HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539)
Subject: Re: ISA vs EISA
Organization: Texas Instruments Inc
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 19:42:17 GMT

In <muse-181192100422@mla.cssites.uga.edu> muse@athena.cs.uga.edu (Doug Muse) writes:

>Does anyone have a list or comparison for 486 motherboards?  I would like
>more information comparing ISA and EISA motherboards.  What are the
>differences other than 16 and 32 bit architecture?  What advantages does 32
>bit offer?  Are the EISA 32 bit slots backward compatible with 16 bit
>boards? Thanks in advance for all the help.  

Well, other than having one of each and knowing just a bit about them,
I don't have any 'formal' document comparing them.  However, to answer
your questions:

ISA is 16-bit, usually running at 8 MHz (although some run at 10-12
MHz), and does bus transfers in 2 clock cycles for a throughput rate
of 8 MB/s.  EISA is 32-bit, specified to run at 8.33 MHz, does bus
transfers in 1 clock, for a throughput rate of 33 MB/s.

ISA only allows DMA to the lower 16 MB of memory (only 24 address
lines on the bus), so bus-mastering cards (of which you are only
allowed 2 on an ISA bus, I think) must not try to DMA to addresses
higher than that (system software and such must make special
provisions if there is more than 16 MB of memory on the board).  EISA
provides for multiple busmasters and allows DMA to 4 GB or so.  ISA
boards may not (generally) share interrupts, unless the board itself
arbitrates for the multiple devices.  EISA boards may share
interrupts. 

ISA boards can be used in EISA bus slots without affecting EISA cards
on the bus -- this was one of the design goals for EISA.  Typical
systems will use ISA boards for things like serial ports (unless they
are large multi-port boards), etc., and use EISA boards for those
things which require large throughput (remembering that the ISA bus
will 'choke' somewhere under 8 MB/s, while EISA is good out to 33
MB/s) -- disk controllers (typically SCSI), multiple ethernet boards,
etc. 

Hope this helps.

-- 
"Insisting on perfect safety is for people who don't have the balls to live
 in the real world."   -- Mary Shafer, NASA Ames Dryden
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred.McCall@dseg.ti.com - I don't speak for others and they don't speak for me.
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: ae277@yfn.ysu.edu (Stewart Rowe)
Subject: Re: leaving it on?
Organization: Youngstown State University/Youngstown Free-Net
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 20:48:11 GMT


Here is an item extracted from the Washington Post which may interest you.
 
 The EPA is trying to promote energy-efficient personal computers.
    A single PC doesn't use much electricity. You can keep
your home computer turned on around the clock for a month and barely notice the
difference when the electric bill comes around. But with personal computers now
humming away in tens of millions of offices and tens of millions of homes, the
EPA started counting kilowatts and came up with a striking conclusion.
    The agency released figures earlier this year suggesting that personal
computers account for 5 percent of the total commercial electricity consumption
in the United States; with computer use spreading like crazy, the figure was
projected to rise to 10 percent by the end of the decade.
    When you start talking about 5 percent or 10 percent of all U.S.
electricity, you're counting an awful lot of kilowatts. So the EPA, working with
computer, chip and software makers, has promoted "green computing" as a way to
save energy and reduce air pollution at home. 
    The EPA's analysis is based on the thesis - which sounds right - that most
people leave their desktop PCs turned on all the time. But those machines are
actually used only about 20 percent to 30 percent of the time. So if the
computer could be designed to switch automatically to a low-power "sleep" mode
when not in use, there could be significant savings in power consumption.
From: beppe@edy.elettra.trieste.it (Giuseppe Surace)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Talk autoreply program
Date: 18 Nov 92 15:11:56 GMT


  Hi Folks,
    
    Does anyone know if exist a public domain application similar to the
    elm-autoreply, for the talk daemon ?
 
Keywords: 
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: mazzucch@ghost.dsi.unimi.it (massimo mazzucchi)
Subject: dtp program
Organization: Computer Science Dep. - Milan University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 13:23:33 GMT


HI 

i am Max from Milan Italy

i will know if exist a PD program (not windows) or commercial

like publisher/page maker that:

- there aren't the difficultes to use it

- max 1 Mb di program

- and it can write A4 (21x29) ruotate (29x21) in which way 

 i can write on 2 page (15x21) but that left page must be

 an object and right page another object.

