MyBroadband recently interviewed Jannie van Zyl about his computer restoration hobby – here are his full answers (the article contains only a summary).
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Interview with Jannie van Zyl about computer restoration
- Thread starter rpm
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At what age did you encounter your first computer?
It was in 1978 and I was in Standard 7 (Grade 9), so I was 14 years old. I was already doing a lot of electronics work, designing and building various circuits using discrete components. Computers were very new and basically unaffordable at this point but it did not stop me reading as much as I could and lusting after the advertisements in the electronic magazines.
Then a person I met, who also did a lot of electronic design work, must have sensed my passion and gave me a fully working computer to use! It was a Compukit UK-101 with a 6502 CPU running at 1MHz, 4KB or RAM (later expanded to a mind-boggling 8KB!) and 1KB of display memory.
I spent countless hours programming that system, often right through the night (I had to stick tape around my bedroom’s door so my parents could not see the light!). This was first in BASIC (written by a small little company no-one really knew called Microsoft!) and later in machine code. Programs were stored on a cassette player at 300 baud!
Jean-Andre, the chap who gave me the system, for sure changed my life and I’ll always be indebted to him. To this day I try and pay it forward and really enjoy finding and developing the passion kids naturally have for computers.
It was in 1978 and I was in Standard 7 (Grade 9), so I was 14 years old. I was already doing a lot of electronics work, designing and building various circuits using discrete components. Computers were very new and basically unaffordable at this point but it did not stop me reading as much as I could and lusting after the advertisements in the electronic magazines.
Then a person I met, who also did a lot of electronic design work, must have sensed my passion and gave me a fully working computer to use! It was a Compukit UK-101 with a 6502 CPU running at 1MHz, 4KB or RAM (later expanded to a mind-boggling 8KB!) and 1KB of display memory.
I spent countless hours programming that system, often right through the night (I had to stick tape around my bedroom’s door so my parents could not see the light!). This was first in BASIC (written by a small little company no-one really knew called Microsoft!) and later in machine code. Programs were stored on a cassette player at 300 baud!
Jean-Andre, the chap who gave me the system, for sure changed my life and I’ll always be indebted to him. To this day I try and pay it forward and really enjoy finding and developing the passion kids naturally have for computers.
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What attracted you to computers at a young age?
By the time I got my first computer I was already pretty capable at designing and building electronic circuits, both analog and digital and a computer basically gave you the ability to develop circuits you could easily adapt and change by just writing commands in English. It was clear that this was the way of the future so I was immediately hooked. Coding (mostly) replaced soldering!
Suddenly only your imagination limited what you could do and it was a lot easier than designing and building complex circuits. For example, I built an analogue version of the game Moonlander using 40 741 OpAmps ICs (wonder how many people remember them!). It was a huge board full of chips and it could only play one game. Took me a few weeks to build. But, with computers, you could write Moonlander in a few days on play it on a TV by just writing a set of instructions in English. This was heady stuff!
By the time I got my first computer I was already pretty capable at designing and building electronic circuits, both analog and digital and a computer basically gave you the ability to develop circuits you could easily adapt and change by just writing commands in English. It was clear that this was the way of the future so I was immediately hooked. Coding (mostly) replaced soldering!
Suddenly only your imagination limited what you could do and it was a lot easier than designing and building complex circuits. For example, I built an analogue version of the game Moonlander using 40 741 OpAmps ICs (wonder how many people remember them!). It was a huge board full of chips and it could only play one game. Took me a few weeks to build. But, with computers, you could write Moonlander in a few days on play it on a TV by just writing a set of instructions in English. This was heady stuff!
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When did you get your first computer, and which computer was it?
My first computer was a Compukit UK-101 and I got it in 1978. It ran a 6502 CPU (as found in the Apple, Commodore C64 and most other home computers of the day) at a whopping 1MHz with 4KB or RAM which I later upgraded to 8KB. That allowed me to write a fully working Asteroids game in 6502 machine code. (I’m typing this on a i7 system with 64GB of RAM running at 4GHz!).
My second system was a DAI 8080 system with advanced graphics and sound which I got around 1980. I has to choose between buying a motorbike or a computer and chose wisely!
By 1984 IBM PCs became dominant and basically caused the end of the home computer era. My first IBM PC was a Taiwanese Takeaway system with an 8088 CPU running at 8MHz (called Turbo Mode!), 640KB of RAM and 2 x 360KB floppy drives. It was simultaneously the future of computing and the end of the golden era of computing.
