GOT IT...NOW WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO WITH IT?

[Sleeping Dog]

I do NOT want to distract from our group project (which is going quite well) but I have recently been given the opportunity to "donate" an old UNIX/ZENIX network.  (Yes....the whole thing

The company than I am working for was cleaning out the attic and there it was.  There are about 16 terminals and keyboards (give or take a couple) and five of them do not work that I know of.  However, the rest seem to be OK.

Twelve years ago I worked for the same folks.  They ran THREE seperate companies on this system.  It is a 486 DX-2 66 with 8 MEG of RAM and a 120 MEG Hard Drive.  It still has an old version of FoxBase, Word Perfect and several other business and accounting tools installed.  The server itself had been stored in a rather questionable area and the case was rusted.  I had to scab in a power supply, a video card and a lot of cleaning.  It scared the hell out of me when I put the AC to it and it actually booted!

I then hooked up one of the terminals......one of the older employees walked in.....looked at it....chuckled and proceeded to log on using his old password.

Because the battery is marginal, the motherboard thinks that it is 1980.  I don't know if I should tell the system what year it really is....I might break its little heart.

This thing has two 8 port local buss network cards and still surprises me at how fast it is considering the processor.  Of course, there are menus on monochrome monitors.....not pretty GUI's that one clicks on with a mouse.  You actually have to TYPE a number.

SO WHAT THE HELL DO I DO WITH IT?  There is a dumpster out back that I have not had the nards to throw all of this in....That would be like putting an old relative out in the cold.

Can anyone think of a good use for this system or someone that we could donate it to?

They would have to pay the packing and shipping.....but it does seem a shame to just throw it all away.

PLEASE.....any suggestions on a good use for it?

With Network Regards

Sleeping Dog

[choasforages]

terminals, boner, what kind, vt220s. dude, i might be able to buy part of it. dude, just take it to your house and put it in your basement, i would probbly be willing to pay 10 + shipping for a terminal.

[choasforages]

how much you thinking of charging for the whole damned thing, like shipping, i  know i can buy part of it, but maybe not all of it. but i am interested

[Sleeping Dog]

The system was built by ARNET.  There is also some hardware around there made by HP that was previously intergrated when they had 22 workstations.

The ENTIRE SYSTEM would fill up a large loading pallet.....monitors and all.

My boss has been hinting about donating to someone that could give him a deductable receipt, but I have told him that such a result is not likely....considering the age and his having already taken accelerated depreciation on the hardware.

Still....I don't, in my heart of hearts, want to trash it all.  He did tell me that ANYONE WHO GETS IT TAKES ALL OF IT ALL AT ONCE.  I was given that message loud and clear.  (I think it has something to do with system charges, storage and taxes.)

Gotta admit though....for old technology....it is still very cool.

Sleeping Dog.

[choasforages]

well, find out what works and what is broken, throw the broken terminals away. like i would pay maybe $200 for the main box and 4 terminals. by teh way, does it support ethernet and tcp/ip

[choasforages]

take it to your house first, so someone doesn't decide to toss it. how big is the server

[Sleeping Dog]

Maybe you can interest a school in Maryland in teaching a course in computer progressive history.  This system would be a great teaching tool.  It represents the epitome of that first step into business network computing that has been forgotten by most folks.

OF COURSE...IT RAN ON UNIX!

I used this sucker myself twelve years ago,and if i told Word Perfect to print a letter, it would have it done on that LaserJet II-P before I could walk from Studio A to the office to pick it up and put a stamp on it.

Meeeeemmmoooorrieeeeees....(would you like some violyns with that?)

Chuckles and Cheers

Sleeping Dog

[choasforages]

nah, we already run win95 on 486sx 25's, they would cry. besides, they have no room. and they totaly mi s-allacate systems anyway. i would want it for myself. the terminals, are they serial ones or some other connecter.

like in the graphics lab, we use 133mhz pentiums, and all the science labs have g3's that do presentations all the time, there is also a penitum 3 that is used only for checking email that i have seen, and there are many more systems like it also

[ August 11, 2002: Message edited by: choasforages ]

[choasforages]

you still got the printer?

[Sleeping Dog]

I appreciate the sentiment, choasforages, but for me that would be like trying to take home a herd of elephants because I think that they are cute.  I just don't have the room.  (Not that elephants AREN"T cute!)

My boss is going to dump all of this stuff within about a week.  Got a truck?  Want to come to Nashville to get it?

Sleeping Dog

[choasforages]

ack.err, how hard would it be to take the server and two terminals. how much would it cost to ship.

[choasforages]

o, i would still like some of the peices, like the multi i/o cards, if it comes to that

[choasforages]

ok, i have calmed down a bit. how much would it cost to ship the server, and two terminals, and if its for sale, the printer

[Refalm]

Hey Webmaster, I think you can open a new section on this forum:

mesBay

Buying
You can place an advertisement on selling whatever here.

Selling.
You can can place an advertisement on buying whatever here.

[choasforages]

in additino to shiping me the server and two terminals and the printer, and chucking the rest to comply with your boss. who much would that run me?