-=> /* Quoting Lynn Nash to Frank Sexton */ <=-
 FS> How was IBM able to build more than one machine the
 FS> same if there were no specs?  I thought they had XT
 FS> specs and AT specs that they went by and that these
 FS> were eventually adopted by "clone" makers.
 LN> He is right, there were official XT spec's but there
 LN> were no official AT specs.
Perhaps I should have used the phrase "accepted AT buss
standards" instead of official.  The history lesson was
interesting.  So, IBM thought the AT would last about one
year eh... (grin).
My only point was that virtually everyone (software and
hardware folks) conform to the COM1 and COM2 address (and
IRQ) standards (de facto or not).  But that many video card
manufacturers do not feel the need to adjust their
addressing requirements so as not to interfere with the
operation of COM4.  This can sometimes cause trouble for
COM4 users with certain video cards.
-Frank
(fsexton@xpert.net - http://www.concentric.net/~fsexton)
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