al@siouxi.dec.com (Al Taylor, DTN: 232-2470, LOC: ACO/E43) (03/25/88)
I have a Hyperion IBM compatible computer. It was made in 1984 and the company does not exist anymore. It runs most IBM software with no problems. When I try to run IBM BASIC it hangs up and I have to reboot the system. I have some programs that seem to have trouble finding their way to the drives. Two of these are COPYWRIT and COPYIIPC. The programs start up okay and I get the menus but when they try to run they just sit there. The lights never flash on the drives so apparently they are not looking at the right place. After a while I will get a message saying drive not ready. I can only assume that it's looking at the wrong location for the drives. Does anyone know if these programs bypass the BIOS and try to go directly to the drives and if so is there some simple solution to try to help them find them? Has anyone ever heard of a Hyperion Computer? Thanks, Al
schimke@puff.cs.wisc.edu (Timothy Schimke) (03/25/88)
In article <8803241628.AA04994@decwrl.dec.com> al@siouxi.dec.com (Al Taylor, DTN: 232-2470, LOC: ACO/E43) writes: >I have a Hyperion IBM compatible computer. It was made in 1984 and the company >does not exist anymore. It runs most IBM software with no problems. When I try >to run IBM BASIC it hangs up and I have to reboot the system. The problem is that IBM basic looks in the rom chips for something. Most people who have compatibles and still find the need to use basic use GW-Basic (cheapest, also others such as Turbo Basic and Quickbasic) My advice is to switch to a real language like Turbo Pascal if you have that option available. IBM basic locks up just about every compatible around I think. Don't know why Copywrite and copyiipc dont work. -- Tim
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (03/25/88)
In article <8803241628.AA04994@decwrl.dec.com> al@siouxi.dec.com (Al Taylor, DTN: 232-2470, LOC: ACO/E43) writes: >I have a Hyperion IBM compatible computer. It was made in 1984 and the company >does not exist anymore. It runs most IBM software with no problems. When I try >to run IBM BASIC it hangs up and I have to reboot the system. I have some That's because IBM BASIC.COM and BASICA.COM do not contain the entire BASIC executables. The rest of the code is burned into the (BASIC) ROM on a real IBM PC. You need GWBASIC to run on a clone, unless you can get ahold of BASIC ROM chips for a PC. - - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the 8650 runnin' Ultrix at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (192.12.206.2), ...iuvax!silver!creps, creps@iubacs.bitnet "Hey fellas, it's a four-legged V-8!"
mojo@reed.UUCP (macsyma) (03/25/88)
In article <8803241628.AA04994@decwrl.dec.com> al@siouxi.dec.com (Al Taylor, DTN: 232-2470, LOC: ACO/E43) writes: >I have a Hyperion IBM compatible computer. It was made in 1984 and the company >does not exist anymore. It runs most IBM software with no problems. When I try >to run IBM BASIC it hangs up and I have to reboot the system. I have some This is probably because the Hyperion (like some other clones, notably [I think] Compaqs) doesn't have cassette basic installed in ROM. Since BASIC and BASICA are really addenda to cassette Basic, they won't run on these machines in the normal fashion. There is a fix, but I don't remember what it is; it was published in the Help Screen column of _PC World_ around...early 1986, I think; definitely between September 1985 and August 1986. I'm sorry I don't have a more specific date. -- /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \A tautology is a thing \ Nathan Tenny / The opinions expressed/ /which is tautological. / ...tektronix!reed!mojo \ may not even be mine. \ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ FLAMES ANSWERED WITH NAPALM /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (03/26/88)
> I have a Hyperion IBM compatible computer. It was made in 1984 and the company > does not exist anymore. It runs most IBM software with no problems. When I try > to run IBM BASIC it hangs up and I have to reboot the system. I have some Real IBMs have parts of BASIC in ROM -- originally so the IBM PC could be used without disks. (If in doubt, look on the back of an old IBM PC -- there's a cassette port for those of you without a disk). GWBASIC is needed from Microsoft -- this is included with MSDOS releases. (MSDOS is of course not available from Microsoft, but from the manufacturer. If your manufacturer no longer exists -- maybe you can hope that your hardware is similar enough to some other manufacturer to use the MSDOS that comes with it.) > there some simple solution to try to help them find them? Has anyone ever > heard of a Hyperion Computer? > > Al I remember the Hyperion -- neat packaging. I know someone that bought one -- it spent much of its time being repaired. Sort of the Fiat of PC clones. Clayton E. Cramer
dick@venera.isi.edu (Richard Gillmann) (03/27/88)
I worked on porting a comm program to the Hyperion when they first came out. They are not really IBM compatible. For example, the comm ports use a different chip than the PC. There is a token attempt at BIOS level compatibility, but it's not up to today's clone standards at all. There's even a Z80 in there for something, I assume an I/O contoller.
agollum@engr.uky.edu (David Herron aka Admiral Gollum) (03/28/88)
In episode <1986@optilink.UUCP>, we heard cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) say: >...GWBASIC is >needed from Microsoft -- this is included with MSDOS releases. (MSDOS >is of course not available from Microsoft, but from the manufacturer. >If your manufacturer no longer exists -- maybe you can hope that your >hardware is similar enough to some other manufacturer to use the MSDOS >that comes with it.) As of version 3.2, Microsoft has a retail version of MS-DOS. In other words, you can buy it direct. I don't know about 3.3, but I assume it's available too. BTW they don't leave any of the utilities (like LINK) out and, judging from the comments I've read here, the docs are better than what most of the dealers provide. The /E parameter to COMMAND.COM is documented, for instance. I think the price is less than $90. Kenneth Herron