[eBay] Complete Leading Edge Model D

[jwaz]

Leading Edge Model D
The Leading Edge Model D was an IBM clone computer first released by Leading Edge Hardware in July 1985. It was initially priced at $1,495 configured with dual 5.25" floppy drives, 256 KB of RAM, and a monochrome monitor. It was manufactured by South Korean conglomerate Daewoo and distributed by Canton, Massachusetts-based Leading Edge. Engineer Stephen Kahng spent about four months designing the Model D at a cost of $200,000. Kahng later became CEO of Macintosh clone maker Power Computing.
In August 1986, Leading Edge cut the price of the base model by $200, to $1,295, and increased the base memory of the machine to 512 KB.
The Model D was an immediate success, selling 100,000 units in its first year of production. It continued to sell well for several years, until a dispute with its dealers forced Leading Edge into bankruptcy in 1989.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_Edge_Model_D
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leading-Edge-Model-DC-2011E-with-DR-1240-Monitor-and-DC-2014-Keyboard-All-Work-/281400695814?pt=US_Vintage_Computers_Mainframes&hash=item4184c9dc06


I actually kind of want this but I'm sure someone will bid on it just for the "blue alps"... :|


perfect machine for Zork and other Infocom stuff, etc!!

[jacobolus]

The display is already set up with a geekhack theme!

[CPTBadAss]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

[Vanilla]

I have a feeling that the price of this will raise significantly after being posted here....   

[jdcarpe]

Not exactly a terminal, but an actual PC running DOS. Did they make Windows 3.1 on 5.25" floppies? I think you could request them in the mail if your PC didn't have a 3.5" drive.

[False_Dmitry_II]

What makes it a terminal rather than just an "IBM and compatibles"? It even has a Phoenix BIOS.

[kishy]

Just for the record...that's not a terminal. It's a desktop computer.

If someone buys for the keyboard alone please be in touch, there may be components I'm interested in, but not the whole machine.

[nubbinator]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/sys/4579500178.html

I posted this in the last DC-2014 thread.

[jwaz]

Just for the record...that's not a terminal. It's a desktop computer.

If someone buys for the keyboard alone please be in touch, there may be components I'm interested in, but not the whole machine.

Clearly, since it's running DOS.

Anyway, I wasn't paying attention to my terminology at 8am this morning, thanks for pointing that out

Leading Edge Model D
The Leading Edge Model D was an IBM clone computer first released by Leading Edge Hardware in July 1985. It was initially priced at $1,495 configured with dual 5.25" floppy drives, 256 KB of RAM, and a monochrome monitor. It was manufactured by South Korean conglomerate Daewoo and distributed by Canton, Massachusetts-based Leading Edge. Engineer Stephen Kahng spent about four months designing the Model D at a cost of $200,000. Kahng later became CEO of Macintosh clone maker Power Computing.
In August 1986, Leading Edge cut the price of the base model by $200, to $1,295, and increased the base memory of the machine to 512 KB.
The Model D was an immediate success, selling 100,000 units in its first year of production. It continued to sell well for several years, until a dispute with its dealers forced Leading Edge into bankruptcy in 1989.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_Edge_Model_D

[CPTBadAss]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/sys/4579500178.html

I posted this in the last DC-2014 thread.

Pickup only in Miami.

[nubbinator]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/sys/4579500178.html

I posted this in the last DC-2014 thread.

Pickup only in Miami.

You can always contact them and see if they'd be willing to ship.  And I know there are some members near there.

[ninjadoc]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/sys/4579500178.html

I posted this in the last DC-2014 thread.

Pickup only in Miami.

That's awesome!

[Halverson]

Can we not buy this for switches? Can we collectively agree to let someone like JWAZ or CPT get it cheap to actually use it?

[nubbinator]

Can we not buy this for switches? Can we collectively agree to let someone like JWAZ or CPT get it cheap to actually use it?

If that didn't happen with the DC-2014 I wanted to get to do a Soarer's conversion on, I doubt it will happen with this one.

[Halverson]

Can we not buy this for switches? Can we collectively agree to let someone like JWAZ or CPT get it cheap to actually use it?

If that didn't happen with the DC-2014 I wanted to get to do a Soarer's conversion on, I doubt it will happen with this one.

Was that a full working unit or just the keyboard? Was hoping since this is a bit more than a keyboard it could be agreed upon.

[jwaz]

Can we not buy this for switches? Can we collectively agree to let someone like JWAZ or CPT get it cheap to actually use it?

If that didn't happen with the DC-2014 I wanted to get to do a Soarer's conversion on, I doubt it will happen with this one.

Was that a full working unit or just the keyboard? Was hoping since this is a bit more than a keyboard it could be agreed upon.

I would hope so too, and using it with the soarer's isn't even close to as legitimate a reason because... why. 

[nubbinator]

Can we not buy this for switches? Can we collectively agree to let someone like JWAZ or CPT get it cheap to actually use it?

If that didn't happen with the DC-2014 I wanted to get to do a Soarer's conversion on, I doubt it will happen with this one.

Was that a full working unit or just the keyboard? Was hoping since this is a bit more than a keyboard it could be agreed upon.

I would hope so too, and using it with the soarer's isn't even close to as legitimate a reason because... why. 

It's a legitimate reason just as much as getting the full computer.  If that was the case, then IBM M-122s and any terminal keyboard wouldn't be good for anything other than as a parts donor.

[dante]

Guys please PLEASE. No one touch it. I need to play more Zork and eat bear food.

Nethack y0!

[fohat.digs]

This brings up something that I have been thinking about for a while.

I would like to propose something new, and I don't know what the proper format/venue/classification/category/thread might be.

Clearly, there are at least several geekhackers (*cough* microsoft windows *cough*) who like "classic"/vintage/ancient/obsolete/garbage/useless computer gear.

Also, there are geekhackers who are in a position to see a lot of "used" computer gear passing in front of them (Dorkvader works in some sort of repair shop, for one) who might be able to intercept the occasional desirable piece during its trajectory to the dumpster.

So, how do we create a  [WTS]-[WTB]-[WTT]  thread to handshake these realms?

Personally, I get lost in an ocean of TL;DR and threads that sink out of sight in a few hours/days/weeks.

For example, I have a nice PS/2 486 box that I don't need and I would like to get a clean functional beige 5.25" floppy drive.

One day I might like to build a retro 80386 system (but that is likely years away).

Keyboards see a lot of interest and activity around here, but is it worth setting up a trading post for non-keyboard gear?

- signed - the old fart at play

[Halverson]

This brings up something that I have been thinking about for a while.

I would like to propose something new, and I don't know what the proper format/venue/classification/category/thread might be.

Clearly, there are at least several geekhackers (*cough* microsoft windows *cough*) who like "classic"/vintage/ancient/obsolete/garbage/useless computer gear.

Also, there are geekhackers who are in a position to see a lot of "used" computer gear passing in front of them (Dorkvader works in some sort of repair shop, for one) who might be able to intercept the occasional desirable piece during its trajectory to the dumpster.

So, how do we create a  [WTS]-[WTB]-[WTT]  thread to handshake these realms?

Personally, I get lost in an ocean of TL;DR and threads that sink out of sight in a few hours/days/weeks.

For example, I have a nice PS/2 486 box that I don't need and I would like to get a clean functional beige 5.25" floppy drive.

One day I might like to build a retro 80386 system (but that is likely years away).

Keyboards see a lot of interest and activity around here, but is it worth setting up a trading post for non-keyboard gear?

- signed - the old fart at play

Perhaps some sticky or dedicated area strictly for just trading/selling/buying things of those sorts?

[jwaz]

I would hope so too, and using it with the soarer's isn't even close to as legitimate a reason because... why. 

It's a legitimate reason just as much as getting the full computer.  If that was the case, then IBM M-122s and any terminal keyboard wouldn't be good for anything other than as a parts donor.

>It's a legitimate reason just as much as getting the full computer.
It absolutely is not. The keyboard that's part of this package kinda sucks aside from the switches it uses. The part that makes this find neat is the whole thing together and the potential to use it. In mine and CPT case, our interest lie specifically in playing text adventures on it, which is a hell of a lot more interesting than buying the whole thing for switches (lame because this listing is complete, for once) / to convert it (trash layout).


>If that was the case, then IBM M-122s and any terminal keyboard wouldn't be good for anything other than as a parts donor.
I'm not even going to begin to get into this because I'm sure you know that a lot of the IBM stuff is easy to "fix", layout wise. Especially with some of the newer projects like XTant. Apples and oranges.

This brings up something that I have been thinking about for a while.


I would like to propose something new, and I don't know what the proper format/venue/classification/category/thread might be.


Clearly, there are at least several geekhackers (*cough* microsoft windows *cough*) who like "classic"/vintage/ancient/obsolete/garbage/useless computer gear.


Also, there are geekhackers who are in a position to see a lot of "used" computer gear passing in front of them (Dorkvader works in some sort of repair shop, for one) who might be able to intercept the occasional desirable piece during its trajectory to the dumpster.


So, how do we create a  [WTS]-[WTB]-[WTT]  thread to handshake these realms?


Personally, I get lost in an ocean of TL;DR and threads that sink out of sight in a few hours/days/weeks.


For example, I have a nice PS/2 486 box that I don't need and I would like to get a clean functional beige 5.25" floppy drive.


One day I might like to build a retro 80386 system (but that is likely years away).


Keyboards see a lot of interest and activity around here, but is it worth setting up a trading post for non-keyboard gear?


- signed - the old fart at play

Perhaps some sticky or dedicated area strictly for just trading/selling/buying things of those sorts?

Something like this would be really cool but I'm not really sure if there is enough of a want for such a thing? At least not enough to support an active thread. But why not try I suppose?


Maybe a version of the "what did you find" thread in the classifieds?

[Halverson]

I would hope so too, and using it with the soarer's isn't even close to as legitimate a reason because... why. 

It's a legitimate reason just as much as getting the full computer.  If that was the case, then IBM M-122s and any terminal keyboard wouldn't be good for anything other than as a parts donor.

>It's a legitimate reason just as much as getting the full computer.
It absolutely is not. The keyboard that's part of this package kinda sucks aside from the switches it uses. The part that makes this find neat is the whole thing together and the potential to use it. In mine and CPT case, our interest lie specifically in playing text adventures on it, which is a hell of a lot more interesting than buying the whole thing for switches (lame because this listing is complete, for once) / to convert it (trash layout).


>If that was the case, then IBM M-122s and any terminal keyboard wouldn't be good for anything other than as a parts donor.
I'm not even going to begin to get into this because I'm sure you know that a lot of the IBM stuff is easy to "fix", layout wise. Especially with some of the newer projects like XTant. Apples and oranges.

This brings up something that I have been thinking about for a while.


I would like to propose something new, and I don't know what the proper format/venue/classification/category/thread might be.


Clearly, there are at least several geekhackers (*cough* microsoft windows *cough*) who like "classic"/vintage/ancient/obsolete/garbage/useless computer gear.


Also, there are geekhackers who are in a position to see a lot of "used" computer gear passing in front of them (Dorkvader works in some sort of repair shop, for one) who might be able to intercept the occasional desirable piece during its trajectory to the dumpster.


So, how do we create a  [WTS]-[WTB]-[WTT]  thread to handshake these realms?


Personally, I get lost in an ocean of TL;DR and threads that sink out of sight in a few hours/days/weeks.


For example, I have a nice PS/2 486 box that I don't need and I would like to get a clean functional beige 5.25" floppy drive.


One day I might like to build a retro 80386 system (but that is likely years away).


Keyboards see a lot of interest and activity around here, but is it worth setting up a trading post for non-keyboard gear?


- signed - the old fart at play

Perhaps some sticky or dedicated area strictly for just trading/selling/buying things of those sorts?

Something like this would be really cool but I'm not really sure if there is enough of a want for such a thing? At least not enough to support an active thread. But why not try I suppose?


Maybe a version of the "what did you find" thread in the classifieds?

I figure that since it wouldn't be as active as other threads, to avoid being buried it could be a sticky or something. So it's always around and seen without the need to be bumped or searched for.

[jwaz]

I figured that most of the vintage computing people were denizens of irc but if we could get an active thread going and pull them out of hiding I'm all for it, I tried something similar with the e-cycler What Did You Find Today thread but it isn't too active since everyone sort of defaults to eBay.

[dante]

- signed - the old fart at play

This is a really good idea.  I'm assembling parts now to build a new PC - and while I've got that all figured out I'm dumbfounded by which case to use.  I thought about keeping an older case out of the landfill but not sure what would be compatible with modern motherboards.  I'm thinking of something like a 90's Packard Bell case or similar.

[jdcarpe]

I used to have several older Pentium II machines. Until the wife cleaned out my hoard room 3 years ago.

[jwaz]

- signed - the old fart at play

This is a really good idea.  I'm assembling parts now to build a new PC - and while I've got that all figured out I'm dumbfounded by which case to use.  I thought about keeping an older case out of the landfill but not sure what would be compatible with modern motherboards.  I'm thinking of something like a 90's Packard Bell case or similar.

The cool thing to do these days is use an old SGI box:

[Halverson]

- signed - the old fart at play

This is a really good idea.  I'm assembling parts now to build a new PC - and while I've got that all figured out I'm dumbfounded by which case to use.  I thought about keeping an older case out of the landfill but not sure what would be compatible with modern motherboards.  I'm thinking of something like a 90's Packard Bell case or similar.

The cool thing to do these days is use an old SGI box:

Show Image

Show Image

There was one guy recently who had the indigo ll? I think it was. Love all those cases.

[jwaz]

They're pretty sweet. One of the projects I'm going to working on in the near future is running the IRIX doom port on an indigo.

[dante]

While I agree those Silicon Graphics cases are beautiful to look at this site states that the plastics are too fragile:

These old plastics are just too brittle. The SGI O2's are particularly fragile, I've seen them break like peanut brittle. Then the Indigo's. The SGI Indigo 2 and Indy have fiberglass cases which are more sturdy, and "newer". But all of these models which have "doors" have fragile hinges and locks which tend to snap off. The SGI Indigo systems I have left are without doors - the plastics are so fragile that the door hinges just snapped off. So that's why I say "cases *will* be damaged in shipping".

[fohat.digs]

This is a really good idea. 

So, somebody else start the thread. My threads have a pattern of getting buried.

My computer case is a MaxTek? (red-headed twin brother of CaseTek?) all-steel full-tower at least a decade old. I think that it accommodates about 5-6 internal 3.5"s, 2 external 3.5"s, and 4 external 5.25"s and I have it almost full! It probably weighs at least 25 pounds empty and accommodates about 6 80cm fans.

It is utterly awesome except for the lack of front-side USB etc (they are on the top, ridiculously) and I have upgraded all of the internals several times. Beige, too!

[samwisekoi]

I had more than one of these Leading Edge computers when they came out.  Good price/performance/quality for the time.

It is not, IMHO, nearly as cool as the VT220.

Also, while we're geeking out on old stuff, I found my CP/M transportable.  33 pounds of 64K Z80 goodness.  I have not (yet) found my Zork diskette, however.

This is not mine, but this was the machine.  I was the Production Control Manager for Access Matrix Computer Corporation, who made the thing.


http://www.actrixcomputer.com/7042.html

Nice keycaps.  I do not think they were Cherry switches, however.

Oh, and that is a seven inch amber monitor, I'll have you know!

 - Ron | samwisekoi

[dorkvader]

(Dorkvader works in some sort of repair shop, for one) who might be able to intercept the occasional desirable piece during its trajectory to the dumpster.

I am currently unemployed, and the place I used to work at only saw things from about 2003 - 2010 so none of it was vintage enough to be cool.

That said, I really like your idea.

My computer case is a MaxTek? (red-headed twin brother of CaseTek?) all-steel full-tower at least a decade old. I think that it accommodates about 5-6 internal 3.5"s, 2 external 3.5"s, and 4 external 5.25"s and I have it almost full! It probably weighs at least 25 pounds empty and accommodates about 6 80cm fans.

I want to get a really old full tower case (maybe an enlight) and use it for everything.

Ron, my dolch (inet) is at least that heavy and has an LCD! It weighs more or less depending on which HDD / floppy caddy I have installed. I am planning to modify one to hold both HDDs and the optical drive (for maximum weight). Bit newer than your access though

[False_Dmitry_II]

I like the sturdiness and thickness of the steel on old towers and such, but I can't use them because many don't have a single case fan, let alone really good airflow. Then there's accommodating a CM 212 CPU fan.