info-mac@uw-beaver.UUCP (11/02/84)
From: puder%bach.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Karl Puder)
On page 356 of Cary Lu's "The Apple MAcintosh Book", the description of the
clock/calendar says:
The very low-power CMOS clock/calendar operates off the battery and
contains its own small separate memory in a custom chip. Besides
date and time, the memory has a few extra bytes; these could be used
to store a computer configuration -- possibly identifying the user
as a novice or expert. An application programmer could query this
information and take different strategies depending on the answer.
[1] Is this true?
[2] If so, how many bytes?
[3] What is stored there? (Is it the same memory as the 20 bytes described
by mnodine@BBNH.ARPA in his/her message of approximately 21-jul-1984,
subject "RE: Rebooting options; what's kept around?")?
Karl.
----
USPS: Karl Puder, HL02-3/E09, DEC AITG, 77 Reed Road, Hudson, MA, 01749-2809
phone: (1)(617)568-4979 | ARPA: puder%logic.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
DTN: 225-4979 | EasyNET: LOGIC::PUDER
UUCP: puder%logic.DEC@decwrl.UUCP
UUCP: ...!{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-logic!puder
To: @M:INFOMACinfo-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (11/03/84)
From: Mark H. Nodine <mnodine@BBNH.ARPA> Yes, it is the same 20 bytes. You can find them described in the Inside MacIntosh manual on Operating System Utility routines. This includes routines for reading from and writing to the parameter RAM (as it's called) as well as a reasonable description of what's stored there. Most of the things are those which are set by the control panel, but it also includes the alarm clock setting and preferred system startup disk. Enjoy, Mark
info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (11/03/84)
From: kato.sv@XEROX.ARPA Since I don't have a copy of mnodine@BBNH.ARPA's message, here's what is kept there: 1 long word that tells whether a write to the chip was accepted by it 2 integers for modem and printer port settings 1 long word for alarm setting 1 integer for default font setting 1 integer for auto-key settings and which port the printer is on 1 integer for speaker volume and blink rates 1 integer for mouse scaling, system startup disk, and menu blink Not all of the bits in the words are used, but Apple has reserved them for future use. Kato.sv@Xerox.ARPA
info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (11/07/84)
From: decvax!dartvax!johnm@uw-beaver.arpa (John Meier) The non-volatile RAM is used to store things like the time and date, and other user preferences (those listed on the control panel). It is documented in the system utilities part of Inside Mac. It also says that the unused bytes ARE NOT available to the programmer, because they "may be used" in future macs. john meier