HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cockburn@edieng.enet.dec.com (Craig Cockburn)
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Organization: Digital Equipment Co. Ltd., Reading, England
Distribution: uk
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 18:21:07 GMT


In article <1992Dec23.124836.15716@spider.co.uk>, royd@spider.co.uk (Roy Donaldson) writes...

>Hmmmm, I must disagree here. I recently mail ordered a CD from the US
>as a Christmas present for my brother. The disk came through last week.
>It was a normal priced CD which would normally sell for 13.49 pounds over 
>here. It cost me 12 dollars for the disk ( about 8 pounds ). This is the
>company's standard price for *all* new titles. However, things in an
>artists back catalogue were selling in the region of 8 to 10 dollars
>( 6 to 7 pounds ) which to me seemed like a damned good deal. Can't wait
>till they raise the US import limit.
> 

Roy,
	Do you know when this is likely to happen or is it just wishful
thinking? I'm thinking of importing a PC, and would be interested to know
if there were any changes in the import limits due (particularly when the
goods are unaccompanied)

thanks
	Craig

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Cockburn  (leaving Digital on 4th Jan)
New internet address: craig@smo.ac.uk (working now)
Voice after 7th Jan: +[44] 31 554 2926
Moving to Edinburgh, yahoo!
From: ceram@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr J W Bottomley)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: JANET / Internet Connections at Polytechnic University E. Anglia?
Date: 22 Dec 1992 14:52:00 -0000
Organization: Computing Services, University of Warwick, UK
Distribution: uk
NNTP-Posting-Host: clover.csv.warwick.ac.uk

I'm trying to advise a friend who is at this College. I think I've got the
name right - anyway, it's the part at Chelmsford: it used to be something
like the Anglia College of Arts and Technology and had/has a campus at
Cambridge as well. 

Anyway, does anyone know if they are on Janet? I'd especially like to hear
from anybody who is actually at this college and can tell me about
mail systems used there, which machines are worth getting on to and how
to get on to them. My friend is computer illiterate, so I need basic
information.

Thanks for any replies.
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Bottomley: ceram@uk.ac.warwick.csv  ;  apj003@uk.ac.cov.cck
146 Earlsdon Avenue North, Earlsdon, Coventry, UK  +44 203 673784
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: fofp@castle.ed.ac.uk (M Holmes)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Merry Christmas
Date: 22 Dec 92 14:27:14 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Edinburgh University

william@castle.ed.ac.uk (William Warburton) writes:

~In article <1992Dec22.123657.20535@infodev.cam.ac.uk~, gdb15@grebe.cl.cam.ac.uk (Guy Barry) writes:
~|~ 	   ...  How did Scotland manage to end up with two days at both
~|~ Christmas and New Year?

~ The Computing Services at Edinburgh University only get one day at
~Christmas, December 28th is not a holiday but January 4th is.

Didn't we have a democratic vote on whether to have Boxing Day or some
other day in the middle of May? 


~	W.

FoFP
From: ccdarg@dct.ac.uk (Alan Greig)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Merry Christmas
Date: 22 Dec 92 16:22:50 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

In article <29795@castle.ed.ac.uk>, william@castle.ed.ac.uk (William Warburton) writes:
> In article <1992Dec22.123657.20535@infodev.cam.ac.uk>, gdb15@grebe.cl.cam.ac.uk (Guy Barry) writes:
> |> 	   ...  How did Scotland manage to end up with two days at both
> |> Christmas and New Year?
> 
>  The Computing Services at Edinburgh University only get one day at
> Christmas, December 28th is not a holiday but January 4th is.

How sad. We finish Thursday lunchtime and don't come back until the
6th January :-)

Pity about all the upgrades that I intend to come in and do :-(

-- 
Alan Greig                            Janet: Alan@UK.AC.DUNDEE-TECH
Dundee Institute of Technology	   Internet: Alan@DCT.AC.UK
Tel: (0382) 308810                 Int: +44 382 308810
              -- There is only one true conspiracy --
From: prk@planet.bt.co.uk (Peter Knight)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Solmin
Date: 23 Dec 92 09:34:20 GMT
Organization: BT Labs, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, UK.

leveret@warren.demon.co.uk (Nick Leverton) writes:

>As far as I know, "Solmin" used to be the only paracetamol tablet you can
>chew without water, and it was very useful to keep a tube of them in the
>overcoat pocket in case headaches strike in those out-of-the way places.

>NOW THEY'VE BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM SALE :-(

>And my head hurts ...


