wierd_w
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Posts posted by wierd_w
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-- ♫♪ Since I have a hammer ♪♫ --
------ ♫♪ I did some hammering this morning! ♪♫ --
(Who else on here gets to claim that they took a hammer to their PEB, and that it was a GOOD thing? LOL)
The deformation was more extreme than I initially thought too. The divider inside that covers the PSU was bend a good 15 degrees in one location, and the screw mount leg was torqued about 20 degrees. It took pretty extensive hammering to get it back "this nice".
Now instead of crushed in in the corner, and taco-ed in the back, it is merely rippled and scuffed. The back actually looks correct now.
The cards appear to have survived, but I have not done a power on test yet. The plastic part of the top is pretty damaged; Not sure if I can reasonably fix it. I will probably have to manufacture a replacement part.
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Oh, that brings back memories...
One of my favorite things to do to my poor tech lab instructor, was make folders with null-char in their names.
eg, "My(alt+0255)Stuff" which then looks in DOS like "My Stuff". In reality, it has a nonbreaking null character space in there. In windows, it shows up as an underscore in the name, but you cannot easily navigate into it (at least for the 9x flavors available back in the day.) Windows would balk at you if you tried.
Other fun tricks were to use the "ascii graphics" extended charset chars in filenames so they were silly looking pictograms. that was fun too.
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I transitioned to the "Full Morlock" mode some time ago. (As relates to the techno-felicitous behaviors of the creatures from The Time Machine, not their dietary habits.)
I find that I get more enjoyment out of doing system maintenance than I do playing games, more often than not. Good documentation is hard to get these days; nobody wants to write it, and the concept of "Disposable hardware" makes it even worse-- Why document something that we intend for you to throw out in 2 years?-- etc.
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I remember playing mystic towers and hocus pocus. Both Apogee shareware titles, but fun in their own ways.
7th guest was a good puzzle game number too. Sadly my ability to get shareware titles was limited; The phone system in my area was.... Garbage. So BBS and the like was out of the question.
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Digging in my closet I found an AMD Athlon 64 motherboard + CPU. It has a floppy controller, and sata connectors. Might be a reasonable "Middle of the road" solution, that is beefy enough to handle anything from that era and then some, while still having real diskette controller and pals.
I am contemplating this as an option actually.
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Haven't played W&W on the PC. Might need to look it up.
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On 11/17/2019 at 10:50 AM, newtmonkey said:
I just wanted to necro this thread as I finally finished Wizardry 5!
I've taken the same party through Wiz 1-3 and 5 (DOS version). My favorites were 1 & 5 tied for first place. 2 was dull but short, and way too easy. 3 was a slog and poorly balanced.
One thing I didn't realize until the very end about Wiz 5 is that you can "quick save" in the dungeon. Because the game doesn't doesn't auto save every step like in Wiz 1-3, you can save in the dungeon and, if something horrible happens, can shut the game down and reload your save. You do have to be somewhat quick about it, as the game does save if you get a total party kill. And you'll need to do this, because the last couple of floors of the game are BRUTAL.
I regretted having a Samurai in my party until the very last battle in Wiz 5 lol. My Samurai being able to cast another magic shield during the final battle was REALLY helpful.
Have you played 6 and 7 yet?
BANE (6) and Dark Savant (7) are old DOS titles too. I have fond memories of wiz 7. It actually uses vga graphics and plays fairly nicely.
GoG has wiz8, which imports the wiz 7 save data. But I liked wiz7 better.
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CUPS on linux usually "just works" these days. There's a short list of printer preprocessor languages out there.
PostScript
PCL
That covers 90+% of all printers. Even if your device is not specifically serviced, you can use the generic PCL or generic PS (like ghostscript), and it works great.
same with scanners and pals. Linux has *BETTER* support for old scanners and such than does modern windows.
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If you don't mind that the bios will be in english, it is entirely possible to get a US model.
