Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (12/28/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Thu, 28 Dec 89 Volume 89 : Issue 125
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
Adding 5.25" External Drives to PS/2 Model 30s
Dental Office Automation Package
Hypertext for the PC DOS environment
Bug(?) in Microsoft's Quick-C (Version 1.01) loop optimizer
Defining Keys with MS-Kermit
Norton on 4.01
Telix
Zmodem for VM/CMS - Not Likely ...
Today's Queries:
1MegaByte RAM on a IBM-PC/XT
Digital LN03 and Wordperfect 5.0
external 5" floppy on Zenith SuperSport-286
Documentation on RS-232 Interface desired
Printer Driver for Mitsubishi Color Printer/Plotter wanted
Lotus 1-2-3 v2.1 - Format of .WK1 file
UniPlex Word Processing Package info wanted
Where is XXENCODE.ARC?
New programs:
EM87-V11.ARC - 8087 math coprocessor emulator for AT or 386
The Lending Library is available from: WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see
file PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>AAAREAD.ME details on file directories
and descriptions.)
Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available from
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue Dec 19 13:30:12 GMT 1989
From: Mike O'Carroll <lena!mike@relay.EU.net>
Subject: Adding 5.25" External Drives to PS/2 Model 30s
> I have two questions on adding a 5.25" external drive to each of the two
> PS/2 model 30.
We solved the reverse problem in adding a combined tape streamer/floppy
interface to a PC/AT. This was done by means of a special cable made by
Christie, and put in place of the normal drive B: cable. A switch on the
back plate allows you to switch between the internal drive and the
external socket.
Whether they do the same thing for the PS/2 30, I don't know.
Mike O'Carroll, Microsystems Unit, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
E-mail: @ukc.ac.uk:mike@ee.leeds.ac.uk
UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!lena!mike or mike@lena.uucp
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 16:22:42 EST
From: Peter Jones <MAINT%UQAM.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: Dental Office Automation Package
On Mon, 4 Dec 89 15:22:13 mez, cgch!bpistr@relay.EU.net said:
>
> Does anyone have any information on
>office automation type systems for medical
>offices, particularly a dental practice.
My dentist uses a turnkey system from:
EXAN Quebec
7750 Henri-Bourassa Ouest
Suite 102
Ville ST Laurent
H4S 1W3
Company Rep: Jean-Pierre Germain
Telephone: (514)-333-1033
Peter Jones MAINT@UQAM (514)-987-3542
"Life's too short to try and fill up every minute of it" :-)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 89 23:21:26 GVA
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Date: 18 Dec 89 14:18:02 gmt
From: N.Mooljee@EDINBURGH.AC.UK
Subject: re-transmission
To: ibmpc-l@CEARN
Message-ID: <18 Dec 89 14:18:02 gmt 010173@EMAS-A>
Would it be possible for you to resend the last 9 messages .
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 89 19:38:38 EST
From: Curt Priest <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Hypertext for the PC DOS environment
A recent inquiry asked about hypertext for the IBM PC (in contrast with
the Macintosh World).
My close friend and colleague, Kirt Olson of the Harvard Group has
maintained a close interest in this area and volunteered a reply. [Kirt
Olson, P.O. Box 667K, Harvard, MA 01451 (508-456-8678)].
