>it would work - in hindsight, I don't know why since I never
>had any intention of getting by with just RT11FB in RT-11.
>Actually, I have both versions - dual and quad.
Same here with matching memory and IO. I can do everything
11/03 to first 11/73 and most version inbetween and a fair number
of backkplanes for them including the heath H11.
I happen to like RT11FB alot.
>I do, just my own opinion - which I believe I stated at the beginning.
>The key point is that when testing software, the emulator is so
>much faster that it runs rings around the real hardware. PLUS -
It can but... Try doing a hardware hack using a DRV11 card with
a static ram hooked to it as a ram disk. You can emulate up to
a point and then it stops.
>and this is a VERY BIG PLUS - I had occasion to attempt
>to debug (or at least understand) the boot code for a stand alone
>program. Try stepping through the boot block of an RX02 on
>a real PDP-11. With the emulator and even rudimentary
I've done it, ODT. Emulators help some here, then again if the
boot block is on a real RX02 (in DD mode) or an RL02. Your
cooked again and must have real hardware.
>In fact, I very much admire someone who can rescue an 11/44
>from the scrap heap. But I do not know how and I am too busy
>in any case. And my back is no longer strong enough.
Me too. I stick to the Qbus as they are quiet, small and low
power.
However to make a point... there is nothing like seeing and hearing
Unix V7 booting on a real RL02. It's satisfying as I've preserved
hardware and demonstrated software that was "of the time" and still
useful.
Allison
Larry Walker wrote:
> I've also got a NEXT which IIRC uses RS423 prot. but has a
>similiar miniDIN. These guys really keep the cable manufacturers
>busy. Again the specs are hard to find. Is there such a thing as a
>repositry of cable connection specs ?
Ooooh ooooh! I can help! A quick cut, paste, ftp, and addition of a little
ascii art later, here, almost straight from the on-line copy of the System
Admin's manual on my NeXT running NeXTStep 3.3 are:
NeXT Computer Serial Ports
Serial ports A and B use 8-pin miniature DIN (MiniDIN-8) connectors. Both
ports on a 68040-based NeXT computer are RS-423 compatible; the ports on a
68030-based NeXT computer are RS-422 compatible (though different). The
following diagram and table describe the pin configuration of each port:
8 7 6
5 4 3
2 1 (ed. drawing makes each location look like a
socket, not a pin, as would be found on the
back side of the computer. That matches my '040 Cube.)
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DTR 5 RXD
2 DCD 6 RTS
3 TXD 7 RTXC
4 GND 8 CTS
NeXT-to-Modem Cable (MiniDIN-8 to DB-25)
The following table describes the configuration of a cable used to connect
a 68040-based NeXT computer to an asynchronous modem. This configuration
supports RTS/CTS hardware flow control.
MiniDIN-8 DB-25
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DTR 20 DTR
2 DCD 8 DCD
3 TXD 2 TXD
4 GND 7 GND
5 RXD 3 RXD
6 RTS 4 RTS
7 (Not connected)
8 CTS 5 CTS
NeXT Null-Modem Cable (MiniDIN-8 to DB-25)
The following table describes the configuration of a null-modem style cable
used to connect a terminal, printer, or other computer to a NeXT computer.
This configuration supports RTS/CTS hardware flow control.
MiniDIN-8 RS-232
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DTR 8 DCD
2 DCD 20 DTR
3 TXD 3 RXD
4 GND 7 GND
5 RXD 2 TXD
6 RTS 5 CTS
7 (Not connected)
8 CTS 4 RTS
NeXT Null-Modem Cable (MiniDIN-8 to MiniDIN-8)
The following table describes the configuration of a null-modem style cable
used to connect two 68040-based NeXT computers. This configuration supports
RTS/CTS hardware flow control.
MiniDIN-8 MiniDIN-8
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DTR 2 DCD
2 DCD 1 DTR
3 TXD 5 RXD
4 GND 4 GND
5 RXD 3 TXD
6 RTS 8 CTS
7 (Not connected)
8 CTS 6 RTS
NeXT Null-Modem Cable (DTR Flow Control)
The following table describes the configuration of a null-modem cable used
to connect a NeXT computer to a printer that only supports DTR hardware
flow control, rather than RTS/CTS hardware flow control.
MiniDIN-8 RS-232
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 DTR 8 DCD
2 DCD 5 CTS
3 TXD 3 RXD
4 GND 7 GND
5 RXD 2 TXD
6 RTS 20 DTR
7 (Not connected)
8 CTS 4 RTS
Heck of a time to ask, but NeXTs are on-topic now right? Right? I hope? The
copyright on the back of my box says (c)1989.
- Mark
FYI.
Q: Need setup disk.
