Subject: DEC TRAX installations - Oz.

[John GEREMIN - Engineer via cctalk]

  I started with RSTS in 1978, in a hospital.

  I later heard that the Bank of Tasmania was using TRAX.
  Even with many years of DECUS involvement, I never heard much more of TRAX.

  John GEREMIN, Hon. Curator, Australian Computer Museum Society Inc.
  i...@acms.org.au


From: Alan Frisbie 
To: cctalk@classiccmp.org
Subject: DEC TRAX documentation set for sale
Message-ID: <595e9ba7.80...@flying-disk.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed


Since it is doubtful that I will ever have a need for them,
and I badly need the space, I am selling my TRAX documentation
set on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/142437733294
or search for "TRAX" or Seller Frisbie99

This includes the five TRAX manuals that are NOT on Bitsavers.

Description:
In 1978, DEC announced a new PDP-11 operating system, TRAX,
specifically designed for high-volume transaction processing.
It was designed to work with the DEC VT62 block mode terminals
for fill-in-the-blanks applications.

TRAX was designed around a modified version of RSX-11M-Plus,
v1.0, yet no mention of it survives today. Indeed, a year after
its announcement, it appeared to have sunk without a trace.

This is a complete set of manuals for the DEC TRAX transaction
processing Operating System. In 45 years of working with DEC
systems, I have never seen another copy of these manuals or the
binders. The product was canceled almost(?) before it was shipped,
so this is a rare glimpse of an almost-forgotten part of computer
history.

This set contains all the manuals that were part of the original
documentation set. They include:

 AA-D327A-TC Introduction to TRAX
 AA-D328A-TC Application Designers Guide
 AA-D329A-TC Application Programmers Guide
 AA-D330A-TC Application Terminal Language Reference Manual
 AA-D331A-TC Support Environment Users Guide
 AA-D332A-TC System Managers Guide
 AA-D335A-TC System Generation Manual
 AA-D336A-TC TRAX BASIC-Plus-2 Language Reference Manual
 AA-D337A-TC TRAX BASIC-Plus-2 User's Guide
 AA-D338A-TC COBOL Language Reference Manual
 AA-D339A-TC COBOL Users Guide
 AA-D340A-TC MACRO Reference Manual
 AA-D341A-TC TRAX RMS MACRO Programmers Guide
 AA-D342A-TC Linker Reference Manual
 AA-D343A-TC ODT Reference Manual
 AA-D344A-TC TRAX User Mode Diagnostics
 AA-D345A-TC DEC Editor Reference Manual
 AA-D346A-TC SORT Reference Manual
 AA-D347A-TC DATATRIEVE Users Guide

In addition, a copy of the Software Product Description (SPD)
13.9.0 and a color-laser printed copy of the original TRAX brochure
are included. If the buyer wishes, I can email them the PDF files
for these two documents.

Alan Frisbie


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RE: What's the rarest or most unusual computer-related item do you own?

[John GEREMIN - Engineer]

Greetings from Australia, 'Down Under' and the Australian Computer Museum 
Society Inc.


Congratulations to Jay on his working HP-2000s.

I bought my HP-2000f from Liverpool Hospital (NSW) in the early 1980s for 
either $5,000 or $10,000.
A lot of money in those days - I had a crazy idea of setting up some sort 
of bureau.

I got it home (in a terrace in Chippendale) in two trips. Plus heaps of doco.
I re-assembled it, put in a switch for selectable baud rate on the console 
port.

Later the power supply for the disk failed and has not been repaired.
It now sits in the HP Museum in Melbourne, VIC. See www.HPmuseum.net home page.

The HP Museum is a vast store of HP information and artefacts.
Sadly, the curator/originator Jon Johnston died last year on Mt Everest.
His memorial service will be held next month, contact me for details.

Regards,  John GEREMIN, i...@acms.org.au


--

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2017 12:02:26 -0600
From: "Jay West" 
To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'"

Subject: RE: What's the rarest or most unusual computer-related item
do you own? [Tek 4132]
Message-ID: <000201d26f59$87e1cb60$97a56220$@classiccmp.org>
Content-Type: text/plain;   charset="utf-8"

I'd have to say my HP-2000 systems that are running are the rarest that 
I'm aware of. I know of a few folks who have various bits and pieces 
towards assembling one, but not complete. I know two collectors who (each) 
have most if not all of the parts, but the systems are far from 
operational and likely never will be.


So I fairly strongly suspect that my running HP-2000's are the only ones 
left, anywhere. I have one HP-2000/Access system using dual 2100A/S cpus 
with HP paper tape readers and punches, another HP-2000/Access system 
using dual 21MX/E's, and an HP-2000/E using one 21MX. Each of those have 
their own 7900, 7906 disc drives and 7970 (not the 2000/E) tape units.


I think the most I ever paid for a system at once was $1500 for a 
"system", and about $2000 for a pallet of two incomplete systems. But in 
order to get the 3 HP-2000 systems mentioned above and running, I'm sure 
it's edged uncomfortably into the 5 digit range.


All the other systems in my collection, while perhaps highly sought 
after... there are tens if not hundreds of identical systems in other 
collectors hands.


J



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Re: IBM 1620 / IBM 1401.

[John GEREMIN - Engineer]

Here in Australia, the Australian Computer Museum Society has an IBM 1401 - 
just the big CPU unit.


We know of an IBM 1620 CPU unit in Computer Sciences at the University of NSW.

I worked on a 1620 in the 1960s - and thought that it was 'magic'.

Sadly, we don't have enough sponsors to put either on public display.

Regards,John GEREMIN, ASTC, Honorary Curator, www.acms.org.au