Re: [ql-users] QeyMail question...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 24 Apr 2002 at 21:50:14, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <000901c1ebdb$0307e9e0$d7065cc3@default>)

>>>But it's not true about me and that sheep! ;)
>>You should ask Dilwyn about the sheep and the haystack !
>
>I bribed you to stay quiet about that one, so I'll have the money back
>with interest please ;-))
>
>In case anyone wonders, a few years ago I injured my back on my
>father's farm trying to help him get a stray sheep down off a haystack
>and part of the haystack collapsed under us, and of course I was
>rather careless in how I phrased it to Roy, I should have known better
>with Roy, the actual words I used were something like "I injured my
>back in an incident involving a sheep and a haystack..."
How was the sheep (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QeyMail question...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 21:03:12, Dave wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>
>On Mon, 22 Apr 2002, Tony Firshman wrote:
>
>> >Well, less is more. Clive taught me that.
>> ... but it is 'fewer'
>>
>> Amazing the way English (and American I think) has lost good English
>> from Tony Blair through the BBC to schools.
>>
>> people, features, bricks (discreet -  ie countable) - many. fewer
>> sand, flour, water  (not-countable) - much, less
>>
>> OK it is good that language evolves, but losing a subtlety of meaning
>> like this using existing words in the wrong context is bad.
>>
>> NOT your fault Michael - you are in very good and numerous company (8-(#
>
>Michael never said that. It was me. My grammer has never been the best, as
>these sentences show ;)

It _was_ Michael I was referring to when he said:
>>

You snipped that bit out in your reply (8-)#

Your statement was OK.

It is only when specifically linked to a noun that 'proper' English
needs to choose between 'fewer' and 'less'  etc.

Sorry to lead you into a false confession (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QeyMail question...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 17:36:35, Dave wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>
>On Mon, 22 Apr 2002, Michael Grunditz wrote:
>
>> Email using tcp/ip ? Do you have a working stack ?
>
>Well, tricky answer. SOQL, but this is all development work for the
>EtherIDE interface I'm helping Nasta with. We'll be sending out a couple
>of prototypes to people who are working on TCP/IP so we can hopefully have
>some working net functionality when it gets a general release...
>
>> I am interseted to help you in writing tcp/ip clients, or an alternative
>> to tcp/ip. UUCP ?:)
>
>Excellent. I would like to have a few people working together with the
>code accessible to developers - also making it modular so we can reuse
>blocks in things like telnet, FTP, and maybe a text html parsing
>procedure... etc etc
>
>> Less features:-)
>
>Well, less is more. Clive taught me that.
... but it is 'fewer'

Amazing the way English (and American I think) has lost good English
from Tony Blair through the BBC to schools.

people, features, bricks (discreet -  ie countable) - many. fewer
sand, flour, water  (not-countable) - much, less

OK it is good that language evolves, but losing a subtlety of meaning
like this using existing words in the wrong context is bad.

NOT your fault Michael - you are in very good and numerous company (8-(#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QeyMail question...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 15:39:51, Dave wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>Hi all,
>
>I'd like to promote a discussion about the features of a QL-based email
>program. I don't want to discuss standard features just yet, but those
>exotic features that will really help us.
>
>For example, I've recently learned of the difficulty of moving files
>between machines. Headers are a wonderful thing. Would you prefer to have
>zip file attachments that are MIME encoded, or a proprietary attachment
>system that will allow you to transfer files with header info? (I would
>open up the source of this to anyone wanting to write an FTP client too)
Headers are only a problem with EXECable files of course.
>What kind of features not already in common use would give a QL email
>client higher utility value?
Being able to write a control file that would handle, say , the QL
emailshot list.  I have all the data in my database files, and although
emailing via my Windows machine is straightforward, it would be
psychologically nicer to send the emailshot from a QL.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] fido

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 17:21:26, Michael Grunditz wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>  Tony Firshman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 10:05:41, Michael Grunditz wrote:
>> (ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>>
>>
>> >Is there any qwk mailer program wich I can use as a point on fidonet ,
>> >or can I use pbox and in that case how ?
>> Yes PBOX works OK.
>
>
>Good , now I know whom to ask when I get into trouble when I try :)
Hrmmm (8-)#

I use it with Minerva so am frozen into version 1.16.  Phil never even
tried it under Minerva, so I had horrendous debugging problems, and
still have unsolved ones.

It is not easy to configure, but I am sure I can help there, even though
I have had to do nothing to it since 1998 or so.

Under SMSQ/E I am sure there are no serious problems.
Derek Stewart though probably knows more about config than me now, as he
has worked on it recently (sorry Derek (8-)#  )
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] fido

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 22 Apr 2002 at 10:05:41, Michael Grunditz wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Is there any qwk mailer program wich I can use as a point on fidonet ,
>or can I use pbox and in that case how ?
Yes PBOX works OK.

You simply set up PBOX and use its own mailer to contact a BBS.
Of course the other BBS has to set you up as a point.

Thierry has been a point to me for many years now.
QBOX USA are also, but I have not had anything from them for a long
while now - is it still going?

PBOX also has incoming fax support, and this is the primary reason I
keep my BBS going.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The Next Step...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 21 Apr 2002 at 22:10:24, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <00bc01c1e97c$c8a29800$bf065cc3@default>)

>>>Unfortunately neither Turbo itself not its output is very "clean":
>It is
>>>neither ROMable not Thingable ;(
>>Given Simon's Assembly background I would think that the output from
>TURBO
>>would be fairly clean (but I've never looked at it and I really don't
>know
>Turbo, as one of its "speed-up" tricks, generates self-modifying code,
>so a Turbo compiled program could never run from ROM in its DP form at
>least. Example: machine code loops were speeded up with a series of
>consecutive move.l ... type instructions in succession and the loop
>generated a jmp or jsr to the appropriate number of move.l
>instructions, so it had to modify the parameter for the jump
>instruction to tell itself how far into the loop to jump to generate
>the correct number of move.l instructions!
>
>In brief, the code modified itself to some extent as it ran, so it
>couldn't modify itself while executing from a ROM, and if it were
>HOT_RES'ed for example, chaos would ensue if two or more copies of the
>program running from the same place tried to modify the same code!
>
>That's what's meant by by non-rommable and non-thingable code.

It also uses RESPR space to store transient data.
We had a midnight session with Freddy in Eindhoven sorting out issues
like this.  Users used to change RESPR to LRESPR.
This failed often, 'cos the procedure space was _larger_ than the code
size, ie RESPR area reserved was larger than the code size.

Awful.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Wee_Haa... Got a QXL!

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 20 Apr 2002 at 10:43:25, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>
>> but I was asking if you can assign a .win file (any QXL.WIN file,
>> regardless of filename or disk - a la QPC :-).
>
>The only way I know that works with QXL, assuming you are using DOS is to
>use SUBST. Essentially, create a directory to emulate a dribe, then do
>SUBST X: directory (or was it directory X: ...not sure, it was a while ago)
>where X: is an unused drive letter < K. Keep in mind that the letter to win
>mapping seems to be hard-coded. So, D will be win2_ etc. if you already
>have a D and can't put a QXL.win file on it (for instance if it's a CD
>ROM), tough luck :-(
The syntax is:

subst [drive1: [drive2:]path]

drive1: is the virtual path
drive2: is the physical drive containing 'path'

drive1: can be any unused letter up to the 'lastdrive=' in config.sys
You must have had 'lastdrive=k' in config.sys

Well done - you remembered well.

You can free the CDROM letter though (order is vital of course (8-)#  )

subst  R: D:
subst  D: C:\driveD

This was where I had one very large physical drive as C and a CDROM as
D. I had a lot of links/batch files/programs etc that needed stuff in D
- it would have been hell reconfiguring.   It worked very well.  If you
have more than one physical drive though, it is hell remembering what
disk drive contains what physical data.

Like Nasta, I hope I remember right - it was a long time ago.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The Next Step...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 20 Apr 2002 at 00:20:49, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


> Additionally being restrictive in some aspects I believe that is a
>feature. By being very strict programmers are forced to write "clean"
>programs
... but I abandoned Turbo because I was trying to compile other people's
code (from mags).  There are times when one needs QLib flexibility.
>(Not that dirty tricks aren't possible of course... you can still call
>machine code ;-) or mess with the Memory :-). And now with full GD2
>support it's a clear choice.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The Next Step...

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 19 Apr 2002 at 18:53:59, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 06:44 ìì 19/4/2002, you wrote:
>
>>For SBASIC programming, best start is TURBO, which is now freeware.  It's not
>>quite as powerfull as Qliberator, but you can get it online (check Dilwyn's
>>web site) with manuals and a number of extra tools including TurboPTR, a tool
>>for creating Pointer Environment programs with TURBO.
>
>"Powerful" is in the eye of the be(er)holder :-)
>
>Actually equivalent Sbasic code generated by Turbo is faster by a
>factor of almost 15% or so (in tests I run) over QLiberator.
>Turbo has other problems though like parameter passing...
Exactly.
I chose QLIB originally as it was far more tolerant of bad code.
I was trying to compile the Archive file repair prog in QL User (last
edition) but failed totally with Turbo.  Qlib compiled first time, I
think - well certainly with very little work.
I usually need compilation for multitasking rather than speed.
Mind you with David Gs work, Turbo is far better.

Does the current version really still have the problem of parameter
passing?

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Another stupid question.... re Floppies

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 19 Apr 2002 at 06:44:27,  wrote:

Another wrongly setup attribute-- ^  (8-)#

blank == Wolfgang Lenerz (I think)

(ref: <3CBFBCCB.21958.1DDB5@localhost>)

>On 18 Apr 2002, at 9:20, Tony Firshman wrote:
>> Needs a tiny
>> soldering bit though and bravado.
>
>.. and you have lots of those...
No - only one bravado (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Another stupid question.... re Floppies

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 17 Apr 2002 at 23:29:55, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>These days drives do not have jumpers any more.
There are though solder pads on a lot of drives actually marked DS0/DS1
I have soldered the link for Bill Richardson a few times.  Needs a tiny
soldering bit though and bravado.
>there are two selects and
>two motor on's, the correct combinatiopn is achieved using a twist in the
>wire (the unused select and motor on end up on unused pins on the drive,
>that once used to be select 2, 3, 4).

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] US QL specs... (and problems ;-)

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 17 Apr 2002 at 21:23:43, Dennis Sutherland wrote:
(ref: <012f01c1e680$135c4120$[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Phoebus,
>
>IIRC I had to invert one of the signals on the video. Now just
>which one it was??
>In 84-5 a new RGB monitor was funtional with this inverted
>signal. Perhaps
>one of the fellows over here can elucidate? I think it was
>vertical sync, but don't
>bet money on it. I have no documentation and very little memory
>of it.
>
>Has anyone inverted the signal on one of the video lines here in
>the US?

