HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:06:14 EST
From: <F0O@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Some monitor advice needed

   Hi netters!

   I need to buy a new color monitor, and would like to get a large one.
I was thinking on a 17" monitor, but current events have made me go for
a cheaper monitor.  In looking through Computer Shopper, I saw the NEC
MultiSync 4D, a 16" monitor for only $549.
   This seems like a very good price, and the only thing I can see to
the 4D's disadvantage is it has a maximum vertical resolution of 768;
The horizontal is 1024.  I can certainly live within these confines
without too much problem. :-)
   Is there anything else about the NEC 4D I should know about before
I plunk down my credit card, or is this just a good buy?

                                     Any help would be greatly appreciated!

                                                              [Tim]
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: MS Ball-point mice.....?
From: Steve.Withers@bbs.actrix.gen.nz
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 22:21:08 GMT
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange


Does anyone know if the MS Ball-point mice are MS mouse compatible? Or do you
need special drivers?
 
Steve
-- 
Steve Withers - Wellington, New Zealand |      
Steve.Withers@bbs.actrix.gen.nz         |        Space for rent.
+64 4 478 4714                          |   - cheap rates, nice location. 
**** Happy user of OS/2 b2.1 ****       |
From: u5775949@ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Computer too fast! - Colorado Tape backup unit
Date: 6 Jan 93 17:45:08 +1100
Organization: The University of Melbourne


Thanks to all those people that answered my call for help
regarding problems with a Colorado Memory Systems XR4 QIC-40
tape backup unit.  The original problem was that the software
for this unit would not work on 386-DX systems - it complained
that the host computer is too fast!

So far I've been unable to make it work with a 33MHz 386-DX but
here is a summary of what I've since discovered:

A FAX to Colorado Memory Systems inc. revealed that they sold
the rights for the XR-4 to RC Electronics of California.  The RC
Electronics technical assistance people told me the following:

   The TAPE software will never support 386,486,etc CPUs.

   It's software timing loops running too fast causing the
   problem.

   The TAPE software does not support DOS version 5.0+ and may
   result in unexpected errors (in the hard disk file system???).

   RC's only suggestion is to update to a new tape backup unit
   and transfer each tape to the new format (ie read the tapes on
   the old 286 system to a hard drive, disconnect the XR4,
   install the new tape unit, format the old tape on the new
   unit, copy all the files from the hard disk back to the re-
   formatted tape.)  This could take some time considering all
   the old tapes in the bottom draw with experimental data.

Several people replied on Internet with the following suggestions:

   Run the CPU as slowly as possible.
   Turn off all cache.
   If the mother board has the appropriate chipset setup options,
   set DMA clock for the lowest rate, and longest DMA wait periods.
   Set the I/O bus clock to the lowest clock rate.

   Run alternative backup software that supports the XR4 drive.
   PC Tools Backup and others were mentioned but we don't have
   them (yet). Anyone know of public domain programs???
   The QIC-40 tape drive itself seems to be common among a
   number of manufacturers so it's possible software for another
   QIC-40 drive may work although error correction and data
   formats could well be different (at least we could use the old
   drives for something useful!).

Addresses:

   COLORADO MEMORY SYSTEMS inc.
   800 South Taft Ave.
   Loveland, CO 80537, USA
   Ph: (800)-346-9881,  int'l+1+303 669-6500
   FAX: (303) 667-0997
   BBS: (303) 635-6650

   RC Electronics
   3303 Harbor Blvd.
   Suit C7
   Costa Mesa, CA 92626
   Ph: (714) 375-3791

Thank again to all those people with suggestions and phone numbers,

Mark Harrison
University of Melbourne
Victoria, Australia
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: khor@bnr.ca (Kyle Hor)
Subject: Re: What's the deal? My chip says "SX-25"; Norton says "SX-33"
Reply-To: khor@bnr.ca
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 15:16:27 GMT

