Volume 2, Number 42 2 December 1985 +----------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | - Fidonews - /|oo \ | | (_| /_) | | Fido and Fidonet _`@/_ \ _ | | Users Group | | \ \\ | | Newsletter | (*) | \ )) | | ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +----------------------------------------------------------+ Publisher: Fido 1/1 Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson Review Editor: Allen Miller Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 1/1. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in Fidonews. Article submission standards are contained in the file FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 1/1. Disclaimer or don't-blame-us: The contents of the articles contained here are not our responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them; everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING received. Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL Why Do We Do This? 2. NEWS On the Interests of Fido: A Collection Proposal History of the World Free Holiday FidoGrams IBM's Latest Tricks: Token-Ring, etc. 3. COLUMNS FASTBACK Commerical Backup Software 4. WANTED Fido Art Contest 5. FOR SALE Spiv's Great Computer Sale --These Things Must go! 6. NOTICES The Interrupt Stack SPECIAL NOTICE for DEC Fido Users and Sysops ============================================================ EDITORIAL ============================================================ Why Do We Do This? Why run a board? What do you get out of it? I guess every sysop starts out as a user. After playing on other peoples' boards all hours of the night, running up enourmous phone bills in the process, one reaches the point where the only thing left to do is to be a sysop. But, having done it for a month or two, why keep at it? The nature of BBS users seems to be changing somewhat. From what I gather, the user who feels that BBSing is his God given right is becoming something of a minority. Users in general seem to be a much nicer crowd than the often used to be. But still, what is so great about being a sysop that anyone keeps doing it? Could computers possibly be addicting? I once thought so; perhaps I still do. I remember when I was in college I spent more time in the computer room than in my own dorm. Sometimes I'd sit at the terminal (we used a mainframe then, anybody remember them?) staring at the screen, trying to think of something interesting to do. The strangest time was about a month before I graduated. I'd sit down at the tube and get a weird feeling of detachment. After all, in a short time I'd be leaving, and I'd probably never see that system again. (I was wrong, but that's another story.) What's the point of writing something you'll never use? I figured out something to do anyway. We'd had reputations as hackers there, so we spent the last month showing them all the things we could have done, but hadn't. But that's beside the point. Take now for example. At this moment it is a little past two in the morning. I could be in bed now, asleep. Why am I at the keys instead? The best I can come up with is that some people are "into it", and will go to almost any lengths to feed their obsession. The condition may well be incurable. ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 2 2 Dec 1985 ============================================================ NEWS ============================================================ ============================== ON THE INTERESTS OF FIDO: A COLLECTION PROPOSAL TO ALL. By Christopher Baker, Sysop, Metro-Fire Fido, 135/14 ============================== Kurt Reisler's idea of centralizing the collection of information on where various versions of the Fido system can be found has spawned an imitator (the SINCEREST form of flattery, Kurt) with a similar plan to collect a different bunch of information. When I show someone the FidoList, their first reaction is amazement. The next question they ask is "What do all those people do on all those systems?". I give them the general low-down on Fido and how the Net operates, but they want to know what each node is into, specifically. There is a small amount of information to be gained from perusing the titles of the nodes but what would the uninitiated make of 'YAFIP' (109/610), for example? For that matter, what would the seasoned Fidoite make of it? With this info as background and for the sake of idle curiosity, I propose the following: 1. Any and all members of the Network send a FidoMail message to me with a capsule summary of the main thrust of their board and a list of the types of computers they support with files and/or message areas. 2. All nodes submitting this info also include any unique or specialty areas of interest they support, i.e., Fire/Rescue, Amateur Radio, Equestrians, Antique Autos, U.F.O. Observations, etc. In turn, I will compile all the info that comes in and make the resulting file available to FidoNews or other Fidos by FidoMail or download. So, send those cards and letters folks and let's find out what kind of resources we really have in this Network. FidoMail your responses to: Metro-Fire Fido, 135/14, (305) 596-8611; the more the merrier. Thanks in advance for your assistance. ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 3 2 Dec 1985 HISTORY OF THE WORLD As mistaken by students The following article appeared in the USENET jokes group. I hope you enjoy it. From: gkloker@utai.UUCP (Geoff Loker) Newsgroups: net.jokes Subject: History of the World Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto Thanks to those of you who responded to my request for the History of the World as mistaken by students. Here it is: The following was taken without permission from The Wilson Quarterly, which is sort of a Reader's Digest for intelligent people. The article was assembled from papers submitted by freshmen history students at a Canadian university. The lead-in the the article as published in The Wilson Quarterly speculated that the long-suffering professor who originally assembled this work did it as an act of vengeance. As you read it, consider the possibility that the person or people with whom you share an office may be among the students who unknowingly contributed to this article. All mis- spellings are from the original. History, as we know, is always bias, because human beings have to be studied by other human beings, not by independent observers of another species. During the Middle Ages, everbody was middle aged. Church and state were co-operatic. Middle Evil society was made up of monks, lords and surfs. It is unfortunate that we do not have a medivel European laid out on a table before us, ready for dissection. After a revival of infantile com- merce slowly creeped into Europe, merchants appeared. Some were sitters and some were drifters. They roamed from town to town exposing themselves and organized big fairies in the countryside. Mideval people were violent. Murder during this period was nothing. Everybody killed someone. England fought numerously for land in France and ended up wining and losing. The Crusades were a series of military expaditions made by Christians seeking to free the holy land (the "Home Town" of Christ) from the Islams. In the 1400 hundreds most Englishmen were perpendicu- lar. A class of yeowls arose. Finally, Europe caught the Black Death. The bubonic plague is a social disease in that it can be transmitted by intercourse and other etceteras. It was spread from port to port by inflected rats. Victims of the Black Death grew boobs on their necks. The plague also helped the emergence of the English language as the Fidonews Page 4 2 Dec 1985 national language of England, France and Italy. The Middle Ages slimpared to a halt. The renasence bolted in from the blue. Life reeked with joy. Italy became robust, and more individuals felt the value of the human being. Italy, of course, was much closer to the rest of the world, thanks to northern Europe. Man was deter- mined to civilise himself and his brothers, even if heads had to roll! It became sheik to be educated. Art was on a more associated level. Europe was full of incredable churches with great art bulging out their doors. Renais- sance merchants were beautiful and almost lifelike. The Reformation happened when German nobles resented the idea that tithes were going to Papal France or the Pope thus enriching Catholic coiffures. Traditions had become oppressive so they too were crushed in the wake of man's quest for ressurection above the not-just-social beast he had become. An angry Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door. Theologically, Luthar was into reorientation mutation. Calvinism was the most convenient religion since the days of the ancients. Anabaptist services tended to be migratory. The Popes, of course, were usually Catholic. Monks went right on seeing themselves as worms. The last Jesuit priest died in the 19th century. After the refirmation were wars both foreign and infer- nal. If the Spanish could gain the Netherlands they would have a stronghold throughout northern Europe, which would include their posetions in Italy, Burgangy, central Europe and India thus serrounding France. The German Emperor's lower passage was blocked by the French for years and years. Louis XIV became King of the Sun. He gave the people food and artillery.If he didn't like someone, he sent them to the gallows to row for the rest of their lives. Vauban was the royal minister of flirtation. In Russia the 17th century was known as the time of the bounding of the serfs. Russian nobles wore clothes only to humour Peter the Great. Peter filled his government with accidental people and built a new capital near the European boarder. Orthodox priests became government antennae. The enlightenment was a reasonable time. Voltare wrote a book called Candy that got him into trouble with Frederick the Great. Philosophers were unknown yet, and the fundamen- tal stake was one of religious toleration slightly confused with defeatism. France was in a very serious state. Taxa- tion was a great drain on the state budget. The French revolution was accomplished before it happened. The revolu- tion evolved through