It won't be that.  If sync lines were wrong, you would not see a stable
image.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Another stupid question.... re Floppies

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 17 Apr 2002 at 16:41:05, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Hmmm can someone tell me why the twist on the floppy cable for Miracle
>fdd cables consists of 3 signals only unlike the one used on the PC?
>
>Believe it or not, I just noticed! Well better late than never :-)
>
>Is it like that with every FDD controller used on the QL or there are
>some with the PC standard?
Usually floppy cables for QLs  are straight through with DSn select done
internally in the drives (DS0==1  DS1 ==2)

The twists are to cater for both drives set to DS1 (as on PC).
Often modern HD drives from PCs don't even have DS jumpers - they can be
pads on the pcb, or even not there at all.
I am not familiar with the Miracle twists.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Thierry's CD ROM extensions and QDOS

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 17 Apr 2002 at 14:09:45, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 04:03 ìì 17/4/2002, Claus wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 17 Apr 2002 02:41:28 -0400
>>Phoebus Dokos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi all,
>> > has anyone tried yet to use Thierry's ATAPI/CD ROM extensions under QDOS?
>> > Does it require the THING_rext extension?
>> >
>> > Phoebus
>>
>>IIRC it does not and it even was discussed here in the list why.
>>But I have forgotten,
>>
>>Claus
>
>That's what I figured...
>However it is interesting that if you use ther ROMx feature of Romdisq,
>regardless of your OS it DOES load! (So you only have to load the
>CDROM_bin driver from your boot file after booting in SMSQ/E. If on the
>other hand try to load it from QDOS it fails :-) WEIRD! I wonder what
>alchemy TT, TF and SH performed in that Romdisq code :-) H SH?
>(superHermes or stuartHONEYBALL? Interesting)
sH is superHermes (8-)#

TT is the miracle worker.

Mind you someone reported at Manchester that Xchange does not work
loaded from RomDisq in his system (SGC) but does with GC.
He gets a crash with creeping screen drawing from bottom.
Most odd, as mine does work from RD with all hardware.
Anyone else seen similar oddities.


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] [OT] Joke (Short)

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 16 Apr 2002 at 15:41:01, Norman Dunbar wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>So did Douglas :o)
Whoops - who was 'Richard' I wonder (8-)#
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] [OT] Joke (Short)

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 16 Apr 2002 at 09:20:12, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 09:07 ðì 16/4/2002, you wrote:
>
>>I thought I'd share this one with you all - seeing as how there is no
>>Assembler Tutorial in the latest QL Taody.
>>
>>There are 10 kinds of people in this world -
>>Those who understand binary, and those who don't !!
>
>Good One! :-) Although given my recent experience I would phrase it:
>
>...11 kinds of people, those who understand binary, those who
>understand decimal and Phoebus who does neither ;-)
... but in saying that, you _prove_ you understand both, up to 3 fingers
at least (8-)#

While we are on the OT subject of number bases, everyone knows the
'answer' is 42.   Now I read the book (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
for the first time recently, and near the end, we find the question is
"What is the answer to 6 times 9?"

Now 54 is 42 in base 13.

Richard Adams said that was simply a coincidence.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 15 Apr 2002 at 03:19:06, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On 15/04/02 at 05:40 Dexter wrote:
>
>>> Unless you two know something I don't (like how to locally change the
>>> Planck constant, speed of light, gravitational constant...) that's as
>>> fast as anything will currently go on native QL hardware, give or take
>>> a few 10s ok K/s...
>
>>What?!?!?
>>You don't know how to change the speed of light?
>>I'm disappointed in you, Nasta!
>
>Sadly, I'm not Q. If I were, I'd wave-my-hand-ed myself to greener pastures
>already.
>(and let's not even start about what I'd do to Micro$oft)
>
>>Seriously though, my point was that it isn't necessary to hook up a CF
>>card to an IDE interface to use it - there are ways to hook it up directly
>
>>to the buss.
>
>Through the ROM slot it would not be that different than it already is.
Indeed.  RomDisq has to go through hoops to get the data in as the port
only has 16k addressing and 8bit data.
Writing is always going to be slower as the flash chip write is slower,
and also the write operation on the ROM port is more complex.
TT though gives this only 50% priority so QL can carry on, slowly.
Was there a technical reason why flp writes (and reads?) excluded any
other task?

> 
>Polling as a concept is unavoidable for anything on the ROM slot, and there
>is a reason why RomDisq is a ROM slot device, so that it can be easily
>removed and plugged in elsewhere. Reason: no interrupt line on ROM slot.
We did think of a cable - much like the essential one on sH, but that
would have made portability difficult.
> 
>>Either way, the point that a version two of RomDisq could be based around
>>CF instead of traditional flash, for price and size considerations, still
>>stands ;)
>
>True. If you read the specs though, you will notice that the different CF
>modes really are not THAT different. Even in the 'memory' mode it's not
>just 'flat' memory, but bank-switch, and the polling on write becomes more
>explicit, similar to actual flash chips. The good thing about CF, even in
>IDE mode, is that it MUST implement byte-wide data bus (unlike hard drives
>which do not, and they VERY rarely do), although it's natively a 16-bit
>wide device. Interfacing it to the QL bus on it's own would be nearly
>trivial, as long as it's directly coupled to it (and that means NO cable to
>the front of a box like in the case of Qubide!!!). A RomDisq II (maybe
>'superRomDisq') would be very similar to what it is now, except without the
>actual Flash chips of course, but with CF socket instead. Things would get
>a bit (but only a bit) more interesting if the CF card was hot-swap, the
>biggest challenge for that would actually be mechanical stability. Another
>challenge would be having the data organization such that data could be
>read on other CF capable systems!
... and TT would not want to be involved at all.  I will ask him to make
RD driver open source.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 15 Apr 2002 at 00:22:23, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On 14/04/02 at 16:38 Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>
>>Speed comparable to the RomDisq will only be attained by using the
>>superIDE interface WITH a GoldFire card. It is totally impossible for
>>a standard Qubide equipped SuperGoldCard QL to reach these speeds PERIOD!
>
>I hate to spoil the fun, but NO.
>The reason RomDisq is so quick is because it needs no interaction and
>handshake with the Flash array in order to read the data, and it's file
>system is drastically simpler than a hard drive (the 'map' is smaller).
>Once the appropriate page is selected, it's right there, mapped to 2k of
>addresses, all there has to be done is copy it to where it's supposed to
>go.
RD has 64k pages.  I am not 100% sure of the precise read method, but 
certainly A0 is used serially to get the high address, and of course 
data is read a byte wide.
>In theory, Qubide can be almost as fast as ROMdisq (try doing
>Lbytes/Sbytes), except it will always be faster for writing.
It will interesting to see Phoebus' figures.  Yes - LBYTES is the 
fastest way, rather than COPY. I think that is what I used for my 
original speed test.
That raises another point.  I was trying to use Simon Goodwin's program 
at Manchester AGM to output sound to the I2C analogue I/F.
He used a Turbo command (PEEK$ was it?) to assign a block of memory to a 
string.  Am I right that there is no TT toolkit equivalent?
BGET is so SSLLOOOWWW, even compiled.
>
>Let me explain why, and tackle a few more points while at it:
>
>In order to read a sector from an IDE drive, you have to tell the drive
>which one, then (unlike RomDisq) there is a delay until the heads are
>positionad, the disk rotates to the right point, and data is read and
>checked. After that it appears in a buffer. Once it does, it can be read
>from there just as fast as it can be read from RomDisq (and yes, faster
>with the GF - but even RomDisq would get a boos there),
'boost' I hope (8-)#
>assuming the rest
>of the computer KNOWS the data is ready. Readyness is implied on the next
>access on RD, and takes place in a matter of nanoseconds. FOr a hard drive,
>it's potentially 3-4 orders of magnitude longer. Fortunately, the drive
>itself (usually) isn't designed by morons so it has tricks up it's sleeve -
>it will as a matter of course read the whole track -  as long as the head
>stays over it, it's reading data anyway, so might as well store it, in the
>event it will be needed. As it happens, in a large percentage of cases it
>is, as it's very likely the next consecutive sector will be read soon.
 >
>GF could easily give a speedup to both RD and any type of IDE, with Qubide,
>you risk running into signal integrity problems quite soon, because unlike
>SuperIDE it's not designed with 'countermeasures' included. I don't know
>exatly how fast RD could go, it depends on the speed grade of the chips
>used, but I am quite certain it could be at least twice as fast.
I use the 90ns chip - second fastest flavour.
>Writing
>woudl however remain the same as the write process inside the flash chips
>is the real bottleneck.
Yep.

-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 14 Apr 2002 at 18:55:39, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 06:27 ìì 14/4/2002, Tony Firshman wrote:
>
>>Of course, there is fixed QL processing time here as well.
>>This means that the actual physical read from RomDisq is, in percentage
>>terms, even better.
>>In my measurements, I found RomDisq read at 2mbyte per second.
>>What is the physical read speed of CF and HD I wonder?
>
>On a QL or on a PC?
>The CF readers can go up to 33 Mbps guaranteed and the HDDs well depends on the 
>machine :-) Some
>up to 133Mbps (like the 80gig Maxtor that I have on the Aurora :-) Guess how long it 
>took to
>format all the partitions :-)
>
>>To test, I copied a 1mb file a 100 times to ramdisk.  To ensure slave
>>blocks had minimal effect, I loaded first to ram, and then did
>>ALCHP(free_memory - 2000) - or some similar value to 2000 until the
>>following would run:
>>
>>FOR j= 1 to 100:COPY_O rom1_file to ram1_file
>> >I will provide the list with more "scientific" results once I perform
>> >them (soon I hope :-)
>>Above method might be a better way - it eliminates the fixed processing
>>time.
>
>Okay good idea,
>I'll do it and get back to you :-)
of course the complete program could be something like:

2  file$='test':dv$='rom1_':loop=1000
5  COPY  dv$&file$ TO 'ram1_'&file$
6  OPEN#3,dv$&file$
7  copy_length = FLEN(#3)*loop
9  CLOSE #3
10 a=ALCHP(free_mem-2000) : REMark or whatever minimum figure to leave
working machine
20 s = DATE
30 FOR J= 1 TO loop:COPY_O 'rom1_test TO ram1_test
40 PRINT 'Copy rate is '©_length/(DATE-s)&' bytes per second'
50 RECHP a: REMark if you want your machine back (8-)#

This will probably not work as I have simply typed it on-line, but this
is the method I used in my live test.

I recall there is a way to use a file name explicitly in a TT toolkit
command and avoid OPEN/CLOSE, but I can't find it in his 'manual'.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 14 Apr 2002 at 16:38:20, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Boot file loads the following:
>
>SMSQ/E 2.91
>QLiberator runtimes
>IPCMouse
>QPAC2
>
>Time to boot using a 2 Mb RomDisq (From the F1/F2 prompt till windows
>set up and everything): 12.8 sec. (Cache_off and SCR2EN)
>Same thing with a 26x PQI Flash card : 18.3 sec
>With a WDC36400 (2 Mb Cache on board): 22.6 sec
>
>I think that this says it all...
Of course, there is fixed QL processing time here as well.
This means that the actual physical read from RomDisq is, in percentage
terms, even better.
In my measurements, I found RomDisq read at 2mbyte per second.
What is the physical read speed of CF and HD I wonder?