The Japanese market has historically always been hard for the anglosphere countries to penetrate with products. For the most part, you can install regionalized versions of dos and windows on western origin hardware. Getting the BIOS to accept a Japanese JIS keyboard might be a trick though.
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Yup. The floppy issue is very confusing.
The system is able to read diskettes in drive A just fine as long as the DDO is not loaded. It stops working with BOTH ezbios and diskmanager one either one loads.
Ezbios setup makes the HDD partition it creates bootable which is how we got this running.
I identified Zap!'s multi io card--
(We verified that the FDC is jumpered properly.)6
And i helped him get his Sb16 pnp going.
He needs a proper serial mouse. I told him on the phone that the ps/2 to serial mouse adapters were always a crapshoot. Hes tried it on both his ports with no love. He has one on order.
Has anyone encountered strange diskette behavior with DDO software like this before?
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Depends then.
PCjr meets that description. As does a few obscure PCs.
https://www.raphnet.net/electronique/pcjr_cartridge/index_en.php
https://segaretro.org/Teradrive
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_Mega_PC
Then there are of course, the classic 8bit machines everyone thinks of.
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Indeed. What is the purpose of this spreadsheet?
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Yup. Squeezing back as much low DOS memory as possible, loading the leanest, meanest drivers into umbs, etc. You got to know what lived in what sections of memory quite well, if you were really picky.
I have never used this hardware UMB driver before, so I am very interested in seeing how well it works. It it's a flop, he can always resort back to himem.sys and emm386.exe, but again-- that results in running in v86 mode.
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Reading the documentation, it looks like I would try this first:
DEVICE=A:\UMB_DRVR.SYS /C=04 /M=--------........--------
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=A:\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF /NUMHANDLES=64
DEVICEHIGH=A:\UMB_EMS4.SYS
That excludes all the adapter RAM in the VGA card so the driver does not try that silly low memory backfill crap, and ensures the system bios is fully excluded. It should give you a nice chunk of UMB and an EMS pageframe, and stay in real mode.
Without seeing the memory map via something like MSD, I cannot suggest if the far end of the memory area can be used or not.
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OK. Looks like the tracking number finally went active. Expected delivery by Thursday.
Glad that the 1.2mb drive is working!
You can get quite a lot of vintage software from Archive.org by the way. Not sure how legal that is, so no deep links from me, but there are quite a few collections. Since that win98 laptop has a diskette drive, you should be in business if you have plenty of empty diskettes laying around, at least until then.
I'll look in from time to time-- See how you are doing.
Did that UMB/EMS driver work?
Here's the link again so you don't have to go fishing.
From the motherboard pics you sent, yours should be supported. (chipset ID 4 in the list-- NEAT chipset with 82c351)
Dunno if you also have the "SCAT" chip or not. Might not get EMS, but you should definitely get hardware UMBs without needing EMM386.
The "EMM Simulator" driver he offers claims it will work without the SCAT chip, so there's that too. Here's the docs for the EMM simulator, and the UMB driver, in that order.
The EMM driver document gives an example config.sys.
UMB_EMS4.DOC Version 5.22 02/20/92 Page 1
UMB_EMS4.SYS Device Driver
EMS simulator for DOS 5.0 on 286 / 386 / 486 systems
Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 All Rights Reserved
Christopher Blum CompuServe: 76625,1041
1022 East Wayne Avenue INTERNET: 76625.1041@compuserve.com
Wooster, Ohio 44691 BIX: cblum
(216)262-3786
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - DISTRIBUTION AND LICENSING
UMB_EMS4.SYS carries no warranties expressed or implied. It is
solely up to the user to determine its suitability for use on his/her
machine.
This program is distributed as a self-extracting file containing
the device driver and its associated documentation as a part of the
UMB_DRVR.SYS package. Copying and redistribution is encouraged, but must
be the original, unmodified file containing this documentation, and the
transfer must not carry any fee or charge specific to this program: i.e.
general BBS access or line charges are OK, but no 'download fee' or
similar charge. This means that BBS operators may post this file for
download, but may not charge a specific fee for it, and 'Distribution
houses' may charge a disk-duplication fee, but not a specific charge for
the program.
