CompuServe Archive

This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.

Search Results (86 messages)

#21429 delete old WUTIL? Message #21433
Willett, I agree in principle. As soon as someone out there among our user community verifies that they have actually used WUTIL 3.2 — more specifically, *the copy here* — to format and partition a hard disk, then I'll trash 3.12. (Hey, lurkers: this means you! When you download it…
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Hardware September 9, 1990 1:38 PM
Mike, GO VAXFORUM… PCSA is covered there, not here. This forum covers DEC personal computers themselves, not the VAX integration products. -Bill
Willett, I don't know how to answer your message. There is *a* version of WUTIL 3.2 that I am going to merge into the public library very soon now. I don't know if it's 3.2. I have no Rainbow with which to test it and can't stay up-to-date with the…
#21402 #DEC dealers Message #21407
Steve, First, please use the OPTIONS command or menu item here to change your name. This Forum requires use of your full first and last name. There are at least a thousand dealers of Digital products across the US (never mind worldwide). Many of them advertise in the Digital publications…
#21386 PCSA and Windows Message #21406
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Applications September 9, 1990 1:21 PM
Mark, You should really ask this question in the VAX Forum, where PCSA is covered. This Forum is devoted to DEC personal computers, including the Rainbow, DECmate, and VAXmate. To answer your question, PCSA and Windows have worked together well for many years. But if you are talking Windows 3.0,…
#21381 #Menu Interface? Message #21384
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities September 6, 1990 6:15 PM
The reason the compiling advantage seems to be so small is that, when it comes down to it, the "interpreter" approach is really interpreting very little data (a couple Kb tops) and it can do that pretty quickly. And there's not all that much data that is compressable via compiling.…
Well, I *am* a sysop in the VAX Forum. Items for sale *are* allowed as long as they are one-time postings of personally-owned products, that is, as long as you are not a dealer. If you're a dealer, they're not permitted here in DECPC, either. 🙂 There is no dedicated…
#21374 #Menu Interface? Message #21375
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities September 5, 1990 1:30 PM
Carl, Re: multiple languages, correct. For the record I'm not *really* talking about *compiled* menus. What I'm talking about is more aptly described as "preprocessed-to-binary" menus, as opposed to a scheme where the text must be interpreted by the menu processor from plain-text form. So we're not really talking about…
#21371 #Menu Interface? Message #21373
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities September 5, 1990 8:34 AM
David, You're absolutely right to suggest "consider the market". I must not have been clear… what I would want to do is a generic MS-DOS version that would run on any MS-DOS machine (though I would certainly not be averse to any Rainbow-specific enhancements ;-}). I'm not sure what specs…
#21369 new upload Message #21372
Willett, Thanks! I will most certainly not be the one who tests this thing to ensure that the upload works and that the program works OK, but I have forwarded your note so that BillL and Carl will be aware of it. -Bill
#21364 #Menu Interface? Message #21367
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities September 4, 1990 7:53 PM
Mike/Roy (Hey, if you can be confused, so can I…) The menu system I have *is* in C, but it's not written for MS-DOS and never really had that environment in mind. It's currently supported on VMS, and has had prior incarnations on UNIX and RSX-11M. David is working on…
Re: the Massachusetts Miracle, tell me about it… I live here too! ;-} -Bill
Bob, I would suggest you post this in the VAX Forum as well. By the way, I guess I should make note of the fact that there is no longer any such thing as EasyPlex… it's CompuServe Mail now! 🙂 -Bill
#21358 #Menu Interface? Message #21360
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities September 3, 1990 10:58 AM
Y'know… it occurs to me, after our earlier messages on this subject and reading your reply… I do have *some* interest in seeing my menu program ported to MS-DOS. There are a couple of reasons: It would give me a clue as to how hard most of the rest of…
#21350 #100+ hard disk Message #21351
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Hardware September 1, 1990 12:15 PM
Bob, Almost certainly, the disk in question is Seagate's ST225. (I say this not out of any knowledge of what Suitable was shipping, but just based on the fact that by far the lion's share of 20Mb disks sold into the pc-level market are ST225s.) Some people say the ST225s…
#21337 Sick Rainbow Message #21342
P.S. Al, I moved your message to our "general" section. The "vendor support" section is primarily intended for third-party vendors of products for DEC's PCs.
