HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: eddy@dutecai.et.tudelft.nl (J.G.E. Olk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Servo-writing a tape in a tape backup drive---HELP
Date: 10 Apr 92 13:01:04 GMT
Organization: Delft University of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering

mts@wam.umd.edu writes:

>I have an Irwin model 125 tape backup drive on my pc.  I purchased this drive
>used, not knowing whether it worked or not.  I just recently purchased my 
>first tapes for it DC1000s.  I stupidly made the mistake of buying blank
>unformated tapes.  Whenever I try to servo-write the tapes the process gets
>at the most about 75% completed then aborts.  My question is is this normal
>or is my drive possibly/probably defective I sure hope not.  I spent $45
>on these tapes and  I hope that I can manage to get them formated if it is
>not the drive.  Does anyone have any tips?  Also, is there any way to bulk
>erase a tape without buying a tape eraser?  I have for the moment been setting
>the tapes on a large speaker magnet to erase them and it atleast lets me 
>begin to servo write the tapes.  Do the tapes have to be totaly erased before
>the drive will servo them correctly?  Is it possibly to wrap some length of 
>wire around a cardboard tube and run a current through it to create a field
>strong enough to erase the tapes?
>Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I have almost the same problem :-(. Two tapes were servo written correctly and
work fine, one tape couldn't be servo written properly. So if you have
useful information on how to bulk erase a DC1000 tape without using a
bulk-eraser (if there exists such a beast) please POST THIS!! (Do I sound
desperate enough?)

Thanks,
Eddy

-- 
\  Eddy Olk                          Section Computer Architecture         \
/  email: eddy@duteca.et.tudelft.nl  Department of Electrical Engineering  /
\  phone: +31-15-785021              Delft University of Technology        \
/                                    The Netherlands                       /
From: bplim@cs.utexas.edu (Gerald Lim)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Upgrading external floppy of PS2-70
Date: 9 Apr 1992 22:41:28 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: bovina.cs.utexas.edu


My friend has a PS2 model 70, and his 5.25" external floppy only read/writes
360K diskettes.  Would anyone know if I could just swap the drive for another
that reads both 360K & 1.22M, i.e. remove the old 360K drive from its external
case and insert the new 1.22M drive, and from thereone, the system would be
to read 1.22MB & 360K diskettes.  Any help would be most appreciated.  Thanks.

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald Lim                                 Anybody wanna employ a
(email: bplim@cs.utexas.edu)               CS graduate in June...??
The University of Texas at Austin
From: lvandyke@balboa.eng.uci.edu (Lee Van Dyke)
Subject: Thanks for the XT formatter info
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:00:22 GMT

Thanks for everyones response! 



--
Lee Van Dyke
      lvandyke@balboa.eng.uci.edu,
UUCP: infotec!Infotec.COM!lee@sunkist.West.Sun.COM
From: jliukkon@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Juha-Matti Liukkonen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: COM ports dead - motherboard at fault!
Date: 15 Apr 92 18:09:54 GMT
Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Organization: University of Helsinki

Hello there fellow netters. I have somewhat strange a problem to report.

I finally got bored with my 286 motherboard and purcahsed a cached 25
MHZ SX. However, I had *major* problems in getting the COM ports to
work. I had an IO-card, which had COM 1 and 2 (mouse at 2) and a modem
card as COM 3 (don't ask why mouse == 2...;) But now my modem would only
work as COM 1 or COM 3 - and so did the mouse! COM ports 2 and 4 were
totally inoperational.

Well, I played with all the jumpers and dip switches for hours. I
noticed that my IO card dips didn't work as they should have; sometimes
I lost my LPT ports when configuring the COMs etc etc... And all the
time CheckIt reports Data Register and Modem Control failures, and
sometimes even Data Transfer Failure at 4800 baud! This happened more or
less with all of the COMs, and I only could have one working COM port at
all.

Well, now I have tried with 2 display adapters, 3 IO-cards, 2 HD
controllers, 2 modems, different disk drives - and finally ended up with
certainty that the motherboard was at fault. I replaced it two hours
ago, and now everything works fine.

I just found it quite hard to believe that the motherboard could be
faulty so that only the COM ports die. Everything else worked absolutely
fine. But, as it seems, it can happen.

