Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (10/28/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sun, 28 Oct 90 Volume 90 : Issue 169
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
benchmarks of interest
Calendar Software
dBASE IV and the Unisys PW/2 Computer
Re: Hard Drive Saver?
VGA palette (2 msgs)
Re: WP 5.0 list
Today's Queries:
Floppy drive C:?
Looking for docimentation (Drivecard 20MB)
Power Supply & KardDisk
Word 5.0 / Panasonic KX 1180
New Uploads:
FIT10.ZIP - Intelligent copy - fill each floppy - mass cpy
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Date: 12 Oct 90 08:35:00 GMT+109:13
From: "V70D::HUNTRESS" <huntress%v70d.decnet@nusc-npt.navy.mil>
Subject: benchmarks of interest
I'm not much for benchmarks, but in the past few months, we've run a
huge number crunching program on several platforms. Here are the
results, you can decide which system is the most cost effective:
1) Decstation 3500 5 days
2) Cray XMP/28 22 hours
3) Vax 9000 11 hours
4) IBM RS/6000 11 hours!!!
OK, now for a couple of disclaimers. First, the code on the Cray was
not vectorized so that's raw scalar speed (when fully vectorized, the
program ran in about 2 minutes!). Second, for comparison purposes, all
systems were run in "single user" mode.
Now, think about this! The RS/6000 is a friendly little desktop system
(Oh, by the way, it was a base, not a fully decked out system) and it
held its own against DECs latest and greatest million dollar air
conditioned room filler!
Gary Huntress
Naval Underwater Systems Center
Newport RI
(401) 841-2274
HUNTRESS@NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL
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Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 12:10:14 -0400
From: david l sims <dsims@uceng.UC.EDU>
Subject: Calendar Software
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest you write:
>I'm looking for a Calendar program for MS-DOS which will allow me to
I occasionally use a program called YEARCAL that prints calendars to a
file, where each day is a box about 10 X 10 characters. I'm able to
write a few words in the space that I want. I find it useful and use it
once every two months or so. It's flexible (many different options) and
prints in one of about 30 languages.
I usually use WordPerfect to print the calendar after importing it.
I can e-mail it to you over the weekend if you're interested. Or
perhaps just the docs until you're *really* interested.
David Sims
dsims@uceng.uc.edu
------------------------------
Date: 12 Oct 90 07:42:00 EDT
From: "DAVID CHAPMAN" <zn0chapman@nardacva.navy.mil>
Subject: dBASE IV and the Unisys PW/2 Computer
Howdy! Here's something that our technical support folks report
concerning the DT III system. I won't editorialize on vendors and the
games they play with Uncle Sam...
" The UNISYS PC comes standard with a SCSI host adapter from SUMO
Corp. This does not work with dBASE IV version 1.1 (latest release).
The dBASE setup utility will execute correctly but the main program
will not. When the dBASE IV attempted to execute, the system began to
list the SCSI ID's repeatedly with continuous screen dumps to the
printer. To turn system back to normal, a warm boot (CTRL-ALT-DEL) was
required. The solution to the existing problem:
" 1)Remove the SUMO SCSI host adapter.
" 2)Install an Adaptec SCSI host adapter, CLIN #0005AB.
" 3)Now dBASE IV will run correctly and the user can run dBASE cache
utility in either extended or expanded memory.
"If a user plans to run dBASE IV on a UNISYS PC, they need to order
CLIN #0005AB for $75.00."
(Note on the above: the SUMO adapter has a questionable heritage; if
any of you DOD folks order the machine (and it IS a good deal), always
order the Adaptec. Or... forget dBASE IV and get a hold of Paradox (an
outstanding product...)
David Chapman, NARDAC Norfolk,
zn0chapman@nardacva.navy.mil)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 12:39:39 EDT
From: Peter Jones <MAINT%UQAM.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Re: Hard Drive Saver?
On Mon, 24 Sep 90 10:52:20 CDT, Tony Phillips <S102066@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU>
asked about a Hard Drive Saver (Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #157). The
following is submitted:
>>Date: Mon Sep 17 12:06:03 1990
>>From: guhsd000@crash.cts.com (Paula Ferris)
>>
>>Is there such a beast as a hard drive saver? A small TSR that can kick
>>in and set a bit (or something) low to disable the motor in the hard
>>drive?
>
The NEC Prospeed has this feature, too. The shutdown delay can be
modified by the user, or the disk can be kept spinning all the time.
Peter Jones (514)-987-3542
Internet:Peter Jones <MAINT%UQAM.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
UUCP: ...psuvax1!uqam.bitnet!maint
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 08:54:05 CST
From: Brian Piersel <S1CH%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: VGA palette
>From: "Brian M. Gottier" <bg0v+@andrew.cmu.edu>
>Subject: VGA palette "blues"
>All references to 0xff should be 0x00 for black. The problem still
>persists though. Setting the rgb values to 0x00 for color 14 does
>not change areas of the screen drawn in color 14 to black.
I think I see your problem. If you are using a 16-color mode, it works
a bit differently. There are actually two sets of registers. In the
docs I have, it calls one set of 16 registers the palette registers,
and another set of 256 registers is called the DAC registers. I assume
you are setting the DAC registers, since you refer to setting 6 bits
each for red, green, and blue.
The problem is this: for any color (take 14 for example) is mapped to a
DAC register through the palette reigsters. So, what this means is that
you must look in the palette register #14 to see what DAC register to
set. Alternatively, you could simply set the palette registers to
contain 0-15, so they map directly to the DAC registers.
If you need more explanation, let me know.
