>< IIRC the Pro 325 uses an F11 as well, although I've not seen one.
>
>The pro325 and 350 are the same machine save for the 325 is floppy only
>and the 350 had floppy and hard disk.
Right...
>< I am not suprised. Although there's a PDP11 CPU in there, the I/O
><system and interrupt structure is nothing like any other PDP11...
>
>the primary thing was the memory mapped video. the PDT-11 also had
>strange IO.
The PDT-130 and -150 both used the same device driver (PD), though
they would display as different device codes, if I remember. The
interesting thing about them was the fact that the firmware knew
about RT-11 queue elements, so all the driver had to do was take the
queue element and pass it to the ROM, which handled the IO, returning
if there was an error, or when the request was satisfied. The driver
then returned to the monitor the completed queue element.
The PDTs were also interesting in that they used an 8085 (later an
8085A) to handle the IO page. Word accesses were about 90ms, byte
accesses were about 180ms if I remember correctly, and we had to
avoid any read-modify-write instructions (BIS/BIC) otherwise it would
take twice as long as the 90ms/180ms...
Finally, an interesting point, the PDT-11/110, which had no storage
devices, had code in ROM which understood the same protocol as the
GT40 for downloading code...
Somewhere I have a program I wrote for use at a science fiction
convention (worldcon-1980, in boston) where I used a PDT-11/150
to download a GT40 with various programs like lunar lander or
roses, or bowling, etc... (The favorite, of course, was lunar
lander)
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
I was a member of this list for quite a while but the mail load got to
be too much for my school account.
I have placed an Apple Lisa 7/7 on the eBay auction recently. The
bidding ends on Sunday the 4th of October. It's a nice system and I
posted a ton of pictures at my page:
http://www.calpoly.edu/~gmast/sfs/lisa/lisa.html
The bidding hasn't been that great so I think this system will go for a
good price. It will sell regardless. If this post offends anyone, I
apologize but I know some people here might want one of these for their
collection and this might be a good opportunity.
For more info, check out the auction listing at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=32694351
and check out the pictures at the link above.
The bidding must take place through the auction now that I've listed it.
Bidding is free but you must register with the auction.
Thanks,
Greg
Has anyone been to the Computer Museum of America? It's near San Diego,
California. URL is http://www.computer-museum.org/.
Looks interesting, but I'm using Lynx at the moment and can't see anything.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
There was write up of the VCF in todays Guardian, it included a picture
of an Altair and a wooden Apple, along with an account of Ray Holt's
talk.
It also says the it was organised by "...Sam Ismail, a goateed,
hyperactive young programmer who started his own collection of 200
machines 11 years ago...". Is this a fair description Sam? ;-)
Regards
Pete
PS Congratulations, Sam, on what seems to have been a very sucessful
event.
http://members.aol.com/Fractal101/odyssey.htm
Kai
-----Original Message-----
From: D. Peschel [mailto:dpeschel@u.washington.edu]
Sent: Friday, October 02, 1998 4:08 PM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Robot Odyssey?
I hope I didn't mention this before...
I'm looking for any versions of a game called "Robot Odyssey". It was
written
by The Learning Company and is a very unusual combination of an electronics
simulator and a 2-D adventure game.
The Apple ][ version sold especially well; there were three versions (1.0,
1.1, 2.0). I own an original copy of 1.0. I _had_ an original copy of 2.0
and sold it, and still feel really stupid. The only pirated copies are 1.0.
However, there were also versions for: the IBM PC (definitely exists), the
Tandy CoCo (almost definitely exists), and the Commodore 64 (probably
exists).
TLC may have promised others (Atari?) which were never released.
I'm posting here because:
- The kind of geeks on this list would probably love this game. :)
- The Apple newsgroups are a waste of time.
- No one at the VCF had any idea what I was talking about.
- Maybe someone knows the authors of the program? The receptionists
at TLC are (obviously) clueless, but I've heard that even talking
to higher-up people there is a waste of time. (This is from a Web
site I found.) So if there's any chance of getting "inside" info
on the program, the authors are it.
Thanks,
-- Derek
Is there any interest in Tandy 1000's? As far as I can tell, they all look
like basic systems with 2 floppies. May have some matching monitors.
Local non-profit has a bunch (from a school) and doesn't know what to do
with them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
roger(a)sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
Since this is about DOS, which is >10, I think it's postable.
What I'm wondering about is the entire format description, like the
FAT, sector headers, everything.
>> OK, next question. While I look for weird expansion cards, is there
>> any book that I stand a chance at finding which details the DOS flopy
>> format?
>
>Are you looking for the DIRectory structures, track layout (sector
>headers and the like), or explanation of MFM?
