johns@pro-library.cts.com (System Administrator) (01/30/91)
> In-Reply-To: message from 252u3744@fergvax.unl.edu > > I recently purchased the Applied Engineering's PC Transporter and am > pretty upset. I purchased it only after reading AE ads - without > getting specific tech info. I am totally to blame for this. > I do think, however, that AE leads one to believe certain things about > this product without delivering. > First, the only mention of graphics is "better quality graphics ... > Secondly, it is not ready for use out of the box, unless you like > looking at the intro screen. MS-DOS is not included, and you are not > In conclusion, I would just like to say that AE doesn't lie (much) in > their ad. Instead they conviently hide the truth under nice happy > thoughts. They should feel some responsibility for their ads though. > When I have the time I am going to write AE an unpleasent letter full of Jerry, I kindof felt the same way when I bought it, but after using it awhile, I changed my mind. It takes some getting use to. As for the graphics, using the colorswitch card, it was adequate for what I used it for. If you have a hd, there isn't much ibm software that you cannot use. I don't believe you will find many companies that own the rights to distribute others system software. The two inch manual is quite extensive, and once you get thru it, you will find it not so confusing. Give it a chance before you write the nasty letter. You might find you like it more than you think. :-) John
jeffh@HyperMail.apple.com (Jeff Holcomb) (01/30/91)
In article <252u3744.665122359@fergvax> 252u3744@fergvax.unl.edu (CS 252u section 2) writes: > First, the only mention of graphics is "better quality graphics ... > sharper picture." One would expect that this would be impressive. > Well, it's not. They don't bother to tell you that you will have better > and sharper CGA graphics. Even IBM idiots don't mess around with CGA. > It's pointless for serious users. Why didn't they add or offer an > upgrade to EGA or VGA. You can't tell me that that would be harder than > making a GS into an IBM. Especially since the boards are already made > for th IBM. All you would have to do is adjust them. Unfortunately > this is currently over my level of ability. Back when the PCT was being developed (1986-87), CGA video was the standard in the IBM world...At that time, EGA cards were expensive and large. Why doesn't AE offer an upgrade? I think the main reason is because AE didn't design the product. The PCT was designed by a company in Campbell, CA called The Engineering Department. AE bought exclusive rights from TED to sell and service the PCT. All of the video section is contained in one of those large custom chips on the PCT. From what I understand, it would take a complete redesign of the whole board in order to add EGA or VGA. I think AE could do it, but I don't think they're going to. IMO, time would be better spent starting over, i.e. making a PCT II that had a 386 with tons of memory and VGA. :-) > Secondly, it is not ready for use out of the box, unless you like > looking at the intro screen. MS-DOS is not included, and you are not > told this in their advertisements either. You are left to pirate a copy > from someone or spen a lot of money purchasing another operating system. From what I've heard, most clones don't come with MS-DOS either. The licensing fees are expensive, and I think it would have added $100+ to the price of the PCT. I've seen MS-DOS available for about $85 mail order, btw. > In conclusion, I would just like to say that AE doesn't lie (much) in > their ad. Instead they conviently hide the truth under nice happy > thoughts. They should feel some responsibility for their ads though. > When I received my product - they thoughtfully provided me with a > complete catalog WITH tech notes. Thanks for nothin' guys - it's a > little late. AE would have sent you a catalog before you purchased the card, if you had called them. In the past, the sales people at AE all knew about the limitations of the PCT and they would have told you. Things may have changed, its been about a year since I worked at AE. Or info was readily available online, lots of users have PCTs. The above comments are my own and not those of my current or past employers. ___________________________________________________________________________ Jeff Holcomb Internet: jeffh@HyperMail.apple.com AppleLink: jeffh@HyperMail.apple.com@INTERNET# GEnie: A2.JEFFH Contracting for Apple ATG Voice: (408) 974-0841 My opinions are not necessarily those of Apple. :-P ___________________________________________________________________________
SHBOUM@MACALSTR.EDU (02/02/91)
A lot of critizism has been said about AE's PC Transporter. Technology
wise, its a brilliant piece of work for the Apple II. However, on the other
hand, it is a very poorly designed product for the Apple II. For starters, it
can't use a joystick. Secondly, the CGA graphics are "hard wired" into the
card and cannot be modified without an overhaul of the card - as well as the
processor itself. Despite all this inflexibility, it does run IBM software,
and does a very good job at linking the two lines together. Although you'd
have to be a masochist to do it, Windows 3.0 does run under the PC
Transporter.
Unfortuantly, AE doesn't feel that the Apple II market is large enough
to fund a project to enhance the card. Since they didn't design it, I
don't blame them either. As the card stands right now, I wouldn't buy it at
the price they are asking for it, although it would be a nice feature to have.
But it just goes to show you that you should really research any product that
you are going to spend any considerable amount of money on.
