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geekhack Marketplace => Great Finds => Topic started by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:42:34

Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Fri, 26 March 2010, 13:42:34
I was searching eBay and found this board:

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-4176191-Model-F-Clicky-Keyboard-Serial_W0QQitemZ260566553013QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3caafa11b5 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-4176191-Model-F-Clicky-Keyboard-Serial_W0QQitemZ260566553013QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Mice_Trackballs?hash=item3caafa11b5)

Was wondering if there were any other differences between the AT and serial versions of the Model F.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: nowsharing on Fri, 26 March 2010, 15:22:58
They're supposedly built more ruggedly. I bought an XT (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190380451538) for $5 last week.

I also bought two AT Fs (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200451776958) last week, which were considerably more expensive at $60 each.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 26 March 2010, 15:28:09
Quote from: nowsharing;167127
They're supposedly built more ruggedly. I bought an XT (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190380451538) for $5 last week.

I also bought two AT Fs (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200451776958) last week, which were considerably more expensive at $60 each.


$5 XT? Nice!

Now, of course, if I were to buy an XT Model F, it'd be to use...you know...with an XT. But that's me.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: nowsharing on Fri, 26 March 2010, 15:35:12
If I had any sort of large permanent place to store things, this 5150 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-5150-COMPUTOR-MONITOR-CLICK-KEYBOARD-WORKS_W0QQitemZ280483916138) would be mine.

I use Jdarkroom and Q10 for a full-screen green on black word processing experience, but it's just not the same. I doubt I could save anything typed up on an XT machine though, could I?
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 26 March 2010, 15:38:50
Quote from: nowsharing;167129
If I had any sort of large permanent place to store things, this 5150 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-5150-COMPUTOR-MONITOR-CLICK-KEYBOARD-WORKS_W0QQitemZ280483916138) would be mine.

I use Jdarkroom and Q10 for a full-screen green on black word processing experience, but it's just not the same. I doubt I could save anything typed up on an XT machine though, could I?


Well, of course, the 5150 is the "PC" and the 5160 is the "PC/XT"...and then there was also a "PC/XT 286" but I'm not sure what the model number was...might have just been 5160.

An original-spec PC would be difficult to get any kind of functional use out of because of dual floppies with no fixed disk. The main selling point/improvement of the XT was the hard drive, yet still some people ordered them without.

So...saving, sure if you've got a hard drive. Using? I dunno. There's a way to get external Zip drives working on 8088 systems so you could do it, but it'd be hairy.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 17:23:54
Quote from: nowsharing;167129
If I had any sort of large permanent place to store things, this 5150 (http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-5150-COMPUTOR-MONITOR-CLICK-KEYBOARD-WORKS_W0QQitemZ280483916138) would be mine.

I use Jdarkroom and Q10 for a full-screen green on black word processing experience, but it's just not the same. I doubt I could save anything typed up on an XT machine though, could I?


I love the green glow of the text on those things. Pity I don't have such a monitor.

Yeah, when I get a house, it will just be full of IBM stuff... and lots of keyboards I'm sure. I'm really interested in filco and blue cherries.

Although, I'd like to know how people get their computers to rust.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 26 March 2010, 18:35:20
Check the IBM wiki, it's in there somewhere. After Friday night partying/alcohol consumption my memory of which IBM terminal of many it was designed to be connected to isn't great.

One thing I will say though is that the 'serial' thing is probably the seller taking a guess based on the shape of the connector - I would seriously doubt that it's RS-232 compatible.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: nowsharing on Fri, 26 March 2010, 18:51:41
Nice lineup Webwit, and I love the HHKB mod.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 26 March 2010, 18:58:02
Quote from: webwit;167189
Hmm, trolling a drunk Irish at a safe distance sounds like a fun Friday night game. Where is MS Windows?


Hardly drunk, just not in a sufficient state for reciting part numbers from memory.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:05:29
I'm drinkin' 'em for 'im.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:11:39
Quote from: webwit;167199
Not drunk? You claim you are Irish and had less than 20 of these.. on a Friday night???

Show Image
(http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/0/2/8/3/ar12372941938205.jpg)


Who needs that?

THIS is much better:
(http://www.urbanmoms.ca/photos/uncategorized/2008/10/17/five_alive_family.jpg)
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:42:11
Guiness is a lot less popular in Ireland than you'd actually think...
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:47:32
The good stuff,

(http://smartcanucks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/tropicana.jpg)

I drink some nearly every day, it's my coffee.


