test-drb October 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

184 participants
568 discussions

by kla＠helios.augustana.edu

I don't know how to state this, so I will blunder in -- I have been trying to follow this wide-ranging discussions about the woes of Microsoft products, of Linux, and so on. This may sound anti-Internet, but I see two themes in the back of these discussions -- 1. The need to be isolated 2. consumerism (or vender vs. user choice) For the first, with computers so widespread and the ease to communicate between users so prevalent these days, maybe we need the exact opposite -- for each of us to be isolated >from one another and not see the other's toys. As I think Ernest recently said, he was happy with his first Commodore 64 until someone told him otherwise. If we would instead just cherish what we have, and <grin> otherwise sit in Dilbert-like mini-cubicles without the ability to see your neighbor, then we wouldn't know what we are missing... (For you software developers and hardware techs of yore -- did you complain about the software and hardware 20 years ago in the same fashion as I hear complaining today? I suspect so, it is just that we didn't hear it so often as we were isolated. But then again I can dream that it was better then...) For the second, I would like to think that our need to upgrade should be driven by *our* needs to fix something. I dislike it when the direction comes from the other end -- that is from the vender or developer telling me I must upgrade and/or replace something. When the needs are not truly user driven, then we are in a marketing situation only, and you know the group of people that is intended to benefit from that...it doesn't include me. I am not exactly thrilled with Microsoft products, and would rather not buy them. But then again BSD won't serve my family's needs. Just what is available as a viable alternative for the "average Joe"? Not much from what I can see. So maybe we shouldn't be using computers -- they aren't essential, after all <grin> -- societies flourished for many centuries before the present (and there is no promise that this society won't "die" just like others in the past have). Just pondering on a Friday -- Luddism and communism in the morning. Grins.. Have a good weekend everyone and simmer down. Cheers/TTFN, Kevin Anderson, Bismarck, North Dakota (where I can see the frontier, and there are unfortunately no PDP 8s or 11s in sight....) home: K9IUA(a)juno.com alt: kla(a)helios.augustana.edu

25 years, 1 month

Mac II question

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> At 05:23 PM 10/19/00 -0400, you wrote: > > > >> There is also one 72 pin SIMM socket in the mainboard next to the > >> cache slot (which is where the accelerator goes). I > wonder what it is > >> for... > > > >It was meant to be used for ROM upgrades, but Apple never issued any. > > > >-dq > > Oh, so that was it. Thanks for the info! > > One thing that I am wondering is how you expanded the memory beyond > 32 MB. Did Apple sell >4MB 30pin SIMMS? If there are any, they must > be incredibly rare... I've never even _heard_ of them. The Mac IIci was designed to use either parity or non-parity simms... the need for parity simms was for A/UX, Apple's version of Unix. So any set of 4 16MB 30-pin SIMMs from a PC will work just fine. There may be a jumper on the MB for this- can't recall. regards, -dq

25 years, 1 month

Who remembers CDC Plato?...run it again on a cyber at home... could it be done?

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> Now I never the saw the hardware running Plato. I only know > that it used a CDC cyber. So I am thinking... > > What Cyber ran plato? Well, it would run on anything from a CDC 6600 up to (I think) the Cyber 850. However, Northwestern University created a Plato clone, also using the Tutor language, that could handle more terminal types than the classic Halloween terminal. I used to have the source code (in COMPASS) for MultiTutor... hopefully, the ex-so didn't trash it in '81 when she trashed a bunch of my stuff; it may be in the possession of a comrade. > How big were they?(I heard of huge! Did not find any pics on the > internet of one...) Look for CDC / Control Data instead... here's a link to a small pic of a Cyber 73: http://members.iglou.com/dougq/cyber73.gif > What are my chances of fiding one? CDC 6600 Serial Number 1, formerly owned by the Lawrence Livermore Labs, is now at the Computer Museum of History (or is that Computer History Musem) at Moffet Field in Kalifornia. Syntegra (the remnants of CDC) are still supporting NOS, NOS/BE, and NOS/VE, so I'm sure they've got one of the later Cybers running. > And the plato software? (slim I guess...) Among other platforms, Plato was ported to the TI99/A. > If I remember well, there was a emulator for the IBMPC to run a plato > terminal....no touch screen but still...anybody remember this?...that > could save me from having to look for an old "plasma" terminal like they > called them back then... Well, I want one of the Halloween terminals (called that because the plasma display was orange on black) anyway, just to have. There have been a few incomplete attempts at starting an emulator for the CDC/Cyber machines... so far, they implement only the 60-bit modes of the early machines and not the later 64-bit mode needed to run NOS/VE. But someone needs to bring these disparate efforts together. This one will be *much* easier to do than the Multics emulator we often talk about on alt.multics.org. You might also post question in the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cdc; it hasn't seen much activity lately, so go light a fire! regards, -dq

