Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (06/26/91)
Info-IBMPC Digest Tue, 25 Jun 91 Volume 91 : Issue 164
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Bill Gates, in memo, warns of attack and defeat by rivals
Egghead's MS-DOS 5 Upgrade
Egghead software - my experience
In-Reply-To: Info-IBMPC Digest V91 #143
MSDOS 5.0 (2 msgs)
Only Temporary access to hard drives (4 msgs)
Software to double disk space
Password Protection at Boot Time
Today's Queries:
*SOUND BOARD*
noisy video card
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 20 Jun 91 17:12:41 GMT
From: reisert@mast.enet.dec.com (Jim Reisert)
Subject: Bill Gates, in memo, warns of attack and defeat by rivals
Microsoft - Gates, in memo, warns of attack and defeat by rivals
{The Wall Street Journal, 19-Jun-91, p. B8}
Mr. Gates' state of mind is evident in a memo he wrote in April to his top
executives in which he said that some of his worst fears were coming true:
"Our nightmare - IBM 'attacking' us in system software, Novell 'defeating' us
in networking and more agile, customer-oriented applications competitors
getting their Windows act together - is a reality." The memo was obtained by
the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, which quoted from it in a story published
in its editions yesterday. The authenticity of the memo was independently
confirmed by Microsoft. ... Though Mr. Gates publicly insists he still has
plans for OS/2, an alternative piece of the software that IBM and Microsoft
formally are jointly developing and Mr. Gates once heralded as the standard of
the future, he indicates he has relegated OS/2 to oblivion. "Our strategy for
the '90s is Windows - one evolving architecture, a couple of implementations.
Everything we do should focus on making Windows more successful," Mr. Gates
wrote, according to the San Jose Mercury News. That position angers IBM, which
paid Microsoft huge amounts of money over the years to lead OS/2 development.
Frustrated with Microsoft's stance, IBM began directly pushing OS/2. The split
has had unintended benefits, writes Mr. Gates, who complains that the
partnership with IBM forced Microsoft to accept "poor code, poor design and
other overhead." Ironically, in his memo, Mr. Gates instructs his senior staff
to refrain from publicly criticizing IBM, advising that they "not attack IBM
as a company, and even out public 'attacks' on [IBM's] OS/2 will be very
professional." Mr. Gates, known for playing hardball with both rivals and
allies alike, makes it clear that such restraint is self-serving. "Eventually
we need to have at least a neutral relationship with IBM," he writes. "For the
next 24 months it may be fairly cold. We can emerge as a better and stronger
company where people won't just say we are the standard because IBM chose us."
Among other observations, Mr. Gates writes:
-- Losing the legal battle with Apple Computer Inc., which is fighting in
court to prove Microsoft copied some key features of Apple's Macintosh
software for its own Windows program could be "disastrous."
-- The current Federal Trade Commission investigation into
allegations of unfair business practices by Microsoft "will use up even
more executive staff time than the Apple lawsuit has. However, I know
we don't get unfair advantages. I hope we can quickly educate the FTC
on our business."
-- Microsoft isn't doing an adequate job responding to customer
inquiries about its products. "The number of customers who get a bad
impression because of this must be in the millions world-wide."
"The opinions expressed here in no way represent the views of Digital
Equipment Corporation."
James J. Reisert Internet: reisert@mast.enet.dec.com
Digital Equipment Corp. UUCP: ...decwrl!mast.enet!reisert
146 Main Street Voice: 508-493-5747
Maynard, MA 01754 FAX: 508-493-0395
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 91 00:39:42 TUR
From: TSgt Frank Starr <fstarr%TACLG.AF.MIL@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Egghead's MS-DOS 5 Upgrade
I jumped on the bandwagon, called 1-800-EGGHEAD number, and made my
chargecard order. So long as you have the ability to pay, you can
answer the "questionaire" over the phone. (I can't say what they'd do
for FAX orders, but as easy as this is, I'm sure they could come up
with something amenable very easily).
The questionaire only has questions like the version of DOS you use
at work or at home, what type of PCs used, whether you use WINDOWS, and
perhaps two other questons along those lines. You could almost answer
them with your psyche tied behind your back [:+)].