Hypertexts for the IBM PC
Telephone numbers are given for calls originating in USA Locations in
USA unless country is specified
COMMERCIAL--run under DOS on PC's unless noted (shareware below)
NAME COMPANY LOCATION TELEPHONE
Unannounced, Asymetrix, Bellevue, WA [Windows]
Office 206-462-0501
Architect, Hyperdoc, Inc., San Jose, CA
408-978-2042
Descartes, Echelon Development Corp., Burlington, MA [Windows]
Office 617-229-2740
DynaDoc, Maxthink, Kensington, CA [Word Perfect Library/Office]
Office 415-540-5508
BBS 415-540-6114
Guide, Owl International, Bellevue, WA
800-344-9737
206-747-3203
Help! Development Kit, Flambeaux Software, Glendale, CA
Office 818-500-0044
Orders 800-833-7355 x 1233
in CA 800-358-4477 x 1233
HyPlus, MaxThink, Kensington, CA
Office 415-540-5508
BBS 415-540-6114
Hyperpad, Brightbill-Roberts, Syracuse, NY
Office 315-474-3400
BBS 315-472-1058
Hyperties, Cognetics Corporation, Princeton Junction, NJ
Office 609-799-5005
Plus, Spinnaker Software, Cambridge, MA [Windows, OS/2]
Office 617-494-1200
Utopia codename, Soft Image Systems, Ltd, London, England, W1R 9PN
44-1-629-6976
800-525-2809
Windowbook, The Box Company, Cambridge, MA
617-576-0892
COMMERCIAL--Combined with expert system, need AT or better
First Class HT, First Class Expert Systems, Inc, Wayland, MA
Knowledge Pro, Knowledge Garden, Nassau, NY
518-766-3000
SHAREWARE--All run under DOS on PC/XT/AT
Black Magic, NTERGAID, Fairfield, CT
Office 203-360-0632
BBS 203-366-5698
HyperRez, MaxThink, Kensington, CA
Office 415-540-5508
BBS 415-540-6114
Hypershell, Text Technology, Cheshire, England SK10 3DE
PC-Browse, Quicksoft, Inc., Seattle, WA
206-282-0452
800-888-8088
PC-Hypertext, MaxThink, Kensington, CA
Office 415-540-5508
BBS 415-540-6114
On PC's, hypertext suffers from two big barriers. First, there
are five display systems: MDA, Herc, CGA, EGA, and VGA. Second, no program
is universal in the way that all Macs have Hypercard.
All display systems can create the 255 symbols of IBM's extended
ASCII set, providing character graphics. All displays can control
attributes (bright, normal, inverse, blink, and underline) of each of 2000
characters in an 80x25 screen. Screens with attributes other than normal
text use a non-ASCII file format. ASCII files and text-mode screen files
are universal but not interchangeable. If the screen shows diagonal lines
or curves, it uses another adaptor-specific format. That's a barrier to
full graphics. (VGA and EGA cards can emulate the lower modes, but
graphics created in EGA mode need another program to be translated to,
say, Hercules.)
Because no program defines a standard for PC hypertext, files for
different systems lack the interchangeability of Hypercard stacks.
Programs using ASCII text files with a royalty-free reader come closest to
being universal. Every PC can make and read such files and there is no
cost barrier to getting the reader. Although the ASCII files can be
interchanged among systems, the link markers may need changing and the
user interfaces of readers differ.
Implementations vary dramatically, from the basic text-link-only
capability of HyperRez to multi-media capabilities. Hyperpad is designed
to be very like HyperCard, but character-based. Others implement various
visions of what hypertext should be.
IBM has four entries: Audio Visual Connection (AVC) is a
multiimedia package, OS/2 v. 1.2 contains the BOCA Help Manager built-in,
Info Window supports a touch screen and videodisc interface on the PS/2
and there's a product called Linkways. All the application products are
in the education market. Call your local IBM marketing office or dealer
for information.
Guide and Plus are available on both PC's and Macs and both have
file converters for Mac/PC readability of their own files. Plus can
translate HyperCard files on the Mac, then any supported system can
exchange Plus files. Descartes can read the Mac HyperCard stack code
directly, but you must rewrite any XCMDS or XFCNS for the equivalent act
on the PC.
Coming from the HyperCard experience, expect these differences:
Authoring, reading and interactive reading are split in some packages.
Text, graphics, and sound are not always integrated. Some systems can
jump to, but not from, graphics. Not all systems can execute DOS
commands. Some systems (including HyperRez and Help!) can pop up over
other applications. Many systems lack a graphical browser. Many systems
cannot maintain an independent sense of sequence (earlier, later or
previous, next) among nodes so first and last become undefinable concepts.
All five shareware products are worth examining. You can build
usable systems in every one, but they differ. Each comes with sample
applications and documentation so you can develop insights into what's
possible. MaxThink's BBS is a good source for examples of the free
systems, HyperRez and PC-Hypertext.