UMB_EMS4.SYS is made available on a 'try before you buy' basis.
It is not crippled in any way, and has no 'advertising'. The latest
version will be available on CompuServe in the IBM forum ( 'GO IBMSYS',
lib 1 ).
Personal use license ( U.S. funds ) is $25 which should be mailed
to the above address if the program is used after a reasonable trial
period ( 30 days ). Please use the registration form at the end of the
UMB_DRVR.DOC document. Users who register receive the latest version of
the program, and may at any time send a self-addressed *and postpaid*
diskette mailer and a diskette to receive further updated versions.
Corporate users must contact me for corporate rate or site license
arrangements.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Technical support, including pre-registration questions or install
assistance, is available at your expense at the above telephone number.
Please be aware that I am in the Eastern US time zone ( GMT-4 or GMT-5
depending on season ) and try to call at a reasonable hour: i.e. 9 AM to
Noon, 1 PM to 5PM, or 7 PM to 10 PM. Saturday is OK, but *PLEASE* avoid
Sundays. I can also be contacted via Email on CompuServe, BIX and
INTERNET ( IDs above ) - I monitor my mail almost every day. It is not
necessarily a good idea to leave me messages on CompuServe in the forum
sections unless your question or discussion is of general interest. The
Postal Service may also be used ( address above ).
UMB_EMS4.DOC Version 5.22 02/20/92 Page 2
INTRODUCTION
UMB_EMS4.SYS is a device driver providing EMS simulation from XMS
( HIMEM.SYS ) extended memory. It is a software implementation of the
LIM 4.0 standard, implementing all features of the specification except
page aliasing, which requires actual hardware support.
All XMS extended memory is considered to be available also as EMS.
The XMS memory is dynamically configured to EMS and back as programs
open and close EMS handles. You should see, when you do a MEM display,
that the EMS available and XMS available track with each other.
The driver must be installed *AFTER* UMB_DRVR.SYS and HIMEM.SYS
have been installed, preferrably using the DEVICEHIGH command to load
into upper memory. It requires about 72K of memory to initialize, and
takes no parameters.
REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS
UMB_EMS4 has been run on 286, 386 and 486 systems with excellent
results. It will run on any system supported by UMB_DRVR.SYS, DOS 5.0
and the HIMEM.SYS XMS server.
Do *NOT* use simulated EMS provided by UMB_EMS4 for disk cache
programs such as PC-Quick, HyperDisk, SMARTDRV.SYS, etc. They will work
better with extended memory than simulated EMS ( see also following ).
The driver is Windows-386-enhanced-mode-aware, but you need to
start Windows in enhanced mode using 'WIN /3' ( UMB_EMS4 will back
itself out at Win init and reinstall at Win exit, but you must force
enhanced mode ) if you want it. The driver will not allow Windows to
start in enhanced mode if any simulated EMS users are active. This is
to allow Windows full use of extended memory, and further explains why
you can't have any cache programs use EMS if they need to run while
Windows is active. This can also affect shell programs or COMMAND.COM
replacement programs such as 4DOS. If you have a choice, select to use
extended memory for any such applications.
I *STRONGLY* suggest that you set your XMS handle count to 64 by
using /NUMHANDLES=64 for HIMEM.SYS, because the driver uses XMS handles
and the EMS 4.0 specification says you should have a minimum of 64. It
will work with the HIMEM.SYS default of 32, but there is some chance
that programs which normally would run might not in that environment.
UMB_EMS4.DOC Version 5.22 02/20/92 Page 3
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
If you're interested, here are some benchmark figures, run on a
16Mhz 386sx with Chips & Technologies NEATsx chip set with 4MB memory.
The hardware figures below reflect the NEATsx EMS facilities using Chips
and Technologies NEAT EMS driver version 2.0 and 2MB EMS.
