gjb@unirot.UUCP (Greg Brail) (07/28/86)
I have had the opportunity recently of using RedRyder 9.2 (which, by
the way, is the best terminal emulation program for the Mac) on a
9600 BPS line. I first noticed a problem when using TOPS20 EMACS:
When displaying screens of text, all the text comes out indented to
about the middle of the screen. I also noticed this problem at 4800
BPS. The next day, I discovered it at 1200, so it can't be just a
problem with the high speed.
So far, RedRyder 9.2 works fine at 9600 BPS with some rather
screen-intensive programs for TOPS20, including Rogue and a game that
shows animated films. It also works fine with Unipress EMACS (a
version of Gosling EMACS). I've never had this problem with SmartCom
II, which I used to use until I got RedRyder.
I suspect this is an idiosyncrasy between TOPS20 EMACS and RedRyder.
Could someone else try this out (there aren't a whole lot of DEC-20s
around these days) and see if they have the same problem? It's
annoying. Also, does anyone know how I can get in touch with Scott
Watson, the author of RedRyder, without actually having to use a
phone? That would be so archaic...
-Greg
--
Greg Brail (Greg @ The Soup Kitchen)
UUCP : ..{ihnp4,seismo,harvard,sri-iu,lll-crg,ut-sally,allegra}!caip!unirot!gjb
ARPA : unirot!gjb@caip.rutgers.edu
USNAIL : Don't bother.herdeg@tallis.dec.com (07/29/86)
... >9600 BPS line. I first noticed a problem when using TOPS20 EMACS: >When displaying screens of text, all the text comes out indented to >about the middle of the screen. I also noticed this problem at 4800 >BPS. The next day, I discovered it at 1200, so it can't be just a >problem with the high speed. ... >I suspect this is an idiosyncrasy between TOPS20 EMACS and RedRyder. >Could someone else try this out (there aren't a whole lot of DEC-20s >around these days) and see if they have the same problem? It's ... I can verify that I've observed the same thing. Red Ryder now emulates a VT100 perfectly for everything I've tried except TOPS-20 EMACS. I've observed the same behavior--lines with strange indentions at the middle or even far right of the screen. I assumed it was some kind of strange optimization using one of the advanced VT100 cursor control functions which Red Ryder doesn't emulate exactly right. I usually just use VT52 emulation when I'm running emacs on TOPS-20. You can communicate with Scott Watson on Genie. You get a free account when you send in your Red Ryder registration, and then it's only $5.00 per hour evenings and weekends. The latest versions of RR can also be downloaded from there. Mark Herdeg
jtkohl@ci-dandelion.UUCP (John T Kohl) (07/29/86)
In article <4456@decwrl.DEC.COM> herdeg@tallis.dec.com writes: >... > >I can verify that I've observed the same thing. Red Ryder now emulates a >VT100 perfectly for everything I've tried except TOPS-20 EMACS. I've >observed the same behavior--lines with strange indentions at the middle >or even far right of the screen. I assumed it was some kind of strange >optimization using one of the advanced VT100 cursor control functions >which Red Ryder doesn't emulate exactly right. I usually just use VT52 >emulation when I'm running emacs on TOPS-20. > >You can communicate with Scott Watson on Genie. You get a free account >when you send in your Red Ryder registration, and then it's only $5.00 >per hour evenings and weekends. The latest versions of RR can also be >downloaded from there. > >Mark Herdeg My first impression would be to set my terminal type to 'ansi' on the 20 rather than vt100. At least the 20 at MIT thinks vt100's know about vt52 mode and uses it for most things. I suspect RedRyder may not handle switching modes (most vt100 emulators I've run into don't). -- John T Kohl jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU -or- ...!mit-eddie!jtkohl
osmigo1@ut-ngp.UUCP (Ron Morgan) (07/31/86)
>[lots of deleted stuff about RR 9.2 emulating a VT100 perfectly]
I've tried RR 9.2 and Versaterm 2.0, and VT beats RR hands down in my
particular usage (mostly vi editing, rn'ing, etc.). The main difference is
in the "diamond-shaped mouse cursor," where you move the cursor where you
want it with the mouse, click, and the system cursor goes to that point. In
RR, it is S-L-O-W... VT's cursor is VERY fast. If you wanna go back up a few
lines and delete/insert or whatever, it's just zip-click-zip-rattle-rattle!
So far, the VT emulator has been flawless.
Ron Morgan
--
osmigo1, UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas 78712
ARPA: osmigo1@ngp.UTEXAS.EDU
UUCP: ihnp4!ut-ngp!osmigo1 allegra!ut-ngp!osmigo1 gatech!ut-ngp!osmigo1
seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!osmigo1 harvard!ut-sally!ut-ngp!osmigo1ngg@bridge2.UUCP (Norman Goodger) (08/08/86)
> I've tried RR 9.2 and Versaterm 2.0, and VT beats RR hands down in my > particular usage (mostly vi editing, rn'ing, etc.). The main difference is > in the "diamond-shaped mouse cursor," where you move the cursor where you > want it with the mouse, click, and the system cursor goes to that point. In > RR, it is S-L-O-W... VT's cursor is VERY fast. If you wanna go back up a few > lines and delete/insert or whatever, it's just zip-click-zip-rattle-rattle! > > So far, the VT emulator has been flawless. > > Ron Morgan Try Red Ryder 9.4, I am using it now and it is much faster and the Vt-Mouse feature is much nicer than having to click all over the place to get the cursor to go where you want it to in 'vi'...... Norm Goodger @ Bridge Communications Sysop-MacInfo BBS 415-795-8862
whp@cbnap.UUCP (W. H. Pollock x4575 3S235) (08/13/86)
>Try Red Ryder 9.4, ...