 ---------
 |        |                    ____________________
 |        |                    |        |         |
 |        |                    |        |         |
 |        |    --->            |        |         |
 |        |                    |        |         |
 |        |                    --------------------
 ----------
 Thanks for your help

 Bye


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
!  Massimo Mazzucchi                         address    e-mail                !
!  University of State                       mazzucch@ghost.dsi.unimi.it      !
!  Departement of Computer Science            149.132.2.1                     ! 
!  Via Comelico, 41 -  20133 MILAN ITALY                                      !
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: wjm@utrc.utc.com (Bill)
Subject: Joystick to PC connection
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: United Technologies Research Center
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 15:01:00 GMT

I'm looking for some technical info on joystick connection to a PC game 
port.  I know the game port pin out, but it is somewhat cryptic as to the 
actual hookup.

What I want to do is use an analog joystick from an old computer system on 
my PC.

I know, joysticks are cheap, why bother.  Well, I like this joystick 
layout, plus, being a hardware hacker, I can't resist.

The joystick I want to use contains 2 potentiometers and 2 pushbuttons.
How should they be connected to the game port?

Thanks,
+ ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> + ><> +
+ Bill Mazeika   WJM@UTRC.UTC.COM                           +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ God's got an army, not afraid to fight.                   +
+ Soldiers of the cross, and children of the light.         +
+ Warriors of righteousness, with healing in their hands.   +
+ God's got an army, marchin through the land.     -Carman  +
+ <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< + <>< +
From: alan@solb1.essex.ac.uk (Alan M Stanier)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: CompacTape II?
Date: 19 Nov 92 16:25:05 GMT
Reply-To: alan@essex.ac.uk
Organization: University of Essex Computing Service, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK

We have a very old microVAX-II running VMS 5.3

I have recently been trying to read what I thought was a TK50, but it
refuses to mount: the lights flash as though the tape is moving, but it
never actually mounts, even if left overnight.

Looking closely at the tape, it isn't marked CompacTape like all our other
TK-50s, but CompacTapeII. The instruction sheet inside says it can be
mounted in TK50 or TK70 drives.

I have never heard of CompacTapeII, or TK70 drives (This is not an area
of computing we go into much).

Could someone who works in this area tell me: I am assuming that the TK70
is an improved TK50, and CompacTapeII is designed to work with both: is it
possible that the TK50 on our microVAX is of an old design that won't mount
CompacTapeII?  (I am, as you may have guessed, clutching at straws here,
having exhausted my meagre knowledge of Vaxen).

Any help would be much appreciated.


--
   Alan M Stanier   |   alan@essex.ac.uk   |   +44 206 872153
     This year, get back to the true spirit of Christmas -
       Perform a fertility rite at the Winter Solstice.
From: hstark@caip.rutgers.edu (howard stark)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Car Computers/Power Chips
Date: 23 Nov 92 23:38:56 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.





  I would like to experiment with re-programming automobile computers.
I have seen ads for high performance chips in various
auto mags which claim to increase a cars performance through
the use of a new chip for the auto's computer.

My questions include:

Do these chips have industry standard
   EPROM or PROM configurations?

Do these chips contain merely a list of parameters for your engine
   or is this info a real program?

What kind of CPU's do they use? Is it an ASIC or do car manufacturers
   like to use standard microcontrollers (ie: the PIC series)?


If you have an answer to one or more of these questions, or
   you know of where I can obtaian more info about this
   topic, please post or Email.

           thanx
                                     howy
                                     hstark@caip.rutgers.edu
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: john@iastate.edu (John Hascall)
Subject: Re: MIS INCOME
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 17:32:23 GMT

00msthompson@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu writes:
}What is the average income of a MIS graduate straight out of college in a
}systems analyst position?

and in another article, 00msthompson@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu writes again:
}What does client server architecture deal with?

I would say the outlook is not very promising...

John
-- 
John Hascall                   ``An ill-chosen word is the fool's messenger.''
Systems Software Engineer
Project Vincent
Iowa State University Computation Center  +  Ames, IA  50011  +  515/294-9551
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: st890123@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (Joe Dropkin)
Subject: Leaving it On...
Reply-To: st890123@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 14:51:57 GMT

So... what's the conclusion.  I saw the article in Washington Post that says
that if we leave our computers on... it draws a good amount of energy from
the nation... But, I want to know this:  What effect is it going to have on
my Mac?  Should I leave it on all the time or not?