Unfortunately the Japanese don't seem to like pulp, so things like real lemonade/orange juice/grapefruit juice are hard to come by, unless you make it yourself.


Edit: I saw the same board (different seller) going for $9.95 USD earlier this week. The auction is over but I don't think anyone bid on it.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:50:30
Why buy when you can grow? I grow lemons and oranges.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:51:56
*Envies ricercar*
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 20:01:29
Quote from: HaaTa;167225
The good stuff,

Show Image
(http://smartcanucks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/tropicana.jpg)


I drink some nearly every day, it's my coffee.

Unfortunately the Japanese don't seem to like pulp, so things like real lemonade/orange juice/grapefruit juice are hard to come by, unless you make it yourself.

Edit: I saw the same board (different seller) going for $9.95 USD earlier this week. The auction is over but I don't think anyone bid on it.


Tropicana is good too: however, they like to generally charge more money (especially the tropicana "tropical" juices).
Safeway usually has good deals on the "welch's" grape concentrates (2 for $3). Much cheaper than buying the overpriced cartons. However, they have artificial colour (99% to be azo dyes).
I usually settle with five alive (used to drink 8 litres of the stuff every day), or, fruitopia.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Fri, 26 March 2010, 20:26:35
Tropicana lemonade is awesome if you can find it (I've never seen it in carton format though).

I drink the concentrate stuff, if that's all I can find. But it's just not the same.

The Welch's orange juice is good however if you can find the bottled stuff, almost as good as the Tropicana.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Fri, 26 March 2010, 22:23:53
Quote from: HaaTa;167240
Tropicana lemonade is awesome if you can find it (I've never seen it in carton format though).

I drink the concentrate stuff, if that's all I can find. But it's just not the same.

The Welch's orange juice is good however if you can find the bottled stuff, almost as good as the Tropicana.


You're right! The welch's is close to tropicana. I believe welch's uses concentrates on everything (the grape concentrate tastes the same as the cartons).

I didn't know there were other juice aficionados around here. Everyone is too busy with boring dull alcohol.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Fri, 26 March 2010, 23:05:13
I'm a bit of a cranberry guy myself...but a good glass of orange juice kicks ass.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Sat, 27 March 2010, 00:39:07
Damn, now I want some cranberry juice...

All I got in the fridge is a bottle of Aquarius Vitamin Guard (Japanese lemon flavoured sports drink). Its damn good, but still not juice.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 27 March 2010, 04:03:32
I practically live off milk these days...
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ricercar on Sat, 27 March 2010, 04:43:37
For some reason autistic children prefer apple juice. I'm never without it any more.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 27 March 2010, 04:47:31
I know a guy who drinks lots of it to stay awake in lieu of coffee.
Title: Re: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Sat, 27 March 2010, 05:01:44
Normally I live off milk as well. But its a pain having to buy 1 L containers rather than 4 L ones.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 08:40:39
Milk is great, so is orange juice and apple juice.  Grape juice is good also. I guess this thread is officially off topic.
Title: Re: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Sat, 27 March 2010, 09:44:13
Pineapple juice is also good, but it doesn't beat actually eating pineapple.

I haven't asked but I don't think my Model F is a fan of OJ.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Sat, 27 March 2010, 10:08:47
Milk is best distributed from bags. Yes, bags!

And we will take over the world with our bagged milk.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: itlnstln on Sat, 27 March 2010, 11:34:02
Quote from: kishy;167357
Milk is best distributed from bags. Yes, bags!

And we will take over the world with our bagged milk.

We had those when I was in school.  Similac breast implants.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 27 March 2010, 12:44:34
Quote from: kishy;167282
I'm a bit of a cranberry guy myself...but a good glass of orange juice kicks ass.


Cranberry juice is excellent. Some people mix it with sprite (cranberry punch?)

Orange juice is okay, but I think it tastes better if you mix it with something else. Like lemons?

Too much acidic fruit can wear off your teeth enamel.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Sat, 27 March 2010, 13:10:13
Quote from: EverythingIBM;167387
Cranberry juice is excellent. Some people mix it with sprite (cranberry punch?)

Orange juice is okay, but I think it tastes better if you mix it with something else. Like lemons?

Too much acidic fruit can wear off your teeth enamel.


