MARCH has a number of DEC systems: PDP-11's and a PDP-8. Go to a Web page about an 11/20 system, and a list of other systems, for details. This Web page was developed by Herb Johnson while MARCH develops their own Web site on these holdings. This page last updated May 03 2008. - Herb Johnson
- last updated April 14 2008, by Herb Johnson
Tom Owad provided to MARCH, a DEC 11/23 system with graphics capability, and a VAX 750 system. Here's the history and correspondence about it.
Tom Owad posted in the MARCH mailing list on Oct 14 2006:
Subject: For Sale: PDP 11 and some old HP's in PA date: OCt 14 2006 I have a PDP-11/23 for sale with the following componets in three 4- foot racks: Pictures: http://www.schnitz.com/pdp/ [note from Herb: photos copied to my Web site as linked below.] Rack 1: RL02 PDP-11/23 RL-02 The stuff sitting in front of the rack isn't related. Rack 2: Colorado Video Digitizer Chroma Keyer Decoder Model 4706 Bosch unit Another video-related piece of equipment below that There's some wire-wrapped board sitting it the empty space below that. I'm not sure if it's a part of the system, or if I just stuck it there to save space. i'll pull it out tomorrow and take a look. Rack 3: Memory (possibly some other stuff mixed in there too, but the black units are primarily memory) Power Supply Fan Also included: Cabinet of RL02 cartridges. I recall at least one of the tapes was labeled "System" and something else. I can write down what they're all labeled, if it makesa difference to anybody.) Very large drawing tablet The fellow I bought this from told me it was used to do computer- generated graphics in the '70s and that it cost his company a quarter million dollars. I think it's depreciated since then. I bought it several years ago, but never did anything with it. It sat in his basement, then it sat in my garage. He told me it was working when decommissioned, but that was some time ago and it's utterly as-is. He also said it uses the same memory (behind the black panels) as in the Apple II. Make offer. Tom --end quote--
On Oct 26 2006, Tom updated the subject thread with this post:
Nobody expressed interest, so I put the item up on eBay Monday. Then I received this interesting email: "I'm fairly certain that I (and the eBayer who sent the link) built a good part of this system in between '83 and '87 for CGL (Computer Graphics Lab), a subsidiary of New York Institute of Technology, whose main product was a paint system called Images […] I also made colormaps and built-in brushes for that paint system ... it was a very powerful image creation tool, and set many precedents ..." From a little more research, it appears this computer may have been used to produce "The Works", which would have been the first 3D computer-animated movie, had it been released (beating Toy Story) by quite some time. Even if it wasn't, it was definitely built by CGL and used to run Images, which was a pretty interesting piece of early graphics software. I've since gotten in touch with a few other people who used to be part of the CGL at NYIT, and from what I've read, it was a pretty impressive and historically significant group. I'm really curious what's on the RL02 cartridges now (especially the "special effects" one) and nobody had bid on the auction, so I pulled it from eBay. My hope now is to take it down to InfoAge and perhaps we'll be able to get it running and recover some interesting old animations. Tom -- end quote--
Here's Tom Owad's images of the systems he offered on eBay;
other.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:38 178K
overall.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:38 385K
rack1.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:39 194K
rack1b.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:39 305K
rack2.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:39 241K
rack2b.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:40 278K
rack2c.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:40 247K
rack3.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:40 203K
rack3b.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:40 283K
rack3c.jpg 23-Oct-2006 10:41 248K
On Nov 12th 2006 the systems were delivered to MARCH. Here are my images of the systems delivered by Tom Owad:
evan.jpg
diskpacks.jpg
owad_1.jpg
vax750.jpg
sys_right.jpg
sys_left.jpg
The photos show the following items, but this may NOT BE A COMPLETE INVENTORY.
A cabinet of disk packs. These are drop-in small disk packs for RL01 or RL02 drives.
one rack cabinet with a Colorado Video controller and several other items.
One rack cabinet with two RL02's and an 11/23 CPU.
One rack cabinet with an TU80 magnetic tape drive, and one RA81 disk drive.
a cabinet with three black panels.
A cabinet with a VAX 11/750 CPU
several disk packs of multiple platters.
a blue cabinet, a disk drive model EFT 8500
Herb Johnson
The DEC systems above are held by MARCH. Contact MARCH for more information from the Web page
referenced at the top of this Web page.
Contact information:
Copyright © 2008 Herb Johnson
Herb Johnson
New Jersey, USA
To email @ me, see see my ordering Web page.
