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MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:19 am
by caluser2000
http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/vint ... 421434.htm

Remember when it was released. Oh to relive my misspent youf. Would go well with a shrink wrapped copy of IBM Dos 5.02 don't you think ? ;).

Of course I'm prepared to pay well over market vaiue, but hey if someone wants to hit the buy and save me from myself now's your chance :evil:

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:28 am
by SpidersWeb
I want it, and it's actually a fair price, but can't quite bring myself to spend more than $50. I see it still hasn't met reserve, I wonder what it is.
Best of luck to you, I used to run Windows 3.0 when I was younger - 3.1 didn't support EGA :(

I have Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows/286 2.11 boxed, but not 3.0.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:41 am
by Gibsaw
SpidersWeb wrote:I want it, and it's actually a fair price, but can't quite bring myself to spend more than $50. I see it still hasn't met reserve, I wonder what it is.
Best of luck to you, I used to run Windows 3.0 when I was younger - 3.1 didn't support EGA :(

I have Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows/286 2.11 boxed, but not 3.0.

Well it's reasonably commonly downloadable if you simply want to have an instance running. It's also pretty easy to get the Windows 3.0 EGA driver working under 3.1x too though.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:19 pm
by caluser2000
Yip using EGA in Windows 3.1 is well documented. Have a link to 3.0 disk images but its not quite the same as having the box/docs etc. Would look nice sitting next to the 386DX20.

I actually skipped 3.0 and went straight to 3.1 but was using GeoWorks as well. Have 3.1 in various formats and Wfw 3.11 along with the Add-On which was just wfw 3.11 with the install script altered iirc. WfW 3.1 has been ellusive though.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:32 pm
by tezza
I got Windows 3.0 when it first came out. If I remember rightly it was quite buggy (fixed in 3.1).

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:00 pm
by SpidersWeb
Gibsaw wrote:
SpidersWeb wrote:I want it, and it's actually a fair price, but can't quite bring myself to spend more than $50. I see it still hasn't met reserve, I wonder what it is.
Best of luck to you, I used to run Windows 3.0 when I was younger - 3.1 didn't support EGA :(

I have Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows/286 2.11 boxed, but not 3.0.

Well it's reasonably commonly downloadable if you simply want to have an instance running. It's also pretty easy to get the Windows 3.0 EGA driver working under 3.1x too though.


Yeah I have the install disk images for all versions, just nice to have the originals and boxes etc. With the EGA, it was around 1994 and I was a teenager without the internet ;) These days I'd just use Windows 2.x or 3.x on a non-VGA system just for authenticity.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 6:14 pm
by caluser2000
tezza wrote:I got Windows 3.0 when it first came out. If I remember rightly it was quite buggy (fixed in 3.1).
That's how I remember it. Still got a few mags from that time. Reasonably good for running a few Dos programs at the same time though. It was the version that really kick started things though for MS windows wise from a historical perspective.

Some of the old atricles are a good read http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=RTsE ... MQ6AEwBzgK

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:57 pm
by caluser2000
Decided to get the bugger. Fools and their money ah? ;)
Worked out about the same as the one currently up for auction on ebay and I prefer 3.5" floppies.

Of course now there's going to be a run of them.................... :roll:

IBM Dos 5.02, Windows 3.0, PSF Windows Works 1.0 and Reversi. 386 heaven. :mrgreen: Reversi was dropped and replaced with Minesweeper in 3.1 so 3.0 was the end of an era so to speak :lol: Now to find some Adobe fonts................... 3.1 also introduced True Type Fonts.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 5:37 pm
by SpidersWeb
LOL I wish! Good purchase I think. Keen to see what is in the box.
3.5" is the right choice for an OS that works best on a 386 (my opinion anyway).

I installed Windows/286 on my AT in the weekend, and a few Windows programs of the time, was fun but the Program Manager you get in version 3.0 is quite a big selling point (not to mention the technical advantages). In the process I also found a Windows 1.01 install disk (supplied by Wang in 1988, 1.2MB) and a Windows 3.0 user guide too.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 6:33 pm
by caluser2000
Open it? You must be joking :shock: I'll preserve it in resine, make a plaque up and mount it on a rimu base as a trophy :wink: Yeah 3.0 basicly combined the 2 earlier versions and added a bit. Of course there was the IBM/MS rift with MS wanting to move on to the 386 platform which help it along.

Nice to hear you found the user guide and the Windows/286 install went well. Had a series of stuff around 15 years back but deemed it trash. Funny how time changes perspective.

Wouldn't mind getting hold of some early x86 Unixs to have a play with. I'm also going give Deskview/X a shot on one of the 486s hooked up to my RH 7.x box, at some point.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:00 pm
by caluser2000
And of course you mean the change from "Unrecoverable Application Error" to "General Protection Fault" :lol:

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:28 am
by SpidersWeb
caluser2000 wrote:Open it? You must be joking :shock: I'll preserve it in resine, make a plaque up and mount it on a rimu base as a trophy :wink: Yeah 3.0 basicly combined the 2 earlier versions and added a bit. Of course there was the IBM/MS rift with MS wanting to move on to the 386 platform which help it along.

Fair enough! Good on you. I can't help myself. I do however at least take a video whenever i unbox something (like MS DOS 5 last night).

caluser2000 wrote:Wouldn't mind getting hold of some early x86 Unixs to have a play with. I'm also going give Deskview/X a shot on one of the 486s hooked up to my RH 7.x box, at some point.


Yeah I had a hard drive turn up with "Xenix" written on it and I realised I'd never even used Xenix before. Concurrent DOS could be interesting as well - multi-user multi-tasking similar to UNIX but running DOS software like Lotus 1-2-3 etc. At the moment the only actual UNIX I've got is AIX and that's not for the x86.

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 6:00 pm
by caluser2000
With luck I'll have it tomorrow. I've also asked if there is any other old box software lying about. Who knows I might get lucky

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:18 pm
by caluser2000
Got it today. Very happy chappy with crappy in his nappy....Must resist urge to open it up... Must resist....... Must................
It's "to be sold in the US only" version so I wonder what the difference was between that and the export version?

Re: MS Windows 3.0

PostPosted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 7:11 pm
by caluser2000
Lol. You're lucky, I don't seem to have an ANY key :oops:

I'm finding mucking around with old kit fun. Some great forums out there. I've set my boundries quite tight though. Primarily concentrating on late 80s to around '95/96 x86 stuff and Acorns up to around the same period give or take a few years. I'm building up a good base of spares and software.

Who knows in future those boundries may change. I guess the main thing is being content with your hobby/area of interest.