[comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest] Info-IBMPC Digest V89 #16

Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (02/03/89)

Info-IBMPC Digest           Fri,  3 Feb 89       Volume 89 : Issue  16

Today's Editor:
         Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>

Today's Topics:
                      8" Drives on the PC-XT/AT
                         Re: batch file question
                            Epson Equity II
            Hardcopy from Turbo Pascal, Borland .BGI files
                    IBM Convertible Color Monitor
                     HyperText System for the PC
                   Information on TEK 4107 Emulator
                    MicroChannel joystick adapter
                Non-Standard formatting of 360K disks
                         NORTON SD problem(s)
                  PC/MAC interfacing using Appletalk
                       Random number generators
                             SETPGMS.ARC
                        virtual memory program
                   VIRUS: FBI Wants To Talk To You:
                  Waveform Editors for the IBM PC/AT

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Date: Mon 30 Jan 89 15:09:24-PST
From: BUSSARD@EDWARDS-2060.ARPA
Subject: 8" Drives on the PC-XT/AT

For about 2 years, I have been using a card and software from Micro
Solutions.  This is the CompatiCard with Uniform-PC which ran just under
$300.00 for both.  The CompatiCard by itself comes with a device driver
and can handle 8" drives, 5.25 48 and 96 TPI, and 3.5" 720K and 1.4Meg, in
combinations of internal and external drives for DOS. Used with uniform,
it is recognized as a secondary disk controller and will handle many of
the most popular 8" CPM and DOS formats and the same for the smaller
drives. I currently have the following on my system.

	A:	5.25 96 TPI
	B:	3.5  1.4M/720K
	C:	20 Meg Win
	D:/E:	44 Meg Win Split
	F:	115 Meg ISI Worm Drive
	G:	8" DSDD
	H:	Uniform Drive

Nice thing about Uniform, it will automatically map to the needed drive
and controller needed to match your selection. The format selections cover
14 screen menus! Sad to say the iRMX 8" was not listed in my version of
Uniform.  I is a bit old, perhaps its in a newer version. These are the
same people that made Uniform for the Kaypro, Osborne and such. The
advertise in the magizines.  I do not have an address and phone for them
here at work.

Lewis G. Bussard
Bussard@Edwards-2060

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Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 22:54 UT+1
From: "GERBEN POSTMA" <DDGMPOS%HDETUD51.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Re: Batch file question

Just make sure that the LAST command in the batch file, i.c. the delete
command, is followed by a Ctrl-Z character ON THE SAME LINE. This Ctrl-Z
will mark the end of the batch file, even if other commands follow.

Without this Ctrl-Z control will be given back to the batch file every
time execution of a command issued by this batch file has completed.
Therefore it's good practice to terminate every batch file with a Ctrl-Z.

Try the difference between the following two batch files by executing
these files and waiting for your disk light to turn off. Then give a
<return> at the "Enter new time:" prompt and watch the disk light turn on
only in case of the first batch.

-----1st-----               -----2nd-----
time                        time <Ctrl-Z>
-------------               -------------


Aloha & mahalo!

Gerben M. Postma
Delft University of Technology
The Netherlands
Bitnet:  DDGMPOS @ HDETUD51

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89  18:13:48 EST
From: PETERD%UMass.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Peter deFriesse)
Subject: Epson Equity II

  We have an Equity II here in out computer room at UMass acting as a HASP
station logged into one of our CDC Cyber systems.  It was used for a short
time as our (operations) own machine, but was exchanged for another PC
because we found it unsatisfactory.

  This Equity II has the Epson DMA.  My 4.77 Mhz machine can blow it out
of the water (it is running at 10 Mhz) on any operation doing disk I/O.  I
asked a friend who worked as a tech for a local distributor about this,
and was told that machines with the NEC DMA were better performers.  I
have also found Epson's backup routine to be TOTALLY incompatable with
other manufacturer's.

  Overall, I would not recommend the Epson Equity II over the other brands
I am familiar with:  Leading Edge, AT&T, and NCR.  (Note that I am only
talking about XT clones.)

