HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: berger@atropa (Mike Berger)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: NEC CD-ROM drives
Date: 6 Oct 92 14:11:06 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

eric@tantalus.nrl.navy.mil (Eric Youngdale) writes:
>	The reason that I raised the issue is that someone claimed that the
>different command sets were irrelevant, since the low level MS-DOG drivers and
>MSCDEX hid them all from you.
*----
That DOES work for ms-dos, provided the manufacturer provides a device
driver for his CD-ROM.  I don't think your goal of a completely
manufacturer-independent box will ever be achieved.  Otherwise
everybody would offer basically the same products.  Innovation is
what separates the engineers from the salesmen.  You can build a
machine with only mature, standard technologies, but not too many
people will want to buy an obsolete computer.

>	Again, you misunderstand my position.  I did part of the kernel
>programming to add scsi cdrom support to linux.  I would be just as happy to
>add ioctls to implement the audio functions to the linux kernel , but I simply
>do not know what the commands are (the scsi-II functions are already there, but
>no one has tried them because I do not know of any scsi-II compliant drives).
>I was not willing to expend a lot of effort to try and pry the info out of NEC,
>since I was primarily interested in implementing the iso filesystem.  Besides,
>they would only work for NEC, and we would need to also add code for Sony, et.
>al. to have a complete implementation.
*----
I guess I still don't understand your position.  I thought you were
complaining that using features of peripherals outside the standards
was a real pain.  Yes it is.  I just don't understand what you think
we should do about it, other than waiting for the standard to be
finalized and implemented.  Incidentally, one phone call got me
the NEC CD-ROM command set.  Likewise Denon.  Neither company charged
me for the information.  If you're not willing to put in THAT much
effort, then I don't see any cause for complaint.

>>Actually, I thought the MSCDEX extentions did a good job of
>>hiding the low-level command set differences of CD-ROMs.  A
>>similar standard for Unix could be just as effective.

>	Again, in the long run this would not be needed.  I suspect that
>most people do not care very much about the audio functions, so I do not expect
>this to happen.
*----
In the long run, SCSI-II compliant CD-ROMs will eliminate the need for
separate device drivers.  But I'll bet people will want to attach
newer drives, and use device drivers anyway.  Even when ST-506 hard
disks were widely standardized and supported under ms-dos, we
subversive engineering types were using device drivers to support
drives larger than 32 mb, RLL drives, non-standard SCSI drives, any
anything else you can imagine.  Standards seem to work best on
paper.
--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: paul@econ.yale.edu (Paul McGuire)
Subject: CD-ROM drives as audio CD players?
Organization: Economics Department, Yale University, New Haven, Ct.
Distribution: world,local
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 05:23:29 GMT

It is about time for me to break down and buy a CD player to plug into
my stereo and I've been thinking about getting a CD-ROM drive for my
computer as well.  Can I use one device for both purposes?  I've seen
a number of CD-ROM drives advertised as capable of playing audio CDs.
Is dual capability fairly universal?  Will such a drive plug into the
stereo and give me decent sound?  I realize I'll be lacking a lot in the
way of front panel control.  Will it function without being plugged into
the computer for control?  Is it a bad idea for some other reason?

Thanks for your responses,
Paul McGuire, paul@econ.yale.edu

p.s.  this wasn't in the FAQ.
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: RLW@SHCC.BITNET
Subject: ISO 9660 and VAX VMS
Reply-To: RLW@SHCC.bitnet
Organization: FUNET-NGW
Distribution: alt
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 20:27:00 GMT

Tom Lathrop (tgl@ssd.kodak.com) writes:

>>Why are version numbers (a VMS thing) supported by ISO 9660, while many
>>Unix features are not? Because DEC took an active role in both the High Sierra
>>committee and the ECMA committee that developed the standard originally.
>>The major Unix vendors didn't participate, so their needs were ignored.

Which is VERY IRONIC since I cannot get ISO 9660 support directly from
DEC on their CD-ROM product. Although they say they are working on it, it
will probably cost us more hundreds of dollars for the driver once it is
released.