monarchial, republican and tolarian phases until it catapulted into Napoleon. Napoleon was ill with bladder problems and was very tense and unrestrained. History, a record of things left behind by past genera- tions, started in 1815. Throughout the comparatively redi- cal years 1815-1870 the western European continent was undergoing a Rampant period of economic modification. Fidonews Page 5 2 Dec 1985 Industrialization was precipitating in England. Problems were so complexicated in Paris, out of a city population of one million people, two million able bodies were on the loose. Great Britain, the USA and other European countrys had demicratic leanings. The middle class was tired and needed a rest. The old order could see the lid holding down new ideas beginning to shake. Among the goals of the chartists were universal suferage and an anal parliment. Voting was to be done by ballad. A new time zone of national unification roared over the horizon. Founder of the new Italy was Cavour, an intelli- gent Sardine from the north. Nationalism aided Itally because nationalisn is the growth of an army. We can see that nationalism succeeded for Itally because of France's big army. Napoleon III-IV mounted the French thrown. One thinks of Napoleon III as a live extension of the late, but great, Napoleon. Here too was the new Germany: loud, bold, vulgar and full of reality. Culture fomented from Europe's tip to its top. Richard Strauss, who was violent but methodical like his wife made him, plunged into vicious and perverse plays. Dramatized were adventures in seduction and abortion. Music reeked with reality. Wagner was master of music, and people did not forget his contribution. When he died, they labeled his seat "historical". Other countries had their own artists. France had Chekhov. World War I broke out around 1912-1914. Germany was on one side of France and Russia was on the other. At war peo- ple get killed and then they aren't people any more, but friends. Peace was proclaimed at Versigh, which was attended by George Loid, Primal Minister of England. President Wilson arrived with 14 pointers. In 1937 Lenin revolted Russia. Communism raged among the peasants, and the civil war "team colours" were red and white. Germany was displaced after WWI. This gave rise to Hitler. Germany was morbidly overexcited and unbalanced. Berlin became the decadent capital where all forms of sexual deprivations were practised. A huge anti-semantic movement arose. Attractive slogans like "death to all Jews" were used by governmental groups. Hitler remilitarized the Rine- land over a squirmish between Germany and France. The appeasers were blinded by the great red of the Soviets. Moosealini rested his foundations on eight million bayonets and invaded Hi Lee Salasy. Germany invaded Poland, France invaded Belgium, and Russia invaded everybody. War screeched to an end when a nukuleer explosion was dropped on Heroshima. A whole generation had been wipe out in two world wars, and the forlorne families were left to pick up the peaces. According to Fromm, individuation began historically in medieval times. This was a period of small childhood. Fidonews Page 6 2 Dec 1985 There is increasing experience as adolescence experiences its life development. The last stage is us. *** Posted to FidoNews by David Messer - SYSOP Fido 14/415 ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 7 2 Dec 1985 ::::::::::::::::::::::::: :FREE HOLIDAY FIDOGRAMS : ::::::::::::::::::::::::: Luck Hurder - 101/105 Thanksgiving is now over it seems, and those of us who pro- ided you with free Thanksgiving Fidograms want you to know a thing or three. First off, the Amateur Radio networks would have been busy enough this week, thank you, sending "Happy Turkey Day" messages and the like to thousands of people around the country. That was even before Fido began wagging his tail into the picture! Now that more and more users of Fidonet are becoming aware of the link with Amateur Radio that allows them virtually unlimited free telegrams, we expect the radio end of things to bulge a bit at the seams. After all, Fido users are a discerning lot, no? And I suspect they're mostly like me - (cheap/chintzy/tight!); able to spot a freebie when they glimpse one. The point we're getting at (ever so slowly) is that you shouldn't wait a day longer. Dig out your little black books and send your Xmas Fidograms today. Now - before you forget. Waiting any longer will only put that much more of a strain on our system for the holiday crunch! Secondly, try to keep in mind what the text of your Fido- grams will sound like when they're delivered to the recipient. Lines of basic programming, and cute little jingles like "Roses are red, violets are blue, today's the day for turkeys like you" lose much of their value (?) when delivered by a total stranger over the phone. Finally - in years past we've had the miserable experience of being asked on December 24th to deliver large volumes of message traffic in time for Christmas. Ditto for sweet nothings during the evening of February 13th. Do all of us a favor - be thinking of who you want Christmas Fidograms to go to - during November. For Valentine's day, birthdays and other important dates, plan early. We'll gladly accept them here at 101/105 many weeks in advance, and will relay them to the city of destination to be held until the date you specify. Granted, the tone of this week's Fidogram article has been a bit negative. It's just that while we feel comfortable knowing that the majority of your free Fidograms are being delivered promptly and usually within the time frame that you expected, there are always a few who fail to understand the "labor intensiveness" of our networks. Help us to help you with your holiday Fidograms - send 'em early! Fidonews Page 8 2 Dec 1985 For more info on Fidograms or the Amateur Radio networks that handle them for you, contact me by Fidomail @ 101/105. ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 9 2 Dec 1985 There's more than a Token-Ring LAN in IBM's latest announcements by Robert E. Spivack Spiv's Fido Net #143 Node #3 (408) 972-8164 A few weeks ago IBM formally announced their worst kept secret, the IBM Token-Ring Local Area Network. (Coincidentally, Intel also announced their own worst kept secret, the 80386 microprocessor chip.) By most accounts, it was a simple, one-product announcement legitimizing the rumors that have persisted in the industry for the past few years. In reality, IBM announced a multitude of new products, some of them complementary to the Token-Ring LAN, and others entirely unrelated. Careful perusal of the official IBM literature (unofficially called "ivories" because of the pure white paper used) reveals several exciting products in new areas for IBM. First of all, some clarification. The actual Token-Ring LAN consists of four new products: the IBM Token-Ring Network PC Adapter (part #6339100), the IBM Token-Ring Network Multistation Access Unit (part #6091014), the IBM Token-Ring Network NETBIOS Program (part #6467037), and the Advanced Program-to-Program Communication Software APPC/PC (part #6467038). As you might have guessed, the Token-Ring Network PC Adapter is the actual, full size board that plugs into the IBM PC and provides the hardware for the network. The Token-Ring Network Multistation Access Unit is a rack-mountable cabinet that links up to 8 PC's and itself can be linked to other MAU units. Physically, PC's on the IBM network are wired together in groups to a centralized wiring box, the above mentioned MAU. (In network lingo, the IBM network is a physical star topology; the IBM network "ring" is a logical construct, one that exists in the software that drives the network.) The actual cost of linking each PC into the network is therefore the cost of the individual Token-Ring Adapter board and 1/8 of the cost of the required MAU. The rationale for this setup is that it is very reliable and easy to install. The MAU is an active device (powered by electricity) and is smart enough to disconnect any one of the individual PC's linked to it if they are malfunctioning. Thus, in a large network, any PC can be turned off or break and not cause the entire network to stop working. This is quite different from Ethernet (for example) where a problem in one PC can sometimes crash the entire network. In fact, the IBM scheme is very similar to business telephones. If you look at the wiring in any office complex you will find that groups of telephones have their wires drawn to a central wiring box which is usually hidden in a Fidonews Page 10 2 Dec 1985 closet. In a surprise addition to the product announcement, IBM stated that as an alternative to expensive coaxial cable, the Token-Ring LAN can also utilize normal telephone wiring. Further, IBM stated that in many cases existing, already installed telephone wire can be used for the network. Thus, installing an IBM Token-Ring Network might be as easy as putting a MAU in a telephone cabinet and connecting up the wires that already exist, but are unused. IBM also announced that it will offer a service program where IBM will inspect/test already existing telephone wire and certify whether it can be used with the IBM network. When one begins to realize that the cost of installing the network cables is often the only real cost of networking (labor and materials for coaxial cables adds up quickly) this shows clearly that IBM understands why everyone has been slow to accept networking until now. The Token-Ring Network NETBIOS Program, although a separate software product, is an intrinsic part of the new network. When IBM introduced its first network, the IBM/Sytek broadband "PC Network" it created a well-defined hardware/software interface called the NETBIOS (for NETwork Basic Input Output System). The NETBIOS provides a way for third party software developers to write programs and be guaranteed that their programs will continue to run on new IBM hardware. The NETBIOS is very similar in concept to the original IBM PC BIOS which provided a standard interface for direct control of the hardware in the IBM PC. The release of the NETBIOS software is very important for two reasons. First of all, it demonstrates that IBM truly is committed to an open network interface. All software developed for the IBM/Sytek PC Network that uses only the NETBIOS interface will execute properly on the new Token- Ring LAN through the NETBIOS. Secondly, the NETBIOS is software, not firmware. By providing the NETBIOS as a separate program on diskette, IBM is free to enhance its internal workings, add functions, improve its performance, etc. and can simply issue a new diskette with the changes. By comparison, the IBM/Sytek PC Network includes the NETBIOS software as part of a PROM (programmable read-only memory) on the network adapter board. Changing PROM chips, although feasible, is much more difficult and expensive. Additionally, the release of NETBIOS software from IBM validates what AST Research has already done. For the past several months, AST Research, a leader in multifunction add- ons for the IBM PC, has been marketing its own NETBIOS software for OEM's. IBM's continuing use of the NETBIOS approach should bring a wave of customers to AST Research wishing to develop their own networking products that are Fidonews Page 11 2 Dec 1985 NETBIOS compatible without having to spend the time to write a NETBIOS themselves. (Gee Tom, will Phoenix Software let AST Research gain a foothold here?) The final part of the Token-Ring announcement, Advanced Program-to-Program Communication Software (APPC/PC), is only partially related to the network products. APPC/PC is a major part of IBM's communications software and is more commonly known as LU 6.2. By bringing LU 6.2 software to the IBM PC, IBM is providing the foundation for third party developers to finally provide true micro-to-mainframe software solutions. APPC/PC includes a clearly defined API (application program interface). If third party software developers use the API then IBM or other companies are free to improve the hardware used for networking or data communications without applications software having to adjust. Until now, micro-to-mainframe solutions for PC's have focused on solving the hardware problems of linking to mainframes. Products such as DCA's IRMA, or CXI's PCOX do a good job of bridging the hardware differences but provided only rudimentary services beyond strick 3278 terminal emulation. APPC/PC with LU 6.2 capability sets the stage for much more sophisticated applications. Imagine a database program such as dBASE-III or R:Base that, transparently to the user, can automatically query information on the corporate mainframe as easily as on the PC that it is running on! ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 12 2 Dec 1985 * To NEC or not to NEC INTEL 8088 verses the NEC V20 Is the NEC V20 better than Intel's 8088 and do we care? Yes I know, that seems to be all we see in Fidonews these days, but that's the reason for one more article. We all have heard how great the NEC V20 is and how Intel is suing NEC for copying the 8088. But if the NEC chip wasn't better I'm sure Intel wouldn't be suing, but if the NEC chip is better then how can Intel claim that it is copy? While trying to come up with something interesting I decided to run CPUID.COM (a cpu identifier program). CPUID told me that my Intel 8088 was a version 1.38 8088. It also told me that my 80286 cpu was a ver 1.38 80286. Now the interesting part came when it told me that the NEC V20 was a ver 1.38 8088. But to the reason I'm writing this. Many people have run comparisons and come up with many different results so I decided to confuse the issue even more. I decided to time both Intel's 8088 ver 1.38 and the NEC V20 at both 4.77 Mhz and 8 MHz in a Sperry PC with 640 K and Tulin TL240 hard disk with an 80 millisecond access time. To be able to test both the computing time and the ability to handle IO operations I decided to archive PCBOARD with LU.EXE thrown in by mistake, using ARC44.EXE. I felt that this would force the CPU to do as many different operations as possible and still keep the test simple. PCBOARD consist of 414227 K of 83 separate files. ARC44 libraries and compresses files the most efficient way, some are squeezed, some are compressed, crushed, ect. The Archived file was 260786 K, a savings of 153441 K of disk space. (A small pitch for ARC). I also decided to do the same test on a Sperry IT with a 80286 CPU to compare clock rates. The Sperry can be run at 6 Mhz 1 wait state (the standard IBM AT rate), 7.16 Mhz, 0 wait state, and 8 Mhz, 1 wait state. Interestingly enough, the wait states affect the processing time more then the clock rate. For those that wish to compare the IT time to the standard Sperry, it must be noted that the IT's hard disk has a 30 millisecond access time. I don't believe a truly accurate comparison can be made, and I didn't do it by floppy because of the file size (I did that on purpose). As you will see, there was only an effective nine percent increase of power, although when CPU.COM was run it said the NEC V20 was running at a lightning 19.47 Mhz. Even if the performance of the NEC V20 CPU doesn't warrant upgrading your 8088, there is one last tidbit to throw out. Digital Research has released under I believe the Shareware concept a program called V20-80.COM, which allows you to run CPM 80 on your IBM/Compatable PC, and Intel still Fidonews Page 13 2 Dec 1985 thinks both CPU's are the same? To think you can have all this for less then a box of diskettes or more precisely $20.00. The following are the results I obtained. MACHINE, CPU, ARCHIVE TIME % INCREASE AND SPEED PCBOARD ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry PC 8088 @ 4.77 Mhz | 22 min 45 sec | Reference ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry PC 8088 @ 8 Mhz | 17 min 15 sec | 24 percent ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry PC NEC V20 @ 4.77 Mhz | 20 min 45 sec | 9 percent ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry PC NEC V20 @ 8 Mhz | 15 min 45 sec | 31 percent ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry IT 80286 @ 6 Mhz, 1 ws | 6 min 5 sec | Reference ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry IT 80286 @ 7.16 0 ws | 4 min 10 sec | 31 percent ------------------------------------------------------------ Sperry IT 80286 @ 8 Mhz 1 ws | 4 min 50 sec | 21 percent ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 14 2 Dec 1985 ============================================================ COLUMNS ============================================================ Allen Miller, 108/10 FASTBACK Backup Software FASTBACK is a $179 copy-protected program from Fifth Generation Systems that provides an alternative to the DOS BACKUP/RESTORE utilities. It greatly reduces the time to backup a hard disk and gives greater functionality to the restore operation. Since it greatly reduces the amount of time required to backup a hard disk, it may also increase the likelyhood that users will backup their data. FASTBACK can be run with command line parameters supplied, similar to the way one would execute DOS BACKUP. In addition, it will provide full English prompts for parameters if no command line parameter is supplied or the parameters can be stored in a DOS text file for repeated use. FASTBACK uses its own diskette format and will format backup diskettes on the fly as it does its backup 'run'. If you have a personal computer with two similar diskette drives, it will alternate between the two drives so you can change one diskette while it writes the other diskette. Interestingly, FASTBACK keeps the floppy disk drive spinning continuously during its backup run thus eliminating the time required to get the drive up to speed after each diskette is inserted. FASTBACK will create a 'catalogue' file on your hard disk of all the files that have been backed up and update it as successive partial backups are performed. This enables it to GREATLY improve on the restore type operation. Without inserting any of your backup diskettes, it is able to present you with a directory of all the backed up files with full scrolling and searching capabilities. You can selectively restore a file and FASTBACK will know exactly which diskette to prompt you for. Now for the neat part. The first time you use FASTBACK and write to your diskettes the execution time is longer than successive runs when FASTBACK does not have to also format the diskettes. FASTBACK requires about the same number of diskettes to backup a given amount of data as would DOS BACKUP, however it is FAST. I backed up an XT at a rate of 1.2 mb/min. On my AT, I was able to backup my entire hard disk (which contained 17.9 meg of data) in 9 minutes and 24 seconds or 1.9 mb/min. Imagine - NINE MINUTES FOR 18 MEG. ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 15 2 Dec 1985 ============================================================ WANTED ============================================================ \\/// W a n t e d : Fido Art /=##=\ <_\ |_> In the search for cultural enhancement _ =\@' SportFido, 115/512, will be hosting a Fido // / | Art contest. It is open to all artist and \\/) ||| pictures of all sorts are welcome, but they (__)|_)) must contain only CHARACTER or ANSI graphics, SportFido (no other kind will be accepted). The collection of pictures will be on display on my board and in a month or so there will be a vote taken by my users and a winner will be deturmined. He or she will recieve a grand prize (probably a box of disks or something along those lines). Any Fido pictures from artistic sysops who have made special Fido welcomes are especially welcome. PLEASE send all entries via FidoNet with a title and name of artist to: 115/512.Winner will be notified through the Node from which the picture as sent, please include it also. Paul Hansen (Sysop, SportFido 115/512) 312/598-0525 (Only those who call can vote.) ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 16 2 Dec 1985 ============================================================ FOR SALE ============================================================ From: Robert E. Spivack Sysop Spiv's Fido Net #143 Node #3 (Formerly 10/346) (408) 972-8164 I have recently re-arranged my system(s) and have the following hardware for sale: BABY BLUE: This is a CP/M-80 emulation board for the IBM PC and compatibles. Great for maintaining the ability to run CP/M- 80 programs while getting rid of an old CP/M system. TECMAR MULTIFUNCTION BOARD: I forgot the exact name but this is the one with 384 KB of memory, battery backed-up clock, one RS-232 serial port and one Centronics parallel port. Includes full instruction manual and a diskette full of Tecmar utility software. 3COM ETHERNET CONTROLLER BOARD: This is a complete Ethernet local area network controller board. I'm sorry, but I don't have a copy of the manual. This board is great for someone already running 3Com Etherseries network or Novell Netware/3Com. You'll have to know what you're doing and already be a network user, but I'll give you a great deal! NESTAR NETWORK INTERFACE CONTROLLER ("NICS"): I've got a few of these boards that I picked up at a local computer swap meet. If you are running any kind of NESTAR local area network (PLAN 2000, PLAN 3000, or PLAN 4000) you'll find these handy. It's a great way to expand your network at a low cost. Same scenario as above, no manual, no documentation, not for the novice, but a great opportunity for someone already using NESTAR's token bus network setup. IBM TOPVIEW SOFTWARE: If you want to play around with multi-tasking, I've got a brand new, shrink-wrapped copy of IBM's Topview. It may not be perfect, but it beats waiting for Pc-DOS 4.0 or 5.0 to come out. IBM DATA EDITION: I've also got a copy of this one. It is IBM's file-oriented database manager designed to be part of the "IBM Personal Decision Series" but is also a complete standalone system. I'm just an addicted dBASE-III fan, but some of you might find a home for this well-documented file management system. OLDIE BUT GOODIE SOFTWARE: Here's a few items I have collected and are now sitting on my shelf taking up precious space. (All include the original master disks, full documentation, and an "as is" warrantee.) Fidonews Page 17 2 Dec 1985 VERSAFORM -- The forms oriented database package DATAFAX -- A Freeform, text search database system VISISCHEDULE -- Remember the guys who wrote Visicalc? This is the PC version of their acclaimed project s/w WHY THERE ARE NO PRICES LISTED FOR ANY OF THIS STUFF: I am a horsetrader and I know the fair market value (or retail price) of these items. I bet some of you do too! So if you're willing to take a chance and make and offer, I'll consider it. The first offer that meets my own desired selling price will be accepted. So, the risk for offering a very low price is NOT being able to buy it, and the risk for offering a very high price is guaranteeing the purchase but perhaps paying a little more than you had to. As they say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained". Why not take a risk and FidoNet me a message with an offer on any of these exciting items? (You can also call my Fido directly, but please bear in mind it is a semi-private system: Simply leave your message as a private one to the Sysop.) ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 18 2 Dec 1985 ============================================================ NOTICES ============================================================ The Interrupt Stack 9 Dec 1985 DECUS Anaheim. The first session (Roadmap session) of the PC Special Interest Group will meet at 11:30 in the PC Campground (Bonita Tower, Santa Cruz room). See you there... 24 Jan 1986 Voyager 2 passes Uranus. 9 Feb 1986 Halley's Comet reaches perihelion. 9 Feb 1986 Diana Overholt (109/74) has another birthday. 11 Apr 1986 Halley's Comet reaches perigee. 19 May 1986 Steve Lemke's next birthday. 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune. If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to Fido 1/1. ------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL NOTICE for DEC FIDO USERS AND SYSOPs The DECUS PC SIG in cooperation with a number of the Rainbow FIDO SYSOP's are planning to run a Fido at the national DECUS Meeting to be held the week of December 7th, 1985 in Anaheim, California. The node number is listed as private in the current nodelist.333 as Fido 102/555 DECUS_Anaheim. The SYSOP recruited for the week is Fritz Howard who runs the Hitch Hikers Guide at 102/23. The board will be using a Rainbow 100+ donated by DEC. If you are running a DEC Rainbow Fido or have DEC users on your board we ask that you permit them to send FidoNet Mail to 102/555. The can be done by giving those users credit or setting the message cost for 102/555 to $0.00. This is a great opportunity for your DEC users to find out what's going on at DECUS or perhaps ask questions to some of the DEC experts that will be attending. Fidonews Page 19 2 Dec 1985 We ask that you place a notice in your bulletin to let your users know about DECUS_Anaheim and remind them that this board will only be running Mail for one week during DECUS. If you are planning to attend DECUS and would like to help out please send a message to Fritz Howard at 102/23. Ken Kaplan SYSOP Fido 100/22 ------------------------------------------------------------ Fidonews Page 20 2 Dec 1985