test-drb April 2000

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

159 participants
427 discussions

by wilson＠dbit.dbit.com

Did anyone else see this? Last night's episode of Just Shoot Me on NBC had a scene (watching surveillance tapes with a security guard) with what looked to me like a 780ish VAX in the background. Not like I would know, I don't get to see a lot of VAXes, but it was huge and featureless with a blue stripe across the top of the cabs. And what looked like some kind of top-loader on the left-hand side. Could be wrong, but I got a nice warm feeling anyway. I would expect to see this kind of thing showing up when the script says "cramped room with electronic equipment in background" ten years ago, but now? John Wilson D Bit

24 years, 8 months

What to use as a substitute for the NCR5380??

by edick＠idcomm.com

Do any of you guys know of a code-compatible substitute for the NCR 5380 that's available currently? Dick

24 years, 8 months

AOL Disks Collectable - why not?

by SUPRDAVE＠aol.com

In a message dated 4/27/00 10:22:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time, kstumpf(a)unusual.on.ca writes: > Why not collect AOL memorabilia? The definition of a collectible (ideally) > is something that wasn't made to be collected, but through circumstance > began to appeal to people and people started collecting them. > > One man's treasure is another man's trash. You must admit those little > diskette packages were distinctive, ingenious packaging, and there were > many, many versions. These are good grounds for becoming a collectible. > > While they are not my cup'o tea, I hope those that can perhaps only collect > them, instead of systems, have fun. hmmm, i still have the apple version and pc version 1.5 still in their packages... hey, i betcha my aol version 2.5 beta tester coffee cup would bring in thousands of dollars! DB Young ICQ: 29427634 view the computers of yesteryear at http://members.aol.com/suprdave/classiccmp/museum.htm --You can lead a whore to Vassar, but you can't make her think--

24 years, 8 months

IBM 8" Disks - What are they?

by peter＠joules0.demon.co.uk

Amongst the things which I saved from the skip I have 4 IBM 8" floppies, the labels say: MAP ENTRY DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** P/N=4410338 E.C.=571989 DIAGN.DISK. 1 -------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS, 0D0-FFB-FFF-FD6-143-FC0,DD6,D44, FC2,DD9,C17-FA0,FA6,FA7 -------------------------------------------------------- STAND ALONE DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** P/N=4247991 E.C.=571931 DIAGN.DISK. 2 -------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS, LDR-FC0,LD5-FA0,E0A -------------------------------------------------------- 3340 MICRO DIAGNOSTIC DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** P/N=4247992 E.C.=571989 DIAGN.DISK. 3 -------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS, C16-FA1-FA2-FA3-FA4-FA5 -------------------------------------------------------- 3340 DIAGNOSTIC DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** P/N=4247993 E.C.=571931 DIAGN.DISK. 4 -------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS, C11,C12,C14,C15,C17-FA0,C18,C19, C1A,C1B,C1F -------------------------------------------------------- Can anyone tell me what these are and what they were for? I realise that they were for diagnostics of some sort and assume that the **M.T.=5412** is probably a machine type, but I am not familiar with IBM's designation numbers. At the bottom of the label is what I assume is a date in the format 77/01/05 - if my assumption is correct then these must be 30 years old. -- Regards Pete

24 years, 8 months

PKZips Phil Katz dead

by Glenatacme＠aol.com

<< > he wrote PKZIP, and within a year ARC was no longer the defacto standard for > BBS's. I believe the company that wrote ARC is now extinct. Serves them right. >> Hmm . . . I'm not sure I understand this point of view. Katz _stole_ the algorithm from ARC -- why shouldn't they sue? I was using ARC and PKZIP extensively back in '88-'89 and IIRC Katz reverse-engineered the ARC code in order to make his product work. If this happened to me I would lose my sense of humor very quickly . . . Glen 0/0

24 years, 8 months

IBM 8" Disks - What are they?

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>3340 MICRO DIAGNOSTIC DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** > >3340 DIAGNOSTIC DISKETTE **M.T.=5412** > >Can anyone tell me what these are and what they were for? I don't know about the others, but the IBM 3340 was the *original* Winchester drive. (Not "a" Winchester, but *The* Winchester.) >At the bottom of the label is what I assume is a date in the format >77/01/05 - if my assumption is correct then these must be 30 years old. The 3340 was rolled out in 1973, but they certainly were still in service in 1977, so that's consistent. I'm sure the floppies are still readable; I've read many 8" IBM 3740 floppies form the early 70's without a problem. -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

24 years, 8 months

Of course... a few more VMS questions... ;-)

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>$ unzip :== $$2$dka500:[bin]unzip.exe >$ xfig == "@$2$DKA500:[BIN.XFIG32]XFIG.COM" >$ mxrn :== $$2$dka500:[bin]mxrn Actually, you might want to do a HELP DEFINE and learn how to set up logicals. Hard-coded device names scattered throughout a bunch of command files are a pain in the rear when you later move stuff between disks or consolidate disks. Wouldn't you rather say DISK$BIN: than $$2$dka500: ? On a small system the advantage may not be so obvious, but when you've got a medium-sized VMScluster (a couple dozen CPU's, a few hundred disks), especially with a mix of Alpha and VAX CPU's, it really pays off. -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

24 years, 8 months

Gene Sequencer at rummage shop in Seattle.

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>The most truly amazing surplus story I've ever heard was that of a fellow that >acquired a surplus Plutonium processing plant from INEL, up in Idaho. The >government managed to stop him from shipping it to India, but it was a close >thing. A close second was when the Air Force was auctioning off their never-used Vandenberg space shuttle launch pad and auxilluary equipment. Sure, it doesn't do you any good until you've got a shuttle to launch, but who here wouldn't want to say "We already got one" to this? -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

24 years, 8 months

Gene Sequencer at rummage shop in Seattle.

by Innfogra＠aol.com

One of my favorite surplus stories is when Intel sold us a new in the carton Cryogenic compressor as part of a large lot. It turns out it was a spare for the process line. Within a couple of weeks of us taking possession the main compressor failed. We sold it back for more than the price of the lot. We didn't soak them, we wanted more of their surplus. Someone in Seattle should go look at the "gene sequencer" and see what the Teletype is hooked up to. It could be a nice collectable. Paxton

24 years, 8 months

Opening CP/M files (.asm/.bas)

by allisonp＠world.std.com

>Cp/M was a cross-platform operating system with several layers to provide >support for any platform for which the base functions of CP/M were >compiled. In other words, if your machine boots cp/m then you can run the >vast majority of CP/M programs. Some you won't. A good example of a >situation in which a program cannot run is if it takes advantage of >non-standard system calls to access the video subsystem. There are quite >a few of these programs but most are commercial such as CPT system >accounting, spreadsheet and word processing. The CPT had a very custom >full-page physical display. Well thats only true if unique BIOS calls or direct IO was done. If you used the standard BDOS calls then compatability was assured save for sillyness like terminal control sequences. The worst offenders for this were the modem programs as they needed speed and CPM could but often didn't have interrupt driven IO or IOBYTE implemented. >Probably the most important setting in CP/M is your terminal settings. >CP/M software will run on anything but does have to be informed as to what >termninal type (ie ADM3a, Soroc, Televideo, Etcetera) in order to operate >correctly. -- Often taken care of in the install program.

24 years, 8 months

← Newer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
...
43
Older →

Jump to page:

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb April 2000