HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: d9mikael@dtek.chalmers.se (Mikael Wahlgren)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: OS/2 success stories?
Keywords: cd-rom OS/2
Date: 12 Dec 92 10:28:44 GMT
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg Sweden

dan@modcomp.com (Dan Grostick) writes:

>Are there any OS/2 cd-rom success stories?

Almost any SCSI CD-ROM will work with OS/2 (2.0).  There are drivers for
IBM, Toshiba, Hitachi, Texel, NEC, Panasonic, Sony and probably some others
that I have forgotten.  These drivers support file-access, CD-Audio access
and Photo-CD single-session access (if the drive supports it).

There is also a generic CD-ROM driver that only supports file-access and that
should work with almost any SCSI CD-ROM.

You will have to have a SCSI controller that is supported by OS/2 2.0, like
Future Domain, Adaptec, Trantor, UltraStore or DTP.

As for non-SCSI solutions, the only one I am aware of working, is the Sound-
Blaster CD-ROM.  There are beta CD-ROM drivers available for this drive.  It
only supports file-access.

Mikael Wahlgren
From: joel@upchrch.UUCP (Joel Upchurch  )
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: CDROM ATLAS recommendations?
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 92 22:35:07 EST
Organization: Upchurch Computer Consulting, Orlando FL

runyan@cup.hp.com (Mark Runyan) writes:

> As a side question, is a CD-ROM world atlas worth it?  Considering that
> the CD-ROM atlas that I got (OK, it was surplus and only cost $10.00),
> was fairly out of date.  The statistics were from 1987 or so, and it
> still showed the USSR and the two Germanies.  I can see using CD-ROM for
> shareware programs because I'll want a stable place to pull the programs
> from if I have to re-install, but for something like Almanacs, Atlases,
> and record books?
> 
> Maybe I'm just the only one who feels this way.  Or perhaps I'm unaware
> that the Atlas programs use the CD-ROM as a base reference with disk-based 
> update files that the user can purchase to `update' the map images.

In the long term it will actually be cheaper to update a CD-ROM
reference than a paper reference. A CD-ROM only costs about $1.50 to
make. I doubt if any hardback or large paperback can be printed for
that much. I suspect even the cheap newsprint used in the World
Almanac costs more than that. Eventually they will produce new
editions every year like they do they do the paper versions once they
can start producing them in really large quantities.

For encyclopedia they can ship you a whole new disk for less than they
could send you a yearbook in a paper volume and a new disk is more
useful than a yearbook, since you don't have to look through multiple
volumes to track down all the references.

If you want to see the potential of CD-ROM based maps check out Street
Atlas. It has every street in the U.S. on one disk and can display it
to any resolution you like. The trouble with most CD based maps is
that they store the images as bitmaps rather than vector images which
limits the resolution of the image, since bitmaps are an inefficient
method for storing this type of information and doesn't allow the same
kind of zooming capability as a vector image can.

Notice that Walnut Creek will give you a subscription where they will
send you an updated CD-ROM with the entire SIMTEL MS-DOS library every
quarter for $20 an update. I suspect that when millions of people have
CD-ROM drives that we will be able to get yearly updates of things
like Almanacs and Atlases for less than that.

Now that things like CD-I players and CD-ROM based games machines are
available they will be able to produce CD-ROM titles in mass market
quantities, with several different kinds of retrieval software so it
can work on many platforms.



(If your mail bounces use the address below.)
Joel Upchurch/Upchurch Computer Consulting/718 Galsworthy/Orlando, FL 32809
joel@peora.ccur.com {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd,ucf-cs}!peora!joel (407) 859-0982
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: john@utafll.uta.edu (John Baima)
Subject: List of multispeed drives?
Organization: Silver Mountain Software
Distribution: alt
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 13:09:22 GMT

Has anyone made a list of the various multispeed drives? If so, could
you email me a copy? Thanks.
--
John Baima
Silver Mountain Software   1029 Tanglewood, Cedar Hill, TX 75104
john@ling.uta.edu          Voice/Fax (214) 293-2920




Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: darkshot@rock.concert.net (Michael B Garrett -- Chudys)
Subject: Re: Audio CD-players as CD-ROMs
Keywords: CD, CD-ROM
Organization: Not much
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 03:22:30 GMT

It won't work easily- the tolerances for even super-high-end audio
CD players are just not up to it. While it IS possible, you'll
spend more money doing it than a good MPC upgrade kit would cost.
Not to mention that the interfaces are completely "not there", nor
are the controls.

A better project would be to see about making one of Tandy's new
Digital Compact Cassette recorders interface with a SCSI card.

