front panel display for a modern PC

[Andrew Lynch]

I'm curious why anyone would want a front panel with lights and 
switches.  Except for some early IBM mainframe stuff, the number of 
systems that I've worked with that had no front panel vastly 
outnumber the ones that did.

Indeed, the front panel on the MITS 8800 seemed to be a waste of good 
components and an anachronism at that.  Better to take the costs of 
the panel and roll them into a good diagnostic ROM with loader.  The 
S-100 followup machine that I used, an Integrand box, had only a 
reset button on the front panel.  I never missed the switches.  After 
the MITS box, I never owned another system with a blinkenlights-and-
switches front panel.

Just trying to understand.

Cheers,
Chuck


-----REPLY-----

Hi,

I must have missed the whole "front panel on a microcomputer" thing too.  

I recall seeing microcomputers with front panels around but never owned one.

It has always seemed to me a good boot ROM with monitor is the way to go.

Vector Graphic did a good job with their Executive Monitor boot ROMs.

I'd rather use a bus probe, logic probe, or VOM when I debug so it can be
removed when the machine is finally working.

That being said, I still think an IMSAI is a cool microcomputer and would
love to get one some day.

Thanks!

Andrew Lynch