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101090 discussions

by jbmcb1＠gmail.com

So, has anyone tried using a modem over VoIP? We just signed up through our cable company, and have unlimited long distance dialing, so I could theoretically dial up anywhere in the CONUS for free. I'm concerned that the VoIP box uses some sort of adaptive noise-sensing compression what would kill a modem connection. Has anyone given it a try?

19 years, 10 months

End of PeeCees?

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: End of PeeCees? > From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh at aracnet.com> > Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 16:58:01 -0700 (PDT) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >> On today's BBC "Analysis", there's a little segment on the issue of >> personal computers being obsolete because of the rise of The Internet. >> Supposedly, we're going to be using our televisions or mobile phones in >> place of them. The whole segment hinges on the statement of MS that the >> desktop PC is dead and that the future is The Internet and we'd all better >> get used to it. > >This whole "the Internet is the Platform" is rather amusing when you think >about it. It's basically Mainframe thinking. It's also about taking >control of peoples data away from them, and transferring ownership of that >data to the corporations. > >Granted you have plenty of people that use computers to play games, surf, >do email, and *maybe* a little light word processing or spreadsheet usage. >They could care less about thier data or thier privicy. > >OTOH, you have those of us that are writing software, articles, and books, >or creating music and video. You also have people with either very slow, or >no internet access. Plus there are the people that just value their >privacy. > >While the first group might sucker into this "Internet is the Platform", how >many of the second group will? > >For certain types of users, it might make sense, but one size does not fit >all. Take for example the computers available right now that are targeted >at home use. You have handhelds, mini-laptops, laptops, giant-laptops, >desktops, mini-systems, and power-user setups, video game consoles and >set-top boxes. Each of these is a computer, each has its own "niche". >While some can be replaced by others, others can't. For example very few >laptops come even close to being able to take the place of a "power-user >setup", yet a mini-system, video game console, and set-top box are largely >the same system and could largely be replaced by the "Internet is the >Platform" idea. > >Am I making sense, or just rambling, who knows. All I know is that I'm not >the least bit interested in the "Internet is the Platform", and I'm beating >that there are a lot of other people that feel that way. At the same time I >fear the corporations and governments might just force this down our >throats. > > Zane Didn't the promoter named Barnum that suggested that betting on peoples stupidity was a a safe bet. For a lot of "stuff" to me the net is a platfom and free storage. For other things it's a minefield of security issues. I still remember when Geocities got picked up and every ones "content" was deemed the new owners property. Besides even with DSL I don't care If I had 200gb out there free and secure as it's too SLOW compared to the local disks on my p166. Allison

19 years, 10 months

ComputerVision CADDStation tapes now available (sorta)

by aek＠bitsavers.org

Interesting note, a lot of these tapes have hundreds of 0-length files on them; these seem to be placed between files with actual data in them. I have no idea if this was a standard practice (maybe ComputerVision hadn't heard of "tar" :)). -- What you are seeing are file marks, which will return a zero length file if you just 'dd' them. I haven't looked at CV tapes in a LONG time, but from memory they are modified SunOS 3 - 4 distributions. What you should find is a table of contents at the front, some stand-alone utils, a dump file of the system, and lots of tarballs for the optional parts of the system.

19 years, 10 months

TMS3409

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

I have eight little DIPs, all in a row, and am wondering what used these originally. They are Texas Instruments TMS3409 (AKA Intersil IM7780) static shift registers. Anyone know? Perhaps an old terminal once used these? Anyone need them? -- Will

19 years, 10 months

Newton

by joachim.thiemann＠gmail.com

> > From: der Mouse <mouse at Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA> > Subject: Re: Newton > > Apologies for this, but what sort of politically correct homogenised > > saccharined Americanised word is 'repurposed'? > > I don't see it as any of those. What would you suggest instead? (In > case the meaning really isn't clear to you, to repurpose something is > to use it for a different purpose - different from *what* is generally > indicated by context (most commonly, different from what it is > currently being used for, or from what it was designed for).) > > If you know of a better word for the meaning, I'd love to hear. > > Ah! my favorite german word! "Zweckentfremdung"! Joe.

