terryt@auvax.UUCP (Terry Tanski) (09/08/87)
I have read an article about the new 1000 TX in 80 Micro and it sounds really good. I would like to find out tips, hints, information about the TX from anyone or better yet from someone who has purchased on of these units. Really I was wondering if it is worth it to upgrade from a 1000A and take advantage of the increased speed and storage of the 3 1/2" drives. To make 5 1/4" compatibility I would take a drive out of the 1000A and use it to transfer files to the new format. Is this possible? I also would like to know if the 9 pin serial port is compatible with a PC MOUSE pointing device. The bottom line is HOW GOOD IS IT AND ARE THERE ANY QUIRKS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS?
japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) (09/11/87)
> I have read an article about the new 1000 TX in 80 Micro and it sounds > The bottom line is HOW GOOD IS IT AND ARE THERE ANY QUIRKS THAT CAUSE > PROBLEMS? You can bet if it's a Tandy it is the most uncompatible machine imaginable! I looked at one the other day... it still uses 10" slots with proprietary brackets that require a hacksaw and pliers to use IBM boards... it still uses a proprietary pin out on the drive cable requiring you to purchase a Tandy drive or hack the cable... it still requires a Tandy Printer cable. Like all the other Tandy 1000's including the A series they ripped me off with, the TX is designed to be totally Tandy compatible (not IBM) and to force you to buy their overpriced and usually out of date peripherals! "Why Tandy, when there are so many better values" Joe Applegate - Colorado School of Mines Computing Center {seismo, hplabs}!hao!isis!csm9a!japplega or SYSOP @ M.O.M. AI BBS - (303) 273-3989 - 300/1200/2400 8-N-1 24 hrs. *** UNIX is a philosophy, not an operating system *** *** BUT it is a registered trademark of AT&T, so get off my back ***
kyle@nuchat.UUCP (09/15/87)
In article <496@csm9a.UUCP>, japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: > brackets that require a hacksaw and pliers to use IBM boards... it still > uses a proprietary pin out on the drive cable requiring you to purchase > a Tandy drive or hack the cable... it still requires a Tandy Printer cable. Since when does the Tandy 1000A use a proprietary pinout on the drive cable? I have *NEVER* had a problem replacing the drive cable with a longer one. There is absolutely nothing proprietary about it. It helps if you know a little history about the TRS line, though. Actually, R/S's scheme makes more sense than IBM's. Radio Shack configures the drive (the way things were designed to be done in the first place) and IBM configures the cable (YECH!) I can understand why IBM does this, especially in this age of VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME! thinking, but it really is a pain in the rear.
toma@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Tom Almy) (09/18/87)
In article <316@nuchat.UUCP> kyle@nuchat.UUCP (Kyle Rhorer) writes: >In article <496@csm9a.UUCP>, japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: >> uses a proprietary pin out on the drive cable requiring you to purchase >> a Tandy drive or hack the cable... it still requires a Tandy Printer cable. > > >Since when does the Tandy 1000A use a proprietary pinout on the drive cable? >There is absolutely nothing proprietary about it. >Actually, R/S's scheme makes more sense than IBM's. Radio Shack configures >the drive (the way things were designed to be done in the first place) >and IBM configures the cable (YECH!). Historically, with the TRS-80, a special cable was used -- all the drive select lines were tied together on the drive, and the cable had missing pins so that only the DS1 pin connected on socket 1, DS2 on socket 2, etc. You could use standard drives (with a jumper for drive select) with a standard cable or with the tandy cable by turning it upsidedown. Tandy definately does the printer cable better. You just take ribbon cable and clamp an edge connector on one end and a D-shell ("Centronics") on the other any you are done. You cannot readily use ribbon cable with the DB-25 connector IBM uses -- the signals don't match for the control lines. Tom Almy (usual disclaimer. I own a Tandy 1000, but also have two PC/AT clones, and a couple of CP/M machines that gather dust but also had sensible connections--Tandy style)
leonard@bucket.UUCP (09/20/87)
In article <2673@tekgvs.TEK.COM> toma@tekgvs.UUCP (Tom Almy) writes:
<Historically, with the TRS-80, a special cable was used -- all the drive
<select lines were tied together on the drive, and the cable had missing pins
<so that only the DS1 pin connected on socket 1, DS2 on socket 2, etc. You
<could use standard drives (with a jumper for drive select) with a standard
<cable or with the tandy cable by turning it upsidedown.
Actually, if you are willing to set the drive jumpers yourself, you can run
a drive on any Tandy machine with a straight cable (no pins pulled!).
I've used an old Model I printer cable (34 pin card-edge connector on both ends)
to hook drives up to various Tandy gear.
And Tandy *does* use a non-standard pinout on some machines. They used side select
for either drive select 3 or 4 (can't remember which now). But this only matters
on the Model 1....
--
Leonard Erickson ...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I used to be a hacker. Now I'm a 'microcomputer specialist'.
You know... I'd rather be a hacker."