Tarkus01
Member
Hello everyone, I’m interested in purchasing a complete PDP-8/S, 8/I or 8/L. I realize that these can be challenging to find, so any possible leads would be greatly appreciated!
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Wanted: PDP-8/S, PDP-8/I, or PDP-8/L
- Thread starter Tarkus01
- Start date
There's a big difference in performance between the 8S and 8I/8L. Are you more interested in the hardware aspects of those systems or do you want to use specific software? The 8I would probably be the most desirable since it can work with the widest range of hardware options. The 8L would be the least costly to ship since it's the smallest of the 3.
Tarkus01
Member
I'd love to have an 8/S mainly because of the fact that it is transistor based (like the original straight-8) and is just the more "interesting" of the two in my eyes, but I am also aware of the limitations and software incompatibilities. For that reason, I'd be equally interested in an 8L or 8I. My goal with these machines wouldn't be to do any extraneous work, but more so just to fiddle with old versions of FORTRAN with a teletype. I've been fairly busy with school lately and haven't had the time to get as involved with the community as I'd like, but I am very interested in learning more about these old machines.
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Al Kossow
Documentation Wizard
I'd suggest researching the prices on these machines first.
You aren't going to find any 1960's PDP-8s for less than several thousand dollars.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
The TTY alone would set you back a few bucks.
If you want the experience, you might investigate emulators. There are many software, as well as FPGA and IM6100 emulators lurking about.
If you want the experience, you might investigate emulators. There are many software, as well as FPGA and IM6100 emulators lurking about.
Tarkus01
Member
With regards to the price, I’m definitely aware that these machines are not cheap. That said, the prices do seem to vary. I recall a rough (but complete) 8/L that sold on eBay one or two years back for $2400 as well as another that went for $1600 some years prior. I was offered a project 8/I for $2500 not too long ago, though I was never told the condition of the machine.
As for the 8/S, those seem to seldom come up for sale. I know of a few lone desktop units that’ve gone for around $3000 as well as one that went for $6000 with the ASR 33 and PT08 interface. Another collector was willing to sell me one, but the memory cores were trashed. Attempting to repair them would be beyond the scope of my expertise. What I’d be willing to pay for an 8/S would depend on its condition.
Emulators like FPGA and the PDPi-8 are definitely more convenient (and certainly less costly), but I‘m more of a collector/purist and want the real deal. At the moment I’d like just a baseline machine that I could get up and running again before expanding it with any additional I/O (teletype, paper tape reader, etc.)
As for the 8/S, those seem to seldom come up for sale. I know of a few lone desktop units that’ve gone for around $3000 as well as one that went for $6000 with the ASR 33 and PT08 interface. Another collector was willing to sell me one, but the memory cores were trashed. Attempting to repair them would be beyond the scope of my expertise. What I’d be willing to pay for an 8/S would depend on its condition.
Emulators like FPGA and the PDPi-8 are definitely more convenient (and certainly less costly), but I‘m more of a collector/purist and want the real deal. At the moment I’d like just a baseline machine that I could get up and running again before expanding it with any additional I/O (teletype, paper tape reader, etc.)
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