HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: What's the real story on Connor 209MB CP3204?
From: lchiu@animal.gcs.co.nz (Lawrence Chiu)
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 01:17:48 GMT
Organization: GCS Limited, Wellington, New Zealand

In article <1992Apr6.184859.323@kosman.uucp> kevin@kosman.uucp (Kevin O'Gorman) writes:
>I bought two different systems, both with Connor CP3204F IDE hard drives,
>usually stated as 209 MB drives.  The two different systems had the drives
>defined slightly differently to the CMOS, which makes me wonder what's
>going on.  The setups were
>
>     System 1     System 2
>cyls      683          998
>heads      16           16
>sectors    38           26
>
>The resulting capacities were slightly different, though both were roughly
>202.7 MB:
>blocks 415264       415168
>
>This is a half-height 3.5" drive, so I hardly believe the 16 heads anyway,
>so something really funny is going on.  Can anyone explain all this?
>-- 
I am not familiar with that drive but most IDE drives do sector translation of
some kind and will tolerate almost any kind of CMOS setup so long as the
eventual capacity is close to that provided by the drive. There is probably
an "optimal" setting which is detailed in the drive manual but others
will probably be as good. I am assuming you are using type 47 (user-defined)
in the CMOS


=========================================================================== 
 Laurence Chiu                      |
 Principal Consultant               |
 GCS Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand   |
 Tel: +64 4 801 0176                | Internet    : lchiu@animal.gcs.co.nz
 Fax: +64 4 801 0095                | Compuserve  : 71750,1527
===========================================================================



Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: frost@sequent.com (Paul Frost)
Subject: QUESTION: Does your DTK 286 sometimes hang?
Summary: DTK 286 system hangs accessing disk.  have you seen this?
Keywords: DTK 286 hang question help
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 22:20:37 GMT

My DTK 286 system is hanging, and I'd like to know if other DTK systems
exhibit the same symptoms.

The motherboard is a DTK "PTM-1000 10MHz Zero-wait '286 Turbo Mainboard"
by Datatech Enterprizes Co.  The BIOS is DTK V3.0.4.

These are the unusual behavior I've observed:
1) sometimes takes several seconds to access hard drive
   (drive light on, no other activity)
2) infrequently forgets how to read/write hard disk, asks for floppy,
   (power-cycle system cures this)
3) once it hung while trying to access hard disk, speaker continuously
   "beeeeps", ctrl-alt-del ignored, power-cycle of just the hard disk
   (rest of system still powered) had no effect, had to reset motherboard.

I have a Fujitsu M2227D hard disk (MFM?), and a National Computer Ltd. 
NDC 5125 disk controller board with prom 01-00-11.

I'm trying to determine whether the motherboard, disk controller or
the disk is at fault here.  I hope to replace only the broken bits :-)

Please mail your thoughts (sans flames) to frost@sequent.com  Thanks!
-- Paul
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: alan@wam.umd.edu (Alan J. Schunemann)
Subject: For Sale: (2) ST-251-1 (MFM)
Originator: alan@rac2.wam.umd.edu
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 18:15:22 GMT

I'd like to get $100 each for these drives. They worked the last
time I used them.
Thanks,
Alan
-- 
_________________________________________________________________
Alan Schunemann       "Well, what shall we throw away this year?"
alan@wam.umd.edu      -Andrew Carnegie
From: adhir@cygnus.umd.edu (Alok Dhir)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: RFI  AST TurboVision
Date: 6 Apr 92 14:06:09 GMT

In article <13824@star.cs.vu.nl> jim@cs.vu.nl (Jim van Keulen) writes:
> 
> 
> L.S.,
> 
> 
> A while ago I asked for info regarding the AST TurboVision
> graphics card and monitor. Alas, nobody seems to have this info
> as I got no reply. But I cannot believe that this actually true.
> So I decided to give it a second try. 
> 
> I have a AST TurboVision graphics card and monitor. I bought this
> combination at an auction. The AST TurboVision graphics card has
> a TMS34010 on board; the monitor seems to be a fairly high
> resolution monochroom A4 monitor.  Nice hardware, but not very
> usable without software or documentation. 
> 
> Is there anybody with technical information about the AST
> TurboVision card and monitor? Who has a driver for this card? 
> 
> I would appreciate it very much if somebody could give the
> info I need or can point me to the right source.
> 
> 
This is just a shot in the dark, but why don't you try calling ...
AST!!  On second thought, naah, that might be a little too wacky to work.   
Sorry, sometimes I just lose my head.