In article <C0CoGq.1ww@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib) writes:
|> In article <1992Dec30.233238.14371@ptdcs2.intel.com> ssivakum@ptdcs2.intel.com (Sam Sivakumar) writes:
|> 
|> >    I work in lithography R&D, so I am not intimately familiar with the
|> >sort and test world, but I know that every chip sold is tested.  Usually,
|> >once the lot of wafers leaves the fabrication line, every chip on each wafer
|> >is tested for functionality as function of voltage and speed.  There may be
|> >other tests done at this stage as well, like transistor characteristics, etc.
|> >and maybe others that I am not aware of.  All chips that do not work are
|> >inked, so when the wafer is diced into individual chips, the inked fellas are
|> >rejected summarily.
|> 
I agree 100%.  This is how it is done.  BTW, there are 3 main
category of tests for digital ICs.
 
  functional  : mainly boolean logics
  DC          : voltage & current levels
  AC          : switching speed

At the wafer stage, only simple functional tests are performed as the DC and AC
characteristics could change due to the processes further down the line.

|> Hmmm
|> 
|> Anyone know where one could write to get rejects like this? 'Twould 
|> be a nice conversation piece... 
|> 
|> Perhaps they wouldn't give away the latest 486-66/DX2 but surely there 
|> are old 286 wafers lying around somewhere..
|> 
I dunno what they do with the wafers, but they are unsightly.  Good dice
are taken out to be assembled as IC's and the remaining bad dice scattered
across the wafer are all inked anyway.

............................................................................
. Kyle Hor                    .    /       / _   .  Email  khor@bnr.ca     .
. Bell-Northern Research Ltd. .   /__\  / / /_\  .  Phone  (613) 763-2488  .
. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada     .  / \  \/ /  \__  .  ESN          393-2488  .
....................................__/.....................................
................  standard disclaimer, 2 cents opinion  ....................
.............  searching forever, for the perfect solution  ................
From: djackson@axion.bt.co.uk (Dave Jackson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Info on 386slc
Date: 12 Jan 93 10:41:38 GMT
Reply-To: djackson@axion.bt.co.uk (Dave Jackson)
Organization: British Telecom Research Labs


In article <psm.726739749@murlibobo>, psm@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU
(Phil Malin) writes:
|> Hi all.
|> 
|> I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me about the
|> 386slc chip brought
|> out by IBM.  From what I've heard it's supposed to be pin
|> compatible with
|> the 386sx and includes onboard cache (~2K), instruction
|> optimisation, etc.
|> I have a 16MHz 386sx and would like to know if it's
|> possible to rip the
|> 386sx chip out and plug this baby in.  I also have a
|> coprocessor (although I
|> don't see what difference this should make, just thought
|> I'd mention it).
|> Is this possible?  Is it as simple as this?
|> 
No, it's easier - it comes on a small board which fits into
the co pro
socket (and enables you to refit your co pro to), however...

IBM won't sell you one if you don't have a PS/2, or one of
their other
machines which is able to take this device (I think the BIOS
code has to be
aware of it). I think this is (also) because of their licence
agreement with
Intel over the production of the device. (The cache is 8K I
believe)



 

David J Jackson   Telephone +44 473 645805
------------------------------------------------------------------------
djackson@axion.bt.co.uk  TO LET: Blank line - would suit witty signature
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
From: ctdonath@mothra.syr.EDU (Carl T. Donath)
Subject: Re: NEW TRUE digital sound capture card
In-reply-to: 's message of Tuesday, 5 Jan 1993 06:54:28 CST
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 93 11:39:05 EST

In article <93005.065428U28709@uicvm.uic.edu> <U28709@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:

   I have developed a PC-card that captures audio data comforming
   to the AES/EBU and S/PDIF format. This output is available
   from home and professional CD and DAT players. I am thinking
   about marketing this card (I call it DEar), but I am not sure
   there is enough interest to justify the effort.  If you are
   interested, please send me E-Mail with the following
   information:

I've been thinking of doing the same thing. Getting it manufactured and
distributed is the biggest problem.

   1) How would you use it?

a. Affordable basement digital recording/editing studio.
b. Affordable flexible sampler/audio processor.

   2) Software you already own you would like the card to work
   with, and why.

a. Windows.
b. SoundBlaster compatible (I know it would be like using a Lamborgini to 
   go to the grocery store, but wide compatibility (and the SB is the most
   supported) makes life easier). This is not critical.

   3) Hardware you already own you would like the card to work
   with, and why.

Run in a Gateway 486/33c without conflicting with a MusicQuest PC-MIDI board.

