TMPLee@DOCKMASTER.ARPA (09/30/88)
Todd Bakal's masterful report on Applefest made one slightly erroneous statement and one definitely wrong one: "There is new system software for the PCT that lets you use it with 2400 baud." This is only partially true. With version 1.3 of the PCT software you now can run IBM Kermit 2.29 at 2400 baud; you still cannot run kermit 2.31 (which you can on garden variety IBM clones, so the COM channel emulation is still too slow; probably not much can be done about it.) "Furthermore, the card works even better than before when it runs under GS/OS." This is false -- it actually runs worse, in two senses. It can't possibly run better because the Apple side (AEPC.SYSTEM) is a ProDos8 program (it has to be to run on II+,c's,and e's) and no changes in GS/OS nee P16 could have any effect on its operation. The ways it runs worse are those I've already mentioned: the constant polling of the PCT 5.25 drive slows down the GS/OS Finder noticeably, and the complete separation of GS/OS nee P16 from P8 means that launching a ProDos8 application like AEPC.SYSTEM and returning to the Finder take longer than they did under System disk 3.2 and earlier. I suppose the only way you could say it runs better is that PCT 1.3 comes with some very pretty icons (a hammer for install, an automobile for a driver, etc.) that weren't there before. It must be said that when running in IBM mode performance is not WORSE under GS/OS, but not better either. TMPLee@dockmaster.arpa
ralphw@ius3.ius.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre) (10/02/88)
In article <880929193334.235995@DOCKMASTER.ARPA> TMPLee@DOCKMASTER.ARPA writes: >...the Apple side (AEPC.SYSTEM) is a ProDos8 program (it has...to run on II+ Does this mean that it can run under the Roger Wanger's switcher thingie? That would be interesting, although you really want to be able to run both Machines 'simulteously' (if PCT interrupts Apple for each operation, then this might be possible. My PCPI CP/M card has this capability, so if I wanted to hack some 6502 ASM, I could run CP/M on the 80col card, and Apple stuff in the 'other' 64k bank.) Maybe when 640x400 comes along, you can run monochrome-text-only PC programs on the 'top half' of your GS screen. Is anyone else making coprocessor platforms these days? There used to be a Dimension system with three processors in it, and I believe it could run some IBM PC, Apple, and 68000 software (CPM-68k?) These days you could just put boards in a PClone, I suppose. Suspect the Amiga 2000 comes closest to this (AmigaDOS & MS-DOS, & maybe one of the Apple plug-in boards will work), although an Atari ST can run Mac & PC software with varying degrees of success (then you could buy 2-in-a-Mac as well.) -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@ius3.cs.cmu.edu Phone:(412) CMU-BUGS Amateur Packet Radio: N3FGW@W2XO, or c/o W3VC, CMU Radio Club, Pittsburgh, PA "You can do what you want with my computer, but leave me alone!8-)"