My first computer was a Compukit UK-101 and I got it in 1978. It ran a 6502 CPU (as found in the Apple, Commodore C64 and most other home computers of the day) at a whopping 1MHz with 4KB or RAM which I later upgraded to 8KB. That allowed me to write a fully working Asteroids game in 6502 machine code. (I’m typing this on a i7 system with 64GB of RAM running at 4GHz!).
My second system was a DAI 8080 system with advanced graphics and sound which I got around 1980. I has to choose between buying a motorbike or a computer and chose wisely!
By 1984 IBM PCs became dominant and basically caused the end of the home computer era. My first IBM PC was a Taiwanese Takeaway system with an 8088 CPU running at 8MHz (called Turbo Mode!), 640KB of RAM and 2 x 360KB floppy drives. It was simultaneously the future of computing and the end of the golden era of computing.
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How did your love for computers changed your career, and possibly your life?
The ability to change the behavior of an electronic circuit by giving it instructions was an essential enabler of the 3rd Industrial Revolution and it was pretty obvious in the late 70’s and early 80’d that this was going to change the world. Not sure if I just intuitively understood this but I knew I wanted to be involved in the field and it shaped everything I did from high school to this day. So, I studied electronics at school - which ended with me up in a girls-only school, but that’s another story! – followed by doing electronic engineering and then starting a PC business.
The ability to change the behavior of an electronic circuit by giving it instructions was an essential enabler of the 3rd Industrial Revolution and it was pretty obvious in the late 70’s and early 80’d that this was going to change the world. Not sure if I just intuitively understood this but I knew I wanted to be involved in the field and it shaped everything I did from high school to this day. So, I studied electronics at school - which ended with me up in a girls-only school, but that’s another story! – followed by doing electronic engineering and then starting a PC business.
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Can you describe your career which involved computers, and later telecoms?
After studying electronics, I worked at the SABC through whom I got a bursary. There I developed a number of computer systems to automate a number of functions we had to perform including writing a help desk system as well as automating the testing and setup of various sound equipment. Still did a lot of electronic design and manufacturing a different systems needed in the organization.
These were the days of national conscription so I had to go my time (two years!). During my army days I worked at 3 Electronics workshop in Pretoria where I initially did component level repairs of military equipment but later did software development (in Pascal). I wrote the systems that would automatically test military RF systems. I probably wrote more games on these computers than anything else and when I was instructed to delete the games, I compiled them into the OS s ono-one could delete them!
During this time I met some other National Servicemen and we started a PC business while still in the army (and I was still working at the SABC!). This was in the middle 80’s so IBM clones were just taking off. We imported components from Taiwan and built and sold many thousands of PCs. We also did a lot of bespoke projects and I developed the hardware and software for these. As soon as I finished my national service, I resigned from the SABC (had to pay back my full salary for 2 years the SABC paid me while in the army!) and focused fulltime on the new business.
By the late 80’s and early 90’s computer networking became a big topic and we did a lot of work in the space. Slowly the PC business morphed into a networking company. TCP/IP was pretty unknown at the day, so to be able to build big networks that could integrate Unix-based IP systems with Novell Netware IPX networks and build networks with large of servers and thousands of PCs gave us many large customers.
At this point (early 90’s), I relocated to Cape Town doing basically the same. At this point it became clear that these same customers could not properly manage their large networks and I started a company to develop management software for these large enterprises. I was fortunate enough to build a very capable team and we soon became leaders in the industry, exporting a lot of our software and systems internationally. Was quite cool that a small, Cape Town based company could show the world how to do stuff!
This was the days of the IT bubble and we had many suitors, eventually selling to Dimension Data as it allowed us to grow the business substantially, both locally and internationally. After our initial contracts with DD came to an end, I decided to ‘retire’ but this clearly did not last very long. I started a few different businesses (audio, video, home automation, software development, etc.) and also consulted to our previous customers including Vodacom.
I got drawn more and more into Vodacom at this point. It was an exciting time for the telecoms industry as the MNOs suddenly had to figure out how to do this ‘data’ thing, an alien concept for a ‘voice’ business. So I spent a lot of time doing various things in this new ‘mobile data’ world, from strategy to product development to systems to support. I even became the official Vodacom rep on MyBroadband!
I consulted in this way, mostly to Vodacom till around 2010 when I was offered the position of WBS Group CEO that included the iBurst business. The iBurst technology was clearly at the end of its life, even though it ran circles around GSM technology at the time, but I saw untapped opportunity in the organization, mostly around the substantial spectrum it owned and its ability to be a wholesaler of bandwidth. We built a new model based around this but – to be honest – the shareholders at that point did not understand the value of spectrum and wanted to keep on running the iBurst business. It took them another 5 years to be shown this by the likes of a Paul Harris and a Michael Jordaan that spectrum is a hugely valuable resource.