Rich Watson
Systems Manager
Shriners Hospital Research Unit
Portland, OR
From: steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Listing of Available CD-ROMS?
Keywords: Listing, Help
Date: 5 Oct 92 16:47:21 GMT
Reply-To: steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us
Followup-To: steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us
Organization: Space Coast Naturists
Originator: stp@rs2


Is there anywhere that one can find out about the CD-ROMS available on the
market?  My wife thinks CD-ROMs are neat and the price has gotten reasonable,
but she still wants to justify this expense by having it be "useful".  We
are interested in any CD-ROMs that would have info on the following:
	History (especially Dark Ages to Renaissance Europe and Medieval
		 Chinese)
	Herbs
	Books (Research, locations, "reprints" of manuscripts, etc. that
	 	fit above subjects)
	Graphics (mostly clip-art, not full image GIFs).
	Shareware (do these come available by subjects?)

Thanks for your help.
	Steve Pierce
-- 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Steve Pierce				INTERNET: stp@rs2.ccd.harris.com
WORK PHONE: (407) 242-4122			  steve@rtfm.mlb.fl.us
	Ask me about Space Coast Naturists!
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: mesm@netcom.com (Mary E. S. Morris)
Subject: Re: NEC CD-ROM 83M vs 84
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 92 20:16:56 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

gilem@aix.rpi.edu (Michael R. Gile) writes:
:  I have a chance to get a good price on the NEC cdr 83M, and would
: like to know the differences between it and the 84.   I am most interested
: in the maximum transfer , mean access time, and SCSI II compliance.
: Please get back to me quickly, because I don't have long to decide.
From what I gather, the only difference is that the 84 has a 
double dust cover and upgradable proms.
--
Mary E. S. Morris    |  The future exists first in imagination, then
mesm@netcom.COM      |  in will, then in reality. -- Galivan Burwell
=====================================================================
Netcom - Online Communication Services San Jose, CA
From: kirk.jensen@spacebbs.com (Kirk Jensen)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Hitachi CDR-3700
Date: 27 Sep 92 09:07:00 GMT
Reply-To: kirk.jensen@spacebbs.com (Kirk Jensen)
Distribution: usa
Organization: SPACE BBS - Menlo Park, CA - 10 Lines + 4gB - 415-323-4193

AJ>Does anyone know anyting about Hitachi CDR-3700 CD-ROM drive.
AJ>It's supposed to be connected to a PC/AT connection (??!)

It is internal, Hitachi proprietary, 273ms access and 150kb transfer, w/
64kb internal cache. You need a Hitachi IFI8 controller and cable,
MSCDEX 2.21 and HITACHIA.SYS to operate it on a PC. It is NOT SCSI.

If you need more help, just send email.


---
 . KingQWK 1.05 # 141 .
From: kirk.jensen@spacebbs.com (Kirk Jensen) 
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Hitachi CDR-1503S info ne
Date: 25 Sep 92 20:38:00 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: SPACE BBS - Menlo Park, CA - 10 Lines + 4gB - 415-323-4193
Reply-To: kirk.jensen@spacebbs.com (Kirk Jensen) 

PK>From: wcsintd7@alfred.carleton.ca (Peter Kuciak)
PK>Subject: Hitachi CDR-1503S info needed ...

PK>I just aquired a Hitachi external (boy is it large !!) cd-rom model
PK>CDR-1503S with some kind of interface card model CD-IFI4-A also from
PK>Hitachi.  The only way for me to work this beast is to boot under DOS
PK>4.01 since it does not feel like working under DOS 5.0.  But this is
PK>not a very pressing thing, the question I have is the following : I
PK>would like to use this cd-rom under OS/2 2.0 since I just got the Beta
PK>upgrade cd-disk from IBM at a conference last week.  Is anyone out
PK>there running this or similar configuration, or maybe has some
PK>suggestions on how to do this , please let me know.  Thanx

You can use the SETVER command (check DOS 5.0 docs) or get a newer 
MSCDEX. You need version 2.21 to eliminate the need for SETVER. 
Microsoft used to have the new version on their BBS, but have now removed
it, and want you to pay for the upgrade. It does exist on a number of 
BBSs that I've seen, however.

The same set-up will work in a DOS window under OS/2, after a few 
necessary adjustments. OS/2 will currently only directly support SCSI 
drives like the IBM and Toshiba models.

No doubt someone else can add more to the OS/2 information, as I don't
use it myself (yet).
---
 . KingQWK 1.05 # 141 .
From: ag129@cus.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Pop video jukeboxes - what do they use?
Date: 30 Sep 92 14:31:32 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: U of Cambridge, England


You know those video jukeboxes in bars, that play music videos - what
do they use? Is it CD-V, or 12" LaserVision, or something else?
From: ajayshah@almaak.usc.edu (Ajay Shah)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Writable CD-ROM technology for music
Date: 27 Sep 1992 10:06:10 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: almaak.usc.edu

I guess it's just a matter of time, but isn't it time to do
a service which puts a collection of music onto a CD for you?