A: Eureka! Try
"http://www.compaq.com/support/files/obsolete_diagnostics.html". I think
the file that you want is the one named "SP0316.zip". Unzip it and it will
create the install file for a 360K disk. The same webpage has the install
file for creating 3.5" disks also.
Joe
Wheeee! I got an OSI Challenger 4P today (does this complete my collection
of early micros with walnut sides? I now have my Sol and NorthStar Horizon
and Challenger.) Of course it would be even better if it worked or at least
I had some documentation. A shielded cable terminating in an RCA phono plug
exits the cabinet. The fan turns and apparently something is being output.
I tried a mono composite monitor with no luck, but channel 11 (?) seems to
give what could be a screen image with several inverse video blocks
scattered down the left side (we have a STRONG channel 3 here, and 4 is
garbage). Pressing "return" shows no change in the screen, nor does
pressing a momentary-contact switch (home-brewed?) above the keyboard
labeled "Break Enable."
Since I never even saw one of these in the 70's, I could use some help.
Does anyone have docs they would be willing to copy for a reasonable fee?
Any other advice cheerfully accepted.
Bob Stek
Saver of Lost Sols
Well, the Beginning of the End for PayPal, as I see it. I predicted it.
It's happening. Oh well!
Now can you see why I detest this low-life pond scum operation? -Mike
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PayPal Raises Fees, Looks For New CEO and Profits
By STACY FORSTER
October 10, 2000
PayPal.com delivered a popular solution to a vexing problem -- how to
send and receive money over the Internet. But the bigger challenge for
the two-year-old start-up will be to make money in the process.
With its sights set on profitability and an initial public offering,
PayPal's parent company, closely held X.com, is looking for a new chief
executive officer. On Sunday, Elon Musk, the founder and chief executive
of X.com (www.x.com), said he is stepping down to allow the company to
bring in a leader with more experience.
"Elon has had great start-up experience, but he's never run a major
public company," says Peter Thiel, chairman of X.com. Mr. Thiel says he
expects the company to be profitable by the end of 2001.
And in move that may be controversial, PayPal will begin charging some
consumers fees on Oct. 16 for a service that used to be free. The
company, which had depended largely on interest income on cash in its
customers' accounts, plans to charge a fee of 1.9% plus 25 cents per
transaction for anyone who receives more than $500 in credit-card
payments in a six-month period. Before, only businesses were charged the
fee.
"They're struggling to come up with the business model," says James
VanDyke, an analyst with New York e-commerce research firm Jupiter
Communications.
PayPal, which launched its service in October 1999, merged with X.com in
March. Analysts say the combined company dominates the online
person-to-person payment business, boasting nearly four million customers
and 300,000 business accounts.
Each day, PayPal completes about 130,000 transactions and moves about $6
million. PayPal says it is accepted by more than half the auctions on
eBay, compared with only 10% for its closest competitor, Billpoint
(www.billpoint.com), a joint venture between eBay Inc. and Wells Fargo &
Co.
PayPal's registered users can send payments to anyone with an e-mail
address by writing a dollar amount on a form at the company Web
site. When the e-mail is sent, the payment is charged to the sender's
bank or credit-card account. If the receivers aren't registered, they can
fill out a form attached to the e-payment to receive the money, which is
waiting in a PayPal account in the receiver's name.
PayPal has grown rapidly by encouraging users to recommend the service to
friends and families, offering a $5 reward for opening an account or
referring a new customer.
But all that has been costly. "They now need to create a strategy that
walks the tightrope between maintaining the critical mass of customers
and figuring out a way to make money," says Paul Jamieson, a financial
services analyst for e-commerce research firm Gomez Advisors in Lincoln,
Mass.
And some customers already are angry. Peter Resnik, a financial
consultant from Nokomis, Fla., who conducts about 100 auctions a month
for antique paper items on eBay, says he feels duped by advertisements
promoting PayPal as a free service. He contends those advertisements were
aimed at the auction sellers who helped PayPal develop its large customer
base.
"They led you down the path with the impression that this was a free
service and there were no strings attached," Mr. Resnik says.
PayPal first began charging fees when it introduced business accounts in
June, says X.com spokesman Vincent Sollitto. Mr. Sollitto says they
PayPal is implementing the new policy because some people were using the
personal accounts for business purposes to avoid fees.
Mr. Thiel says the new policy will affect only about 250,000 customers,
or 6%, of its customer base of four million. Users were notified about
the policy change last week in an e-mail.
X.com's competitors vary on their policies for credit-card
transactions. Ecount.com (www.ecount.com), PayMe.com (www.payme.com) and
PayPlace.com (www.payplace.com) do not charge for credit-card
transactions.