The ones I used to get were based on aspirin.

However, there is an aspirin tablet: "Dispirin Direct" (comes in a green
box) which is a 'chewable'.

Peter Knight.

#include <std.disclaimer>
From: smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 24 Dec 92 10:08:28 GMT
Reply-To: P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee)
Distribution: uk
Organization: University of Bristol

In article <BzJ31u.Cy0@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk> joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk (Joe Sharkey) writes:
>In article <1992Dec17.095616.14121@bristol.ac.uk> P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk (Paul Smee) writes:
>>with CD.  Tain't true.  Master tapes being made for CDs need a
>>different style at the mixing console.  I attribute most of the
>>apparent improvement in newer CDs to the fact that recording engineers
>>have now learned the new style of mixing which the new medium needs.
>
>Keep a modicum of compression on, so the dynamic range is around 60 dB or so -
>and put it in the middle of the ~90 dB you have available.
>
>No dropping into quantization noise, or (worse) overloading.

Religious question here.  However, the consensus seems to be that since
you've got 90-some dB available, you ought to use at least most of it,
since in essence that minimises the effect of any quantisation errors.
It you don't use the full range, you are in effect using fewer bits,
which means your measuring system is coarser.

There are also other fiddles involved.  Vinyl does not have a truly
linear amplitude response over the entire frequency range.  The RIAA
equalisation which is standard when pressing vinyl (and undone by your
preamp) is supposed to compensate, but in fact engineers have learned
over the years that you can get 'better' (in their opinions) sound out
of LPs by putting in a bit of extra push or cut in particular frequency
ranges.  (Basically, tweaking the RIAA curve.)  On CDs this tends to
sound wrong.  And, of course, at this stage the engineer is trying to
evaluate how the final product (CD or LP) will sound by listening to the
tape mix.

Finally (worse case) some few record companies seem to have originally
believe they could just take the 'final master-plate-making' master,
and use it to make CD pressing masters.  Definitely doesn't work.  You
need to go back to the 'studio' master and remix.

-- 
Paul Smee, Computing Service, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UD, UK
 P.Smee@bristol.ac.uk - ..!uunet!uknet!bsmail!p.smee - Tel +44 272 303132
From: fbowles@gssec.bt.co.uk (Frank K Bowles)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Newsgroup filtering in the U.K.
Date: 22 Dec 92 13:46:10 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: BT

In article <Bz98Cn.HHG@compsci.liverpool.ac.uk>, bruce@uxb.liv.ac.uk (Bruce Stephens) writes:

|> There might be
|> : similar provisions relating to the use of the postal system, as there
|>                                                 ^^^^^^
|> : are in many countries.
|> : 
|> There are.

I can't help but recount the story of the (probably American) lawyer
who was defending a case of sending pornographic material through the
post.  He contacted the prosecuting authorities demanding copies of the
allegedly offensive material.  The prosecutor obliged...by posting it.
The case was dropped.

Frank


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank K Bowles, BT Glasgow Systems & Software Engineering Centre,
West TEC, 7 Caledon Street, Glasgow G12 9BY, Scotland. 
Tel: +44 41 220 5338     Email: fbowles@gssec.bt.co.uk
Fax: +44 41 220 2438     [GM4KAV]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: uk.misc
From: dhd@exnet.co.uk (Damon)
Subject: Re: Ferreting
Organization: ExNet Systems Ltd Public Access News, London, UK
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 19:42:32 GMT

In article <1992Dec30.135142.24229@rdg.dec.com> cockburn@edieng.enet.dec.com (Craig Cockburn) writes:
>                                       Our next door neighbour in Reading
>kept ferrets and I came across an escaped one in our garden once. Even
>picking it up wearing thick leather gloves, I could still feel the bite of
>its teeth!

Craig, why was the ferret wearing thick leather gloves?  B^>

Damon
-- 
Damon Hart-Davis                          Internet: dhd@exnet.co.uk, d@hd.org

Public-access UNIX (Suns), news and mail for UK#5 per month.  FIRST MONTH FREE.
[1.35] Cheap Sun eqpt.  UUCP news/mail feeds.  Tel/Fax: +44 81 755 0077.
From: pky@fmg.bt.co.uk (Pete Young)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 23 Dec 92 15:26:55 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: British Telecom
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

mathew (mathew@mantis.co.uk) wrote:

: Oh, come on.  You seriously expect me to believe that there's some vast
: conspiracy to deprive you of the chance to buy vinyl records?  And that every
: record manufacturer, from huge corporates like EMI to tiny independents like
: Mute, has secretly signed some blood covenant to force you to buy CDs?  

