Bluemeanie's Retro Computing

A couple of days ago, the prototypes for the new hardware version 1.2 of the AppleIISd arrived. As you may tell, I made a few changes from the original design: the CPLD and the EEPROM are now SMD components, the programming connector for the CPLD is a component-less Tag-Connect, the 3.3V converter was changed and the pullup resistors are now an array. I am quite happy with the design, but I will have to change a few things for the final version, but that is what prototypes are for! The pin header for CPLD programming will be reintroduced but not equipped next to the Tag-Connect, necessary adapters are not really cheap. The slot connector will have longer pads. The third thing I still have to figure out is the following: about every tenth time the machine is switched on, the first byte of the EEPROM gets erased and I still have not quite figured out why. I am not sure if this happens on power-up or power-down. Adding pullups on the /OE and /WE lines helped to reduce the error to ab...

Last year, my Commodore 1084S monitor that I used with the IIgs failed with a high pitched whine. Research showed that this seems a pretty common failure where the flyback transformer and or the HOT (horizontal output transistor) kicks the bucket, probably due to bad capacitors in the power supply. Oh, and the power switch failed, too, so that it was permanently on. Another common failure. I looked on eBay and learned that these monitors fetch prices of 60€ and up, excluding shipping. I paid about 15 Eur for the monitor when I bought it 16 years ago when nobody cared about all that retro stuff. I happen to know the exact date: it was my 18th birthday when I went to a local collector and bought, besides the monitor, a Commodore CBM 8032 computer, a CBM 8050 dual floppy and a CBM 8024 printer (this thing is a huge 15" 9-pin printer!) for 50€. Nowadays, the components fetch 200-300€ each! This purchase, aside from a C64 I was given previously, started my retro-computing career. I bo...