   4) Software you would like to accompany the card and why
   (include software you might have written)

a. Full-featured (whatever that means) stereo 16-bit sound editor.
b. CSound or something similar.
c. C/Assembler/Pascal routines.

   5) How would you use an optional digital output port?

a. Clean output to DAT
b. Output to Sony or Pioneer digital-input receiver (significantly lower noise
   than, say, PAS-16).
c. If you mean a _second_ digital out port, developing audio for surround-
   sound would be significantly easier (need to be able to play 4 channels
   at once).

   6) Which would be the best way to advertise and distribute
   this card?

a. Personal digital studio (PC, DAT, digital receiver, MIDI) advertised in
   _Keyboard_ or other reasonably popular music hardware mag.
b. rec.music.synth, comp.music, alt.emusic.
c. Mail order all the way.
d. Offer thru other mail order places (PC-connection, Bulldog computers, etc)

   7) How many people do you know you think would be interested
   in the same way you are?

Two or three. I don't know many musicians with a computer bent.

   Thanks for your time.  Any additional comments are welcomed.
   Andy Rosa.

Some company (see recent _Keyboard_ magazine ads) is about to release a 
relatively low-cost CD recorder, perhaps with some additional features.
See how this affects you (it might not, it might).

Need any help in development?

When can I be a test site? 

- Carl Donath
--
  __________/ ctdonath@rodan.acs.syr.edu  Carl T Donath \________________
 / Why do people assume that this is the first time things have ever     \
/ been this way and things will stay this way forever?                    \
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: 486SX-25, UMC or SIS chipset?
From: kodagali@wsuhub.uc.twsu.edu
Date: 12 Jan 93 12:53:01 CST
Organization: Wichita State University, Wichita, Ks

Hi netters,
   I have an option of buying a 486SX-25 motherboard with an UMC or an SIS
chipset. Which one should I go for? Both the boards are upgradable to
486DX2-50.

Thanks for your time.
----------------------------------------------------
Email :kodagali@wsuhub.uc.twsu.edu

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com (Russ Poffenberger)
Subject: Re: IDE vs. SCSI
Organization: Schlumberger Technologies, ATE division, San Jose, Ca.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 22:37:18 GMT

Carl Heinzl (carl@Cayman.COM) wrote:
: 
: >>So if speed is your concern, I'd say SCSI is your answer.
: 
: >The corollary to this, of course, is that if money is a problem, 
: >IDE is your answer.
: 
: >The way I look at it is that if you want lots of drives, super large
: >drives and very fast transfer rates SCSI is the answer, but you'll 
: >need lots of moolah for it. 
: 
: I absolutely agree.  The one caveat is that, should you plan to add a
: second disk to your system it is advisable to buy from the same
: manufacturer.  You will almost definitely have less problems this way.
: 

Nut if you ever plan on adding stuff in the forseeable future, then SCSI is
cheaper in the long run. You cn add CDROM, tape, more disk, etc, without
having to add more adapter cards, and chewing up your precious IRQ's and
stuff.

I have 3 disks, CDROM, and tape on my Adaptec 1542b. Best investment I
ever made on my system.

Russ Poffenberger               DOMAIN: poffen@sj.ate.slb.com
Schlumberger Technologies ATE   UUCP:   {uunet,decwrl,amdahl}!sjsca4!poffen
1601 Technology Drive		CIS:	72401,276
San Jose, Ca. 95110             Voice: (408)437-5254  FAX: (408)437-5246
From: sergei@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Sergei Borodin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 486 Computer for sale!
Date: 13 Jan 93 02:59:49 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1993Jan11.105506.789@ab.wvnet.edu> shomo@ab.wvnet.edu writes:
#I have a IBM Compatible i486DX2-50MHz Computer forsale
#	System includes:
#		i486DX2-50MHz processor
#		8K internal CACHE
#		2 Mb memory (expandable to 32Mb)
#		85 Mb IDE Hard Drive 16MS 1 inch 64K Cache
#		1.44 Mb and 1.2 Mb drives
#		2 serial 1 parallel
#		8 I/O slots (6 free)
#		SVGA card 1Mb memory
#		IBM 8514 16in. SVGA monitor
#		Mini AT Tower Case
#		5 Drive Bays (2 5.25, 3 3.5)
#		101 IBM style keyboard
#		Sound Blaster Card
#
#This computer was just built for resale.  Under warrantee.
#	$2700.

  I wonder who carries the warrantee? Some colege major?
  Besides, the system is worth no more than $1993 including
  tax, licences (DOS and Windows) and documents fee :).

  But if you'll find an idiot who buys it let netters know.

>				Scott Shomo
>				shomo@ab.wvnet.edu

 S.B.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,misc.forsale.computers
From: hsiaoe@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Eric Hsiao)
Subject: 16 meg memory price - $300?  Too good to be true?
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 19:11:38 GMT

*** NOTE: I'm posting this for a friend who's newsfeed is currently down ***
          Do not E-mail me please.



I just got off the phone with someone from H&J Electronics (800-275-2447) who
sells 4X36, 72-pin, 70ns simms for an INCREDIBLY LOW $305 !!!

The best price I was able to find other than this was $525 at Chips for Less
(214) 250-0009.  I was just wondering if anyone has had previous dealings with
H&J, because they sound pretty reputable.  I would really appreciate it if you
could send me feedback on this at ksheth@us.oracle.com

BTW, the warranty is for 5 years on these simms.  Thanks...



Regards,

Kaushal Sheth                                         email: ksheth@oracle.com
Associate Consultant                                  Phone: (212) 303-3935
OCG New York                                            Fax: (212) 755-3016
-- 
| Internet: hsiaoe@rpi.edu         > Read GIF News - a freely copied news  < |
| Bitnet: userHA6G@rpitsmts.bitnet > magazine in .GIF file format.  Color  < |
| To get GIF News, FTP to here:    > articles on reviews of programs,      < |
| netserv1.its.rpi.edu /pub/misc   > games, industry news, IBM, Amiga, etc.< |
From: bruce@camb.com (Barton F. Bruce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Sony CD-ROM - logic board?
Date: 4 Jan 93 02:14:43 EDT
Organization: Cambridge Computer Associates, Inc.

In article <rohrernl.76@helix.nih.gov>, rohrernl@helix.nih.gov (Nathan Rohrer) writes:
> I've got a Sony CD-ROM drive in for repair and the technician tells me that 
> the "logic board" is out.  He says it will cost about $400. to repair.  Does 
> this sound right?  The CD-ROM drive could only read CDs about 1/4 of the 
> time.  Any help would be appreciated.

Which drive? Anyway, the CDU-541 has a street price of ~$416, so buy a new one.

Ask at any serious/quality high-fi repair shop about non-Sony shops
getting parts at fair prices, or maybe you saw the piece on tv a week ago
about what some Japanese companies do more than others...

If folks woke up maybe Sony and friends would get the message when noone 
bought things that are not intended to be repaired at reasonable prices.

Sony's name doesn't have the same ring to my ears it used to.
From: dvs@ze8.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de (Wolfgang R. Mueller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: What's wrong with OPTi chipsets?
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 06:27:39 GMT
Organization: Computing Centre, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: mueller.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de

In article <1993Jan7.174610.18631@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> rhh2h@fulton.seas.Virginia.EDU (Ron Henderson) writes:
>Why is it that most 386 buyers specify that they do *not* want 
>motherboards with the Opti chipset? I may be in the market for a
>386/40 mb, and want to be informed.
>
The Opti chipset is a bit inflexible concerning shadow ram allocation.
It does not allow to map those parts of those certain 384 K, which are not
used for shadow ram, to the end of the extended memory. On other chipsets
this gives you extra 256 K extended memory. With Opti the 128 K covered
by vga display (a0000-bffff) are totally lost, the 128+ K between cxxxx/d0000
and effff can only be mapped in place.
With increasing ram sizes this hurts less and less.

Greetings,

Wolfgang R. Mueller <dvs@ze8.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de>,
Computing Centre, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany.
From: echuang@cco.caltech.edu (Ernest Y. Chuang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Real differences between brands of modems?
Date: 9 Jan 1993 10:16:31 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu

Can anyone explain to me the differences (real or perceived)
between different brands of modems?  Flipping through Computer
Shopper, typical prices I'm finding for a few brands are:

	US Robotics		$550
	Hayes Optima		$470
	Practical Peripherals	$380
	Boca			$260
	Zoom			$250

(Probably not the lowest prices available -- I didn't search
that carefully.)  All are (I think) 14.4k modem/fax externals, 
with V.32(bis)/V.42(bis)/MNP (or maybe missing 1 or 2 of those), 
so it seems like the basic features are the same.  So what other
significant benefits do you get from the more expensive modems?