#21337 Sick Rainbow Message #21341
Al, The software shouldn't matter at all. Whether or not the I-drive or the Turbow board will matter largely varies from one office to another. Almost certainly if the problem resides within one of those components they will not be able to fix it. What is the problem you're experiencing?…
#21324 #DEPCA in PC Message #21325
Bill, Nice try, but wrong Forum. This Forum supports DEC's PCs. DEC's newer-generation PC networking products (as opposed to the PCs themselves) are supported in our "sister" forum: GO VAXFORUM. There's a message section there dedicated to PC Integration which would be the appropriate place to ask. -Bill
#21322 hard disk upgrade Message #21323
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Hardware August 27, 1990 8:29 AM
Ralph, I'm about 80% certain that you can plug any interface-compatible drive in there and have it work. I think the European DECstation 200 series are made by Olivetti. In the US, they are made by Tandy, and are completely different machines. But in both cases they are essentially off-the-shelf…
Circulation management as in publications (newspapers etc.) as distinguished from library circulation management?
#21314 Menu Interface? Message #21316
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Utilities August 25, 1990 10:11 AM
David, Not to discourage you, but I have to ask the obvious question. With all the *dozens* of MS-DOS menu programs that are over in the IBM forums, many/most of which (I'd guess) are generic enough to work on the Rainbow… why? Call me a cynic, or an old something-else…
Remind me again, please, of what this application is/does…?
Mike, No… in the market you mention ($5-10K product price with $2K support/year) an escrow agreement is not impractical at all. I'm not aware that there are many (any? well I guess there is at least one!) PC-class products in that price range. Heck, that's the same price range (higher,…
Will, First off… long time no see! Where the heck are you these days??! I agree, that's an interesting idea. The question is, do you think any industry association would be willing to go for it? Particularly if the responsibility extends to making the code available to all registered end…
#21299- #RB Windows 3.0 Ready Now Message #21306
Len, Thanks for the upload and it's available now in lib 16. I need to discuss with Bill Leeman whether or not it should also … or, _instead_ … be in lib 3 (New Uploads) for now. I think the answer is "yes" so I'm going to post it there…
Brian, Just for the record, and apropos of your note a few days ago inquiring about ANSI character-set switching… The "special character/line drawing set" *can* be set up to map to *either* the 0-to-127 range, OR the 128-to-255 range. Here's how it works. The machine (Rainbow, VT2xx, VT3xx, etc.) has…
#57247- 11/23 CONVERSION HELP Message #57250
There are at least 3 different dialects of PDP-11 BASIC. Which BASIC is your code written in, and under what operating system?
#57243- #DATABASE FOR PDP-11 Message #57244
Yes, you can get other VAXes for under $1000. 730s are less than 750s, and I think I've seen 780s for under $1K too. Of course you would be within your rights to characterize that as a wise-guy response. 😉 While you can *buy* any of these for under $1K,…
#21150 #PRO Questions Message #21153
Yes, the PDP-11 forum traffic is just slightly (ahem) slower than here 😉 … I have a suspicion that you may be installing the wrong version of DCL. I think the one that used LB000:[zzprodcl] was part of the V2.x P/OS stuff. I might easily be wrong. I know that…
#21150- Cheap DECmates Message #21153
Yes, the PDP-11 forum traffic is just slightly (ahem) slower than here 😉 … I have a suspicion that you may be installing the wrong version of DCL. I think the one that used LB000:[zzprodcl] was part of the V2.x P/OS stuff. I might easily be wrong. I know that…
#21144 Cheap DECmates Message #21147
Yes, $50 for a Pro is indeed quite a deal! Yes, the ST412 is 10 megs. I knew I recognized your name from somewhere 😉 … The model number for the Ethernet adapter for the Pro is DECNA. You can get all the 3.2 software, including DECnet I think, from…
Tim, Yes, I know. Don't go to a lot of trouble though because I don't think this is an open question. I was just responding to a comment that started, "If Digital still makes VT100s, then…" and the comment about character-set switching was, I think, a comment on the lack…
#57239 DATABASE FOR PDP-11 Message #57241
Gary, There's a thread going on over in VAXFORUM on "the cheapest VAX" which you might find of some interest. One problem with the older, bigger machines like the 750 is that they are expensive to maintain and to run. Another is that software for them tends to be quite…
#21136 Cheap DECmates Message #21139
You mean the cards in the DECmate? There's only one, as far as I know, the mother board… it basically lies flat at the bottom of the cabinet, so it's definitely custom. Any options would be implemented on some option card, but those too would be custom and there's no…
#21133 Cheap DECmates Message #21135
Also, could you please use the OPTIONS command or menu selection to change the name the Forum knows you by? This forum requires the use of your full first and last name. -Bill Read action !
