From: rl@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (roger.h.levy)
Subject: Re: EGA/VGA cards for ATT6300
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 03:33:34 GMT
Keywords: EGA VGA 6300

In article <1993Jan7.185533.4937@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, jim@kn5f.jsc.nasa.gov writes:
> I just discovered this newsgroup and I haven't seen an FAQ yet, so I'm asking
> for information about upgrades for the AT&T 6300. Such as:
> - which third-party color monitors will work with stock video card

The Amdek 725 RGB monitor works with the stock video card.  I doubt
seriously that it is still available new.  This only gives you CGA but
for text it is a nicer CGA than the conventional variety because it is
640 x 400 rather than 640 x 200.  There is an enhancement card that can
get you 16 colors called DEB but there aren't many drivers around for it.

> - which EGA/VGA cards will work with an ATT 6300

Any 8-bit card, however you will also need to acquire a "buss correction
kit" for the 6300 (not 6300+).  This is because 16 bit writes occur in
reverse byte order on a 6300 compared to a compatible and the order of
bytes for 16 bit writes matters to EGA/VGA although it probably doesn't
matter to anything else.  The buss correction kit is usually obtained
from W. Allen Associates (408) 257-9739 for around $50 although there are
other options.  The 6300 is often criticized for having byte order back-
wards but there was no reference at the time since the 6300 preceded the
the AT so one might just as well say the AT got it backwards!

> - can the motherboard be upgraded

Sort of.  There is a company that makes a variety of 386 motherboard
that works but it costs a lot more than a conventional 386 motherboard.
It doesn't seem the way to go although the manufacturer must have
perceived some kind of market.  If you want the info on this company,
I can get it.

> - if not, which accelerator cards (286,386) will work
> or if you have a list of what doesn't work the 6300, I'll take that too.

The Sota 286i and 386i are the ones that seem to work best.  I think
this is because they took the trouble to make a cable that reaches the
6300's distant processor socket.  But with this upgrade, you still
have an XT-like architecture so forget about himem, Win standard mode,
etc.  SOTA makes a memory board that in theory gives you extended
memory but most people who have used it don't think it works very well.

> If there is an upgrade path available, I can save a few bucks over a new
> machine. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Opinion - My machine has a 286i and two expanded memory boards that
were made by AST specifically for the 6300's non-standard 16-bit slot.
With that, I can get as far as running Windows 3.0 in real mode including
some applications that aren't supposed to run on the likes of such a
machine (e.g CorelDraw 2.0).  There are other possibilities in addition
to what I've mentioned including high density floppies (you'll need
the pricy Compaticard controller), but you'll invest a lot that could
go toward a 386 or 486 clone.  I keep the machine because I'm fond of
it despite the fact that it sits within feet of both a 386 and 486.
Keep it as a standby to run the likes of Wordperfect 5.1 or Lotus 2.01
but there's little that's new that it will be able to run.  If you have
an urge to upgrade, spend $10 on a V-30 to replace the 8086 - you'll
get about a 10% boost and I don't know of any other way to get an
additional 1% in performance for each $1 spent.

Note - The best source of 6300 information was, until about 8 months
ago, the BBS run by AT&T from Plainfield, NJ.  When NCR took it over,
it was decimated and although it still exists it has no discussion
groups which were its lifeblood.  I wonder if anyone running the AT&T/
NCR computer operation had any idea that the BBS provided the last
remaining thread of good feeling people had toward the original AT&T
PC.  There actually are quite a number still out there as became
obvious just a year ago when this group and a few others were flooded
with requests asking how to revive the machine's timekeeping, which
by design oversight, failed exactly 8 years after January 1, 1984.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att