Don't try Red Ryder 9.4! I paid for it, received an unreadable Maxwell disk
in response. I tried to communicate to the author, but he has ignored every
attempt. I even tried to redownload if from GEnie, and even with their rates
it was another 10 bucks (I figured if it was worth $40, maybe it was worth $50).
However, my phone lines are too noisy I guess, 'cause after 1 hour 40 minutes
the download failed.
The bottom line is, if you need a good reliable terminal emulator, use
MacTerminal or VersaTerm or some other professional product. If you try
Red Ryder, you might just be throwing your money away. You certainly won't
get professional support. (Another point: I don't believe the author has
updated the documentation since version 8.0, and I recall that many
enhancments/features were added since then.)
Wayne H. Pollock,
UUCP: ...{ihnp4,cbatt}!cbnap!whp
DELPHI: WHP
GEnie: W.POLLOCK
"The opinions expressed above are ficticious. Any resemblance
to the opinions of persons living or dead is purely coincidental."
(Scott, if you send me a working copy of RR, I promise I'll post a retraction
about what I said concerning Red Ryder support.)dtw@k.cs.cmu.edu (Duane Williams) (08/16/86)
I too received a damaged Maxell disk from Scott Watson. He also ignored my mail messages. At the time he was providing "support" via his own BBS and I noted that lots of other users complaints were also being ignored. SW has been working on RR for quite a while and its basic functions have improved only slowly. It should have been a much more polished program by now. He spends too much time adding new "features" that few people will use and not enough time completing the implementation of previous features. It's a hack job. -- arpa: dtw@k.cs.cmu.edu -- arpa: dtw@k.cs.cmu.edu
jed@mb2c.UUCP (John Duncan) (08/17/86)
In article <162@cbnap.UUCP>, whp@cbnap.UUCP (W. H. Pollock x4575 3S235) writes: > > Don't try Red Ryder 9.4! I paid for it, received an unreadable Maxwell disk > in response. I tried to communicate to the author, but he has ignored every > attempt. I even tried to redownload if from GEnie, and even with their rates > it was another 10 bucks (I figured if it was worth $40, maybe it was worth $50). I paid my $40, and got 9.4 on a perfectly good SS Maxell disk which I reformatted as DS and it still works OK. > The bottom line is, if you need a good reliable terminal emulator, use > MacTerminal or VersaTerm or some other professional product. If you try > Red Ryder, you might just be throwing your money away. You certainly won't > get professional support. (Another point: I don't believe the author has > updated the documentation since version 8.0, and I recall that many > enhancments/features were added since then.) > A supplement to the 8.0 documentation is included which outlines the changes since 8.0. I have VersaTerm too, but there are some things that RR just does better (such as macros). VersaTerm still has RR beat on VT102 emulation though. John Duncan (mb2c!jed) Michigan Bell (313) 424-1167
ngg@bridge2.UUCP (Norman Goodger) (08/23/86)
> > The bottom line is, if you need a good reliable terminal emulator, use > MacTerminal or VersaTerm or some other professional product. If you try > Red Ryder, you might just be throwing your money away. You certainly won't > get professional support. (Another point: I don't believe the author has > updated the documentation since version 8.0, and I recall that many > enhancments/features were added since then.) > > Wayne H. Pollock, > UUCP: ...{ihnp4,cbatt}!cbnap!whp > DELPHI: WHP > GEnie: W.POLLOCK > Red Ryder is so much better than Macterminal is not even funny, I have heard some good things about Verssaterm, but it still not as powerful as RR. The Documentation has been upgraded with every upgrade to RR since 8.0 with additional documentation. Scott will release a totally new document when he has one ready. last I heard he was coding on RR Host the BBS system he released, and may be difficult to reach. though I KNOW OF 2 PEOPLE THAT spoke to him recently. As for disks thru the mail, its entirely possible that it was damaged in the mail, you can't blame Freesoft for that as it could have happen to anyone......Norm Goodger @Bridge Comm...
baron@runx.OZ (Jason Haines) (08/23/86)
to Mr. Watson. All I can suggest to those not having much luck with Mr. Watson is to simply persist until you get the correct response. You should expect proper support considering the amount it costs to register with Mr. Watson. By the way, don't use Red Ryder 9.4 - it has a tendency to crash right near the end of a file transfer. 9.2 is OK, but I think you should wait until version 10 comes out. jason ( baron@runx.oz && jasonh@psych44.su )