#21133 Cheap DECmates Message #21134
The DECmate II is NOT based on an 8088… it is based on DEC's PDP-8 CPU architecture (a 12-bit machine … not a typo, by the way ;-}). The DECmate family members are primarily dedicated word processors, and WPS is the word processing software that runs on them. As noted,…
1. No, you're not deviant; CIS is. 2. I doubt it, but do you really care? 3. No; more likely CIS will just drop support for the key altogether, on the basis that the only people who like its current behavior are those with hardcopy terminals (the \xxx\ echoing stuff)…
Brian, You'll probably get the insert anyway. I always seem to, regardless of the fact that my keyboard won't allow me to type the letters I, B, and M in sequence… ;-} I suppose if the DECUNET forums here could boast the same multiple-100K membership as the IBMNET forums do,…
Brian, You are basically correct. DEL should (and does) erase characters. However, that is not CIS' norm. CIS likes BS, and uses it to not only erase the data, but to erase the character on a screen by echoing backspace-space-backspace when it sees one. Some programs (e.g. HOST) will transmit…
#57233 Pro Problems Message #57235
Yes, there are a number of differences between P/OS V2 and V3, and no doubt one of these is eating your games. Fundamentally V2 is a single-user system and V3 is designed to support multiple users. The directory structure, and the way that interacts with the menu system, is pretty…
#21101 ADP Micro 1000 Message #21104
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The DEC PC Forum · Hardware July 26, 1990 12:07 PM
Jack, This is probably a machine that was built for some specific vertical-market purpose by an OEM, using DEC components. Possibly an industrial process control system, or something of that sort. Most likely, the CPU is a PDP-11, though it might also be a VAX. It is most probably not…
#21091 #Printer query Message #21092
Carl, A Letterprinter 100 is a/k/a an LA100. The sequence [2w is 12-pitch, which I *think* is the same as the LA50. But the LA100 is different from the LA50 in that it has interchangeable fonts (both in cartridges and in chip form). The machine in question may, possibly, not…
#57225 #Rumor of PDP-11 end Message #57228
From: Bill Mayhew [VAX/DECPC] The PDP-11 Forum · General July 21, 1990 10:37 PM
I doubt very much that Ken Olsen, who is the only person who could be construed as "Head of DEC", either (a) spoke at DEXPO, or (b) said "PDP is DEAD". Especially since the PDP-11/93 and 11/94 were just introduced, and PDP-11 C was introduced within the past year… -Bill
#21069 #SALE Message #21070
The story I heard about SIGs on Prodigy is that they are all, uh, "pro-actively moderated"… you cannot post a message without it being reviewed and blessed by the equivalent of a sysop, first. Yes? No? (Hence my comment about lack of "open" Forum functionality.) -Bill There is 1 Reply.…
#21065 #SALE Message #21067
Ray, At that price, I'm sorely tempted. If I didn't already have two Pro 350s, and no physical space for a third, I'd take you up on it. Tell you what, though, I'll gladly take the LA75 … see the Mail message I'm sending you for particulars. Sorry we're losing…
Dead LQP02 wanted Message #21052
I'm looking for an LQP02 printer for spare parts… anybody have one that's lying around, broken, looking for a home? I'll buy it from you… reply via Mail, please. Read action !
#21048 Data/Disk Conversion Message #21051
Tom, Am I correct in assuming that you have no Rainbow to work with? If the IBM PC in question has a high-density (1.2Mb) disk drive, you can simply use the RX50 device driver which is in the Libs here (I forget which one… check the Hardware lib, or check…
Brian, "OFF" is indeed the correct response to disconnect at a "Host name:" prompt. You wouldn't want to type a _real_ host name at this point, because the network would then connect you to that host… and what you want is to be *dis*connected. -Bill
Denys, Welcome to the DECPC Forum. The Professional is actually a PDP-11 minicomputer in personal-computer packaging, so it's primary "home" here on CIS is in the PDP-11 Forum (GO PDP11 — note, no hyphen). However, since I have a couple of Pros and know a lot about 'em… Part of…
Brian, Digital hasn't made VT100s for about 8 years now. -Bill

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