25 years, 1 month

Enough already! (was: Re: MS Laugh-In)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> I had the same problem on my servers, killed the audio in the bios > and it persisted. The 4mb Trident AGP video driver was bad news. I used to like Trident, but I consider them foul now, and have exorcised them from almost every machine that had them. > The audio and video drivers in NT4 live in ring zero (low protection) > to make the gamers happy. NT3.51 didn't do this and was far less > prone. Better video and audio drivers often solve the problem. MS has implemented something they call the MHQL for testing drivers (if submitted) for Windows 2000; this contributes greatly to its stability. I haven't seen a BSOD yet, although I had to remove NAI VirusScan, as it caused spontaneous reboots upon logon. > My solution is keep the games, audio and high end video off the > NT box I want it robust. Put those things on a W9x crate and > play there. Again, you really ought to try getting a copy of Win2k, at least for your workstation, so you can evaluate it. I think you'll be surprised and pleased. -dq

25 years, 1 month

MS Laugh-In

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> This is a rampent disease out there, the idea that network access > is fast and always there means they (VENDORs) can skip docs, > final patches, updates by mail or a lot of other things we pay for. > I had to camp on Allaire to send a CD as they wanted me to > download the eval version of their CF4.51product, it's way to > big for a modem, even at 56k. HP dumped STAC (or did STAC > fail?) and I find out when the backups on the T20I travan failed. > Find that on the web site... nope. WE BUY this crap, that why > it is pandered. I subscribe to a package of Windows add-ons called Object Desktop >from a company called Stardock (a former OS/2 ISV), and they are using the Internet as delivery vehicle. Since these components tend to be relatively small, the model works. OTOH, the main reason I'm not using IE 5.5 is that if Microsoft doesn't have enough faith in the product to burn it onto a CD, I'm sure not spending my limited bandwidth downloading it. I did, however, download a 43MB demo (SurfScout) via our V.90 link a few days ago. As more sites implement restartable down- loads, it's not so bad... But I'm in basic agreement with you. regards, -dq

25 years, 1 month

Enough already! (was: Re: MS Laugh-In)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> I'm running at work w95osr2 with aha2906 on a scanner for one box and my > desktop is a full house K2-350 (make sure you have the K2 patch) with > CDburner sound and all. It's a configuration issue usually PLUG and > PRAY trying to sort out resources. And make sure you don't install the K2 patch on a Pentium-II! > >There will always be some OS rivalry based on XenoOSphobia. But, > >most people who hate windows are not unfamiliar with it--rather, > >they hate it because they are all too familiar with it. > > ;) W95 is one of those. I use it or the like and kind as the world > has gone that way and compatability is important. I'm not satisfied > after working with TOPS-10, CP/M, RT11, RSTS and VMS as my > models of what can or should be. Robustness is something I prize > as well as somthing well known flawed or not. Agreed... however, with Windows 2000, I'm starting to feel like I'm actually working with something that's as professional and robust as the mainframe/mini OSes of my halcyon youth. I just wish I couls find someone sufficiently familiar with its more sophisticated features that I could bounce some (probably stupid) questions off of... regards, -dq

25 years, 1 month

Vax 11 -7/80 (plus equipment)

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> On EBAY there is an 11 7/80 (currently 6 cents). The guy has no where to > put it and hopes someone can pick it up. It's located in Greencastle IN > > Anyone? This is a very large system, right? 72-inch cabinets, 220v 3-phase juice, etc? I ask because it's relatively close. -dq

25 years, 1 month

Mac II question

by cem14＠cornell.edu

At 05:23 PM 10/19/00 -0400, you wrote: > >> There is also one 72 pin SIMM socket in the mainboard next to the >> cache slot (which is where the accelerator goes). I wonder what it is >> for... > >It was meant to be used for ROM upgrades, but Apple never issued any. > >-dq Oh, so that was it. Thanks for the info! One thing that I am wondering is how you expanded the memory beyond 32 MB. Did Apple sell >4MB 30pin SIMMS? If there are any, they must be incredibly rare... I've never even _heard_ of them. Carlos.

25 years, 1 month

October RCS/RI open house

by aw288＠osfn.org

I am sorry for the late reminder, but... It's VAX month! This Saturday, the 21st (only a day away!) We will be celebrating the 20th birthday of the VAX-11/750, and will be running an early example of the machine, running an early version of VMS (3.0, I think). We will likely also have some smaller VAXen running as well, plus two larger systems on static display (Intergraph 8550 and VAX 6220). We are in downtown Providence, RI. For directions, see our page at: http://www.osfn.org/rcs/directions.html Someone should be around the Mill starting around 10 or 11, and we will likely be there all day and into the night, with a break for dinner around 6. We will also be purging some of our leftovers (micros, mostly) from our Flea Market last month - prices range from cheap to free (with just about everything being free at the end of the day!). See you there... William Donzelli aw288(a)osfn.org

25 years, 1 month

MS Laugh-In

by dhquebbeman＠theestopinalgroup.com

> I'm told that the principal difference between W98SE and ME is that you > can't install ME without first registering it. I haven't tried it, so I > don't know whether that's really the case, but . . . They've supposedly added this now to Office 2000; if you skip the registration, it launches 50 times, then quits working. And of course, if you complete the online registration, it "phones home". Now, what if you have neither a modem nor other network connection? I wonder if it allows the "print out form and mail in" registration. If so, that's one way to skin a fat cat... (not that I'm suggesting piracy, just suggesting not going along with the flow). -dq

25 years, 1 month

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test-drb October 2000