Submitted by I don’t think we’ve ever done this before, but we’re going to promote a set of items currently up for bids on eBay. Why, you ask? Well, it’s a complete collection of rare BeOS items – from t-shirts and software all the way up to a BeBox and a very rare BeIA web tablet. This is a goldmine for BeOS fans.
The person offering this collection up for sale is Adam “Kancept” McNutt. The two main items in this set are of course the BeBox and the BeIA web tablet. The BeBox is a dual 66Mhz model, and comes with all the original parts, as well as a few upgraded parts. This is the machine that has built a few of the PowerPC builds of the legendary BeShare, actually.
The BeIA web tablet is also immensely interesting. “Development deck #33, made by Qubit. Everything on the unit works, battery no longer holds a charge. Stylus present. Also including a PCMCIA CF card reader if you want to flash other ROMs that are available out there.” A very interesting piece of hardware, and probably quite rare as well.
The set also contains a whole slew of programming books, software releases, and even t-shirts. Whether you’re going to bid or not, this is a hefty slice of history.
I don’t even have any special attachment to BeOS, but I want it. I’ve actually thought it would be fun to have a geek-oriented restaurant like the Hard Rock Cafe that’s full of computing memorabilia. If everyone who read OSAlert lived in the same town, then I think it would be a good business move. Since that’s not the case, though, I’m afraid it’s just a pipe dream.
I agree. It’d be cool to have all alt OSes and such all jacked into the net. Surfing in DOS or on a C64 (yeah, it can be done). Have a BeBox and NeXT and amigas all in there. OS/2 and some SGI gear. Just nothing but a world of what Microsoft has destroyed.
And it would be called “Electric Cafe”, of course.
Why doesn’t the seller ship it worldwide?
I for one would mind paying the S&H expenses…
He states its because of insurance…
I won’t ship worldwide because of insurance and tracking. I’ve had SO many issues when sending to places other than Canada or the US since we can’t reliably track it.
These things belong to the Computer History Museum. People who buy it, or the owner, should donate the tablet and/or the BeBox to the Museum.
I did so for my rare items.
They already have a BeBox and some of this donated my Michael “Minox” Paine.
I saw the BeBox when I visited a few years ago.
That place (the CHM) was awesome.
not that your bias or anything. :-X
Eugenia, would you happen to know if they have a copy of the October’97 “MacUser” magazine?… It came with a copy of BeOS PR1 attached. I’d be willing to donate 1 of the 2 unopened copies I kept.
I don’t have the mag. If it’s won, I can put you in contact with who wins the auction.
Um, sorry, but I was referring to the Museum, not to the winner.
I think Minox has more of an idea what they have at the museum since he has spoken with them and sent items over than Eugina has. Buzz him.
Is lovely… why is on first page? We talk about an OS which dies 9 years in the past… and we still imagine it as a such a great dream on to continue our life.
At least as OS News site title, I would think that EEE-PC running Android is a much more important new. Why don’t advertise the first PC? Or Windows 2? All are stupid things today, and all nostalgic persons will go for them…
Hardware:
Dual 66Mhz BeBox w/ Keyboard & Mouse (very low S/N from Jeremy F)
Dual 133MHz BeBox w/ Spare faceplate
BeIA Prototype webpad
RangeLan 802.11 Access Point
MO44 – Designed for BeOS Midi Device
Software:
BeBox Floppy Disks
All Pre-Release BeOS versions
2 copies of BeOS PR2
8 copies of BeOS R3 w/ Install Guides
2 copies of BeOS R3 PPC
1 copy of BeOS R3 Intel
BeOS R4 Retail box
BeOS R4 mailer pack
BeOS R4.5 Retail box
4 copies of BeOS R4.5 (1 is open)
BeOS R4.5 Demo CD
BeOS R4.5 mailer pack
BeOS R5.0 Retail box
BeOS R5 signed by the GoBe team
BeOS R5 updates to R5.0.3
Unreleased BeOS x86 software
Zeta Deluxe Edition
BeIA disc Images
BeIA Developers Kit
T-Racks
Krillo
Groove Maker
Corum III
Wildcard Designs “Last Chance” CD (All the games they ported to BeOS)
BeOS BuzzCD – from LeBuzz.com
Gobe Productive 3
Civ: Call to Power signed by the porting team / company owner
GoBe Productive 2 signed by the GoBe team
Tune Tracker Radio System – Pre-Release Signed by Dane Scott – (Owner) TuneTracker Systems
Books:
MP3 the Definative Guide by Scott Hacker
BeOS Developer Guide
BeOS Advanced Topics
Programming the BeOS
BeOS Porting Unix Apps
BeOS Pro 5 User Guide
7 Spiral Bound BeBox Developer Guides
BeOS Bible signed to Minox (BeShare Admin) from Scott Hacker
Media:
3 BeIA promo flyers
3 GoBe Productive 2 promo flyers
3 BeOS 5 promo flyers
3 GoBe Productive 3 promo flyers
Other:
“Be In Your Senses” Pin
2 laser cut vinyl bumper stickers I had custom made
Be Inc CD Case w/OS CDs inside
An amazing collection. I still have my BeBox, software, books and stuff too. Still works fine, just dont use it anymore.
Still works fine, just dont use it anymore.
I still have a computer loaded with Zeta 1.21, and while I’m not too keen on YellowTab’s stuff, I prefer BFS for storing my MP3s because I think its more stable than HFS+ in spite of Dominic’s work on it.
Doesn’t network well enough for me to reply on it to store those. I totally love the BFS and it’s attributes, it just doesn’t work for my networking needs is all. I wish some ZETA items were backported to R5 or Dan0, but they made it so it wouldn’t be. Oh well.
I just donated my entire OS/2 collection (version 1 to eComStation) to WarpStock for their event this year. Since moving, I’ve come across another box full I’m sending them, btu yeah, I do donate to the cause. I should just open a museum….
/me smacks kancept
you didn’t give me first dibs on the bebox?!
I still have the MediaTrix audiocard if you want it for your NeXT. Send me an address and shipping and you can have it.
oh man, I totally forgot you had that! yeah, I want it
I’ll email you.
If I had the money id dump at least $1000 on this in a heartbeat
You and me both, buddy!
Looking at the various photos is REALLY getting me excited. Selling off a BeBox and a BeIA tablet in one go… I think that’s never even been done before! It’s like a once in a lifetime opportunity and indeed something I would have without a doubt opted for if I had the money.
I’m still cherishing my “Be in your senses” pins (I have 2), my collection of ZETA releases and I wonder what my BeGeistert T-shirt collection would be worth!
I used to own a DT300!!! Qubit branded… brilliant bit of kit, but BeIA is a total dead end in development terms. Even with a leaked version of the dev kit (the full one, though no source, just R5 hosted compilers and tools) it was buggy as heck. It was extremely hard to expand the OS as the file system on the beta I had was buggy and would not create a partition larger than 64MB. The OS could be compressed and the executable “crushed”, but doing this made it extremely hard to add new executables. Often, the symbolic dictionary needed to be updated to handle the new executables and I have no idea how that would be practical in the field. I did manage to port some stuff to it though. The API had odd things missing from the R5 API though, so it was very hit or miss.
Having said that; Thom, the DT300 is basically what you could build out of an Atom reference board these days. It’s a low powered Intel compatible CPU, running off of a CF card (which is absolute hell to get to, by the way, involving literally taking the device apart and looking at the bare motherboard, then prising the CF card out scraping a couple of chips on the way out.. scary stuff!!) with an 800 x 600 touch screen. That is about it. The wireless is next to useless as it’s based on the RangeLan and is completely incompatible with any modern hardware. There was a later version for the DT3xx series (320?) with a second external slot and using 802.11a (b?) and that would almost be useful today.
A 66MHz BeBox struggles *seriously* to run BeOS 5.0. It is only just workable. I sold my BeBox a while back, but I kept a Mac 9500 with dual processors that basically runs BeOS R5.0 really well. It made the BeBox look stupidly slow in comparison.
Kancept.. so what is on the “source” CD’s?
Holy cow that’s a lot of stuff! Brings back many memories of the good ol’ days.
I’ve still got a “We Be Geeks” BeOS pocket protector and a (working, I think) BeOS pen… I should really pass those on to someone who’s still enthusiastic about the OS that could have been.
– chrish
Wow, Chris Herborth!! Cool
AM NOT!
– chrish
In the words of Ken Ray, Chris – YOU ROCK!
Gray t-shirt girl size=small with Be logo on it. Never used. Got it at a info meeting in France.
If i can find it in my storage maybe i should put it on ebay.