13 Aug
1997
13 Aug
'97
2:16 p.m.
I also have a neat XT. It's not a Phillips, but a Tandy 1000. It has 768K
RAM, and a 12MHz 286 processor. Only, I still have the problem of not
being able to access the upper memory. Being a Tandy, it's even harder to
find a driver. Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
It was a neat machine for an XT. I don't recall
if I ever checked to see
if it
was using that extra memory or if it had any SW with
it. My friend will
be
delighted to know that he can squeeze out a little
extra ram for
memory-hungry
DOS programs.
ciao larry
lwalker(a)interlog.com
12 Aug
12 Aug
10:56 a.m.
Hi Jason!
I also have a neat XT. It's not a Phillips, but a
Tandy 1000. It has 768K
RAM, and a 12MHz 286 processor. Only, I still have the problem of not
being able to access the upper memory. Being a Tandy, it's even harder to
find a driver. Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
Oh there are:
Miniscribe (early Maxtor) 8051A (40MB, voice coil) supports XT or AT
mode. Seagate in either: ST325A/X or ST351A/X (quiet stepper but
pretty good).
And Tandy have website for every all the way back to early models.
Search for it with www.metacrawler.com
By the way, squash the thoughts of getting IE installed. Get
Netscape 3.04 gold (very reliable, appox 15MB total) and seperate
email program like Pegasus Mail (under 1MB), suitable programs for
mail use. Netscape 4.x is too new and too bloated for current
crop of late 486's and most pentiums. Real bad program is IE 4.x
which breaks everything especially angering those notebook owners.
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
11:39 a.m.
New subject: WTB: 486 notebook (reasons , see below)
Let me explain:
1. Vast mistrust to ebay guys and newsgroups so trying here
because I trust everyone on this list and had good time dealing
here.
2. Canadian dollars is very soft and still falling; costs 2 dollars
to buy 1 US dollar. So, 300US is worth 600 CDN to get a used
notebook. Which I can't afford now and not worth that value like
that.
3. I'm preparing to get back into college again and most colleges
campuses in Ontario, canada don't have dorms on site which I will be
commuting daily by bus. I'm looking at couple places currently.
The old 386 notebook I have is falling apart at the seams so I'm
bespeeching (wrong word but you get the meaning! :) ) to mail list
guys to find a decent used 486 notebook. Budget is around 150 to
200US across border or 350 CDN max if bought inside Canada.
specs I'm looking for:
486dx2 3.3V or dx4 3.3V, Mono or TFT color, 16MB or up. FD builtin
or external. 500mb or smallish HD ok 'cuz I have either 340 or
500mb hd to put in. Less than 7lbs excluding charger brick.
Eurocom, compaq, TI, and thinkpads even odd brands (but still needs
to be reliable and still easy to get part bits).
Thanks very much and let you all guys go back to topic at hand here.
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
5:22 p.m.
On Wed, 13 Aug 1997, Jason Willgruber wrote:
I also have a neat XT. It's not a Phillips, but a
Tandy 1000. It has 768K
RAM, and a 12MHz 286 processor. Only, I still have the problem of not
being able to access the upper memory. Being a Tandy, it's even harder to
find a driver. Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That may be very hard to find!
- don
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
17 Aug
17 Aug
2:32 a.m.
Jason writes:
Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB
Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Try an ST-251-1. It's the voice-coil version of the ST-251 and clocks in
at 28ms. You can't have mine. I use them on uVAXen.
-ethan
12:48 a.m.
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 10:32:36 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-to: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
From: Ethan Dicks <erd(a)infinet.com>
To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Philips XT with 768K
Jason's writing snipped...
Try an ST-251-1. It's the voice-coil version of the ST-251 and clocks in
at 28ms. You can't have mine. I use them on uVAXen.
Ethan, this hd ST251-1 is equally bad and it uses stepper not voice
coil. Can see the stepper itself. Also this hd have lot of
reliablity problems and very touchy especially handling, very
loud noisy.
Compared to ST251 series, ST351A/X series is pretty sturdy and very
low powered. But this ST351A/X is easiest to find than this
Miniscribe XT ide 8051A is voice coil and that is all I know that is
only one that does XT ide or AT.
-ethan
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
5:44 a.m.