-- 
_--__----__---___---___--____/ Juha Liukkonen - jliukkon@cc.helsinki.fi \___/
_-___-____-___-_-___-___-___/ University  of Helsinki, Finland, Earth,  /o__o
_-___---__-___-_-___-___-__/ Department of Paranormal Investigations:  / (..)\
_--__-_____---___---___--_/ " 01000001 01001001  0100010  01010011 "   \  -- /
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: pdc@lunch.wpd.sgi.com (Paul Close)
Subject: Re: Memory problem
Originator: pdc@lunch.wpd.sgi.com
Reply-To: pdc@sgi.com (Paul Close)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 18:50:58 GMT

anttih@sulo.otol.fi (Antti Haapalahti) writes:
>Not tested 384 is situated between 640 and 1024 kb and it is used
>for Shadow ram area. It means that your BIOS is copied there and is accessed
>faster from there than from ROM.
>
>You can even see bettered results in test programs when using Shadow RAM
>option.

Isn't this what cache is for?  On a machine with cache, I would think you
would see negligible speed improvement with shadow ram.

Just my opinion....
-- 
Paul Close	     pdc@sgi.com	   ...!{ames, decwrl, uunet}!sgi!pdc

    Oh, no!  You walked into the slavering fangs of a lurking grue.
From: reilly@bnlux1.bnl.gov (kevin reilly)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Gateway 15" Monitor
Date: 15 Apr 92 02:11:50 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Brookhaven National Laboratory

I have recently bought a Gateway2000 486DX/50 with a 15"
monitor. The original went dead in ~5 days. gateway sent a re
placement free of charge with no hassle and quickly.
(Three cheers!) But the new monitor distorts at the slightest
movement of the table upon which it sits. Is this indicative
of poor craftsmanship?
I have checked other monitors I use (NEC 2A and a SUN 19" Color).
They do not distort if they are moved.

I would like to hear from other Gateway customers about their monitors.
Kevin M. Reilly
Organization: Sophomore, IM - H&SS Track, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 17:06:07 -0400 
From: Kwan-Ju Chen <kc2x+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: SIMM 3-chip and 9-chip

What's the difference between 3-chip simm and 9-chip simm? Some how
3-chip simm seems cheaper is there any disadvantage to that?

thank you
From: adhir@cygnus.umd.edu (Alok Dhir)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Questions
Keywords: SCSI controller
Date: 8 Apr 92 01:45:02 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: /etc/organization

Hello all.  I am two days away from placing an order for a new 486/50 Local 
Bus computer with all the goodies.  I have a couple of questions though:

1)  I am getting one of three monitors:  NEC 4fg, Sony 1604s, or Mag 15".  
Which should I get?  I understand that the Sony does not have the capability
to store cusom adjustmens for horizontal and vertical image sizing in 
different video modes...how much would this affect me?  Should I consider
this a feature or a frill?  Also, which has the better picture, the NEC
or the Sony Trinitron?  I have been steered away from the Mag by a few 
people, so I'm leaning towards the Sony or NEC...have I been steered
right?

2)  I want to get a good card with the system.  I have been pretty much
set on the Soundblaster Pro, but I've been reading a few things on 
other cards which people are saying are much better in this group...  Does
that mean I should wait for some other board to come out?  I definitely
want SBPro compatibility for some of the games.  It will cost me about
200 with the system, will the other cards be more expensive or about the
same?  What are these other cards and what are their features (vs the SBPros
features)?

Thanks alot for the answers...I'm rather excited about my new system.  I'll
post a review of it once I get it for you people who are wondering what
to buy...

							- Al
From: jm602s1066@sycom.mi.org (James Mallory)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Intel 486 van de graaf generators in TV ads..
Date: 12 Apr 92 21:27:27 GMT
Organization: Michigan Information eXchange

ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib) writes:
>Wonder if they give the 486 some extra oomph. Funny thing is 
>no 486 I've ever opened up has the things...Maybe its a new
>memory erasure feature..
>
>Wonder how anyone can get their boxes to FCC Class B with the
>towers sparking like that....
>
>(Also note the EPROMs with the covers off... I guess one 
>shouldn't open the case in direct sunlight..)

Or the Power supply connection that wasn't hooked up.