Comparatively much simpler- and wouldn't it be neat?


Now, if I can just get my Hitachi to talk to DOS....I forget why I'm
even interested. B-)

'Shot
From: 2719weberj@vms.csd.mu.edu (Joe Weber)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: CDROM ATLAS recommendations?
Date: 15 Dec 1992 04:22:53 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
Reply-To: 2719weberj@vms.csd.mu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: vmsd.csd.mu.edu

>
>The big problem is the existence of up-to-date maps of the world, never
>mind the existence of up-to-date digital geographical information. A
>significant amount of the world is not mapped at scales of 1:100 000 and
>larger, never mind the age of such mapping. Unfortunately, it is an
>expensive and time-comsuming task to capture such information.
>

I find it hard to believe that NO ONE not even the pentagon has up to
date maps.  They stratagies for every country in the world, need it or
not, so I find it hard to believe this could be done with out good maps.
At the very least, I can not believe that someone couldn't scan a lot
of stalite maps and add in the labels.  This would probably take a lot
of time, but hey, if you are talking about a nationally distributed
piece of software, you could probably afford the costs.

- especially if you were the first-

JOE
From: gg15hzav@sbusol.rz.uni-sb.de (Achim Voermanek)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: CD-ROM-Help needed
Date: 14 Dec 1992 18:52:16 GMT
Organization: Universitaet des Saarlandes,Rechenzentrum
NNTP-Posting-Host: sbusol.rz.uni-sb.de
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

Hello,

I need some help from you all out there.
I use a TULIP 386/25 MHz with a VGA an 4/105 MB RAM/HD.
Since two weaks I want to use a CDROM-drive from Hitachi
a 1503S. I got this drive with a SCSI Board from another
user at the university wihtout documentations. 
I have inserted in my config.sys the line
devicehigh=c:\dev\hitachia.sys /d:MSCD004 /n:1 /p:300
as in the original config.sys from the collegue.
In the autoexec I start the MSCDEX with these options:
mscdex /d:mscd004 /m:8 /v /l

I use DOS 5.0 and the new MSCDEX 2.21, but in the original
config.sys was a notice, that HITACHIA.SYS doesn`t run
with DOS 5.0, so I used SETVER to solve this problem.

Can anyone help me iwth all these options, interrrupts and
jumpers ?

The acutaul fault is: I can change to drive K:
but when I enter DIR, 
 there is always a message:
CDR101 Not ready reading drive K:
abort, retry, ignore...

Also , i get no signal from the drive.

Please send your mail to
gg15hzav@rz.uni-sb.de

Thank you in advance

Achim Voermanek
 
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: ag129@cus.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant)
Subject: CD-ROM simulator?
Organization: U of Cambridge, England
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 18:16:25 GMT


We are exploring the CD-ROM area, and are considering writing some CD-WORMs.
For this and other reasons, a "CD-ROM simulator" sounds like a good idea.
It would occupy 650Mb of hard disc and pretend to be a CD-ROM, perhaps
under MSCDEX. But unlike a CD-WORM it wouldn't cost $30 a time, so training
people to use the CD recorder would be painless. Also, formats could be
experimented more easily.

I am aware of products which generate master tapes for subsequent CD-ROM
pressing, and of various database solutions that allow CD-ROMs to be uploaded
to disc. A CD-ROM simulator would combine both kinds of function, though
perhaps not in the same way. In particular, support for MSCDEX seems
necessary for a lot of vendors' applications.

Does anyone know of such an object? (Or a combination which is known to
work?) Please reply by e-mail and I'll summarise.  Thanks!
From: pp@STIRLING.AC.UK
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: WARNING: message delayed at "stir.ac.uk"
Date: 21 Dec 92 00:34:25 GMT
Reply-To: pp@STIRLING.AC.UK
Distribution: alt
Organization: FUNET-NGW

Your message,
        ID <9212191802.AA02960@forth.stirli
        UA-ID Mitsumi CDROM...
has not yet been delivered to the following recipients:

mbn1@findhorn.stir.ac.uk

The message is queued for processing on bannock.

Delays are usually created by hosts being down, less often by network
outages.

Delivery attempts will continue and no action on your part is
required. If the message cannot be delivered in the next 42 hours
it will be returned to you.
Xref: sparky alt.cd-rom:5109 comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware:32935 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:15732 misc.consumers:20542
From: dh@fncrd6.fnal.gov (don husby)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Did I get Sscrewed? (Is INSIGHT cheating?)
Summary: Full tilting at widmills mode engaged.
Keywords: insight talon deceptive trade
Date: 12 Dec 92 21:12:56 GMT
Organization: Fermilab
NNTP-Posting-Host: fncrd6.fnal.gov


  So I called Insight to demand my money back.  After about 10 minutes
on hold: "Customer satisfaction, this is Stephanie, how can I help 
you?"  I tell Stephanie about how they sent me the wrong drive and how
they can satisfy me by sending the correct drive or by giving me a 
complete refund.  After a few minutes of discussion, she checks the 
invoice and concludes: "Oh sir, it looks like you ordered the wrong 
drive."
  My Fault!  I knew it.  I saw a CD-ROM advertised ... I called and 
ordered it ... They sent the wrong drive ... I called to complain.
Clearly the only reasonable conclusion is that I made a mistake.  How 
kind of Steph to point this out.  Someone less experienced in 
"Customer Satisfaction" might say something like "Yes sir, clearly 
there is a mistake here.  You got the wrong drive.  We'll take care of
it immediately and here's some free software for you trouble."
My Fault!  I should have known.

  Other tidbits:
  Stephanie claims that Insight did at one time advertise a CD-ROM
drive called a TA-100 with a 600ms access / 32K buffer.  Even this
doesn't match what I got: 800ms/2K. ...
 Steph:	"Some people *want* the slower drive"
    Me: "Why would anyone *want* the slower drive"
 Steph: "Their systems can't handle the faster one"
    Me: "Bullshit! You don't really believe that do you?"
 Steph: "Yes"

  I suspect that Insight has NEVER shipped a Talon TA-100 with the
specifications that they advertise.  This, of course, is the path I 
will pursue when I deal with them on Monday.
  Stay tuned for late breaking news.

Also, I have discovered that it is fairly simple to file a complaint
with the Federal Trade Commission and other consumer groups.  Simply 
call them and request a form, fill it out and send it back.  They will
send a copy to the company.  The number of the Chicago FTC office
is 312.353.4423.

Finally, is there anyone out there who has a TALON drive of any kind?
Or, is this a trademark that Insight puts on any junk drive that they
happen to have laying around?  Do you have the address of TALON, Inc?

--
Don Husby	dh@fncrd7.fnal.gov
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: reznick@acf3.nyu.edu (Daniel Reznick)
Subject: Multisession on Sony 31A?
Organization: New York University
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 17:26:46 GMT

I have heard that Gateway is saying that the Sony 31A which they are 
selling has Multisession Photo-CD capability.  Is this true?  Is this
NOW, or later with some upgrade from Sony?  I would be interested in
hearing any commments on this drive, as they sell it quite cheap ($225).
Of course, it comes with an 8-bit proprietary interface, so that isn't
too good, but you can't beat the price.  Any comments?

Daniel Reznick
reznick@acf3.nyu.edu
From: karl@idca.tds.philips.nl (Karl Lovink)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: Sony CDU-535 problem
Date: 14 Dec 92 20:02:11 GMT

In <4f_kzla00iV000jUsT@andrew.cmu.edu> lc2p+@andrew.cmu.edu (Li-Kang Chen) writes:


>Hi,

>    I installed Sony CDU-535 about 4 monthes ago.  It was working fine. 
>But  when I try to use it yesterday, it rejected all cd-roms (i.e. caddy
>with cd-rom won't even be able to stay in the drive).  When I start
>windows, windows gave me a error saying system error cannot read from
>drive S: (my cd-rom drive).  The strange thing is it did take all audio
>cd, and I was able to play them, too.   Why the drive won't take any
>non-audio cd?  

>Thanks,

>-Li
>lc2p@andrew.cmu.edu

I do have the same problem, this was already from the beginning.
I never managed to read ISO9660 or High Sierra format disks.
Audio disk were never a problem.
So if you found a solution for your problem, please let me know.

Kind regards and thanks in advance.

-- 
    ( )       Karl Lovink, Digital Equipment Enterprise BV  
  } @ @ {     EMAIL   : karl@nofssrv.syssup.tds.philips.nl
-- |___| --   ALL-IN-1: Karl Lovink@APD  VAXMAIL: HLDE01::LOVINK_K
  _/   \_     TEL     : 31-55-434485     FAX    : 31-55-432199
--
    ( )       Karl Lovink, Digital Equipment Enterprise BV  
  } @ @ {     EMAIL   : karl@nofssrv.syssup.tds.philips.nl
-- |___| --   ALL-IN-1: Karl Lovink@APD  VAXMAIL: HLDE01::LOVINK_K
  _/   \_     TEL     : 31-55-434485     FAX    : 31-55-432199
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: daveyd@stono.cs.cofc.edu
Subject: CD-ROM from Creative Labs
Organization: J. Random Misconfigured Site
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 18:01:11 GMT
X-Posted-From: stono.cs.cofc.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

Hi

I was thinking of purchasing the cd-rom drive from creative labs, since I
already own the sound blaster pro, however I saw a post saying not to buy
that drive, but there were no reasons given.  From what I have seen in
advertising and in tests, the drive exceeds MPC standards and had a decent
seek time.  The only question I had was that the kit said that it could 
handle cd's up to 540 megs and I thought that cd's could hold over 700 megs.
Please correct if I am wrong on this point.

If you could also recommend some other drives in the $300-400 price range
that are good please list these as well.  I am not looking for a lot of extras,
just a good drive in the above price range.  

Please post or email to:
                              daveyd@stono.cs.cofc.edu

Thanks in advance,

Alan Davey
From: chuck@eng.umd.edu (Chuck Harris - WA3UQV)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: Multi-session CD-ROM
Date: 16 Dec 92 22:52:03 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: University of Maryland, Department of Electrical Engineering

In article <01GSDL2FMGRG0020X8@INDYVAX.IUPUI.EDU> PAOLIVER@INDYVAX.bitnet writes:
>    What's the basic difference between CD-ROM and WORM drives,
>conceptually? This is a rhetorical question. Clearly not much. As I
>understand it, the problem of "asynchronous writes" to WORM discs (i.e.,
>treating just like a non-erasable hard disk) was solved a long time ago.
>So why should there be any basic conceptual problem with write once
>CD-ROMs?

Simply, because the drives were designed to not be able to do this.
Adrie Koolen explained to me that the drives are incapable (due to firmware)
of reading past a maximum block number that is recorded in the lead-out area
on the CDROM.  I am not yet sure why you couldn't lie to the drive and make
this block number equal to the max capacity of the disk, but I guess you can't.

Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
chuck@eng.umd.edu
From: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: multi-session Photo CDs (was Re: Reading CD-I)
Date: 17 Dec 92 20:24:29
Organization: TooLs GmbH, Bonn, Germany
NNTP-Posting-Host: leo.tools.de
In-reply-to: adrie@ica.philips.nl's message of Thu, 17 Dec 1992 08:50:06 GMT

>   by zero or more CD-DA tracks. I've seen a PhotoCD, burned by a Kodak
>   photoshop, that contained 38 tracks with 103 pictures in total. The first
>   track contained a file system which points to all 103 picture files.

That's true. I have a single session Photo CD with 13 pictures on it,
and it contains 8 tracks, the first track contains the ISO 9660 fs and
the CD-I files and the following tracks contain 2 - 3 pictures each.
But things get really interesting with a real 2 session Photo-CD I've
got: Here you have an updated ISO 9660 filesystem starting on track 3
pointing to pictures in track 2 and track 4 (overwriting the ISO 9660
filesystem in track 1 which (obviously) has only pointers to the
pictures from the first session).

I'm surpised that I havn't seen someone complaining that he still can
only access the first session of a multi-session Photo-CD on his brand
new multi-session drive, because the OSs ISO 9660 filesystem code is
unaware of the updated directory structure of the disc!
--
Juergen Keil          jk@tools.de ...!{uunet,mcsun}!unido!tools!jk
From: dcole@ua.d.umn.edu (david cole)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Re: Advice on Media Visions CD/Sound 16 kit
Date: 14 Dec 1992 21:43:14 -0600
Organization: University of Minnesota, Duluth
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: ua.d.umn.edu

In article <1992Dec14.181356.19498@pt.com> kcc@pt.com (Kevin Chalker) writes:
>
>
>Hi,
>  I am looking for advice on the MPC Upgrade 16 kit from Media Vision
>which includes the ProAudio 16 sound card and an NEC SCSI multi-spin 
>CD-ROM.
>
>1)  Is the CD-ROM internal or external?  CDR84 or 74?
>2)  Is everything included for the MIDI portion so that it can talk
>	to external keyboards, etc.?
>3)  Are all SCSI cables, interface, etc. included?
>4)  Do speakers come with it?  If not, which do you recommend?
>
>Thanks in advance and if you have any other suggestions on different
>multi-media kits to buy, please let me know.  
>
>Kevin
>kcc@pt.com
>
>
>
I believe it is internal(NEC84).  Earlier they were shipping the 83, so you
might check if you decide to get it to make sure they include the later
drive.  Should include cables, but I dunno about the midi adapter.

Do you know about their other kits?  The Fusion16 includes the PAS16 and the
Sony 31A.  It does not include the midi adapter (I was told when I asked
Computability).  Dunno about speakers.  I cheaped out and got the other new
bundle, the FusionCD.  It has the PAS+ card and an external slow NEC SCSI
cdrom drive, and Labtec powered speakers.  No midi adapter.  Both the Fusion
sets have the same cdrom titles bundled: Comptons Encyclopedia, Where is
Carmen SanDiego Deluxe, Ultima Underworld, and Wing Commander II  :)
I wanted these games.  I didn't care about 16bit sampling because it eats up
harddisk space too fast and I don't know of any use for it.  And I didn't
have any open drive bays, so external was preferable for me to the internal
but faster Sony.  Both the Sony 31a and the Nec25 will read single session
Photo-CD roms.  The Fusion16 is $499 at Computability; the FusionCD I bought
at Sams Club in town for $399.  The Sony drive is not SCSI, so they include
an adapter to connect it to the SCSI port on the PAS16 card.

Both have nice install software (I hope!) that allegedly detects all
interupts in use and then sets the cards to use available ones.  I'll find
out when I have time to clear some harddisk space and install the thing!

Cheers,

Dave Cole
dcole@ua.d.umn.edu
From: kgirodias@azcc.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: A couple of questions
Date: 15 Dec 92 16:02:40 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group


Hello all,

I am new to this news group and am interested in buying a CD rom. I have a
couple of questions that I am sure have been answered many times, sorry!

How are the DAK drives? Any good? Are caddy drives really better?
Is the speed of the drive important when using multimedia disks?
Is a sound board necessary when using multimedia disks? 

Thanks in advance,

Ken
From: vdburg@utrtsc.dec.com (Jur van der Burg)
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: Looking for info about CHINON CDS-431 drive
Date: 15 Dec 92 18:57:57 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom,comp.sys.mac.system
From: blob@gallant.apple.com (Brian Bechtel)
Subject: Re: Mac: ISO 9660 discs never shareable?
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 01:06:42 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc.

ag129@cus.cam.ac.uk (Alasdair Grant) writes:

>Am I right in thinking that File Sharing is intrinsically impossible
>for ISO 9660 discs?  

I'm able to share ISO 9660 disks on a Mac just fine.  In fact, I just
tried it, after reading your message with some puzzlement.  You must
have some additional feature on the particular CD in question which
prevents you from sharing it.  Try getting the latest CD-ROM software
from ftp.apple.com and see if that makes a difference.

As far as my limited test goes, file sharing works fine with an ISO 9660
CD-ROM.  What error message do you get?  (Let's make this email so we
don't waste bandwidth...)

--Brian Bechtel     blob@apple.com     "My opinion, not Apple's"
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
From: adrie@ica.philips.nl (Adrie Koolen)
Subject: Re: multi-session - what's different?
Organization: Philips Consumer Electronics, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 08:39:23 GMT

In article <1gml9oINNeko@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU> pjs@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU (Peter John Swiatkowski) writes:
>The solution that has been arrived at, at least for Orange Book CDs, is to
>permit extra partion tables (and the partition data itself) to be added
>later, while existing data on the disk remains unaltered.
>
>Because this is a 'new' standard we are left with a lot of drives produced
>without the ability to understand the presence of or read any of these
>'partition tables' after the first. It would seem that this problem could
>be overcome by software or firmware changes. Unfortuantely this is not
>always the case because multisession discs use the altered physical data
>structures of CD-ROM/XA, which most older drives are physicall incapable of
>interpretting.

The Orange Book, in which the CD-MO and CD-WO are described, don't specify
that all tracks should be in mode-2 (CD-I or XA). Kodak's PhotoCD uses XA
tracks for storing the images, but you can store any kind of track, yes
even audio tracks, on a multi-session CD. Because of the fact that all the
drives I've seen use an out-of-bounds check, one cannot read sectors past
the first session.

Adrie Koolen (adrie@ica.philips.nl)
Philips Consumer Electronics, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
From: pp@STIRLING.AC.UK
Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom
Subject: WARNING: message delayed at "stir.ac.uk"
Date: 21 Dec 92 00:34:29 GMT
Reply-To: pp@STIRLING.AC.UK
Distribution: alt
Organization: FUNET-NGW

Your message,
        ID <9212191938.AA03794@forth.stirli
        UA-ID Re: CD-ROMs, ...
has not yet been delivered to the following recipients:

mbn1@findhorn.stir.ac.uk

The message is queued for processing on bannock.

Delays are usually created by hosts being down, less often by network
outages.

Delivery attempts will continue and no action on your part is
required. If the message cannot be delivered in the next 43 hours
it will be returned to you.