Update: Mitac MPS3000F / Memorex Telex 7270 / Olivetti P700

Tomas Slavotinek

unread,

Sep 10, 2022, 8:02:18 AM9/10/22

to

And the Mitac MPS3000F page is up as well:
https://ardent-tool.com/Mitac/MPS3000F.html

No refdisk unfortunately. Not even the Olivetti one it seems...

If anyone has the diskette or any additional info on these machines,
please let me know.

richard smice

unread,

Sep 11, 2022, 7:38:32 PM9/11/22

to

Has anyone on this sight ever seen a Sequent Microchannel Unix server?
Or grid ? 5000 logo desktop computer other than me.
I think that my mca Everex computer may be a re badge wang computer or tulip computer.
there were so many mergers or bought out or failed computer companies struggling for sale during this
period...

Tomas Slavotinek

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 6:26:42 AM9/12/22

to

On Monday, September 12, 2022 at 1:38:32 AM UTC+2, richard smice wrote:
> Has anyone on this sight ever seen a Sequent Microchannel Unix server?
> Or grid ? 5000 logo desktop computer other than me.
> I think that my mca Everex computer may be a re badge wang computer or tulip computer.
> there were so many mergers or bought out or failed computer companies struggling for sale during this
> period...

Nope, never even heard of some of these. Hopefully, we will be able to document them one day...

Kevin Bowling

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 8:08:46 AM9/12/22

to

I know who Sequent is but never heard of them using MCA. They made some
early SMP machines (I think 386 and National Semi 32000) and then later
NUMA systems and eventually got bought up by IBM in the late 90s.

richard smice

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 12:46:27 PM9/12/22

to

This is a link to the leading edge specs and board layout fot their MCA computer

https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/leading-edge-pro-model-d3-mc

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 1:09:35 PM9/12/22

to

The slot illustration is kinked. 3x 32 bit slots, 1x 16-bit w/ave

The slots do not appear to be properly aligned. Looks more like 3x
16-bit w/AVE, and one 32-bit slot w/AVE. Or sump'tin like that.

Not sensible, a 386SX with a 32-bit slot.

Methinks 3x 16-bit slots, and 1x 16-bit w/AVE.

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 1:14:57 PM9/12/22

to

Oops, other sites and period articles say 386DX.

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 1:16:42 PM9/12/22

to

https://books.google.com/books?id=l3Z0ZgEexGEC&pg=PT171&lpg=PT171&dq=Mitac+MPS3000F&source=bl&ots=_8kFdLSVMr&sig=ACfU3U1HURz-y0ZB5ZeCge6cc74dLxWy3w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAp8r434_6AhXshYkEHbSyBVYQ6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&q=Mitac%20MPS3000F&f=false

Page 151

JWR

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 3:02:54 PM9/12/22

to

PC Mag 25 Sep 1990 :
https://books.google.nl/books?id=tqJbouvq9SkC&pg=PT18&lpg=PT18&dq=LEADING+EDGE+PRODUCTS,+INC.+MODEL+D3/MC&source=bl&ots=ojRbPstmaw&sig=ACfU3U31bgKvf7L5vlXoNXUFw1dzqhdiHQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGo-2M9Y_6AhUy_7sIHXP_DAQQ6AF6BAgaEAM#v=onepage&q=LEADING%20EDGE%20PRODUCTS%2C%20INC.%20MODEL%20D3%2FMC&f=false

'Like the IBM Model 55SX, the Model D3/MC is 386SX-based. But the D3/MC comes with four MCA compatible expansion slots, and hard drive models come with the SCSI controller standard. (With IBM, it's an option.)'

--
Jelte,
Admirer of the letter of IBM with blue Ishiki

richard smice

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 3:03:17 PM9/12/22

to

It also looks like dells executive mca computer was a olivetti or vise versa

richard smice

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 3:04:16 PM9/12/22

to

richard smice

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 3:08:06 PM9/12/22

to

I have a few large ALR video cards that have the ava mca bus but do not work in anything but an alr computer
and a couple of different Antex audio cards that I could never get working..

richard smice

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 3:24:21 PM9/12/22

to

I have a whole bunch of JMC jameco other brand microchannel development perf, video and riser.cards etc... That came from my area.... Home of IBM... If someone wants pictures and to post them ... IBM made Transistors for the Appolo program here
in Owego (ibm ) plant ; now lockheed martin...

Tomas Slavotinek

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 5:40:34 PM9/12/22

to

On Monday, September 12, 2022 at 9:02:54 PM UTC+2, JWR wrote:
> <snip>

>
> 'Like the IBM Model 55SX, the Model D3/MC is 386SX-based. But the D3/MC comes with four MCA compatible expansion slots, and hard drive models come with the SCSI controller standard. (With IBM, it's an option.)'
>
> --
> Jelte,
> Admirer of the letter of IBM with blue Ishiki

Yeah, the Leading Edge D3/MC appears to be a different design. Looking at the outline it's probably supposed to be 3x 16-bit slot and 1x 16-bit slot with AVE. These outlines are way too crude and inaccurate for our purposes. A photo would be needed...