Please reply through private e-mail...... I will summarize.

Joe
From: barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: nonmilitary NIC
Date: 23 Nov 1992 04:40:40 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: gandalf.think.com

In article <1992Nov19.223707.6106@ringer.cs.utsa.edu> dan@ennex1.eng.utsa.edu (Daniel Shelton) writes:
>Is there an NIC type information service which will list nonmilitary internet sites?

The information on NIC.DDN.MIL is not limited to military sites.  The NIC
is not part of the military (it's operated by a third-party contractor).
It administers all the non-country top-level domains and the .US domain,
and has information about all the organizations in the domains it
administers.
-- 
Barry Margolin
System Manager, Thinking Machines Corp.

barmar@think.com          {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: craigd@aruba.UUCP (Craig Dunham)
Subject: Re: CompacTape II?
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 21:32:16 GMT
Organization: Project Zed

In article <6523@sersun1.essex.ac.uk>, alan@solb1.essex.ac.uk (Alan M Stanier) writes:
|> We have a very old microVAX-II running VMS 5.3
|> 
|> I have recently been trying to read what I thought was a TK50, but it
|> refuses to mount: the lights flash as though the tape is moving, but it
|> never actually mounts, even if left overnight.
|> 
|> Looking closely at the tape, it isn't marked CompacTape like all our other
|> TK-50s, but CompacTapeII. The instruction sheet inside says it can be
|> mounted in TK50 or TK70 drives.
|> 
|> I have never heard of CompacTapeII, or TK70 drives (This is not an area
|> of computing we go into much).
|> 
|> Could someone who works in this area tell me: I am assuming that the TK70
|> is an improved TK50, and CompacTapeII is designed to work with both: is it
|> possible that the TK50 on our microVAX is of an old design that won't mount
|> CompacTapeII?  (I am, as you may have guessed, clutching at straws here,
|> having exhausted my meagre knowledge of Vaxen).
|> 
|> Any help would be much appreciated.
|> 

The CompacTapeII is a 296 MB capacity tape that can be read or written only
in the TK70 drives found on newer VAXs, such as the 4000, 6000 series, etc..

The original CompacTape is a 95 MB capacity tape, which can be read and
written in the TK50 drives, or read only (but not written) in TK70 drives.

So, a TK50 drive can read/write only the original CompacTapes.
A TK70 drive can read the original CompacTape and read/write the CompacTapeII.

Since the microVAX-II has a TK50 drive, you will be unable (as you found
out) to use CompacTapeII cartridges on this machine.

Hope this helps.

-- 
Craig Dunham                     |Internet Style: aruba!craigd@uu2.psi.com
                                 |UUCP     : ...!uunet!uu2.psi.com!aruba!craigd
From: 00msthompson@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: MIS INCOME
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:59:49 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

What is the average income of a MIS graduate straight out of college in a
systems analyst position?
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: muse@athena.cs.uga.edu (Doug Muse)
Subject: ISA vs EISA
Followup-To: comp.misc
Organization: University of Georgia - UCNS
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:04:40 GMT

Does anyone have a list or comparison for 486 motherboards?  I would like
more information comparing ISA and EISA motherboards.  What are the
differences other than 16 and 32 bit architecture?  What advantages does 32
bit offer?  Are the EISA 32 bit slots backward compatible with 16 bit
boards? Thanks in advance for all the help.  

                           Doug


+--------------------------+
|        DOUG MUSE         |----------------------------------------------+
|  muse@athena.cs.uga.edu  |           The University of Georgia          |
|  dmuse@uga.cc.uga.edu    | University Computing and Networking Services |
|  #cdm@music.cc.uga.edu   |            Computer Services Annex           |
|  Prodigy: GTJK54A        |   Athens, GA 30602-1911     (706) 542-5162   |
+--------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
From: 00msthompson@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: HELP ON CLIENT SERVER ARCHITECTURE
Date: 19 Nov 92 16:06:33 GMT
Organization: Ball State University, Muncie, In - Univ. Computing Svc's

