[OZAPRS] Small GPS - Microbee

Steve stevez at tpg.com.au
Tue Jan 11 18:47:56 EST 2011


Why all this past tense when describing the 'bee - I've got two 32k 
units right here!
I never had one when they were being produced. I was strictly a 
Commodore man (well, boy at that time).
It wasn't until I got older and interested in this piece of Australian 
computer history that I managed to track a couple down.

They are a part of Australia's history we should all be proud of. They 
were even exported to Europe I believe (Sweden?)
I would have loved to have seen an "Amiga killer" Gamma released.

Sorry for keeping off-topic :-)

Steve.



On 01/11/2011 07:38 AM, Ray Wells wrote:
> My uBee's were mostly made up from bits. Living near Gosford, the 
> final home of the company, was handy when they had their closing down 
> auction.
>
> I can't remember which uBee applcation or data it was but I was 
> successful in converting it from CP/M to DOS with Alien.
>
> 32k of RAM and a single 720k floppy, it was like having all of one's 
> Christmases arrive at once after months of saving and loading from 
> cassette tape. Don't complain to me about your P4 with GB's of RAM 
> being slow!
>
> I used dBase II in a semi-serious way on the Bee and was then lucky 
> enough to get a version of dBase III for DOS. I had great difficulty 
> coming to grips with the programming difference in dB IV when it was 
> available.
>
> I tried packet on mine, but bought a second hand IBM XT (4.77M and 
> 640k RAM, with 2 x 360k floppies and no HDD) just in time to preserve 
> my sanity, which I've since lost completely. Paid the princely sum of 
> $100 for it around the late 1980's.
>
> Ray vk2tv
>
> On 10/01/11 21:50, Norm, VK3XCI wrote:
>> And I have Rodnay Zacs "Programming the Z80" if you want it.... Glory 
>> be. I didn't think anyone remembered the microBee, let alone the keys 
>> :( I had 3 complete units, Kitset Rom, 32K Rom and dual floppy, 
>> complete with one  green and an amber monitor. Ran Packet on it right 
>> up to 2002. Sadly the building I had them stored in burnt to the 
>> ground. That happens in "The Bush"!  :(
>>
>>
>> Remember the OS (CP/M 80), Wordstar and all the files would fit on a 
>> single 720 floppy. And multiplan was the father of Spreadsheets... I 
>> could wax on forever....
>>
>> 73 de Norm, VK3XCI
>> Mildura, Australia
>> The Wintersun City
>> QF15bt.
>>
>> On 10/01/2011 13:20, Ray Wells wrote:
>>> Dave,
>>> What disks would you like for your uBee?
>>> CP/M Sytem
>>> Multiplan
>>> Wordstar
>>> Mailmerge
>>> Spellstar
>>> Starindex
>>> dBaseII
>>>
>>> and one new keyboard key
>>>
>>> Ray vk2tv
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/01/11 12:18, Dave Horsfall wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 10 Jan 2011, James Cameron wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The risk of using TTL output to drive RS-232 RxD is that the RS-232
>>>>> standard doesn't define what 0V means. Usually works.
>>>> It worked on ye olde Microbee, years ago. Try feeding a TTL 
>>>> receiver from
>>>> a genuine RS-232 driver, though, and you'll be pulling up stumps.
>>>>
>>>> -- Dave
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