8:58:45 AM PST Sunday, January 17, 1988

(Sysop Denny) Hi Christopher

(ChristopherF) Hi Denny

(BOB CRAFT) I'VE DONE SOME work on crdfil.pr1 & would like to describe it.

(Sysop Denny) Well you certainly may. Tony won't be here but I'm sure he'd be
  interested in reading about it.

(BOB CRAFT) OK. Tony, CRDFIL is great -thanks! I rewrote crdfil.pr1 to do
  the following:
  1.  Write to any device, not just the printer.
  2. Extract records from one file and write to another, (reformatted to CRDFIL
  or ready for merging into TXTFMT.CO

(Sysop Denny) Thanks Bob. You then must enter the device at the  top of the
  program, correct?

(BOB CRAFT) The end actually.  I'll send the thing up after I get rid of the
  last @#$%% bug!ga

(Sysop Denny) Ok. Sounds good. If you could write to COM port or somesuch
  you'd be able to get around the problem with the TDD that only allows one
  file open at a time.  Actually, in that case CAS: would be the only choice.

(Dave S.) Hello all!  I don't make it out that often  but thought I'd try out
  this split screen stuff...real nice isn't it?

(Sysop Denny) Yep, sure is. Try the command: /DISP JOB for even further
  information.

(ChristopherF) hello, I'm new here, is this a correct way to enter?

(Sysop Denny) Yes it is correct Christopher, but we usually wait in line for
  questions and comments. 

(R Caley) I don't have much hardware knowledge, just a wild imagination. I
  noticed that one of the neat things about Tandy's new MS-DOS laptop is its
  ability to hook up to a monitor. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE To some how with TSI's
  BOOSTER PACK put enough software on
  board to handle a dos that could be used like the DV/I's DOS to allow hookup
  to an 80 col. screen?

(Sysop Denny) Rush, that idea has been going around since the beginning of the
  M100 existence. There was one company that purported to have a video adaptor
  for the M100 and they advertised it for almost a year. Unfortunately, it
  never materialized.  That was Axonix, by the way.  There is a do-it-yourself
  project in one of the recent issues of (P100? I think) where you could build
  your own video adaptor. I don't know if it works, but if you'd like to try it
  and report back to us, we'd sure appreciate it. (grin)

(R Caley) ok, I know the idea was not new.  Maybe I phrased my question
  incorrectly. I have a DVI and I know basically how it works What I was
  wondering  is if the software were correct and you had the hardware (smaller
  version) to plug into the system bus from the Booster Pack could the Booster
  Pack act / emulate DVI??

(Sysop Denny) Well, the software is not really a problem, you could probably
  do it in a normal M100. The hitch is in the hardware. There just isn't
  anything that will get you hooked up to an external monitor. (that I know
  of, anyway)  When you say "DVI" I take it you mean just the video part,
  right?

(R Caley) ok  Well, I'm not sure but what I do mean is that I feel that
  whatever it is that the DVI does do that it could be replicated in a large
  RAM Booster Pack if you had the same or similar hardware and dos all on
  board.

(Sysop Denny) Yeah, it would be possible, but none of the hardware vendors
  have taken up the gauntlet. I guess they felt that there wasn't a big
  enough market.

(R Caley) Well, TSI offers many alternatives and custom  applications for the
  BP. Maybe Eppley might be interested.

(Sysop Denny) I'll check with him this week. I have a call in for Monday
  anyway. One thing I'd like to see is support for the Chipmunk on the BP. Of
  course, that's me with MY wild imagination!

(R Caley) I asked Mark for a long time  to support Chipmunk when I had one. As
  long as PCSG was involved, there was NO WAY. I think the chipper's dead now,
  glad I sold mine.

(ChristopherF) Apologies to all for interrupting earlier, but I'm brand new
  and will learn protocol asap. Would very much like to know whether anyone has
  had any positive experience either with TSI Booster Pak or especially
  SoundSight's GoldCard as have had rather miserable experience with Vault

(Sysop Denny) Well, I can share your experience with the Vault  I have one and
  it is not really up to speed yet.  But I also have a Booster Pack and it has
  worked extremely well. Have had almost no problems with it. The first
  reports are just starting to filter in on the Gold Card so we don't really
  have a good idea of how it's going to work, but the reports have been
  favorable.

(ChristopherF) It seems the Booster Pack adds considerable bulk to back of the
  102. Is this the case or are the ads deceptive. Also, does the manufacturer
  of the Gold Card have decent reputation in the field? I'm trying to avoid
  the situation of coldstarts in the field, which is where I'd hoped Vault
  would make a disk drive unnecessary and don't want to be burned twice...

(Sysop Denny) Well, the BP does add some depth to the M102 or M100 (in my case)
  but I have been using it so much that I have forgotten what a normal M100
  feels like - until this week when I was handling a naked T102 - what a
  difference!  Soundsight has had a very good rep being the first to come up
  with expanded RAM capability in the form of bubble memory. It was extremely
  expensive, but they sold a lot of them  to major companies.

(BOB CRAFT) ok (also new).  Last conference somebody told somebody else that
  TS-RANDOM in ROM won't work with TDD2. Still true but TS-DOS in ROM will be
  shipped as soon as "the manuals get back from the printer". I ordered one on
  faith. By the way, any special peculiarities  advantages, disadvantages
  with TS-RANDOM vs other DOS's.

(Sysop Denny) That's interesting about TS-DOS. Is there going to be anything
  else in the ROM as well?

(BOB CRAFT) I don't know - just had a short conversation with an order taker.
  Sells for $99.95, by the way.

(Sysop Denny) Ok, that's what I'd expect it to go for. If you don't use any
  other ROMs that would be great.  I have a ROM version in the BP and it's
  really nice to be able to get to the TDD without loading a DOS first. As
  for TS-Random, there is really no reason to have it unless you plan on
  writing your own database applications.  The only advantage is that it has a
  disk copy program that will copy ANY disk.

(BOB CRAFT) Did I mention that this TS-DOS will work with TDD2?

(Sysop Denny) No, but they released that info a while back.

(BOB CRAFT) and I meant ads and dis ads for TS-DOS.  Any?

(Sysop Denny) We recommend that and Power-DOS for alternate DOS's. (the only 2
  available!) Excuse me! Disk-Power. You'll find that TS-DOS will work well
  for you.

(ChristopherF) Was disconnected 1/2 way thru your explanation of BP's bulk so
  didn't get your full response. Do you have any sense of credibility of/ Gold
  Card's "Rom-Loader" or whatever they will call upgrade to permit loading
  chips into memory expansion?

(Sysop Denny) Well, for the BP, it is. (grin)  (bulky, that is)  but I have
  gotten used to it and I have a bag that it fits into, so for me there is no
  problem.  For others who need to carry it in a regular briefcase, it might
  be a little large.  The one report we have on the Gold Card mentioned that
  the ROM eliminator was not available yet, so we really don't know.  The
  theory is great, though.  You put all your roms in a Gold Card and put a
  RAM into the ROM slot in the M100.  Anytime you need to use a ROM, you copy
  it into that one RAM. Simple idea.

(Sysop Denny) Hi Paul!

(Paul Globman) I believe that there is no write enable line going to the rom
  socket.

(Sysop Denny) Yes, that's true. I wonder how they are getting around that
  problem? I hope they don't expect people to send in their computer for mods.
  There has been terrific resistance to doing that in the past.

(Paul Globman) I did not notice a WE/ line to any of the rom socket pins. I
  will check again.

(DaveR) Thanks Denny. Good afternoon.  Do all of the disks, other than TDD-2,
  and memory expansion systems use the external bus (40 pin) socket in the
  back of the machine?

(Sysop Denny) No, only the Chipmunk and DVI use the expansion port. Actually,
   rereading your question, yes, they all use it.

(DaveR) oh, I guess the memory expansions that piggyback use it. I noticed the
  fixes for TASM table in the DL. I think I just noticed a message about
  xmdpw5.asm rewritten for tasm.

(Sysop Denny) Phil just uploaded the source for XMDPW5 in TASM form. This
  should make it a lot easier for development of larger assembly language
  programs in the future.  The commercial folk have had that capability for a
  long time. But it has just come to light in the public domain this last week.

(DaveR) Yes, I know, I found it in IBMSW.  If the DOS on the m100 was improved,
  could you envision a very useful machine with only 32k in it? That is,
  programs would not reside on RAM disk, but live on the  external disk, just
  as the "big" machines handle it.

(Sysop Denny) Well, you can kinda do that now with the Chipmunk, but  that
  doesn't seem to be the main attraction for the M100's. 

(Sysop Denny) It's really more the challenge of trying to do as much as
  possible with as little hardware as possible.  Hence, products like the BP,
  Gold Card, Node, etc.  I like not having to use a disk with my portable
  system.  At home, I have a Chipmunk system set up as a "desktop"  that
  doesn't move.  With the advent of the MS-DOS portables, the real direction
  would seem to be in getting smaller.

(Ron) Any special precautions for taking the M100 or diskettes thru the airport
  metal detectors or X-Ray machines?

(Sysop Denny) I'll take that Q as soon as Dave is done.  Are you done, Dave?

(DaveR) I thought Ron was up next.

