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I've been facinated by computers for as long as I can remember. From the earliest visions of the computer as the amazing "thinking machine" in science-fiction novels and movies, to real-life experiences with the systems I am still amazed with what has been done with the computer and what continues to be done.
I've had the good fortune to be employed in the computer business for the last 20 odd years, and this has allowed me to observe the development of the micro-computer industry first hand, as well as its influences on the other levels of the computer world. And it has been an active 20+ years!
I've had the chance to add my small part to the developments over the years. In May of 1979 Bill Marx and I started CBBS/NW using the original CBBS software created by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. The last time we compiled the software it consisted of over 24,000 lines of 8080 assembler code. CBBS/NW became the 4th public Computerized Bulletin Board System in the country (if not the world) to go online, and continued in operation until late 1998 although in a very different form than when it started.
Our Original Reference Card (circa 1979) 
Our Mk.II Reference Card (circa 1982)In fact, the Altair systems shown on these pages were the original CBBS/NW systems, and put in over 13 years of continous service before the BBS migrated onto newer platforms. (even the IMSAI got to play for brief periods) In these days of systems with clock speeds of over 100mHz, minature gigabyte hard drives, and memory running towards a hundred megabytes or more, it does well to pause and look back once in a while and see just what could be done on a system with a 2mHz clock speed, no hard drive, (only the two, 8 inch floppy drives) and only 48 kilobytes of memory. This describes the CBBS/NW configuration from it's origin until the day that the original hardware was shutdown.
Fortunately, and almost by accident all of the original equipment (or exact duplicates thereof) that made up CBBS/NW still remains in the collection and is still functional. Granted, we did allow it the luxury of a few minor changes. For example, the Shugart eight inch floppy drives now reside in an actual cabinet rather than sitting naked side by side on a shelf as they did for probably the first 5-6 years. (I still do have the original homebrew power supply tho!)
In this day of comparitively huge multi-line/multi-user BBS systems, it is perhaps worthy of note that during its lifetime on the original hardware, CBBS/NW was a single line, single user system and yet logged over 250,000 calls!
...to be continued...
Ok, it's 1978 and the microcomputer revolution is going like gang busters. (all things considered)
At least, if one is to judge by the number of units that are being sold! But, (there is always a "but") How do you exchange information, tips, tricks, programs???
The question was pondered one day (locally at least) by myself and Ron Braithwaite who was a salesman at the Byte Shop where I worked at the time... Seemed that there were increasing numbers of people who were actually trying to use these things for (more or less) serious purposes, and there was a serious lack of communal (easily shared) resources.
We were familiar with the CP/M User's Group that had formed in the Silicon Valley area and had started amassing a library of shared software and utilities, so it was not too much of a leap to decide that it was probably time to start one locally. (for those who don't know, "locally" in this case is Beaverton, Oregon) A number of us had already started to collect copies of the CP/M-UG library disks, so we had something of interest to offer... Now we just need a meeting place, a date, and some way to spread the word!
...more of the story to follow...
The most curious things can happen at the user's group meetings... I wandered in to one of the monthly meetings (which I don't get to nearly enough of these days) and among the usual smalltalk and rambling over old systems, it was mentioned that someone who said that he was a producer out at Oregon Public Broadcasting had been looking for some "Computer Nerds" who might be interested in taking a shot at a computer call-in show on the radio.
Well, maybe it's just me... but I was amazed that someone had not jumped on it long before I heard about it. But, since no one else had and I had been tinkering in various forms of mass media for years, I grabbed the phone number, and Bill (Marx), and set off to see where this might lead...
We met with Lyle Graham who was a (multi-award winning) producer at OPB, and he outlined his vision for a show. Straight forward enough it seemed, he envisioned a call-in type show where people could call in with their computer problems, and the on-air talent would provide answers framed around a light hearted overview of what was going on in the computer industry at large. (Car-Talk meets computers? Click Clack go nerd??)
Somewhere in the early discussions it was decided that it might be well to have a third personality along for the ride, at which time I made a call to Dave Morgan (who ran a very successful RBBS system in the early days) and asked him if he wanted to join the party. (he agreed - little did he know...)
So... meetings were held, concepts were refined, scripts were written, plans were made, secrets were revealed (more on that later)... But nothing in the media ever moves forward without the dreaded 'Audition Tape'!!! So, we headed into the studio...
And... the show got a name... "Chip Chat" But as so often happens, even that was not without problems... (more on that later as well...)
...more of the story to follow...
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| Jim Bill (rear) Dave (foreground) | Bill contemplates a question | Tweak this, turn that... | Stand where??? | Dave faces off with 'Darth Vader' |
...because I have this horrible feeling that if I don't, nobody else will!
(a slight over exageration to be sure)
Things are moving so quickly today both with respect to computers and life in general, that much of what many of us have learned and experienced over the years is no longer being taught or is on the verge of being lost. Most of what is being taught about computers today places the emphasis on the use of computers, with little or no background on how they actually work or their history.
While it is frequently said that people today are more "computer literate" than ever before, I would contend that there are more computer users than ever before, but that the average user is far from being computer "literate" in any form much beyond punching numbers into a spreadsheet program or playing video games.
This may not be a particularly popular view, but I believe it to be accurate. And believe me, I have nothing against computer "users", but they are the most likely to casually discard a system, peripheral, manual, or other item in favour of the "latest and greatest" with little more than a passing thought. History is a far too precious thing to be casually consigned to the scrap heap, and so in my own way I offer my small attempts to preserve at least a part of it.
Switches and lights may not mean much to the 'modern' computer user, at least until someone takes the time to really introduce them to how the computer actually works. Then perhaps they will start to develop some appreciation for the 'personality' of the more classic machines. Many a problem has been solved over the years by learning the patterns of the lights, and knowing when it is 'not quite right', and being able to walk through the code step by step... A lot more informative than the 'blue screen of death' so common in todays machines.
Additionally, in many (most?) cases the earlier machines are much easier to maintain and preserve due to their lack of large-scale integration. Prior to the early 1980's, most commonly available computers were built with commonly available parts, most of which are either still available today or can be located or salvaged from fairly common sources.
However, later machines were constructed with increasingly complex and propriatary components which quickly became unavailable with each new model. Basically, from that point on they (the infamous 'they') have been making computers that are unreparable in the event that one or more of these 'custom' parts should fail... Not good from the point of preservation!
Even in the power supplies of most contemporary PCs you will find custom (and therefore unreplacable) parts... A bit scary from my side of the fence. I'll keep my big transformers and linear power supplies, thank you very much.
Somewhat odd (or reassuring depending on your point of view) to think that in another 20-30 years we could still be demonstrating a functional PDP-8 (which would then be pushing 60 years in age) where an IBM PC may be no more functional than a bookend due to the failure of an unreplacable part.
I welcome your comments, suggestions, and opinions. You can reach us by email through the 'Connect with The Computer Garage' link found elsewhere on this page. (yes, I could put a link here but this way you have to look at the rest of the page B^} )
The collection represents many of the various computers that I have worked with over the years, and where possible follows the progress and development of various lines and styles of computer systems.
Please note however, that these pages do not attempt to be a complete history of computing, but rather a view into the computers, peripherals, documents, and related ephemeria that physically reside in my collection. If some particular item does not appear, it is because I simply do not have one! Where there are gaps, it is because there are no items to fill them. As new items arrive, the pages will change and hopefully the gaps will lessen.
Occasionally, an item will appear that does not have an obvious connection to computers or computing, but fear not! All will be made clear! (in time) My interests do range beyond just computers, and in many cases there are connections between items that may not be obvious upon first viewing. Where these connections exist, I will attempt to explain them in the texts accompaning the entries. On occasion, I will leave it up to the viewer to determine the relationships. And... occasionally there may be no direct relationship at all beyond that fact that some given item resides in my collection... (which means that at least I found it interesting enough to preserve)
The first computer that I ever got a "hands-on" experience with was a Digital PDP-8 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) somewhere about 1968. I was a couple of years younger than the minimum age for the computer classes but was able to buffalo my way in anyway. (a little knowledge and a lot of persistance helps!) So it is only appropriate that the PDP-8 line is represented in the collection. The "Straight" 8 is quite difficult to find these days (or at least quite difficult to get the present owner to let go of) so the 8/i model makes a worthy stand-in.
The classes later moved on to a Digital PDP-11/45 that was owned by Oregon Software who then resided in the OMSI computer lab.
After that, most of my time on computers was quite remote with me usually on a teletype and the computer on the other end of a phone line. (so teletypes are represented in the collection) The first hint of a change came in July of 1974 when a construction article featuring the "Mark-8 Minicomputer" appeared on the cover of Radio-Electronics magazine.
(applying the term "minicomputer" here is quite open for debate, but at the time there was no such thing as a "micro-computer", or at least, no one had coined the term...)
Tempting, but just not quite enough... Or was it? It could be built for a couple hundred dollars, but was it just too limited to be useful? And one wonders if, with just a bit more effort if the Mark-8 might have been the machine to kick off the personal computer age...
The status quo however continued until 1975 when the world of the computer as we knew it changed dramatically with the publication of a construction article in the January and February issues of "Popular Electronics" magazine for a computer that you could build at home called the "Altair 8800".
At about $550.00US for the kit (nearly $300.00 of that was rumoured to be for the Intel 8080 microprocessor, although later information suggested that due to a special deal negotiated between MITS and Intel the actual cost was more like $50.00) I had to sell my favourite juke box ('automatic multi-selection phonograph' if you want to be official) to afford it, (we'll travel that road on another page...) but what else was a young (and poor B^} ) aspiring wirehead to do? The idea of owning my own computer was just too cool!
MITS even offered the computer through a "kit of the month" program, which let you purchase one module (usually one circuit board) each month until you worked your way up to the completed machine. If you followed the program, it would only take you about eight months (!) to have a complete machine! ( wait eight months?!? I don't think so!)
Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. After nearly a year of waiting and scrounging pennies, and seemingly endless days of building (it was a kit remember), I was ready to fire my computer up for the first time, and then the realization hit!
I HAD NO MEMORY FOR THE THING!
Frustrating? You bet! But it led to a discovery that was to permanently change the course of my fledgling career. The first "Computer Store"!
Trivia Question: What was the name of the first computer store in Oregon, and where was it located?
...to be continued...
As with most collections, there are items that are missing or would be welcome additions. This is by no means an all-encompassing list, nor does it suggest that other items not shown here would be turned away!
Additionally, condition is not a major qualifying factor! Complete units are preferred, but they do not need to be functional to be considered for addition to the collection. I would much rather preserve a unit and have to repair it than see it go to scrap and have no chance at all... Even systems that are beyond practical repair may go far toward the restoration of a similar machine!
Here are some of the items that I am specifically looking for...
(listed in no particular order, except for perhaps the first one)
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| PDP-8 -- The Computer Garage Most Wanted |
If you have a older (pre-IBM 'PC') computer or system that is about to be shut down or disposed of, please contact us before it goes to the scrap heap!
Please note however... Recent mass production 'PC' type computers hold little value or interest for most collectors, including myself. So, odds are that if it runs 'Windows', it is more likely to find a new home through the Goodwill or other local surplus outlets.
I keep in regular contact with a number of other collectors and museums in the area and around the country (and increasingly the world), and in many cases we can find a home for your unwanted computer or system. Even if not a permanent home inititially, often we can arrange storage for the unit until it can be located with someone. Even if a system is incomplete or non-functional, it may be useful in repairing or restoring other similar systems.
We can not promise to save every system that we are offered, as sometimes practical considerations (such as size or cost to transport) get in the way, but we will try to help!
If you are within reasonable driving distance (from Oregon), we'll come to get it! If not, we'll arrange shipping or a pickup! Don't consign that system to the scrap heap!
Please contact us via e-mail with the following link before disposing of systems, cpus, or even surplus parts...
I do try to respond to all the mail that I receive, but please keep in mind that I am one person who tries to do this in his increasingly limited spare time. If you send me a note and don't hear back in a week or two you might nudge me again.
Or... (if you really wanna) you can reach us by USnail Mail at:
Also; if you are just trying to find out what a given item might be worth, you can drop me a line and I'll offer you my opinion (for what that is worth)... <G>
Please note, just to save time for the both of us. I, like many of the other people I work with are in this to attempt to preserve examples of systems, knowledge, and technologys now gone. None of the people that I know are 'internet millionaires' or have particularly deep pockets or unlimited financial backing. So if you are just looking for a quick buck it is probably not worth your time to write. (nor mine to respond) However, if you are looking to get an item to someone who will appreciate it, and probably actually get it running and put it to good use, then you have come to the right place.
Sorry if the above paragraph is a bit blunt, but I've had one too many emails from people who seem to thing that they are doing me a favour by offering me an Altair for $10k or an IBM 'PC' for a couple of thousand dollars, and then get indignant when I have to inform them that is just ain't gonna happen...
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