CSvax:Pucc-H:Physics:piner@pur-ee.UUCP (06/15/83)
I have three articles to post today. The first is about the brain damaged keyboard syndrome, the second is a reply about using a micro as a controller, the third is a request for information on monitors. First my two bits worth on keyboards. Yes, the new MAX-80 has a real keyboard. I do mean all of the keys. Escape, control, backslash, tilde, the full ascii set. Also, note that LDOS has been modified to decode all of the keys, and since the system is ram based, the keyboard driver is in low memory, even when type-ahead is active. There is no bounce either. The feel is very nice. Some people will not like the placement, others will; that is a matter of taste, and experience. Since the keyboard is memory mapped, any of the keys can be redefined. In general the MAX-80 looks like a very nice machine. An afterword, the LNW does have a control key, but they didn't see fit to modify the ROM routine to decode it!! I ask them if Microsoft wouldn't license it so they could change it, they said they had a full license and could make any changes they wanted. They just didn't want too. So it is there just to look nice!! To answer the query about a micro that could be used as a controler, again look into the MAX-80. It has 128k ram, and a general purpose PIO port (also, 5", 8", wichester disk ports, printer port, and 2 RS-232 ports). Note however, the PIO port does not bring out all of the memory lines, so you are limited to port mapped devices. They say that since there is already 128k on board, they saw no use for more memory. I think they were wrong there. Finally, I have a new Scion MA520 graphics board up and running, but I find that I need a monitor. Since this board uses the interlace lines, the standard P31 phosphor is too fast. I am looking for a composite video monitor with a P39 phosphor. This is slower than the P31. The long persistance phosphor is required for high resolution work, since the lines are scanned only once per frame instead of the twice per frame for normal video. Does anyone know of such a monitor that is relatively cheap. So far I have talked to Motorola, Amdek, and NEC. Only Motorola had one ( model # DS-3000-555). They were asking $340 for it. I hate to pay $300+ for a $150 monitor just to get the slow phosphor. What ever I come up with in the end, I will send to the net. I expect more people to move into high resolution graphics in the future, and they will be needing better monitors. Bandwith is not the only consideration with these boards. I learned that the hard way. Thanks in advance. Rich Piner Purdue Physics Dept.