Finaly, I would like to add that I have heard that AE has had some
considerable hardware failure problems lately. I really can't verify if this
is true or not, but there have been a lot of upset AE owners on both the BBS's
as well as the on-line services. And for the higher prices that AE asks for,
it might be something that you'd want to think about before buying one of
their products. {Although I believe that their Sonic Blaster is a really good
card so at least that is a safe buy!}
| Hal Bouma | Send mail to: SHBoum@Macalstr.edu
| Macalester College | and SHBoum@Macalstr.Bitnet
| GEnie: H.Bouma | ".Sig Under Construction..." MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET (02/03/91)
On Sat, 2 Feb 91 02:57:00 CDT <SHBOUM@MACALSTR.EDU> said: >........................................................... Although you'd >have to be a masochist to do it, Windows 3.0 does run under the PC >Transporter. OK, call me a masochist, but how do you do that? >........................ As the card stands right now, I wouldn't buy it at >the price they are asking for it, although it would be a nice feature to have. >But it just goes to show you that you should really research any product that >you are going to spend any considerable amount of money on. The card, in my opinion, is definitely worth what they're asking for it. When I got mine, the retail was $749 for JUST the card (I got it for $509 mail order and it was definitely work the price). The last time I checked, the price was about $349 RETAIL and you could get it for under $300 mail order which is a GREAT price for what it does. I'd suggest getting REAL ms-dos drives rather than their transdrives though. I've been using mine for over two years now and have had virtually NO problems at all. The worst thing I've found is that the software won't allow me to have a HD partition larger than 15.9megs, but that's been fixed in later software. I just found out that you can use your GS memory as ibm EXTENDED RAM! which makes the value of the card even greater. Don't get me wrong though, I'm NOT an ibm person. I'm a die hard Apple II guru. Part of the reason I think the PCT is worth the moeny is because I LOVE telling people that my -=>Apple II<=- can run ibm software! Now, I can tell them that it runs windows 3.0 too! HA! I loge it! [various AE prodcuts that are having problems] >............... {Although I believe that their Sonic Blaster is a really good >card so at least that is a safe buy!} Actually, the first Sonic Blaster I had screamed at me when I tried to play a sound back :) But anyway, AE priducts are usually reliable. You only hear about the ones that break (and all brands have lemons once in a while). I wouldn't suggest not getting AE products partly because, they're one of the few companies that still support us. >| Hal Bouma | Send mail to: SHBoum@Macalstr.edu >| Macalester College | and SHBoum@Macalstr.Bitnet >| GEnie: H.Bouma | ".Sig Under Construction..." ---------------------------------------- Michael J. Quinn University of Tennessee at Chattanooga BITNET-- mquinn@utcvm pro-line-- mquinn@pro-gsplus.cts.com
dhom@spica.acs.calpoly.edu (David Hom) (02/04/91)
In article <9102022243.AA27731@apple.com> MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET writes: ***STUFF DELTED*** > . . . I just found out that you can use your GS memory as ibm EXTENDED RAM! > which makes the value of the card even greater. How? Tell us please... that would be great! dave dhom@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu
gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) (02/05/91)
In article <43651@ut-emx.uucp> daveh@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David H. Huang) writes: >In article <9102022243.AA27731@apple.com> MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET writes: >>...I LOVE telling people that my -=>Apple II<=- can run ibm software! Now, >>I can tell them that it runs windows 3.0 too! HA! I loge it! >Of course, you also have to tell them that the GS Desktop kicks Window's >butt! :-) Microsoft Windows 3.0 has three modes of operation. The one you would have to use with the PCT is pretty limited, and perhaps the GS/OS desktop would be nicer. However, on a 386 with more than 2MB, Windows 3.0 is best used in "enhanced" mode, which beats the heck out of the GS/OS desktop. I spent much of my Christmas vacation playing with Windows 3.0 and have spent a LOT of time using the GS/OS desktop environment. Windows 3.0 (enhanced) is amazingly good, especially considering that it has to coordinate with MS/DOS.
MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET (02/05/91)
On Mon, 4 Feb 91 15:05:43 GMT <info-apple-request@APPLE.COM> said: >In article <9102022243.AA27731@apple.com> MQUINN@UTCVM.BITNET writes: > > ***STUFF DELTED*** > >> . . . I just found out that you can use your GS memory as ibm EXTENDED RAM! >> which makes the value of the card even greater. > >How? Tell us please... that would be great! Make a great big GS-RAMdisk, boot up the PCT, go to the PCT control panel, select 'drives'... number 2. make drive C a PRODOS volume (the ramdisk.. slot 5 drive 2 (or drive one if you have no 3.5" drive connected to the smart port. Buy the program called 'Above disk'. It's about $60. It's made for ms-dos machines to turn hard drive space into virtual memory to increase the ram size. Tell 'Above disk' that you want to use all the space on your drive C. You now have XXXk + 640k RAM on your PCT. It makes it compatible to either LIM 3.2 or 4.0 EMS. It works better on a GS than a REAL IBM! be- cause it's really using RAM instead of slowing down for the HD. You can run windows 3.0 (though it takes 9 minutes to boot, I've heard) and even multitask!! Has anyone ever done this. I haven't done it, and I'd like to know what other people think about it. >dave >dhom@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu ---------------------------------------- Michael J. Quinn University of Tennessee at Chattanooga BITNET-- mquinn@utcvm pro-line-- mquinn@pro-gsplus.cts.com