Yeah, I've got a problem with that. Some of my teeth are slightly transparent at the 'sharp end' from brushing too aggressively and too much acidic stuff.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 27 March 2010, 16:55:33
If you live in a good location, there's nothing wrong with drinking water.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 17:02:48
My stepdad sells water for a living, so we get all ours for free.  But I still prefer the flavor of OJ or Apple juice.  However, the best drink out there has got to be Arizona Iced Tea.  Best stuff.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 27 March 2010, 17:15:03
Quote from: microsoft windows;167450
If you live in a good location, there's nothing wrong with drinking water.


Yuuuuuck.

As my friend once said: "water is so tasteless that it has a taste". And that's a bad taste.

Water by itself is BLAHHH. Bottled water is even worse: plastic and chlorine galore. Bottled water is actually bad for you.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:00:09
It all depends what type of water you drink.  The water my stepdad sells is good water.  Very refreshing.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:05:24
This thread is already off-topic so I'll make this post here:
 I have officially conquered the Geekhack Community!

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8748&stc=1&d=1269731094)
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: kishy on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:17:43
Quote from: microsoft windows;167450
If you live in a good location, there's nothing wrong with drinking water.

Actually yes, we have excellent tap water here. I believe it was (at least in the last few years, perhaps not immediately recently) determined to be some of the best drinking water in Canada if not North America as a whole...but I honestly don't remember where I heard that or how reliable a source it was (but it's such a ridiculous, doesn't-make-sense-to-fabricate-out-of-nothing claim that I'd lean towards it being true).

In any event we have a Brita filter pitcher in the fridge to get out any impurities that make their way in from the pipes.

I think CLIB has a point...this is retardedly off topic.

Is it just me or has the offtopicness of most threads been increasing in severity lately?
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sat, 27 March 2010, 18:19:24
If only threads that become off-topic could be moved to the off-topic section of this forum.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sat, 27 March 2010, 22:48:02
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167489
If only threads that become off-topic could be moved to the off-topic section of this forum.


There goes all the threads...
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Sun, 28 March 2010, 09:51:50
Quote from: ricercar;167229
Why buy when you can grow? I grow lemons and oranges.


Eeeh. Your lemonade will be contaminated with all kinds of natural ingredients.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: HaaTa on Sun, 28 March 2010, 09:59:35
Well only if he actually uses crap to fertilize his fruit trees, in which case they'd be "organic".
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: Computer-Lab in Basement on Sun, 28 March 2010, 11:43:15
I don't want crap in my lemonade.
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: KillerBee on Tue, 17 August 2010, 09:26:29
sooooo..... what ever haappened with the model f
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: ch_123 on Tue, 17 August 2010, 11:03:50
Quote from: KillerBee;213452
sooooo..... what ever haappened with the model f


There's a load of them for cheap on eBay.

They're the same as the XT Model F, except with no obvious way to interface them with a modern PC.
Title: Not serial, not the same as an XT...
Post by: dfj on Thu, 19 August 2010, 12:47:33
Quote from: ch_123;213498
There's a load of them for cheap on eBay.

They're the same as the XT Model F, except with no obvious way to interface them with a modern PC.

... and, depending on which one you end up with, they can be _much_ harder to interface with a PC - assuming you are coding up a custom microcontroller firmware for it. If not... well, even kbdbabel din' crib up a driver for these, so porting from kurt's assembly won't even help. :(

Bhtooefr has one which is sort of parallel read, and I have one that is not even that: It has no controller, and requires the terminal to drive the scanning via parallel writes.

XT runs a simpler version of the PS2 protocol, with just one message, a couple've signals that take over their wires entirely, and it is timed a little different, and triggered on the other edge.

dfj
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: microsoft windows on Thu, 19 August 2010, 13:08:45
Quote from: Computer-Lab in Basement;167456
However, the best drink out there has got to be Arizona Iced Tea.  Best stuff.


You drink canned tea? How hard is it to fill up a jug with water and add in some sugar and teabags?
Title: IBM Model F serial?
Post by: EverythingIBM on Thu, 19 August 2010, 13:54:14
Quote from: microsoft windows;214539
You drink canned tea? How hard is it to fill up a jug with water and add in some sugar and teabags?


I like the arizona iced tea -- besides it's only $1 for a really large can. It's probably cheaper buying those than paying money for the water & teabags & sugar.