Brian Piersel
BITNET: S1CH@SDSUMUS ICBM: 96.50W 44.20N
BITNET: SBPK09@SDNET
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 09:17:43 PDT
From: bmarsh%nemo.nosc.mil@nosc.mil (Bill Marsh)
Subject: VGA palette "blues"
The problem you are describing occurs in 16 color mode in the VGA
because of a design decision in the VGA. To emulate the EGA, the VGA
(while in 16 color mode) runs the four bits from display memory into
the 'attribute controller' (just like in the EGA) and then those 6 bits
are sent to the palette chip. If you look closely at the BIOS
functions, you will notice two sets of calls, those affecting the
attributes (also on the EGA) and those affecting the palette (New on
the VGA). These calls only talk to one of the two stages.
The problem you are seeing is that the numbers in the attribute
controller are changing the 'color 14' into something different! The
default palette for the VGA (and EGA) are basically 1-1 for colors 0-7,
but then they get 'weird' for the higher numbered colors (Setting the
intensity bits in EGA).
So, there are two solutions: Read the entry in the attribute
controller to get the actuall palette register to modify, or, preset
the attribute controller registers for 0-15 and then just update the
palette register you want.
> By the way, if I set the color
>by just setting color 14 to 0 (with the setpalette function in Turbo C
>or the equivalent BIOS call) the areas which have color 14 do indeed
>display in black.
Probably, Turbo C's function is reading the attribute controller before
updating the palette register.
Bill
Bill Marsh, Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA
{arpa,mil}net: bmarsh@cod.nosc.mil
uucp: {ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!nosc!bmarsh
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 11:35 EDT
From: "David L. Phillips 814-863-0885" <PZ2@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: WP 5.0 list
There was a question about a WordPerfect list. There is one. It shows
up on our system as Newsgroup bit.listserv.wp50-l. I can't tell you
how to subscribe directly but it obviously is available on the Internet
(or at least on BITnet).
[You can subscribe by sending a message to LISTSERV@UBVM.bitnet with the
contents
SUBSCRIBE wp50-l John C. Doe
If you want to get OFF the list, send a
SIGNOFF WP50-L
message instead.
gph]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 07:31:56 EDT
From: lazear@gateway.mitre.org
Subject: Floppy drive C:?
I have an odd configuration question. What would make my vintage 1984
IBM PC think there were 3 floppy drives? I have two floppy drives and
a Herculese board and a Techmar "Captain" board. When I boot anything
from DOS 3.0 to DOS 3.3 (don't have any other versions), accesses to
drive C: give error messages relating to floppy drives. When I added a
KardDisk, it would only be recognized as D:. This machine is new to
me, so I've never seen it boot otherwise.
Walt Lazear
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 08:00:00 EDT
From: Marc TARDIF <S004%HECMTL01.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Looking for docimentation (Drivecard 20MB)
I need your help to find the documentation of MOUNTAIN 20MB
DRIVECARD.
I have an user here who got this card few years ago but he
never installed it. We tried to installed it in a IBM PC (old one)
without success. There's several jumpers on the card.
If someone have the documentation for this device, please
contact me for help.
Thanks!
Marc.
MARC TARDIF
Ecole des HAUTES ETUDES COMMERCIALES
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
CANADA H3T 1V6
Phone: (514) 340-6066
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 07:35:59 EDT
From: lazear@gateway.mitre.org
Subject: Power Supply & KardDisk
My recently purchased KardDisk-30 recommends a power supply of over 90
watts, but my vintage 1984 IBM PC only has 63. Things seem to work
right, but is there danger lurking just over the horizon? Should I
spring for the extra $50 for a new 120w supply? Once in a while it
takes two power-ons to recognize the hard disk for booting, but
otherwise, all's normal.
Walt Lazear
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 90 08:59:10 PDT
From: Bob Hardy <hardy@lucid.com>
Subject: Word 5.0 / Panasonic KX 1180
I would expect that Word (I am also not a user!) would support either
the Epson FX-86e/FX-800 or the IBM Proprinter II. These two emulation
modes are available from the KX-P1180 (I AM a user!) via the DIP switch
SW1 (inside the front compartment, near the print head), OFF = Epson,
ON = IBM. Perhaps the student should RTFM! This stuff is in the
manual, pg. 2-12 - 2-14.
If you can find out what Epson or Proprinter support is provided in
Word 5.0, perhaps I can be of more help. For the basic functions, I
would think the Epson emulation mode would provide an "easy hit",
although it might not work with ALL the functionality that Word may
support.
This is a good printer for the money. I use it very happily with all
manner of software in the Epson mode. It sounds to me as though the
problem probably lies not in the printer or in Word, but in the dealer!
Bob Hardy, Scientist; Lucid, Inc., 707 Laurel St., Menlo Park CA 94025
Net (ARPA): hardy@LUCID.COM (UUCP): ...!sun!edsel!hardy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 90 09:05:28 TUR
From: Turgut Kalfaoglu <TURGUT%TREARN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: FIT10.ZIP - Intelligent copy - fill each floppy - mass cpy
I have uploaded to SIMTEL20:
pd1:<msdos.dskutl>
FIT10.ZIP Intelligent copy - fill each floppy - mass cpy
FIT is a small utility that copies multiple files from a given file
spec, ensuring that it puts as many files as possible on each diskette,
and pausing between diskette changes.
So, you can copy a whole bunch of files from one diskette or hard disk
onto diskettes, using the least number of diskettes.
I don't know if this has been done before, but it seemed like a nice
challenge last night :) Regards, -turgut
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #169
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