------------------------------
Date: Mon Dec 18 19:04:57 1989
From: microsoft!toddw@beaver.cs.washington.edu
Subject: Bug(?) in Microsoft's Quick-C (Version 1.01) loop optimizer
In Info-IBMPC Digest, V89 #115, Guy Sirton described what he thought was a
bug in MicroSoft QuickC V1.01 when using the -Ox (really -Ol switch):
|From: Guy Sirton <MLSIRTON%WEIZMANN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
|
|While working on a project, some piece of C code started giving me
|problems. [...] The code was compiled with QCL's /Ox option and
|switching to /Od cured the problem. Further attempts narrowed the
|problem to the /Ol switch. Experimenting with Microsoft's C 5.1
|generated CORRECT code with /Ox. [...]
The code compiles and runs correctly -Ox using QuickC 2.0, which is the
current version of Microsoft QuickC.
Microsoft posts the bug lists for the optimizing compiler on the
compuserve and GEnie networks on our appropriate forums.
In addition, if a user finds a new unique and verifyable bug in the
compiler, that user is eligible for a free upgrade to the next version of
Microsoft C. For a bug to be verifyable, we need the source, compile
options and complete description of host environment to reproduce the
problem.
Thanks.
Todd Warren
Program Manager-Microsoft C
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 89 20:13 MDT
From: Joe Doupnik <JRD@cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Defining Keys with MS-Kermit
Two small MS Kermit items appeard in the latest batch of this
Digest and maybe I can help with them. First a person remarked that the
Enter key on his XT could not be defined separately from the keypad Enter
key. That's true for many XT's which have a Bios reporting them to be
exactly the same key. My Zenith 150 does this.
Second, a person desired to turn off Kermit's error checking
because he had error checking modems on the wire. There is no way of
turning off Kermit's error checking and it would not be wise in any case.
First, the error checking in MS Kermit is so fast as to not use measurable
time (but that's not the case on non-DOS systems).
Secondly, one wants end to end checks, not just part way through a modem
to the same on the other side.
For example, if one PC were to lose a character due to cpu competition
with disk or other factors the modems would notice nothing wrong (and from
their perspective everything would be fine).
Flow control is another area where end to end control really makes a
difference. The whole business of protocols and packet construction is
built around the concept that things can and will go wrong in subtle ways,
and the details are present to cope without making false conclusions or
storing bad data.
Nothing is perfect, but bureaucracy wins this battle. If you think that
this is still overkill then imagine what might happen if the RS232 plug
came loose on that modem, or the disk filled up, or other things outside
the scope of modems.
Joe D.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 89 16:40:22 pst
From: Danny Low <dlow@hpspcoi.hp.com>
Subject: Norton on 4.01
CHUCKM%UCRVMS.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU wrote describing a bug with Norton Utilities V4.5:
Version 4.5 of the Norton Utilities will work on DOS 4.01. There is still
a potential problem. It is possible to create enough files or directories
to overflow internal counters in the utilities. Fortunately the numbers
are rather large and should not affect most users.
Danny Low
"Question Authority and the Authorities will question You"
Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley
HP SPCD dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com ...!hplabs!hpspcoi!dlow
[As described in a late 1988 issue of PC Magazine there IS a bug in V4.5
in that V4.5 MAY not do the right things only when used with IBM PC DOS
4.0 (or higher)! I forget exactly what the symptoms are to determine if
the bug is present. An upgrade to fix the bug is free.
Write a note to Peter Norton Computing, Inc., 100 Wilshire Boulevard, 9th
Floor, Santa Monica CA 90401.
Tell them you'd like the upgrade that fixes the DOS 4.0X bugs. I
requested the fix at the same time I registered my V4.5 with them. You'll
get back one self-extracting archive on an appropriately sized diskette
with instructions. Turnaround time when I requested the upgrade from my
home here in Korea was approximately 13 days. (Means no time was lost
trying to find the bug or disputing my claim...) gph]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 14:23:12 CDT
From: Brian Piersel <SPBK09%SDNET.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Norton Utilities for DOS 4.x
Advanced Norton Utilities 4.5 (I think...the latest version, whatever it
is) works fine with DOS 4.0. Older versions of Norton Utilities don't seem
to work, however. Just upgrade to the latest version.