19 years, 10 months

ComputerVision CADDStation tapes now available (sorta)

by derschjo＠msu.edu

Thanks to suggestions from this list I've gotten most of the CADDStation tapes archived into a hopefully more permanent medium. In the event that there's someone out there who needs it, I've made the archived data available on my website at: http://yahozna.dhs.org/computers/software/CADDStation Hopefully, whoever holds the rights to this software (if anyone) won't care too much that some 20-year-old software's available for free on the internet :). These are archived into separate files, one per tape file. I used a variation of Scott Quinn's sh script to do the archiving. (The other suggested utilities, copytape and tapeutils would only copy a single file and then quit, thinking that EOT had been reached.) Use "dd" to put the files back onto the tape of your choice, in order. I have only verified that a couple of these tapes actually work on the physical machine (I've done my best to verify the copied bits), so there are no guarantees that everything works. But the 4.2bsd tape boots when I copy it back to a fresh tape, so I'm hoping that all the rest bits made it over OK... I'm in the process of attempting to install the rest. Interesting note, a lot of these tapes have hundreds of 0-length files on them; these seem to be placed between files with actual data in them. I have no idea if this was a standard practice (maybe ComputerVision hadn't heard of "tar" :)). Of the 50 or so tapes I've got, a dozen or so had read errors which halted the copying; some of these are on the site and are marked as "incomplete". I'm going to need to write or find a utility that'll skip bad spots on the tape (dd dies on my machine even if I specify "conv=noerror") to archive what's left of these bad tapes. Additionally, I'm missing a few tapes here and there, if anyone has copies of the following (or copies of tapes marked incomplete in the archive), I'd be interested in obtaining a copy: - CADDS Object Tape, v. 6.0MA, tape 1 of 2 - Platform Applications v. 4.03 and 5.00, tape 1 of 2 Thanks again, Josh

19 years, 10 months

End of PeeCees?

by cclist＠sydex.com

On today's BBC "Analysis", there's a little segment on the issue of personal computers being obsolete because of the rise of The Internet. Supposedly, we're going to be using our televisions or mobile phones in place of them. The whole segment hinges on the statement of MS that the desktop PC is dead and that the future is The Internet and we'd all better get used to it. Now, I don't think I"m a Luddite, but there's precious little to see on television that I care to waste my time on (the dogs seem to appreciate the noise, so I leave it on for them when I'm going to be out of the house for an extended period). And I can't for the life of me read the screen on my mobile and have to operate it in "blind" mode. Old eyes, but then, there are a LOT of us. There's nothing worse than someone shoving their camera phone in front one's face saying "look at this" and seeing nothing but a tiny multicolored blur. So, for someone who doesn't watch television and can't see the screen on a mobile, is there any better platform than a desktop PC? I don't know if this is off-topic because MS's announcement is supposedly of Momentous Import and reflects a change in the way we do things. Cheers, Chuck

19 years, 10 months

Available: Procom CDT14-T8X-ETP

by miller.blair＠gmail.com

> If need be, I also might be willing to drop it off... I guess you're not headed this way any time soon, eh? :-) Nay. Sorry man -- just a tad too far out-of-the-way. :)

19 years, 10 months

Mac 840AV networking

by THX1138＠dakotacom.net

OK, the 840AV has one of those mini-centronics-style connectors on the rear for the network transceiver. I have some "Asante FriendlyNet Thin Adapter"s that will mate with this and work -- for a 10Base2 network! The Asante box has an RJ45 on the rear. The cable that mates to the network connector on the 840AV has that funky mini-centronics on one end and an RJ45 *plug* on the other. This choice of connectors -- and the "Thin Adapter" moniker -- suggests that I could plug the RJ45 *plug* end of this cable into a hub directly? Is this true? Or, just wishful thinking (and an unfortunate choice in connectors on Asantes part)?

19 years, 10 months

Mac 840AV networking

by pete＠dunnington.plus.com

On Aug 7 2006, 17:10, Don wrote: > The Asante box has an RJ45 on the rear. The cable that > mates to the network connector on the 840AV has that > funky mini-centronics on one end and an RJ45 *plug* > on the other. > > This choice of connectors -- and the "Thin Adapter" > moniker -- suggests that I could plug the RJ45 *plug* > end of this cable into a hub directly? I have a few of those. No, sorry, the RJ45 isn't a 10baseT connection. It's more like an AUI connection, but with a different connector. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

19 years, 10 months

VAXen RULE! (Was: Microkernels)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> The best processor is going to be different based on the person >you are talking to. Everyone has their own idea as to what >features are important, and fond old memories of working on >an ancient (wasn't then) OS tend to sway their decision. That was implied, but I'll reiterate: What platform (includes implementation) do you think was really neat and why. P.S. The VAX had problems quote was mostly to illustrate that all computers can be dissed. Somebody asked why: mostly implementation. The original VAX was very instruction-heavy, but DEC did it right and started offloading to "heavy microcode" (read emulator). However, some VAXen designed in 1992 were still using Q-bus for main expansion. 'Nuff said. Implementation. There are other little bits like this.

