550 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
550 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
NUMBER OF LINES: 563
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
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2 ************************ REMOVED: 20 JAN 83 ****************************
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3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
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4 ************************************************************
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5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION PLACED ON
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6 THIS SYSTEM.
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7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privatly owned
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8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
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10 It is intended that the system be normally used for messages and
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11 advertisments by the users. As the system is privatly owned, I retain the
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12 right to remove any and all messages from the system which are offensive
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13 to me. Additionally because of the limited size of the system, it will be
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14 periodically purged of older messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
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15 The saved information will be cycled to drive 'B' while the information on
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16 drive 'B' will be archived, and a fresh disk will be installed in drive 'A'.
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17 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out
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18 of the enter mode. The message is automaticly stored.
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19 If after entering the message you find you made a mistake,
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20 use the replace command to replace the line.
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21 To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
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22 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
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23 ========================================
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24 WOW! THE SYSTOP-MICKEY WAS QUICK IN GETTING A NEW DISK IN!
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25 WILL MIRACLES EVER CEASE! I WONDER WHEN HE IS GOING TO
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26 DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE TELEPHONE PROBLEMS?
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27 BY THE WAY, THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE LOUDNESS OF THE TONES
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28 CARRIED OVER THE TELEPHONE LINES. IF YOU MODIFY YOU MODEM
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29 TO INCREASE ITS INPUT/OUTPUT THE PROBLEMS WILL CEASE.
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30 (IT IS SO FAINT THAT MY MODEM HAS PROBLEMS KEEPING THE CARRIER)
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31 I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL ON THE OTHER BBS SYSTEMS.
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32 JUST LISTEN TO THE PHONE, YOU CAN HEAR THE DIFFERENCE.
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33 CISTOP- A FEW AdJUSTMENTS WON'T COST YOU A THING, HAVE AT!
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34 *****************THE SYSM, DAVID GREENMAN*****************
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35 ***************** 01/05/83 9:37 P.M. *****************
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36
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37
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38 =============================
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39 Ken Wilkenson will have his
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40 Timex/Sinclair ZX81 at the
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41 PCS meeting, if you would
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42 like to evaluate it. It has
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43 a 16K expansion with 3 prom
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44 slots available, a REGULAR
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45 keyboard made especially for
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46 the ZX81 and a modem. The
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47 Shugart disk drive will be
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48 added later.
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49 =============================
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50 *********************************************************
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51 NEATO! KEN WILKENSON NOW HAS A BIGGER TOY TO PLAY WITH!
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52
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54 ______________
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55 The loudness of the carrier does seem to be very low. Should
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56 definitely be raised.
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57 ______________
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58
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59 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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60 Further drivel on processors:
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61 The 6502 appears to be a 'dead end' processor. Why? What
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62 has come along that is either source- or object-code compatible
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63 with it? Close to nothing, probably nothing. With the 8080
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64 software, you get compatibility wit 8085, Z80, NSC800, plus one
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65 of the National 16-bit processors. Further, in about a year the
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66 Z-800 will be available, with a speed approx equal to a 20-mhz
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67 Z-80. It shows that this architecture and instruction set is
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68 being supported quite well (by the way, the fastest 8085 available
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69 is 10 Mhz, fastest Z80 is 8 Mhz). Clearly, in the future systems
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70 and software designed around this series will be more compatible
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71 than the 6502. Not only the 8-bit machines, but the 8086 is
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72 source-compatible with 8080, which is why we already have the
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73 amount of 8086 software we do. Compare this with the 68000,
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74 which is still spinning its (admittedly fast) wheels.
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75 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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76 I AM HERO ONE
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77 I AM A ROBOT
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78 I HAVE JUST GOT MY NEW ELCTRIC HANDS
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79 SO I WANT TO MEET NEw FRIENDS
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80 WNNT YOU PLEAE BE MY FRIEND?
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81 what is this stuffwe are getting on thi
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82 this stuff ir pretty strange
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83 I do^t like conversing with a robot
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84 It would be a good Idea to ban robots
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85 from this system
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86 THE SLNTH
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87 THE SLOTH
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88 ...............................................................
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89 I have a friend with both a ZX-80 & a T/S 1000. I'm sure he'd
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90 like that game so please put it on O Great SYSOP!
