Other Mark-8's

I am no longer active in this hobby for the foreseeable future.
I will no longer maintain or update the website, but I will leave it accessible to the web for as long as possible (years).

Mark-8 Restoration
Documentation
Other Mark-8's

Mark-8 Minicomputer
Apple-1
MOS Kim-1
V C F
Imsai 8080
Kenbak-1
TV Typewriter
LSI ADM-3A
ASR-33
The Digital Group

Other Mark-8 Minicomputers

There are very few original Mark-8 computers left in the world today. In a recent PC World article, Erik Klein estimated the number of Mark-8 computers at "no more than a hundred". I suppose there are probably a few Mark-8 board sets in attics around the world, and a few more that may have once worked that are now collecting dust in garage lofts or basements somewhere unknown and unfound. For the sake of this page, I am just going to count the ones I know of for certain.

Here is a list of those known to me, and the condition, as known. Do you have an original Mark-8? Did I miss yours? (I have a terrible memory--got it from my kids) Send me an email, please, and I will add you to the list. (Don't forget to send pics if you can!)

Jon Titus' Mark-8 with IBM boat anchor at Smithsonian

Jon Titus left his at the Smithsonian. According to my information, the power supply was external and not included with the donation -- place this one in non-working status.

Gary Simpson has one, not working. He plans to restore one day.

Bob Anders has one, not working.

Jack Rubin has a Mark-8, boards only, if I recall. Not working.

Steve Meirowsky just contacted me with news that he has one purchased from an ad in the newspaper in the early nineties. Not working.

John Lewczyk has (had?) a working Mark 8 Minicomputer! Once had a web page, but the link is now dead. :(

As I am no longer able to find John, I am adding some interesting things here that he once had on his site. All of this was pulled from the Web Archive, www.archive.org If anyone involved objects, I will pull it down.

Lewczyk pic04.jpg - Picture of John with his Mark-8, date unknown.
Lewczyk Working Mark-8.txt - Johns story of getting it working & etc.
JonTitusStory.PDF - Jon's story, & questions by Doug Salot.

John Lewczyk Mark-8

Craig Miller has a second-hand Mark-8, purchased from the original builder in 1976. Last powered up in 1998--Status unknown now, but possibly working. Craig replaced a failed memory card with one of his own design.

Craig has many more pictures and his story at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/genoahous/Mark8/

Craig Miller Mark-8

Home-made memory card in rear

Cliff Bedore has a working one -- though, I never would have had the courage to power it up in this condition!! Check out the steel wool in the background! Yikes! His web site includes video of the Mark-8 in operation--running SCELBAL. Cliff also has a digital group video card, and 4k memory card! Excellent.

http://www.bdb.com/mark8/

Cliff Bedore Mark-8

Robert Chaney has one at his Tech Museum (no web site yet), Robert bought his on ebay in October of 2007 (Link below has ebay details). Last info on this one was that it was not working. Robert also purchased a restored digital group computer for his museum from me back in 2004. Way-to-go Robert!

(Since I don't have photos of Gary or Bob's Mark-8, there is a chance that this one belonged to one of them originally. :)

Robert Chaney Mark-8

Andrew Martin has one, not working.

Andrew Martin Mark-8

Mark Whatley has this one, not working.

Mark Whatley Mark-8

Erik Klein hit the mother load a while back. He picked up an unfinished Mark-8 with very complete documentation, and a second set of Mark-8 clone circuit boards made by Mini Micro Mart. Non-working status, but Erik is trying!

Many, many more pics at his web site:

http://www.vintage-computer.com/topost.shtml

Erik Klein Mark-8

Tom Stall has a non-working one. Tom and I exhibited near each other at VCF 6.0, I could be wrong, but I seem to remember him saying he is the original owner, but never finished the computer. Hmmm, maybe that box was empty...? :)

Tom Stall Mark-8


Lonnie Mimms - Andy Berg bought and then later resold this Mark-8 on ebay to Lonnie (Link below has ebay details). This Mark-8 is quite unique as it was modified according to the Digital Group's "Packet #1". Last known as not-working. I have included photos of all the boards showing the modifications from the packet--COOL.

ebay:

I am only aware of three Mark-8 computers that have shown up on ebay--legitimately.

There was a scam artist that used the Mimms Mark-8 pictures to try a fraud auction. The wise and powerful ebay morons refused to listen to my warnings; it was by shear luck I was able to contact the already suspicious high bidder (ebay blocked me from sending mail to them.) Partly due to this experience and others, I don't spend a lot of time on ebay anymore. If you see a Mark-8 auction, I'd appreciate a contact. Thanks, and be careful out there!

Several years ago, Jack Rubin put a few Mark-8 boards up on ebay--an incomplete system, but as I remember, they did not meet his reserve and did not sell. Here are the sales I have seen:

Mine - April, 1999. Sorry, I didn't think to make copies of the listing.
mark8_2006-04-26.pdf - This one has been sold on ebay twice -- the first time in 2002 (sorry, no data for the first sale).
mark8_2007-10-23.pdf - Strange price coincidence...? Somebody should have seen that coming. :)

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