Are there really any differences in reliability?  I've been
using a Zoom 2400 baud modem for the past 3 years (one of the
cheapest brands I could find at the time), and I haven't noticed
any serious problems with errors, so I'm wondering what reasons
there are not to get the cheapest modem I can find, as long as
it has all of the protocols that I need.  Has anyone with a Boca
or Zoom 14.4k modem (or any other inexpensive modem) noticed any
major problems?

Also, let me just check some terminology:

	V.32 is a (protocol? standard?)
	V.32bis and V.42bis are data-compression schemes
	V.42 and MNP are error detection/correction schemes

Is this right?  (These are just my impressions from reading the
little advertising blurbs for the different modems.)  Is one type
of data compression or error detection better than the other?

Any help or specific modem recommendations would be appreciated.
(The only things I really want are 14.4k and V.32.  Everything
else is up in the air -- doesn't even have to be external.)

Thanks,

- Ernest Chuang
  echuang@cco.caltech.edu
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:40:57 CST
From: <U35805@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: 100 MHz. 64-bit.???

     From the PC Magazine I have just got (Jan. 26 1993. vol-12
  #2).  On page 356 the ad from Tangent Computer.  They advertise
  a 100 MHz. 64-bit system with word like this.  (Ready-to-run
  Windows NT. UNIX and UnixWare -2X faster than a 486-66! A
  Software developer's dream machine!)  It has a 100 MHZ 64-bit
  processor, it even has a 64-bit localbus video card.($9,995)
     It is the next genaration P5 from Intel?  Or other chip
  maker?  Anyone out there heard it or have their hand on one
  of this?
From: barrett@aminet.uucp (Keith Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: What's the deal? My chip says "SX-25"; Norton says "SX-33"
Date: 6 Jan 93 15:43:34 GMT
 <C01LuI.542@news.cso.uiuc.edu> <1993Jan4.185708.21777@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>
Reply-To: barrett%aminet@nuconvex.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: Waterbury USENET/UUCP
X-Copyright: (c) 1992 Keith Barrett; May be distributed freely, Not for sale
X-Disclaimer: Statements expressed are not representitive of any employer
X-NewsSoftware: XRN V6.17 Amiga UNIX SVR4

Could someone post (or email me if posting is inappropriate) the name
of the vendor that sold you such a system? I'd like to make sure that
I avoid them in my purchase decision -- especially since I'm planning
to spend big bucks.

Thanks!!


-- 
-kgb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UUCP: nuconvex.com!aminet!barrett             Keep circulating the tapes - MST3k
DDN: barrett%aminet.uucp@decwrl.dec.com    // My life is my own - the prisoner
Alternate: barrett@pamsrc.enet.dec.com   \X/  Amiga 3000UX - The Next Generation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib)
Subject: Re: EISA/MCA *or* Local Bus? Which is better for multitasking?
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 19:27:27 GMT

In article <1993Jan1.172109.12026@midway.uchicago.edu> sip1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:

>I should also mention that several vendors (IBM and Compaq, notably)
>have had "LocalBus" video adapters for some time.  By placing the
>video on the motherboard these manufacturers did not have to worry
>about AT bus limitations.  (True LocalBus, of course, offers up to
>three slots, which means the video circuitry can be replaced and still
>stay local.)

*groan*

I wonder if IBM made true Local Bus video or simply stuck MCA 
video on the motherboard. Either should be fairly easy to do,
and there is no way the integrated video on Model 70s and 55SXs
could be local bus - they're so slow. Especially the awful 8 
bit video on the 55SX. If IBM has been using Local Bus then 
everyone would have been flocking to buy their machines because 
they'd have screamingly fast video... *groan*

"On the Motherboard" does not necessarily mean "Local Bus". 


-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iskandar Taib                          | The only thing worse than Peach ala
Internet: NTAIB@SILVER.UCS.INDIANA.EDU |    Frog is Frog ala Peach
Bitnet:   NTAIB@IUBACS                 !
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware