When you use this link to call me, you will have to: Enter your name and the number of the phone you want to use, and answer it when it rings. That phone can't be busy--It would be if your are on a dial-up connection. When I answer my phone we can talk, if I don't answer you can leave a message.

Computer related stuff--often with dates and price. And a future projects page.

(Playing with computers hasn't always been cheap.)

1. 1957 June 3, I bought a box of 2000 green 5081 IBM cards because I didn't want to use the University's cards for my experimenting.

   IBM didn't know what to do when I walked into their Salt Lake office and wanted to buy one box of cards. It was sort of like going to Corning Glass and wanting to buy ten Pyrex test tubes. Finally, they realized I was serious, and didn't want to steal cards. So, a salesman asked me what color I wanted. I knew I wanted 5081's (that specifies the printing on the card) I don't remember if colored cost more or not, or how I came up with green. He went in the back and brought out the box. I am sure he had to break opened a case, at least. He then wrote out a receipt and took $2.93 from me. I walked out the door happily carrying my own IBM cards.

   I found the receipt tucked away with the old Keypunch manual I got when I took an IBM night class. It is is now, available thanks to Ed Thelen. The receipt with a little description is here. If you click on the thumb nail, you will see it clearer than the original. Ed has mastered the art of scanning!

2. DEC "Computer Lab" bought in summer of 1969 for $470
3. My first electronic Calculator ICM-816 1971 July 28 for $146.48
4. Fluke 8000-A Digital Voltmeter 1972 Sep 27 $314.00 Still using it!
5. HP 80 Calculator 1973 March 5, I got through a friend who worked at HP for $240
6. HP 55 Calculator 1975 Jan 25 for $418.70
7. DEC PDP-11/20-CA including a refurbished ASR-33 Teletype. 1975 Aug 4 It was in DEC's fish bowl until it became obsolete. They sold it to me for $4240.00
8. Pennywhistle Acustic coupler kit. 1976 April 4 for $93.02
9. AMI EVK-99 S6800 Evaluation kit 1976 May 10 for $145.00
10. HeathKit 7.5 Volt Digital Power supply kit 1976 Aug 4 $95.35
11. Etatech 10 amp 5 Volt switching power supply 1976 Oct 22 $158.70
12. Code-A-Phone 222 Telephone Answering Machine 1976 Dec 18 $395.00
13. Heathkit 60 Volt Digital Power supply kit, required to burn eproms, 1977 Apr 4 $127.15
14. Anderson Jacobsen 841 Selectric Terminal 1978 Feb 9 $1150.67
15. Tec-Com TC 3002 Acustic Coupler 1978 Feb 28 $207.68
16. ADM-3 CRT terminal
17. Teletype TTY 43 Terminal 1978 Sep 14 $1429.09
18. SWTP box with Motorola 6801 board
19. Dynamic Memory board froom Ray Boaz
20. Two Shugart 8 inch floppy drives--over $500 each
21. Vadic VA-355 Auto answer Modem (300 Baud) 1979 Aug 23 $403.38
22. Zenith/Heathkit Z89-FA 8080 based Computer 1981 I need to find date and price
23. Heathkit 6-77 Cabinet kit for 2 external Floppy Dirves 1982 Mar 3 $287.55
24. Hays Smartmodem 1200 baud 1983 Aug 19 $531.44
25. IBM 8088 PC with Monochromatic display 1983 Oct 31 $2560.85
26. Quadram Microfazer Priner Buffer 1984 Mar 23 $149
27. More when I get it entered.
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28. Mac mini 2008 December
29. iMac 2009 July
30. ASUS Eee PC with Win-7 I got a white one 2009 Oct 28 $349 + tax = $383.02