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Aucbvax.2888 fa.works utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!works Tue Sep 1 08:09:48 1981 WorkS Digest V1 #11 >From DUFFEY@MIT-AI Tue Sep 1 08:03:30 1981

WorkS Digest Tue, 1 Sep 1981 Volume 1 : Issue 11

Today's Topics: Workstations - IBM's Personal Computer, Working While Flying ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 31 Aug 1981 08:20:52-PDT From: SomeoneOnUUCP at Berkeley In-real-life: Steven M. Bellovin Location: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Reply-to: "Steven M. Bellovin in care of" <CSVAX.UPSTILL BERKELEY AT> Subject: New IBM system

I have a few questions about the thing, and I'd appreciate any information anyone has gathered.

a) is it S-100 compatible? b) Is it program compatible with their 8086-based Datamaster? c) Can one get 8-inch floppies for it?

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Date: 31 Aug 1981 1214-PDT From: Rubin at SRI-KL Subject: IBM PC, last round

A last note on the IBM PC, and then maybe we can get back to discussing REAL research workstations (which the IBM PC probably isn't quite).

I got the literature pack IBM sends out, and would like to correct something Marc said in his recent note. This literature mentions only two video interfaces -- one for the IBM monochrome display and one for a color graphics display. The monochrome board includes a printer interface. If you get the color board, you buy a separate printer interface. The color board has 16K RAM for color storage, used like this:

Text mode -- 16 foreground colors, 8 background Graphics mode -- 4 colors 320 x 200 (might there be a lookup table ???), 2 colors (B&W) 640 x 200

The graphics board puts out RGB and composite video. IBM does not (yet) sell a color graphics monitor or RF modulator, but if you buy somebody else's, the graphics board will accommodate it.

If you're seriously interested in this PC, be wary of a couple things: First, the five slots probably isn't enough if you want > 128 K of memory and color graphics; with luck they'll add a bus extender. Also, I'm wondering whether any of the announced software really supports more than 64K in any useful way, or how soon it will. (Given the slowness of diskettes, you'll need the extra RAM for decent response time, if the software will only use it properly). Third, I don't believe the IBM DOS applications can send their output to the ASCII port; if true, you'd have to buy their printer (and that's a loss because the printer doesn't do graphics, or at least IBM doesn't claim it does).

Still, I think this PC has more pluses than minuses, compared to Apples, TRS-80s, Xerox 820s, ad triviatum. Good hardware, lots of software, lots of future enhancement, and lots of support (maintenance contracts, even!). Look for IBM to add a 5.25" Winchester and lots of color graphics software.

Now, about REAL workstations. I just read a rumor that about a year from now DEC will be announcing a floppy-based, VLSI VAX packaged as a workstation. Price about $ 15,000. Supposedly it's already in beta test. Does anyone know more about this?

--Darryl

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Date: 31 Aug 1981 0018-PDT From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow Sender: GEOFF at SRI-CSL Reply-To: Geoff at SRI-CSL

Unless you like getting 3 and 4 digit phone bills, I don't think you'll want to use your terminal on AIRPHONE. Such a service currently exists on some United DC-10's using equipment sold by SKYTEL (or SKYPHONE) using the currently allocated FCC Air-to-Ground Mobile channels. Last I heard the charge for use was $15/first three mins (air-time), and $3/ea. addtl min (air-time). This charge was IN ADDITION to the Operator Assisted dialed call rate from the ground base station you were going thru to the person you were calling.

I have found the mobile phone I have in my car indispensable, and have often wished for similar service on air plane flights. I just hope that the license the FCC gave AIRPHONE for its developmental system means it will operate on some new frequency allocations, and hence, will be a 'new type of service' and not subjected to the (excessive) rates on the current system in use today.

P.S. Wouldn't this have been more appropriate for HUMAN-NETS?

[ It was addressed to HUMAN-NETS as well as to WorkS. It was deemed appropriate for WorkS because of this list's earlier speculations on using terminals while traveling.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that almost all of the WorkS subscribers also subscribe to HUMAN-NETS. The moderators will point out other discussion lists to submitters when that seems appropriate. However, the final decision of where to distribute something remains with the submitter. -- RDD ]

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