That gets you the order at $39.95, with shipping and handling charges
extra (I forget the amount). From other notes posted here on PCTECH-L,
you can't use this copy unless you already have an earlier version of
DOS installed. So, I guess they figure that if you don't have DOS
installed, they firure there's nothing to loose.
They also have avvailable, and will willingly inform you, FUJI brand
blank diskettes (3 1/2 inch I know, both 720K and 1.4 meg. 5 1/4 inch
I'm not sure about). They also have a book from QUE corporation,
Upgrading to DOS 5 (can't remember the author). The book is around $10
I think, can't recall diskette prices. BUT, EGGHEAD will willingly
quote for you!
I've never bought from EGGHEAD, before. They do sell to the U.S.
Government & D.O.D, as well as industries and individuals. So, they're
not necessarily fly-by-night. Several others have bought >from them,
and I expect they will give ratings.
Frank Starr
fstarr@taclg.af.mil
The above are only my opinions, and not supported by anyone else in the
world, necessarily and unnecessarily, as far as culpability and the
like is concerned.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 18:38:00 EDT
From: "Kurt Schmidt" <KURT%TITAN%RTI.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Egghead software - my experience
> I've never bought from EGGHEAD, before. They do sell to the
>U.S. Government & D.O.D, as well as industries and individuals. So,
>they're not necessarily fly-by-night. Several others have bought
>from them, and I expect they will give ratings.
I have only one personal experience with Egghead Software, which
started bad but ended good. It is also a couple of years old...
I ordered Zortech compiler from them, through the phone and against a
credit card. It was suppoused to be shipped the same day as I sent
them the order, and it was suppoused to have been shipped by UPS second
day. The next day passed, and no compiler.
OK... I called them , no they did get the order... Yes, they did the
order, but they got it in the evening (I actually gave it to them
around 5 or 6 am - when their fax lines open). I had to complain to
one or two more people, but they said it would be shipped fer shur that
day (I was calling from East Coast, so this does make sense).
Well, next day passed, no compiler - this time it was shipped, but the
shipping company messed up - it claimed no one was home, but they did
not leave a message, and I happened to meet their courier and he had
nothing for me. I was pretty upset, since it was right before a four
day holiday.
Well, I did get the compiler right after the holiday and Egghead did
not charge me for shipping. I figure they messed up, but they did try
to do good. Talking to them I always feel it is a reliable place.
They have been in business a while, they are a large volume place, and
they try hard. There were reports last year or a year before that of
their upcoming demise, but it never happened. I guess I would buy from
them again (as a matter of fact, I am about to buy from them again
:-)).
Kurt
P.S. Don't use their fax - I had nothing but trouble from that and
heard same sentiments from others. Phone orders are much better/more
reliable, if speed counts.
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Internet: kurt@sybil.rti.org | Kurt Schmidt |
| Internet: kurt%sybil@rti.rti.org | Research Triangle Institute |
| Bitnet: KURT@RTI | Research Triangle Park, NC |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------+
| Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
By the way, if you think "so what's good about it?", I did deal with
companies (_not_ Eggehead) that promised shippment the same day, and
kept on promising it for weeks, every day, and would refuse refund or
cancellation. I had to ask my bank to shake their tree. That company
is out of business.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Jun 91 23:00:41 EST
From: "Kelvin Thompson" <KTHOMPSO@novell.business.uwo.ca>
Subject: In-Reply-To: Info-IBMPC Digest V91 #143
In IBMPC Digest V91 #143, RAMANUJAN
(RAMANUJAN%itivax.bitnet@uga.cc.uga.edu) requested c libraries for
writing communication applications using TCP/IP. I don't know how
much, if any, this will help, but there was a recent upload to the
SIMTEL20 system that references the TCP/IP:
PD1:[msdos.lan]
POPML210.ZIP 'POPMail:TCP/IP email, use Clarkson pkt drivers'
Might want to check it, and the directory, out. I know there are some
out there, I just cannot remember where I saw them! Try looking around
in (via FTP): GRAPE.ECS.CLARKSON.EDU ( \pub\msdos\etcetc)
CICA.CICA.INDIANA.EDU ( \pub\..........)
Hope some of that helps.