-- C-UseNet V0.55c
            Jim Mallory, a CNE and a Randiod (What a Combination!)

  '...I wanted to have real conversations with people with bubbles on their
 heads...I want to sit next to Wookies...jawas...and all kinds of robots." --
   Carrie Fisher on "Star Wars"  (Even though I would of swore that she was
                           referring to the 'net!)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: russest@ampex.com (Steve Russell)
Subject: Re: ethernet card suggestion?
Organization: Ampex Corporation, Redwood City CA
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 19:12:04 GMT

In article <Idv4nHK00VB1E0tkVV@andrew.cmu.edu> jk73+@andrew.cmu.edu (Joseph Wei-Cheng Ku) writes:
>I  wish to buy a ethernet card to connect to the school' s network
>(running Unix/Xwindows, which I would like to use) before this summer, 
>but I have no idea what is the difference between them. 
>
>I was wondering if there is anyone that has experienced in them might
>give me some pointers. Is there anything that I should be looking for in
>the card? any recommendations, anything that I might want to avoid?
>
>also, the network works with both ethernets and token rings, which is better?
>and please include the price range for anything that you might recommend. 
>
>thanks. 
>
>-jk

This is definately NOT the place to ask this kind of question (but a 3COM
3C503 should be less than 200.00 - street price - and is good to 14mhz).

You should be talking to the school's >>> NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR <<<.

The computer support organization should provide you with all the information
needed on which board they prefer you to use and also what software they
will allow on THEIR network. They also control network access and addresses.

What ever you do DON'T just hook yourself up to the net and play it by ear.

I'd hate to see someone bring down their net just by accident.

-steve russell
ampex corporation (computer services - like, you couldn't have guessed...)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: pjh@mccc.edu (Pete Holsberg)
Subject: Re: Bashing (was Re: Gateway 2000 - $195 v.32bis modems?????)
Organization: The College On The Other Side Of Route One
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:04:57 GMT
Keywords: Okay, enough already

In article <1992Apr7.162320.26628@cs.dal.ca> layes@ug.cs.dal.ca (Jonathan Layes) writes:
=Sorry, I'm not in the real world, so I guess you'll have to take this
=for what its worth.....Yes, they have good prices, but as I'm in
=Canada and can find 1) better prices with a company who 2) has better
=warantees and 3) has been in business longer and 4) have had much, much
=fewer problems, sorry, Gateway just doesn't cut it.  I'm buying a 486
=in a month, and it won't be from Gateway.

Will you tell us who this wonderful company is, please??
-- 
Prof. Peter J. Holsberg      Mercer County Community College
Voice: 609-586-4800          Engineering Technology, Computers and Math
FAX: 609-586-6944            1200 Old Trenton Road, Trenton, NJ 08690
Internet: pjh@mccc.edu       Trenton Computer Festival: April 11-12, 1992
Xref: sparky comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:13680 comp.graphics:5373
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 11:26:14 EDT
From: David Neal <LORAX@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.graphics
Subject: Ventek Chroma Gold w/NTSC out - Sources?

The Ventek Chroma Gold is an SVGA board that has NTSC video output.
I spent three days scouring Computer Shopper for a source for this gizmo but
was unsuccessful.  I'm absolutely certain that no one knows a discount source
for this card. (Is that the proper way to draw a response on the net? (: )

david neal             lorax@wvnvm.wvnet.edu
Organization: Penn State University
Date: Monday, 6 Apr 1992 16:58:49 EDT
From: <DRB125@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Gateway Telepath ??????

      Okay, Okay I have been sticking behind Gateway for a long time now and I
don't think I can keep it up.

      Latest from Gateway:

            We have a backorder problem with our telepath modems.  We don't
expect them to ship until the END OF APRIL !!!!!

       This damn thing better be worth it.  I put my order in at the end of
FEBUARY.  Thats 7 weeks ago.  This is absurd !

            Will I buy from Gateway again ???????????????


                   Jeff
From: edm@hpfcmdd.fc.hp.com (Ed Moore)
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 16:09:58 GMT
Subject: Re: What is PC MOS?
Organization: HP Mechanical Design Division
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware

>Does anyone know more about PC MOS (MOS - Memory Operating System)?

