updates to the Alpha Micro Phun Machine

[Lyle Bickley]

On Saturday 29 December 2007 07:25, Cameron Kaiser wrote:
--snip--
>
> What's installed in your machine? How many ports? Ethernet?
>

The poor critter, it's documentation and log are stashed behind an 
SGI Onyx IR in my internal storage area. I can see it - but not its 
backside. IIRC, It has six ports, 170MB HDD, DAT tape (and VHS 
port) - but no ethernet :-(

--snip--

> When you say "new VHS player" are you using the AM's VCR equipment
> NOS, or just an off-the-shelf one?

Off the shelf. It would have been nice to have AM's VCR - but the 
off-the-shelf worked fine (just a bit more "operator" interaction 
required).

> I remember the system administrator at the Salvation Army telling
> me that they backed up to VHS (in retrospect I think they were
> using either AM-20XX or AM-3000 units at the individual
> corps/churches) and being incredulous, that it had to be some
> other form of magtape.

As you know, the VHS backup is actually quite reliable - because 
there are multiple redundant copies of all records (quantity user 
controlled). This is a critical feature since a VHS player can't 
stop, backspace record and re-read like a "real" tape backup.

What is really "strange" is that one can duplicate AMOS backup VHS 
tapes using two standard VHS units (1 read and 1 record) - and the 
duplicated tape will be readable by AMOS.

> I'm getting questions now and then about what hardware people need
> to find to restore from an AM tape, like the old PC and Mac-based
> VideoTRAX system, so I should probably do a page on that.

Good idea...

> > > Also, I recently acquired an AM-1200, and there will be a
> > > model page for that as soon as I get it operational.
> >
> > I also have a nice AM-1042 that is anxiously awaiting
> > restoration. It's clean (came from a dentist's office), I've
> > tested the PS, but it's currently not bootable.
>
> Ah, that's a shame.

I think of it as an "opportunity" ;-)

Now if I can only find time to work on it....

> > If any of the folks on this list are not familiar with Alpha
> > Micro, do yourself a favor and check out Cameron's website!!
>
> Thank you for the kind word :)

Your welcome!

Lyle
-- 
Lyle Bickley
Bickley Consulting West Inc.
Mountain View, CA
http://bickleywest.com

"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"