Yes, and you are naive in the extreme if you don't think that there was
a concerted effort by the major record companies to make people switch
from LPs to CDs. 

You don't have to take my word for it either. Ask any A&R man.
Especially an honest one (if you can find one!)

As far as the small independant companies are concerned, they had to
follow the mass market. Once the majors stopped pressing vinyl the
independants found it very difficult to continue with the format,
whether they wanted to or not. Most of the stuff I buy is produced by
small independant labels, and they were able to resist the change longer
than most.

I am perfectly prepared to accept that in some respects the CD is a
superior medium to the vinyl LP. What irritates me is that I have to
make a significant investment in equipment that I don't want or need, so
that I can pay a higher price for a medium which, for me, has no
significant advantages.

: Face it -- nobody sells LPs because nobody buys them.   

And equally, nobody buys LPs because nobody sells them. 

: 99% of people think
: cassettes or CDs are better for one reason or another.

And 8 out of 10 owners who expressed a preference say their cats
prefer Whiskas. Fabricating statistics to back up a shaky argument
is not a particularly effective way of convincing anyone that you're right.

:I know you'd rather  pretend that you're in the majority 

You don't know anything of the sort. I don't object to being in a minority.
If it is a minority, it's still a substantial one (judging by postings
to this group). 

: Go on, admit it, your idea of a good medium for
: distributing music is radically different to that of most other people.

My idea of the only good medium for distributing music is LIVE music, but
that is another can of worms. That CERTAINLY puts me in a minority as
far as the record companies are concerned!


-- 
  ____________________________________________________________________
  Pete Young        	  pky@fmg.bt.co.uk        Phone +44 473 227151
 "Cast your bread upon the waters and you will get back... soggy bread"
From: igb@fulcrum.co.uk (Ian G Batten)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 21 Dec 92 09:37:07 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Fulcrum Communications

In article <1992Dec18.180018.2866@lsl.co.uk> snail@lsl.co.uk writes:
> One obvious method here would be to reduce the high frequency content
> BEFORE sampling the music and putting it on the CD. This then means you have

They do.  Either with a brick-wall 22.05 filter or oversampling and
digital filtering.

ian
From: dhunt@infocom.UUCP (David Hunt)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: PC World
Date: 24 Dec 92 23:50:55 GMT
Organization: INFOCOM Public Unix Server, +44 [0] 734 340055
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]



NIGHTMARES at PC WORLD, Croydon


Has anyone had a nightmare at PC World Croydon?



I recently purchased a ST3283N SCSI 240Mb harddrive from the above, when I 
got it home it became apparent that all was not well


Firstly, the drive did not have a manual

Secondly, No warranty card

Thirdly, the seagate box had been filled with polystryene chips 
         (unfortunately seagate do not ship their drives in this fashion)
         
Forthly, the drive had scratches on the top plate
       
Fifthly, the drive sounded like a "coffee grinder ("screwed")

sixthly, the original seagate box had been resealed in an amateurish way


After, much discussion PC World agreed to exchange the drive for another of 
the same ilke, what a difference, proper packaging, proper manual, no 
scratches and it worked!


Now, I think these b*****ds tried to sell me a second hand drive as new 
(this is the first and last time, I ever use these assholes), if you have 
any stories, please email me and I will summarize and post to the net


--
dhunt


long live the UK newsgroups
From: phil@compnews.co.uk (Phil Male)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Mac sucking extra voltage
Date: 2 Jan 93 13:52:27 GMT
Reply-To: phil@compnews.co.uk
Distribution: uk
Organization: Computer Newspaper Services, Howden, UK.
NNTP-Posting-Host: sage.compnews.co.uk
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

On a similar note, will my powerbook 170 work ok when I take it to the states
for two weeks in January? I (obviously) need a pin change adaptor, but is that
all?

--

phil 
   ___/   /
   /_/)  /             Phil Male, Director, Information Systems
  / /_ '/  Computer Newspaper Services, The Bishops Manor, Howden, DN14 7BL
 / / ///    +44 43043 Tel: 1100 Fax: 1108/2022  email: phil@compnews.co.uk
From: fbowles@gssec.bt.co.uk (Frank K Bowles)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 22 Dec 92 14:21:02 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: BT

In article <1992Dec21.131005.24259@rtf.bt.co.uk>, fletcher@rtf.bt.co.uk (Catherine Fletcher) writes:
|> joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk (Joe Sharkey) writes:
|> > In article <17imVB39w165w@mantis.co.uk> mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk> writes:
|> > >
|> > >Oh, do be serious.  If people wanted to buy records, the manufacturers would
|> > >make them.
|> > 
|> > CDs may be wonderful.  But:  *I WANT TO BUY LP's*.  OK?
|> 
|> And I want to buy new LPs too!  