What does client server architecture deal with?
Newsgroups: comp.misc,biz.misc,misc.forsale.wanted
From: asv@gaboon.UUCP (Stan Voket)
Subject: Re: Clocks and Master clocks
Organization: Voket Org.
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 03:53:39 GMT

In article <1992Nov15.134519.14412@oar.net> norstan@oar.net (Steve Frazier) writes:
>I am looking for a control box perhaps a "master clock".  What this master
>clock would do is have a RS232 cable that would hook to my computer.  MY
>computer get's it time via xntpd.  This master clock would be able to feed 
>all clocks in my home over 110VAC similar to the way the X-10 system feeds
>controls to it's devices.
>
>The clocks would all be digital large readouts, have batter backup and be
>capable of taking a "clock re-set" from this master clock.
>
>Does anyone know of such a thing?
>
>Please email me, I will summarize if anyone else is interested.
>

Steve,

Please summrize to the net. I'm very interested in this concept.


Stan



-- 
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  -  Stan Voket, asv%gaboon@uunet - OR - ..uunet!casey!gaboon!asv  -  |
|       -   Voice: (203) 746-4489 - FAX 746-9761 TELEX 4996516  -      |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: dharry@cyclone.rice.edu (Dennis Harry)
Subject: Re: Midwest Micro Fiasco...
Organization: Rice University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 20:34:50 GMT

In article <69661@cup.portal.com>, ScrewedOver@cup.portal.com (Eric J Rainbolt) writes:
|> Has anybody out there had any problems with Midwest Micro, specifically
|> with a computer purchased there?
|> 
|> Here's what I am dealing with:
|> 
|> Five months ago, I purchased an "Elite" 386 DX system from them, along
|> with a printer,  monitor, etc.  It worked fine for about three months, 
|> and then the nightmare began.  
|> 

Whew!  I was talking to them recently about purchasing a new computer. 
Thanks for the warning.  Sorry, can't offer anything but sympathy and thanks.  I do suggest posting on other PC newsgroups (comp.sys.386, or whatever it
is).  Maybe they'll become embarassed enough to satisfy their customers, 
if for no other reason than to shut them up :-)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Online data providers (Nexis, Dialog etc.) - How do they work?
From: <NAVGC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Friday, 20 Nov 1992 15:47:55 EST
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

This may not be the right group for this question (and pleas don't hesitate to
refer me to the right one...), but here's one  that a friend of mine and
I got around to and could not answer (or find information on):
   How are the big online data providers such as Nexis/Lexis, Westlaw, Dialog,
Daw-Jones Online, etc. organized? This is a basic question, starting at the
hardware level. These system carry enormous amounts of information which must
always be online (probably much more than the info availabe on Compuserve,
Genie and other consumer-based services). Do they use  one huge mainframe with
a massive disk array or cd-rom drives?  How do they handle the phone calls? How
 do they get all that information and load it so fast?  They have a large
amount of information which clearly had originated as paper documents; how do
they have it input without errors?
         As you can see, these are really basic-type questions. But we had been
 using those systems off and on for quite a while without a clue as to how they
work, and now we are really curios. Any information and references will be
than welcome.

                                                    Thanx,

                                                           Bruno
From: news@fedfil.UUCP (news)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: US flat panel display consortium
Date: 18 Nov 92 03:44:03 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: HTE

The front page of the Washington Post today carried a story of great
importance.  It appears as if DARPA and a number of American firms are
going to attempt to put together a consortium to produce the flat panel
screens which will shortly be seen on increasing numbers of computers and
even in use for TV screens.

Until now, the Japanese have dominated this field despite the inventions
involved being all American.  The article mentions that they have been selling
these devices below the actual cost of production in North America.  The same
old game:  use the vast market of the United States as a springboard.  Sell
at or slightly below cost here, destroy American industry, and at the same time
generate so huge an economy of scale of production that you more than make
up the difference selling everywhere else, especially in Asia and more
especially in Japan.  A nation which allows a foreign power to do this shouldn't
even have an army, a navy, or an air force;  they should just hand over the 
keys.  That Reagan and Bush never figured this game out or tried to do any
thing about it will probably consign them to the same page in history books
as Neville Chamberlain.