*** PC Magazine Labs Benchmark 6.0
Hardware UMB_EMS4
-------- --------
EMS read 527.83 12.80 ( KB/sec )
EMS write 527.83 12.80
*** MOVETEST ( PC Labs EMS Move test, 256KB move timing in seconds )
- 64 byte records - -- 128KB records --
Hardware UMB_EMS4 Hardware UMB_EMS4
-------- -------- -------- --------
EMS => Conventional 1.81 1.42 .05 .05
Conventional => Conventional .71 .65 .05 .05
Conventional => EMS 1.86 1.42 .05 .05
EMS => EMS 1.86 1.64 .05 .05
*** Disk defragmentation program
( 100MB drive, 80MB data. Program run two times, organizing data in
two different orders. Identical initial data for all runs. Program
used 2 MB of EMS or Extended memory for buffers )
Run #1 Run #2 Average ( times in min:sec )
------ ------ -------
EMS ( Hardware ) 7:03 7:15 7:09
EMS ( EMM386 ) 7:15 7:32 7:24
Extended ( XMS ) 8:53 9:14 9:04
EMS ( UMB_EMS4 ) 11:50 11:05 11:28
Don't let these figures scare you... most programs tested run very
well with UMB_EMS4 and show little performance difference. The above
figures are 'worst case' and do not reflect the average program. Many
programs such as Quattro Pro 3.0, Lotus, DBase, Paradox, a selection of
games, several TSRs including a print spooler, and various others have
been tested with no problems.
UMB_EMS4.DOC Version 5.22 02/20/92 Page 4
INSTALLATION
*PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE REVIEWED THIS DOCUMENTATION* prior to
installing. Also, make sure you have backed-up your system and that you
have a diskette you can boot from in case you have problems with your
CONFIG.SYS settings.
Installation is via the lines:
DEVICE=UMB_DRVR.SYS ...
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=HIMEM.SYS /NUMHANDLES=64
DEVICEHIGH=UMB_EMS4.SYS
The driver will print a status report at initialization, and self-
explanatory error messages if installation fails.
If you do not have enough upper memory to load UMB_EMS4 high, you
may use DEVICE= to load into conventional memory, but it is much better
to load it high if possible. Rearranging your CONFIG.SYS to do so is
highly suggested.
Again, as with any new software, *MAKE SURE YOUR SYSTEM IS BACKED
UP* and verify the operation of your programs. It is impossible for me
to test all configurations and programs. If you have problems, let me
know and I will try to straighten them out.
KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES
Word Perfect version 5.1 crashes if you use its default EMS 4.0
support. This can be avoided by either using the execute command:
WP /32
when running it, or the command:
SET WPC=/32
in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file at bootup. Either of these actions tells Word
Perfect to use LIM 3.2 calls only. I am in contact with Word Perfect
Corporation and am working on the problem.
REVISION HISTORY
5.22 [02/20/92] - Initial release version.
***** END OF DOCUMENTATION *****
UMB_DRVR.TXT Version 5.22 02/20/92
UMB_DRVR.SYS Device Driver
UMB provider for DOS 5.0 on 286 / 386 / 486 systems
Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 All Rights Reserved
Christopher Blum CompuServe: 76625,1041
1022 East Wayne Avenue INTERNET: 76625.1041@compuserve.com
Wooster, Ohio 44691 BIX: cblum
(216)262-3786
KNOWN PROBLEMS
Chip set selections 17 and 18 ( Silicon Integrated Systems 386 and
486 sets ) do not function correctly in this version. I am working on
the problem and will post a new version when they are fixed.
CHANGES IN THIS RELEASE
5.22 [02/20/92] - 'Unbroke' cache systems broken in 5.17;
( Hopefully ) improved handling of false parity
errors during processing;
Added code to handle boot page for MR BIOS;
Fixed handling of certain embedded video roms;
Released UMB_EMS4 EMS simulator.
