What are the top 10 rarest vintage computer bits you own?

[3lectr1c]

Things can also move from "common" to "rare" if you start collecting accessories. Expansion cards, bags, boxes, etc.

Big agree there. I don't have a whole lot of stuff that's in-box, but I do have a few that have come with manuals, external number pads, even sometimes just having the original charger for something that uses a really weird plug can feel special. I don't really have anything super rare or sought after (maybe my rarest would be a working recapped PowerBook 100?), but how many people out there have a WinBook 486SLC-25 with the original 4-pin DIN charger, manual, and packing slip with the factory config info? That's not really special by any means (it's not even a good laptop), but it's probably pretty "rare". A bit more special might be my Compaq Deskpro 286 which I have with as far as I know all the original documentation and system disks. A PowerBook 5300c isn't rare, but how about one with the proprietary max 64MB RAM upgrade? Hard to say.

 

[oldbeagle]

Some of my things...
Apple /// with hard drive and monitor ///
Apple //c+
Heathkit HERO robot
PS/2E
TRS80 model 1 complete system
IBM S36 desktop
128k mac in box.
Laser 128
IBM 9595 optioned out with matching 3511 expansion unit.

 

[hush]

the only interesting things i own are a strobe data ISA PDP11 coprocessor with a J11 CPU and an MCA P/390

 

[Caluser2000]

The rarest system I own is a one off Brother desktop publisher thingy with the printer portion removed and can be used as a dumb terminal for dumb terminal stuff. which its Communications program. I haven't seen another of these as yet so it must be RARE!!!

 

[syzygy]

Some of my things...
/
Heathkit HERO robot

I seriously lusted after one of these as a younger person but that price tag was steep and even the rich kids didn't have one....which one do you have? Does it work?

 

[DistantStar001]

Admittedly, most of what I have isn't particularly rare, just uncommon. But I do have a few bits that might make the cut.

1) A 1969 Micro-Switch Keyboard. I have no idea what it came from, as I was never able to identify the board. But it feels really nice to type on. Maybe I'll figure something to hook it up to someday.

2) An Alspa ACI-2. Currently sitting in pieces, but near as I can tell, I have all of them. A the moment the PSU is with a friend who's trying to reverse engineer how to fix it.

3) An iCot ICOBUS 757-14 Terminal. I know next to nothing about it (other than it works).

4) An original Quadlink Apple II ISA Card. All I have is the card, so I haven't been able to test it. But I did stick it into my 5150 and it didn't short out or anything, so that's a good sign. Eventually I'll be sticking it into my 5160, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Also, I need to find the software.

5) An original Apple IIe card with the original unobtainium Y Cable! Not sure how rare the actual card is, but that cable... seems to be near impossible to find now-a-days. Currently it's installed in my Macintosh LC III. Works perfectly, and yes, I have the software for it.

Not sure if they're particularly rare, but others listed them... so:

6) A Macintosh IIfx. Missing it's hard-drive, but it works all the same.

7) An Apple ][ Rev 4 board. It's fully functional, and had been using it as an "original" Apple ][, but I swapped it for a Rev 2 board. Unfortunately, I still have a ][+ sticker and serial number on the bottom.

And just to round it out... Not rare, but uncommon:

8) A Commodore VIC-20 with original PET-style keyboard. Works perfectly and is my preferred VIC.

9) An Amiga 500 with "Chicken-lips" keyboard.

10 A TRS-80 Model III with original high-res graphics board installed.

 

[trixster]

Similar to DistantStar, i wouldnt say any of my machines are rare per se, but some of them are uncommon here in the UK, partcularly these ones:

Atari Falcon
Sharp X68000 XVI HD
NeXTCube 040
Sam Coupé

 

[Mr.Amiga500]

1) A 1969 Micro-Switch Keyboard. I have no idea what it came from, as I was never able to identify the board. But it feels really nice to type on. Maybe I'll figure something to hook it up to someday.

Nice! Is it hall effect SW or magnetic reed? The earliest Micro Switch I have is a keypad with 1SW11 switches from 45th week of 1970.

8) A Commodore VIC-20 with original PET-style keyboard. Works perfectly and is my preferred VIC.

I always wanted one of those. With the prices now, I might as well just get a PET.

9) An Amiga 500 with "Chicken-lips" keyboard.

What exactly is a "chicken-lips keyboard"? Do you mean the Cherry MX black version?

 

[trixster]

chicken lips means the early a500 cases with embossed c= and the keyboards that had a c= and Amiga key (rather than two Amiga keys).

 

[BlaBla1985]

The "rarest" machine I own is probably the Wang Series 700B, especially the program tapes that came with it as they seem to be written for that machine (a series of calculations on a heat reject and heat recuperation for a water treatment plant) plus some (hand written) documentation on those programmes. (Yes... this needs to be backed up and saved... No, I have not found a good way of doing that.)

After that I guess the MAI Basic Four 310 minicomputer with matching terminal.

The rest are a bunch of common and sligthly less common portable computers with various CPU's.

 

[Mr.Amiga500]

chicken lips means the early a500 cases with embossed c= and the keyboards that had a c= and Amiga key (rather than two Amiga keys).

Well, there are at least 4 types of A500 keyboard, NMB "space invaders", Cherry MX black, and two variations of Mistumi. Maybe you have either NMB or Cherry. My A500 has C= on the case, but it's Mitsumi.

 

[Exidy Wizard]

I own a Gemini Galaxy 2 computer but no keyboard. However on the back there is a label "Gemini Galaxy 1, serial # 00439". So what is it? 1 or 2?

I haven't tested it yet. I got it because I need floppy drives. It looks ok inside.

 

[Exidy Wizard]

I used to own an Exidy Sorcerer 2 too, but when I decided to move to another house, I trashed it. I heavily regret that now. The prices asked nowadays are insane.