It would probably be a very good idea for evrybody in the computer industry
in the US to write their representatives voicing support for this move.  It
might just could go into the books as a turning point for the struggle in
which we are now engaged, much as Midway served as such a turning point
50 years ago.

Ted Holden
HTE


-- 
Ted Holden
HTE

Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: dlwilson@fenix.encore.com (David L Wilson)
Subject: Re: why I love SGI
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 22:31:40 GMT

mjd@saul.cis.upenn.edu ("[*] Crash Dominus") writes:
>dlwilson@fenix.encore.com (David L Wilson) writes:
>>   Encore's doing fine, thank you, supplying 88000-based multiprocessors to
>>   anyone who wants one. 
>
>Excellent.  I applaud your forward-looking and generous corporate
>policy.  Please send my 88000-based multiprocessor to

[address deleted to deter potential attackers]

I'm afraid that postage is not included, but I have made arrangements for
you to pick up one (or more).  Simply arrive during our standard hours
(1:00am - 4:00am) at the back of Blding 4, 6901 Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale FL.
Be sure to bring a prybar of some type, as the back door may be stuck shut.
Make your way to the machine room, but be careful not to startle the
guards.  They know you are coming, but the paperwork may not have gone
through yet.  Make your selection from our showroom floor, and load it
onto your forklift.  Be sure to unplug electrical and network connections
before driving away.  Feel free to help yourself to anything in the
vending machines on your way out (again, you may need the prybar for a
particularly sticky door).

If you have any problems with installation, the customer service number
is (305) 587-2900.  Be sure to have the serial number inside the cabinet
door handy.

good luck,
Dave
From: buckland@ucs.ubc.ca (Tony Buckland)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: scanner for PC
Date: 21 Nov 1992 16:01:29 GMT
Organization: University Computing Services, UBC, Canada
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: swiss.ucs.ubc.ca
Keywords: scanner

In article <7680@tekig7.PEN.TEK.COM> johnst@tekig6.PEN.TEK.COM (John F Stoops) writes:
>I am interested in getting a scanner for my PC but know very little about
>them.  Doues anybody know of recent articles evaluating scanners?  If you
>have one what is your experience - good or bad?  Any to avoid?  Please reply
>by E-mail.

 I'd be interested in responses to John's request.  In Vancouver B.C.,
 the only scanner in the stores is Scanman (models 32 and 256); how
 does this rate?
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: acmtsv@gsusgi2.gsu.edu (Thomas Scott Vaughn)
Subject: Help!? - license fee
Organization: Georgia State University
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:23:37 GMT

I have written a program for a small handheld computer called the Psion
Organizer.  The program was written on contract (my first) for a local 
buisiness here in Atlanta, GA and implements a barcode scanner.  I intended
the program to be a custom one-of-a-kind, but now a major supplier of 
small buisiness software is interested in purchasing it from me.  I think
this is great, but I don't have a clue as to how much it's worth (I put
about 30 man-hours into the whole project).  Can those of you with
experience with this sort of thing mail me your opinions?

Thanks!

-- 
Tom Vaughn
acmtsv@gsusgi2.gsu.edu
Newsgroups: comp.misc
From: tleylan@pegasus.com (Tom Leylan)
Subject: Re: The "commercial use of net" problem -- irrelevant?
Keywords: Internet, commercial usage
Organization: Pegasus,  Honolulu
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 10:06:01 GMT

john@iastate.edu (John Hascall) writes:

>You don't have to look around very far to see what level this could sink to.

>     SNail mail -- clogged with bulk rate crap.
>     Commercial TV -- 5 minutes of commercials every 15 minutes.
>     Telephone -- most households with answering machines to screen tele-scum.

John... I'll warn you that I'm in general agreement with the proponents of
Commercialization = Irrelevant but I thought I'd note your characterizations
as largely negative.

Has your mail taken longer than normal or something... I drop letters into
mailboxes (even in foreign countries) and they end up at the proper place
in the U.S. in a matter of days.

Commercial TV... I get to laugh at Letterman and listen to Ted Koppel on
Nightline and I don't pay anybody for it.  They don't put 5 minutes of ads
every 15 minutes here however, maybe I'd find that annoying but I think I
could live with it (or turn the channel to PBS).

And the telephone ?  You find that annoying too ?

Have a nice day... I almost always do.

tom