24 Jan
2004
24 Jan
'04
10:38 a.m.
Ah,
http://www.piclist.com/techref/intel/8086.HTM
THAT explains it :) Compaq's was the first BIOS to be 100% IBM-PC
compatible.
NO WAY.
99 44/100 % maybe.
"There can NEVER be 100% compatability without copyright infringement."
For example:
The IBM-PC (5150) and subsequent models (XT, AT)
had a byte at FFFF:000E (second to last byte in RAM)
that identified the model. Compaq failed to implement that,
and numerous other MINOR incompatabilities.
(Compaq's response to developers was to recommend searching
a range of RAM for the string "COMPAQ")
Compaq loves to claim first in everything, but there were
lots of little companies that preceded them in almost
everything.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com