1237a0ba3efc
tech



Hello Wayne - 

--8<--cut 

CA>> The upside is that it is often interesting to see familiar
CA>> software zooming along on faster hardware. Takes some
CA>> getting used to (for me). 

WC> Well loading software is still limited by the antique
WC> Seagate drive. 

Yes, the hard drive is the weak link in all of our systems
unfortunately. 

WC> On the upside I've found the 40X CD-ROM is operational and
WC> I've set it up on IDE 1 so it's not slaved to IDE 0
WC> limiting the speed of my new drive when I obtain it. Looks
WC> like by tomorrow sometime I should be able to slap the
WC> Sound card in and have precisely the same operability that
WC> I had before. My Old Creative CD-ROM was 2X. 

I've mixed feelings about those numbers quoted for CD rom drive
speeds. They aren't 'real' numbers but some sort of derived
number or average access rate or possibly maximum. I don't pay
much attention to them. 

CA>> btw: I remembered to try www.dell.com using Netscape v4.08
CA>> here and it does load the homepage. I didn't 'look around'
CA>> though. Often these graphics intensive websites will load
CA>> their webpage but then get REALLY fancy if you try to use
CA>> any other pages and _that_ will crash my browser. :-\ 

WC> I've radically increased my cache RAM and disk cache but
WC> still opening several pages on Tom's Hardware site will
WC> provoke a crash. 

Some websites are just fubar'd beyond belief. I viewed the
source HTML for www.juge.com and it's apparently generated by a
program of some sort (the HTML is quite laughable) and won't
display anything but the title/logo when using Opera v3.62. :-\ 

CA>> Funny in a way, that those who attempt to sell new
CA>> hardware use websites that older legacy systems can't
CA>> access or not for long enough to find anything. They only
CA>> want to sell to the 'elite' I guess? 

WC> It's getting so the peripherals being sold new are almost
WC> entirely dependent on cutting edge equipment :-( 

When building faster automobiles was popular I used to ask
young people how good their brakes were. This annoyed them a
great deal. 

Now I ask people what they will _do_ with all this new computer
equipment. It annoys them a great deal. 

WC> A new hard drive will soon go into this machine and that
WC> and perhaps a new I/O card supporting higher tranfer rates
WC> should make a significant difference in system performance. 

I'm not aware of an I/O card that can increase hard drive
transfer rates. It seems dependent on the bus speed and size of
the cache on the controller. I am told anything above 2meg
cache on a hard drive controller is overkill though. 

WC> This system _will_ take a faster processor but I *can't*
WC> get to the underside of the board where the boards model
WC> number is to research it as this would mean tearing down
WC> the entire system something I'm unwilling to do with no
WC> backup :-( I can gain marginally increased performance,
WC> double the speed, using information on a sticker on the
WC> inside of the case. 

Heat being the enemy of electronics I would say "The candle
that burns twice as bright burns half as long". 

WC> When I get a backup system I shall tear it all the way down
WC> and get that model number and do a google search.
WC> Unfortunately all my work configuring X-Windows for the
WC> other video chip set just flew out the Window and I don't
WC> yet know if the old Slackware release I've loaded on hda4
WC> will detect it, doubtful so I'll just format and upgrade to
WC> 8.1. Only secured the CD with one screw so I can move it
WC> forward when I go out Monday to purchase a new CMOS battery. 

Roy uses small wooden wedges you can push in and pull them out.
No screwdriver required. ;-) 

WC> Come March it's a definate I'll have a new 60 gig drive in
WC> this very machine. Another neato thing is this machine's
WC> BIOS has a CD-boot option 

I guess that will help with Linux 'distros' when you lose it
and become a linux freak that must reinstall each week and try
every distro you can get your hands on. ;-) 

WC> however what's not so good is I've not been able to find a
WC> driver for the ATI video card for Win 3.1 as there doesn't
WC> appear to be one :-( So I've actually less graphics
WC> capability than when it was on the 486. 

I have ATI video here and, to be honest, can't recall if there
are any for W31 or not? I am using the W31 generic driver at
800x600x256 and it's not that bad really. I have one of the
oldest ATI vid cards, the 1024, which predates the 'wonder'
series. There are places you can look depending what model ATI
you have. 

WC> In Linux should I get X-Win running in March on the new
WC> drive I'll install a complete Linux 8.1 Sad too is the fact
WC> the PCI software modem doesn't have a DOS or Win 3.1 driver
WC> but it DOES have a Linux driver :-) 

If it was an ISA soft-modem (I assume you mean Rockwell) it
would have both DOS and W31 drivers. 

WC> Only one thing remains of the original Packard Bell in this
WC> "Dempsy Dumpster" PC and that's the SoundBlaster sound card
WC> that I shall hookup to the CD-ROM tomorrow. This machine
WC> has room for three hard drives in addition to the CD-ROM
WC> bay. Basic Linux correctly ID'ed the 40X CD-ROM. This
WC> machine should successfully deal with MP3's 

Ah, then you can critique my MP3 files. :-) 

Two of the recordings I maintain at my website were selected by
the US Library of Congress to be preserved as "...collections
of sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or
aesthetically significant..." in their first 50 selections. Not
MY own personal versions but the same selections. I am very
happy that they agree with two of my choices. 

One is a recording of "Who's on First" by Abbott and Costello
and the other is Scott Joplin's piano rolls (I have "Maple Leaf
Rag" at my music page). :-) 

>
>        ,                                        ,
>      o/      Charles_Angelich  - DOS Ghost       \o       ,
>       __o/
>     / >  www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/faf/  < \   __\__
 

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