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101090 discussions

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<OK, I know what a track and a sector is, but what is the difference <between hardsector and softsector Hardsectored uses physical landmarks like index and sector holes on the media to locate sectors. Softsector uses various data marks on the media to locate the data. It's possible to do a hard sector scheme that looks like softsector but, the difference between them in older machines is the basic format is such that most controller chips like the 372, 1771, 1791, 8271 and 765 cannot read them. Apple combined and simplified the disk controller to software and some trivial logic. Allison

28 years, 2 months

What is the first computer?

by PB14＠leicester.ac.uk

On 17 Jun 98 at 9:17, Jeff Kaneko wrote: > <SNIP> > > > I think there was an automated loom that was invented in the 17th century > > that wove a pattern based on a template, but I don't recall if this was a > > hole punch reader, a specially shaped gear, or other apparatus. It did > > exist though. Although most definitely not a computer as we see them today, > > it did take a program for input, process it, and output it in the form of > > fabric. (I think this was right before CGA was made a standard...) > > I remember seeing a picture of this machine-- it was a link-belt of > cards in a loop, with holes punched through them. They would pass by > this 'reader' thingie which would 'read' the card with a matrix of > metal rods poking through the holes. According to the dictionary I just scrounged: Jacquard (noun) Apparatus with perforated cards to facilitate weaving of figured fabrics.

28 years, 2 months

What is the first computer?

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

United Cracking wha??? What kind of lusers are they? (To take a wild guess, those who think VMS is related to PMS, UNIX is dead, Linux is a nickname, and SPARC is what you get when you try to ignite a firework?) Ciao, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Max Eskin <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, June 17, 1998 6:04 PM Subject: Re: What is the first computer? > > > > >What's a 4004, d00d? I thawt tha first chip was Pantium! >--Brought to you by the United Cracking Force >>> 6) First microchip based computer (probably based on the 4004) >> >>Shame on you! One does not need microprocessors to make a microchip >based >>machine! >> >>William Donzelli >>william(a)ans.net >> >> > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 2 months

Prodcutivity (was Re: PDP model line / rarity?)

by JRichardson＠softwright.co.uk

>> Win without Intel make either a small frisbee or a coaster for tea. it's a habit of mine everytime I receive free microsoft junk cds in the post at work to see how many chunks I can snip out of the CD before win NT has a complete fit trying to read the contents and blue-screens on me... :) >> However, I read in "Insanely Great" >> that a study had been run in the early 80's that didn't find >> computers to have improved productivity. That I can easily believe. Ok, certain tasks get done faster than they traditionally would have, but overall I don't think things are any quicker when you add up network downtime, system crashes, printing out documents before they can be reviewed, ordering more hardware to cope with the latest bloated apps etc. etc. (before you say it, yes I *know* I'm in the wrong business :) I'd love to hear anything that you come across about that study... cheers Jules (and as for the advent of email... it's terrible for time-wasting at work... ;*) >

28 years, 2 months

What is the first computer?

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

What's a 4004, d00d? I thawt tha first chip was Pantium! --Brought to you by the United Cracking Force >> 6) First microchip based computer (probably based on the 4004) > >Shame on you! One does not need microprocessors to make a microchip based >machine! > >William Donzelli >william(a)ans.net > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 2 months

