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I did come across an old product of our that used a Z80 (surface mount type) and spent a little while (too long!) trying to work out a way I could reconfigure it as a Spectrum...I think the there versions of Processors around from when the earth was hot, due to the fact that they were bought by firms to 'a job' and they have kept with it...
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Well ... the Z80 project was started in 1974, with release in 1976, so it's pretty much the same age. And it's still available in the form of the eZ80 (binary compatible, but a lot faster and supports 24 bit addressing).
Damn good processor as well!
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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wow, 24 bit address range. First thought was that would have been good back then, but remembered even a massive 4k upgrade cost more than a few weeks wages.
(for the youngun's, back then wages were paid weekly and in real folding cash. the first $5 was spent filling up the petrol in the car, the next $5-10 stocking up beer for yerself and 'the boys' in the weekend..., times they were tough.)
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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Yeah, I'd have loved the amount of memory we get used to these days: my embedded stuff had at best a 64K bit EPROM - 8KB - and a couple of K of RAM if I was lucky! Assembler was the only way to go (compilers just weren't efficient enough) and we used loads of clever tricks to fit stuff in.
A 50MHz Z80 with 16MB of memory? My first PC didn't even come close to that! If I'd used the HDD I fitted as VM, I'd have had up to 32MB ... 
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I remember an ad in Byte magazine for a 64K S-100 bus RAM board. The price was $1,495.
Software Zen: delete this;
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CodeWraith wrote: Is there any CPU that has been around longer and also is still in production?
Brains - and the production methods for the platform have remained relatively the same as well.
Of late, however, I think I've observed a lapse in quality control - many seem to develop processing problems at an early stage in the product life cycle.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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The 8080 is still in production, and is a couple of years older. They're not produced in huge volumes, of course. But Lansdale Semiconductor still has quite a few 8080s listed on their website.
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Are hot beverages good for your tranquilitea?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Yo brew! Dont forget black coffee.
... such stuff as dreams are made on
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Es-steamed college; although some poster may say you really brew it, this time, I pot it to you that it's no worse than expected.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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hot beverages? gotta feel sorry for you folks that have seasons - some of them cold.
here it's always warm, not choice, just gotta grin and ![Beer | [beer]](https://www.codeproject.com/script/Forums/Images/beer.gif) it.
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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The warm weather's nice - that's for sure. On the other hand, having a winter means we don't grow insects large enough to carry off our pets.
That, and the joys of a monsoon season are something worth missing, as well.
On the other hand, your garden must be awesome.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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monsoons not so bad. Instead of a European style day of slow constant rain I reckon it's better when it gets done in 15 minutes with a lively percussion & lighting show. On a good one even the parked car alarms like to join in. (But the humidity afterwards, now that takes a toll.)
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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Lopatir wrote: Instead of a European style day of slow constant rain
Well - we relegate that type of weather to the state of Washington (far NW corner of "lower 48". And the trice cursed West Virgina. Normally, however, clouds roll in, rain falls, clouds roll out - thunder storms on really hot summer days. Mostly not. Oh, the East Coast is Grand ![^]
Now a winter snow - that can gray things out for a while. All the reflection keeps things bright. Actually, couldn't see the sky through the flakes, anyway. I suppose it's cloudy. There is the shoveling part - when you know full well, if you wait, it'll leave of its own accords.
| Ravings en masse^ |
|---|
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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How did the English ever go from "drink" to "beverage"?
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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It is unless you catch and steap a leaf on the wind. The it is Serenitea
I'm pretty sure I would not like to live in a world in which I would never be offended.
I am absolutely certain I don't want to live in a world in which you would never be offended.
Freedom doesn't mean the absence of things you don't like.
Dave
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Let's say I work for Acme and I have to use a third party web service from Contoso.
I had two issues with Contoso, one was that I needed some IP addresses white listed, the other that I get a 500 (Internal Server Error) whenever I call their service.
My manager at Acme, John, told me I had to send a request to the service desk at Stark Industries for the IP white listing.
However, I got in contact with our contact person at Contoso, Jane, about the 500, so I thought I'd ask about the IP white listing as well.
Jane handles the 500, but tells me to go to John for the IP white listing.
John already told me to go to Stark Industries, so I send them an email instead (sending John a CC).
Now I get an email from John that he actually meant the Acme help desk.
So I send a new email to Acme and Stark Industries to tell them my request was actually for Acme and Stark Industries may ignore it.
Acme now sends my request to John.
John reminds them that they are the ones to handle these requests.
Acme remembers, apologizes, and sends the request to... *drum roll* JANE at Contoso!
The circle is complete! 
And that's how you keep way too many people busy with a simple request 
Meanwhile my IP still isn't white listed (of course) 
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How big are Jane's norks?
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I just realized I don't speak Aussie.
And I really don't know, I'm a professional who has other business to attend to.
Not so big.
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Sander Rossel wrote: Not so big.
Well, in many cases, perky may be substituted for for big.*
* Origin of that statement about the best part of a job being the "perks".
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Jane does the work, but doesn't have the authority to approve the request.
It's just like company purchasing policy: a manager must approve the purchase, but it's their assistant / clerk that will actually prepares the purchase order, [gets it signed by that manager] & sends it out.
Nothing to do with keeping people employed, it's normal practice. Perhaps in smaller companies the manager would do the orders themselves, but in any mid - large organisation that manager likely (or supposedly) already too many other things to do. The clerk / assistant is 100% right to do (and say) nothing till their manager approves it.
And in large organisations it's even used as a counter balance on the manager not doing (or even being able to do) the actual ordering themselves in case they self approve their own ridiculous purchases - i.e. please send me 7 brand new tesla's, one for each day of the week.
This internet thing is amazing! Letting people use it: worst idea ever!
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The reason is that she got those white list requests from everybody and their dog so she wanted a single contact person.
Since I was already in contact with her I thought I'd ask, but she's very "by the book" apparently
The people who ultimately "approved" don't even know me or what I'm up to
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Sounds like where I work.
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You apparently didn't put one of the new coversheets on your TPS reports.
Caveat Emptor.
"Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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We just discovered it 2000 years too late.
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