After I left WBS I joined Vodacom fulltime, initially running the Data Product division and later formed the Innovation function where I am to this day. It’s probably the perfect job for me as it allows the freedom to help develop strategy and products to ensure the company’s future by partaking in (and defending against) disruptions.
After studying electronics, I worked at the SABC through whom I got a bursary. There I developed a number of computer systems to automate a number of functions we had to perform including writing a help desk system as well as automating the testing and setup of various sound equipment. Still did a lot of electronic design and manufacturing a different systems needed in the organization.
These were the days of national conscription so I had to go my time (two years!). During my army days I worked at 3 Electronics workshop in Pretoria where I initially did component level repairs of military equipment but later did software development (in Pascal). I wrote the systems that would automatically test military RF systems. I probably wrote more games on these computers than anything else and when I was instructed to delete the games, I compiled them into the OS s ono-one could delete them!
During this time I met some other National Servicemen and we started a PC business while still in the army (and I was still working at the SABC!). This was in the middle 80’s so IBM clones were just taking off. We imported components from Taiwan and built and sold many thousands of PCs. We also did a lot of bespoke projects and I developed the hardware and software for these. As soon as I finished my national service, I resigned from the SABC (had to pay back my full salary for 2 years the SABC paid me while in the army!) and focused fulltime on the new business.
By the late 80’s and early 90’s computer networking became a big topic and we did a lot of work in the space. Slowly the PC business morphed into a networking company. TCP/IP was pretty unknown at the day, so to be able to build big networks that could integrate Unix-based IP systems with Novell Netware IPX networks and build networks with large of servers and thousands of PCs gave us many large customers.
At this point (early 90’s), I relocated to Cape Town doing basically the same. At this point it became clear that these same customers could not properly manage their large networks and I started a company to develop management software for these large enterprises. I was fortunate enough to build a very capable team and we soon became leaders in the industry, exporting a lot of our software and systems internationally. Was quite cool that a small, Cape Town based company could show the world how to do stuff!
This was the days of the IT bubble and we had many suitors, eventually selling to Dimension Data as it allowed us to grow the business substantially, both locally and internationally. After our initial contracts with DD came to an end, I decided to ‘retire’ but this clearly did not last very long. I started a few different businesses (audio, video, home automation, software development, etc.) and also consulted to our previous customers including Vodacom.
I got drawn more and more into Vodacom at this point. It was an exciting time for the telecoms industry as the MNOs suddenly had to figure out how to do this ‘data’ thing, an alien concept for a ‘voice’ business. So I spent a lot of time doing various things in this new ‘mobile data’ world, from strategy to product development to systems to support. I even became the official Vodacom rep on MyBroadband!
I consulted in this way, mostly to Vodacom till around 2010 when I was offered the position of WBS Group CEO that included the iBurst business. The iBurst technology was clearly at the end of its life, even though it ran circles around GSM technology at the time, but I saw untapped opportunity in the organization, mostly around the substantial spectrum it owned and its ability to be a wholesaler of bandwidth. We built a new model based around this but – to be honest – the shareholders at that point did not understand the value of spectrum and wanted to keep on running the iBurst business. It took them another 5 years to be shown this by the likes of a Paul Harris and a Michael Jordaan that spectrum is a hugely valuable resource.
After I left WBS I joined Vodacom fulltime, initially running the Data Product division and later formed the Innovation function where I am to this day. It’s probably the perfect job for me as it allows the freedom to help develop strategy and products to ensure the company’s future by partaking in (and defending against) disruptions.
Why did you decide to start restoring computers?
When I was a schoolkid, there were many computers I read about in magazines and books and lusted after but could never afford. I always wanted to own some of these and were given a few of them by friends over the years. The idea was to get one or two of them and just play with them as a bit of nostalgia. To say that was a slippery slope is a bit of an understatement!
About two years ago I started looking seriously at what is available and – as with any sub-culture nowadays – found a large group of people on the internet collecting and restoring these computers. I found my spiritual home! Every computer I can remember was available with knowledgeable people actively supporting it.
What is amazing - and it’s really the power of the internet and crowdsourcing – is how many enthusiasts there are for each system and the amount of hardware and software still being developed for them today. Just the one Commodore C64 group I’m a member of has over 14 000 members!