Kelvin Thompson (Internet:KTHOMPSO@NOVELL.BUSINESS.UWO.CA)
aka. "Storm"
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Jun 91 18:13:52 TUR
From: TSgt Frank Starr 55SRW/LGS DSN 271-3770 <fstarr%TACLG.AF.MIL@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: MSDOS 5.0
(forwarding comment)
--------------------------
Got the following message from "Doc Savage". Sounds good, to
me.
Frank Starr
--------------------------
(original message follows)
Even though its official release date wasn't to be until today, I
picked up my MSDOS 5.0 update yesterday. Egghead Software stores are
absolutely overflowing with them. The price is $59.95, but there's a
$20 "instant rebate" if you fill out one of their little marketing
questionairres. At $39.95 net, sales should be brisk.
What's it like? Well, imagine the large RAM space of DRDOS with none
of the compatibiltiy problems. In "barebones" configurations, it's
possible to have as much as 621K of free conventional memory (compared
to 565K for MSDOS 4.01 and 575K for MSDOS 3.3). In most real-world
setups, upgrading to MSDOS 5.0 will increase your available memory by
at least 50-55K.
How? Like Windows 3.0, the new DOS uses extended (vice expanded)
memory in wholesale chunks. Its "kernel" can actually run directly
>from the High Memory Area - that strange 64K of mostly extended RAM
with just a toe-hold on reality (its first 16 bytes are the last 16
bytes of conventional memory).
MSDOS 5.0 likes memory like my roses like manure. I've got 5.5M of
memory, split into 640K conventional and 4992K extended. Microsoft
recommends using a full 2048K for its SMARTDrive disk cache, along with
at least another 1024K for a RAMDrive for storing temporary files
created by Windows 3.0, etc. While neither is absolutely necessary for
MSDOS 5.0 to work, it'll work better in a system with at least 4M of
memory. If you have more, DOS won't use it, but Windows will!
If your system is tight on RAM, I highly recommend the Everex RAM 3000
Deluxe. It uses cheap ($1.50) 256Kx1 DRAM chips to provide up to 3M of
backfill, extended, or LIM 4.0 expanded memory. For power users
there's the RAM 8000. It uses 1Mx1 DRAM chips for up to 8M of the
same, but with extra LIM registers for multi-tasking and DMA
multi-tasking in harware. Both work fine in the venerable old Z-248.
They can be had from Nevada Computer Products (1-800-654-7762) for $99
and $199, plus RAM. Fully populated, their prices would be $261 and
$555. (Boy haven't things changed, RAM-wise, since 1988?!)
To pick up a copy of the MSDOS 5.0 upgrade (it installs on a system
with an already working DOS), beat feet to Egghead or call them at
1-800-EGGHEAD. Enjoy!
--Doc
Frank Starr
--------------------------
(original message follows)
Even though its official release date wasn't to be until today, I
picked up my MSDOS 5.0 update yesterday. Egghead Software stores are
absolutely overflowing with them. The price is $59.95, but there's a
$20 "instant rebate" if you fill out one of their little marketing
questionairres. At $39.95 net, sales should be brisk.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 91 00:48:31 TUR
From: TSgt Frank Starr 55SRW/LGS DSN 271-3770 <fstarr%TACLG.AF.MIL@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: MSDOS 5.0
(forwarding comment)
--------------------------
Here are some more comments from Doc Savage, comparing
MS-DOS 5 with DRDOS 5.
Frank Starr
fstarr@taclg.af.mil or
fstarr%taclg.af.mil@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil
--------------------------
(original message follows)
Frank,
There are a number of things that don't work with DRDOS. Nothing heart
stopping, mind you, but annoying enough to make MSDOS 5 very welcome.
One product that has trouble with DRDOS is Travelling Software's
DESKLINK. It seems to come up and run normally, but after exiting the
path display in a $p$g prompt gets doubled: C:\:\>. At this point I
normally reboot, lest a FAT entry gets doubled too!
Some of the MSDOS utilities check the running DOS version, and refuse
to run if they don't like what they see. When the ChkDOSVer function
is called under DRDOS, it returns "3.31". DEBUG for MSDOS 4.01 sees
that and aborts. At least that's what I think is happening. Anyway, I
never realized how dependent I'd become on DEBUG for examining files
for non-printing characters and poking in quick changes. The Digital
Research SID is a carry-over from CP/M 2.2 and a very different product
>from DEBUG. I never could figure out how to create script files for
SID that do the same kinds of things you can do with DEBUG. Digital
Research says it's easy. Bullfeathers.