CP/M

by photze＠batelco.com.bh

C'mon. Even I basically know this one. A hard sectored diskette has tiny little holes (IIRC, near the inside), so that the computer would move from one to the next in a mechanical manner (hardware), while MOST soft sectored diskettes had a single hole used for refference. From there, it would just spin around, and control the rest by software. The Apple II, however, COMPLETELY ignored this. It could use hard sectored or soft sectored diskettes, or even diskettes with no little hole at all. It was completely software driven. Ciao, Tim D. Hotze -----Original Message----- From: Max Eskin <maxeskin(a)hotmail.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, June 17, 1998 5:44 PM Subject: Re: CP/M > > > > >OK, I know what a track and a sector is, but what is the difference >between hardsector and softsector? >>Allison J Parent wrote: >> >>> <one micro w/5.25" disks be compatible with another with 5.25" disks, >>> <i.e. my apple with a C-128? Also, if a computer can run CP/M 3+ can >it >>> >>> Apple is weird with their formats, nearly hardsector. C-128 has a >few >>> compatable and incompatable formats. The rest were all over the map. >> >>Actually, Apple was the _ultimate_ soft-sector, as it didn't pay any >>attention to sector detect at all -- it had to read the whole track >>then figure out where it started. It's a major reason why database >>applications were never a big thing on Apples until hard disks showed >>up -- updating things by record was only possible by writing whole >>tracks. >>-- >>Ward Griffiths >>They say that politics makes strange bedfellows. >>Of course, the main reason they cuddle up is to screw somebody else. >> Michael Flynn, _Rogue Star_ >> > >______________________________________________________ >Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com >

28 years, 2 months

Prodcutivity (was Re: PDP model line / rarity?)

by maxeskin＠hotmail.com

Win without Intel make either a small frisbee or a coaster for tea. You can also make art out of them. However, I read in "Insanely Great" that a study had been run in the early 80's that didn't find computers to have improved productivity. Anyone know more about that? >> hey, wintel machines are great fun - at least in the sense that they're >> amusing due to the terrible hardware and software that's a complete joke >> :) >> >> Jules > >Hire the handicapped. They don't get much work done, but they're fun >to watch. > >(And Intel _without_ Win runs dynamite Linux). >(Win _without_ Intel runs -- well, not much). >-- >Ward Griffiths >They say that politics makes strange bedfellows. >Of course, the main reason they cuddle up is to screw somebody else. > Michael Flynn, _Rogue Star_ > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

28 years, 2 months

Big Iron Was:RE: Backwater areas Was: Re: Cross listing Ebay items

by jfedorko＠virtualadmin.com

I'd almost be interested in a gutted 360 if the front panel was intact! Speaking of big iron, what's the best place to look for DEC10s or 20s? Maybe even a 360/20? I think a 360/90 would be neat but the CPU and cooling would fill my garage. -----Original Message----- From: William Donzelli [SMTP:william@ans.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 1998 11:33 PM To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers Subject: Re: Backwater areas Was: Re: Cross listing Ebay items > My problem is not so much distance as it is time. I'd gladly do a week-end > trip to, say, Los Angeles (~500 miles), for most anything, if I didn't have > to spend the time a) working, b) with my dad, c) with my girlfriend or d) > sleeping (ha!). That is why I put in all of those "assumes". I know planning such a trip is almost impossible for those of us that have lives/families/jobs. I just wanted to see just how far some of us would take the hells of the Interstates. Incidently, I do not drive the Interstates much, as there are not many junkyards along them. US routes, on the other hand, have them. If anyone wants a pair of gutted S/360s, I will show them just where along Illinois 1 to find them! William Donzelli william(a)ans.net

28 years, 2 months

Old Microsoft stuff...

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<Ultrix was a layer over VMS. Nowadays there is an official DEC Unix Sorry no, I have Ultrix4.2/VAX and it's unix alright. <for the Alpha, though not as good as Linux for that platform. IMAO. I'd be surprized it that were true. DIGITAL Unix has a more mature development path. I also have VENIX on a PRO350, can't tell it from V7 in the 11/73. Allison

28 years, 2 months

Getting further and further OT RE: Couldn't be mor

by JRichardson＠softwright.co.uk

>> Couldn't you take this on some other list? I really hate to say this >> since it is one of my hobbies but this is teariblely off topic. well said - I hate to say it too, even though it's definitely not one of my hobbies and is starting to get rather annoying - this list normally seems pretty good for not having loads of off-topic stuff on it... cheers Jules (rats, now I've gone and contributed to the amount of off-topic posts on this this by sending this... :) >

28 years, 2 months

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