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
