------------------------------
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 11:38 AM PST Tony Duell wrote:
>It has been said that now that calcualtors are everywhere, kids do not
>need to leanr how to do long multiplication and division. I am nto sure I
>accept that (given that long multiplciaton and division have applciations
>in manipulating agebraic expresions too). But I am convinced that if you
>are goign to assume that clacualtors are everywhere you should teach kids
>why said calculators do not always give the right answers and how to
>avoid such problems.
>
>-tony
When I was in hs, calculators weren't seen until or 12th grade. When it was impractical and too time consuming to work out every log, trig function, or laborious arithmetic operation. Kids have been bringing calculators to school for 2 decades probably, and I for one see that as a travesty.
I have two Model F keyboards (original PC or XT) that have gone bad due
to an intermittent connection in the DIN connector. I'm not sure how
these were originally assembled, but in the mode of failure that I have
the pins (embedded in the round black plastic that spaces them) come out
of the rubber sleeve. Pressing tightly restores connection for a little
bit, but it is not really usable that way.
Finding the DIN plug is not a problem. But I really don't want to hack
off the end of the cable with the nice molded IBM plug. These are not
museum pieces, but I'd like the repair to be unobtrusive.
Has anybody else run into this problem and attempted a fix? I'm also
open to just replacing the cord entirely, but I doubt that there is a
surplus of originals laying around anywhere.
Mike
------------------------------
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 11:04 AM PST Allison wrote:
>On 02/28/2013 11:45 AM, ben wrote:
>>
>> That "low price is best trend" I would change. For me a modern programing tool is "text editor" and 80x24 text screen on 15" display.
>> Explain to me why a cheap PC in my home can't keep up to the net (windows 7) and a credit card computer can do better for surfing.
>> Ben.
>>
>
>Simple task specialization, and task overhead limiting. That and in7 is just a bigger pig.
>
>The average PC has many tasks running and even then unless the CPU is a pig and the graphics
>unassisted doing a web browse is usually limited to only how fast all the data gets there.
>
>However for 80x24 text terminal the cpu overhead is very low and the graphics load (screen)
>lower, linux give you that if you don't run the GUI and its very fast. I know this from running
>and ARM7 based system at 300mhz and for text and compiling code for itself the limiting factor
>is actually the disk subystem (a micro SD chip).
>
>To e the raspberry-pi is a great computing resource for embedded tasks.
>
>Allison
What about security? Does Rpi employ a firewall and virus scanning? And since the pi uses sd storage, it might make more sense to compare it's internet capabilities with a tablet or smart phone.
------------------------------
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 11:59 AM PST Tony Duell wrote:
>BUT this will not coverrt scan rates. You end up with a composite signal
>with an 18kHz horizotnal scan frequency if you start with an MDA singal.
>Some monuitors can be tweked ot handle that, many cannot. Of those that
>can, they might not like it too much,m you are stressing the horizotnal
>ouptu transisotr and flyback transoformer a bit.
Are said xsistors readily replaceable with one that can handle a wider range? What ultimately happens if you push a flyback too far? Burnt winding?
>> Have you tried beeping? I think rom BASIC supports beeping or some
>
>The cassette mtoor control commands (is that MOTOR ON and MOTOR OFF?) are
>suitable too.
Bulb/s?
>When I had a floppy disk controller problem on mt PC/XT, I put the board
>on an extender, booted to ROM BASIC and used port acccess commanedst to
>fiddle eith the control registers on the FDC board. A bit of work with a
>logic probe and I found the faulty IC.
The only logic probe I ever owned, still own I think, was only good to 1mhz I think. Probably suitable for what you mentioned, but not everything on a pc obviously. Address and data is pulsed at what frequency?
The talk about the Acorn and RISC OS reminds me that I've been
interested in one of these, primarily to run RISC OS. What is the
recommended version, price, and place to get a Raspberry Pi from?
I assume I want a "2.0 Model B 512Mb"? I've found a seller on eBay
with this and they include a case for $57.
Zane
--
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator |
| healyzh at aracnet.com | OpenVMS Enthusiast |
| | Photographer |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| My flickr Photostream |
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/33848088 at N03/ |
| My Photography Website |
| http://www.zanesphotography.com |
------------------------------
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 10:18 AM PST Cindy Croxton Electronics Plus wrote:
>Why can't you just write a small batch program that references the driver
>and the necessary commands, and put it on the startup disk? If not enough
>room on a 360K, then you can use a second floppy. We used to do this for
>customers all the time, 15 years ago. Also included small start up menus,
>etc.
Drivers = extension rom code? Interesting proposition. I'll wager it's not very straitforward. Numerous graphics cards had drivers for say Autocad and whatnot. But that's entirely different from the startup code needed to set up initial register values and whatever on the cards chips.
It seems what you're saying is the pc will startup w/o video (usually returns an error, but you can use a pc w/a terminal off the rs232 port, just don't ask me the particulars). Then initialize the video card as dos is starting. Seems possible, would be interesting to see someone do it.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
>On Behalf Of madodel
>Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 11:48 AM
>To: General at proxyz14.mailnet.ptd.net; Discussion at proxyz14.mailnet.ptd.net
>:On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>Subject: Re: IBM 5150
>
>On 2/28/13 9:43 AM, TeoZ wrote:
>> The ROM say IBM 1981, this unit must be early, Serial # 0155185 (did
>> they start from #1?).
>
>I was told by David Both that he used the very first PC off the assembly
>line to write the PC Documentation. When I asked what happened to PC #1
>after he was done with it he said as far as he knew the same thing they did
>to all their internal use machines at the time. Stripped it for parts for
>warranty repairs.
>
>Mark
>
>
>> So I guess I have to find an original IBM CGA card then and all is well?
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Satterfield"
>> <christopher1400 at gmail.com>
>> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only" <cctech at classiccmp.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 3:53 AM
>> Subject: Re: IBM 5150
>>
>>
>> I believe your VGA problem has to do with the older IBM ROMs, I
>> believe you need the '82 BIOS to use a VGA card or any card with it's
>> own BIOS, and being as I have a 16-64 KB 5150 with the newer BIOS I
>> assume yours will work also, saying you have an EPROM programmer.
>>
>> --
>> C:\win
>> Bad Command Or File Name
>> C:\
>>
>>
>
>
>--
>
> From the eComStation Desktop of: Mark Dodel
>
> Warpstock 2013 - http://www.warpstock.org
> Warpstock Europe 2013 -http://www.warpstock.eu
>
>
>For a choice in the future of personal computing, Join VOICE -
>http://www.os2voice.org
>
> "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth
>of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their
>democratic State itself. That in it's essence, is Fascism - ownership
>of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private
>power." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Message proposing the Monopoly
>Investigation, 1938
>
>-----
>No virus found in this message.
>Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>Version: 2013.0.2899 / Virus Database: 2641/6136 - Release Date: 02/27/13
>
>-----
>No virus found in this message.
>Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>Version: 2013.0.2899 / Virus Database: 2641/6136 - Release Date: 02/27/13
>
Dear cctalk:
Please add the following post to your daily digest. Please let me know if
you have any questions or if there are any issues.
Very best regards,
Mike
*Wanted to purchase: Systems containing Motorola 88110 Processor or HP
PA7100LC Processor: *
? Motorola MVME197DP or MVME197SP single board computers utilizing
the original 88110 processor, or any system that utilized the Motorola
88110 processor (such as the MOTOROLA 900, 900R workstations or other
company?s workstations (e.g., Data General AViiON, Harris Real Time Unix
Servers)), originally sold in the United States on or before August 16,
1994. Proof of sale (receipt or the like) is highly preferred. Also
interested in technical documentation on any of the above that shows a
breakout of the serial number on the MVME197 (SP or DP) or on the 900 or
900R or on other systems that used the Motorola 88110 processor in order to
decipher date of manufacture, country of manufacture, etc.
? HP Systems containing the PA7100LC processor, such as the 9000
E-class business servers (Models E25, E35, E45, E55), or the HP 9000 Series
700 Models 712/60 and 712/80i, or HP 9000 Models 715/64, 715/100, 725/100
or HP 9000 Model 743 or HP 9000 model 748i, or HP 3000 Series 9X8 servers
such as HP 3000 Series 918 LX, HP 3000 Series 918 RX, HP 3000 Series 928
LX, HP 3000 Series 928 RX, HP 3000 Series 968 LX, HP 3000 Series 968 RX, HP
3000 Series 978 LX, HP 3000 Series 978 RX, originally sold in the United
States on or before August 16, 1994. Proof of sale (receipt or the like)
is highly preferred. Also interested in technical documentation on any of
the above that shows a breakout of the serial number in order to decipher
date of manufacture, country of manufacture, etc.
The next Kerrville warehouse day is March 2, starting 9AM. Those who have
come have gleaned many treasures J
Please let me know if you plan to come, and what areas you are interested
in, so I can start digging things out for you.
Bring a truck, bring a U-Haul, I need to clear some things out!
Old Sperry server, RA82 hard drive, lots of terminals and keyboards, old
memory, what are people looking for?
Old mono and color 9-pin monitors, early 15-pin monitors, daisy wheel and
dot matrix printers, etc.
Most of this old equipment does not take to UPS shipping very well.
Cindy Croxton
Electronics Plus
1613 Water Street
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830)792-3400 phone (830)792-3404 fax
AOL IM elcpls
_____
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2013.0.2899 / Virus Database: 2639/6114 - Release Date: 02/18/13
But the burning question is could you fiddle with the extension rom code and use it as a loadable device driver? After all you could transfer rom BASIC to a disk file and run it that way.
------------------------------
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 12:06 PM PST Fred Cisin wrote:
>On Thu, 28 Feb 2013, Cindy Croxton Electronics Plus wrote:
>> Why can't you just write a small batch program that references the driver
>> and the necessary commands, and put it on the startup disk? If not enough
>> room on a 360K, then you can use a second floppy. We used to do this for
>> customers all the time, 15 years ago. Also included small start up menus,
>> etc.
>
>The "driver" is a ROM. You'd have to start by writing a LOADABLE driver.
>It would be convenient to have another machine on hand while writing it,
>since the "driver" is to get the video to work.
>
>It would be MUCH MUCH easier to install a CGA or MDA card, and contact
>Cindy Croxton in Texas and buy one of her "9-pin monitors".
>
>