To test, I copied a 1mb file a 100 times to ramdisk.  To ensure slave
blocks had minimal effect, I loaded first to ram, and then did
ALCHP(free_memory - 2000) - or some similar value to 2000 until the
following would run:

FOR j= 1 to 100:COPY_O rom1_file to ram1_file
>I will provide the list with more "scientific" results once I perform
>them (soon I hope :-)
Above method might be a better way - it eliminates the fixed processing
time.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Keymap

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 13 Apr 2002 at 09:12:25, Dexter wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On Sat, 13 Apr 2002, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>
>> Will send you a printed copy tomorrow :-) Thank Timothy for that :-)
>
>It really isn't necessary - 90% of it is webbed - it just didn't translate
>very well from scanned sheets to text - and the keyrow table was
>demolished.
>
>I now have in my posession a scan of the table. Unfortunately, it's all
>wrong!
>
>Eg: (row 2, col 1), (row 3, col 1), (row 5, col 1) are all vertical lines.
>Now, which is left square bracket and which is right square bracket?
>
>(row 5, col 128) is blank. Is this "0"?
>
>(row 2, col 32) and (row 2, col 128) are pound and tilde - which are the
>same key. How can that be?
In UK:
row col
2   32  £ (UK pound sign)

keyrow ignores shift, and  _is_ tilde, so it is the same 
KEYROW.  This applies to a lot of other shift characters too of course.

>Put another way, is (row 2, col 128) the
>apostrophe?

>
>Can anyone enlighten me? Once I am enlightened, I will put the corrected
>table on ql.spodmail.com
Yep - there are errors in the 12/84 manual.

my corrections are:

row col

7   128 , (comma)
6   32  0 (number zero)
5   128 O (letter O)
3   1   [
3   128 ;
2   1   ]
2   128 '  (single quote)


-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 13 Apr 2002 at 02:37:27, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 02:22 ðì 13/4/2002, Tony "The Wizard" Firshman wrote:
>
>>On  Fri, 12 Apr 2002 at 21:19:52, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>
>
>>..., think again Even with
>> >the fastest card, due to QubIDE restrictions (yep 8 bit bus and all the
>> >magic Nasta performs in order to make this thing work :-) It is a lot
>> >slower than the RomDisq.
>>Phew (8-#
>
>Oh I said it many times... by far the RomDisq is the fastest flash
>drive i've seen  If only there was a larger version... (Say 64 Meg
>:-)
There could easily (technically) be a 16mb version. Tony Tebby has
catered for every 2mb boundary, so no problem there.  I have got the
address line there.  When I designed RD there was a address pin sequence
up to 2mb (per chip) but the next pin (4mb) was NC.  I asked _everyone_
including the manufacturer, but they said 'dunno'.  The 4mb chip arrived
and the address pin was exactly where I had guessed.  Stuart would need
to change his code, but that is not the problem.

Right now I have to buy in 96 units for each of the two types of flash
chips.  However the minimum buy for 4mb chips is 484 per chip, and they
cost more than twice the 2mb chip.  This is an outlay of at least
£10,000, so is impossible.  I will have another look see.

>
>P.S. Have fun at the AGM (I suppose that's why you're up so early right?)
Yep - and am back now.

Was a good event (for me).  It was amusing to find that Robin Barker had
not been told about the error including Bill Newell on the list of
people standing.  I wonder what happened?

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] CF Hot Removable adapters

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 12 Apr 2002 at 21:19:52, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Hi all,
>I now can guarantee that the CF hot removable adapters DO work with
>both SMSQ/E and QDOS with a modified QubIDE... both versions 1.56 and
>2.01 were tested.
>Furthermore, if you only use one type of card if you store the drive
>parameters using the storesh_obj or storei2c_obj you are able to have
>it FULLY removable without the need of starting your Aurora or QL with
>the card plugged in.
>Word of caution though...
>If you plan on totally replacing a RomDisq, think again Even with
>the fastest card, due to QubIDE restrictions (yep 8 bit bus and all the
>magic Nasta performs in order to make this thing work :-) It is a lot
>slower than the RomDisq.
Phew (8-#
>So far my best combination is the following:
>
>Boot off the RomDisq, Win1_ being a Transcend 512Mb Type II CF 26x
>speed and 32x CD Rom drive... NO floppy (don't need it anyway :-)
>
>Hmmm Tony, I think we should bundle the Romdisq and CF adapter / a 128
>Meg card in order to make a totally portable solution :-)
(8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 11 Apr 2002 at 18:14:51, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 05:45 ìì 11/4/2002, Tony Firshman, hardware guru extraordinaire, wrote:
>
>^   /
>How about this---|   better? {:-D
> \
>
>
>>On  Thu, 11 Apr 2002 at 14:17:54, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>>(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>>
>> >At 12:15 ìì 8/4/2002, you wrote:
>>Who?^
>>This is something I got pulled up (rightly) on quite a while back.
>>This attribute is fine for personal email, but is not good in a public
>>area.  I bet it is configurable - my mailer allows %c character
>>substitutions to construct any weird and wonderful attribute you want.
>>Mine is very boring but has your name, Phoebus (8-)#
>
>Aside the jokes, I know, but due to a restructuring of my Opera files
>(due to the continuous development of the Greek version), I have
>reverted to using Eudora for the moment (where you have to manually
>edit the response string... or at least I don't know where the heck it
>can be found)... Will you forgive me for just a little longer - I do
>try to edit them but being Greek (and therefore very hasty I forget) ??
>(Please please please???:-)
Of course (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 11 Apr 2002 at 14:17:54, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 12:15 ìì 8/4/2002, you wrote:
Who?^
This is something I got pulled up (rightly) on quite a while back.
This attribute is fine for personal email, but is not good in a public
area.  I bet it is configurable - my mailer allows %c character
substitutions to construct any weird and wonderful attribute you want.
Mine is very boring but has your name, Phoebus (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Aurora problems

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 10 Apr 2002 at 18:07:55, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 05:25 ìì 10/4/2002, you wrote:
>

>Apparently the superHermes is a tough cookie ;-) as it managed to work
>with one pin missing! Which proves that good designs are timeless...
>Hehe Tony (same for you as well Nasta!)
.. depends very much on which pin (8-)#

It is worth repeating publicly what one has to do to 'repair' pins.
Remove the whoe pin - which is soldered on a pad and clean excess solder
off (solder braid is ideal).

The replacement pin can be cut out of a turned pin socket. The socket
can then be used as a template for placing the new pin, which is then
soldered to the pad.  The beauty is that the sH is then back to exactly
to production levels.  All other designs (Diren/ Falkenburg/ Qimi) are
never quite the same again  I don't take credit for this though - I
_had_ to use SMD pads, and this feature was a nice side benefit.

I find it crazy though that I have to buy sockets and snip the pins off.
I did get a quote for bare pins, but they cost more than twice as much
as buying the sockets.  If anyone knows of a cheap source of pins, I
would be delighted to hear from them.

>Hehe and I cannot believe I was just reading an IQLR issue where you
>were discussing both the QubIDE (yep THAT old... courtesy of Tim
>Swenson - Thanks Tim!) and that ULA replacement from Miracle :-
>(Hmmm just a question... what happened to that?)
Stuart simply lost interest.  We got quite a way down the design thought
stages, but he then left the QL scene.  Ditto IBOX (8-(#
I even started an IBOX project with Leon Heller, but he escaped to rural
France.  He bought a house in the Loire valley and emigrated.  An
amazing buy for I think £30,000.  During negotiations, his French
solicitor said "I have a problem".  The 'problem' turned out to be a
large forest that had been left out of the bill of sale.  'No problem'
the solicitor said - the vendor will include it in the sale at no extra
cost.   so Leon sold everything in the UK and drove with
Volvo/trailer/motorbike and all his worldly possessions to rural France
last year sometime.  I must get his address.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Aurora problems

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 10 Apr 2002 at 17:25:45, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On 09/04/02 at 12:23 Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>
>>Hi all,
>>I am turning to the list for any ideas...
>>As you might have guessed at last I have a working (well sort of) Aurora
>>setup... However I experience a couple of problems, mainly with
>resolutions.
>>...
>>Specifically, I give DISP_SIZE 640, 480 but nothing happens (still
>512x256).
>
>OK, this has been solved.
>The soulution has two parts: the usual one, and the 'read the manual'
>(oops, sorry, don't think it's in there!) part.
>
>The usual part is taking out the 8302 ULA and cleaning it's pins, which for
>some reason have a tendency to oxidise. They do this even when left alone
>in a drawer - I have three spares and they all had their pins turn black
>while sitting peacefully in my QL spares box, in their antistatic rail.
Yes - very odd isn't it.  It is the only QL chip that does this.
> 
>
>PS can't believe I'm doing Qubide support after all these years!
 and I am still telling people how to wire serial leads (8-)#

There are things in life that always need working on (like
relationships)

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 10 Apr 2002 at 23:18:50, Dexter wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>> Oh, for heaven's sake, why would you need a custom transformer?
>
>My dear Nasta, have you become so disillusioned that you don't see the
>*fun* in winding yer own transformer? ;P
>
>It's a great way to pass an evening :o)
... much like tapestry or knitting (8-)#


  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Another lost QLers

[Tony Firshman]

Anyone know where

Wayne Weedon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

is now?


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Clive Sinclair working for the French??

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 9 Apr 2002 at 11:04:48, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On 09/04/02 at 14:31 Claude Mourier 00 wrote:
>
>>> Clive Sinclair working for the French??
>>> I know that Sir Clive's skills lay in other places other than
>>> marketing, but has he sold out to the french I wonder??
>>> Just that I saw a TV advert last night for a Citreon C5
>
>>As always Sir Clive was a precursor : others take advantage of his
>>technology. Merge two C5 (4 wheels) and add a motor and you get
>>something that can earn money ;-)
>
>Citroen C5 has nothing to do with Sinclair, though I am sure their
>marketing department must have been caugh unaware by the history of that
>'name' in the UK. The Cit C5 is named after it's pre (pre-pre-pre) decessor
>from the 1920s.
>Now if you don't mind, stop knocking down my favorite car manufacturer ;-)
>who actually has a lot in common with the QL, in philosophical ways.
>Although, I will be the first to acknowledge, Citroens can be a pain in the
>a... khm, neck when there is a problem, but when it all works, it's
>amazing. Just like with the QL, where you have to seek converts to
>computing in a better way, with Citroen you get to preach that there are
>better ways to drive around on 4 (and actually, even 3 - some will work
>without one rear) wheels!