For transactions of more than $15, Billpoint charges 1.75% plus 35 cents
a transaction for business accounts and 2.5% plus 35 cents a transaction
for personal accounts. EMoneyMail (www.emoneymail.com), a payment service
offered by BankOne Corp., charges customers $1 to send money, but there
is no cost to receive funds.
Hi;
I just got a TRS-80 Model 100 Portable computer. It rattled when I picked it
up. After opening it up I see that it has a busted keyboard.
Does anyone have a spare keyboard from a parts 100? I would like to get it up
and running again.
Thanks,
Paxton
Portland, OR
Well, surprise, surprise, I'm responding. The problem with a "free"
offer is that there's always a catch. Which is, no way I can take time
off to get to Toronto for a pickup. Sigh. But it is a realizable
fantasy... Do keep me in mind should you absolutely have to trash the
box someday.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerome Fine <jhfine(a)idirect.com>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>; Geoffrey G.
Rochat <geoff(a)pkworks.com>; Tarsi <tarsi(a)binhost.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 9:13 PM
Subject: Re: Free 11/02 (Was: Another PDP-11 available: Wisconsin)
>>Geoffrey G. Rochat wrote:
>
>> If you want to lose one of those 11/2s, please get in touch!
>
>>Tarsi wrote:
>
>> I'm sure I could find room for one as well. :)
>
>Jerome Fine replies:
>
>Well, my wife is recovering from a knee replacement right now, so
>I am the current house spouse. That means no shipping, just local
>pick-up in Toronto. I you want my phone number, just ask and
>we can arrange for a time for you to come and get one.
>
>But you also have to take an empty RL02 cabinet. :)
>
>If anyone responds, I will be surprised - last time I tried to
>unload an 11/34 backplane and power supply, it took over
>a year. It was the only Unibus stuff I had and there was no way
>I could use it. But it would have been sad to see it be just tossed.
>
>Sincerely yours,
>
>Jerome Fine
One place to look for hamfest and fleamarket information is in Nuts &
Volts magazine. Another is to contact Steve Finberg, the MIT Fleamarket
Mavin. Does anyone have his e-mail address?
-----Original Message-----
From: Neil Cherry <ncherry(a)home.net>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: A LART is needed (was: VCF 4.0)
>"R. D. Davis" wrote:
>>
>> On Wed, 11 Oct 2000, Hans Franke wrote:
>> > PLEASE, give me some break - right around eVCF is a bad idea. The
time
>> > before I may be ocupied by some kind of organisation, while right
>> > after I'm occupied by Sallam :)) Serious, I'd realy love to visit
>> > VCF East, or Midwest or Whatever. In my opinion mid June may be a
>> > reasonable time frame.
>>
>> Great, just what we need on the right coast, something else to cause
>> more damage to hamfests and deplete them of the few remaining
>> "vintage" computers. ...as if e-bilk wasn't bad enough. Does anyone
>> (Tony (DRARD)?) have an appropritately suitable LART for that idiot
>> who wrote the book on computer collecting a few years ago who got all
>> these problems started?
>
>Where can I find out more about the Hamfests in my area (NJ, USA)? I
>was going to attempt to see if any serious effort was being made to
>have a Vintage computer section in the 2001 Trenton Computer Fair. They
>attempted it last year but no one except the a few Ham's with Ham
>equipment showed up (no computers).
>
>--
>Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry
ncherry(a)home.net
>http://members.home.net/ncherry (Text only)
>http://meltingpot.fortunecity.com/lightsey/52 (Graphics)
>http://linuxha.sourceforge.net/ (SourceForge)
From: Jerome Fine <jhfine(a)idirect.com>
>The real trouble is that I think you are correct for being very inclined
>to be real PDP-11 hardware oriented. But do you feel it is OK for
>me to be very inclined toward software? If your answer is YES!,
>then we both agree completely. BUT, I will still continue to agree
>that real PDP-11 hardware is great for those who are inclined that
>way!!
Short and to the point I don't consider PDP-11 to be "very hardware".
S100 and autoconstructed are "hardware" to me. On the otherhand
Nothing wrong with being software oriented. I happen to do that
with only one difference, I use native hardware.
Allison
>How do you tell the pinballs apart?
You look at the scratches *very* carefully -- it's like fingerprints :-)
Hey, we normally talk about "pins", think about all the things you
could have said about that :-)
>Well, they are older than my car
Ja, but you live in the states (I assume). Our newest Land-Rover is a
1965, my one is a '59, my wife drives a '55. My Puma is a 1974 (and,
I had to pull up my web page to get that information -- now *THAT'S*
crazy :-)
Restoring? Both Land-Rovers and pinball machines (OK?) can be rebuilt
>from the ground up. Fascinating hobby, these analog computers (And I'm
not talking about the LR, OK?)
Some people, sheesh! :-)
W