There are some key points which seem to have been overlooked in this thread.

One is that the sales of CD machines make money for Sony and Philips
who developed the technology.  Sony owns CBS, the largest record
comany, I think, in the world.  CBS were early in deleting large
numbers of LPs from the catalogues.  Over 80% of households in the UK
have turntables, less than 20% have CD players.  However it is still
worthwhile for the big companies to withdraw LPs because those who are
keen music buyers will switch, or put up with cassette.  What the
marketing has done, is force the keen into buying CD hardware and
committing themselves to paying high profit margins, the less keen into
mothballing their turntables in favour of tape decks.

I for one held out as long as I could buying LPs, but eventually the
squeze became too much, and I had to fork out 400 pounds for a CD
player which did not sound out of place against my 300 pound Systemdek.
Despite all the propaganda for CD, the sound quality between the two is
comparable.  As a result I have paid a lot of money, the effective net
benefit of which is a remote control.  The hike in unit price means I
buy a lot less "on spec" as well.  I can't help feeling I've been done.

Frank

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank K Bowles, BT Glasgow Systems & Software Engineering Centre,
West TEC, 7 Caledon Street, Glasgow G12 9BY, Scotland. 
Tel: +44 41 220 5338     Email: fbowles@gssec.bt.co.uk
Fax: +44 41 220 2438     [GM4KAV]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: igb@fulcrum.co.uk (Ian G Batten)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: Record shops (LPs)
Date: 21 Dec 92 09:42:03 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Fulcrum Communications

In article <1gstnnINN9hj@bnsgd245.bnr.co.uk> rap@nnsgs50.tcom.stc.co.uk (Richard Porter) writes:
> So why would people pay over the odds for DCC or R-DAT if they don't
> care about the sound?

In the case of R-DAT, they didn't pay over the odds.  Not in the
consumer market, anyway.  DCC remains to be seen, but I have a feeling
that 1992 isn't 1983 :-)

DCC is currently probably no better price-for-price that the equivalent
analogue deck.  Being digital, however, it is subject to the falling
prices and rising performance of silicon, rather than the problems of
high mechanical precision.  Nakamichi Dragons do sound amazingly good.
But they cost a lot...

ian
From: rf@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin Fairbairns)
Newsgroups: uk.misc
Subject: Re: JANET / Internet Connections at Polytechnic University E. Anglia?
Date: 22 Dec 92 17:11:57 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: U of Cambridge Computer Lab, UK

In article <1h7a2gINNn69@clover.csv.warwick.ac.uk>, ceram@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr J W Bottomley) writes:
|> Anyway, does anyone know if they are on Janet?

From the NRS:

  uk.ac.anglia.chel  SN   uk.ac.anglia-polytechnic.chelmsford-cluster
  uk.ac.anglia.chel  DI   Anglia Poly University Chelmsford VAXcluster
  uk.ac.anglia.chel  FTP  J B 00000830000012.FTP
  uk.ac.anglia.chel  MAIL J B 00000830000012.FTP.MAIL
  uk.ac.anglia.chel  X29  J B 00000830000012

|>                                                I'd especially like to hear
|> from anybody who is actually at this college and can tell me about
|> mail systems used there, which machines are worth getting on to and how
|> to get on to them. My friend is computer illiterate, so I need basic
|> information.

You friend almost certainly needs to be explicitly authorised to use
Janet (my wife, who's at the Cambridge campus, did).  Also, note that
the connected engine is a VAX/VMS machine (or cluster thereof); this
means that mail is (shall we say) strange.  Even those (such as I), who
are apologists for VMS, tend not to try and defend its mail system...

If the VMS Greybook installation has been done properly (it's
difficult to make a mistake, but some people refuse to do some
things...), there will be a Postmaster alias at the site - you could
try interacting with him/her.

