From: cohen@GOMEZ.phys.virginia.edu
Subject: Re: NCTIS report
Reply-To: cohen@GOMEZ.phys.virginia.edu
Organization: Dept. of Physics, University of Virginia
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:00:29 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.091540.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu>, jhwhit01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
>In article <1jk20aINNcgq@mailgzrz.TU-Berlin.DE>, willi@zrzsp5.chem.tu-berlin.de (Winfried Winkler) writes:
>> 
>> Where does a DS/DD DiskController fit in ?
>> (CorComp, Atronic, Myarc, BWG,...)
>  
>The hardware standards were based on the software programmer and end-user
>perspective.  At any of the 5 levels, there will be more users with single
>density disk capabilities than with double density capabilities.  You can have

Jeff, you know I fully agree with this partition, but the number of users is
no argument.  For example, how many Geneve users are out there?  Myarc
produced around 1000-2200 units.  Many of them are no longer functional,
others are stored amid mothballs in closets, and some users (you know who :-)
monopolize 3 Geneve machines per household.  So would it be fair to say
there are probably about 750 active Geneve users?

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One thing I would definitely recommend for TI-controller owners is to upgrade
to Double Sided.  This is a painless, cheap upgrade, you only have to take
your old drive out and insert an identical-looking drive in its place,
that's all there is to it.  And, in case you did not realize, the DS drive
will still read and write in single-sided mode, just like your old drive --
but you will also have DS capability, i.e., 180Kbytes per diskette with the TI
controller card (or the Percom if anybody still uses it).
Let me know if you encounter any problems/questions in this respect, it is
really inexpensive and easy.
BTW, the older stand-alone choo-choo train TI disk controller was not capable
of double sided operations, but it is so cheap nowadays to get expansion boxes
with TI controller cards that I see little reason to use those large side-car
peripherals.
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>a Level A system even if you have DS/SD capabilities if you don't have 32K.
>At Level A, you are pretty much limited to cartridge or BASIC software.  When

Cassette system owners can add a stand-alone 32K unit.  I have such a unit
in case somebody needs, it is smaller than the speech synthesizer and plugs
to the side.  With 32K you get a whole new world from XB, Mini Memory, EDT/ASM,
Logo...  even without a disk drive.



>saved to cassette, but the main software base there is XB software loaded from

There are terrific cassette programs that require 32K and EDT/ASM.  Any cassette
owner should get the book "getting the most from your cassette system" by Mickey
Schmidt and Mike Wright.  And, of course, the software for it.

>cassette.  Asgard contends that there are still many cassette-only users out
>there.

That is right.  Our UG has members who use cassettes and do not WANT to upgrade
to disk.  Some have other computers, some use it for children and do not think
a disk system is appropriate for younger users.  Also schools (to the extent
that they did not upgrade to IBM's and Mac's only to find that the children are
intimidated by 101 keys on the keyboard, sound is awful from the tiny internal
speaker, no speech, no snap-in cartridges -- a hit with children! --
and the software selection for children is very poor for those business 
machines) use many cassette systems.  
It is essential to keep those users.  They give business and life to the
TI community.  And I know of cases where children grew up and decided to
upgrade to full systems.  One person I know got his TI out of the closet for his
son, later got a PEBox, and just recently started a subscription to M-pendium.
I guess this is not altogether unusual.

>  
>There has been some contention during the NCTIS meetings on the absence of
>GRAM devices from the levels.  Again, the levels were decided based upon what
>the larger markets in the TI community would be for software developers.  Also
>recall that most of the committee are from the U.S.  Information for using and
>programming GPL was kept very secret in TI's home country.  Europe and Canada
>got the information needed to use the power of GPL not long after TI pulled
>out of the home computer market.


Perhaps, but still the best GRAM devices were built in the US and by Mechatronic
(which was a major TI contractor).
I was always wondering whether Craig Miller "invented" the GK or did he get
the necessary info from TI (TI had a GROM Box all along...  and also a unit
built for summer 1983 state-fair demos, which was displayed for the public and
ran from multiple disk drives any of the available and would-be cartridges.
This rare unit was purchased about a year ago by a member of LITI in a flea
market).

You know, I have an old Q&A session with John phillips, where he recommends
not to touch GPL.  he says it is just yet another programming language,
better stick with Assembly.  Don't have any opinion on this myself, just
thought I'd mention this here.

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