My neatest memory regarding OS/2 is of seeing a demonstration
on 'Computer Chronicles' all the way back in 1987-88.
It was more than a decent, polished demo of multitasking and
enterprise apps. The wild thing about it was that the point
man seen on the air was Lee Reiswig himself, who I found out
later was at the executive level.
If you watched Computer Chronicles very much you knew that
unless it was a 10-50 man company the demonstrator was
always a tech or sales guy. For IBM to send a VP, and for
the Demo to have worked as well as it did really made it
stand out in the context of that show.
Lee got my respect for being more than just a title
for that. (A little like, but better, watching Alex
Trotman change oil on Michael Moore's 'TV Nation')
John A.
At 09:26 AM 5/26/00 -0400, you wrote:
>> FWIW I usually use an old disk drive. It's very handy since many
>> computers already have a power connector that will plug
>> directly onto the
>> drive and it provides a load to both the +12 and +5 volt
>> power supplies.
>>
>
>Joe,
>
>Aren't you afraid of damaging the disk drive by doing that? Just kidding...
>;-)
That's why I only use DEC drives!
Just kidding :-)
Joe
Greetings,
Are there still users on this list who've used a CT Miniframe running
CTIX and have experience installing the OS from tapes?
--
R. D. Davis
rdd(a)perqlogic.com
http://www.perqlogic.com/rdd
410-744-4900
I've got a small Pr1me buried somewhere in my garage. I'm not prositive but,
I *think* it's a 2550. It's a complete system but, it has a bad CPU. That
being the case, I'll make any of the parts available for anyone that's
looking to resurrect one.
Let me know exactly what parts you need and I'll see if I have them. I'm
really not too familiar with that hardware so, you'll have be *real*
specific about the parts you need.
I also have a bunch of Pr1me DOCs (many still in the shrink wrap) if someone
needs them. I'd like to get a token fee for the parts and of course you'd
have to pay shipping from South Florida.
Later,
Steve Robertson <steverob(a)hotoffice.com>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Douglas Quebbeman [mailto:dhquebbeman@theestopinalgroup.com]
> Sent: Friday, May 26, 2000 3:23 PM
> To: 'classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org'
> Subject: RE: Documenting how old computers were used
>
>
> I'm working on some sources for spares; but I'm not even sure
> what I'll find in the machine. The owner had a stroke around
> Christmas, and some things are returning more slowly than others.
>
> But I'll definitely be needed either a 7110 or 7210 SCSI controller
> and an LHC300 ethernet controller.
>
> So, what's a Xyplex?
>
> -doug q
>
I was going through the Unix TERMCAP on this Linux box I'm setting up and
noticed that it contains quite a few tidbits about classic computers in
there. It actually has some useful info for research. There is even a
section describing the dip switches on the Heathkit H19 terminal.
Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a six in a pile of nines...
Coming soon: VCF 4.0!
VCF East: Planning in Progress
See http://www.vintage.org for details!
> > Any other Pr1me fans hanging out here???
>
> Yep. I'm the proud keeper of a 2550 with assorted spares,
> media and boxloads of manuals. I purchased this machine
> from John, who in turn had purchased it from the original
> owner, who in turn has been helpful in bringing it back
> to life.
>
> The plan remains to make this thing available on the Net
> via the xyplex I've got sitting here, but I need to re-rack
> it first -- it's original rack was lost somewhere along the
> way and it's present rack doesn't provide adequate
> airflow :-(
Yeah, you're the guy I was thinking of when I was talking
to someone else (I asked him if he was the guy from Maine,
but he's down in Tennessee).
I'm working on some sources for spares; but I'm not even sure
what I'll find in the machine. The owner had a stroke around
Christmas, and some things are returning more slowly than others.
But I'll definitely be needed either a 7110 or 7210 SCSI controller
and an LHC300 ethernet controller.
So, what's a Xyplex?
-doug q
> Don't forget that OS/2 was written by Gordon Letwin
> AT MICROSOFT!
>
>
> You might enjoy reading "Inside OS/2" by Gordon Letwin; from Microsoft
> Press.
While I agree OS/2 is a better operating system than Windows, this
book depressed me due to Gordon's wrongheaded-belief that a GPF
should always be considered an indicator of a programming problem.
Since Intel didn't give us a pointer fault, the GPF is the only
proper way to implement dynamic linking. As they shipped, OS/2
>from version 1.0 to 1.2 never did properly implement dynamic linking;
and Windows inherits the wrong way from OS/2.
Strangely, Ed Iacobucci (who was Gordon Letwin's counterpart at IBM)
wrote an article that appeared in a magazine that described OS/2's
dynamic linking as operating the way it should.
The key difference is this: in real dynamic linking, CALL instructions
that are supposed to invoke procedures in a DLL are constructed in the
executable image such that when the processor executes the CALL, it
causes a GPF [pointer fault]; then the GPF handler looks at the faulting
instruction. If the pointer is a faulted pointer to a routine in a DLL,
then snap the link [map the DLL into memory and then modify the faulting
instruction to point to the entry point of the routine as described in
the DLL's export table], and restart the instruction. Otherwise, it's a bug
and you signal a condition which somehere generates an error message.
In this scenario, programs start up much faster because the OS is not
reading and linking every routine in the executable's import table. If
you never use feature <X> in the program, and if feature <X> resides
tottally in a separate DLL, then that DLL never gets mapped into RAM.
MUCH, MUCH better execution, more robust operation, in particular, the
machine wouldn't thrash at startup dur to all those programs in your
startup folder.
Due to Ed's article, I always assumed that there was a turf was between
IBM and Microsoft on this and other salient technical points. MS won
and was wrong.
So, having said that, you might see why I'm not a big fan of Letwin's.
Shew! Glad I got _that_ off my chest again.
respectfully submitted,
-doug quebbeman
>From the "just out of curiosity" department...
What is the punch format used for a paper tape that would be used on an
Altair or IMSAI? Is it straight binary or something like the Intel Hex
format?
The reason why I'm asking is because I'm toying with adding a virtual paper
tape punch/reader to Claus Guiloi's IMSAI emulator.
Rich
At 10:41 AM 5/26/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Don't forget that OS/2 was written by Gordon Letwin
>AT MICROSOFT!
>
>
>You might enjoy reading "Inside OS/2" by Gordon Letwin; from Microsoft
>Press.
>
I had always thought this was a really good read. I still have a couple of
copies laying around somewhere. Long ago while working a bug in HPFS I got
to work with Gordon over the phone. Sometimes I really miss the old days.
I'll have to go home and dig out my "Microsoft OS/2" coffee mug :-)
Bob
**************
I'm sending this again because my first attempt went to
classiccmp-classiccmp-org(a)jade.tseinc.com and was rejected.
If you are receiving a second copy of this,ignore it.
**************
Joe <rigdonj(a)intellistar.net> wrote:
> I found this in a pile of surplus computers yesterday. Can anyone tell
> me what it is? It looks like an ordinary external 5 1/4" drive box but on
> the back of the box it has a DB-25M connector marked "MODEM/CPU" and a
> DB-25F connector marked "TERMINAL". There's also a rotary switch labeled
> "RATE" with positions marked "10", "30", "120", "240", "480", 960" and
> "EXT". Then there's a toggle switch with positions marked "BIN CTRL ON"
> "ODD" and "EVEN". And another toggle switch with positons marked "FULL" and
> "HALF". It has a socket for a standard AC line cord. It's made by Techtran
> Industries of Rochester, N.Y. and it's a model 950A. My guess is that it's
> a disk drive that's made to go between a terminal and it's MODEM or
> computer but I've never heard of one before. If that's what it is, then
> how do you give it coomands?
Joe,
I don't think this is one of those file-system/data logger type
drives,I have one of those and it has a keypad on the front of the
drive you use to open a disk file before dumping serial data to it
and to close the file when you're done.
Instead, I think you have a CP/M computer. It sounds alot like
my PMC 101 "MicroMate".
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/ebay/micromat.jpg
The MicroMate is about the same size as and looks like a TRS-80
Model 1 disk drive. On the back it has DB-25s for "Terminal" and
"Modem". It weights only 10 pounds but when you open the case
there is a DSDD 400K floppy drive, a power supply and a board
that runs the length of the case, which is a 128K 4Mhz Z80A based
CP/M computer. If this is the "case" - you'll need a boot disk.
What is inside this box of yours?
--Doug
====================================================
Doug Coward dcoward(a)pressstart.com (work)
Sr. Software Eng. mranalog(a)home.com (home)
Press Start Inc. http://www.pressstart.com
Sunnyvale,CA
Curator
Analog Computer Museum and History Center
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/analog
====================================================