Peter deFriesse
Asst. Operations Mgr.
University Computing Center
UMass.
Amherst, Mass.

PETER@MARS.UCC.UMASS  (BitNet)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 11:32:04 EST
From: Ken Van Camp <kvancamp@ARDEC.ARPA>
Subject: Hardcopy from Turbo Pascal, Borland .BGI files

Liam Keating writes:

 >Does anyone have a program which will genertate hardcopies of the screen
>using the Turbo Pascal (4.0) Graph unit.I've tried modifying the Hardcopy
>procedure distributed with the Borland Graphics Toolbox,and this works ..
>to an extent.. it refuses to recognise the presence of certain colours on
>the screen ! If anyone knows how to solve this problem..I'd appreciate
>some assistance..

and Dieter Menne also writes:

 >Does anybody know where to find devices drivers (.BGI -files) that allow
>a redirection of Turbo-Pascal or Turbo-C to a printer or a plotter.
>Borland uses a nice set of BGI-like hardware drivers in Quattro, but
>these are not documented and we are looking for a legal way to of
>hardcopy output. Does anybody know if Borland is planning to support
>printers in a future release of TP and TC?

This is not a universal fix, but you will find some hardcopy routines in
Gisbert Selke's MapView program (which compiles under either TP 4.0 or
5.0).  It is available from Simtel20 (I think in the PD:<MSDOS.WORLD>
directory, but check your latest listing).

                            --Ken Van Camp 
ARPANET:  kvancamp@PICA.ARMY.MIL -or- kvancamp@ARDEC.ARPA
BITNET:   (use above through normal gateways, like UBVM.CC.BUFFALO.EDU)
USENET:   pica.army.mil!kvancamp@UUNET.UU.NET
       "Support your local maillist: Give to the March of Electrons"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 8:43:40 CDT
From: phil@wubios.WUstl.EDU (J. Philip Miller)
Subject: IBM Convertible Color Monitor

I have an IBM Color Monitor for the Convertible.  It connects to the
Display adapter with a 18 pin rectangular connector.  I would like to also
use this monitor with a regular CGA adapter on a PC.  I have been unable
to find anyone selling an adapter to make this possible.

Now IBM sells an adapter to go the otherway, i.e. to run a standard color
monitor off of the Convertible's Display adapter and I know the pinout for
that connector, but I cannot find an appropriate 18 pin male connector to
make the adapter.  I started to simply splice a standard 9-pin connector
into the monitor cable, but when doing so I noticed that the 18 pin
connector incorporates resistors (22 ohm) inline on 4 of the signal lines
that are the same ones that map to the standard 9-pin connector.

This may be the monitor that IBM originally made for the PC-Jr, it has
capibilities for sound in it.  Can anyone help me as to whether if I do
splice in a 9-pin connector and put resistors in it, will it work or will
I blow out the monitor and/or CGA?

Phil Miller        Washington University Biostatistics
phil@wubios.WUstl.edu  - Internet         phil@wubios.WUSTL  - Bitnet

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 08:29:41 EST
From: "Bret Ingerman 315-443-1865" <INGERMAN@SUVM.ACS.SYR.EDU>
Subject: HyperText System for the PC

   J. Pool asks for info on a hypertext system for the PC.

   You might want to check into OWL Software's "Guide for the PC".  It
requires at least an AT machine and a mouse.  It runs under Windows and a
runtime of windows is included.  They also make a version of Guide for the
Mac and it is possible to port programs (but I;m not sure if it is from
Mac->DOS or DOS->Mac).

Bret Ingerman
Syracuse University
INGERMAN@SUVM.Bitnet

   "These opinions are my own, aren't they?"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 16:11:36 CST
From: lantz@skvax1.csc.ti.com
Subject: Information on TEK 4107 Emulator

I am looking for a Tek 4107 emulator package to run with RTI's Adas
package.   I have a clone with a Logitech mouse and a Vega-7 EGA board.
Any suggestions?