Even at a price like $30 per CD it would still be a big win from
the consumer's viewpoint.  I'm sometimes reduced to buying a CD
for just one track :-)

This may well give major volumes to writeable CD technology.

(This concept already exists for making custom tapes).

        -ans.
-- 
Ajay Shah, (213)749-8133, ajayshah@usc.edu
Xref: sparky alt.cd-rom:3380 alt.sys.sun:3192 comp.sys.sun.apps:2074 comp.sys.sun.misc:4427
From: jdavis@bordeaux.kpno.noao.edu (Jim Davis)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom,alt.sys.sun,comp.sys.sun.apps,comp.sys.sun.misc
Subject: Re: Help! Problem with reading ISO9660 CD-ROM on SUN?
Keywords: ISO9660 CD-ROM
Date: 28 Sep 92 22:52:58 GMT
Organization: Blurkmann Planetarium

In article <esimon.717671649@imlab1> esimon@wd.estec.esa.nl writes:
>Can anybody tell me how to read CD-ROM's in ISO9660 from a SUN?

>Descending in one of them, I expect to see some files but get
>the following error message occurs:
>
>	hsfs: filetype (0x8) not supported
>
>System:	SUN SPARC sun4c
>	SUNOS 4.1.1

You need a kernel patch.  The following should work for 4.1.1; there's an
similar patch for 4.1.2.

acuraintegra# adb -w vmunix
>>>> hs_parsedir+9c?X
_hs_parsedir+0x9c:              ba0da0ee
>>>> hs_parsedir+9c?Wba0da0e6
_hs_parsedir+0x9c:              0xba0da0ee      =       0xba0da0e6
>>>> hs_parsedir+14c?X
_hs_parsedir+0x14c:             ba0da0ee
>>>> hs_parsedir+14c?Wba0da0e6
_hs_parsedir+0x14c:             0xba0da0ee      =       0xba0da0e6
>>>> $q

You can also patch /sys/sun4c/OBJ/hsfs_node.o with the above patch.  (Which
is what I did, so I don't have to reapply the patch every time I build a new
kernel.)
-- 
Jim Davis            | "Seeing her rip his heart out was SO romantic."
jdavis@noao.edu      |   -- Clarissa Darling
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: berger@atropa (Mike Berger)
Subject: Re: NEC CD-ROM drives
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: world,local
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 16:57:05 GMT

av@omega.ssw.de (Andreas Vogel) writes:
>The only hack with this drive is that NEC is using non-standard SCSI
>commands for audio control. So you have to use NEC drivers or you are on
>your own if you want to play music with it.

>Maybe the new Toshiba drive is a better alternative. Depends on what you
>want to do with it: data or music.
*----
I don't know specifically about the Toshiba, but Sony, Denon, and
NEC all use proprietary commands for audio.  SCSI-II may define
audio commands, but few, if any, drives currently on the market
are fully conform.  This is neither unique to NEC, nor an
insurrmountable problem.  Your CD-ROM device driver communicates
in a generic way with the MS CD-ROM extensions, so a standard
audio player should work.

--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org (Joe Morris)
Subject: Re: CD-ROM drives as audio CD players?
Organization: The MITRE Corporation
Distribution: world,local
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 15:12:29 GMT

paul@econ.yale.edu (Paul McGuire) writes:

>It is about time for me to break down and buy a CD player to plug into
>my stereo and I've been thinking about getting a CD-ROM drive for my
>computer as well.  Can I use one device for both purposes?  

Yup.
>                                                            I've seen
>a number of CD-ROM drives advertised as capable of playing audio CDs.
>Is dual capability fairly universal?  

Some early CD-ROM players did not have the ability to also play the audio
disks because the designers thought that corporate managers would think of
the devices as toys.  I wouldn't be surprised to find such crippled drives
on the market, but all CD-ROM drives I've seen marketed recently include the
ability to play audio disks.

>                                       Will such a drive plug into the
>stereo and give me decent sound?  

Most of the drives come with a miniature headphone jack on the front panel
and a pair of RCA phono jacks on the rear.  Most modern amplifiers and 
preamps have input connections designated for a CD source, but you can use
any high-level input for the purpose.