Your friend's user id will be <course code><year><initials>, if my
wife's is anything to go by.  My wife _had_ to have a user id...
--
Robin (Campaign for Real Radio 3) Fairbairns       rf@cl.cam.ac.uk
U of Cambridge Computer Lab, Pembroke St, Cambridge  CB2 3QG, UK
"They had twelve years to lay in wait for us" - Bush supporter on Nov 4
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: dhd@exnet.co.uk (Damon)
Subject: Re: Electric Shock..
Organization: ExNet Systems Ltd Public Access News, London, UK
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 18:36:27 GMT

In article <1992Dec31.150953.21652@infodev.cam.ac.uk> rf@cl.cam.ac.uk (Robin Fairbairns) writes:
>1. Telephone lines run on 50V.  Not terribly high, but I used
>regularly to give myself little shocks when I worked in exchanges.

Looking at your payslip?  B^>

>2. I was told at that time that the _real_ reason that linesmen tie
>themselves to telegraph poles when they're up them is that the ring
>current (80V AC) could give a nasty kick - enough to knock a man off
>his pole.

I just won't ask if it's enough to knock a woman off his p...  No.  No.  P^>

>a) your telephone blowing up and giving out a shock as its last cheeky
>act
>
>b) (as someone else suggested) static coming from you to the telephone
>
>I would plump for (a), myself

Why?  Big static shocks in cold, dry weather are not at all rare.

Damon
-- 
Damon Hart-Davis                          Internet: dhd@exnet.co.uk, d@hd.org

Public-access UNIX (Suns), news and mail for UK#5 per month.  FIRST MONTH FREE.
[1.35] Cheap Sun eqpt.  UUCP news/mail feeds.  Tel/Fax: +44 81 755 0077.
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk (Joe Sharkey)
Subject: Re: Books...
Organization: Independent Network (UK)
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 23:23:57 GMT

In article <1084.richard@venus.demon.co.uk> richard@venus.demon.co.uk writes:
>Hi,
>
>I am trying to get hold of a copy of "The Whole Internet" by Ed. Krol.

From the pen of Francis Glassborow of the C Users Group
(francis@robinton.demon.co.uk):

  "The Whole Ineternet" by Ed Krol.  O'Reilly & Associates,
  ISBN: 1 56592 025 2, 375 pages, 18-95.

  Addison Wesley are the UK distributors, I think.

>Does anyone know where I can get a copy quickly (I'm impatient), by post
>if need be rather than having to wait 6 weeks for an order to materialize?

Computer Manuals in Birmingham?

Neither Dillons or Foyles had it yesterday. I wasn't looking, but I do
remember not seeing it...

>Also if anyone out there has got a copy of it, could they please drop me a
>few lines outlining what it covers and their oppinion of it.

Supposed to be quite good, if it's the sort of book your looking for  ;)

>Richard.

joe.
-- 
Joe Sharkey      joe@jshark.inet-uk.co.uk      ...!uunet!ibmpcug!jshark!joe
150 Hatfield Rd, St Albans, Herts AL1 4JA, UK        Got a real domain name
(+44) 727 838662           Mail/News Feeds (v32/v32bis): info@inet-uk.co.uk
Newsgroups: uk.telecom
From: dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk (David Bisping)
Subject: Re: UK dialtone detection/Digicom Scout+ 
Distribution: world
Organization: none in Particular
Reply-To: dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk
X-Mailer: Simple NEWS 1.90 (ka9q DIS 1.19)
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1993 23:41:16 +0000

In article <1993Jan3.181049.6265@news2.cis.umn.edu> alla0008@student.tc.umn.edu writes:

>The modem is plugged directly into a BT socket; though it has been said
>before on this group that the RJ-11 socket wiring differs between the US
>and UK, the modem seems to work without any wiring modifications (perhaps
>it's socket is wired to allow both variations?).
 
This is strange RJ-11 sockets do not exist in the UK. You can find 'phones
with them on in the UK but the actual scoket on the wall will at most have
at BT style Series 600 socket, however what I suspect needs checking is the
cable that goes from the modem to the BT socket this may be wired wrong.

Dave...
-- 
--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--**--
David Bisping                       |    dbisping@cix.compulink.co.uk (perfer)
Currently 'resting' as Actors say   | or dave@yoyodyne.demon.co.uk
                                    |    Tel +44 81 531 2703   
"This new learning fascinates me Sir Bedervere, Tell me again how Sheep's
 bladders may be employed to detect Earthquakes"  Monty Python & the Holy Grail
**--**--**--**--**  PGP version 2.1 Public Key available  -**--**--**--**--**
Newsgroups: uk.telecom,uk.test,demon.local