I don't know what you already know about PC MOS, so I don't know exactly
what "more" might be.  However, the 9/12/89 issue of PC Magazine reviewed
five multiuser operating systems for DOS applications.  PC MOS is one of
those.  I don't have the magazine here, however.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: cchw@hippo.ru.ac.za (Hamish Whittal)
Subject: HELP HELP HELP with modem - want to buy?
Organization: Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
Date: 15 Apr 92 10:04:41 GMT

I am making an urgent request to those of you overseas. Here in S.A. our
hardware prices are radiculous, to say the least. I want to buy a modem
2400 baud that is hayes compatible. My boss got one while overseas last
year from Eggheads (what a name for a shop!). It was a Zoom fax/modem
that had a model no 24/96. It is made by Zoom Telephonics Inc. and cost
him on a special $99. He said their usual price was $150. I'm prepared
to pay the $150, but nee to know who to contact at either the Zoom
company, of a place like Eggheads. Unfortunately I will not have my
email address for very much longer, so prompt replies would be
appreciated. I also have a credit card which may make things a little
easier. Please could someone help me on this score, as I intend seeting
myself up as a FIDO node.

Please email replies to me, or to my flatmate at phaf@hippo.ru.ac.za

My email address is cchw@hippo.ru.ac.za.
Sorry about typing errors and the urgency of this message.
Help appreciated greatly.

regards
hamish
--
-=-H a m i s h    W h i t t a l -=-=-=-R h o d e s    U n i v e r s i t y=-=-=-
)  We dare bravely because we must,   ) Phone : +27 [0]461 22023 x 282 (Work)
( since without the burden of dreams  ( Internet : cchw@hippo.ru.ac.za
) we have nothing for which to live!! ) Phone : +27 [0]461 22819 (Home)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.lang.c
From: nap42487@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Nishith A. Patel)
Subject: Re: 486-50 Mhz, getting too HOT???? 
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 02:15:05 GMT

u8930217@golum.riv.csu.edu.au (Mr Chang) writes:


>Hardware wizards,
>     Has anyone out there own a 486-50Mhz ISA Machine??
>     Have you experience any over heating problem, especially in a
>non air-conditioned room??

Did you buy your 50 MHz computer a while ago? Intel recalled the 50 MHz
chip because of overheating problems, though I did not know any 50 MHz computerswere shipping then. I thought they all shipped after. This is only speculation,
and your situtation probably does not apply. 

Nish Patel   nap42487@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
From: lohmann@iesd.auc.dk (Jens Lohmann-Hansen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Soundblaster differences!
Date: 13 Apr 92 10:28:23 GMT
Organization: Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Aalborg

>>>>> On 10 Apr 92 20:11:20 GMT, 9220410@sunvax.sun.ac.za said:

Walt> Hi 

[Stuff about SB1.0 & SB1.5 deleted]

Walt> Now the SB PRO (Which is NOT the SB 2.0) is a different baby
Walt> altogether. It is bassically 2 SB's on one card. It has stereo 
Walt> FM capabilities (11 voices per chanel=22 voices, ie 2xAdlib) and stereo
Walt> digitized voice recording and playback. Recording is up to 
Walt> 44100 hz in mono and up to 22000 hz in stereo. Playback is up
Walt> to 44100 hz in stereo (I think). All SB's do their sampling
Walt> in 8 bits. It also has a CD interface, and can be used (with a 
Walt> proprietary drive, a Panasonic I think, bundled or available from 
Walt> Creative labs now.) to play audio CD's or read Data CD's all under 
Walt> software control. Appart from all this it still has all the previous 
Walt> SB features (ie Amp, Input output ports etc. I believe you also get
Walt> the MIDI expansion box with the SB PRO)

Just wanna add up.. Rumors are out that these 22000Hz and 44100Hz
limits are due to the (obviously old, if this is true) .VOC-file
format - thus it is possible to play'n'record faster than this. Only
you cannot go by the CT-VOICE.DRV-diver, but has to do some (hard)
programming yourself.. As a matter of fact, someone did this for OS/2
(or was it un*x?). It is also possible to control different
volume-controls via software (FM, DAC, CD, Mic, Line...). The only
"bad" thing about the SB (Pro) is that the Mike-port is controling
itself (self-adjusting). This is really a BITCH! (Pardon my french).

