iav1917@ritcv.UUCP (alan i. vymetalik) (11/09/86)
[The DEC Rainbow - the "Rolls-Royce" of MS-DOS 8088 systems] Ah, the Rainbow is getting some more mention here. I am impressed. In article <5276@brl-smoke.ARPA> HAAR%RCSMPA%gmr.com@RELAY.CS.NET (RLH) writes: >now to the questions: > >I have a newly acquired DEC Rainbow 100+ running MS-DOS 2.11. MS-DOS 3.10 and MS-Windows are forthcoming. Program announcements have been made by DEC. Expect the packages to be available sometime early 1987. Also, expect to see a Mouse/Thin-Wire Ethernet (tm) board. Rumors are that there's enough real estate left to install a new version of the 8087 board and a clock/calender feature. What!? A multi-function card from DEC? Hopefully... Rumors also has it that mice will run fine on the COMM port. However, you lose your modem.... To the gnomes still working away at DEC .. DEC? Are you listening? You're late! About 2 years late. But, we DEFINITELY APPRECIATE the effort! The saying "good things come to those who wait" may be appropo here....if Windows shows acceptable speed. Define acceptable? Well....... DEC? Also consider this. If you haven't already, please PLEASE make sure you release the Graphics Support Library you have been working on for Windows. Don't make the same gaffs as before...it's getting a bit late for that ... A package that will allow as much access as possible to the graphics card is a must. Have you folks EVER considered producing a new graphics card. 800x240 resolution is FANTASTIC but a bit-mapped system would definitely solve a number of problems. I know...I know... >What is a good source of public domain software for this? I have >Kermit, but would like to find utilities analogous to the good >PD software that I am used to in the 8-bit CP/M world. I am >particularly looking for UUDECODE, UUENCODE, ARC, and disk utility >programs. If these don't exist in PD form, are there good >commerical versions? > PUBLIC DOMAIN! Tons and tons of stuff. There are literally HUNDREDS if not more of DEC Rainbow-specific BBS machines running across this country and around the world. The FIDO BBS/Network was the first major PC BBS/Network to be created. Log onto any FIDO board and get a hold of FIDO's history. I personally know of three dozen Rainbow systems all sporting from 10 to 100+MB worth of public domain/Shareware programs specifically for the Rainbow. For the utilities mentioned above plus WUTIL 2.0 (2.1 coming soon) which is a hard-disk formatter handling up to 71MB of disk space, check out The HitchHiker's Guide at 1-315-589-7361. The sysop, Fritz Howard, can help you get started. Other major boards (and, folks and sysops, don't flame me, I don't have all the numbers in my head) include: The WARUG (Washington Area Rainbow Users Group) BBS: 703-359-6549 The Bear's Den: 703-671-0598 DEC-User: 412-469-2468 Truk Board: 617-631-3304 Midnight DEC: 617-787-3033 Rainbow Corner (tm): 914-425-2613 >Can you recommend good C and PASCAL compilers? Nearly all PC-DOS compilers will work just fine on the Rainbow. Excepting Turbo Prolog which has the annoying (but potentially useful) windowing system built in. Turbo Pascal 3.01A is available for the Rainbow. MWC, MS-C, Lattice, Dsmet, and CI-C86 are all useable and good compilers (I am not here to debate which one is better). There are numerous languages which work fine on the Rainbow. Nearly every language from BASIC to XLisp run on the machine. If it's a PC package, it may need some help getting copied over to the Rainbow's disk format. As long as the disk is single-sided (good luck, these days), the Rainbow should read the IBM disk (you may have to go back to MS-DOS v2.05 for this...seems there's a bug with the disk driver in 2.11 and up. >Is the VEDIT editor any good? I'd like a powerful, extensible editor >for program source on the order of DEC's TPU. Any suggestions? I have not seen the VEDIT program on the Rainbow...cannot comment. Getting close to DEC's TPU is SEDT. SEDT is written by one of DEC's PC "gnomes" and is Excellent. It runs on VAXen, PCs, and Rainbows. KEDT is another excellent screen editor based on KED and EDT. DED is a third decent screen editor. All are public domain or shareware. > [long comment regarding my posting of DESK.ARC...deleted for space...see my next posting.] >Alan, if you are listening, where are you? >else I might try? I'd really like to get this running. > > Bob Haar > CSNET: HAAR@GMR > ARPA: HAAR%GMR@CSNET.RELAY > PHONE: (313) 986-1467 Well, Bob, that's a good question. I haven't been able to find myself for years. ;-). Need help, programming tips, software/hardware help, or just have simple questions, please post or e-mail me directly. I'll be happy to respond. Enjoy, Alan ================================================= alan i. vymetalik ------------------------------------------------- Prism Software Designs 646-1 Univesity Avenue Rochester, New York, 14607-1232 (716)-461-2446 ------------------------------------------------- Vice-Chairman Greater Rochester Area Local Users Group (GRALUG) Rainbow Special Interest Forum ------------------------------------------------- uucp: {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!iav1917 =================================================
klr@hadron.UUCP (Kurt L. Reisler) (11/11/86)
In article <5276@brl-smoke.ARPA> HAAR%RCSMPA%gmr.com@RELAY.CS.NET (RLH) writes: > >I have a newly acquired DEC Rainbow 100+ running MS-DOS 2.11. > >What is a good source of public domain software for this? I have >Kermit, but would like to find utilities analogous to the good >PD software that I am used to in the 8-bit CP/M world. I am >particularly looking for UUDECODE, UUENCODE, ARC, and disk utility >programs. If these don't exist in PD form, are there good >commerical versions? > Try calling either of the 2 Fido nodes listed in the .signature at the end of this response. Both are DEC Rainbow oriented FidoNet Nodes. > >Alan Vymetalik recently posted a UUENCODED ARC file of a desk-top utility >for Rainbow's, but I am having trouble with it. I cannot reach him >directly since he gave only a UUCP address. I can UUDECODE it on our >VAX/VMS host with no apparent problems (using the UUDECODE.PAS 10/15/86 >version by Erik Olson). When I try to access the ARC file result, I get >errors messages saying the file is not in ARC format. This happens both >with a VMS utility called VMSSWEEP that handles both ARC and LBR files, >and with a CP/M ARC program. I have used both of these to un-arc a number >of ARC files from the CP/M world, so I believe they work. Alan, if >you are listening, where are you? Anyone else, can you suggest anything >else I might try? I'd really like to get this running. > The ARChive of DESK that alan posted was trashed. I have a good copy available on 109/483 (Wash-A-RUG). The DESK program is IMPRESSIVE. > Thanks for any help you can give, > > Bob Haar > CSNET: HAAR@GMR > ARPA: HAAR%GMR@CSNET.RELAY > PHONE: (313) 986-1467 -- Kurt L. Reisler ============================================================================= UNISIG Chairman, DECUS US Chapter | Hadron, Inc. ..{seismo|sundc|rlgvax|dtix|decuac}!hadron!klr | 9990 Lee Highway Sysop, Fido 109/74 The Bear's Den (703) 671-0598 | Suite 481 Sysop, Fido 109/483 Wash-A-RUG (703) 359-6549 | Fairfax, VA 22030 =============================================================================