Tomas Slavotinek

unread,

Sep 12, 2022, 5:42:18 PM9/12/22

to

On Monday, September 12, 2022 at 9:24:21 PM UTC+2, richard smice wrote:
> <snip>

> I have a whole bunch of JMC jameco other brand microchannel development perf, video and riser.cards etc... That came from my area.... Home of IBM... If someone wants pictures and to post them ... IBM made Transistors for the Appolo program here
> in Owego (ibm ) plant ; now lockheed martin...

Pics? Heck yea! Don't even ask and spam my inbox... :)

richard smice

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 8:09:23 AM9/16/22

to

On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 8:02:18 AM UTC-4, Tomas Slavotinek wrote:

OK this is the link to grids 386 Microchannel system...... Grid Desk /386mc
https://books.google.com/books?id=2jkWJsu_9CoC&pg=RA1-PA51&dq=Grid-Desk+386mc+computer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZvM6qopn6AhU3g4kEHX4rBz8Q6AF6BAgDEAI#v=onepage&q=Grid-Desk%20386mc%20computer&f=false

richard smice

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 8:36:16 AM9/16/22

to

OK! This is a link for a IBM Sequent server.. It turns out that both Ibm and sequent servers were sold by Ibm
after they purchased sequent. https://www.google.com/search?q=ibm+sequent+NUMA-Q+microchannel+server&sxsrf=ALiCzsZ7Pg-ahnyeteP3tj9MBw-NLqRTzQ%3A1663330575986&ei=D2kkY4_jO5ihiLMPtcWIyAQ&ved=0ahUKEwjPpoChpZn6AhWYEGIAHbUiAkkQ4dUDCA0&oq=ibm+sequent+NUMA-Q+microchannel+server&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAwyBwgAEB4QogQyBwgAEB4QogQ6CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6CgghEMMEEAoQoAFKBQg8EgExSgQIQRgASgQIRhgAUJcNWMMcYPkpaAFwAXgAgAG8AYgB2wKSAQMwLjKYAQCgAQKgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=gws-wiz#imgrc=i92f42RavqLPxM

There was one of these at Singer Link that was running old military software package called Aida

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 12:41:43 PM9/16/22

to

There was a language, "ADA"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_(programming_language)

RickE

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 2:31:37 PM9/16/22

to

At the risk of continuing to draw the original topic into the hedges, I'll give my opinion of the IBM/Sequent deal... IBM "bought them to bury them". With a purchase price of less than a billion, it was a "good deal" for IBM to rid themselves of a competitor.

richard smice

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 3:41:02 PM9/16/22

to

On Friday, September 16, 2022 at 2:31:37 PM UTC-4, ekb...@vnet.ibm.com wrote:
> At the risk of continuing to draw the original topic into the hedges, I'll give my opinion of the IBM/Sequent deal... IBM "bought them to bury them". With a purchase price of less than a billion, it was a "good deal" for IBM to rid themselves of a competitor.

\
It was kinda funny back then...

Singer link pioneered in the hard drive market.. For themselves

I had scrapped out some hard disks that were in use back then... The were between 2 and four feet in diameter

with multiple plattens with all cast aluminum parts.. "giant record players" LOL

super clean packages... Back then there was bubble memory.. I have had grid computers that used bubble memory.

Also Copiers; Savin was big in this area... They had large Solinium disks that held toner...

I used to clean them with gasoline.... They would work well as long as they were used every day.
otherwise the drums would get caked up and clog up.. I have scrapped thousands of them.
Most worked but just got very dirty if they were not used regularly.

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 3:50:27 PM9/16/22

to

I remember in the late 80's the stories on bubble memory. Lots of work
weaving those cores on the wire grid.

Saw something on flea-buy with bubble memory, not sure if it was related
to PS/2s or not.

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 3:55:54 PM9/16/22

to

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/whatever-happened-to-bubble-memory/

Louis Ohland

unread,

Sep 16, 2022, 4:06:52 PM9/16/22

to

https://web.archive.org/web/19981203151937/http://www.memtech.com/bubbles.htm

gfre...@aol.com

unread,

Sep 17, 2022, 6:05:33 PM9/17/22

to

On Fri, 16 Sep 2022 14:56:33 -0500, Louis Ohland <ohl...@charter.net>
wrote:

The short answer is Bi-Polar, DRAM and other silicon technologies
pushed it off the board. When coupled with better performing disk
drives these volatile memory solutions were superior to just about
anything else. Flash is the main non-vilatile solution and it has it's
drawbacks, like limited write cycles. That is getting better tho.