Walt> That's more or less what I know. Hope it helps!


Walt> Walter Prins 
Walt> prins@cs.sun.ac.za
Walt> University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

--
                                                  Signed lohmann@iesd.auc.dk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-They say I'm arrogant, but I know better.....
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: ffujita@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Frank Fujita)
Subject: Re: OS/2 and AMI Incompatability
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 20:32:47 GMT


So, tell me about this CSD upgrade stuff.  IBM has a new CSD (i.e.
OS/2 2.01 or some such) and then how do I get it?  Does IBM ship
it to me -- do I need to call again and ask for a card?  Are the
appropriate file posted to comp.binaries.os2?  Are they on a IBM
BBS?  etc. etc.  Tell me how a OS/2 2.0 user gets new CSDs.

Thank you,
Frank Fujita
From: anttih@sulo.otol.fi (Antti Haapalahti)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Memory problem
Date: 7 Apr 92 05:47:37 GMT
Organization: Oulu Institute of Technology, Finland

From article <92095.231002RIVERA@UCF1VM.BITNET>, by RIVERA@UCF1VM.BITNET (Luis):
> 
>        I have read several of the postings related to SIMMS and I have a simmil
> ar problem, but can't find a solution.  I have an Aries 386SX with a 41M HD and
> 2M of RAM.  There are four banks of SIMMS and a total of eight 256K SIMMS, but
> when the computer does the RAM test, the counter goes up to 1664 instead of
> 2048.  The Standard CMOS Setup shows:
>                                       Base memory: 640KB
>                                       Extended memory: 1024KB

Yes, this is normal thing - I have worked at least 30 different mainboards
and many of them have this feature. You have 2 MB  memory, every bit is working
well. Not tested 384 is situated between 640 and 1024 kb and it is used
for Shadow ram area. It means that your BIOS is copied there and is accessed
faster from there than from ROM.

You can even see bettered results in test programs when using Shadow RAM
option.

Regards, anttih@otol.fi   Antti Haapalahti

-- 
__________________________________________________________________
Antti Haapalahti         	INTERNET:	anttih@otol.fi
Oulu Institute of Technology	VOICE:		+358-81-5370471
laboratory engineer		CELLULAR:	+358-49-586416
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.dcom.modems
From: hallf@lonex.rl.af.mil (Frederick G. Hall)
Subject: Re: Any information (no opinions) on Gateway modem?
Organization: RL
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 10:51:11 GMT


FWIW...I ordered mine in early March and was told 60 to 90 days delivery.
Needless to say I haven't seen it yet.
From: jliddle@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Jean Liddle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Build it yourself books?
Date: 17 Apr 92 20:57:54 GMT
Organization: Illinois State University

In article <8292@sun13.scri.fsu.edu> nall@sun8.scri.fsu.edu (John Nall) writes:
>
>   Perhaps I am missing something here, but...what's to build???

Actually I was missing something :).  This will be my first major
hardware endeavor beyond simply installing controllers/bios chips/etc.

>If you buy a "motherboard, chassis, etc.," (and I presume that the "etc."
>would include a power supply, memory (if it does not come on the MB),
>a video card, a monitor, and a keyboard, at least) then it is merely a
>matter of plugging things in.  The only difficult parts here are (a) being
>sure that the motherboard fits into the chassis right, and (b) making sure
>all jumpers are set right and that the setup is done right.  I've done this
>about half a dozen times, and it's about like falling off a log.
>
>  But, as I said, perhaps I'm missing something :-), and misinterpreted
>what you plan to do.  In any case, this was not intended as a flame, but
>merely reassurance that it is an easy thing to do.  

This is indeed reassuring!  I had suspected this was the case, but wanted to
be certain.  I have a number of possible references now (Thanks to all
those who responded!).  My post was in response to a number of people
telling me (verbally) that building a system could be quite hairy and
required a great deal of knowledge.  After upgrading several systems for
family and friends, I suspected this was not the case.  Your post confirms
this, which is just what I wanted to hear!

Thanks again to everyone who responded - much of the recommended material
is now making its way through the local library network to me.

Jean.
-- 
Jean Liddle
Computer Science, Illinois State University 
e-mail:  jliddle@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu
         jliddle@katya.acs.ilstu.edu