EA Mini-Scamp

For those interested, I came across an original EA Mini-Scamp computer
on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQitemZ160213871081QQihZ006QQcategoryZ1247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I know a few people on here are into this sort of stuff so thought I'd
point it out.

The unit has certainly appreciated in value if it goes for $500

Dave.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQitemZ160213871081QQihZ006QQcategoryZ1247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


How many gig of ram?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQitemZ16
0213871081QQihZ006QQcategoryZ1247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem





That's a very big IF!

MrT.

I think it's cheap. If you look at what the first Australian paintings
and bush furniture is selling for these days the computer is a bargain.
It's a part of Australias technological history. I think whoever buys it
will make a lot of money out of it one day.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQitemZ16



So you are buying it then? The seller will be pleased I'm sure.

MrT.

Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQ ...

It didn't sell :-(

Dave.

Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQ ...


It's back!
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item16%0217511640

$800 and it's all yours with Buy-It-Now

"Last time offered.  Not to be relisted again!!"

Does that mean it'll get binned if it doesn't sell this time?

Dave.

Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQ ...





    There seems to be a lot of old computers looking for homes right now.

    Have a look at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/14/2189966.htm

Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mini-Scamp-Micro-Computer-circa-1978-RARE_W0QQ ...


Yes, it's not the first time that museum has been given its marching
orders.
If they were old micros then you'd have people falling over
themselves, but looks like no-one wants the old mainframe and mini
stuff. Scrap metal value only I'm afraid.
I'm surprised the Power House museum won't take some of it. With their
big warehouse at Castle Hill (now open to the public) they could
easily save some of it.

Dave.

If I'm not very much mistaken, the racks pictured look like they are all
full of DEC gear, circa mid to late 70's, to early 1980's. Definitely a
pdp 11/34 in there. (bottom left) can't quite place the one bottom right.

"Some of the collection's earliest bits and pieces include parts of
George Julius's totalisator, that counted tickets and calculated
changing odds at horseraces. Mr Julius was the first chairman of the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, later to become the CSIRO."

I would like to think that this was worth preserving. One of Australia's
greatest inventors, and most Australian's have never heard of him. Came
up with an electro-mechanical vote counter in 1913, and turned it into
the world's first tote machine. Sold and installed them world wide. (ATL)

But then, I'm biased, I worked there for 25 years. :-)
http://www.dontronics-shop.com/Where-Was-Don-For-25-Years-Tote-History-p-1-c-412.html

Cheers Don...

A smidge over 0.0000002GB
Plenty.

Dave.

from memory, ((no pun intended) :-) enough to play the first three lines
of happy birthday.

and only 4 hours to hand program it.

would be nice to bring back a few memories, and have a slice of
Australian computer history, but not at $500.

still someone may pay that.

does anyone want to buy the first PC in Australia? Landed March-1978
TRS-80 Model one, slightly modified. Two new heads, three new handles.

Cheers Don...

I hope you are telling the truth.

The bit about the first PC in Australia?
I believe so. Arguably. Had it on back order until supplies arrived in
Australia in March-1978. Tried for a Commodore Pet, as they were the
first advertised in the U.S., but Commodore wouldn't send me one, as
they weren't geared up for 50Hz and 240V, even thought I said it was my
problem, not theirs.

The bit about the two new heads, and three new handles? Almost.
I should really take photos of it. There are rows of chips piggybacked
to others, and a birds nest of wiring running on both sides of the
boards, with ZIF sockets for EEPROM firmware and character generators.
Original keyboard wore out, so I fitted a new one from a Super-80
computer. (Dick Smith kit).

Only driven by a little old man to Tandy User group meetings, in the
late 70's. :-)

Cheers Don...

Lovely machine. I did my first programming on that!

I was referring to the George Washington axe.

OH, a similar example was also seen in Only Fools and Horses, (British
television sitcom) where Trigger won an award for using the same broom
to sweep the streets for twenty years, even though he’d replaced the
head 17 times and the handle 14 times.


Don...

:>> does anyone want to buy the first PC in Australia? Landed March-1978
:>> TRS-80 Model one, slightly modified. Two new heads, three new handles.
:>>
:>> Cheers Don...
:>
:> I hope you are telling the truth.
:
:The bit about the first PC in Australia?
:I believe so. Arguably. Had it on back order until supplies arrived in
:Australia in March-1978. Tried for a Commodore Pet, as they were the
:first advertised in the U.S., but Commodore wouldn't send me one, as
:they weren't geared up for 50Hz and 240V, even thought I said it was my
:problem, not theirs.

You are most likely correct in your claim Don. The TRS80 was first announced on
August 3rd 1977 in the US and it would have taken around 6 mths for it to
gravitate to Australia.
http://www.trs-80.com/trs80-models-model1.htm

:

FWIW I still have my DREAM6800 in a moving carton the garage. Might
resurrect it one of these days...

Chris.