Oddly enough on the way back from the recent Eindhoven QL show, a
Citroen in front of us had a flat tyre and diesel was pouring out of it.
I pumped it up for him - but I see he could have driven without it (8-)#

Great when they go well of course (8-)#
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 22:10:09, Dexter wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On Mon, 8 Apr 2002, Malcolm Cadman wrote:
>
>> In addition you should find C68 on the QL easy to adapt to.
>
>If using it is anything like using GCC, I'll be fine...
>
>> >ql.spodmail.com
>> >(New posts by Nasta in the forum, with latest news on the Goldfire,
>> >Aurora 2 and SuperIDE/EtherIDE - check it out!)
>>
>> The site was down when I looked last night.
>
>Did you type www. in front of it? It was definitely up last night. I was
>sat there nursing it through a storm - we had 15 inches of rain last
>night, and some hail too. Texas is grand when it comes to extreme weather.
>Luckily, the power was only out for about 20 minutes, and the UPSes can
>hold out for about 35 minutes.
>
>It was a very pretty storm though :o)

I won't forget the flight across the USA a few years back between the
East and West coast QL shows.  We had the most amazing aerial view of
storms below us.  That was the time when a plane was hit and crashed
somewhere in the Rockies, I think.
The US certainly does have grand storms, but it is a big place (8-)#
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 21:08:25, Dexter wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>> Well, if you ever visit England I've got lots of them ... that have been
>> donated to the London Quanta Group.  They are too heavy to economically
>> post.
>
>I wonder. Do the transformers in QL PSUs have 120 and 240v windings, or
>did they use a different transformer for each region?
They don't - I think Malcolm was confused.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 19:31:27, Malcolm Cadman wrote:
(ref: )


>Well, if you ever visit England I've got lots of them ... that have been
>donated to the London Quanta Group.  They are too heavy to economically
>post.
Who donated you lots of 110 ac power supplies with US plugs, or are you
forgetting that he lives in the USA (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Miracle Hard Disk

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 19:21:23, Tony Firshman wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 11:14:27, Timothy Swenson wrote:
>(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>
>>Tony,
>>
>>I got some hard copy with the one that Ruth sent me.  I can either photocopy
>>and send via snail mail, or I can scan it in and send to you.
> Thanks - a scanned copy would be great, thanks.
Stop that scan - I got a quill.doc from Italy.

Thanks folks.


-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Miracle Hard Disk

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 11:14:27, Timothy Swenson wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Tony,
>
>I got some hard copy with the one that Ruth sent me.  I can either photocopy
>and send via snail mail, or I can scan it in and send to you.
  Thanks - a scanned copy would be great, thanks.
-- 
Tony Firshman

[ql-users] Miracle Hard Disk

[Tony Firshman]

Does anyone have the documentation for the Miracle Hard Disk?
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] SMSQ/E license criticisms

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 8 Apr 2002 at 09:34:31,  wrote:
(ref: <3CB16427.19667.AF2613@localhost>)

>On 27 Mar 2002, at 19:32, Dexter wrote:
>
>> There are two ways to make money from SMSQ:
>> 1. Be Tony Tebby.
>> 2. ...
>
>To be quite frank, I resent that comment. the decision the pay TT
>some money was not his, but was an agreement we came to at
>Eindhoven. TT has put in an enormous amount of time and money
>into SMSQ/E, and HAS not gotten back as much as he should.
Indeed.  If Tony had been getting what he should from SMSQ, then he
would still be developing it.

The whole reason it is OS is that he wasn't.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" aftermath, OffT then OnT

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 7 Apr 2002 at 13:48:22, Richard Zidlicky wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On Sat, Apr 06, 2002 at 08:13:10PM +0100, Geoff Wicks wrote:

> It may be surprising
>for some but the QL actually had working email/news programs for
>maus and fido -nets long before MS - and at that time maus/fidonet
>provided good interoperation with the internet.
Indeed - I was part of this.
My BBS is still going, including the internet maus link.
Jonathan Hudson and Marcel for instance still chat
(usenet:  maus.computer.ql.int)
Does anyone know who arranges the link and how it is done?

There is a vast amount of spam, which I delete when I see it.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" aftermath, OffT then OnT

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 6 Apr 2002 at 20:13:10, Geoff Wicks wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>- Original Message -
>From: P Witte <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>> Finally, those who moan
>> about Lookout Express should consider how they would feel
>> about changing their system after using it for many (on the
>> whole, happy) years. Taking such drastic action is a last
>> resort! Although I only deploy a virus checker on suspicion
>> of infection, or after engaging in unsafe practices, I have
>> only once in five years actually been infected, and that I
>> discovered without the aid of one. I caught it off the
>> internet, not via email.
>>
>
>Many thanks, Per, you have expressed my feelings exactly not only in the
>above quote but in your whole piece. In about two years I have only caught a
>virus once and that was my own fault! (I caught it from a QL-user on this
>list!)
>
>I spend a lot of time working on international surveys of company computer
>users and have a pretty good idea of how MS is regarded in most European
>countries. There are some MS lovers, but most users are constructively
>critical. MS is usually assessed as the most arrogant computer software or
>hardware company.
>
>Now to bring this provocatively back on topic the unfortunate reality is
>that you can do a lot of things with MS systems than you cannot do with a
>QL. Our loyalty is based more on a recognition of  what the QL could have
>been rather than of what it is. In discussing MS I would welcome more
>humility and less arrogance from the QL community.

All I was saying was that TP has worked fine.
I have never used any other product 'cos of this.
I am not trying to be arrogant in any sense, and I am sorry if you
interpreted the bare words in this way.

I am very much looking forward to the day when I can use my QL BBS
machine to, in particular, send out the QL snailshots.  I find it quite
incongruous to use my PC for this.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QL Forum

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 5 Apr 2002 at 16:11:38, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <3X6Z6PNNJ6ZMJPL07DCWVMURIF1XB8.3cae130a@quantum-central>)

> 5/4/2002 4:05:54 ??, / Malcolm Cadman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> :
>
>>In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Dexter
>><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>>>On Thu, 4 Apr 2002, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>>>
 Well i am not using the forum because last I checked the site was down :-)
>>>
>>>You mean the day the CSU/DSU blew up, poof, and I had to go out and spend
>>>boucoup bucks on a new one? :o(
>>>
>>>Everything's fine now :o)
>>
>>What is the address again ?
>>
>>--
>>Malcolm Cadman
>>
>
>http://ql.spodmail.com
Well I tried that.  I registered, and it then invited me to login using
user name and password.  Considering I had never registered a password,
that was difficult (8-)#

Ah well - no problem.  I will get all info by email so that will do me
for now.  I would not log in to the forum much anyway - I much prefer
the mailing list/usenet method.  It is much easier all in one place.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <_jean-louis.dianoux@wanadoo.fr>

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 4 Apr 2002 at 23:36:34, Richard Zidlicky wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On Wed, Apr 03, 2002 at 11:25:46PM +0100, P Witte wrote:
>> Hiall,
>>
>> This is the third virus Ive had from [EMAIL PROTECTED]  within
>> the last couple of months. So far I have escaped, but sooner or later
>> someones going to take a hit.
>
>to be more precise, someone using the unfortunate email program.
>
>Should I post a list of alternative email programs? There is
>probably at least 400 really usable email programs around, many
>of them free, a good fraction of this even work on several platforms.
>None of them can promise perfect security but the impact with *every*
>other mailer has been not even a fraction of the problem you encounter
>with Outlook every time its miserable design fails.
>
>Btw don't think this is a problem that will go away with improved
>anti-virus SW or the 1EXP46-th build of Outlook, a real solution
>would require Microsoft to cut back on unneeded dangerous features
>and that probably won't happen until the doomsday.
Demon's Turnpike has been 100% OK since I started using it 5 years ago.
There are no security flaws in it - well none the hackers know about.


-- 
Tony Firshman

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <_jean-louis.dianoux@wanadoo.fr>

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 4 Apr 2002 at 07:07:43, Lafe McCorkle wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>>- Original Message -
>>From: Claude Mourier 00 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 9:09 AM
>>Subject: RE: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>
>
>Is this list screened for viruses on the incomming side?  If not, why
>not?  If it is why do they get through?
It was a 'worm'.  Mine did not arrive from the group but direct from
him, with an '_' at the beginning of the email address.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <_jean-louis.dianoux@wanadoo.fr>

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 4 Apr 2002 at 09:34:44, DIANOUX wrote:
(ref: <009901c1dbab$320714e0$47b1fac1@y4z4n0>)

>I am absolutely sorry for the virus you received, my panda antivirus version
>did'nt detect it. Now it's updated and cured (...)
>I'm very impressed by the number of reactions I received from all !
>Medicine is ever one step after the illness: in a first time, medicine is
>just contemplative; then, sometimes active.
That is a very nice intellectual reply.
I am glad you have cured it now.
I do wonder who these b**s are.
-- 
Tony Firshman

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <_jean-louis.dianoux@wanadoo.fr>

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 4 Apr 2002 at 09:09:12, Claude Mourier 00 wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>De : Tony Firshman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Envoyé : jeudi 4 avril 2002 01:40
>À : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Objet : Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>
>(...)
>Maybe, as a doctor, he could prescribe something (8-)#
I hate to be pedantic, but it is a worm (8-)#

-- 
Tony Firshman

Re: [ql-users] "DIANOUX" <_jean-louis.dianoux@wanadoo.fr>

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 3 Apr 2002 at 23:25:46, P Witte wrote:
(ref: <002b01c1db5e$edf5c400$0200a8c0@home>)

>Hiall,
>
>This is the third virus Ive had from [EMAIL PROTECTED]  within
>the last couple of months. So far I have escaped, but sooner or later
>someones going to take a hit. Cant he be switched off until he gets himself
>sorted?
He isn't responding to direct emails other than a returned worm.
I guess he is away.

Maybe, as a doctor, he could prescribe something (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Jean-Louis Dianoux

[Tony Firshman]

Watch out if you are in his address book - he has a worm.

File comes as PICS.DOCS.scr
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Giles Walker

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 2 Apr 2002 at 20:15:25, Marcel Kilgus wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Tony Firshman wrote:
>> He is a retired BA airline pilot who loves in Scotland.
>   ^
> :-)
Oh dear oh dear oh dear.
That was entirely accidental, honest.

Mind you it may well be true (8-)#

Nice story about  his wife - that _he_ told:
As an ex BA pilot, he gets free first class seats but has to pay for his
wife, so she goes tourist!

Also reminds me of Pointer Products (now what was his name - lived in
Basingstoke and rode a motorbike) who typed 'forst' instead of 'first'.
That spawned months of jokes about the Little Green Forsts of Norway.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Giles Walker

[Tony Firshman]

Giles Walker seems to have flown away from the following:

Giles Walker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Giles Walker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Does anyone know where he has gone to earth?

He is a retired BA airline pilot who loves in Scotland.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QPC and SuperHERMES

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 2 Apr 2002 at 08:44:11,  wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>In a message dated 02/04/02 08:57:45 GMT Daylight Time,
>[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
>
>  >I have been looking at some of the software which I sell and
>  checking
>  >whether it works on QPC or not.
>  >
>  >Two problems which I am unable to solve exist (do far), namely
>  >Deathstrike and Hoverzone - both of these programs fail to work on
>  both
>  >QPC and using the SuperHERMES keyboard driver, in that as soon as
>  they
>  >enter supervisor mode (to utilise the two screen mode), they cannot
>  >read the keyboard.
>  OK, there is no 2nd screen, but why is the sH driver used at all?
>sH driver is only used on my Aurora system to allow my keyboard to
>work!!  Unfortunately, as you said in the past, the sH keyboard driver
>will not work in supervisor mode..  Pity!!
Ah - your sentence was ambiguous.  I was wondering why you used the sH
driver in QPC (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QPC and SuperHERMES

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 1 Apr 2002 at 17:55:56,  wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>I have been looking at some of the software which I sell and checking
>whether it works on QPC or not.
>
>Two problems which I am unable to solve exist (do far), namely
>Deathstrike and Hoverzone - both of these programs fail to work on both
>QPC and using the SuperHERMES keyboard driver, in that as soon as they
>enter supervisor mode (to utilise the two screen mode), they cannot
>read the keyboard.
OK, there is no 2nd screen, but why is the sH driver used at all?

