9:00 AM PDT Sunday, April 12, 1987 (Jeff) One question, is there a way to DL a file that is the maximum memory of my computer and change it to BAsic? (Sysop Denny) Well, this is close enough Jeff, yes but you need some kind of device to store... (Jeff) Could you expain? Will a cassette do? (Sysop Denny) a cassette will work just fine. (Jeff) How do I save it? (Sysop Denny) Go into basic and type SAVE "CAS:filename" that should do it. oops go into text and save the DO file to cassette... (Jeff) Thanks Denny (Sysop Denny) and then bring it back by going into basic and typing LOAD"CAS:Filename" (Larry L) Denny, are you using Tony's MACRO program? and if so which version? (Sysop Denny) Larry, I'm using his most current version... (Larry L) [which hardware?] (Sysop Denny) the one that works in basic. For the M100. (Larry L) so how do you like it..any conflicts? (Sysop Denny) Well I don't like the fact that I can't use the Chipmunk with it but other than that, there haven't been any problems. (Larry L) thanks.. (Phil W) Well Actually there are a few. For me the biggest is that I cannot use it on line when using X-TEL. Issue is that all the F-keys are taken by XTEL., so there is not a good way to get into the macro progream But Denny assures me he is near a solutiion (grin!) (Sysop Denny) Yes, We have been throwing around a few ideas on how to interface this program to others. If done, would make it a lot more powerful any more Larry? (Larry L) no thanks..I'm thinking of trying the basic M100 ver. I have the PCSG ram and was wondering if there were any known problems. (Sysop Denny) Well, Phil has the PG ram and has tried it, not the same but similar. (Phil W) Very different issue I'm afraid. the PG 0menu program lives in low ram like the macro program so Tony has a special version to take care of that. I doubt if a special version of the pgm is needed to work with the PCSG ram, but I don't know for certain that anyone has tried it. Anyone? Denny? (STUART R.) hi-i just bought a tdd1 from la jolla computer for $100 and i get a "hard disk failure" message more often than not is this normal ? (Sysop Denny) No, that isn't normal Sometimes, it could be the connection to the computer, but this sounds more serious than that Have you talked to the store about it? (STUART R.) No, not ...I guess thats my next logical step...maybe I can talk them into giving me a tdd2 exchange (Phil W) [or another TDD-1] (Sysop Denny) I would go to the store and try out another one preferably a TDD1, since there are some advantages to owning one. (STUART R.) I only work with this store by mail, so I don't get to La Jolla often, but his prices are usually 30% off normal RS list. I think he goes through a lot of 102's a month..thnks (Sysop Denny) Ok, well you could go to a RS store and try one out there (Phil W) Can't diagnose over the phone too well but there have been a few reports like yours, and almost all were cleared up buy getting a replacement of course, now replacements are less available, and you may have to "settle" for a TDD-2 (if you gan get him to work that deal). (R Caley) OK a few short comments 1. About tony's program I am very interested in the portion he is working on that allows it to work in TEXT!! This will allow a function somewhat like "LIBRARY" in Write Rom is Tony done with that part? 2. New magazines I enjoyed my copy of Laptop User and wish JD all the best 3. TDD drive Which Operating system thinks there could be a hard disk??? M-100 or TDD? 4. Vocabulary I have been using the word "MAVEN" all week long and no one seems to know what it means either.. guess I'm in good company. (Sysop Denny) (grin) You must not be in New York. (Larry L) OK About Maven...It is a Yiddish from the Hebrew word "Mayveen" which means "to know". Maven refers to a person who thinks he knows everything. (Phil W) Well, I was going to say that Tony is a "macro maven" but I doubt if he would clainm to know all! Re the disk question (#3) what was the bit about a hard disk suppose to mean. (R Caley) ok the gentleman with the TDD said he got an error that said "Hard disk error" (Sysop Denny) Ah, That would be from the TDD. (Phil W) "hard trouble" I think! Bad news from TDD land! (R Caley) one more question will the program in Laptop user that allowed you to read backward one screen like in TELCOM work in TEXT? (Sysop Denny) Doesn't seem like you'd need to since you can scroll back line by line in TEXT, but I imagine it could work there also knowing David Sumner. (R Caley) ok I don't like going line by line. (Phil W) Well, from the article it works only in Basic. But in text you can do SHIFT with up arrow to get the same effect, can you not? (R Caley) you're right, i think. (Dave S.) well I have some comments about a deep subject: "multitasking on the M100: If no one minds me rambling on about a story that might get deep then let me continue else I'll yield... (Phil W) [tease!] (Sysop Denny) No, you have the floor, Dave. ga (Dave S.) ok several months ago while i was exploring the "inards" of my M100 I learned about the interupt the CPU uses to scan the keyboard and the vector in ram which allows other things to do stuff every 4mS also mmmm...this smacked at an idea for allowing "background" processes to work while I do other things (BASIC,TEXT,etc) [keeping up with me so far?] I wrote a program to print files in background ---it worked fine EXCEPT that everytime I did something which moved files around in RAM the pointers to the file printing would temporarily get messed up until my process ...fixed itself.... (R Caley) Will this work better if you printed files from an external device? (Dave S.) well, my initial reasons were to print RAM files and experiment with backgound for context switching for real background processing [alittle more and I'll yield for comments]... Conclusions: 1. the operating system of the M100 doesn't provide semaphores for resource sharing (RS, I'm sure, didn't intend on multitasking when designing the M100)... (R Caley) [realllly??] (Dave S.) that is why I had problems with file pointers 2. For real multitasking, the stack pointer must be a readable(savable) item but the 8085 has a "write only" stack pointer. well, I just burnt out on this so I'll let you "gurus" comment. (Sysop Denny) ok, Dave, You should look at the book Inside the M100... (Dave S.) [I have] (Sysop Denny) for a discussion about the BA port that warns of dire problems if it isn't managed properly That's probably what you are running into, don't you think? (Dave S.) well what I need is for the OS to raise a flag saying "ok, I'm moving files and stuff everybody else: hands off for awile" (Sysop Denny) Quite a topic, perhaps a message to the masses might be in order Also, guys like David Sumner would have some insight in this Any more comments? (Dave S.) No more comments, maybe someday when I pursue this problem again, I'll leave a message to the masses...thanks. (Gerald G) A comparison question on the m100 and 102 Does the 102 have a "built in" spread sheet or grpahics program? (Sysop Denny) No, It has exactly the same programs as the M100 it just looks different and has a differnt font of charaters and a few patches that are different. (Gerald G) Wishful thinking on my part. I was hoping for new features. Thank you. (Phil W) The M100 and 102 have very differnt system bus interface, both physically and electrically so that such things as the Chipmunk and the PG Designs RAM bank and the PCSG bank will not work with the 102. HOWEVER -- there are a new series of devices being marketed with will work with the 102 but not with the 100. (David K.) Has anybody heard something on the quest for disk info on the DVI concerning sector read/write in M-Code. What are the hardware interface differences? (Sysop Denny) Not to my knowledge. (Gerald G) It appears that when someone now buys a third party product he (or she) might not know which computer the product is compatible with. (Phil W) [caveat emptor!] (Sysop Denny) Yes, that IS a problem. (Gerald G) That is not an encouraging marketing policy Phil. (Phil W) Well, in fact the ads I've seen are very explicit, so that reading (generally needed to use computers!) provides the needed info but often we do not read as well as we should. I don't know what more a vendor can do, Before buying any product of this type, we should call the vendor, make sure it will work in the intended computor, and (mainly!) make sure he is really delivering. Big issue is that ads appear long before product in some cases (SuperROM was 4 months!) and some products never materialize like the "C" for the M100 that some folks actually paid for! (grant) good idea Phil. I usually wait for the Price to go down anyway. (David K.) Thank you. First, if I may add that I am testing a new routine for the DVI that does a "split-screen" conference mode with output to the monitor -- input on the