test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by barythrin＠gmail.com

That is incredibly awesome. ?Since childhood I've always wanted to either be a computer processor or see data flow. ?Closest i came was a visual memory editor i wrote using circles and vga (0-255) to represent the bytes. ?At least i could watch the computer keep track of time and found the keyboard buffer in dos.? Back on topic, what a great and educational creation by Eric. <div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> </div><div>Date:05/27/2016 10:15 PM (GMT-06:00) </div><div>To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> </div><div>Subject: Monster 6502 </div><div> </div>Here is a video of it running at Maker Faire http://makezine.com/2016/05/27/this-functioning-monster-6502-is-a-larger-th…

10 years

Re: Windows use in medical spaces (Re: vintage computers in active use)

by alexmcwhirter＠triadic.us

Where Windows generally fails in my experience is in the idot proofing / automation mechanisms. I can really only comment on Windows 7 as it's what we use in production on our client boxes. Granted this is a different environment where all machines have access to the internet and thus Windows updates / aplication updates. Group Policy is something I struggle with regularly. Automatically feeding Group Policy updates to clients is not always straightforward, especially when you need to push application updates to fix important security or functionality bugs. Yes, you can gpupdate /force, but that's only seems to work about 50% of the time and requires user intervention on an admin account. I've seen issues with the Print Spooler randomly crashing from a partially install printer through group policy. Some kind of event happens similar to a power outage at some point and the printer only partially installed. According to Windows and the group policy management utilities the printers were successfully installed, but all of the driver utilities didn't quite make it causing the Spooler to freak out. When something like this happens event log is almost useless because it just tells you the prinint spooler crashed from an uknown error. Windows update seems to regularly stop working when a malformed update package is downloaded. You would think it could just checksum it and delete the package rather than failing to install it a few hundred times before a user complains that their workstation won't stop installing upates. I even had a case where a failed update created new registry keys every time it tried to install and after a few months of not being able to do so the machine slowed to be unusable.? Roaming profiles is an absolute mess, and folder redirection Works decently as long as you disable offline files on all of the clients. Otherwise windows will just randomly decide that it can't connect to the server and only show the users their offline files. ?Windows deployment services on the other hand Works absolutely great and is perfect to put fresh installs on the machines that died from various other issues with windows and / or malware. This is starting to somewhat turn into a rant, and in all honesty for most things Windows does a pretty good job. Pretty much all the issues I outlined would only affect people using Windows as a workstation OS. Embedded applications generally don't have updates or network connectivity, and thus are probably fine. That being said my *nix machines have never given me an issue that wasn't easily fixed since they were put in place. I almost forget about them sometimes. Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device -------- Original message -------- From: Rod Smallwood <rodsmallwood52 at btinternet.com> Date: 5/27/2016 5:37 PM (GMT-05:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Windows use in medical spaces (Re: vintage computers in active use) On 27/05/2016 22:04, Ali wrote: >?? >> It makes me wonder how many patients have had to wait on care or didn't >> get proper care because of an IT screwup related to Windows. I have to >> say just _seeing_ Windows on machines in the ER made me livid. I found >> it breathtaking they were that caviler about getting people checked in, >> keeping records straight, etc... I guess I shouldn't have visited the >> sausage factory, so to speak... >> >> Then again, folks in hospitals probably should be more concerned with >> patients than with their IT tools. Ugh. Still. Windows? I'd have felt >> better about paper forms. At least they don't blue screen. > > I would say very few. You have to remember critical systems are not running > a general windows system i.e. people are not surfing the web on them and > installing the latest games recommended by friends from facebook. Windows on > its own is very stable. I.E. if you take a clean install of windows SW on > recommended HW and just use the built in apps and never go on the internet > it will run without any issues. Medical HW makers are basically using > recommended HW, building one application on top of the OS, and test the hell > out of it. Since they limit the HW, SW, and modality of use it runs stable. > > Almost all (maybe 80%) of your medical HW is probably running some flavor of > windows. > > Pyxis/Omnicell: Windows CE > Sonosite: Windows 2K or XP > EMRs: Windows XP or 7 (usually virtualized through Citrix). > > Heck DOS is still around too! > > The more specialized equipment (fluoro machines, MRI/CT, etc.) usually have > their own OS although I am seeing C-Arms w/ windows back bones now a days as > well. As the focus is going toward cost saving more and more generalized > HW/SW is being used. After all why re-invent everything for each device when > you can use windows to run the HW, network, input, etc. and just have the > medical device (e.g. ultrasound probe) act like a peripheral with its own > drivers. > > Where windows causes an issue for the hospital is in the general business > areas (HR, accounting, administration, etc.). > > -Ali > Please can we have some specific instances of? Windows causing problems. Not unqualified people at home or students but real production environments with qualified support on hand. I used every version of windows from 1 to 10.? yes XP and millennium too I wrote time and mission critical food distribution related software for the ten years before I retired in vb and then vb.net (oo)? I would have seen just about every possible bug in windows and in developing applications under it. Lets hear what others experienced. Rod

10 years

ISO "VME/10 Microcomputer System Equipment Manual"

by aek＠bitsavers.org

Moto part number M68KVSEM/D1 I have most of the manuals, but not the hardware manual.

10 years

Need Rec: Book to teach about computers and BASIC at an eight year old level

by iamcamiel＠gmail.com

I learned BASIC around that age. I used the Usborne book, which has been made available as a PDF file by the publisher: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxv0SsvibDMTUXdYTnRaTy1LLVE/view Op 27 mei 2016 8:12 p.m. schreef "Electronics Plus" <sales at elecplus.com>: http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Handbook-Encyclopedia-Computer-Language/dp/09327 60333/ for the basics of BASIC http://www.amazon.com/BASIC-Computer-Games-Microcomputer-David/dp/0894800523 / for games he can program in BASIC >from there go to http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Adventure-Games-Your-Computer/dp/0345318838/ and http://www.amazon.com/More-Basic-Computer-Games-David/dp/0894801376/ One designed for elementary school kids that does not use BASIC is https://www.amazon.com/Coding-Kids-Dummies-Camille-McCue-ebook/dp/B00MFPZASK which works on a Mac or PC. There is nothing like making your first program work to make a youngster feel like a god! Cindy -----Original Message----- From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Ali Sent: Friday, May 27, 2016 12:29 PM To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts' Subject: Need Rec: Book to teach about computers and BASIC at an eight year old level So somewhat OT - I've setup an 8 year old w/ an IBM PC XT w/ CGA. To say he is less than impressed is understating things :). However, I am determined that he will learn basic computer terminology, architecture, history (i.e. how we got here) and at least get his feet wet with programming by learning BASIC this summer. Apparently teaching is not my strong suite - while I can talk about a larger number of the above topics, especially at his level, organizing them in a way to make sense is the problem. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good book that gets the basic stuff out of the way (what is the CPU, memory, storage, etc. what are different the parts called, etc.) and maybe another one that teaches an intro to BASIC written for a very young reader? It would be nice if the book is in the PD or at least available as a PDF that way he can read it on his Kindle. However, I am not averse to buying a physical new (or used book) either. Thanks. -Ali

10 years

HP Draftmaster II 7596A: EPROM dumps needed, urgent :-(

by martin＠shackspace.de

Hello, the EPROMs are labeled 07595-18045 and 07595-18046. Can anyone do a dump for me? It's really urgent. Our local hackerspace wants to get rid of it, if there is no chance to get the Firmware again. greetings, Martin

10 years

vintage computers in active use

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Ethan O'Toole > Might not be a bad idea to make a wiki page somewhere and ... source > generic replacements. This way vendor/part# of modern replacements can > be had for old belt drive floppys and computer tape drives? > I think the audio cassette deck enthusiasts do something like this Excellent idea. The data can be put on the Computer History wiki; I've been putting a lot of PDP-11 info up there. Let me know if you have data to post, and can't get access. > From: Paul Koning > It clearly is not all that accurate. In a discussion of "old" systems, > it mentions a system with "reported age 52 years" but it "runs on > windows server 2008 and is programmed in Java". ... A number of other > examples are similar. For example, a "56 year old" IRS system that > actually runs on an IBM z series machine from 2010. Perhaps this is just sloppy writing, and they really 'the application is 52 years old, but it has been translated into Java'? And the latter one could easily be System/360 code from 56 years ago, running on a z series. Noel

10 years

Omen Technologies

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

I don't know if anyone else has been working this, but at least I have been following up occasionally with the Omen Technologies owner. Current status (as of yesterday), she is selling the domain name and looking for "big bucks", which I suspect "omen.com" will probably fetch. She wants that done first, to make sure that the domain passes hands completely unencumbered with regards to any other Omen Tech stuff (IP, licenses, etc.). Once that happens, then she'll look to work on the machine holding the docs/software that were public facing (it also houses personal/private info that needs to remain so). That machine has hardware issues and many passwords are not known. However, it won't be touched until the domain sells. After that. work will begin. Just thought some folks might want to know status.. Best, J

10 years

WTB VAX 8650, 8600, or 6340

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

I always get emails from people wanting to know where to get rid of old vintage computers. I don't think I've ever gotten an email from someone wanting to buy one. But. Just got an email from someone that wants to buy a VAX 8650, 8600, or 6340. Given that the email address is from "Northrop Grumman" I'm guessing it could be a commercial purchase. If someone has a good condition working VAX that is one of those three models and wants to part with it, email me off-list and I'll pass along the contact info and you can work a deal with them. Best, J

10 years

Need Rec: Book to teach about computers and BASIC at an eight year old level

by ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk

> Of course, rather than expose him to 8088 assembler, I?d recommend > you run right out and grab a used TRS-80 Color Computer - cheap, > and 6809 assembly is very very nice - no segment registers. > The downside of *that* is that if he ever decides to use the ?Sign Extend? > instruction, you?ll have to have a talk with him about the birds, the bees, > and where little subroutines come from :-). I suspect you'll need some 'support' when you come to unconditional relative branches too :-) -tony

10 years

Seeking Sanyo CRT-70 RGB monitor in the US

by witchy＠binarydinosaurs.co.uk

Folks, I've been contacted by someone wanting to recreate these monitors and is wanting to buy mine but I can't sell it since it's the only one I've got and apropos of nothing shipping a glass tube across the pond without expensive packing/dismantling isn't really an option. He claims mine is the only one he's seen in 5 years of searching, are they really that rare? This is mine, matching its MBC-555 PC nicely: http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Sanyo_MBC555.jpg Speaking to him tonight he really only wants to borrow one for taking a casting of the front bezel so has anyone over there got one to lend/rent to him? I think he's in CA but will check if necessary. Cheers! -- Adrian/Witchy Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home computer collection?

10 years

Jump to page:

2026

2025

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