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] QPC and SuperHERMES

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 2 Apr 2002 at 01:44:26, Marcel Kilgus wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>> Errr any ideas??
>
>About what?
>
>> Does anyone know if these programs will work on the Q40 or any other
>> emulators??
>
>QXL, Q40 and Q60 don't have a second screen either. I think the same
>is true for uQLx.
>
>QemuLator will most likely do the job (does anybody know what happened
>to it? The site has been down for a while now). Qlay probably, too,
>but the emulation is not as good as QemuLator.

His email - sistestATictpDOTtriesteDOTit  is still working.

However you are right - he has gone from geocities - even his docs found
by a site search have gone.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Darren Branagh - for private reply

[Tony Firshman]

I am afraid all varieties of you hotmail account are bouncing, even
including the advertised [EMAIL PROTECTED]  so I have no idea whether
you got the copy of the emailshot draft I sent you.
Please reply privately, and give me an email address that works (8-)#
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Darren Branagh

[Tony Firshman]

Darren, your hotmail account is bouncing (as usual (8-)#  )

Have you had my email about the AGM mailing via your new address?
Plse reply privately.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] SMSQ/E license criticisms

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 27 Mar 2002 at 16:56:26,  wrote:
(ref: )

>Oh boy.
>
>"It is little Jimmy's birthday party. All his little friends are there.
>Little Jimmy's dad instructs (with naive futility) the children to play
>nicely with the new toys [so adults can have a few beers in peace].
>But (surprise surprise) the children are unable to play nicely.
>Instead they do nothing but squabble over who is in charge of the toys
>and what games to play.  Eventually their squabbling becomes so noisy
>that little Jimmy's dad storms over and picks up all the new toys
>saying "I told you to play nicely, now none of you can have the toys!"
>
>Might be an idea to get the licensing biz wrapped up before TT decides
>to take the toys away again.  Just an idea.
(8-)#

I think we all ought to go and read William Golding's 'Lord of the
Flies' - very much on the same lines as Ian's comment.

Calm down folks, please.


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 26 Mar 2002 at 16:47:15, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 04:13 ìì 26/3/2002, Tony Firshman wrote:
>
>>On  Tue, 26 Mar 2002 at 12:15:47, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
>>(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>>
>>
>>>The way IRCs work,it is evident to the sender as a notice is posted
>>>on the return letter (when IRCs are used). (At least that's what
>>>happens in Greece). This way you have an additional check on the
>>>distributor's honesty :-) (Not implying anything by that of course...
>>>just clarifying the issue)
>>Not in the UK - you get stamps to the equivalent of an overseas letter.
>
>Even so it's easy to know the going "exchange" rate for IRC>postage and
>how much an overseas letter costs... so pretty much the same :-)
>
>In a related matter, parcel force just went bust so probably postage
>from the UK will cost even more (a pity for the SECOND country in the
>world to use stamps and the first to use a regular modern postal
>service)
>
>It's probably cheaper to take a train to France, mail what you have to
>mail abroad and get back than use parcel force
(8-)#

ParcelFarce hasn't actually gone bust, but it is making a whopping loss.
It has been overpriced ever since it became a different company.

... but this is all irrelevant as Consignia (now to be re-renamed back
the 'The Royal Mail') will be used.  Its 'small packet' for overseas
mail is much cheaper even up to 'parcel' weights.

An example of the idiocy of the pricing system is that a first class
letter of 1kg (delivery following day) costs less than a parcel (5 days
to 2 weeks), and no physical size limit.  This results in our postman
often struggling with giant 'letters'.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 26 Mar 2002 at 12:15:47, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>The way IRCs work,it is evident to the sender as a notice is posted on 
>the return letter (when IRCs are used). (At least that's what happens 
>in Greece). This way you have an additional check on the distributor's 
>honesty :-) (Not implying anything by that of course... just clarifying 
>the issue)
Not in the UK - you get stamps to the equivalent of an overseas letter.
>

-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 26 Mar 2002 at 08:01:22, Jerome Grimbert wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Tony Firshman makes some magical things to make me read
>} >I have understood the bit about no charge in giving copies. As someone
>} >running a PD library I'll mention here I'm happy to adhere strictly by
>} >this.
>} I was surprised that media/post costs were vetoed I must admit.
>} Surely that is a bit of an imposition on the sender.
>
>Well, I was not part of the discussion, but I can understand some reasons
>for the veto.
>For instance, the QLCF library has been running along similar lines:
> - the requestor must provide both the media and stamped return package.
That is  what I was thinking of almost exactly, but I couldn't see 
mention of that.  It was Wolfgang's longest ever email so apologies if I 
missed it.

Outside ones own country, IRCs have to be used which is 'payment' of a 
sort - but in stamps.
Surely no problem with this?





-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Aurora and SuperHermes Lite Manuals

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 18 Mar 2002 at 14:52:21, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <003d01c1ce91$d0d22fa0$33065cc3@default>)

>If Tony is happy, these could be held with the rest of my
>manuals-on-disk to provide replacement manuals for those needing them,
>and a one-stop source of QL documentation.
No problem with sH.
Phoebus - what did you use to convert to PDF?

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Source Code Status

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 18 Mar 2002 at 15:29:17, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <004001c1ce91$d33f3800$33065cc3@default>)

>>Following the discussions at EIndhoven,here is what has been agreed
>upon,
>>Tony TEBBY also having agreed to it:
>
>This is good news, a positive step forward. And having someone as
>highly regarded as you in the QL world as registrar will be a popular
>move I am sure.
>
>>I HOPE you can agree with this. I KNOW some of you will not.
>
>I have understood the bit about no charge in giving copies. As someone
>running a PD library I'll mention here I'm happy to adhere strictly by
>this.
I was surprised that media/post costs were vetoed I must admit.
Surely that is a bit of an imposition on the sender.


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Aurora Manual

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 24 Mar 2002 at 18:59:13, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>On 3/24/02 at 11:44 PM Tony Firshman wrote:
>
>>>Does anyone have an Aurora Manual (scanned or otherwise)? I want to
>>>setup mine and my manual is still in Greece :-)
>>>
>>>Send me a private email pls.
>>1.5mb manual word .doc coming by email, so no-one else send it plse (for
>>his sake).
>
>Tony, would you mind sending it to me too? I am ashamed to admit it, but I
>don't have the complete manual :-( I'll convert it to PDF and add to the
>Aurora archive on QLhardware...
he he - and you wrote it (8-)#
http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk/aurora.zip>

Sorry Phoebus, I should have zipped it for you (to 350k or so).
You might want to delete your incoming email and download direct.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Aurora Manual

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 24 Mar 2002 at 10:23:22, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Does anyone have an Aurora Manual (scanned or otherwise)? I want to
>setup mine and my manual is still in Greece :-)
>
>Send me a private email pls.
1.5mb manual word .doc coming by email, so no-one else send it plse (for
his sake).
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Calling George Loumtzides

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 24 Mar 2002 at 09:05:50, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>0i all and sorry about the following- I am trying to locate a fellow
>QLer from Greece that reads the list:
George Lamtzidis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] serials

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 17 Mar 2002 at 13:29:15, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <004401c1cdbe$f5efd360$81065cc3@default>)

>Tony Firshman wrote:
>>This is all done after 1am, just having returned from Eindhoven, so
>>would welcome correction (even by myself when I re-awake later)
>>
>>DSR/DTR connections are not needed.
>>
>>QL ser1 is identical to ser2 other than RX/TX and CTS/DTR(RTS)
>swapped.
>
>
>=
>QL   QL  QL CABLE  QL PC PCPC
>ser1 ser2COLOUR   SIGNAL SIGNAL  25D   9D
>
>(modem?) (terminal?)
>=
>3 (RxD o/p)  2 (TxD o/p)  <-  whiteTxDRxD<-  3 RxD 2
>2 (TxD i/p)  3 (RxD i/p)  ->  greenRxDTxD->  2 TxD 3
>5 (CTS)  4 (DTR=RTS)  ->  blue DTR(=RTS)  CTS->  5 CTS 8
>4 (DTR=RTS)  5 (CTS)  <-  red  CTSRTS<-  4 RTS 7
>11--  blackGNDGND--  7 GND 5
>N/A  N/A 6 DSR 6
>N/A  N/A20 DTR 4
>=
I knew I should not have done it so late.  Pinouts are right, but
directions are worng.

This should be OK (but I am not laying my life on - I am still tired
(8-)# )

=
QL   QL   QL CABLE PC   PCPC
ser1 ser2 COLOURSIGNAL  25D   9D
=
3 RxD2  TxDwhite ->RxD   32
2 TxD3  RxDgreen <-TxD   23
5 CTS4 (DTR=RTS)blue ->CTS   58
4 (DTR=RTS)  5 (CTS)red  <-RTS   47
11  black--GND   75
N/A  N/A   DSR   66
N/A  N/A   DTR   20   4
>=
This whole diagram is QL <-> PC only of course.
If you think of QL to 25D by pin number, then ser1 is 'straight through'
and ser2 is 'crossover'.  That is always my starting point, and all the
rest can be derived from that.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] serials

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sat, 23 Mar 2002 at 14:36:17, Dilwyn Jones wrote:
(ref: <009c01c1d27a$79f00260$42065cc3@default>)


>OK, to get this resolved, can someone check the data below and
>correct/fill in blanks as necessary so this data can be permanently
>posted somewhere to clear this up.
This is all done after 1am, just having returned from Eindhoven, so 
would welcome correction (even by myself when I re-awake later)

DSR/DTR connections are not needed.

QL ser1 is identical to ser2 other than RX/TX and CTS/DTR(RTS)  swapped.

This is formatted with TAB so if it appears odd in your mailers, copy 
and paste to a text editor.  The colours are from the std QL flat cable 
(copied for superHermes):

QL <-> PC serial links
--

  QL PC
ser1ser2QL  PC  25D 9D


3   2   white   RX  RX  <-  3   2
5   4   blueDTR RTS ->  5   8
2   3   green   TX  TX  ->  2   3
4   5   red CTS CTS <-  4   7
1   1   black   GND GND --  7   5

I think this way of laying it out says it all.
>
>$
>
>
>UKQL  DB9  DB25  SIGNALS  DB25  DB9 UKQL
>SER1SER2
>
>3  23 RxD-TxD 232?
>2  32 TxD-RxD 323?
> ? 420DTR-DSR 66 ? (QL DTR is actually an RTS)
>1  57 GND-GND 751
> ? 66 DSR-DTR204 ? (QL DTR is actually an RTS)
>4? 74 RTS-CTS 585? (QL DTR is actually an RTS)
>5? 85 CTS-RTS 474? (QL DTR is actually an RTS)
>--
>GND=ground
>RxD=Receive Data
>TxD=Transmit Data
>CTS=Clear To Send
>RTS=Request To Send?
>DTR=Data Terminal Ready?
>DSR=Data Send Ready?
>
>DB9 and DB25 respectively are 9 and 25 pin D connectors, as used on
>PCs for example. Some serial ports on some QL style machines (e.g. my
>Aurora!) were wired the same as these. If anyone can fill in the
>question marks above I can put a definitive list on my website to
>'post it on a mountain top' as TF said!

