Free laptop! (Really...)

Ok…
I lied a bit…
It is free (though a few strings are attached) but you may not be able to call it a laptop unless you have a really big lap…

It is an Osborne 1…
Boots up but will not read the CPM OS disks…
Comes with Wordstar, Mailmerge, Dbase, SuperCalc and even what appears to be an 1802 assembler (you get extra points if you remember the COSMAC VIP)…
Even has the external monitor module…

I actually got this from @toptekkie (Thanks Farrell) but realized it’s just gathering dust with me…

So I will give it away to whomever wants it with a few caveats:

  • You have to be a VHS member…
  • You have to have a craving to restore old computer kit…
  • You have to plan to get it working…
  • You can’t just sell it on eBay…
  • If it ends up gathering dust in your place, then pass it forward…

If multiple people want it I’ll draw names out of a hat but your chances are better if you mention your plans for it…

7 Likes

Hi,
Thank you, can I see if a hand-me-down IC tester works with this machine? The logic IC tester-CPLD-PAL programmer is really old and hence requires to be connected to an old computer to work?
Thanks,
RK

Only issues are:

  1. The Osborne won’t boot into the OS presently…
  2. If it was able to boot you would need an app than runs under CP/M (CP/M predates DOS and Windows)…

What sort of connectivity does the tester need (Printer port or serial port)?

Ahh CPM, I remember we had a Z80 CPM card installed in our Apple II clone
back in the day. It was great for running Wordstar in 80 column mode for word
processing. When I came to the linux world back in the early 90’s, I was
delighted to note that most of the ctrl key combinations were identical in
the Joe command line editor which was and still is my fave text editior under
linux.

Ooooooh, a “luggable”! And you should have ropes attached, not strings, for safety reason, ahahah.

Floppy drives require alignment, as without a doubt this big lug has been bumped here and there over the years. That might solve the problem about not reading the disks. Then again, the disk might have self-corrupted over the years. Also, some of the electrolytics might be marginal if not “dead”. I would check all voltages out of the power supply, not just level but amount of 120Hz noise riding along (if a diode fails off the edge of a forest of IC’s, does anybody hear? No. You must be able to see.).

If you have no experience with tube screen high voltage, be careful, even wary.

You can still find floppies in second hand stores…

This said, the case, once gutted, makes for a great upcycling cabinet…

(1) I don’t have experience fixing these old machines.
(2) IC Tester-Programmer has a parallel port

I am looking for old computer servo mechanisms (entire HD and Floppy disk, no salvaging of parts), I am always ready if anyone wants to get rid of theirs.

Best,
RK

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