test-drb September 1998

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

154 participants
649 discussions

by oajones＠bright.net

I've got a question I've been meaning to ask for a long time. Does Bill Gates know how to program? If my memory serves me correct he knew how to progam in BASIC back in the late 70's, his buddy Paul Allen knew machine language. -- Computing since 1982, VIC-20, CoCo, PC, CP/M Amateur Radio since 1971, WN8JEF, KA6EXR, N8BGR, AA4ZI http://www.bright.net/~oajones Rev. O. Alan Jones

25 years, 10 months

XPOST-converting CDC7600 format to IBM/APPLE/ETC

by rhblake＠bbtel.com

If anyone can help this guy out, contact him directly: Jim Apple <jma150(a)psu.edu> University Park, PA USA - Friday, September 18, 1998 at 14:22:32 OKay, I'm quite desperate, so maybe someone out there is old (or smart) enough to help me out here. I have some old binary files that I need to open up on a present day system (PC,mac,unix). Here's the kicker, these files were originally encoded on the old CDC7600 mainframe computers. Yes, theyre that old. Anyway, I've tried numerous encoders/decoders, and notthing has worked. So, I'm shopping for new and wonderful ideas. So, if you have any clue about this, or if you can point me in the right direction, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you much. --jimi ps. please email me directly if possible at jma150(a)psu.edu

25 years, 10 months

CP/M-86 / MSDOS / DRDOS / GEM / Windows

by jolminkh＠nsw.bigpond.net.au

Phil Clayton wrote: >I really would love to get even just a copy of DOS Ver 1.0, OK! I'll >settly for Ver 1.1 DOS.. I have an old XT thats is needs it really bad.. >I'll send ya a return postage paid diskette mailer for a copy, can >anyone help ? If you plan to install it on your XT's hard drive, forget it. Ver 1.1 didn't support hard drives. > >I also have a copy someone gave me of Windows Ver 1.0 , have never tried >it yet.. >Has anyone seen this yet ? I have an old 386 set up with a boot manager and three different GUI's on different partitions. GEM 1.2, Windows 1.02 and IBM's Topview 1.01. Topview is the oldest with files dated March 1985 and the most primitive looking. GEM is the best looking and most usable. Looks similar to an early Mac. Dated September 1985. Windows looks a little untidy with garish default colors. These files are dated January 1986. I have them all set up to run in EGA. The only one that gave any trouble installing was Topview, which didn't work properly until I found a 1986 mouse driver. Regards, Hans

25 years, 10 months

Source for Fuzzball?

by mbg＠world.std.com

25 years, 10 months

Warming up an IMSAI P/S

by ddameron＠earthlink.net

At 10:19 PM 9/18/98 -0500, Wirehead wrote: > >> I measured the voltages across a power connector and got 9.4V, +17.56 and >> -17.86. A little high but I attribute that to a lack of a load. > >Actually, I think most power supplies in S100 mainframes tend to run a >bit high so they can handle the load and because it doesn't matter since >each board has it's own regulators anyway. > >Anthony Clifton - Wirehead > On some (static memory and other) cards the linear regulators get quite hot with the high input voltages. Doesn't help here that the 117 Volts is sometimes 122 Volts or higher. For these systems I run them with a 12V transformer wired as a 120 to 108V step down (buck) autotransformer. I first tried with a variac to see how low the voltage can go, usually below 100V with supplies with a lot of "margin", such as many of those open frame linear supplies. It also helped a Heath H-19 terminal which also has a linear power supply. A slightly related matter, I found that some XT motherboards can run on only 5 volts, using a 1.44 floppy. I did this many years ago using a 12 Volt battery directly as input to a 5V regulator as power supply. Not very noteworthly now with all the portables. -Dave

25 years, 10 months

GUIs 'forced' on people (was Re: Here's something to consider.)

by kozmik＠wave.home.com

On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 13:36:06 -0700 (PDT) Sam Ismail <dastar(a)ncal.verio.com> wrote: > Woz designed the Apple 1 with the goal of using as few chips as possible > because for him it was a mental exercise. He mentions this time and again > in numerous interviews. Having it inexpensive to replicate was a > by-product. That isn't true. If you re-read those interviews. You'll read how he spent most of his time going through catalogues finding the cheapest chips first, then deciding what kind of machine he could best make from those chips. One of the goals of the Apple I was to create a low cost machine. Basically I just wanted to give an apple example that not all engineers, all of the time, want to built the biggest, and most expensive things. That is a bad generalization. -- ============================================================--------- Dominique Cormann Email:kozmik@wave.home.com Posted with Becky 1.24 --> http://www.rimarts.co.jp/becky.htm

25 years, 10 months

Warming up an IMSAI P/S

by dastar＠ncal.verio.com

Ok, so I have a 15W bulb in series with the P/S and it lit up. The fan didn't start blowing until the second time I powered up, but its blowing, albeit very slowly due to the limited power I assume. I didn't go the full Tony route because doing so would've required desoldering the entire transformer which wasn't an attractive prospect. I measured the voltages across a power connector and got 9.4V, +17.56 and -17.86. A little high but I attribute that to a lack of a load. At this point I feel pretty comfortable that the P/S is working pretty well, which surprised me. I expected a fight (but was hoping for the results I got). These old machines just refuse to die. I'm going to let it warm up for about an hour before I start plugging in boards. Thanks to Dave, Tony and Tim for your help!! Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever onward. September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 09/12/98]