Many external CD-ROM drives include a built-in mono amplifier and speaker,
but it should be no surprise that the speaker isn't exactly "hi-fi".

I've got a CD-ROM drive at home for which I bought a decent Pioneer amplifier
and a pair of bookshelf speakers.  Since they aren't exactly audiophile
quality -- and my office at home isn't configured for good sound -- I can't
say anything about super sound quality, but given the limitations its 
quality isn't that much worse than what I get from a Revox drive, an old
Macintosh amplifier, and a pair of Bozak speakers.

>                                    I realize I'll be lacking a lot in the
>way of front panel control.  

Not necessarily.  I've seen a couple of CD-ROM drives which include front-
panel audio playback controls.  I don't recall just what vendors offer this,
however.
>                             Will it function without being plugged into
>the computer for control?  

Assuming that you don't have front-panel controls, you'll at least need to
start the audio disk from the attached computer.  On my system (Denon
CD-ROM, Future Domain adapter in a PS/2) if I'm listening to an audio disk
when I finish working on the PC I can turn the PC off and the audio will
continue to the end of the disk.

On the other hand, the BIOS POST routines on the SCSI adapter will abort
any audio play whenever the PC is booted (warm or cold) because they send
out a reset order to the attached drives.  (I have both a hard disk and
the CD-ROM attached to the SCSI adapter.  Removing the BIOS chips would not
affect the CD-ROM but would make it impossible to use the hard disk.)

Joe Morris
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: vaughn_f%nsti.dnet@NET.VANDERBILT.EDU ("", Faye Vaughn)
Subject: Re: The Bible Library
Reply-To: "(Faye Vaughn)" <vaughn_f%nsti.dnet@NET.VANDERBILT.EDU>
Organization: FUNET-NGW
Distribution: alt
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 15:48:27 GMT

The Bible Library is distributed by EBSCO 1-800-633-4604.  I have also seen the
 Bible Library in a Power-Up! catalog.
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: AIRFOR@SAKACS00.BITNET (System Analysis Team 476-9777 x4155)
Subject: (none)
Reply-To: System Analysis Team 476-9777 x4155 <AIRFOR@SAKACS00.bitnet>
Organization: FUNET-NGW
Distribution: alt
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 18:53:15 GMT

Does anyone have any information regarding the SONY CDU-561 CD-ROM reader?
I understand it was supposed to ship by September 1992.  How does it
compare with the NEC CDR-84 in price/performance?

What would be the best general purpose SCSI card to get to connect my PC
to the SONY CDU-561 (or any other quality CD-ROM reader)?  I have been
advised to get the Adaptec 1542B?  I was told that this card will co-exist
with my existing IDE disk controller, and provide a good future upgrade
path for my system.

Also can anyone reccomend a good encyclopedia on CD.  I have heard that
encyclopedias on cd tend to be shallow.  How is the Compton's Multimedia
Encyclopedia?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

James H. Smith
Airfor@Sakacs00.Bitnet
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: adrie@ica.philips.nl (Adrie Koolen)
Subject: Re: DIR on a CD-ROM
Organization: Philips Consumer Electronics, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 08:12:02 GMT

In article <1992Oct1.123421.12403@linus.mitre.org> patel@mwunix (Anup C. Patel) writes:
>Here's my situation.  I have a Apple CD-ROM (basically a Sony mechanism),    
>connected to an Adaptec 1542 SCSI interface, and using the ASPI4DOS.SYS and
>ASWCDSNY.SYS drivers.
>
>When I initially insert a CD in the reader and do a DIR, the CD directory is
>correct.  However if I eject the CD and replace it with a totally different
>CD, the file directory that is diplayed is the same as the first CD.

The cause of this problem is, of course, buffering. Dos, MSCDEX and perhaps
also the CDROM driver, use buffers to improve throughput. When you change
the CD, the driver normally is not made aware of this. MSCDEX issues a "media
changed?" command to the CDROM driver. When the driver gets this command, it
should ask the drive if the CD has been replaced. I wrote a driver for the
NEC CDR-84, in which I issue a "Test Unit Ready" command to check if the CD
has been replaced.

A driver which always reports that the media hasn't been replaced and/or
uses data buffers, which are not flushed after a disc change, will cause
MSCDEX to use old data.