Bernie Lantz

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1989 21:53 EST
From: The Time Traveler <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: MicroChannel joystick adapter

I'm looking for a joystick adapter for my MicroChannel PS/2 system, which
has a 25 MHz 80386 in it.  I don't know whether the speed makes a
difference in this case, but sometimes it does.  Does anyone know where I
can get one?  Thanx

Timur Tabi - HE891C@GWUVM

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 11:49:33 EST
From: Ken Van Camp <kvancamp@ARDEC.ARPA>
Subject: Non-Standard formatting of 360K disks

Allan,

 >Does anyone have a program to format a 360K disk with 10 sectors instead
 >of 9, and if that is possible, do other PC's recognize the disk, or is it
 >only possible to read it with another program?

My first MS/DOS machine was the old Sanyo MBC-550, which used a
non-standard operating system.  There was a special version of the Sanyo
MS/DOS called DS/DOS+ -- I think it was written by a company called
Michtron.  One of the features of DS/DOS+ was that it would write a
10-sector DSDD disk so you got about 400K on a standard diskette.  I used
it, it worked great from any application, but the disks could only be read
by computers that were running the DS/DOS+ operating system.  Since
Sanyo's DOS was not compatible with standard MS/DOS you wouldn't be able
to use the same operating system I used, but in fact I think Michtron also
released another version that was standard MS/DOS.  Whether or not they're
still selling it, and whether or not they kept upgrading (past MS/DOS
2.11, which was all I got up to before the MBC-550 went out of
production), I don't know.  But if you're interested, I could probably
still dig up some literature on DS/DOS+ and give you an address or phone
#.  (As my wife will attest, I never throw out anything :-) I'm pretty
sure the company is still in business.  Does this sound like what you're
looking for?

..Ken

------------------------------

Date: 30 Jan 1989 18:29-PST
From: SAC.55SRW-LGS@E.ISI.EDU
Subject: NORTON SD problem(s)

    The last I heard, the NORTON SD program, and some other disk optimizer
programs, had a problem in common, but this problem did not Wipe out hard
disks.

    Basically, if some of these optimizers, like SD and I think DOG (by
softlogic?), were run without CHKDSK being run first, then unlinked or
mislinked clusters were being lost or mislinked much worse.  So, the
solution was to run CHKDSK before running any of these disk optimizer
programs.

    Since CHKDSK doesn't take long to run, I always run it before running
an optimizer, anyway.  The extra safety step provides good insurance for
minimum investment, as far as I am concerned.

Frank Starr, USAF
sac.55srw-lgs@e.isi.edu

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 89 07:19:47 EST
From: nsds@mbunix (Smith)
Subject: PC/MAC interfacing using Appletalk

Has anyone had any experience getting Macs and PCs to communicate using
Appletalk protocols?  I've just had a TOPS Flashcard installed in my PC;
it is connected to a medium-sized Appletalk network with around 15
Macintosh computers.  I have the TOPS file transfer software, but I'm
interested to know if there is any other commercial (or public domain) PC
software that uses the Appletalk driver.  My main interest is in obtaining
(or writing) a distributed mail/bulletin board system to handle the
machines on the net.   Thanks!

Neil Smith               "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew!"
The MITRE Corporation   M/S B310    
Burlington Road Bedford, MA  01730
Ma Bell:  (617) 271-8278 
Internet:  nsds@mitre.org

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 15:54:31 EST
From: johnl@ima.ISC.COM (John R. Levine)
Subject: Random number generators

The October 1988 CACM had what is to date the definitive article on
pseudo- random number generators. Its message is that most such generators
don't work very well. It presents one that is known to work, with the
advice to use it and please not to change it. In particular, slight
changes to the algorithm that could make it faster also make it generate
much worse answers. It is so simple that I reproduce it here. This assumes
that ints are at least 32 bits, which on a PC means you need to use long
integers. There is a variant in the article that uses floating point and
works if you only have 16 bit integers.