			o   o
			  ^
			 \_/
Al.
From: jm602s1066@sycom.mi.org (James Mallory)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: MINISCRIBE 8051A HD
Date: 12 Apr 92 21:33:29 GMT
Organization: Michigan Information eXchange

frank@cs.yorku.ca (Frank Pikelner) writes:
>Hello,
>
>I have an older IDE drive, namely the Miniscribe 8051A. I recall that those dr
>have a translate specification. I need to know what the #hd, #cyl, #sec/track
>settings are. Also this drive has a bad sector map on it. Does this mean that
>the drive needs to be low level formated and the bad sectors mapped?

977 Cyl 5 Heads 17 Sector Per Track....DO NOT Low Level This drive...set it
for Drive Type 17 (on most machines) and let her rip.

Jim

-- 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!)
From: schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: compatibilty problem between AMI/IDE/Norton Util?
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:46:41 GMT
Organization: PANIX - Public Access Unix Systems of NY

In article <6665@lee.SEAS.UCLA.EDU> jsin@smogland.janet.ucla.edu (John Sin) writes:
>Is there any known compatibility problem between and 386 AMI BIOS
>(dated 3/3/89) and the newer CONNER IDE drives (CP30174E)?
>
Absolutely. You need the 12/89 BIOS or later to fix this very, very well known
problem.


-- 
_______________________________Mike Schuster________________________________
NY Public Access UNIX: schuster@panix.com        | 70346.1745@CompuServe.COM
The Portal (R) System: schuster@cup.portal.com   | MCI Mail,GEnie: MSCHUSTER
From: mvs7812@tamuts.tamu.edu (Michael Vaclav Stembera)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: 486 MOTHERBOARDS
Date: 6 Apr 92 22:28:13 GMT
Organization: ~/lib/organization

I got a few questions going through my head regarding
motherboards and so I decided to post them.  My main interest
is in 486DX or DX2 motherboards.

1) What are the basic motherboard differences besides ISA,
   EISA, different cash sizes, and Mhz?

2) Is the speed of the SIMMS a motherboard uses an indicator
   of how fast the board is?
   If I have a 486 motherboard with 60ns SIMMS and another
   with 80ns SIMMS is the earlier faster? (Provided all else
   is the same.)
   Can I speed up a board by switching to faster SIMMS?

2) Are identical motherboards made by different manufacturers
   identically fast?  If not who makes the best or fastest
   motherboards?

3) What other indicators should one consider when looking for
   a fast motherboard?

4) What is a good source for getting one?


Thanks in advance

Mike
 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: russest@ampex.com (Steve Russell)
Subject: Re: QUESTIONS: EDSI harddrives; mice
Organization: Ampex Corporation, Redwood City CA
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 18:54:17 GMT

In articlebrent@cco.caltech.edu (Brent R. Eubanks) writes:
>
>Separate question: I've heard of drive controller cards which take
>advantage of the EISA architecture to give massive throughput rates
>and higher speeds. Is there a separate name for this standard?  Is it
>necessary to have a special drive, or just a special controller to get
>this enhanced performance?  (ie:  If I get a EISA 486 with a SCSI
>drive and standard (16-bit) controller, and I later want to upgrade to
>take full advantage of the EISA architecture, do I need a new drive
>and card, or just a new card?)
>

With the EISA bus you get a whole other data path to the disk, along with
any available on-controller disk cache.

-steve
From: smbrush@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (Andy Brush @Sverdrup)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Desktop Vertical Mounting?
Date: 8 Apr 92 21:53:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: lims01.8APR199216535523
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Apr8.172817.21549@gn.ecn.purdue.edu>, ajun@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Alexander W. Jun) writes...
>So my question is is it safe to mount desktop with hard drive vertically?
>Any bad experience or is anybody out there using this configuration to
>save desk space?  

I mounted a Compaq desktop system on its side, and the drive failed within 
a year.  A year later, the new drive is starting to sound bad.

This makes sense, from a design standpoint:  If you design a system for a 
vertical axis of rotation, you concentrate on thrust loading, and dynamics 
under very light side load.  Turning the drive on its side puts more side 
load on the bearings than *probably* designed for.  The Compaq rep said not 
to run my system on its side.  I would ask your disk drive manufacturer if 
they designed for side mounting.

Andrew S. Brush             | SMBRUSH@LIMS01.lerc.nasa.gov
Sverdrup Technology         | 2001 Aerospace Parkway
NASA LeRC Group             | Brook Park, OH 44142
"Opinions are Mine, Only"   | (216) 826-6770
From: mike@ravel.udel.edu (Michael James Porter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: To all Gateway 486-33 and 486DX2-50 owners
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:30:24 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Apr10.004752.27442@hpmcaa.mcm.hp.com> paolo@hpmcrf (Paolo Fontani) writes:
>Please tell us more about this refund!  I bought my system in early
>March and I think I might be entitled to that refund too.  What is
>that "certain period of time" you talk about, and what was the price
>difference exactly?

When I ordered, I was told there is a 30 day price/feature protection.  The
price had dropped before 4/5/92 (the day I ordered mine).  Note that
the price drop apparently has to do with the cost of 200MB drives
and memory > 4MB. In my case, I ordered a 4MB/120MB combo.
The price was 2485 (as verus the 2495 price listed in the adds.)

Mike

>	Paolo Fontani
>	McMinnville, OR, USA
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.dcom.modems
From: jin@spdcc.com (Jerry Natowitz)
Subject: Any information (no opinions) on Gateway modem?
Organization: S.P. Dyer Computer Consulting, Cambridge MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 22:21:42 GMT

Having seen the tail-end of the nth flame-war about Gateway, I am hesitent
to ask this, but does anyone have any real experience with the Gateway 2000
$195 fax-modem?
-- 
     Jerry Natowitz
     Guest user on:
ARPA jin@ursa-major.spdcc.com
UUCP {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!jin
From: MED40030@NUSVM.BITNET (David Cheong)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: TSENG ET4000AX SVGA CARD PROBLEMS
Date: 13 Apr 92 08:53:34 GMT
X-Unparsable-Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 16:42:53 SST

Hello all,
          I figured that this would be the best place to turn to. I just
bought a SVGA card with the Tseng et4000ax chip and I've run into a few
problems. First, how can I tell if it's 32K colour or 256K colour? (The
manual didn't say). Secondly, the card doesn't work properly on my system.
In text mode, coloured blocks of text appear and eventually the system hangs.
In graphics mode, erasure after redraw is incomplete, and the computer hangs.
         I have a 386DX-25 with Soundblaster v2, 1990 BIOS (with no password
and 1-page advanced setup options, AMI). I'm also using Stacker 2.0, QEMM 6.0
and Smartdrv. The Tseng SVGA card works though, I tested it on a 386DX-33 with
1990 AMI BIOS (with password and 2-page advanced setup), at default settings.
My motherboard has no DIP switches. I figure its either my AMI BIOS which is
incompatible or that the Tseng is incompatible with the Soundblaster.
         Anyone else has this problem? I would really appreciate any help
in rectifying this problem. Please E-mail me at med40030@NUSVM or post a reply.
Thanks a million in advance.
                                            David Cheong
                                            National University of Singapore
From: ajun@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Alexander W. Jun)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Desktop Vertical Mounting?
Date: 8 Apr 92 17:28:17 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

Well, I used sit my XT(without Hard drive) vertically on my table to save 
desk spaces.  After I got 386DX with 120MB hard drive, someonw warned me
not to put the cpu vertically because it will ruin the dard drive when
it is released from parking.  However, some companies are selling those
small plastic apdapters that you can mount your desktop vertically on the
floor. And they claim that it is compatible with cpu with hard drives.
I saw one in Service merchandise display room where they had put Goldstar
486 desktop vertically using the mount. When I asked them whether it is ok,
the salesman said it is ok and he showed me that it would work! But, then
he couldn't boot the system  :)))
So my question is is it safe to mount desktop with hard drive vertically?
Any bad experience or is anybody out there using this configuration to
save desk space?
From: devolder@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Eric DeVolder)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: motherboard chip sets
Date: 9 Apr 1992 15:50:27 -0500
Organization: Kansas State University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

With all the motherboards that one can purchases nowadays, could somebody
enlighten me as to why it is or is not important to have "This" or "That"
chipset?

I have seen the following chipsets, and am wondering if some chipsets
seem to "do a better job???" than others.

Forex
Chips and Technologies
Cyrix

Any hints or suggestions would be useful, for I am looking at buying a
new motherboard.

-- 
Eric DeVolder                         Actual Consulting Call:
devolder@matt.ksu.ksu.edu                "The Ethernet System is a piece of
KSU Computing and Network Services       crap!" - not sure   2/5/92
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: kj@solbourne.com (Ken Sullivan)
Subject: Tape drive installed, How do I access it???
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc.
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 14:37:45 GMT

Just a short note on Gateway2000...
I finally got my 486/33, one 200mb drive short (they're shipping it to me),
It is a screamer!!  I loaded stacker and 386MAX without problems.
The 15" monitor is beautiful!! A comparison.. it took my IBM/ps1 3.5 hours
to load and expand the fonts for Ventura Publisher, it took my GW2k 486/33
4 minutes to do the same!!! Did I mention the 16MB of RAM?:-)

Now on to my urgent question.

I have installed a Wangtek 5150S tape drive and the Adaptec 1522 SCSI controller.
with the ASW1210 software wich includes ASPI2DOS.sys.   When I boot, the 
Adaptec software loads fine and sees 'something' on the SCSI bus and reports 
the correct SCSI ID of the tape drive.  What do I call the tape drive???
How do I get a status??  How can I get the tape activity light to turn on
using some software command??  Ultimately, I want to read UNIX tar tapes.
I seem to be missing a tape driver... would that be ASW210??  Does anyone
have an answer??  Would someone be so kind as to spell it out to a novice?? :-)

Thank you very much for your time and response,

KJ Sullivan      kj@solbourne.com

My employer makes some damn good UNIX systems, 
but they don't know twat about DOS.
From: choe@phys.washington.edu (In-Jerng Choe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Information on AST Advantage Board
Date: 13 Apr 92 20:08:16 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Washington

dallas@bach.udel.edu (Paul Lewis Fincke) writes:

>I recently purchased a used computer with an AST Advantage memory board
>in it.  It didn't come with the manuals (of course) and since it has
>24 dip switchs spread between 3 dip switch blocks, I can't do trial and
>error to figure them out.  If anyone has information on it, could you
>please e-mail it to me at: dallas@brahms.udel.edu.  Thanks.

Switch Block 1:
  *switch 1-5  : memory size
   128k+128k+128k   00011
   128k+128k+512k   10101
   128k+512k+512k   10001
   512k+512k+512k   01001
  *switch 8  : parity
   paraity enabled  1

Switch Block 2:
 *switch 1-3 : Serial Port
  If one serial port                                (IRQ jumpers: 3 at right)
     serial #1 as COM1, serial #2 disabled    100   IRQ 4
     serial #1 as COM2, serial #2 disabled    010   IRQ 3 (second from right)
     all disabled                             000   remove all shortening block
  If two serial ports
     #1 as COM1, #2 as COM2                   101   IRQ 4,3(rightmost)
     #1 as COM2, #2 disabled                  010   IRQ 3 (second from right)
     disabled                                 000   remove all
 *switch 4-5 : parallel port
    LPT1         10      IRQ 7 (leftmost)
    LPT2         01      IRQ 5
   disabled      00      none
 *switch 6 : Game port

Switch Block 3:
  *switch 1-7 : memory start address
   512k AT -> back fill base address to 640k + extended       1111011
   Extended memory only                                       1110111


--
Physics, U of Wash., Seattle, WA 98195      choe@phys.washington.edu
From: rusty@cs.utexas.edu (Christopher Russell Rice)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Intel 486 DX-50 versus DX2-50
Date: 17 Apr 1992 10:03:16 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: notrees.cs.utexas.edu

In article <92108.022024U58288@uicvm.uic.edu> <U58288@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
>I believe the DX2 also lacks the onchip math coprocessor!

Incorrect.  The DX2 includes a fully functional FPU as any other 486DX.
The only difference is that DX2 runs internally at double the clock rate
while appearing externally at the normal clock rate.  (50MHz internal,
25MHz internally.  Although the internal 8k cache will appear to miss
twice as often (since it too will be running at 25MHz) this shouldn't be
much a problem.

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: ncc1701@madoka.its.rpi.edu (Mark O. Chadwick)
Subject: Bashing (was Re: Gateway 2000 - $195 v.32bis modems?????)
Keywords: Okay, enough already
Reply-To: ncc1701@acm.rpi.edu
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 13:55:09 GMT

A couple of people (actually, several people) have complained about
Gateway's "lousy service" and "untruthfulness."  I noticed that most of these
people haven't gotten out into the real world yet (i.e. are still in
college or somesuch).

I hate to tell you guys this, but welcome to the real world.  You'll 
find that a HECK of a lot of stuff works just like this--people
try to do their best, tell you what they know, and it turns out
to be wrong.  It'll even happen to YOU, and somebody's gonna flame your
ass off for it.  They'll claim you were lying, that you knew the
real situation, and you should be sued etc etc etc...Well, 
hopefully it won't be that bad.

Also, there will be times when you order something, and suddenly
it's out of stock, unbeknownst to the poor soul on the other end
of the telephone line (see above).  So shipment will take longer then
originally expected.

All I ask is you put yourself in their shoes.  Someone mentioned that
they should call everybody and tell them shipments have been 
delayed.  Not a bad idea, if they hire 15-20 more people, and crank up the
prices accordingly to cover the additional cost.  Come one, it's 
hard enough to get through to them...can you imagine if half their phone
force is out calling the 100's, if not 1000's of customers that have ordered
something to tell them that it'll be a few days late?!

Sorry for the rambling.  No flames intended here, just a "wake-up-and-
smell-the-coffee call."  This world ain't perfect, and neither are the
humans living in it.  Sorry to burst your bubbles.

-- 
---
Mark "Emerson" Chadwick -- ncc1701@acm.rpi.edu    chadwickmo@space.laafb.af.mil
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: cs331333@batman.acslab.umbc.edu (cs331333)
Subject: Diamond Speedstar+ Hicolor (was Re: affordable 24 bit colour)
Organization: University of Maryland Baltimore County
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 10:21:29 GMT

Ooppss.. lost the original article.  Anyway, I'm replying to the person that
said that Diamond Speedstar had a 24bit colour in VGA mode..  with a
Tseng ET4000 chipset.  

I think you're talking about a Diamond Speedstar+ Hicolor card with one
meg. of ram.  I own one.  It only supports a max. of 32,000(rounded)
colours.  The Diamond Stealth has a S3 chip but I'm not sure about the
resolutions on it.

Also note that according to posts in comp.os.os2.misc , diamond hasn't
released drivers for OS/2 V2.0 for either the Tseng based or S3 based
cards.  Its also not clear whether they are waiting for Tseng, and the
S3 people to design the drivers, or working on them themselves.

Anyway, since I'm posting this anyway and hopefully diamond hicolor has
caught fellow owners eyes, does anyone know of any free (or not free)
software that uses the 32k colours?  maybe a Jpeg(sp?) or tiff viewer
or anything neat for that matter.  I just want to show it off as apposed
to do anything productive with the 32k colors right now.  Fractint drivers
would be cool.  I think plasma clouds in 32k colours would blow peoples
minds :-)
--

	Dave Steibel (cs331333@umbc5.umbc.edu)

PS. Don't send email after June 1st because I'm losing it then.  Its only
From: lopes@cogsci.ucsd.EDU (alann lopes)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Philips CD-ROM writer
Keywords: Philips CD-ROM writer
Date: 8 Apr 92 19:53:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: cogsci.1314
Organization: University of California, San Diego


    Anyone have a number for Philips -- I need some info
    on their CD-ROM writer.  Are there any other CD-ROM
    writers in the price range ($5,000-$6,000 I think) of 
    the one from Philips?

                         Thanks very much

                             alann


   alann lopes:        alopes@ucsd.edu       -- internet
   (619) 534-7417      ALOPES@UCSD           -- bitnet
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
From: jdowdal@wam.umd.edu (John Dowdal)
Subject: What does vmode monitor physically do on Diamond Speedstar
Originator: jdowdal@rac2.wam.umd.edu
Organization: University of Maryland at College Park
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 02:32:26 GMT

I would like to know what the command VMODE MONITOR actually sends to
the ports on the Diamond Speedstar when it sets the monitor type to
MAG PMV1448 (Gateway's CrystalScan NI).  I would like to write an IOPL
level program for OS/2 that will set the monitor type so that I can
use generic ET4000 drivers without getting just wavy lines on the screen.

John

jdowdal@wam.umd.edu

Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware