PC Archeology: Not just another normal IBM PC XT clone (Handwell PC-401)

Comments · 375

• AD

  @adriansdigitalbasement · 2 years ago · pinned

  Update: Thanks to patron @peterkooiman4867, it was found that Computer Amusement Systems (CASI) sold a turnkey solution for using a video camera to snap a picture of someone and instantly print it out. Imagine a digital photo booth but in 1986. &nbsp;This was certainly what this computer was used for! Too bad we don&apos;t have the original software to see this turnkey solutoin in action. <br><br>The copy in their advertisement reads: <br><br>A sure winner that combines 3 of today&apos;s hottest trends . . . video, computers and instant pictures . . . plus the know-how and guarantees of Texas Instruments, Panasonic and CASI. An all cash business. Customers come to you. No selling. No stress! It&apos;s not a franchise. All the money and the profits are 100% yours. Tailor-made for families, individuals or absentee owners. Part-time, full-time or weekends. There&apos;s no need to leave your present job. With the CASI System you take someone&apos;s picture with a T.V. camera and instantly print it with a computer. It&apos;s so push-button simple, a child can run it. But the profits aren&apos;t kid stuff. The CASI is portable, sets up in 30 minutes or less, anytime, anywhere. The world is your territory. There are thousands of locations waiting to be filled . . . plus tremendous mail order application. If you&apos;re serious about accumulating money in your own fun business . . . ask for the facts. You&apos;ll receive proof, pictures, answers, and testimonials. Quite a package. And it&apos;s all free.<br><br><a href="https://imgur.com/a/My00ZZ1">https://imgur.com/a/My00ZZ1</a><br><a href="https://archive.org/details/americanlegionvo1175amer/page/48/mode/2up?q=%22computer+amusement+systems%22">https://archive.org/details/americanlegionvo1175amer/page/48/mode/2up?q=%22computer+amusement+systems%22</a>

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• ST

  @stepheneickhoff4953 · 2 years ago

  I hope somewhere out there, Thomas Lao is looking at this video and saying, &quot;FINALLY! Someone appreciates my BIOS!&quot; <b>wipes tear from eye</b>

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• AN

  @andrewstechbrk · 2 years ago

  You missed the author&apos;s name in the BIOS: &nbsp;Thomas Lao

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• JI

  @JimLeonard · 2 years ago

  Glad I could help with ROM dumping! &nbsp;The reason F000-FFFF is always dumped even if that area is sometimes mostly empty is because there is no standard for ROM extensions in that space; it&apos;s reserved for the system BIOS, BASIC, diags, etc. and there is no 55 AA signature. &nbsp;Since there is no way to determine the size of what is in that region (especially if it mirrors itself every 8k or 16k), ROMDUMPR just dumps the entire 64K region for examination.

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• PK

  @pkooiman · 2 years ago

  Apparently, Computer Amusement Systems (later CASI/QLT) were in the business selling of &quot;Computer Portrait Systems&quot;, setups meant for events, malls etc that would take a picture and print it out. Or as their ads put it, &quot;A sure winner that combines three of today&apos;s hottest trends... video, computers and instant pictures.&quot; The &quot;C&quot;, &quot;M&quot; and &quot;P&quot; markings make sense in that context, for camera, monitor and printer.

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• JO

  @joelh5847 · 2 years ago

  The original owner has passed, Im going to ask the original owners daughters if they could find the software. &nbsp;The printer is around, but looked somewhat standard to me, but im no expert. &nbsp;If i come up with &nbsp;stuff, ill email Adrian, but he has TONS of other video content. &nbsp;I am grateful he did this video. &nbsp;I hope some of the parts are usable elseware. &nbsp;This was at a gocart track. &nbsp;One that i used to work at back in high school actually (circa 2004-2008). &nbsp;But i do not remember still frames being available. &nbsp;I shared this link with the owners family, yhey will appreciate it. &nbsp;Thank you Adrian

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• OB

  @ObiWanBillKenobi · 2 years ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI-8b2mpd60&amp;t=1042">17:22</a> It actually says “Skynet”! 😮

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• TH

  @TheEmbeddedHobbyist · 2 years ago

  I can remember that some programs would not run if it could not find&quot; IBM Bios&quot; in the ROM at the correct location. so the clones but the&quot; this is not IBM bios&quot; message so that IBM bios was in the correct memory location and hoping they could get away with it.<br>My first PC was a home built PC-XT, it was more fun in them days.

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• DO

  @donnierussellii4659 · 2 years ago

  I found this on a webpage about digital photography:<br>1977 - First Computerized Portrait System. &nbsp; Developed by Computer Amusement Systems, Inc. of New York City.

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• TO

  @toyotaae86trueno · 2 years ago (edited)

  &quot;Skynet electric&quot; <b>Terminator music intensifies</b>

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• RE

  @retrohoard · 2 years ago

  I remember there used to be guys on the Boardwalk in like a booth with a PC and a video camera and a printer in Wildwood, NJ back in 1988-89. I remember cuz it was pretty darn hi tech for Summer of 88 lol. He&apos;d take your picture and then print it out all digitzed with fat pixels sorta like gameboy&apos;s camera &amp; printer later, and it would print out a full page 8.5x11&quot; b&amp;w portrait with overlaid text. My mom got one printed out and she still has it, somewhere. So that&apos;s what I was gonna suggest it probably was!

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• RA

  @rager-69 · 2 years ago

  This was not boring. &nbsp;Interesting mobo, BIOS and case, very intriguing ATT card. &nbsp;A little repair. &nbsp;Also, it has an NEC chip. &nbsp;This video had quite a lot going for it.

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