var seed : integer	(* this has to persist from call to call *)

function Random : integer;
  const
    a =	16807;
    m = 2147483647;	(* 2^31 - 1 *)
    q = 127773;		(* M div A *)
    r = 2836		(* M mod A *)
  var
    lo, hi, test : integer;
  begin
    hi := seed div q;		(* division truncated to integer *)
    lo := seed mod q;
    test := a * lo - r * hi;
    if test > 0 then
      seed := test
    else
      seed := test + m;
    Random := seed / m;		(* floating point division *)
end;

Regards,
John Levine, johnl@ima.isc.com

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1989  18:21 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SETPGMS.ARC

Eric, I received your SETPGMS.ARC ok and it has been placed in the
pd1:<msdos.sysutl> directory.

Thanks!

--Keith

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 16:51:59 EST
From: ileaf!io!eclipse!brian@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (Brian Coopper x3389)
Subject: virtual memory program

> D.Murphy asked:
> Are there any PD or cheap (<$100) packages that allow PC's to use hard
> disk space as virtual memory (preferably emulating expanded memory)?
> Speed is not a problem.

VRAM 'provides 8 megabytes of memory by using a hard disk or a RAM
      disk to simulate an expanded memory board.'

VRAM is distributed by Biologic, Inc.  
                       11982 Coverstone Cir./ Suite 1622
                       Manassas VA 22110 USA
                       (703) 368-2949

Last I saw, it was $49 + $3 shipping/handling. (Your mileage may vary[!])
Good luck.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 14 Nov 88 08:12:18 MST
From: wrl@Ford-cos2.ARPA (Bill Lewandowski)
Subject: VIRUS: FBI Wants To Talk To You: 

[Note: This message is being posted for the information of those who want
to support or fight the implied legal action against the alleged author of
the "November Virus." This posting should not be construed as either
support nor opposition to such an action; This is a message distribution
service, not a political forum.  Flamage sent on this subject will be
discarded, so don't bother....]

The following is forwarded: Forgive me if you have received this via other
meams/newsgroups.

Date: 14 Nov 88 00:03 EST
From: TomZ@DDN1.arpa
Subject: FBI Contact re: November Internet Virus

         Were YOU hit by the November Internet Virus?
 
                      The FBI wants to hear from you!
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is attempting to gather critical
information necessary to pursue this case under the Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act of 1986.  (This is the statute that makes it a federal crime to
penetrate a computer owned by or run on the behalf of the Government.)
 
The FBI Case Agent has asked the Defense Data Network Project Management
Office to collect the names of organizations and Points of Contact (names
and phone numbers) that were hit by the Virus.  The Defense Communications
Agency has established an E-Mail address for this collection at:
 
                       INFO-VACC [at] BEAST.DDN.MIL
 
    Points of Contact should expect to be contacted by their local FBI
agents for dispositions due to the wide geographical area involved.
 
                     I * M * P * O * R * T * A * N * T
 
            The FBI needs this information to pursue the case.
 
      If we expect their aid in the future, we need to help them now.
 
PLEASE GIVE THIS MESSAGE MAXIMUM DISTRIBUTION; NOT EVERYONE IS ON "TCP-IP"!
 
/s/
Tom Zmudzinski
DDN Security Officer
(703) 285-5206

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 89 00:28:08 EST
From: thanasis kehagias <ST401843%BROWNVM.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Waveform Editors for the IBM PC/AT

does anybody have suggestions for waveform editors for an IBM AT?  i am
not sure what the hardware requirements would be, so any info on this
welcome, too. we do have some kind of speech sampling board.  anyway, what
i am mostly ineterested in is programs that will display on screen a
waveform and will allow operations on it of the form cut, copy, paste,
duplicate, playback etc.

[A recent "PC Magazine" article discussed MIDI systems.  A number of them
appeared to include waveform editors.  I didn't pay much attention to the
article as I don't have a MIDI system (or any other system to play back
music.  Could this be what you're looking for?]

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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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