I use Microsolutions' CompatiCard-IV for my primary floppy controller
and have two 1.2M 5" disks as A: and B:, plus two external 8" DS/DD
drives as D: and E:. When I try to format an 8" disk with the DRDOS
FORMAT utility, I get an "Invalid drive selected" error message.
Obviously there's something different about the way DRDOS handles
Interrupt 13. But, lo and behold, MSDOS 5.0's FORMAT displays the same
error message! Guess Dan Sweeney at MicroSolutions will have to take
the CompatiCard-IV's BIOS back to the garage for some work.
In a similar way, Windows 3.0 sometimes comes up under DRDOS totally
unaware of the floppy drives. Using the classic MSDOS interface rather
than the icon-based PROGMAN interface, the only disks that appear at
the top are C: and the RAM-drive F:. Obviously there's *something*
between C: and F:, but they're not displayed and therefore not
accessible. This is not an every-time problem, but it was unusual
enough to really stick in my mind.
There are probably lots more examples of incompatibilities. But
remember, until MSDOS 5.0 came out, DRDOS was the only way to get
*really* big user RAM spaces so we put up with a lot. We also kept an
MSDOS 4.01 boot disk handy for those times we had to run DEBUG, etc.
--Doc
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 19:30:56 EDT
From: Dan Newcombe <STDN%MARIST.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Only Temporary access to hard drives
Okay...
Here at work we have a problem with students playing games. Not that I
don't like games, but these people sit in front of the computers for
hours(15+) playing games. What I am looking for is a way to make it so
that the hard drive is more or less read only. So far the only way I
have come up with is to edit COMMAND.COM and remove the DEL, ERASE, and
COPY commands from it's internal command list. Is there an easier way
to do this or a program that will. Thanx
-Dan
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 19:56:01 EDT
From: Josh Vander Berg <k080093%HOBBES.KZOO.EDU@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Only Temporary access to hard drives
> Here at work we have a problem with geeks playing games. Not that I
> don't like games, but these people sit in front of the computers for
> hours(15+) playing games. What I am looking for is a way to make
> it so that the hard drive is more or less read only. So far the only
> way I have come up with is to edit COMMAND.COM and remove the
> DEL, ERASE, and COPY commands from it's internal command list. Is there
> an easier way to do this or a program that will. Thanx
>
I don't see how removing COPY from the interal command list will serve
any constructive purpose, for one it will interfer with people who
legitimately want to copy files, and for another, there are many
programs which allow people to copy files without using DOS commands
(DirMagic, Norton commander, windows, etc...) There is a program, I
saw it in our computer lab, which allows you to block any write access
to the hard disk. We had to remove it, because so many programs wrote
temporary files to disk, most of them were unusable. And the problem
with any such system, is that all a user has to do is boot from a
floppy, and the read-only program doesn't get installed. At our
computer lab we have resigned ourselves to a regular program of
cleaning the disks of games and other improperly saved files.
Josh Vander Berg (k080093@kzoo.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 20:45:52 EDT
From: Dan Newcombe <STDN%MARIST.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Only Temporary access to hard drives
Okay...I will expand my request now that I am not running back to Physics
I also thought about just removing the games daily...we have a program
to do that at every boot. But the people are deleteing other files from
the hard drive(.BGI drivers, .EXE's). You are right about removeing the
commands from COMMAND.COM, that would inconvenience computer USERS. I
guess we could set the files to READ ONLY. Also...It seems not many of
the gamers have DOS disks with them, but still... I think the READ
ONLY would be the best bet. Any other comments...?
-Dan
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 21:47:30 EDT
From: Josh Vander Berg <k080093%HOBBES.KZOO.EDU@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: Only Temporary access to hard drives
> Okay...I will expand my request now that I am not running back to Physics
> I also thought about just removing the games daily...we have a program
> to do that at every boot. But the people are deleteing other files from
> the hard drive(.BGI drivers, .EXE's). You are right about removeing the
> commands from COMMAND.COM, that would inconvenience computer USERS. I
> guess we could set the files to READ ONLY. Also...It seems not many of
> the gamers have DOS disks with them, but still... I think the READ ONLY
> would be the best bet. Any other comments...?