- Brian Piersel
BITNET: SPBK09@SDNET
Internet: SPBK09%SDNET.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU
------------------------------
Date: 19 Dec 89 08:33:00 EDT
From: "CMSGT LARRY KELLY" <kellyl@gw2.hanscom.af.mil>
Subject: Telix
My version of Telix is 3.11. I haven't heard of a newer version. The
documentation contains a registration form ( $35.00 / $44.00 (CAN) ), Mail
to: EXIS Inc, PO Box 130, West Hill, ONT, M1E 4R4, Canada. There is a
BBS: (416) 439-8293.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 07:58 EST
From: "Cameron Caffee : W300F-2 : 222-6278" <CAFFEEC%sdi.polaroid.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Zmodem for VM/CMS - Not Likely ...
There is a basic problem implementing Zmodem or any of its predecessors
(Xmodem, Ymodem, etc.) on a traditional IBM operating environment (VM/MVS):
IBM gives only limited support to ASCII communications. Anytime they have,
its been only via a 7 bit + parity bit data connection. This presents the
developers of file transfer software with the obvious problem of pushing 8
bits of information through a 7 bit pipe. They all do this using a variety
of techniques but the goal is the same.
Z, X, and Y modem are all 8 bit file transfer protocols, unlikely to be
implemented in a traditional IBM environment.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 11:02:44 SET
From: Johan Berteloot <JBERTELO%RKC.UFSIA.AC.BE@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: 1MegaByte RAM on a IBM-PC/XT
I happen to have a museum computer system: a "real" XT-clone (whatever
real might mean in this context) and I recently discovered that it has
1 MegaByte RAM chips on its motherboard. I use MS-DOS 3.20.
Is there some way to use the newdiscovered 384Kb? Perhaps as extended
memory for a large spreadsheet or as a Ramdrive? How can I do that?
Any suggestions are welcome and I thank you in advance.
Johan
P.S. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Computer Center University of Antwerp | Any solution to a problem
JBERTELO@BANUFS11.BITNET | is a new problem
| Goethe
User support department |
------------------------------
Date: 18 Dec 89 16:46:02 GMT
From: mttpk@dnlunx.pttrnl.nl (Binsbergen G.van)
Subject: Digital LN03 and Wordperfect 5.0
I am looking for a printer driver for the LN03. It should support the
features of the PLUS-version, i.e. the TIMES-fonts. The Wordperfect Corp
only supports the fonts Courier and Elite.
Info on how to install such a printer with the PTR-program is also useful.
Thanks!
Harry Van Binsbergen,
PTT Research, Neherlabs, Holland.
[ Please respond via Email: G_vBinsbergen@pttrnl.nl ]
[ UUCP: ..!hp4nl!dnlunx!harryb ]
[ BITnet: MTTPK@HLSDNL5 ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 13:22:12 EST
From: Don Malpass <malpass@ll-vlsi.arpa>
Subject: external 5" floppy on Zenith SuperSport-286
Has anyone with a Zenith SuperSport-286 laptop connected its External Disk
Drive Connector to a 5 1/4 inch drive and made it work? If not, can you
suggest the right person at ZDS (are they still doing customer support now
that they were sold off?) for me to call? (Z-100 readers may stop with
that question or read on if curious.)
I tried this hookup last night, and although the motor spins, the drive
LED never comes on, and the software times out with the typical
abort-retry msg. I've done this trick successfully from my Sharp laptop,
(different pinout, naturally) so it can be done, so the fault is not with
the drive, and I think I must therefore know how to fudge the drive-select
signals. But the 286 manual's connector pinout provides only "Drive
Select 3" and "Drive Select 2", which from other information I deduce
should go low when drive D: and C: are selected, respectively. The Setup
menu appears to install the drive as "B:" if told there's an external
drive. And even if I've added a config.sys line
device=c:\bin\driver.sys /f:0 /d:01
[or /d:02 or 03 or 04 or 05. I don't think I tried 00]
... I still can't seem to wiggle the "Drive Select 3 (pin 2)" signal
low afterwards. "DS-2" does indeed seem to stay low most of the time,
since hard disk C: is what's usually called for (even more of the time
than I would have expected: e.g. during much of A: operations).
WHAT AM I MISSING? What does it take to assert pin 2, and why can't I
make the drive D: (although I'd still have to assert pin 2)? And just for
the hellovit, can an ancient and honerable 8" drive be controlled in this
way? (I haven't looked at the signals required yet.)
Don Malpass [malpass@LL-vlsi.arpa], [malpass@gandalf.LL.mit.edu]
"Why should the TAXPAYERS have to pay for it - let the GOVERNMENT
pay instead." [Example of the mentality that got us in this mess.] 12/89
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 16:24:12 SET
From: Marc <TE891466@STUDMBA.UFSIA.AC.BE>
Subject: Documentation on RS-232 Interface desired
1) I'm looking for a good book where a could find a technical description
of the RS-232 interface. Do you have any suggestion?
2) I've got a PS/2 50 in my office and Dos 3.3. This computer has a 1Mb
Ram capacity. But what can I do to use the 360 Kb which are over the 640
barrier.
3) When I develop a program, I use Turbo Pascal 5.0. I would like to know
how it is possible to use all the potentialities of my VGA card, i.e. to
display 256 colours. Perhaps could you tell me the physical address of the
VGA card?
Every hint, clue will be very appreciated.
Marc.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 07:56:17 EST
From: youssef@NADC.ARPA (P. Youssef)
Subject: Printer Driver for Mitsubishi Color Printer/Plotter wanted
I am in need for a printer driver for mitsubishi color line
printer/plotter model G 650 to run harvard graphics. I called both HG and
Mitsubishi and I did not get anywhere. I anyone has such driver would you
please send a copy (or tell me how to get it...)
Peter
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 15:07:07 EST
From: Joel Saunders <RJFS%SNYCENVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Lotus 1-2-3 v2.1 - Format of .WK1 file
I am in the middle of a project that will require creating a LOTUS file
from a comma separated or SDF file that is greater than 240 characters in
length.
I have gotten data to LOTUS via DBASE and other means, but I think that I
would like to try to support the WK1 format directly. If anyone could
help point me to the proper reference materials I would really appreciate
it.
Thanks in advance, Joel
P.S. All I need is to get data into the row and column format. I'm not
concerned with Print Settings and etc.
@ __ JOEL F. SAUNDERS
( ) RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF S.U.N.Y.
/ \/ SUNY PLAZA - BROADWAY F209
__/_______________ /\ ALBANY, NEW YORK 12246
/ / / / (___ / \
(_/ (____/ (_______/ \__ Special Projects Consultant
BITNET: RJFS AT SNYCENVM
AT&T : (518) 434-7200
[Take a look in file <msdos.lotus123>LOTUS89.ARC (10,752 k). It provides
a list of currently avialable books on Lotus 1-2-3 (autumn, 1989 edition).
gph]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 89 18:52:21 EST
From: Jim Streb <STREB%YORKVM2.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: UniPlex Word Processing Package info wanted
We are trying to track down a word processing package called Uniplex. If
anyone has any information about this product, please send me a note. If
someone could supply an address for the manufacturer, that would be
greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 89 10:34:48 -0500 (EST)
From: John Duchowski <jd3a+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Where is XXENCODE.ARC?
Hi there,
According to a post in one of the digests (in November ?), the file
XXENCODE.ARC with sources in C was supposed to be located in
PD1:<MSDOS.FILUTL>. Last Friday I looked for it there and in several other
directories (SYSUTL, UUCP, etc) but couldn't find it. Would you please
tell me where it is located ?
Thank You,
John Duchowski
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 1989 00:03 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: EM87-V11.ARC - 8087 math coprocessor emulator for AT or 386
[--forwarded message--]
From: Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
I have uploaded this file to SIMTEL20:
pd1:<msdos.sysutl>
EM87-V11.ARC 8087 math coprocessor emulator for AT or 386
---
Thanks, Ralf!
--Keith
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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