Lcd. Second -- can anybody tell me how to access the darn disk through machine lan. (Sysop Denny) Excellent! I've been toying with that idea for sometime now but have not put it into the schedule Our resident "maven" on DVI is Leonard Ericksen... (Phil W) [and Martin Zimmerman] (Sysop Denny) but I don't have one, I can't be of much help. (David K.) Tsk. I'll keep looking for it on the DL. I'd like to use it with Fig-Forth. (Sysop Denny) Ok (Phil W) Just a short notice: To the programs which handle transfers with the PC has been added TRANSF.ARC in DL3 (download into the PC). It is a very nice one. supports word processor format changes (wordstar and wordperfect) and is very user friendly. If you are using either FLTIBM or PCXFER, you should give this new one a try (Sysop Denny) Speaking of notices, has anyone read the one from PG Design about the "Vault"? (Phil W) Yupp! no price, tho! (Sysop Denny) That could induce you to get a 102, Phil (grin) (Rob L.) Any 600 owners..by any chance. (Sysop Denny) Well, I don't know if we have any here. anyone? (Rob L.) ahh ga. I have a problem. Can you answer one question? I log on to compuserve with the settings 7 bits and even parity with that I can not d/load xmodem 8 bit but when I change my settings on telcom to 8n1 I only get garbage as I connect to cis, but not when I call a local bbs..understand? (Sysop Denny) Yes, You have to set your parity in GO DEFAULT to 0 That should get rid of the problem (Phil W) Rob... I believe you can capture in the 600 without using xmodem if so go to dl11 and capture (Read) TEL004.600 (first) it will give the basic info. Also capture the CAT files, one on TELCOM first. Files there should give you all the basic info on using the 600 here. Problem is that it has quite a few features but keep it simple at first, and you will find it pretty easy in time also when you do log on at 0 parity (which will force 8 bits) expect to see graphics stuff until it says "Password:" that is normal! (Rob L.) thanxs everyone. I will keep you posted. have a nice day. (Sysop Denny) Oh, Phil on the Vault... It fits on the bottom as the bubble memory does. (Phil W) thot so, but what added depth? (Sysop Denny) Probably makes it the same size as an M100 (grin) Well, here's one from Van Nuys yep, looks good... (Phil W) For information, the Vault for the 102 is advertized in the first issue of Laptop User. Gives a large contiguouus RAM bank. But says "call" no price data. (Sysop Denny) Yes, I don't even want to think what a meg of ram would cost (Bill H.) is the vault like the node ?? (Phil W) cost may depend on new duties! (Sysop Denny) Bill, Probably, but it fits underneath the 102 and also adds slots for M100 type ROMs as well as 102 types. (Bill H.) ahh.. bigger and better probably (Phil W) NODE makes the Datapack; PG Designs makes(?) the Vault. Concepts similar. Vault sounds more powerful. But not in use yet, to my knowledge If I had a 102 I would sure call PG Designs; I'm very pleased with their products! (Bill H.) thats all I had but I have a NODE and its super for my use (Dave S.) I kind of lost sync, what are you guys talking about vault? NODE?...etc.. (Sysop Denny) A new product for the T102 is the Vault by PG Designs and another Ram expansion is the NODE Datapack Does that clarify? (Dave S.) ok (Phil W) Bill, if you are using a NODE product with the 102, might be a good idea to upload a review file to dl 13. Have not seen much on the board re Node and the 102, just stuff on the 200 product. Be nice to know how it is used, what software works with it, etc. May be a file that showed up while I was absent -- is there Denny? Yoo-Hoo (Sysop Denny) Not that I'm aware of, but I would have to check the index (Sysop Denny) Well, it looks like we're out of time for this morning's conference. So I'll end the formal conference now. Feel free to stick around and chat further, if you like. Thanks for coming this morning, we appreciate your input. Bye. *** END OF CONFERENCE *** List of Participants: 70026,350 John M 70250,211 PETER 71266,125 Phil W 72126,3721 STUART R. 72300,3072 Bill H. 72316,647 R Caley 72517,712 Tim B 72527,765 DANA H. 73127,2630 Dave S. 73177,2320 Jeff 73327,2602 KEN GLEASON 73337,1746 Grant S. Robertson 73347,2336 HARRY (HAL) LYNDES 73720,326 Marty T 73720,331 Rob L. 73765,605 Larry L 74026,635 David K. 74425,231 Gerald G 75775,202 DaveW. 76012,3532 Peter Tucker 76120,2244 CHARLES CULHANE 76703,444 Sysop Denny