>
>
>ADMIN Q: Should those items get posted here, or taken private?
>
>--
>Fred Cisin cisin(a)xenosoft.com
>XenoSoft http://www.xenosoft.com
>2210 Sixth St. (510) 644-9366
>Berkeley, CA 94710-2219
>
>
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
I recently aquired a Aquarius computer.
http://www.chez.com/samurai/ORDIS/aqua.htm
This computer is working and is in good condition. It can be yours for
$20 plus shipping costs. I don't have any documentation or software to
include--sorry. If anyone is interested in it please send me email.
--Alan
--
Computing since: 1982, VIC-20, CoCo, PC, CP/M
Military Computers: COMTRAN 10, Nida 250
Amateur Radio since: 1971, WN8JEF, KA6EXR, N8BGR, AA4ZI
BASIC, dBASE, Assembly, C++
http://www.bright.net/~oajones
Nothing universal. Let me break this down by type:
CP/M and Related Formats:
Teledisk will read most CP/M and related formats on double-density (MFM)
diskettes. Standard IBM PC floppy controllers are physically unable to read
single-density (FM) formats (for some reason, even though the Western
Digital chip they used supported FM, they never connected the pin. The
Teledisk folks have some instructions to modify old IBM controllers).
Teledisk can also read CP/M and related formats on FM diskettes with an
appropriate floppy controller (e.g. CompatiCard, or modified IBM
controller). Some CompatiCard versions will also allow connection of 8"
drives to an IBM compatible. If you find a CompatiCard for sale, buy it.
Non-CP/M Related, Non-Apple Formats:
Teledisk does not read other FM formats that are not similar to CP/M (e.g.
TRS-80 Model 1). I'm not aware of a solution to read/write formats such as
TRS-80 Mod1, Coleco, Atari 8-bit, etc. Later TRS-80's like the Model 4/4P
can read TRSDOS diskettes and copy the files to CP/M format which could then
be read with Teledisk.
Apple II:
There is no physical way to read an Apple II diskette on IBM floppy drives.
There are 3 solutions: 1) Use a Trackstar 128 card in an IBM compatible; 2)
use a //e emulation card in a Macintosh LC series, then copy to PC format if
necessary; 3) Copy the 5.25" Apple DOS files to 3.5" ProDOS format on a //e
equipped with 3.5" and 5.25" drives, then use an old Apple File Exchange on
a Mac to read the ProDOS disk.
Macintosh:
All Macs with SuperDrive/FDHD drives can read/write PC format. To read Mac
dual-density format on the PC, you can either copy the files to PC format on
a newer Macintosh (be SURE to keep the disk write protected or the newer Mac
will automatically screw it up so it won't read properly on your old Mac!)
or you can use a Central Point Copy II Option Board Deluxe on an IBM
compatible.
Others:
Atari ST uses DOS format in the first place. Amiga can be read on the PC by
Amiga emulators. C64, I have no idea, but I know at least you could use a
C128 to copy files to CP/M format.
NOTE that if you don't want to actually access FILES, but just want to COPY
the disk, all you need is a Central Point Option Board in an IBM compatible.
I use my "Compaq Computer" (a.k.a. Portable I) with an Option Board to copy
any SD/DD format, including Apple II.
Kai
-----Original Message-----
From: Max Eskin [mailto:maxeskin@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 1998 4:36 PM
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
Subject: Universal drive
Is there a device that would allow _any_ disk, independently of
format, including Apple ][ disks, to be read? I know Teledisk can do
this for all conventional formats, but not Apple disks. It would be
nice to connect one of these and read the disk image into a file.
The main reason why I ask is for rescuing messed up floppies...
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
I hope I didn't mention this before...
I'm looking for any versions of a game called "Robot Odyssey". It was written
by The Learning Company and is a very unusual combination of an electronics
simulator and a 2-D adventure game.
The Apple ][ version sold especially well; there were three versions (1.0,
1.1, 2.0). I own an original copy of 1.0. I _had_ an original copy of 2.0
and sold it, and still feel really stupid. The only pirated copies are 1.0.
However, there were also versions for: the IBM PC (definitely exists), the
Tandy CoCo (almost definitely exists), and the Commodore 64 (probably exists).
TLC may have promised others (Atari?) which were never released.
I'm posting here because:
- The kind of geeks on this list would probably love this game. :)
- The Apple newsgroups are a waste of time.
- No one at the VCF had any idea what I was talking about.
- Maybe someone knows the authors of the program? The receptionists
at TLC are (obviously) clueless, but I've heard that even talking
to higher-up people there is a waste of time. (This is from a Web
site I found.) So if there's any chance of getting "inside" info
on the program, the authors are it.
Thanks,
-- Derek
