🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <8910240251.AA29745@remote.dccs.upenn.edu> GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (George A. Theall) writes:
>
>  In case you haven't seen the Sept '89 issue of _Rainbow News_,
>Suitable Solutions has announced the availability of Windows/286
>for the Rainbow! According to the article, "this means that
>software written for the Windows operating environment on an IBM
>PC will run under the Windows operating environment on the
>Rainbow. With Windows, there is no longer a need to think in terms
>of 'Rainbow versions' and 'IBM versions' of software!"
>
>  Minimum requirements are 640K of RAM, 2MB of hard disk space,
>Rainbow graphics option, and MS-DOS v3.10. Suitable Solutions'
>Turbow-286 accelerator board and a mouse, though not required,
>are recommended.
>
>  Cost for the complete Rainbow Windows kit (including a mouse)
>is $275; if you want the software on RX50 floppies, add an extra
>$75 to the price (ouch!).
>
>George
>
>---
>BITNET: GTHEALL@PennDRLS               Dept. of Economics
>Internet: GTHEALL@PennDRLS.UPenn.Edu   University of Pennsylvania
>AT+TNet: 215-898-3419                  Philadelphia, PA   19104-3987

  Hi George,

  Tsk. Tsk.  As much as I want to give my money to Suitable Solutions
  (Hey!  I bought a Turbow-286 board, new Character ROM, new version
  of Code Blue... plus a bunch stuff over the years), you should have
  mentioned that Suitable will also sell the Rainbow Adaptation Kit for
  $89.00 (Part # WINRAK).  You need to have your DOS 3.10 (perferably
  version B) serial number when you order.  You can buy Windows/286
  (Version 2.11 is needed) for as little as $63 by mail order.  Throw
  in a mouse for about $80.00 and you have Windows running.  And, if 
  you already have a mouse, this is the best way to go.  The only catch is
  finding a PC that will format 180K SS-SD floppies and that will read
  the 720K 3.5" or 1.2 MB 5.25" floppies from the Windows package.
  Or, you can install the RX50DRV.SYS device driver on an AT and format
  RX50 floppies in a high-density drive.  Advanced users can also use
  PKARC or PKZIP to archive the files as well as copying them to a
  Rainbow-readable format.

  So, all in all, the somewhat high price of the Windows package (the
  complete package) is actually quite reasonable for people who
  don't have a lot of access to PCs or special hardware.

  By the way, version 1.03.04 has been running on my machine for over a
  year.  I couldn't do too much with it because I have a Logitech serial
  mouse instead of a Microsoft mouse.  There's no final word if the
  Rainbow kit supports the Logitech mouse.  But, I have to say that
  having a Turbow-286 board is ABSOLUTELY a necessity if you want to
  do anything useful with Windows.  Ver. 1.03.04 runs perfectly in
  Turbow fast mode, which is surprising since very few other graphics
  programs on the Rainbow run in the fast mode of the accelerator
  board without needing a rewrite... Ah, but I digress...

  Rainbow News notes something else about Windows/286...

  There are some caveats when buying this version of the Adaptation
  Kit:  1)  DOS commands cannot be run directly from inside Windows
  (this is strange since I can run DOS commands from V1.03.04), 
  2) IBM PC-DOS programs not written for Windows will still need
  DOS 3.10B and Code Blue V2.01 to run, 3) there is NO color in this
  release! ARGGG!!! It's in monochrome only.  Probably the hideous
  blue and white of version 1.03.04, 4) the keyboard autorepeat rate
  cannot be reprogrammed, 5) memory management software such as
  RAMdrive and SMARTDrive cannot be used on the Rainbow.  I am adding
  the following:  EMM and EMS-based software will not work either.

   Enjoy,
   alan

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   Alan I. Vymetalik, 2244 East Avenue #5, Rochester, New York, 14610-2518
                      USA, Phone: (716)-271-8528    
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