My initial plan was to get two models of each of the computers I always wanted, one to display and play with and one kept in storage. But this model quickly went out the window and I now have many computers I did not initially intended to own and often have multiple of the same models. Everytime I acquire a new unit, I fully restore and fix it, even if I initially got it for spares! I just cannot bear then not working again.
So, my initial plan was to have 5 or 10 systems. Today I have over 150! And counting!
When I was a schoolkid, there were many computers I read about in magazines and books and lusted after but could never afford. I always wanted to own some of these and were given a few of them by friends over the years. The idea was to get one or two of them and just play with them as a bit of nostalgia. To say that was a slippery slope is a bit of an understatement!
About two years ago I started looking seriously at what is available and – as with any sub-culture nowadays – found a large group of people on the internet collecting and restoring these computers. I found my spiritual home! Every computer I can remember was available with knowledgeable people actively supporting it.
What is amazing - and it’s really the power of the internet and crowdsourcing – is how many enthusiasts there are for each system and the amount of hardware and software still being developed for them today. Just the one Commodore C64 group I’m a member of has over 14 000 members!
My initial plan was to get two models of each of the computers I always wanted, one to display and play with and one kept in storage. But this model quickly went out the window and I now have many computers I did not initially intended to own and often have multiple of the same models. Everytime I acquire a new unit, I fully restore and fix it, even if I initially got it for spares! I just cannot bear then not working again.
So, my initial plan was to have 5 or 10 systems. Today I have over 150! And counting!
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Where do you get the old computers?
While there are many systems available on online commercial sites such as eBay, the prices are just crazy. And to get them to South Africa can be quite expensive and rather traumatic.
Fortunately there is quite an active local vintage computing community in South Africa and everyone helps everyone else to get machines. Many are still to be found in pawn shops or flea markets and people actively trade them. Many people are also quite willing to give away their old machines if they see you are passionate about the systems. A good source is to watch local activity on groups such as Bid-or-Buy.
There are active vintage computing threads on the MyBroadband forum and I’ve picked up quite a few machines from a number of forumites over the years. One person – Peter Job – absolutely stands out. Peter has been collecting for many years and have forgotten things about vintage computers mere mortals still need to learn. I met him on MyBroadband about two years ago and he donated his full collection to myself. A kid in a candy shop does not come close to what I found when I first visited him!
Timothy Venn runs the ‘Vintage Computing and Console Group of South Africa’ and its members are a huge source of getting systems, parts and support for the various systems.
While there are many systems available on online commercial sites such as eBay, the prices are just crazy. And to get them to South Africa can be quite expensive and rather traumatic.
Fortunately there is quite an active local vintage computing community in South Africa and everyone helps everyone else to get machines. Many are still to be found in pawn shops or flea markets and people actively trade them. Many people are also quite willing to give away their old machines if they see you are passionate about the systems. A good source is to watch local activity on groups such as Bid-or-Buy.
There are active vintage computing threads on the MyBroadband forum and I’ve picked up quite a few machines from a number of forumites over the years. One person – Peter Job – absolutely stands out. Peter has been collecting for many years and have forgotten things about vintage computers mere mortals still need to learn. I met him on MyBroadband about two years ago and he donated his full collection to myself. A kid in a candy shop does not come close to what I found when I first visited him!
Timothy Venn runs the ‘Vintage Computing and Console Group of South Africa’ and its members are a huge source of getting systems, parts and support for the various systems.
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Where do you find information about restoring computers?
It’s absolutely amazing how much information and support is available for each system. All documentation, circuit diagrams, software, etc. is available online and there are large communities still developing new software and hardware for each system. Most parts are available brand new and new add-ons are still being developed for all these old systems. For example, nearly every system has a mass storage device using a SD-card available. Just this weekend I built a Raspberry PI based Commodore floppy drive emulator from a design published on the internet.
It’s absolutely amazing how much information and support is available for each system. All documentation, circuit diagrams, software, etc. is available online and there are large communities still developing new software and hardware for each system. Most parts are available brand new and new add-ons are still being developed for all these old systems. For example, nearly every system has a mass storage device using a SD-card available. Just this weekend I built a Raspberry PI based Commodore floppy drive emulator from a design published on the internet.
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Which restorations are you the proudest about?
Any that fully works afterwards! My passion is still component level electronics so it’s a real high to debug and repair these old systems down to component level. But often the electronic repair is the easy bit, even if it can take weeks to fully repair one system. It’s often much more difficult to repair the mechanical aspects such as the casings, keyboards and floppy drives.
I recently fixed a Grundy Newbrain and it required very delicate surgery on both the motherboard and power supply.
