Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (05/03/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Wed, 2 May 90 Volume 90 : Issue 79
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
1.44 Mb floppy problem (2 msgs)
Aborting a Hung Program
High Resolution Laser Print
Re: Hypertext products
Lots of Seeds for a Random Number Generator
Response to Request for Graphics chips for MX-80
PC Magazine vol 7, no 4
Today's Queries:
1.44 MB floppy on 1.2MB drive
About the source code of LHARC
Floppy disk drive jumpering
PC Virus Checkers
SCSI controllers for PCs
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Date: Mon, 30 Apr 90 13:54 GMT
From: OVERDIJK%ECN.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: 1.44 Mb floppy problem
Dear Tony,
Excuse me for the late response, but I received the INFO-IBMPC digest
V90 #71 containing your question on april 27th !. You had the
following question:
> I recently brought a 386 machine equiped with 3 1/2" 1.44 M floop drive and
> encounter the following problem. I use IBM PS/2 machine at office and usually
> use double side double disks and format them as 1.44 M disks. It works fine
> and has no problem. However, when I bring my disks home, the machine cannot
> read the disks and give the famous "Retry, Abort, Fail" message. My machine
> can't even format 2-DD disks as 1.44 M format.
I think your 386 machine at home is not a REAL IBM machine but a clone.
Normally HD 3.5 " diskettes have a 'High Density' notch (just like the
read/write notch). 'Normal' 3.5 " diskettes don't carry such a notch.
The fact is that the 3.5" drives in REAL IBM-systems doesn't check this
notch and other (clone 3.5" drives) do... You can only read the 1.44 Mb
+--------------+ formatted diskettes on your system if you drill
! * x ! (or melt) a hole at place marked '*' in the
! ! diskette like in the figure. Of course you must
! ! do it VERY carefull especially when you have
! +------+ ! data on the diskette !!!
! ! ! !
+---!------!---+ 'x' marks the read/write notch
I think I have answered all your questions. Hoped I helped you.
Greetings,
Harrie Overdijk BITNET/EARN : ESU0001@HPEENR51
ECN - Petten Internet : OVERDIJK@ECN.NL
Holland Noisenet : ++31-2246-2497
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 90 11:03:19 EST
From: "Jason P. Meyers" <JPMEYERS%MTUS5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: 1.44 MB format problem
You have just discovered one of the minute differences between a true
IBM and a compatible. There are basically two types of 3.5 in. disks:
2S2D and 2SHD. You are trying to use the 2S2D as a 2SHD. One of the
differences between the two disks is that the 2SHD disks have a second
notch cut out on the opposite side from the write protect notch. The
problem in using 2S2D disks in the 1.44 MB format is that a high
density drive expects to see the second notch. The true IBMs don't
look for the second notch and therefore you have no problem formating a
2S2D disk in 1.44 MB format. You can try to make a second notch using
a soldering iron; however, I have found out that it isn't worth the
time and effort becuase the 2S2D disks usually end up not to be fully
reliable after you make the modification.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 90 08:10:22 +0200
From: Andr'e PIRARD <PIRARD%BLIULG11.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: aborting a hung program
Just to point out that if one runs DESQview, Ctrl-Alt-Delete works in
all cases to the effect of aborting the foreground application. It's
just one of the DV goodies.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 14:12:59 -0500
From: DXCOD%WIDENER.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: High Resolution Laser Print
In response to the person wanting high resolution print on a laser
printer:
There is a company called LaserMaster Corporation
7156 Shady Oak Road
Eden Prarie, Minnesota 55344
They sell a controller board that (depending on the model of board)
prints 400 X 400; 600 X 600; or 800 X 800 on your HP Laserjet. They
also have their own 1000 X 1000 printer. Costs range from $2195(us) for
400 X 400 to $4495(us) for the 800 X 800. The 1000 X 1000 is $7495.
These are all prices out of the trade mags. I haven't been able to
actaully try one of the controllers but hope to in the next fiscal
year. They might be worth a try.
Phone number - (612) 944-9330
(I have no vested interest in this or any similar company except to
suit my needs)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 11:11:15 CST
From: Bill Hayes <IANR012%UNLVM.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Re: Hypertext products
Guide 3.0 is an excellent product. Like Hypercard it has a scripting
language which is quite powerful. Or you can use menus to build an
application file, called a guideline. Unlike Hypercard, you can ship
read only versions of your guidelines for use with a program called
Guide Reader. This keeps your guidelines safe from modification.
However, those of us who have been working with Guide 2.0 have
discovered that because of the many user-requested enhancements some of
our guidelines must be rewritten. The one galling difference visited
upon us is the tendency of reference points to scroll text to the top
of a frame. Formerly a reference button would merely present the frame
in which the reference point existed. Still, Guide 3.0 is well worth
the time and money.
We plan to ship two major hypertext works (beef and pork myology) this
summer. I feel this is the beginning of an outpouring of hypertext
reference works from a number of universities. The applications are
staggering. How about a hypertext catalog of the Hubble Space
Telescope's discoveries, or an annotated Paradise Lost? How about a
hypermedia software user's manual, one that's not written in
doublespeak, that is.
Bill Hayes
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
------------------------------
Date: 04/26/90 15:14:02 GMT+1
From: TD12%DDAGSI3.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Lots of Seeds for a Random Number Generator
In issue #70 Phil Rothman <ROTHMAN@ACFCLUSTER.NYU.EDU> writes:
> I want to call a "Numerical Recipes" random generator an arbitrary
> number of times in a program, and I don't want to force the user to
> supply it a seed value with each call. How can I solve this problem in
> a fortran program on p.c.?
Well, a random number generator is initialized with a seed value ONCE
for each quasi random sequence. If you reinitialize it in each call,
you MISUSE the generator and your random number sequence will be much
less "random" (if you use a decent random number generator). As is
spelled out in "Numerical Recipes", the second volume of Don Knuth's
"The Art of Computer Programming" is THE source for information on this
topic.
The practice of using the system time as a seed value is questionable:
a) the program can't be debugged if the bug depends on the seed
value.
b) contrary to common sense, the additional "randomizing" by using
the system time as seed value does NOT improve the generated sequence
:-).
In the last year one particular generator has become a sort of standard
for scientific applications: RANMAR() by George Marsaglia. It's of the
Fibonacci type, passes all tests and has an incredible period. As far
as I know, it is available from SIMTEL as <MSDOS.FORTRAN>random.arc,
but I'm not sure about that.
I guess one option is to use the p.c. system clock. If you know how
> to get the time from the system clock in fortran on a p.c., please let
> me know.
Microsoft Fortran (at least 4.1+) comes with a gettime() function.
Regards,
-Thorsten
Thorsten Ohl
e-mail: td12@ddagsi3.bitnet
snail-mail: Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr.9,
D-6100 Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany
phone: +49-6151-(163472:45223)
------------------------------
Date: Wed Apr 25 21:33:46 1990
From: joeloda@aicchi.chi.aic.com (Joe Loda)
Subject: Response to Request for Graphics chips for MX-80
There exists a company called Dresselhaus Computer Products which sells
a chip upgrade for MX-80's called Dots-Perfect. It gives you the
graphics capabilities as well as near letter quality printing plus some
other nice features that are controllable from the front panel. Can't
find my information on them (I own an MX-80 and have Dots-Perfect
installed), but you should be able to get their number from a computer
magazine, 800 information or regular information (they are in
California somewhere).
Joe.
Joe Loda *** Analysts International (AiC), Chicago Branch
Net: joeloda@aicchi.chi.aic.com GEnie: J.LODA
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 12:24 EDT
From: <HARRIS%CTSTATEU.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: PC Magazine vol 7, no 4
This issue of PC Magazine exists, at least in my bookcase. Can I help
anyone with any particular information from it?
Ed <HARRIS%CTSTATEU.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
------------------------------
Date: 26 Apr 90 13:25:00 EST
From: "NRL::HERMAN" <herman%nrl.decnet@nrl3.arpa>
Subject: 1.44 MB floppy on 1.2MB drive
I have an 8 Mhz IBM AT model 339. I am trying to connect a 1.44 MB
3.5" floppy drive to the disk controller that was supplied with the AT.
The best I have been able to acomplish is, the AT thinks it is a 1.2 M
byte drive. This was accomplished using the driver.sys file supplied
with DOS.
I have been informed of 2 possible software solutions to this problem:
1. a utility program that will allow me to set up the 1.44 M byte as a
type 4 drive
2. a software device driver called DASDDRVR.SYS.
I have not been able to obtain software to implement either of these
solutions. If anyone can help me implement this configuration, I would
appreciate it.
Charles Herman
herman@cmvax.nrl.navy.mil
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 90 16:22 U
From: <7834510%TWNCTU01.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: About the source code of LHARC
Hello,there:
I've heard that the source code of LHARC has been open for
anyone. Would anyone tell me where to fetch it ?
Thanx a lot.
Bitnet Address: 7834510@twnctu01.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 17:34:45 IST
From: "Jacques J. Goldberg" <PHR00JG%TECHNION.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu>
Subject: Floppy disk drive jumpering
Does anybody know which jumpers are supposed to be installed on a TEAC
FD-55-F 5.25" drive, in addition to the obvious drive number
selection?
Somebody has fooled the jumpers on my drive. The complete list is:
isolated PM
row 1 HS DS0 DS1 HM DS2 DS3 MX
row 2 UR ML IU HL SM U0 U1 RE
(the TEAC FD-55-F is a 96tpi, 80 tracks, DSDD unit).
THANKS.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 17:42:20 PDT
From: shahryar@sutro.SFSU.EDU (Persian Nightmare)
Subject: PC Virus Checkers
Hello all,
I am looking for a listing of all known PC Virus Checkers, there
manufactures and how reliable they are. If anyone knows of this,
please send e-mail to <shahryar@sutro.sfsu.edu>.
Thank you,
Shahryar
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 90 15:48:44 BST
From: David Tock <dit%kc.aberdeen.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK>
Subject: SCSI controllers for PCs
Perhaps someone can explain the difference in cost between the Western
Digital ST02 SCSI controller and the majority of other SCSI controllers
which cost typically 10 times as much.
Someone might be throwing a SCSI drive in my direction, and I could
afford the ST01, but can not afford the more expensive type.
What does the ST01 lack? Speed? Functionality? Performance? Does it
work?
Many thanks for any info or pointers thereto.
David Tock
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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