BL> A mystery remains. My $10 2nd-hand VLB EIDE board has peculiar
 BL> things written on it, especially "IDE MODE" with a choice of
 BL> four settings: 600ns, 500nS, 400nS and 240nS. It came set at
 BL> 600nS so I left it, but what does it mean? Should I set it to
 BL> 240nS?

 BG> No idea. What does the "manual" say (or didn't you get one) ?

  ROFL! Manual? For $10 I didn't even get a plastic bag!

 BL> I started off with the idea that all I had to do was plug the
 BL> CD on the end of the cable and my BIOS would work. Whata
 BL> mistaka to maka!
 BG> You still need drivers. Is this your first CD-ROM, by any
 BG> chance ?

  How did you guess?

 BL> The install program was determined to use something called
 BL> MSCDEX and it took me an hour to work out it was meant to be
 BL> part of DOS.

 BG> It sure is. Sort of an acronym for "MicroSoft CD EXtensions".

  I felt sure it was MadShitCrappyDopeyErkX... (censored)

 BL> I spent most of today trying to tease MEMMAKER into filling up
 BL> the holes in upper memory with the bloody extra drivers.
 BL> Fucking Microsoft!

 BG> Either the /D:n or /L:n switch in MSCDEX will force a drive
 BG> letter.

  NOW, you tell me! The breakthough came when I realised that MSCDEX
was part of DOS. It's actually in the book!

 BL> I called around yesterday, and quotes went to $490! The range
 BL> of prices is insane, at both ends.
 BG> It's amazing how much money you can save by spending just 30
 BG> minutes ringing around before actually going out and buying.

  Yair.

 BL> I got my CD at a house in Epping (circa $500,000!) where a
 BL> beautiful loungeroom had been converted into a computer junk
 BL> shop! Strange...

 BG> But ZERO overheads (plus a tax deduction for using part of his
 BG> house as a business). These slopes are not as silly as they
 BG> look, you know. 

  ... and one of the family runs the business while the guy is out 
flogging stuff.

Regards,
Bob
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
@EOT:

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