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91 Reagarding the ZX-80 & 81, I admit that they're pretty
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92 low grade computers, but my friend couldn't AFFORD anything
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93 better. (The T/S 1000 was a christmas gift).
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94 Price is more important than most ad writers seem to
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95 realize. I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see an ad
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96 calling $2500+ computer "affordable"! According to some census
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97 data I saw $16K is the median income in the US. I make a bit more
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98 but $2500 is 2 1/2 months take home pay!! (believe it or not
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99 I DON'T qualify for loans or credit at most places, so I'm
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100 talking CASH)
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101 ................................................................
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102
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103 THE JAPANESE ARE COMING!
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104 THE JAPANESE ARE COMING!
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105 >> look out Timex/Sinclair <<
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106
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107 **********************************************************
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108 SYSOP MIKEY==
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109 Please do put in your TINY WUMPUS on here.
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110 Would you be upset if i converted it to run on
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111 another brand of computer - and then published
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112 it in a magazine?
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113 *******************************************************************
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114 ps. yes, I would be willing to give you credit
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115 (money is another matter though)
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116 *****************************************************************
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117
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118
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119 *********************************************************************
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120 BIT BUCKET Bulletin Board Back UP
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121 *********************************************************************
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122
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123 This is to announce that the BIT BUCKET Bulletin Board system
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124 is tentatively back up. The problems that were plaguing it last
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125 week when I first brought it up have been resolved (I Hope!) and
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126 I think now that it is ready to go again. There have been a few
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127 changes, mostly for the better. The phone number is 761-xxxx.
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128 Buadrate is 300. Hours are variable...mostly weekdays and late
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129 evenings. Give it a call try it out. Please leave a message
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130 to System Operator letting me know you made it, and what you
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131 think of the system.
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132
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133 Rick Bensene - System Operator, BIT BUCKET
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134 01-06-82 10:21PM
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135 *********************************************************************
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136 P.S. ^^^^^ To get in, press RETURN till you get a response after
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137 getting the carrier. (Sorry 'bout that...)
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138
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139 Has any body been able to access Bit-Bucket BB?
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140 I've been trying with no success-
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141 dan h. 12:46 7-jan-83
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142
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143 ..............................................................
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144 I gave up on Bit Bucket after sending carriage returns for
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145 about a minute and a half with NO response from the system
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146 L.E. 16:15 1/7/83
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147 ..............................................................
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148 I WILL CHECK OF THE XMITT LEVEL ON THE SYSTEM, HOWEVER I DON'T HAVE
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149 ENORMOUS HOPES AS IT IS RUNNING PERMISIVE, AND AS SUCH I AM AT THE
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150 MERCY OF MA BELL AND WHAT EVER LOSS OCCURS BETWEEN HERE AND THE EXCHANGE
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151 I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHECK UNTIL NEXT WEEK THOUGH AS MY EQUIPMENT IS
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152 ON LONE. OF COURSE I COULD ALWAYS BOOST IT TO THE LEVEL THAT IS THE
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153 MAX ACCEPTABLE BY THE EXCHANGE SINCE I CAN GET THAT INFO BY A ROUND
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154 ABOUT METHOD, BUT THAT IS NOT LEGAL WITH A PERMISSIVE ARRANGEMENT.
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155 ********** CISTOP MIKEY ******* 7 JAN 83 ***************************
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156
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157 Just a point to keep in mind, the 10Mhz 8085 really operates at 5Mhz
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158 as the clock is divded internally by 2. I am very displeased at the
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159 way sales types keep trying to push that crap on the unsuspecting
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160 by saying it runs at 10Mhz because it happens to use a 10Mhz xtal!
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161
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162 ..................................................................
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163 P.S. a 6502 can be pushed to 10Mhz real speed by giving it 6 volts
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164 power. The problem? finding RAM and other parts that can run that
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165 fast. A 6502 running at 10Mhz has the same thruput as a Z80 running
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166 at 25Mhz on an average.
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167
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168 ....................................................................
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169
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170 MINI-WUMPUS FOR THE ZX80-81 VERSION #1 BY MIKE DAY
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171 1 LET Y=1
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172 2 PRINT "PLAY?"
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173 3 INPUT Y
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174 **** SET UP THE BURROW
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175 5 RANDOMIZE
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176 10 DIM D(6)
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177 15 FOR C=1 TO 6
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178 20 NEXT C
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179 30 LET M=-1
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180 35 LET S=0
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181 **** ENTRANCE FROM ARROW ROUTINE
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182 40 CLS
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183 **** ENTRANCE FROM BAD MOVE
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184 45 LET N=D(6)
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185 50 GO SUB 800
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186 **** ENTRANCE FROM GOOD MOVE OR BAT SNATCH
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187 **** FIND OUT IF WE HIT ANYTHING
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188 55 IF N=D(1) THEN GO TO 700
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189 60 IF N=D(2) OR N=D(3) THEN GO TO 600
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190 65 IF N=D(4) OR N=D(5) THEN GO TO 500
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191 **** DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING, SO FIND OUT WHAT'S NEARBY
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192 70 LET D(6)=N
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193 75 GO SUB 800
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194 80 FOR C=1 TO 5
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195 85 IF NOT D(C)=X AND NOT D(C)=Y AND NOT D(C)=Z THEN GO TO 110
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196 90 IF C=1 THEN PRINT "WUMPUS NEAR"
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197 95 IF C=2 OR C=3 THEN PRINT "PIT NEAR"
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198 100 IF C=4 OR C=5 THEN PRINT "BAT NEAR"
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199 110 NEXT C
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200 ***** NOW TELL 'EM WHERE THEY ARE AT
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201 120 PRINT "IN",D(6)
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202 130 PRINT "ROOMS",X,Y,Z
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203 140 PRINT "TO?",
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204 150 INPUT N
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205 **** DO THEY WANT TO SHOOT AN ARROW?
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206 160 IF N=S THEN GO TO 200
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207 **** IS IT A VALID MOVE?
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208 170 CLS
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209 180 IF N=X OR N=Y OR N=Z THEN GO TO 55
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210 **** NOPE! REPRINT EVERYTHING
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211 190 PRINT "HUH?"
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212 195 GO TO 45
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213 **** DART ROUTINE
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214 200 PRINT "S"
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215 210 PRINT "SHOOT TO?",
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216 220 INPUT N
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217 230 PRINT N
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218 **** DON'T SHOOT?
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219 240 IF N=M THEN GO TO 400
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220 **** GOT THE WUMPUS?
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221 250 IF N=D(1) THEN GO TO 400
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222 **** NOPE! SO MOVE THE WUMPUS
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223 260 LET N=D(1)
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224 270 GO SUB 800
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225 280 LET D(1)=RND(20)
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226 290 IF D(1)=X OR D(1)=Y OR D(1)=Z THEN GO TO 40
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227 300 GO TO 280
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228 **** GOT THE WUMPUS!
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229 400 PRINT "GOT HIM"
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230 410 RUN
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231 **** BAT ZAP!
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232 500 CLS
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233 510 LET N=RND(20)
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234 520 PRINT "ZAP"
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235 530 GO TO 55
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236 **** FELL IN A PIT!
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237 600 PRINT "FELL IN PIT"
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238 610 RUN
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239 **** THE WUMPUS GOT YOU!
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240 700 PRINT "WUMPUS GOT YOU"
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241 710 RUN
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242 **** LOCATOR ROUTINE (CALCULATES NEIGHBORING ROOMS)
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243 800 IF N-10>0 THEN GO TO 870
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244 810 LET Z=N+10
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245 820 LET Y=N+1
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246 830 IF N=10 THEN LET Y=1
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247 840 LET X=N-1
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248 850 IF N=1 THEN LET X=10
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249 860 RETURN
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250 870 LET Z=N-10
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251 880 LET Y=N-2
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252 890 IF N-13<0 THEN LET Y=N+8
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253 900 IF N-18>0 THEN LET X=N-8
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254 910 RETURN
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255 **** END OF MINI-WUMPUS
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256 *****************************************************
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257 STATEMENTS PRECEEDED BY **** ARE NOT PART OF THE PROGRAM,
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258 I ONLY PUT THEM IN TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
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259 ***** THE MARVALOUS CISTOP MIKEY **** 7 JAN 83 **************
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260 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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261 Contrary to the misinformation presented above, a 10 MHz 8085
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262 really runs at 10 Mhz, with a 20 Mhz xtal used externally.
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263 Most systems designed use a 5 Mhz 8085, with a 10 Mhz xtal.
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264 I truly doubt if increasing the vcc to a 6502 would make it
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265 run at anywhere near 10 Mhz. Why? Microprocessors typically
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266 aren't speeded up more than about 10-20% by this, so if a
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267 significant fraction of parts actually could run at 10 Mhz
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268 'hot', the manufacturer would be easily able to sell them at 8
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269 Mhz or 6 Mhz. As far as I can tell, the fastest common 6502
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270 is 3Mhz, while most systems use 2 Mhz. They may have 4 Mhz
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271 parts in very small quantities, but that's nowhere near 10 Mhz.
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272
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273 In any case, it seems than the 6502 and z80 are relatively
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274 similar in speed, which is reasonable considering they are
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275 built on processes of a similar technology level.
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276 Further, in computation-intensive businesses, it is generally
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277 true that programmers won't re-program their software
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278 unless the target machine is at least twice as fast as the
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279 current machine. Otherwise, it wouldn't be worth it. In
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280 home computing, this would be more like a factor of 4.
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281 So there is little reason related to speed why anyone would
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282 want to convert 6502 software to z80 or vice versa. However,
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283 their is a big reason concerning software compatibility:
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284 With all of the new Z-80 based computers (Big boards, Zerox 820,
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285 Kaypro, Osborne, Micro Decision) and all of the old ones, the
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286 CP/M compatibility is critical. It's true that as more 16 bit
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287 computers come on line the Z-80 will be less important, but
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288 the assembly language compatibility is still there.
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289 By the way, check out the Z800. Little info yet, but
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290 looks better all the time.
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291 ---------------------------------------------------
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306 I know this is an odd time of year to be doing this, but is
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307 anyone interested in a crotch rocket. I have a suzuki GS1100E, a trely incred-
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308 ible machine. I love it but rarely ride. I want to sell it to add some new
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309 'puter goodies, and so I'll take either a good daisywheeler or an Epson 100
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310 in partial trade. Low blue book is 2500. The bike is an '80, excellent condition
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311 (I used to be a motorcycle mechanic). Anyone intterested can leave a message
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312 here or call me at xxx-xxxx days or xxx-xxxx eves/wkends. I'm also interested
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313 in a boat trailer that can handle a 23' boat as part trade, or rifles, or
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314 whatever.
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315
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316 by the way, to the Cistop, despite all the grumbling above about carrier cond-
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317 ition, I have always been able to hold your system, even when I had problems
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318 with my line on other systems. Strange world.
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319 Bill B
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320 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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321
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322 TO THE SYSOP REGARDING GETTING ON THE SYSTEM
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323
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324 I THINK YOUR SYSTEM SUCKS. THIS IS THE WORST TRAVESTY OF COMPUTERS I HAVE
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325 EVER ENCOUNTERED. I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE WITH AN OUNCE OF INTELLIGENCE
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326 WOULD TRY TO MAKE A SYSTEM LIKE THIS RUN. DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING BETTER
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327 TO DO? MAYBE MA BELL SHOULD MORE CLOSELY MONITOR WHAT GETS PUT ON HER
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328 LINES! I HOPE THIS SYSTEM GOES THE WAY OF SO MANY OTHER CRUDE BBS'S, DOWN
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329 THE PROVERBIAL TOILET! HAVE A CRAPPY NEW YEAR!
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330
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331 //////////........../////////
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332 And now, a word from our sponsors.........
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333 /////////........../////////
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334
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335
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336 I will not argue with you in regard to if there is truly a 10Mhz 8085
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337 as there very well could be (athough my INTEL manual says not), but
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338 as with the 10Mhz 6502 I would be willing
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339 to bet they are extremly rare. I bring up the main cause of my statement
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340 as a result of the continued bable from those who know not whereof they
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341 speak that because a computer uses a 10Mhz xtal it must therefor run at
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342 10Mhz. This is of course at best pure popycock!
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343 I bring up the 10Mhz 6502 only as referance that it is possible, which
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344 it is (I have seen it with my own eyes!) But this by no means is indicative
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345 that it is a commonly reproducable thing. The actual machine was being
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346 pushed to the upmost of its limits, and in fact would crash sometimes
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347 as well as requiring some very special hardware considerations as well as
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348 programing. It used bipolar RAM and lookahead addressing in hardware
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349 since there was no memory access time available it had to be already
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350 available upon request. This of course require certain specail programing
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351 requirments to assure proper sequencing.
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352 In regard to the same technology being used for both machines, again
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353 I would have to take issue. The 8080/Z80/8085 machines are what are
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354 called state machines, that is they perform instructions by passing
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355 thru a series of states. This is done because internaly they operate
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356 in different machine langauge (called nano code) which then interperates
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357 the incoming instruction and operates on it. The 6502 on the other hand
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358 is a dirrect proccesor. That is it operates on the incoming code directly
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359 with out the interveaning states. So although the two proccesors use the
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360 same silicon and manufacturing processes to be made, there is far more
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361 to be said as to how they are made to function. This is why a 6502
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362 running at 2Mhz can keep up or run faster then a Z80 running at 4Mhz.
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363 As was stated in an earlier message, the real test of a good proccesor
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364 is how efficiently it uses it resources, not how fast it crunchs inside
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365 since in the end it is whats on the outside that is important, not
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366 what is in the inside.
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367 Now for the down side.. While I still like the 6502 very much, I
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368 have to agree that it is based on old technology and is begining to
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369 lose to some of the more powerfull machines (like the 186) but the
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370 concepts on which it is based are stil very sound. There are only
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371 two things about the 6502 that I find to be lacking to a fault,
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372 the limitation of only being able to directly address 65K, and the
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373 lack of seperate I/O capabilitiy. The lack of seperate I/O has been
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374 a real argument raiser in the past, but I have found that once I
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375 got use to the concept it was superior for me in handling I/O.
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376 Particularly the indirect ability of the Z80 to take a byte of memory
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377 and output it in a single instruction. (Of course the 6502 can do
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378 it faster with its indirect function, but I am speaking of programing
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379 concepts here not hardware.) Which brings to mind another complaint
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380 of mine, what good is a nifty instruction in a computer if the typical
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381 programer can't figure out how to use it! If you take a look at most
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382 programs, you will find that most do not take advantage of special
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383 instructions unless there is no other way to do it. This is because
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384 the programer must adhere to a pattern that he can understand so that
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385 the program can be seen as a whole not as a collection of nifty parts.
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386 *** MORE BABELOUS VERBAGE FROM CISTOP MIKEY *** 8 JAN 83 ************
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387 **************************************************************
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388 I don't know a lot of this technical stuff, but I do
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389 know about makeing things, and upgrading them, and
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390 other business type activities.
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391 Perhaps the reason that the 6502 has not been superceded
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392 is that it is (far from being a dead-end) still
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393 the state of the art and it is not yet economical to
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394 improve or replace it - whereas the z-80 familiy
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395 seems to need a lot of improvement. when 16-bit really
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396 becomes NECESSARY then Perhaps the 6502 will be upgraded
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397
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398 to handle it (or be replaced with something better)
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399 Companies don't go around messing with their product
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400 if they don't have to - that you can be assured of.
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401 also, few manufacturers want to see their product
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402 die in the marketplace (unless it is uneconomical to produce-
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403 and many superior products have been that)
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404 ***********************************************************
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405 I can't agree with you, I do not beleive that the Z80 is in need
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406 of the improvements you suggest, being very familure with both
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407 the 6502 and the Z80, I find them to be equally matched in
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408 proccessing capabilities. The only real reason for going to
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409 the 16biters that I have seen so far is the increased memory
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410 accessability. Even that has been very poorly used to date.
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411 In fact I don't think I could honestly say that I have seen
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412 a 16bit micro perform any job yet that could not have just as
|
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413 readily been done on an 8 biter. Any comments?
|
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414
|
||
415 ...........................................................
|
||
416 WANTED:
|
||
417 A 2101-2 RAM CHIP.
|
||
418
|
||
419 Check all your junk (parts) bins, take a look at that old wire-wrap card you
|
||
420 just got, call your friends. We have a customer with a customer in Boise
|
||
421 with a dead TI-810. Yes, fellow hackers, the great TI still uses 2101's in
|
||
422 the buffer.
|
||
423 Will Pay CASH. Price NEGOTIABLE! Delivery time is 2-4
|
||
424 weeks from TI! This boy is in trouble!
|
||
425
|
||
426 If you got one, or know were one is, call WRAM, xxx-xxxx and ask for Gary.
|
||
427 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\1/09/83\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
|
||
428
|
||
429 What alot of technicolor bull shit. The whole issue comes down to how much
|
||
430 software is available for a given processor, and what processor more
|
||
431 computer manufactures are making. The people who decide which processor
|
||
432 to use or not use are infinitely more sophisticated to a bunch of stick
|
||
433 in the muds who log in to a go nowhere computer system. They plan and
|
||
434 plan, and then plan again before they decide on which processor to
|
||
435 use. According to a survey in a recent Mini-Micro, the Z80 was
|
||
436 used in 1/3 of all micro, or planned micro computers. It was
|
||
437 far ahead of any other processor, including 6502, 8086/8, 6809, and 68000.
|
||
438 That is saying alot. Companies did not chose the Z-80 over others because
|
||
439 their brother in law works for Zilog, they choose it because it could do
|
||
440 what they wanted, now, without waiting for the software to be written. Out
|
||
441 in the big wide world, someone who is looking for a computer system doesn't
|
||
442 want a computer with software 'available soon'. They want it now. The
|
||
443 Z80 gives them the software they want now. They don't give a hoot in hell
|
||
444 if the 6502 is 2x the Z80, how much stuff is there for a 6502?
|
||
445
|
||
446 **********TI 99/4 for sale***********
|
||
447 TI 99/4 , manuals and TI Invaders cartridg>enter
|
||
448 **********TI 99/4 for sale***********
|
||
449 TI 99/4 , manuals, and TI Invaders cartridge
|
||
450 All new.
|
||
451 All 150.00
|
||
452 Call rick at xxx-xxxx eves. and wkends.
|
||
453 ......................................................................
|
||
454 As to memory addressing, have any of you seen an Apple 3? It comes with
|
||
455 128k of memory, stock, and can be increased to 256k. It runs the obsolete
|
||
456 6502, and has access to most of the apple 2 data and program base. 8 bit
|
||
457 machines are not obsolete yet. As to why use an 8080 rather than a 6502,
|
||
458 it has a lot to do with what you want to do. They cetainly aren't the
|
||
459 last word in 8 bit machines, either. The 6809 should be able to run circles
|
||
460 around both (or around z-80) but hasn't seen much use beyond the TRS coco.
|
||
461 Much the same reasons exist for using certain processors as certain
|
||
462 programming languages: availabilty, speed, future. The 16's will take
|
||
463 over eventually in general purpose uses, sometime in the future, but
|
||
464 for now the micro world is all 8's, and if you are making something now
|
||
465 use one, any one. Why argue if a Hornet could out run Stanley Steamer?
|
||
466 (It couldn't) Any modern car will do it, but this isn't why we buy
|
||
467 new cars: they have long lasting tires, good headlights, real heaters,
|
||
468 are comfortable, dependable, etc. 8 bit machines are not for speed, that
|
||
469 depends on what kind of speed you need: a number cruncher will be faster
|
||
470 at arithmatic, but how about something that has to look up a lot of data
|
||
471 in memory, and then do something with that; it isn't going to use the
|
||
472 same machine. For speed use special processors, like the 9511 math chip,
|
||
473 for disc acess use the successors to the 1771, etc. The 16's use newer
|
||
474 technology, and therefor may run faster, but other limits deny the
|
||
475 same thing being done to say a z-80: this requires redesign of existing,
|
||
476 working processes and systems to make use of it, and isn't seen as worth
|
||
477 it. Apple used the 6502, as it was seen as state of the art in about 1977.
|
||
478 Altair ( remember them) used the 8080 because it was what was available.
|
||
479 The choice is no longer determined by hardware availability, but by
|
||
480 software, and this means compatability, which in 8 bit terms means CP/M,
|
||
481 and thei means 8080, 80o85, Z-80. None of these can touch the 16's for
|
||
482 speed, but who (besides nuts and cranks) cares, as long as your machine
|
||
483 has a 6502 in it, I suggest you use 6502 code, it will run this a lot
|
||
484 faster than it will run z-80 code.
|
||
485 .....................................................