25 years, 10 months

LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System Now Shipping (fwd)

by spc＠armigeron.com

With all the talk recently about kids, robots and computers, I have to pass this along (sorry about the length): It was thus said that the Great LEGO MINDSTORMS News once stated: > > Retailers Brace for Overwhelming Consumer Demand for > LEGO(reg) MINDSTORMS(tm) Robotics Invention System(tm) > > The very first units of the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System > arrived on U.S. retail store shelves in limited quantities during the first > week of September. Since the Robotics Invention System previewed at the > American International Toy Fair, the Nurnberg International Toy Fair, and > the British International Toy & Hobby Fair last February, the buzz over the > first consumer robotics product that can actually react to its environment > has been gaining more momentum than even the LEGO Company expected. > > To date LEGO MINDSTORMS has received over 100,000 inquiries about its new > Robotics Invention System, half of those from enthusiastic LEGO fans who > registered online for a chance to be one of only 200 product beta testers. > With just 12,000 units made available for the initial shipment, and only > 75,000 additional units to be shipped through the end of the year, LEGO > MINDSTORMS is anticipating a run on the Robotics Invention System that will > quickly empty store shelves. It is expected to be one of the hottest > products of the holiday buying season. > > "LEGO MINDSTORMS has packaged high-tech, creativity and fun into a new form > that represents a whole new direction for toys," commented Terri Bartlett, > Communications Director for Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc., the > industry association. "I don't expect to see any LEGO MINDSTORMS sets left > on retail shelves after the holidays." > > "The clamor for our new LEGO MINDSTORMS robots is far beyond even our > expectations. Thousands of LEGO lovers of all ages have sent us requests to > be the first to own the Robotics Invention System. We are already > redoubling our efforts to produce enough product to handle the demand," > added Linda Dalton, Director, LEGO MINDSTORMS. > > > PRODUCT AVAILABILITY: > > In 1998, LEGO MINDSTORMS will be available for sale in the United States, > Canada, and the United Kingdom. > > > United States: LEGO MINDSTORMS will be available on or before October 1 at > the following retail stores: select Discovery Channel Stores, FAO Schwarz, > Fry's, Learningsmith, LEGO Imagination Centers (at Mall of America and > Downtown Disney), Media Play, select Noodle Kidoodle, select Target (from > November 1), Toys "R" Us, and Zany Brainy. Some stores have reported that > they are already sold out of initial inventories. > > It is also available in the following catalogs: TigerDirect, Hammacher > Schlemmer, FAO Schwarz, and The Robot Store Catalog. LEGO MINDSTORMS can > also be purchased through LEGO Shop at Home at (800) 453-4652 and (800) > 835-4386. > > > Canada: In Canada, LEGO MINDSTORMS will be available at Toys "R" Us and > through the Sears catalog. Product should be available at retail by October > 6. > > > United Kingdom: To find out more about your local UK stockist, please call > our UK information line on 0845 606 2043. > > > Other English-speaking Countries: In 1999 the English versions of LEGO > MINDSTORMS products will be launched in the following countries: Australia, > Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Taiwan. > > > Other language versions: In late 1999 we hope to launch localized versions > in the following languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, > Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian. > > > Internet Sales: We are working on providing Internet sales. Further > details to come. > > > > Thank you for your interest. > > The LEGO MINDSTORMS team >

25 years, 10 months

Kids these days

by dastar＠ncal.verio.com

I was just thinking about how kids these days are so damn lucky. They've got all this cheap, extraodinarily useful computer hardware sitting around in massive quantities that they can do all sorts of killer things with. I remember when I was a kid I was dreaming about building robots and using computers to control them, but all the parts and expecially the computers were too expensive. I had one design based on a //c, but this was around 1986 when the //c was still relatively new. Today, a kid could go to a thrift store and buy all manner of salvageable computer parts, including printers (to get the steppers and gears out of), disk drives (for the motors and gear shafts) and of course the computers to control their projects with easy to use languages built in, all for just a few bucks. An entire robot could be built for under $100 with thrift store and flea market parts. It could include a fairly powerful and easy to program "brain" in the form of a Commodore 64, a Tandy CoCo, even an Apple ][ board. This stuff is everywhere and extremely simple to hack. Man, I wish I was a kid again! Sam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ever onward. September 26 & 27...Vintage Computer Festival 2.0 See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details! [Last web site update: 09/12/98]

25 years, 10 months

CP/M-86 / MSDOS / DRDOS / GEM / Windows

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

OKay, for 2000 bonus points and the game, what was Micrografx Designer when it was first released under windows 1.X? (this is on topic as that was more than ten years ago). On Fri, 18 Sep 1998 19:09:48 -0400 "Albert J. McCann, Jr." <amc358(a)interserv.com> writes: >> On Friday, September 18, 1998 3:42 AM, >> CLASSICCMP-owner(a)u.washington.edu >> wrote: > >> >client was a stand-alone GEOS app. I know there were stand-alone >Win >> >apps, but I can't remember any names. > >> The only one I've ever seen was the game "Balance of Power". >> It's Windows 1.x > >Micrografx Designer was another. It ran a stand alone 2.x Windows. > >Al McCann > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

25 years, 10 months

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test-drb September 1998