(Sysop Denny) Well, it is a change of topic, So I'd rather finish up with you
  first.

(DaveR) I'm done

(Ron) Must mind my "Q" and "C"! Sorry about that!

(Sysop Denny) Ok. We have had varying reports on airport x-ray machines. The
  best advice is to always have them hand-check your computer and disks  so
  there is no question as to their integrity.

(Ron) OK.

(ChristopherF) I have taken M102 and diskettes thru numerous European airports
  where the magnetic field of metal detector is considerably stronger than used
  in US airports, and have not noticed any disk file corruption. The only
  thing they ever want you to do is to turn the machine on to make sure you're
  not hiding some explosive device.

(Sysop Denny) Right, They don't like batteries.

(Eric) Same here in Los Angles, I run one of the music programs!

(Sysop Denny) That must get a grin!

(Eric) Yep!

(Sysop Denny) At least on your face. They don't have much of a sense of humor
  at airports. With the signs all around that tell you to not even joke about
  carrying a gun or hijacking. Ain't paranoia wonderful?

(ChristopherF) Anyone else have problems at airports where they actually tell
  you you must remove batteries for duration of flight

(Ron) What's this!

(ChristopherF) Seems to occur mainly on carriers where they've had high
  incidence of hijackings like AirIndia, etc...?

(Eric) Never heard of this.

(Sysop Denny) Haven't heard that one either.  Most of the time they will ask
  you to not turn on the computer because of radio interference.

(ChristopherF) Has occurred twice in the last six months. This is when still at
  the security check. Really annoying to explain you'll lose all your memory
  and get stares of disbelief.

(Sysop Denny) Is that at a particular carrier, or the whole airport?

(ChristopherF) Particular carriers--both Air India and Alitalia.

(Sysop Denny) Whew, I'd certainly not try to use them if that's the case.

(Ron) Arreverderci, Roma!

(Sysop Denny) It would seem to mean that you have a greater probability of
  getting hijacked.

(Eric) Hmmm.  You could try jacking into the reading lamp socket?

(Bill Heiman) I've been trying to hook up my  100 to a DVI and each time I flip
  the 100 off to load the dos, the screen goes blank and I  have to cold start.
  Any ideas?

(Sysop Denny) Well, I don't have a DVI, so I'd have to refer you to Tony
  and/or the message board for more help. Unless we have another DVI'er here.

(Ron) Somewhat familiar with this problem  No.1, did you follow the start-up
  procedures detailed in the manual, Bill?

(Bill Heiman) yes  I got the dvi to accept the dos but the 100 won't.

(Ron) No.2, you said you turned off the 100, shouldn't you just Reset?

(Bill Heiman) Either way according to the book.  AND I tried BOTH.

(Ron) No.3, What is the DOS that you are using?

(Bill Heiman) The one that comes with the DVI.

(Ron) Is it for the 100 or the 200..it matters.

(Bill Heiman) 100. Remember, I didn't try it once. I worked at it for hours.

(Ron) You probably got a blown disk

(Bill Heiman) with 3 different DVI.s and 2 disks.

(Ron) Oh! That's different. Don't know what to tell you except to follow
  Denny's advice.

(Bill Heiman) It's Tony's 100 so I know its been on a DVI.

(Sysop Denny) [didn't he give you a lifetime warranty? (grin)]

(Ron) Check it out with a Radio Shack service dept. in your area.

(Bill Heiman) I'll try that.  [the lifetime has run out]

(Ron) Also Bill,  Check out the pins on the connector to the sys bus. They are
  notorious for breaking off.

(Eric) You could try electrical contact cleaner on the cable & sockets, they
  known to be cranky.

(Bill Heiman) I've given up. there too cranky for me. I'm going for a 1000 or
  ?  [Denny went home]

(Sysop Denny) No, I'm right here.

(Bill Heiman) [or back to sleep]

(Ron) Its the witching hour! We all return to the ether soon.<grin>

(Sysop Denny) But it is just about that time

(Bill Heiman) I'll get with Tony again.

(Eric) Bye

(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 ***

(Ron) Good byyyyyyyye(echo)

(Bill Heiman) bye guys, thanks.


List of Participants:

  70721,1000  JOHN A
  70721,2466  ChristopherF
  72076,2735  BOB CRAFT
  72227,1661  Paul Globman
  72240,21    Ted Paul
  72300,3072  Bill Heiman
  72300,3645  Ron
  72316,647   R Caley
  72407,3224  Marty T
  73127,2630  Dave S.
  73327,1141  richard thomas
  76317,350   DaveR
  76672,3137  Allen W. Campbell
  76672,577   Eric
  76701,40    Sysop Denny