The older the systems, the more difficult the restorations become. I’ve done some systems from the 70’s and these old guys must be treated with a lot of care and respect. So these are the ones that give me the most joy and sense of accomplishment when they’re fully restored.
Any that fully works afterwards! My passion is still component level electronics so it’s a real high to debug and repair these old systems down to component level. But often the electronic repair is the easy bit, even if it can take weeks to fully repair one system. It’s often much more difficult to repair the mechanical aspects such as the casings, keyboards and floppy drives.
I recently fixed a Grundy Newbrain and it required very delicate surgery on both the motherboard and power supply.
The older the systems, the more difficult the restorations become. I’ve done some systems from the 70’s and these old guys must be treated with a lot of care and respect. So these are the ones that give me the most joy and sense of accomplishment when they’re fully restored.
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Can you give details about particularly interesting aspects of the restorations?
In the 70’s and early 80’s electronic components were very expensive and limited in capability. So the designers had to be really clever and innovative to design machines that were cost effective but still innovative and as powerful as possible. The designers of the day (think Woz, for example) became superstars in their own right.
It’s often quite a process to fully understand and appreciate the intricate designs these guys came up with. It can take weeks just to fully understand the circuit design of these old systems. I recently fixed some BBC Micro systems and these circuits are really complex in how they work, all to keep costs down while giving as much power as possible.
So, getting into the heads of these designers, 40 years later is really interesting.
In the 70’s and early 80’s electronic components were very expensive and limited in capability. So the designers had to be really clever and innovative to design machines that were cost effective but still innovative and as powerful as possible. The designers of the day (think Woz, for example) became superstars in their own right.
It’s often quite a process to fully understand and appreciate the intricate designs these guys came up with. It can take weeks just to fully understand the circuit design of these old systems. I recently fixed some BBC Micro systems and these circuits are really complex in how they work, all to keep costs down while giving as much power as possible.
So, getting into the heads of these designers, 40 years later is really interesting.
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What is your favourite old computer, and why?
That’s a bit like asking who your favourite child is!
As a rule of thumb, the older the better. After around 1986 computers became tools and standardized around the IBM AT architecture. Before then was the golden age of computing with large numbers of entrepreneurs battling it out even if the likes of Acorn, Commodore, Apple and Sinclair dominated.
So, any of these systems but if I had to pick one, probably the Commodore PET. To this day it looks like it should be on Star Trek. (It was!).
That’s a bit like asking who your favourite child is!
As a rule of thumb, the older the better. After around 1986 computers became tools and standardized around the IBM AT architecture. Before then was the golden age of computing with large numbers of entrepreneurs battling it out even if the likes of Acorn, Commodore, Apple and Sinclair dominated.
So, any of these systems but if I had to pick one, probably the Commodore PET. To this day it looks like it should be on Star Trek. (It was!).
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How did you convince your wife that this is a good hobby?
I’m married to the most amazing person on this planet. Restoring vintage computers is just one of my hobbies and Loanne always support me 1000% in all my endevours, however crazy or time consuming they are, be it restoring old computers, old cars, riding many different bicycles or motorbikes or whatever comes next!
Fortunately we have the space available and I have quite a large storage area and a really cool electronics workshop for the old computers. This is all at the bottom of the house, so there are no computers in the lounge of living areas. Though I’ve been thinking about it!
I’m married to the most amazing person on this planet. Restoring vintage computers is just one of my hobbies and Loanne always support me 1000% in all my endevours, however crazy or time consuming they are, be it restoring old computers, old cars, riding many different bicycles or motorbikes or whatever comes next!
Fortunately we have the space available and I have quite a large storage area and a really cool electronics workshop for the old computers. This is all at the bottom of the house, so there are no computers in the lounge of living areas. Though I’ve been thinking about it!
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Jannie's computer restoration lab is truly impressive. It is interesting to see the old computers in action, and how an old machine can be made to work and look like it is brand new.
McGuywer
Executive Member
He must have a really nice wife to let him have his workspace!
i.got~issues
Expert Member
Nice write-up!
Thanks oom rpm... luv'ly stuff !!!
Thanks oom rpm... luv'ly stuff !!!
gregmcc
Honorary Master
Very impressive collection. That must be a very satisfying hobby.
Its on my bucket list.
Its on my bucket list.
konfab
Honorary Master
Jannie should consider putting his collection in a Museum once his house gets too full. These machines formed the basis of our modern world.
Nerfherder
Honorary Master
This is pretty amazing. Must be pretty time consuming.
gregmcc
Honorary Master
Wish I'd saved all my PC's/consoles back in the day 