Hey WAYNE!

Sep 11 17:20 05, WAYNE CHIRNSIDE wrote to MAURICE KINAL:

 ->> also seem to pack it in faster on Compaqs for whatever reason.  Perhaps 
 ->> they are overpowering the ps2 port?

 WC> Same experience here.

I kind of thought there was something odd with that.  I've never noticed
that with any other computer, other then keyboards wearing down normally
from (over)use.

 WC> The bloody Hewlett Packard doesn't even HAVE a BIOS upgrade
 WC> and I think that stinks.

Yeah.  I had a couple floppies once for the HP netservers.  The difference
between that and Compaq though was at least once properly configured the
netserver was solid.  Sucked a ton of power though but had scsii
everything.  Awesome system in it's time but I hated the bios there too.

 WC> However I've made a decent machine of it by memory upgrade
 WC> and soon to be added hard drive.

Yeah that helps.

 WC> Tossed the H.P. software sound card - modem combo as refuse.
 WC> Oddly a salvaged Turtle Beach Sound card uses precisely the same 
 WC> Vortex
 WC> sound drivers and it's a hardware card :-)

Good idea.  I recall the EISA HP network cards gave all sorts of hassels
but that was easily resolved by replacing them with 3c509's which were
regular ISA ones.  I have yet to run across any decent EISA stuff, not that
it matters anymore given the lack of any (E)ISA slots.  The Gateway board
has one straight ISA with six 32-bit pci's and one 64-bit pci slot.  I am
looking forward to getting that one running as I'd like to see what would
work well ISA-speaking.  I am thinking a pcmcia controller but would also
like to compare a few other ISA thingies, sound and capture cards, and
compare those to their pci contemporaries.  I seem to recall soundblasters
being better then they are these days and this will give me an opportunity
to find out if that is true or just phoney-baloney nostalgia.  :-)

Life is good,
Maurice

--- Msged/LNX 6.1.2