KT>>> I personally am the original owner of a TRS-80 model 1 with 16K of RAM,   
      
    BK>>  Mine had 4K originally. I ordered a 16K set for $165.   
    BK>>  Immediately thereafter the price dropped 50% and I cancelled my   
    BK>>  order.   
      
    BK>>  See the tagline.   
      
    DD> I never wrote original programs for the TRS-80. But, I did   
    DD> for the C=64. In assembler even. Then the Amiga came out   
    DD> and I got a look at the instruction set for the Motorola   
    DD> 68K CPU ... and ran screaming for the exits.  Bv)=   
      
    I originally bought mine to balance the checkbook. Let's just   
    say my late wife was a bit math impaired. So I wrote a check   
    book program. It was a lot of work to enter all the numbers, but   
    once done all the errors showed up immediately.   
      
    Ok, I wanted it anyway. That was my excuse.   
      
    BK>>  ...   
      
    DD>> My first "store-bought" computer was a TRS-80 model 1 --   
    DD>> Level 2. Does yours have the Saran-Wrap keyboard mod to cut   
    DD>> down on k-k-k-ke-e-ey-y b-b-bounc-ce?   
      
    BK>>  There was a keyboard fix. Software change in the timing.   
      
    DD> Oh. Wish I'd know of that when I was fitting all those   
    DD> clingy, staticky, fiddly Saran Wrap bits. Would have save   
    DD> lots of frustration and blistering of the paint with the   
    DD> language shouted at the keyboard.   
      
    Yeah. I learned assembly and machine language on the 8080 in a   
    class I took at the U of Toledo. The Z-80 was about 97% the   
    same. Then I rewrote the IO routines for the Mod 1, made it work   
    a lot like the Mod III. That and sped up the operation a small   
    amount. It was amazing how much more you could squeeze into the   
    ROM. Oh, I had a burner then for EProms. Used a company black   
    light to erase them.   
      
    In the class I started programming in machine language, using   
    toggle switches, on Imsai and Altair machines. Not terribly   
    useful training, but a very interesting experience. What we   
    learned from that was a bit about how computers really work, one   
    bit at a time.   
      
    Oh, and I put 48K ram inside the keyboard, and doubled the speed   
    of the clock. All my own designs, and all after it was already   
    obsolete.   
      
    Which led to a philosophical insight...no technology is ever   
    developed to it's highest potential until after it's obsolete.   
      
    That expands to..."No human system ever reaches it's highest   
    development until after it's obsolete".   
      
    Look at fencing. Long obsolete as a training for war, and far   
    more hightly developed today than when it was used for war.   
      
      
      
    DD> ... In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as   
    DD> algebra - F Leibowitz   
    DD> --- MultiMail/Win32   
    DD>  * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN, USA (1:18/200)   
    DD>  * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN, USA (1:18/200)   
      
   BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn   
      
   ... I have a firm grip on reality.  Now I can strangle it!   
    * Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]   
   --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5   
    * Origin: Fidonet In Your Language  > DocsPlace.org (1:123/140)