1237a08d492e
tech



Hello Wayne - 

WC>> I even looked at my old Slackware CD and found FTAPE.TGZ
WC>> for my Colorado drive QIC tape backup should I run across
WC>> a spare tape or two. 

CA>> If I can get my Colorado tape drive working and erase my
CA>> tapes I have at least four that are 'good' but they have
CA>> some of my source code and other personal stuff on them
CA>> right now. The tape drive is not installed in any machine
CA>> right now but it does/did work when the 80386 ps went
CA>> belly up. 

WC> I'll pay a reasonable price for good tapes but as the ones
WC> I've here are marginal at best, 

If I can get the data off of them I would give them to you. 

WC> I had to format one of them six times before it'd reliably
WC> take data, I had made multiple copies of DOS - Windows and
WC> none of Linux as yet. 

Funny but it seems newer QIC tapes have a quality control
problem? My original old tapes retained the data on them for
many years. Newer tapes were, as you describe, refusing to
format and then some that did format were losing data files on
me. I cleaned the tape drive and ran a series of 'test' backups
but could find no way to predict which tapes were dependable. I
can't recommend QIC tape backup at _all_ but it's better than
hundreds of floppies. ;-) 

If you have anyone (anyone at all) who can move your tape
backups to CDRs you'd sleep better at night. 

WC> I'm sacrificing one of my dupes to backing up the Linux
WC> packages in the next day or so and likely more as I move
WC> away from Windows. If you're not using that dated stuff... 

Nope, not using it and probably never will. Just can't release
the data that is on the tapes. :-( 

CA>> I've used my USR 14.4k modem for text-only browsing and
CA>> it's really not that slow when using DOS and text-only. 

--8<--cut 

CA>> If you're tight on money keep in mind that many people
CA>> can't get better than a 40k connect to their ISP which
CA>> means the cheaper and less desirable 33.6 modems are very
CA>> close in efficiency. No one wants them but the 56k isn't
CA>> _really_ doing 56k anyhow. 

WC> I've heard 47+K is attainable on a clean line. 

I've witnessed connects at those speeds but they don't 'last'
and aren't a daily occurence, just once in awhile at random.
The more common connects are at 41-44k here where I am and
lately as slow as 40k. My 33.6 modem will often do transfers at
better rates than the 56k modem will. I estimate 1meg at 4
minutes on the 56k (with internet pauses etc.) and 5 min per
1meg on my 33.6 modem. Neither rate is fast enough to want to
do major ISO image downloads and video streaming on the 56k is,
IMO, terrible. If I can't get to DSL or faster I consider any
of the above out of my league with either modem. 

WC> I'd love to have a 33.6 but even pricing the used hardware
WC> ones at Pricewatch I don't recall them being all that much
WC> cheaper than new 56K's. 

Well what I see is half the price of 56k modems of comparable
vintage. I also think most 33.6 modems used jumpers where 56k
are pnp and winmodems. 

--8<--cut 

WC> Clean line _now_ and I _have_ a 56K PCI internal soft modem
WC> for which there is a Linux driver. Sits in the as yet not
WC> brough online Pentium. 

I saw some mention Linux was going to be able to use winmodems.
Is that what you mean or the old Rockwell half software modem? 

--8<--cut 

CA>> My generation missed most of that 'burger-flipping' first
CA>> job thing. For me it was dirty nasty factories and trying
CA>> to not lose any fingers, hand, or arm. :-) 

WC> Me too, first mate on a boat, interior painter, cable T.V.
WC> installer than like you say working in a really dangerous
WC> factory that managed to off a few people and maim others
WC> while I was there. I escaped that place after 7 years
WC> unharmed and took a driving job. 

CA>> I think burger flipping is a better option? 

WC> Factory job had excellent benefits, free medical, 2 bucks a
WC> month dental, overtime, bonuses ... 

Mercenaries say the same thing. The pay is great if you survive
it. 

WC> Hey check out www.motherboards.org for the Gigabyte 8INXP
WC> motherboard, very impresive indeed and pricewatch has one
WC> listed in "kits" with a 2.4 Gig Pentium IV processor for
WC> 490.00 new! IIRC the "kits" are burned in tested before
WC> shipment and depending on the selection you choose some
WC> don't have RAM or hard drive included in that price.
WC> Features too numerous to mention but here's a few. Supports
WC> 4 Gig. RAM, 5 PCI slots one 4 or 8 AGP, 2 IDE, 2 serial
WC> hard drive connections and a Promise Tech RAID controller
WC> as well  as the IDE controller. 

I realize I will never be happy with anything less than 'server
class' hardware here and did take a look at some 'kits' being
offered. 

I also know the patience required while you track down every
little connector, wire, cable, screw, rails (rails not being
standardized makes me CRAZY!), and other odds-n-ends. THEN
praying the BIOS and other chipsets on the motherboard don't
turn out to be unsupported by the majority of OS out there.
Even certain sound-blaster sound cards seem orphaned already. 

Time would not be on my side. If I waited too long or was
stone-walled for too long the probabilities of finding
compatible hardware would rapidly evaporate leaving me with one
half of a system. This is already happening to a few FIDO
users. While they contemplate what to put where compatible
hardware, software, etc. is evaporating and many of their
systems will never experience EMF. 

I know where there are two nice guys my age who buy out entire
businesses, refurbish, and resell their network setups. I
didn't have the money when I first found them and nothing they
have is 'cheap' but it's all industrial grade 'big hammer'
equipment. They had an IBM tower there about 4-5 feet tall. It
was so big it looked like a 'joke' for display purposes. When I
have something like that I will sit back and ENJOY while others
swap parts I will be zoooommminnng along. :-) 

I was offerred a VAX once over a decade ago and I considered it
for awhile then decided the maintenance contract would KILL me
and passed on that one. :-) 

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

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