CHIP SETS CURRENTLY SUPPORTED
00 - User-Specified Available Memory mode
Chip ID(s): None
01 - Chips & Technologies CS8221 NEAT, CS8281 NEATsx,
CS8223 LeAPset, CS8283 LeAPset-sx
Texas Instruments TACT82S411 Single Chip AT
United Microelectronics (UMC) UM82C210 286/386SX AT
Chip ID(s): ( C & T ) 82C212, 82C241 ( 286 )
82C812, 82C841 ( 386SX );
( TI ) TACT82S411 ( 286, 386SX );
( UMC ) UM82C212 ( 286, 386SX )
02 - VLSI Technology VL82C200
Chip ID(s): VL82C201,VL82C202,VL82C203,VL82C204 ( 286, 386SX )
( all 4 chips required )
03 - FOREX FRX36C300
Chip ID(s): FRX36C300 ( 386DX )
04 - Chips & Technologies CS8230 386/AT, CS8231 Turbo Cache 386/AT,
CS8233 PEAKset/386, CS82310 PEAKset DM/386
Chip ID(s): 82C302, 82C307, 82C311, 82C351 ( 386DX )
05 - Chips & Technologies 82C235 SCAT, 82C836 SCATsx, CB8291 ELEAT,
CB8295 ELEATsx, CS8285 PEAKset-sx,
CS8227 CHIPSlite, CS8288 CHIPSlite-sx
Chip ID(s): 82C235 ( 286 ), 82C836 ( 386SX )
06 - ETEQ Micro COUGAR II
Chip ID(s): 82C491 ( 386DX, 486 )
07 - OPTi Sx/AT, Sx/AT Cache
Chip ID(s): 82C281, 82C282, 82C283 ( 386SX )
08 - OPTi DX/BB PC/AT
Chip ID(s): 82C496 ( 386DX, 486 )
09 - OPTi 386WB PC/AT, 486SXWB PC/AT
Chip ID(s): 82C391 ( 386DX ), 82C493 ( 486 )
10 - OPTi 386/486WB EISA
Chip ID(s): 82C682 ( 386DX, 486 )
11 - Elite Microelectronics Eagle, Falcon
Chip ID(s): e88C311 ( 386DX ), e88C411 ( 486 )
12 - VLSI Technology SCAMP
Chip ID(s): VL82C310, VL82C311 ( 286, 386SX ), VL82C311L ( 286 )
13 - VLSI Technology VL82C286, VL82C386 TOPCAT
Intel 82340SX, 82340DX
Chip ID(s): ( VLSI ) VL82C320 ( 286, 386SX ), VL82C330 ( 386DX )
VL82C320A ( 286, 386SX, 486 )
( Intel ) 82343, 82346 ( 286, 386SX )
82343A ( 286, 386SX, 486 )
14 - OPTi HiD/386 AT, HiB/486 AT
Chip ID(s): 82C382 ( 386DX ), 82C482 ( 486 )
15 - Sun Electronics SUNTAC ST62CS24, ST62CS25
Chip ID(s): ST62C241 ( 286 ), ST62C251 ( 286, 386SX )
16 - Texas Instruments TACT83000
Chip ID(s): TACT83442 ( 386SX, 386DX, 486 )
17 - Silicon Integrated Systems High Performance 80386
Chip ID(s): 85C310 ( 386DX )
18 - Silicon Integrated Systems High Performance ISA486
Chip ID(s): 85C401 ( 486 )
BAD NEWS ( CHIPS THAT WILL NOT BE SUPPORTED )
Chips & Technologies: CS8220(82C201/82C202) [1]
Intel: 82335/82335SX [2]
Sun Electronics ( SUNTAC ? ST62CS02(ST62BC002) [1]
United Microelectronics ( UMC ? UM82C230(UM82C231) [1]
VLSI Technology: VL82C100 [1]
Western Digital: ( Faraday ) FE3021/FE3021A [2]
Notes:
[1] - No shadow ram support
[2] - Lock feature prohibits access
MAYBE? ( NEED TECHNICAL DATA TO SUPPORT )
ACER
American Megatrends (AMI) - Megatrends custom chips, *NOT* BIOS
COMPAQ
IBM PS/2
Micronics - custom chips
PC-Chips brand chip set(s)
Toshiba
I have been unable to get any documentation for these systems. If
you can have your system vendor or the chip set manufacturer
contact me, I will try to include support for them.
