i have been toying around with an old Tandy 1000TX. for those of you who dont remember, or where too young, it is a very old system. It is a 286/10Mhz, 640K ram and CGA graphics.
anyway i want to know of something i can do with it. i need to find an 8-bit ISA VGA/EGA card cause i HATE the CGA on the thing. yes it is horrid, i even thought that over 10 years ago.
also i want to add a hard drive. it happens i have an old style 20MB drive on me, that was never used...ever. it uses a floppy connection.
so how can i tweak/update this thing. i want to add the drive, but how do i edit bios or settings.
or better yet, 8-bit controller cards
i have been toying around with an old Tandy 1000TX. for those of you who don't remember, or were too young, it is a very old system. It is a 286/10Mhz, 640K RAM and CGA graphics.
Unfortunately, a 10 MHz 286 will run DOS (MS/DR/Free), but not much else -- it won't even run Windows 3.1, since the 286 will not multitask effectively. There may be a version of Minix or a Linux near-work-alike, as well.
If you can rummage through someone's obsolete software and find a word processor or some other application that will run under DOS and find an ISA VGA card, you might get some value out of it -- but when you can buy a 200 MHz Pentium MMX system unit with 64 MB RAM for $20, why bother?
windows 3.1 can be ran on a 286, it has standard mode for that.
that is part of the fun. sur eit may not be able to run most of today's programs. however working with older systems is a challenge, and it teaches u to use as much as a limited resource that u can
Unfortunately, a 10 MHz 286 will run DOS (MS/DR/Free), but not much else -- it won't even run Windows 3.1, since the 286 will not multitask effectively. There may be a version of Minix or a Linux near-work-alike, as well.
If you can rummage through someone's obsolete software and find a word processor or some other application that will run under DOS and find an ISA VGA card, you might get some value out of it -- but when you can buy a 200 MHz Pentium MMX system unit with 64 MB RAM for $20, why bother?
TamusRoyce: My 12 MHz 286 runs Windows3.1. It's an AMD 12 MHz Clone from back in 1983 or so. Upgraded to 1 MB of ram, but only after '87.
And anyone who would dare drive a Model-T would own and use to this day a 286. Either because it's a vintage classic, or because of the simplicity for doing one specific task. Nowdays computers need virus protection and and so much processing power, that it interfers with work.
Also being a programmer, it's nice having a vintage because programming for a true x86 without the need of destroying your OS. Emulators work ok, but they never quite address true real world hardware.
It's hard to imagine how great programs could be made to use less than 16KB. And those programs really worked. Sometimes better than nowday programs.
As facinating as vintage cars for car fans. Without them, we wouldn't have what we have today.
Last edited by TamusRoyce; Jul 25th, 2006 at 2:31 am.
Way kewl stuff! I still have my TSR-80 in its carrying case. <GEEK>[and pleased that I am]
It has a Casette Tape Recorder for a Data Drive but will use 5" floopies.
If you can remember playing Hitchikers Guide to The Galaxy or Quest for Tires on a 5" disk, you are a CG.Certifiable Geek.
I pull the old thing out now and again to recall DialTones, and that Clickety,clickety,click of the Rotary Dialers. Stuff like that is but a memory to a few now.
Is still fun to /format c , then /timestamp 3*,5*,99+1+
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I found the data tables on the TRS-80, they are so small its cute and sorta cuddly.
If ya want a bootstrap, or a Data Entry Field I will be posting them longhand on a personal website soon. Gotta make another one @.cox.net anyhoots.
Whats the use of 5 emails if you only use one?!?
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