#New Member – Help w/pro
6 messages in this thread
About six years ago I was a system operator on a PDP-11/24. It was a
constant struggle keeping it up and running with sixteen terminals and a
tempramental Mostek memory board (remember when 124K seemed like alot). I
had the distinct displeasure of watching that machine die. It's terminals
were taken away and junked (Ramtek graphic terminals), its DZ-11's were
pulled, the RPO was spun down for that last time and houled away. My
stubborn (and sickly) friend of four years was reduced to a byte swapping
vegetable (i.e. local decnet area processor).
Enough sentimentalizing.
I've recently had to resurrect ony of my Pro 350's for use as a text input
station. But since it's going to be around I would really like to make use
of it than that.
But, of course, I don't have any software.
Currently I have Q'text and EDT. I really looking for a workable word
processor (preferably not word-11) and some sort of database (wasn't Rbase
ported to the pro?).
If anybody knows of ANY source for software please let me know. I've been
out of the DEC world for many years–I haven't seen a copy of Digital
Review or Hardcopy for years and my DECUS membership lapsed long ago.
I'm really in the dark.
Bill.
Bill,
Good luck. There is precious little commercial software available for
the Pro these days, since it was officially "retired" 2, maybe 3 years ago.
You should resurrect your DECUS membership. All (or the vast majority)
of Digital's software for the Pro was contributed to the DECUS library in
the past several months. You won't find a database there, but you should
find Prose-Plus, which is sorta kinda workable as a word processor (better
than EDT in some sense, less good in others).
Rbase was never ported to the Pro as far as I know. There is (I take
back my earlier statement) some sort of primitive database mangler that was
part of the Pro Applications Starter Kit from DEC and which may be
available as part of the stuff DECUS has… I'm not sure.
Hardcopy, btw, was bought out by Digital News (which is somewhat similar
to Digital Review) a couple of years ago. The three current periodicals
are Digital Review, Digital News, and DEC Professional. There are others
available on a paid-subscription basis. There is basically no PDP-11
coverage in any of them.
-Bill
Bill,
I was hoping to stumble across some vast resource of Pro-software. But I
wasn't expecting it. As far as I know I had received all verions versions
of the applications starter kit (I was involved in a beta test site) but I
recall nothing resembling a database manager.
In the past I've had limited success porting task images directly from the
'11 to the pro (TECO, for example). Do you know if anybody has perfected
this.
I'm sad to hear of Hardcopy's demise. I thought it was the most informative
(and least biased) of the DEC trade publications.
It's been so long– Can you give me an address or telephone number so that
I can contact DECUS?
Thanks,
Bill.
Bill,
I'm sure there was some sort of database manager with the Appl Starter Kit,
since a client of mine bought the thing. Probably just a flat-file thing,
but better than nothing.
RSX-based task images can usually be ported to the Pro trivially, as long
as they don't depend on any RSX features that don't exist in the Pro, and
as long as they work with named directories (or don't care).
DECUS is at 219 Boston Post Road (BP02), Marlboro, MA 01752-4605,
508-480-3635.
-Bill
Bill,
I guess I'll have rumage through my boxes of diskettes to see if I can
locate the app starter kit.
Thanks for the address/tel #, I'll give them a call.
Bill.
Bill:
Well now, I believe I can help you find whatever you want in PRO
applications software. I have copies of P/OS from V1.0 to V3.2, I also
have almost all of the applications software written for the PRO,
available from DEC of course, not third party applications available
direct from other developers.
If you so desire I can send you a list directly or you may call
me (312-667-8171) to discuss your anticipated needs.
WmH