test-drb August 2006

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

216 participants
517 discussions

by alexeyt＠freeshell.org

There's a mom+pop computer shop in Takoma Park, MD that likes to stick all the oldest hardware they have in their front window. The only thing they have I've never seen before is a hard disk assembly, in a clear plastic case (maybe 30cm by 50cm), 3 platers, with a warranty sticker that says IBM and 10SR. I'm curious what sort of systems these were used in. Alexey

18 years, 3 months

MDS 225 External Disk Cable (and my view of cctalk delivery)

by river＠zip.com.au

Hi, I have an Intel 225MDS with the single 8inch floppy, expansion unit and external dual 8inch floppies. I do not have the cable to attach the external drives. Does anyone have the pinouts so I can make my own cable? river PS: Oh, in regards to the comments about the delivery of cctalk information, I think it would be better to have a web site. That way you can set up various forums and threads to facilitate the searching of information and also categorise the various messages and topics. This will allow you to ignore those topics you are not interested in and focus only in your area of interest/expertise. I find the scrolling through emails to be rather archaic and doesn't make use of the modern technology/forums that are available to us. We may like our old systems, but we aren't total luddites (are we?), and there's no reason why we can't present our information in a more avdanced form. Furthermore going to a web-based system would attract more people. Sure, there will be the "wookie" factor - but this is something that has always been around, regardless of the medium. But, it will make our information more accessible and appealing to others who have similar interests, or those wishing to learn an embark on the hobby of classic computing. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/430 - Release Date: 28/08/2006

18 years, 3 months

PC ist schlect

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> I think that this just squeaks in as being on topic. Raising the noise here another 6db is a wonderful idea.

18 years, 3 months

On Topic: PDP-11/34 FP11-A board question

by pat＠computer-refuge.org

So I picked up an FP11-A this week. Looks like it might need some over-the-top connectors to hook it up to my 11/34 (whenever I get that all put together...). Anyone have any idea what I need as far as connectors/cables/etc and what exactly it hooks to in the CPU cardset/backplane? Thanks, Pat -- Purdue University ITAP/RCAC --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/ The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org

18 years, 3 months

Recommendations for operating system

by dm561＠torfree.net

Considering the amount of bandwidth wasted here on other OT topics (and often also on On-topic issues), it seems pretty picayune to waste even more on whether a P70 is OT or not. Much better to just let it go by than to add more dross to the pile, in my opinion. Interesting that discussions about (e.g.) whether hydrochloric acid is toxic don't trigger the same kind of response... Besides, if everyone felt that it was OT, they wouldn't reply; apparently many people thought it wasn't. However, it would be nice if words like f***ing were avoided. Just my contribution to the pile... mike

18 years, 3 months

Recommendations for operating system

by bob099＠centurytel.net

I think that this just squeaks in as being on topic. I am looking for suggestions for an operating system for a PC, specs 75 MHZ Pentium, 16 MB Ram, 4 GB HD, currently running PC-DOS Ver 7. Original IBM PC-DOS right out of the factory sealed box. I am thinking about putting GEM on the machine, maybe CP/M-86. Thought about GEOS, but rejected it, too closed. Specs seem too tight for Linux or BSD, or at least little advantage over DOS or CP/M. Anyone have experience with an operating system that might work, and be capable of useful work?

18 years, 3 months

"File types"

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

IRIX seems to use some variant of the "magic number" database to assign file type in Indigo Magic. The association between the file type and default application is, however, extremely involved and obscure. I like the use of FTR, though.

18 years, 3 months

This is the classiccmp list

by frustum＠pacbell.net

Sorry for contributing to the spam level, but you have to break an egg, etc. I promise that if anybody replies, I won't reply to the classiccmp list. There are hundreds of people on this list; most post infrequently, if at all. It seems that 5% of the list have a hair trigger that demands that they respond to every message. That would be fine, but it seems like at least 50% of such messages are WAY OFF TOPIC. Yes, I'm shouting, and yes I'm making up numbers. All of these hundreds of people are very smart and know many things. Most of the sense to exercise some self control and not jump in at every opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, or worse, their unsupported opinions. The ONLY thing that gives cctalk value is that it has a charter. There are untold avenues on the internet if you want to have free ranging discourse. Before you hit send on your next message to cctalk, ask yourself these intertwined questions: (1) Why am I not sending this as a private reply? Is it just your ego wanting to be seen as a smart person that needs a large audience? If John Public says cheese tastes bad, send John Public a private message if you want to tell him he is wrong; the rest of us don't need to know about it. (2) What new information is this message offering? Is it worth the time of 600 people (or whatever) even if all they need to do his scan the subject line and hit delete? This isn't IRC, so hopefully posts will be more thoughtful than that. (3) Is this message still about classic computers? Yes, the guy you are responding to might have thought it was OK, but that doesn't mean it was. Fight the drift. If you must reply, see #1. (4) If you still can't help yourself, do the next best thing, a practice that has seems to have disappeared. Reply with your marginal response, then add some on-topic tidbit to at least give a little nourishment to the list. "Obligatory classiccmp content: blah blah" for example. (5) Even if you ignore #1-#4, recognize subject drift and change the subject line. The "scanning formats" thread, which started on-topic, is now an umbrella for six different (mostly off-topic) threads. Yup, some of those off-topic threads had interesting content, but this is not the forum for it. If you want to argue it, then imagine if everyone who was into photography wanted to talk about interesting techniques, or everyone interested in politics wanted to talk about interesting power plays and developments, etc, etc.

18 years, 3 months

definitive ruling needed on OT

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

I've seen it used to seemingly mean both OnTopic and OffTopic. Which is it? What is the abbreviation of the other term?

18 years, 3 months

Recommendations for operating system

by bob099＠centurytel.net

My little question generated a lot more heat than I expected. I will be going with my original ideal of using DOS with GEM as the GUI. Too many acronyms there? A lot of software avaliable for DOS and GEM provides a "different" shell. OS/2 sounds interesting, I have Warp 3 in a box somewhere, with many disc to install with, want to bet that the last one or two would be bad? I am already running Linux, Win XP, and WIN 2000 on other machines, home and work. Maybe I should have asked about a Laser 128 (Apple II clone) or maybe a DecMate III?

18 years, 3 months

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test-drb August 2006