19 years, 10 months

Troubleshooting SPARCstation LX

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>Yes...but there's an easier way. > >Leave input-device set to keyboard and output-device set to screen, and >simply unplug the keyboard. When it can't find the keyboard, it >switches over to ttya for input and output on its own. The point I was pontificating and pondering as a possibility presumes, perhaps, prior persons preselecting port 1 or 2 for the console, and since the OBP was directing output there, you wouldn't get output on the screen, which was the initial problem in the post,

19 years, 10 months

How CPU's work (was Re: Hi, I'm new...)

by c.murray.mccullough＠gmail.com

Patrick Finnegan writing on Chuck Guzis' commentary: { I like that analogy... and in order to add on the rooms, they had to get rid "of some of the more "interesting" parts of the original, like the "POP CS" instruction.} {Some are a horrible nightmare: the intel chip for example, and to a far far lesser degree, MIPS.} I quite agree that the 'shack' expanded into the current 8086 conglomeration but we must consider its success. It's practically the 'only' thing left for the masses to experiment with. Those of us still in pre-PC era(well, trying to stay there - getting harder and harder these days!), and I do enjoy fiddling-around with my Coleco ADAM and coding the Z-80, can only wonder and ponder, what-if... Keep on computing! Murray :)

19 years, 10 months

End of PeeCees? (HIJACKED TO "QIC-150 tape questions")

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> Didn't you get the memo? > >"The Network is the Computer" AHA! Back on topic. They sold you both, and it worked, and it was pretty open-standard. Another Sun-(kina-sorta-related) question - have a Sun labeled Archive 150MB QIC, and I was trying to read some of the CV tapes that Josh had, but I was having big problems with errors and the tape going slack. I've been trying to figure out what's up, as his QIC24 60-meg is reading them just fine. Any ideas? (the roller is in good health)

19 years, 10 months

IDE doesn't suck

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>MacOS's poorly named OS9, which I tend to refer to MacOS9 so there's less >confusion. Just be Olde Schoole and say "Mac System 9" Less to trip the toungue with. Same with VMS.

19 years, 10 months

Anyone want an MDX-SIO2 STD-Z80 bus UART technical manual ?

by Jason.Armistead＠otis.com

Hi During a clean-up, I came across one copy of a Mizar Digital Systems / Hamilton Standard Digital Systems (aka Mostek) MDX-SIO2 board for the STD-Z80 bus. If anyone wants it, sing out or I'll be throwing it out. Cheers Jason

19 years, 10 months

Scouting Mission

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>The terminal style IRIS must have been more or less same height and >same depth, but it isn't as wide as I think it has less space for >boards. I have never seen the rack, but I have also seen it mentioned >in the Old IRIS FAQ. No, about the same depth but it didn't have the drive bays in the top so it was noticeably shorter. It could go on the desk (terminal system, not rack).

19 years, 10 months

IRISes (WAS Re: Scouting mission)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> I've already aquired a couple of Personal IRISes, an Indy and an Indigo2, so >I'm all set on the playing-around-with-IRIX front :) Aahh yes - but IRIS x000 don't run IRIX, they run GL2-W with the MEX windowing system. Verry different, verry interestink... Might I suggest 4D1-3.3.2 (IRIX 3.3.2) on a PI - 4D1-3.x had a NeWS based windowing-system, among the few NeWS systems released standard (I'm not even sure which SunOS Sun's NeWS came with - SunOS 3 was SunView, SunOS 4 was OpenWindows (NeWS+X11, but not strictly NeWS). IRIX 5.3 should go on one machine (5.3+XFS should you be lucky enough to find it). This will allow you to run COFF binaries. The other one (R4k) should run an IRIX 6.x release. The 3000 with GL2-W3.6 would fit in quite nicely...

19 years, 10 months

Help in SoCal with an Apple I or IBM PC?

by classiccmp＠vintage-computer.com

>From my inbox: --- I'm writing from Weekend America, a nationally syndicated public radio program based in Los Angeles. http://weekendamerica.org We're looking into a story about the 25th anniversary of the IBM PC as well as the 30th anniversary of the Apple I. We'd like to get in contact with someone in the Southern California area who actually owns a 1981 IBM PC or a 1976 Apple I. We'd appreciate any help you can offer. Thank you. Connie Wong Production Intern Weekend America (213) 621-3547 cwongNOSPAM at NOSPAMmarketplace.org --- If anyone does end up helping Connie out please let me know how it went! :) Erik Klein www.vintage-computer.com www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum The Vintage Computer Forums

