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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 21st Jan 2012, 1:49 pm   #1
keithinuk
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Default CDR Drive

Don't think its all that vintage.
I did a clean out and come across a CD drive I used to use on pre CD computers, I used it about ten years ago and it was not new when I got it, I used it mainly on old laptops, just plugs into the printer port.
It's an Nec MultiSpin 3Xp (3x SCSI-2), still in its box, which is about four times as big as it needs to be.
Do people still use them any more, or is it now just junk.



http://support.necam.com/Optical/adv...dr401/main.htm
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Old 21st Jan 2012, 2:31 pm   #2
paulsherwin
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Default Re: CDR Drive

It should still work with any computer with a 50 pin SCSI2 interface, but the performance is typical of early CD-ROM drives so it will be very slow compared to later drives. Historical interest only really, though you could use it as an audio CD player.

I don't see how it will work via the printer port though.
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Old 21st Jan 2012, 3:41 pm   #3
SteveCG
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Default Re: CDR Drive

It looks out of the ordinary, compared to tray CD drives, so could be worth keeping just for that point?

I suppose a relevant question for nowadays is whether it can play CD-Rs. I would assume that it was too early for CD-RWs
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Old 21st Jan 2012, 6:46 pm   #4
adrian41uk
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Default Re: CDR Drive

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
I don't see how it will work via the printer port though.
On its own, maybe not. But ADAPTEC did make a device called miniPORT SCSI which connected to a parallel printer port and converted it to SCSI. I've still got one in the loft somewhere, very useful for using my first DAT backup drive on my PCs.

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Old 22nd Jan 2012, 1:11 am   #5
keithinuk
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Default Re: CDR Drive

I still have the lead from SCSI to parallel and its a model cdr-400, so its only a basic cd-rom reader, will end up in the loft again, with a 100hz tulip computer, a build in monitor one.
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Old 22nd Jan 2012, 3:16 am   #6
arjoll
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Default Re: CDR Drive

Quote:
Originally Posted by keithinuk View Post
I used it mainly on old laptops, just plugs into the printer port. It's an Nec MultiSpin 3Xp (3x SCSI-2), still in its box, which is about four times as big as it needs to be.
Um, I could be missing something here, but you've mentioned two different interfaces. A SCSI CDROM won't work on a printer port, even though the plugs may look the same.

Is this a SCSI drive in a housing with a parallel/SCSI interface (similar to the old parallel/IDE housings you could buy)?

Either way this will still have value to a vintage computer collector, although not necessarily a monetary one.
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Old 23rd Jan 2012, 12:26 am   #7
keithinuk
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Default Re: CDR Drive

Just pulled the lead out and it has a, Trantor T338 Miniscsi Parallel To Scsi box added to the lead.
Its getting on ten year since I look at it last.
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Old 23rd Jan 2012, 1:43 am   #8
paulsherwin
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Default Re: CDR Drive

That's probably worth significantly more than the drive
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