Adrie Koolen (adrie@ica.philips.nl)
Philips Consumer Electronics, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
From: mad@motatl.UUCP (Mark Davidson)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Mitsumi's Address
Summary: Mitsumi CDROM Address
Date: 28 Sep 92 19:57:02 GMT
Organization: Motorola Computer Group (MCG), Atlanta, GA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4


I am looking for an address or phone number for the US headquarters for Mitsumi.
If they have a BBS, that would be useful as well. 

Thanks,
Mark
-- 
Mark Davidson -  INET: mad@atl.mcd.mot.com  UUCP: {emory,gatech}!motatl!mad
Motorola Computer Group (MCG)
400 Interstate N. Pkwy, Ste 450, Atlanta, GA 30339  Hep Me...Hep Me! I've been
Phone: 404-933-8628     FAX: 404-952-0892           hypnotized! - Disclaimer
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: smb@col.hp.com (Sam Bauer)
Subject: >>PC Game For Sale: Ultima I-VI (CD-ROM)
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 17:33:29 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

PC GAME FOR SALE	

************* Ultima I-VI Series - CDROM Edition  **************

What can I say about these games that you probably haven't already
heard?  I enjoyed playing Ultima Underworld so much that I decided to
by this series.  It has been a real kick to experience the progression
of the ultima series first-hand.  With each game, the graphics get 
better, the world gets larger, and the story gets meatier.  Suprisingly
enough, though the first several games use only CGA/EGA graphics and
mouse support/sound card support doesn't arrive until Ultima VI, the
games are all well done, and enjoyable.  I'm really going to enjoy
Ultima VII (yes, I've been saving it) with this much history behind
me.  I, like the fictional Avatar, feel very good upon completion of
each quest - though after awhile, find myself longing to be back in
Britania. 

Includes:

Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness

Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress

Ultima III: Exodus

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny

Ultima VI: The False Prophet

I will sell for $48 (Only $8 per game).

I am the original owner.  Game includes all docs, maps, etc. (including
registration).

I will pay shipping.  It will be mailed inside a box with packing.

EMail at smb@col.hp.com or call 1-719-531-4460 (days).

Sam Bauer, Hewlett Packard CTD, Colo. Sprgs CO.
From: 2719weberj@vms.csd.mu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: NEC CD-ROM drives
Date: 28 Sep 1992 02:25:15 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
Distribution: world,local
Reply-To: 2719weberj@vms.csd.mu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: vmsd.csd.mu.edu

In article <26SEP199200145361@misvax.mis.arizona.edu>, tswanson@misvax.mis.arizona.edu (QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES.) writes:
>I'm getting the itch to buy a CD-ROM drive and have pretty much settled on
>an NEC 74 or 84.  Is there any difference between the two drives besides
>external vs. internal (and price)?

It is my understanding that mechanically they are identical, but the CDR-74
can also be purchased with the Gallery, the 84 can not.  The Gallery 
includes, 7 CDROMS (Groliers Encyclopedia,Mammals,Great Cities of the World
Time's Almanac,Time Line of Science and INovation,World Atlas and 
Multimedia Battle Chess).

JOE
From: deand@bcarh823.BNR.CA (Dean Dillabough)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Address for Mitsumi Corp.
Date: 30 Sep 92 18:40:41 GMT
Reply-To: deand@bcarh823.BNR.CA (Dean Dillabough)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.

Hi. A few days ago, someone asked for an address for Mitsumi Corp.
A search through a magazine extract CD-ROM gave this address:

Product:   CRMC-LU Series

Company:   Mitsumi Electronics Corp., Inc.
Address:   6210 N. Beltline Rd., Ste. 170
           Irving, TX  75063
           214-550-7300
           FAX: 214-550-7424
           Tech support: 408-970-0700
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category:  Disk Drives (hard, floppy, optical, removable, ...)
             CD-ROM Drives

Specs:     Pricing: $250
           Standard warranty included: 1 yr.
           Number installed to date: 150,000
           Date announced: 1991
           Product classification: CD-ROM
           Capacity: 540-630 MB
           Interface supported: Proprietary
           Access time: 600 ms
           Data transfer rate: 0.15-0.18 MB/sec.
           Compatible with: IBM PC, XT, AT
           Packaging: Internal
           Size: Half height
           MTBF: 25,000 hours

Hope this helps.


              Dean Dillabough (NO shirt, no shoes, no sig)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom