richard@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Richard Maxwell) (09/05/90)
Ok, I hope this isn't the wrong place to post this, but my uncle has a 2000 that he would like to change over to a pc compatible. I am pretty familiar with ibm pcs, clones, etc. but not at all familiar with this machine. I also have facilities available to modify existing h/w somewhat. So, without dropping in a new mother board, is there an easier(cheaper) way to modify this machine to make it pc compatible? I don't suppose life could be as easy as new f/w could it? Has anyone done this out there? Thks for any info, richard.maxwell
rlp@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Jarhead) (09/07/90)
In article <6535@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM> richard@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Richard Maxwell) writes: >I am pretty familiar with ibm pcs, clones, etc. but not at all >familiar with this machine. I also have facilities available to >modify existing h/w somewhat. How extensive are your modification facilities? "Converting" a Tandy 2000 to a PC clone will require more than "somewhat" amounts of work. >So, without dropping in a new mother >board, is there an easier(cheaper) way to modify this machine to make >it pc compatible? Don't forget the disk drives (720K), the keyboard, etc. Going out on a limb, as a Tandy 2000 owner, I'd say there's no way to make it any more PC compatible than it already is. > I don't suppose life could be as easy as new f/w >could it? Has anyone done this out there? By f/w I presume you mean firmware, as in ROM upgrades? Doubt that would even be possible (kinda like putting a cockroach brain into a human body: it wouldn't be able to control the superior features of the new body :) ). IBM-compatible ROMs wouldn't know how to handle the dual-mode (720K and read-write 360K) disk drives, nor the non-clonepatible video, memory, serial, parallel, or expansion systems. Open the machine up and see what's there. Beautiful engineering (in my opinion). The quest to make the 2000 more PC compatible was named as the Holy Grail of 2000 owners by David R., founder/presidente of the late great Tandy 2000 Orphans, a loosely-knit user group for the 2000. Some progress had been made toward creating a software-based PC emulation as of the time of the group's demise. If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you the address for David R., who is still (as of the last I heard from him) sending out disks and information concerning the 2000. If you're really dedicated to hard work, off-beat but nifty hardware, and the thrill of exploring the unknown, maybe you'll want to undertake the... QUEST FOR THE HOLY GRAIL!!! Good luck! Bob -- rlp@beach.cis.ufl.edu Air: PP-SEL AMA # 541283 Road: 750 Ninja DoD # 0068 Water: NAUI OW-I <=- -=>
fzsitvay@techbook.com (Frank Zsitvay) (09/07/90)
In article <6535@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM> richard@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Richard Maxwell) writes: >Ok, I hope this isn't the wrong place to post this, but my uncle >has a 2000 that he would like to change over to a pc compatible. >I am pretty familiar with ibm pcs, clones, etc. but not at all >familiar with this machine. I also have facilities available to >modify existing h/w somewhat. So, without dropping in a new mother >board, is there an easier(cheaper) way to modify this machine to make >it pc compatible? I don't suppose life could be as easy as new f/w >could it? Has anyone done this out there? > >Thks for any info, >richard.maxwell The easiest way to change over to ibm compatibility is to unplug the 2000, remove it's power cord, and plug it into the back of an ibm clone. the 2000 was one of those machines that tried to one-up ibm at their own game, before most companies found out that being better wasn't job #1. in the case of the 2000, it is just enough incompatible with the ibm xt to cause you problems where you least expect it. even a software emulator (like code blue for the DEC Rainbow, another one of those non-ibm msdos machines) isn't a good solution, for many reasons. -- fzsitvay@techbook.COM - one of these days i'll get it right... Version 2 of anything is usually the version that works.
reyn@trsvax.UUCP (09/07/90)
I don't even think you could fit a new motherboard in the 2000 chassis. The 2000 was designed to be an MS-DOS compatible machine, not an IBM PC compatible machine. The cabinet is not even layed out in the same arrangement, expansion cards are mounted horizontally, not vertically, and they are definitely not PC-Bus compatible. If you want something which is 100 percent IBM compatible, the 2000 is not a good place to start. In its own right it was an impressive machine, but the importance of IBM compatibility was not recognized when it was conceived. John Reynolds standard disclaimers apply.