COMING ATTRACTIONS ( SUPPORT PLANNED OR UNDER DEVELOPMENT )
ACC Microelectronics: 2036 [2], 2046
Headland Technology: HT12/HT15 [1], HT18/HT21/HT22 [2], HT322
Intel: 82350 EISA(82359), 80386SL(Intel386SL)
OPTi: L1/L2 Notebook
Symphony Laboratories: SL82C360(SL82C361), SL82C460(SL82C461)
Texas Instruments: TACT84500 EISA(TACT84542)
United Microelectronics ( UMC ? UM82C380(UM82C384) [1]
VLSI Technology: VL82C486
Western Digital: WD6000/WD75C10/WD76C10/WD7710/WD7910 [1]
ZyMos Corporation: POACH(82C230/82C231)
Notes:
[1] - Support minimal ( maximum 64K UMB area ).
[2] - Support limited ( maximum 128K UMB area ).
If your chip set is not listed, have your system vendor or the chip
set manufacturer contact me and I will try to support it.
A newer, more flexible ( read as less Neanderthal, approaching the
Bronze Age ) user interface is coming as soon as I get the time.
Also in the works are features to save even more precious memory
below 640K by:
- loading the primary shell ( COMMAND.COM ) into upper memory
- relocating all DOS areas possible to upper memory, including
FCBS=, FILES=, BUFFERS=, STACKS=, and LASTDRIVE=
- allowing the lower portion of the video ram area to be switched
in and out to expand DOS base ram beyond 640K but not inhibit
graphics modes ( only for chip sets with video area support )
I have ( I think ) found a way to *reliably* test for and list the
chip set in a machine. I will be including a separate program to do this
in the package soon. Of course, it will only recognize the chip sets it
supports, so a negative result will not necessarily mean you have a chip
set that will not be supported later.
If there is enough interest, I will also write device-specific EMS
drivers for the hardware facilities in the EMS-capable chip sets. Please
Email or surface mail your thoughts ( no phone calls on this, please -
save those for support questions ). -
Maybe, but if you get an ISA network adapter, you can do it natively. There are DOS TCP stacks.
See for instance, this august software.
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/j_helmig/doscltcp.htm
It is entirely possible, with an old network card, to mount a share on a NAS as a drive letter in DOS.
Just make sure your NAS supports legacy SMB 1.0
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1 minute ago, retroclouds said:
I have been thinking about that and it is certainly a possibility.
But it's too early at this time to consider as I'm still rearranging code in the >6000->7fff area a lot and don't feel limiting myself to 4K code blocks and jumping accross banks the whole time and laying out code.
SAMS is still my primary target. Perhaps we'll see a SAMS sidecar in the near future? (I mean besides Ralphs' SDD99). Anyway I'm not saying I won't do it, just not at this stage.
I was thinking something like this:
1) Test for 32k. Note it present
2) Test for SAMS if 32k present.
3) If SAMS present: Temporarily copy bank 1 ROM into Bank 0 RAM, via 32k area as temporary holder. Page back to Bank 0. Pretend you are an 8k cart, use SAMS memory.
4) If 32k present but no SAMS: Allocate 8k 32k ram, copy bank 0 ROM and bank 1 ROM there, patch address values, jump execution. Use cartridge RAM, and what is left of 32k RAM for your buffers.
5) If 32k absent: Allocate 8k of base RAM, copy bank 0 ROM and bank 1 ROM there, patch address values, jump execution. Use only cartridge RAM.