>
>Using the above table, it would appear based on the info I have that
>the correct pinout for a U.K. QL SER1 to 9 pin D COM port, for example
>is:
>===
>UKQL9PIN  25PIN
>SER1 COM  COM
>===
>1 (GND)--(GND) 5   7
>2 (TxD)--(RxD) 2   3
>3 (RxD)--(TxD) 3   2
>4 (DTR=RTS)--(CTS) 8   5
>5 (CTS)--(RTS) 7   4
>6 (+12V) not used
>===
No - see above.  You are possibly thinking QL to modem.
>
>Some questions:
answered above
>1) Can someone fill in the question marks?

>2) Would QL SER2 be wired the same?
Swap TX/RX  and CTS/RTS(DTR) pairs.
>3) When connecting to QL
> does one leave unused COM port DTR and DSR on
>PC/whatever unconnected?
Yes.
-- 
  QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
   tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
 TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Looking for advice

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 22 Mar 2002 at 12:06:12,  wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Me too :-))  I have a Sinclair TV though And one of the new X-1 FM
>radios he is currently selling on his website.
I made a few of these from Greenweld parts.   What a terrible pcb and
manufacture it was, and ate very expensive flat batteries.  Mind you it
had a very clever auto multi standard.  The beam was bent through 90
degrees causing immense distortion. He did not try seriously to correct
that magnetically, but simply put a fresnel screen there to bend the
image back to near normality.  Very cunning.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Looking for advice

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 22 Mar 2002 at 18:47:05, Duncan Neithercut wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Hi
>TF services once made me up a serial to serial cable with one QL conector
>and one standard connector.
>I used it to transfer files from a basic QL with microdrives to an AMIGA
>1200 running the QL emulator.
>Transfer was accomplished by using a basic program to send and receive from
>QL to emulator, the highest baud rate achieved was 1200 so it was slow.
>
>If you manage to get a cable I could send you the program as I think I still
>have it
I have offered a free copy of QuaLsoft QL terminal, which will do the
job with xmodem.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Looking for advice

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 22 Mar 2002 at 11:25:27, Norman Dunbar wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>My Sinclair addictions started before that :
>
>- I always wanted a 'Scientific' calculator - untill I found out about RPN.
>A fried had one back in school around 1973-74-75 ish, and when you did 0 0
>divide, it started a stop watch counting upwards in seconds :o)
Yeah - you are talking HP of course.
I got hooked by the HP65 in 1973 or so at Ford.
It was the cause of me leaving Ford in disgust but that is another
story.
I went to a meeting of the Cambridge University Computer Preservation
Society (CUCPS) recently where I met the HP65 agian, and many other HP
calculators.
I will be giving a talk (with son Ben) on 30 April at Cambridge entitled
"The Sinclair QL: Recent Developments 1984 -- 2002"
If anyone is interested, I will publish details of where etc when I have
them.  One advantage of joining (although I am sure they will accept
guests) is a regular 'lucky dip' of donated hardware.
>
>- I wanted a 'black watch' - but never had one.
>
>- I wanted a 'matchbox radio' - never got one.
>
>- I did get a ZX-81, and it was hooked from then. I wouldn't be where I am
>today (ie Married and working with Oracle) without the ZX-81, so I've been
>at it since about 1981-82.
>
>- ZX81, much modified, upgraded to a 16K Spectrum - complete with rubber
>keyboard. Was I the only person who liked that keyboard ?
>
>- Spectrum, now with IF1, Cheetah memory pack, two microdrives, that speech
>processor, and a thermal (non-sinclair) printer, upgraded to a QL.
>
>- Which I still have to this very day - although Tony has had his hands on
>it a couple of times
... but way back in August 1991, with a guarantee repair a few months
later (8-)#  Looks like (with the exception of one membrane) it has been
going well ever since.
> and it has had a few new membranes too.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 20:26:30, Timothy Swenson wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>With a null modem cable (or Ser1 on the Q40 to Ser2 on the QL), it
>should be fairly simple to send ASCII data (and possibly binary).
No no no no (8-)#

Null modem cables are no good at all - in the UK at least they loop back
handshaking.

I have been saying this for 14 years now, but it keeps getting missed.

Roy Wood spent years with SERNET and failing 'cos he was using a null
modem lead.  Solved in a few minutes by me at a recent Byfleet show with
a proper RTS/CTS serial lead.

I wish this could be posted on a mountain top for all to read:

--
The only way to get reliable serial connections to/from a standard real
QL is to use a fully handshaked serial lead (CTS/RTS each end - QLs
'DTR' is an RTS).  Without Hermes, it needs a terminal program at
4800bps each end, and file transfer protocol to trap the inevitable odd
error.
--
>
>When I was using my Z88 and the QL, to copy data from the Z88 to the QL
>all I did on the QL was:
>
>copy ser1_ to ram1_file_txt
>
>and then have the Z88 send the file.  When the Z88 was done, I hit
>CTRL-C on the QL to break out of the copy.  Worked like a champ.  The
>same principle should work for the Q40 to QL xfer.

The champ breaks down very often, especially at 9600, as the 8049 code
was very broken.  That was why the Astracom modem was developed for the
QL - it was the only 'real' modem that  worked with the QL at 9600.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 14:23:49, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Observing the ports in question (with not entirely adequate equipment!) may
>have resultind in the impression that the signals are the same - they are
>not. Also, the net port only has two pins, really - one is ground and the
>other is a bidirectional input/output (it is however externally combined
>out of separate in and out pins on the 8302 ULA). The only reason why two
>connectors are provided is to avoid the need for a T splice and terminator,
>that would need to be employed dependant on the cabling (it's similar to
>coax ethernet in this respect). The idea is sound, but the execution, due
>to substandard quality connectors, is not :-( I'm sure Tony F. can
>elaborate!
Not much more.  The QL ones are certainly very sub standard.
All QL networks by definition have one empty socket. The socket when
empty provided a 330 ohm termination.
Unfortunately it needed very little use to make in the third connector
not reconnect when empty.
A neat solution is always  to have two jack plugs with 330 Ohms across
the pins in each - or never use one socket (difficult in 3+ networked
QLs (8-)#  )

Very very often a non-working network (on QLs I repair) was cured by
bending back the third connector.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 08:57:29, Al Feng wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>On Thu, 21 Mar 2002 15:46:34 + Tony Firshman
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>> On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 08:10:15, Al Feng wrote:
>> (ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>
>
>< snip >
>
>> >THAT suggests that if you ascertain which SERial pins are in play,
>> you
>> >_may_ be able to simply run a SERial connection from your Q40 [OR,
>> does
>> >the Q40 have NETwork ports?!?  AND, if not, then why not?] to the
>> NETwork
>> >port of your son's QL.
>> No QL network on the Q40 - why not indeed?
>>
>> Serial ports are the way - and will work well if my suggestions are
>> followed.
>
>
>Yes, but a TK2 dongle (or, an existing-or-used Trump card plugged into
>the side sans disk drives) must certainly be cheaper and easier to employ
>than buying a new Hermes chip which requires opening the QL and
>jeopardizing the (as we all know) fragile membrane tails.
What?  That is not making sense.  Q40 has no network port.

 and Hermes is only need for 19200 bps (nominal).  Std QL works fine
at 4800, and (with a prayer) might well work OK

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 08:10:15, Al Feng wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>This may or may not work  [someone else will tell you whether this is
>worth trying OR you can just give it a go] ...
>
>When I looked at the NETwork ports on the QL a long time ago, I (lacking
>the hardware expertise of others to realistically analyze the schematic
>and chip functions) nonetheless ascertained that there were two pins on
>the SERial port which the NETwork's two connections echoed ...
>
>THAT suggests that if you ascertain which SERial pins are in play, you
>_may_ be able to simply run a SERial connection from your Q40 [OR, does
>the Q40 have NETwork ports?!?  AND, if not, then why not?] to the NETwork
>port of your son's QL.
No QL network on the Q40 - why not indeed?

Serial ports are the way - and will work well if my suggestions are
followed.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Looking for advice

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 13:59:05, Wolfgang Lenerz wrote:
(ref: <3C99E729.19474.EEF91@localhost>)

>On 21 Mar 2002, at 12:43, Michael Grunditz wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> My son (7 year old) is programming basic on a plain standard ql. Id
>> like to give him some files from my Q40, but I dont know how. I have
>> no commuincation software on mdv, and I have never seen such
>> serialports. The ql doesnt have a floppy interface.
>>
>>
>How about sernet?
No good - that needs SMSQ on the QL.
If you send me two blank mdvs (one spare) and a floppy, and 2 IRCs I
will send you QL Terminal.
Another E15 brings a serial lead, and then forget the IRCs.
The std QL printer lead would be dodgy as it doesn't have proper
handshaking.
>
>Tony Firshman perhaps has (or can make) the necessary cables.
>
>(plug, plug)
No - plug only QL end. It is a 9D socket at the Q40 end (8-)#



-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Q40 to ql transfer

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 14:40:46, Jerome Grimbert wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>A serial cable is all you need, with the right connection...
>One of the two must be a DTE and the other DCE.
>Best thing is to use Ser2 on QL with normal QL serial cable,
>(if you have one for a printer for instance).
Nope - the 'normal' QL serial cable is for a printer, and doesn't have
handshaking wired correctly.  The cable MUST have CTS/RTS handshaking -
the QLs DTR is actually RTS - it was worngly named.
>
>Then setting same baud rate and parity on both machines.
>
>copy_n  (or just copy) is then your best friend,
>or you can write a basic program to transfer line by line a text file.
>just like
>QL:
> 10 open_in#3,ser2_
> 15 open_new#4,mdv1_myfile
> 20 repeat loop
> 30 input#3,a$
> 40 print#4,a$
> 50 end repeat loop
>
>Q40:
> 10 open#3,ser1_
> 20 open_in#4,win1_myfile
> 30 repeat loop
> 40 if (eof(#4)): exit loop
> 50 input#4,a$
> 60 print#3,a$
> 70 end repeat loop
>
>For test purpose, it is better to replace the file with #1...
>
>Only thing: to stop the reception on the QL, you have to use ctrl-c.
>
>Copy_n works better with binary files, but is difficult for test purpose..
>
This method is absolutely no good with the std QL - the serial input and
handshaking is hopeless, and problems vary from random character loss to
complete destruction of serial input, needing power down (not reset).
For reliable operation, Terminal programs and file transfer protocol is
needed.  Even then problems are likely to arise, and 4800 is the fastest
reliable speed.  With Hermes, 19200 can be used, giving about 13000bps
throughput.

All these problems were recognised in 1986 and conceived Hermes.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Eindhoven

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 21 Mar 2002 at 09:21:28,  wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>
>Phoebus is referring to a problem his wife had cashing a bank draft I sent
>him to pay for some CF adapter samples.

>The cashier then asked "Whats Ireland?"   (I kid you not, 40 million
>americans claim Irish decent,
I am sure you _are_ decent too (8-)#
The humour is descending I am afraid.
>and she didn't know what it was) So Phoebus'
>wife says "ITS A COUNTRY"...
>
>Eventually after they get the manager to intervene they accept the draft -
>unbelieveable.
Well the good thing I guess is that cashier never supported the IRA
(8-)#


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] OffT:I am back

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 19 Mar 2002 at 08:42:11, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Oh and
>For those who missed me (very few I gather) I am 100% recovered (or so
>I hope) from that nasty respiratory infection so
>I can be once more your most hated annoyance :-)

How did it affect your fingers then (8-)#

I don't mean that - welcome back.

Of course we missed you.  Anyone who stays up late in Europe cannot miss
the dialogues (almost conversations) between you and 'Dexter' when most
of us here are tucked up in bed.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] Jochen

[Tony Firshman]

Jochen is having trouble linking to ql-users right now - his mail
bounces, which is why we had forwarded mail (from Bruce N)
 so do not read anything into Jochen's small involvement in the
discussion.
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Drawing in the save area (SMSQ improvement)

[Tony Firshman]

On  Sun, 17 Mar 2002 at 18:17:21, ZN wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Joachim wrote:
>
>> As I already mentioned, I am willing to volunteer for the following
>> changes in SMSQ.
>>
>>- have all windows draw their contents in the save area
>>- background update of windows (same mechanism)
>
>Ye! :-)
>
>>In general I propose the following changes.
>>- Application should not draw onscreen, but in the save area. When they
>>properly use the iow.xtop call as exists at the moment, nothing needs to
>be
>>done, except that the use of iow.xtop will no longer be necessary (the
>call
>>now gives the address with the screen base, so that makes things easy). In
>>practice the applications which work in extended resolutions will not need
>>any changes.
>
>Exactly.
>Also, emulation for applications that need to use the original screen areas
>would actually be easyer to implement. They would effectively get one save
>area that just happened to be at $2.
>Further important side effects:
>a) 'Regular' memory is generally quite substantially faster than screen
>memory
Wasn't it 30%?
>b) The address of the screen memory can really be anywhere, only the
>'sweeper' task needs to know where.
How does the second screen concept fit into all this?
... sorry if you said but there was a _lot_ of text (8-)#

It is a long time since I have seen this (now I use SGC) but if memory
was short, TT used the visible screen area as a working area. Quite
entertaining to watch.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Open source

[Tony Firshman]

On  Fri, 15 Mar 2002 at 09:33:42, Norman Dunbar wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>Unfortunately, none of the photos show up :o(
>Show picture, refresh etc don't make them appear.
Ah - thought it was Demon.
I am sure Tim S will be on to it - Pacific time permitting.  Too early
in his day right now.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Open source

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 20:22:41, Timothy Swenson wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>   From the Commercial Side, Roy Wood and Tony Firshman.
I think Roy and Jochen - ie much as now.
I have always been a hardware man (8-)#
> It would be nice to get Lau involved, but I don't know his
>availability
I will leave him to comment on that, but I know he is thinking of doing
similar with Minerva.  It would be nice to see Minerva improvements -
like colours/hi resolution.

>The person who I think has the best qualifications to lead the group,
>due to his in depth knowledge of QDOS, SMSQ/E and 68000 assembly code,
>would be Simon Goodwin.  I know that he is not as active as others, but
>he really knows his stuff.  It might take some convincing to get him to
>accept such a position, and it might take some work to get him to work
>well in the position.  At the very least, we should get him involved
>because he probably writes 68000 assembly in his sleep.
>
>I only got to spend a week with him when he came to the West Coast
>Sinclair Show back in 1999, but I think I got a feel for the man (pre-
>fatherhood).
Yes - one gets to know people well in hot tubs (8-)#
http://zx-museum.org.ru/www.outlawnet.com/~jboatno4/show.htm>
I remember you, Tim, arrived in it soon afterwards.
He is even better as a father.  Certainly a very different person from
the frantic supercharge days.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 19:31:48, Dexter wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>> On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 17:05:48,  wrote:
>> >the carpet building up the voltage.  I've been trying to think of a way
>> >to charge a battery off her, a kind of homemade cat-powered UPS...
>
>Hmmm. A neighbour of mine, here in Houston, TX, has built his own unique
>(for a home-made dwelling system) power system.
>
>Three 4' x 8' solar powered steam generators (tanks with water and black
>metal panels in them to absorb solar energy and heat the water they lay
>in) with plumbing to a pump connected to a generator, which feeds through
>diodes into a power controller and storage. He does need to use a few kwh
>of electricity in winter (in TX that's two months) and generates surplus
>power in summer, even after running the air conditioning of the house.
I gather in the US spare power can be sold to the power companies.
Bill can't do that as he has no connection (8-)#
>
>It cost him about $4000 to cobble up, and will pay for itself in under 3
>years.
>
>And he always has plenty of hot water too.
Bill Cable (Nesqlug) has an even more ambitious setup.
He reads this so I won't go into too much detail.
His warning comment before I last stayed with him was 'We are not
typical Americans'
He built his own house in a Vermont forest, and all his services
(water/electricity/sewage) are his own.  He has a vast solar panel array
and a wind generator, which provide power for most of the year.  There
is a standby diesel generator for emergencies.  He even has a shop
(workshop for us Europeans) with a vast array of high power electrical
woodworking equipment, which run off DC lead/acid batteries.

He even has fresh running spring water out of a tap in the kitchen - I
was involved in the plumbing of that last year.


>
>For on-topicness, he monitors and controls it with an Atari ST, which has
>a 68000 processor. :o)
 and Bill runs his QLs off the storage batteries.


-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 17:05:48,  wrote:
(ref: )

>> That reminds me of Henry.  She used to sit on my QL way back
>> in 1994, as it was nice and warm (8-)#
>Sam is a living Van der Graaf generator. She goes near my computers, or
>me, and grounds herself. The shock - usually through her nose - makes
>her jump. I've actually seen the spark a few times - and felt it when
>I'm on the other end of it - it's quite a bolt!  :O)  She rolls over on
>the carpet building up the voltage.  I've been trying to think of a way
>to charge a battery off her, a kind of homemade cat-powered UPS...
>
>Sorry I'm getting a bit OT now!
At least I kept my comment genuinely on topic (do we have an acronym for
that - OT is genuinely ambiguous)




-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 14:35:52,  wrote:
(ref: )


>Alternatively, I might just leave well alone now I've got it working
>again, and tell the cat to tread lightly near it, instead of thundering
>up and down the stairs after her stuffed mouse.  ;O)
That reminds me of Henry.  She used to sit on my QL way back in 1994, as
it was nice and warm (8-)#



-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The future of SMSQ/E

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 03:29:10, Marcel Kilgus wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Certainly. But I'm not actually eager to do it, because it sounds like
>very hard work for me. Especially as I lack the development tools.
>Tony probably has debuggers that work over a serial link
Definitely.  The early non-working SMSQ for the Q40 I got came with that
- well before the screen driver was working.  In many ways, that ROM
version would be the best to use when hardware testing the boards, as TT
still does nothing at all on screen during the startup, other than clear
the screen (8-(#  On-screen data during boot is a very major help when
repairing std QLs.

Even nicer were the first strings I saw on my terminal screen:

ATZ
ATDT

... and then, after a keypress I forget (maybe just ENTER), signs of
QMON loading and the command line.

 so he even caters for remote debugging.
> and such,
>something when trying to write a new screen driver is no bad thing...
>I would probably have to implement it into QPC first, there I have
>better chances to debug.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Thu, 14 Mar 2002 at 09:26:51,  wrote:
(ref: )

>> What I did on the I/O cards that passed through me was remove
>> the metal
>> locating strip, and file the cutouts which screwed onto the D plugs so
>> that the card sat lower onto the board sockets.
>
>I loosened the nuts and found enough play in the metal strip to be able
>to slide it a couple of millimetres which was all it needed; however
>the remaining problem is the card doesn't sit close enough to the slots
>in the back panel to be able to screw it down without pulling on it to
>line it up with the screw hole. When I do that I can see the tension
>lifting the mainboard.  That is probably because the stand-off at the
>far end of the mainboard isn't high enough. For the time being I've
>left the card unscrewed so it can find its own position. It is clamped
>in place by the overlapping head of the screw holding the blank plate
>covering the slot below.  It's all back in the case now and was running
>lastnight for a couple of hours without problems.  I'll have to make
>sure I'm very careful when I try connecting a printer to the parallel
>port!

Great - looks like the real problem is found.
Sounds like your case is way out of spec.
Maybe a case for moving the studs a few mm nearer the back.  I assume
the misalignment is not enough to warrant drilling all new holes?
Maybe a very small cylindrical file would do the job - to make oval
looking holes:
   __
  (__)
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The future of SMSQ/E

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 13 Mar 2002 at 22:06:23, Marcel Kilgus wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>Yes, there definitely needs to be some additional utility because most
>people are not good in binary calculations...
Laurence Reeves is.  He had an amazing eye for binary, and I remember
him at one show looking at Minerva second screen, where the system
variables etc were displayed.  He could make very good sense of a lot of
it - even down to deciphering individual key presses.  It takes a very
special kind of mathematical mind, which few have.  I bet you do (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 13 Mar 2002 at 17:33:41,  wrote:
(ref: )

>> >Looks like a new box might be the solution.
>> It is more likely to be the height of the case stand-offs.
>> I found that this need to be very carefully set, otherwise
>> the I/O card
>> is not making proper contact with the socket.
>>
>I think you are definitely right about that.  As the card is screwed to
>the back panel it pulls along the top edge which will try to lift the
>furthest end out of the socket.
>The stand-offs supporting the rear (keyboard socket) edge of the
>mainboard are both brass threaded things, whereas the one at the
>opposite end is just a nylon spacer that clips into the hole in the
>mainboard and is suspended in a keyhole shaped slot in the case side
>panel (it's a tower case).
>When I reassemble it all tonight I'll see if I can make some
>adjustments.
What I did on the I/O cards that passed through me was remove the metal
locating strip, and file the cutouts which screwed onto the D plugs so
that the card sat lower onto the board sockets.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Wed, 13 Mar 2002 at 12:20:55,  wrote:
(ref: )

>Last night I removed the Q40 completely from its case and set it all up
>on the table. It ran all evening (about 3.5 hours) with not a flicker
>of interference on the monitor. Not even when I picked up the
>mainboard, or prodded (gently) the video RAM chips.  This suggests that
>when the mainboard is mounted in the case, with the I/O card screwed
>onto the back panel, the geometry of the case is putting the board
>under sufficient strain to move one or more chip pins in their sockets
>enough to break connection.  There were no metal objects trapped
>between the mainboard solder side and case.
>
>Looks like a new box might be the solution.
It is more likely to be the height of the case stand-offs.
I found that this need to be very carefully set, otherwise the I/O card
is not making proper contact with the socket.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] V6.01 beta 3 - Auto highlighting of address 'find' (want)

[Tony Firshman]

On  Tue, 12 Mar 2002 at 23:12:29, Tony Firshman wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>I see the 'Find:' entry in the Address Book does not auto-highlight when
>selected with text in.  If it did (like say the MSIE URL entry, and like
>almost any text entry field one can name) then it could autodelete.
>
>This could have saved me a lot of time in my search in the address book
>against another 500 name list (8-(#
>
>Maybe this applies elsewhere in TP?
Whoops - sorry, wrong area.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] V6.01 beta 3 - Auto highlighting of address 'find' (want)

[Tony Firshman]

I see the 'Find:' entry in the Address Book does not auto-highlight when
selected with text in.  If it did (like say the MSIE URL entry, and like
almost any text entry field one can name) then it could autodelete.