|
||
486 Enough of this, I use obsolete equipment. For a good reason. I can
|
||
487 AFFORD it. It works. It is not blindingly fast, but I send off my
|
||
488 moon orbit calculation to Cray, and the word processing is fast enough
|
||
489 for my slow printer even when run on a 2 MHz 8080. (However, for
|
||
490 certain software reasons, I have replaced the 8080 in this with a z-80)
|
||
491 Now, more on obsolete stuff: Does anybody out there have some manuals
|
||
492 for Clcomp 142m disc drives? (8") I am trying to add a pair to my
|
||
493 system to get access to cp/m, and am having troubles.
|
||
494 in particular:what are the timing and polarity requirements of the
|
||
495 step and track 43 leads? Where can I get a replacement drive belt?
|
||
496 _______________________________Berney 231-8708_______1-9-83;19:33 pm___
|
||
497 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
|
||
498 Inertia
|
||
499 That's what determines what is used in most computer
|
||
500 systems, as well as everything else. Once a pile of software
|
||
501 is available for a particular processor, it becomes increasingly
|
||
502 difficult to change.
|
||
503 Why is the Z-80 most common for general-purpose
|
||
504 computing? Because the main operating system (CP/M) was designed
|
||
505 to be able to run on ARBITRARY sets of hardware, using an interface
|
||
506 software block called a BIOS. This means that a manufacturer can
|
||
507 design the computer of his dreams, and as long as he can write the
|
||
508 appropriate BIOS, he is suddenly compatible with the rest of the
|
||
509 world.
|
||
510 Contrary to this, 6502 software tends to be very machine-
|
||
511 specific. Example, to run Apple software you essentially have to
|
||
512 have an Apple, or a machine specifically designed to be like one.
|
||
513 An Atari won't 'look like' an Apple for a long time, I assure you.
|
||
514
|
||
515 The result of this is that any innovation tends to be
|
||
516 hindered. Add a new goodie?? Impossible!
|
||
517
|
||
518 By the way, the reason Apple used the 6502 is that the
|
||
519 chips cost $20, and the 8080 (or z80) were too expensive. This
|
||
520 is the worst reason to use a processor: Now a Z80 is $2, and
|
||
521 cheap. Because those numbskulls at Apple were too cheap to
|
||
522 buy something else! think of it!
|
||
523 ////////////////////////////
|
||
524 *******************************************************
|
||
525 NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE
|
||
526 O C
|
||
527 T P. C. S. MEETING LOCATION CHANGE I
|
||
528 I T
|
||
529 C The Portland Computer Society will not O
|
||
530 E be meeting at the Far West Federal any N
|
||
531 . more. .
|
||
532 N E
|
||
533 O We will now be meeting at the P.C.C. C
|
||
534 T Sylvania campus at 12000 SW 49th. I
|
||
535 I The meeting time is 15 Jan 83 at 1:15 PM T
|
||
536 C Doors open at 1:00 PM. Room ST-B14 O
|
||
537 E Everyone is Welcome! N
|
||
538 . .
|
||
539 N P.S. The Feb meeting is the 19th, and the E
|
||
540 O March meeting is the 19th also. C
|
||
541 T I
|
||
542 I The Sylvania campus is just off I-5 T
|
||
543 C about 1/4 mile past the Mcdonalds. O
|
||
544 E N
|
||
545 . .
|
||
546 NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE.NOTICE
|
||
547 If the Apple is so bad, how did Wozniak (sp??) get to be so rich he
|
||
548 could afford to blow a couple million bucks on a rock concert? He must
|
||
549 have been doind something right. In fact the Apple 2 has the rather
|
||
550 unique ditinction of being the longest lived micro. The machine dependence
|
||
551 of 6502 machines has nothing to do with their processor, only their design
|
||
552 methods. Most Z-80 machines need interchangeability because they left
|
||
553 something out. In any case new features will do them all in, like graphics
|
||
554 sound, and maybe even speech. Well done, all these will require more
|
||
555 computing power than the curent machines can offer, so we will see these
|
||
556 running on bigger cpu's with multimeg discs, though as we learn how, these
|
||
557 things are coming to involve less and less overhead and mew hardware does
|
||
558 it without as much from the cpu. But then what good is graphics in business
|
||
559 software? Pretty graphs are nice, but then you need to write the software
|
||
560 to create them, and that is expesive. The Apple, for instance had good
|
||
561 graphics way back when, but the use of them was a long time in coming,
|
||
562 because it took a long time to write the software, and an even longer
|
||
563 time to realize what ti could do.
|
||
|
||
|