On Sat, May 20, 2023 at 12:22 PM Liam Proven via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > On Fri, 19 May 2023 at 23:40, Fred Cisin via cctalk > <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > On Fri, 19 May 2023, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote: > > > I do remember that, because I carried around a USB key with an > > > > Thanks, everybody for the reminders of the Windoze history. > > ;-) > > > > I hereby formally retract my erroneous suggestion of a "386 98,SP2 desktop > > with floppies and USB", > > and replace my suggestion with: > > "a PC with USB and floppies", and let Tony decide what vintage to use. > > Fully concur. If it were me, I'd probably suggest some box with from > the end of the era which came with an onboard floppy controller, and > dual-boot 98SE and some old Linux that can handle such a thing, like > Slackware or Debian. That would cover the most bases. >
I am sorry, but I think this is a stupid suggestion for many reasons. The first problem is finding such a machine in known-working condition. Second-hand computer shops are few and far between and generally don't trade in machines that old. Similarly pawnbrokers ('Cash Converters' and the like) don't deal in them. I am not sure I would want to trust something from an unknown seller on the web. And of course it has to have the right type of disk controller, I certainly need to be able to handle single-density (FM) reading and writing correctly. Some machines can, some can't. I am hardly going to be able to test it before I buy it Next there's the problem of me getting it home. I don't drive. I'll go on public transport for things that interest me and which I actually want. An PC is not in that category. Not to mention the fact that I doubt I could carry the system box, monitor and keyboard in one go. Having it sent to me is inconvenient and I am not sure the machine would survive. Not to mention it would cost more than the machine is worth. Then there's the problem of keeping it going. It's not a PERQ :-) I realise that spare ICs always were unobtainium. But replacement modules -- disk drives, motherboards, etc are no longer made or easily available. I have no PCI cards in my collection at all. No ATX power supplies. I might be able to find a VGA monitor but that's pushing it. And of course no documentation. At least the Greaseweazle is open-source which is better than nothing. And drives. It was suggested that I get a double 5.25"/3.5" drive. Err, no. The 5.25" is going to be 80 cylinder (to handle 1.2M disks) which means writing to 40 cylinder disks is a bad idea. And I am not sure the software exists to do what I want on such a machine. I don't want to have to write it myself! -tony