Well, i don't quite understand, are they deleting the files
maliciously, or accidentally. If it is on accident, then making them
read-only should suffice, but if they are doing it on purpose, they can
just change the file attributes and delete the files anyway. I think
this addresses a very basic problem with DOS machines, their tremendous
lack of security. If anybody out there knows of a comprehensive
security system for DOS that can help with problems like these, let me
know, i would be very interested to hear of it. A solution might be to
use some type of batchfile menu system to restrict access to DOS. Look
up Norton's BE(Batch Enhancer) it has enhancements which allow slick
menu systems to be made which allow user to select programs without
having to use DOS. This way, it makes it much easier for the novice
and the real users to use the computers, but keeps the gamers out of
DOS. But again, this can be thwarted by someone bringing in their own
DOS boot diskette, and it gets in the way of people who may have
legitimate uses for DOS.
Josh Vander Berg(k080093@kzoo.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 13:16 EDT
From: "KENT STATE UNIV., BSA LAB ASSISTANT" <BLABS586@ksuvxa.kent.edu>
Subject: Software to double disk space
A friend that I work with bought the Stacker program not too long
ago. He installed it on his dad's machine which has a 200MB SCSI
drive. He had some problems at first put they subsided and it work
fine... For a while.
Recently, he has been complaining about it's performance. Locking
up the computer on occasion (it's a 20 Mhz Sirex) and causing other
problems with Word Perfect 5.1, Coreldraw, Windows 3.0, and even their
tape backup.
I doubt this is what it's supposed to do and I doubt he fouled up
the installation of the package because he works on installing software
here where we are running a Novell 386 Network. He's very thorough too
so I think the manufacturer should think about a fix for the bugs in
it.
Welp, there's my two cents.
KKKK KKK SSSSSS UUU UUU Greg "TwoTone" Spiegelberg
KKKK KKK SSS SSS UUU UUU BSA Lab Assistant
KKKK KKK SSS UUU UUU Bitnet : BLABS586@KENTVMS
KKKK KKK SSS UUU UUU Internet: BLABS586@ksuvxa.kent.edu
KKKKKKK SSSSSS UUU UUU gspiegel@kentvax.kent.edu
KKKK KKK SSS UUU UUU Phone no. : (216) 672-3994
KKKK KKK SSS SSS UUU UUU FAX no. : (216) 672-2448
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 May 91 20:43:25 PDT
From: Kenneth J. Isacson <kji%knet@uunet.UU.NET>
Subject: Password Protection at Boot Time
Moshe Solow requested a suggestion in IBMPC Digest V91 regarding a
program that would allow a password protection program that ataches
itself to the boot or some part of the hard drive.
ProTec is such a program. I am not sure who sells it, but if more
information is needed, please let me know.
Ken
| Kenneth J Isacson originated from: kji@knet thru vpnet.chi.il.us |
| also known as Keeennn
| voice (708) 833-4207 email: kji@vpnet.chi.il.us
------------------------------
Subject: Today's Queries:
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 19:52:05 EDT
From: Michael Huynh <HUYNHT@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU>
Subject: *SOUND BOARD*
Greeting everyone...
I am in a middle of making a decision deciding which sound board is
best to buy. I am trying to compare between the SPECTRUM AUDIO SOUND
SYSTEM vs. SOUND BLASTER PRO. Anyone here knows anything about the
SPECTRUM BOARD?
Is there anything different comparing to THE SOUND BLASTER PRO coming
out sometime in July?
Any information or advice... will be appreciated... Thanksss in
advanced...
Chao, --Mike--
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 91 17:54:50 -0400
From: poulin@polar.bowdoin.edu (Jeff Poulin)
Subject: noisy video card
Anyone ever have a noisy video card? My Hercules card makes a constant
high-pitched hum when the computer has been on for a couple hours or
when the weather is hot. I have 2 HDs, 2 floppys, and 5 cards
installed on the motherboard. My power supply is 200W. If I unplug 3
cards or disable the second hard drive, the noise goes away. The video
card is 2 open slots away from the next card (it's on the far left in a
desktop 286) but it still gets pretty hot. Does anyone have a good way
to keep the computer cool so I can eliminate this noise?
Jeff Poulin
poulin@polar.bowdoin.edu
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest V91 #164
*********************************
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