19 years, 10 months

Macs and PCs vs workstations

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

I'll give you Suns, I wasn't thinking clearly. They started going downhill about 1998. HP-9000s are very good, also, but some of the bus architectures are starting to show their age. real IBM stuff is always nice, their big iron concepts seem to percolate down to the midrange RS6ks, and it shows. I managed to crash my Indigo2 once - don't try doing a bunch of things on the machine while patching the software. Nuff said. O2s low end. Should have been dropped in '99. Can't tell you how Octane would work with many disks on both controllers, since the onboard SCSI and network interface (as well as other OBIO) share the same PCI bus behind the XIO Bridge. On the Macs: PIDE is horrible for doing more than one thing at once. Period. NCQ SATA is much better, but still not up to the same level as SCSI or derivitives (FC et al). Reliability suffers, too. G5 is a good design, the 970FX is a good processor and the system layout is close to crossbar. I wish I had one. Unfortunately, that line is being discontinued and I don't think Intel has crossbar in anything lower than Xeon.] Not sure where the hang is in Mac SysX. It's somewhere in the Apple proprietary layers (Finder, Quartz...) Happens to me fairly often. I am well aware that Itanium II is pretty good. I believe I recall, though, that the sequence was Itanium1 (Intel's design) -> Last ship for VAX was 2000, last VAX-VMS was 7.3-1. Itanium II (HP bails them out). What will happen next? HP is getting out of processor design . .

19 years, 10 months

PERQ POSSIBLY AVAILABLE

by michaelgreen42＠comcast.net

I found a guy local that has a PERQ system for sale. Not much interest in it for me but thought one of you guys might be into it. He wants $200.

19 years, 10 months

Gooey tape rollers - how widespread is this problem ?

by Jason.Armistead＠otis.com

Hi I've got a bunch of old equipment that I'm trying to cull the backup tapes for, namely a MicroVAX 2000 with a TK50 tape drive, and a few QIC drives off various PC, Sun and HP systems. The boxes and boxes of tapes need to be culled, and transferring stuff to CD-R / DVD-R, or simply ditching tapes which are redundant is what I'm looking at doing. I've noticed a few recent postings about tape rollers turning to mush if they haven't been used for a while. How widespread is this problem ? Does it affect all brands of tape drives, or are certain tape technologies worse off. I can never recall having any problems with our TK50 drive from the VAX - it was always reliable, but it's been stored for a few years now. As for the QIC drives, they were "inherited" and I've never really used them, so their history is unknown. How old do the tape drives have to be before this problem appears ? It is related purely to age, or does usage play a factor ? TIA Jason

19 years, 10 months

token ring fiber transciever

by alexeyt＠freeshell.org

I've got an ODS 836 DB-9 to fiber token ring transciever. I don't know if it works since I've only got one, no power supply for it, and no fiber. It takes a 12V DC power supply, 2 female pin sockets side by side in an ~5mm round male insulator all inside a ~8mm round recess, apparently held in by friction alone (I have never seen this kind of connector elsewhere). It's in a 5" x 2" x .75" possibly watertight machined steel housing (there's a rubber gasket between the 2 halves). If anyone wants it, it's free to a good home. I'm in College Park, MD 20740. Alexey

19 years, 10 months

Numonics graphics tablet protocol?

by julesrichardsonuk＠yahoo.co.uk

Longest of long shots... :-) I don't suppose anyone has any documentation on the 'packed binary' format that Numonics used to use for their graphics tablets, do they? (Specifically a model 2206 A3 serial tablet, current somewhere around 1990 I suspect) I managed to guess DIP switch settings and serial line settings to a point that I can get useful ASCII data out of the tablet (coordinates and button info) - but if I could interpret the packed binary stream hopefully it'd make the tablet seem a lot more responsive... cheers Jules -- A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation. Q. What's wrong with top posting ?

19 years, 10 months

Available: Procom CDT14-T8X-ETP

by miller.blair＠gmail.com

All, Figured I'd repost this with a bit more information, in case someone missed it, or one of the new members is interested. I've got a Procom CDT14-T8X-ETP networked CD-ROM tower, in pristine working condition, that I've no use for. It has 14 8x SCSI CD-ROM drives that are interfaced through a single twisted pair network card. It measures roughly 15" wide X 20" deep X 17" high and weighs roughly 40-50 pounds. Finally, according to the manual, it'll run under Windows NT or Netware (thus far, I've found no way of getting it running under Linux, or I'd think about using it to host music CD's via a Slim Devices Squeezebox or something similar). Not exactly *classic*, but old enough that it's -- as far as I can tell -- not worth selling on eBay. I thought the case, which is up on casters, would be cool for a project of some sort, but I honestly can't think of anything to do with it. If anyone's interested, they're welcome to it. First come, first serve -- just email me (miller.blair at gmail.com) saying that you want it and when you'll be able to pick it up (I live in Vermontville, MI). Comes with the CD-ROM tower itself, all 14 8X SCSI CD-ROM drives, manual, software, and even the key for the doors. You'll just need to supply two standard power cords. The case has no dents, dings, scratches -- just a couple of very minor scuff marks. If need be, I also might be willing to drop it off... Thanks, Blair

19 years, 10 months

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