Jason writes;
Ethan, this hd ST251-1 is equally bad and it uses
stepper not voice
coil. Can see the stepper itself. Also this hd have lot of
reliablity problems and very touchy especially handling, very
loud noisy.
I sit corrected. I had thought that the 28ms version used a voice coil
and the 40ms version used a stepper. That is not the case.
As for noise, yes. It's noisy by today's standards. All of the old
drives were touchy WRT handling. I didn't consider it more so than
any other 8 year old drive.
Compared to ST251 series, ST351A/X series is pretty
sturdy and very
low powered. But this ST351A/X is easiest to find than this
Miniscribe XT ide 8051A is voice coil and that is all I know that is
only one that does XT ide or AT.
I have never run across the ST351A/X series. I don't know how common they
were; I wasn't into PCs in 1989, just VAXen and Amigas. They do, however,
use steppers (28ms).
-ethan
11 a.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Jason writes;
The only noise I can get from any of the old Seagate MFM's (besides the growl
of windup) is that odd little tweet they make, which is really invisible.
Minscribes are the noisy SOB's and have the stepper on the outside that grind
and scrach and have new owners asking if the drive is dying.
Speaking of that, anyone have a working MiniScribe model 8450XT (IDE XTA 3.5")
that they want to sell/trade/give away? Need one quick for a replacement for a
parapelegic guy (Nam Vet) out there I just met that hasa machine in his
collection that is dead. The controller can't be accessed to chage the
parameters so the easiest repair is an exact replacement. He's got a few bucks
but by no means is he rich and his computer collection is his whole day for
him. He has no internet connection so I get the task of locating one via email
for him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethan, this hd ST251-1 is equally bad and it uses
stepper not voice
coil. Can see the stepper itself. Also this hd have lot of
reliablity problems and very touchy especially handling, very
loud noisy.
I sit corrected. I had thought that the 28ms version used a voice coil
and the 40ms version used a stepper. That is not the case.
As for noise, yes. It's noisy by today's standards. All of the old
drives were touchy WRT handling. I didn't consider it more so than
any other 8 year old drive.
3:57 a.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Jason writes:
He needs an IDE and IIRC the St251 and 251-1 are MFM.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB
Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Try an ST-251-1. It's the voice-coil version of the ST-251 and clocks in
at 28ms. You can't have mine. I use them on uVAXen.
4:11 a.m.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Wow. I didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for ROM
burning. IIRC, WD made 20Mb and 40Mb XT IDE before moving on to AT IDE.
Commodore even designed-in an XT-IDE port on their A2091 and A590 disk
controllers for the A2000 and A500, respectively. The A590 did ship with
20Mb XT drives; the A2091 did not have the 40 pin connector soldered in place.
It does work; I have retrofitted one. They are slow.
And, yes, the ST251/251-1 are both MFM. I use them on ancient DEC hardware.
-ethan
Jason writes:
He needs an IDE and IIRC the St251 and 251-1 are MFM. Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB
Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Try an ST-251-1. It's the voice-coil version of the ST-251 and clocks in
at 28ms. You can't have mine. I use them on uVAXen.
1:01 a.m.
Snipped!
Not only that on amigas and tandys for those XT IDE drives...
Zenith Eazy PC (I own that one, horrible pc shudder!)
Olivetti series (appox 15" monitor either color or mono) in all in
one piece odd casings rather like above and lot of XT machines that
was still sold in early '90's had XT IDE hd.
Thankfully, very short lived and not so common for those
oddball boxens that requires XT IDE! :)
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgocable.net
Pero, Jason D.
He needs an IDE and IIRC the St251 and 251-1 are MFM.
Wow. I didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for ROM
burning. IIRC, WD made 20Mb and 40Mb XT IDE before moving on to AT IDE.
Commodore even designed-in an XT-IDE port on their A2091 and A590 disk
controllers for the A2000 and A500, respectively. The A590 did ship with
20Mb XT drives; the A2091 did not have the 40 pin connector soldered in place.
It does work; I have retrofitted one. They are slow.
And, yes, the ST251/251-1 are both MFM. I use them on ancient DEC hardware.
-ethan 
8:14 a.m.
Tandy used XT IDE on the Tandy 1000 series called a "Smartdrive". i
think it was ST157A/X for 16/8 bit switchable. There was a controller
card with onboard bios for controlling the drives.
James
Wow. I didn't know that anybody besides Commodore
ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for
11:04 a.m.
James L. Rice wrote:
Tandy used XT IDE on the Tandy 1000 series called a
"Smartdrive". i
think it was ST157A/X for 16/8 bit switchable. There was a controller
card with onboard bios for controlling the drives.
James
> Wow. I didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
> a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for
the Seagate ST05X series controllers were variants of this, in that they auto
sensed certain type drives and set up with them without need to run up the rom
bios program.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
12:18 p.m.
On Mon, 17 Aug 1998, James L. Rice wrote:
donm(a)cts.com
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Don Maslin - Keeper of the Dina-SIG CP/M System Disk Archives
Chairman, Dina-SIG of the San Diego Computer Society
Clinging tenaciously to the trailing edge of technology.
Sysop - Elephant's Graveyard (CP/M) Z-Node 9 - 619-454-8412
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
see old system support at http://www.psyber.com/~tcj
visit the "Unofficial" CP/M Web site at http://cdl.uta.edu/cpm
with Mirror at http://www.mathcs.emory.edu/~cfs/cpm
Tandy used XT IDE on the Tandy 1000 series called a
"Smartdrive". i
think it was ST157A/X for 16/8 bit switchable. There was a controller
card with onboard bios for controlling the drives.
James
Seagate's listing does not reflect an ST157A/X, so unless it was
something OEM'd for Tandy, it would more likely have been an ST325A/X,
ST351A/X, or ST352A/X.
- don
Wow. I
didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for
4:09 p.m.
I went and looked and it was a 351a/x. i haven't pulled that one out
for about 6 years.
Don Maslin wrote:
On Mon, 17 Aug 1998, James L. Rice wrote:
donm(a)cts.com
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Don Maslin - Keeper of the Dina-SIG CP/M System Disk Archives
Chairman, Dina-SIG of the San Diego Computer Society
Clinging tenaciously to the trailing edge of technology.
Sysop - Elephant's Graveyard (CP/M) Z-Node 9 - 619-454-8412
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
see old system support at http://www.psyber.com/~tcj
visit the "Unofficial" CP/M Web site at http://cdl.uta.edu/cpm
with Mirror at http://www.mathcs.emory.edu/~cfs/cpm
Tandy used XT IDE on the Tandy 1000 series called
a "Smartdrive". i
think it was ST157A/X for 16/8 bit switchable. There was a controller
card with onboard bios for controlling the drives.
James
Seagate's listing does not reflect an ST157A/X, so unless it was
something OEM'd for Tandy, it would more likely have been an ST325A/X,
ST351A/X, or ST352A/X.
- don
Wow. I
didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for
10:52 a.m.
There are others, they list them as XTA drives.
Ethan Dicks wrote:
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethan Dicks wrote:
Wow. I didn't know that anybody besides Commodore ever used XT IDE. I have
a couple of WD-98???-X drives, one in a Commodore Colt that I use for ROM
burning. IIRC, WD made 20Mb and 40Mb XT IDE before moving on to AT IDE.
Commodore even designed-in an XT-IDE port on their A2091 and A590 disk
controllers for the A2000 and A500, respectively. The A590 did ship with
20Mb XT drives; the A2091 did not have the 40 pin connector soldered in place.
It does work; I have retrofitted one. They are slow.
And, yes, the ST251/251-1 are both MFM. I use them on ancient DEC hardware.
-ethan Jason writes:
He needs an IDE and IIRC the St251 and 251-1 are MFM. Another setback is it's HD. It's a 20MB
Western digital -
and slow as a turtle. Does anyone, by any chance, have a spare
XT-compatible IDE HD without a stepper motor driving the heads??
ThAnX,
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
Try an ST-251-1. It's the voice-coil version of the ST-251 and clocks in
at 28ms. You can't have mine. I use them on uVAXen.
9383
days inactive
9752
days old
15 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
donm＠cts.com -
erd＠infinet.com -
jpero＠pop.cgocable.net -
jrice＠texoma.net -
rhblake＠bbtel.com -
roblwill＠usaor.net