In all cases, you can still have the apparent utility of 8k ROM, but gain the utility of the fg99 when SAMS is not present.
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Since you are using a FG99, and are using 4k pages, is there any way to use/abuse the 4k RAM window capability of the FG99? You could get ~480kb that way, assuming your editor can live in a 4k banked rom.
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2 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:
Regarding midi integration, using something like this library makes far more sense than the amidi cli: https://spotlightkid.github.io/python-rtmidi/usage.html
What are the use case goals? Not the laundry list of possibilities, but what is actually desired?
Direct 4A controlled timing of midi messages?
Recording of events in 4A software?
Handing a sequence off to be dispatched to midi device in the background by the PI? a.k.a. A PLAY like language for BASIC
-M@
Load soundfont needs to be available. Modern synth devices (including Timidity, The same file can be used to make timidity use less resources; see up at the top. This is why I dont consider timidity a deal breaker.) support sending entire packs of compressed PCM samples to the synthesizer for custom instruments. The standard format is Creative Lab's .SF2 format. These can be tiny, at 512kb, and huuuuuge, at over 100mb, and anything between. Loading soundfonts permits abuse of MIDI to play discrete sound effects as well as music. (that is essentially what a percussion instrument is.) MIDI can be a one-stop solution to many sound issues on the TI, if soundfont support is provided.
I was going to write a routine in the wrapper to load/unload soundfonts. The backend that sends midi messages to the specified device is immaterial, as long as one exists. rtmidi would service that need just fine, but needs python and the appropriate libraries installed.
Otherwise yes--
Send midi to a device
Get midi from a device
Load a soundfont
unload a soundfont
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2 hours ago, The Usotsuki said:
There's a fair amount of Internet stuff for MS-DOS that makes it easier to deal with the fact that my Unisys CWD-5001 doesn't have a CD-ROM drive (and unless I can find a parallel model, can't have one - there's just no physical space for it).
Like THIS ONE?
You can get dos drivers for it even!
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In the mail!
PMed you the tracking number. I sent it priority, so it should arrive sometime this week.
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NOPE-- Must have thrown them all out. Can't find them.
Oh well, I did package up the drives, the SATA->IDE bridge, and I found a (basically brand new) 80 conductor EIDE cable. All packaged up. Just need to head to the post office.
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I can throw in a misc item, I think.
Some years ago, I ordered (what I thought at the time) was a single 3Com 10base-T ISA ethernet card. In reality, it was a shipment of 25 cards. Brand new, in cellophane. I have the "surplus" in a closet someplace. I can totally put one of those in too.
Getting networking going in DOS is an... advanced... topic. However, it IS totally doable. Since FX supports IPX in addition to LPT and pals (and because ethernet cables are easier to source than laplink) it might be a good option for you.
Let me make sure they are still where I left them before I commit to sending one though.
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Fantastic!
I am going to go shopping for groceries and the like. I will pick up packing goodies while I am out.
In the meantime, if you have multiple diskettes laying around, and games that fit on single diskettes, you can pretend it is 1982. Boot on your boot diskette, pop in your game diskette, and play.
You can also play around with that hardware UMB/EMS driver I sent a link to. See if it likes your C/T chipset. (If it works, it will allow you to have EMS and UMBs without going into virtual 86 mode. Some old games are very angry about that, and need actual real-mode. That driver gives UMBs (and if the right chip is available in the chipset) EMS, without going into protected mode to do it. It does that by leveraging the C/T chipset's ability to make shadow ram mapped into the adapter ROM region. Worth a shot.
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Off-Topic / Dumping Thread
in TI-99/4A Computers
Posted
The sad part, is that the post office says that I have to file online, and that *I* have to fill out the damage claim form.
The DHL form, clearly says it is the post office that is supposed to fill it out.
Gotta love those bureaucratic catch-22s. Sure, here's a form that can't be filled out. (rolls eyes)