Did acount lists. receivables, 3 check books and accts payable and it was hooked into a cannono typwriter to do all the printouts from late 83 till june 88..

I knew nothing except how to enter and print it did all the adding and subtracting.

It had some games but didnt use very much for that..

havent turned it on sine 88 did it a few minutes ago and it came on but forgot how to access the durn thing.\

It cost 3,200.00 when I bought it in 88..

Things sure have cahnged; acception would be me I still KnoW ; next to nothing about computers

o b juan wrote:I believe it was called CPM (Critical Path Method?)

CP/M stood for Control Program for Microcomputers. It was one of the original Disk Operating Systems (DOS) for small computers.

In fact, Bill Gates ported it over from the original 8080 processor to the 8086 (with a few changes) and sold it to IBM as PC DOS to be bundled with their IBM PC.