This could have saved me a lot of time in my search in the address book
against another 500 name list (8-(#

Maybe this applies elsewhere in TP?
-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] The future of SMSQ/E

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 20:43:19, Timothy Swenson wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>
>Point-and-click is OK for some things, but I find I can get files
>copied faster with a shell than by using two GUI file browsers and
>dragging and dropping between them, esp. for mass copying.
You said it - _both_ have their merits.
I too prefer command lines - well the Linux style.
However there are advantages in a GUI too - where there is often a
commonality of shortcuts keys, and as you said, one can more easily find
and launch applications.  The main advantage of the shell mentality is
that everything can be run form the command line - ie automated.
The worst thing about Windows environments is that programmers in the
main abandon command lines, and assume that there is always an educated
mouse to point and click.  Maddening.
Interestingly a lot of the Windows commonalties are not imposed on
programmers, but there is still a great number of command shortcuts
(CTRL-S CTRL-P for instance).

We should not move into a Little-enders and Big-enders war - that, you
remember, caused two separate nation states.  Mind you we could think of
Marcel as Gulliver here (8-)#

We need the both in one package with integration.  This would then be
one better than Windows, where it is very hard to, for instance, copy
from GUI to DOS and back.
>Luckily I learned touch typing years back in High School and I use it
>every day. The only problem I have is typing "copy file_txt" instead of
>"cp file_txt" when I'm at work.
Yes - and remember to add the space after cp (8-)#
>  I also find moving my right hand from the keyboard to the mouse, and
>back again, can slow things down.
That is what I like about the QL PE - the cursor keys/space/enter are a
complete substitute for a mouse.  I very rarely use the physical mouse
with the QL.  OK one needs a third button, but I have that as an ALT
key.  _much_ less intuitive under Windows.
> I've seen a real good Win2K person doing everything to administer a
>server without touching the mouse.
... but it is very easy to make very dramatic irrecoverable errors.
rm -rf * from the wrong part of the tree (8-)#

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Membranes

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 00:08:10, P Witte wrote:
(ref: <001801c1c946$aca80230$0100a8c0@gamma>)

>Al Feng writes:

>
>> I *know* (for example) that SMSQ/E is BETTER, but I doubt that I could be
>> convinced to buy it, now, without first seeing what it can/cannot do
>> compared to the plain-jane variant because what the enhanced version of
>> the OS can do still might not be what I want as a perceivable
>> improvement.
>
>Of course, if you only ever monotask Quill, there is little point in going
>for SMSQ/E, but apart from that there is no comparison. SMSQ/E will do any
>and everything QDOS will do, only better, and with less bugs. Youll never
>want to revert once you get to grips with it. Some programs may no longer
>work, but that is 'couse they never really worked in the first place, except
>that on the ol' QL it didnt show up! For most of these programs there will
>be modern equivalents or debugged and spruced up versions, probably freely
>available off the web or from one of the many libraries.
... and a small word for Minerva too - much the same can be said.
SMSQ/E is better now of course.

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] More lost QL Users

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 11:03:19, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <5162YX61ROSR3XA5RNUP3XLGRSM936.3c8cd547@quantum-central>)

>??? 11/3/2002 10:53:17 , ?/? Tony Firshman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ??:
>
>>It was about one of your mailers not adding the '>' indents on quoted
>>text, so that the whole email became pretty unreadable.
>>
>>It is nothing to do with the receiving mailer - these indents are
>>generated by the sending mailer, and received as literal text.
>>
>>
>
>I am pretty sure that you were referring to the mail headers not the
>'>'s (THat was one message sent by mistake in HTML only)
I wasn't (8-)#
Your email was pretty unreadable as your reply and my quoted text (which
was interleaved) had no indented '>'
You saw the indents in my reply as I added them manually!

-- 
 QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
  tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
   Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 11:12:05, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>At 11:04 ÐÌ 11/3/2002, you wrote:
>
>>I had a similar problem with my Q40, in my case was
>>related with the Ram Simm.
>>I removed it and cleaned carefully both the simm
>>contacts and the sockets.
>>I use alcohol to do it, it is an extremely difficult
>>operation clean the ram sockect contacts and I HAD TO
>>DO IT many time before solve the problem.
>>Hope this will help.
>>Ciao
>
>A contact cleaning "pen" might solve the problem a lot faster (There
>are some that have a tip small enough to fit into a RAM socket)
I was thinking of the simm, which has non-gold connectors.   A rubber is
OK for that.
I hadn't realised until Q40 that simms used two connectors for each
signal - sort of accepting the connections were dodgy.

-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
 tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 16:11:04,  wrote:
(ref: )

>> >That sounds pretty horrible to me :o(
>> I repeat
>> This is _exactly_ how the chips are designed.
>> They have the same pin layout as the GC/SGC memory chips, but are
>> longer.
>>
>> Not horrible in the slightest (8-)#
>It's a chip package I've never encountered before; I accept the pin
>layout is as designed.
Sorry - I assumed you had been through the QL/GC/SGC route.

>No, they are not horrible, they are exquisite (perhaps they are even
>available in a range of pretty colours) ;O)  :)
No - only black (8-)#

>Quick question on a related matter while I'm here:
>How can I make an ATX PSU supply power to the Q40 with its normal
>mainboard connector disconnected, i.e. not receiving its wakeup signal?
Connect PS-ON pin to GND.  You could be clever  and replace the existing
power momentary switch with an AT type switch.

Here is the layout with 'normal' colours:

3vDC3.3v sense  11  O/brown 1   orange  +3.3V
-12vDC  12  Blue2   orange +3.3V
GND 13  Black   3   black   GND
PS-ON   14  Green   4   red +5V
GND 15  Black   5   black   GND
GND 16  Black   6   Red +5v
GND 17  Black   7   Black   GND
-5V 18  white   8   GreyPower OK
+5V 19  red 9   purple  +5V SB
+5V 20  red 10  yellow  +12V

If formatting is upset, copy to an editor.  I have used TABS so all
should line up.



-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
 tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] More lost QL Users

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 15:58:38,  wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)


>The qcelt one is still alive, but the problem is with damn spam - I get
>about 1.8Mb of pure unadulterated rubbish into my inbox everyday, and
>unless I visit it daily to remove all the spam it quickly eats into my 2Mb
>mailbox limit, and when that happens emails bounce due to my mailbox space
>being exceeded. At the moment, I'm too busy to do that and can't access the
>web to get at hotmail during work hours - its usually after midnight when I
>get home :-((
>
>I am looking into other email accounts though these are still limited in
>Ireland - this is something I hope to cure when I leave the bank (at the
>start of April). The nice thing about hotmail is you can access it anywhere
>(even freebie airport terminals!) but thats about all I like about it
There are plenty of ways to reduce spam.

I have my from: and to: address as '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' and
don't quote my literal email address in my sig or on my web site.
You can't use that with hotmail.  Mind you I don't know why you mess
with that.  It is a real pain having to manage emails on-line, and it is
so slow.  Also I often get a burst of spam when emailing to hotmail
addresses.

Some people open a free account, and use that only for usenet etc.

The cardinal rule is never quote your literal address anywhere except
private emails.
Since doing this my spam is reducing dramatically.

-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
tony@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] More lost QL Users

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 10:41:27, Phoebus Dokos wrote:
(ref: <QL4NKYTVP3VPJIFY2ULJU86TSKEYT.3c8cd027@quantum-central>)

>??? 11/3/2002 10:30:12 , ?/? Tony Firshman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ??:
>
>>Darren Branagh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>    I am _sure_ this is a
> valid address, Darren
>
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Not for long - he has or is about to leave that address.
I used that one as well, which succeeded.
>
>BTW Tony: Is this mailer acceptable for Turnpike (I remember you had
>trouble with my other mailers ;-)
Fine.

It was about one of your mailers not adding the '>' indents on quoted
text, so that the whole email became pretty unreadable.

It is nothing to do with the receiving mailer - these indents are
generated by the sending mailer, and received as literal text.


-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
<1stname>@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 11:57:28, Norman Dunbar wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)

>-Original Message-
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 11:52 AM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: RE: Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?
>
>
>>> ... and the pins are
>>> bent close to the edge of the chip and appear to have been stretched
>>> about as far as they'll go to reach the sockets.
>
>That sounds pretty horrible to me :o(
I repeat
This is _exactly_ how the chips are designed.
They have the same pin layout as the GC/SGC memory chips, but are
longer.

Not horrible in the slightest (8-)#
-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
<1stname>@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

Re: [ql-users] Is there a Qdoctor in the house?

[Tony Firshman]

On  Mon, 11 Mar 2002 at 11:51:59,  wrote:
(ref: )

>> You don't actually say, but are your memory chips soldered or
>> socketed?
>>
>> If socketed, then check that all pins are properly located.
>The chips are socketed. The sockets are staggered, and the pins are
>bent close to the edge of the chip and appear to have been stretched
>about as far as they'll go to reach the sockets.
They have not been stretched - that is how they are designed (8-)#
>  I did check that they
>were all located in their sockets but I can't tell whether they are all
>making sound contact.  It will also be difficult to check whether any
>of the pins have broken where they emerge from the chip, because the
>chips are mounted close together.
Pull them all out, and start form scratch.
It is most likely to be video ram, as you say the system is actually
working.  It could be bad contact on two Lattice chips near hte video
socket.

-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
<1stname>@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG

[ql-users] More lost QL Users

[Tony Firshman]

It is amazing how quickly email addresses die - it is a real pain
keeping them up to date as a mere handful contact me with changes.
Only two weeks since the last emailshot.

I don't apologise for boring you yet again, as these email 'ads' are
going to be the QL lifeline I think.  None of us traders can afford to
spend any of our losses on grand publicity (8-(#

Can anyone help with these:

Phil Sprotson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Stan Canton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Darren Branagh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>    I am _sure_ this is a
 valid address, Darren
Andy Barber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
   He has also 'gone away' from his Anerley Address

Graham Wall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> (spuddy is dead)


-- 
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
<1stname>@,demon.co.uk  http://www.firshman.demon.co.uk
  Voice: +44(0)1442-828254   Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
   TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG