🚀 go-pugleaf

Rainbow EchoMail Digest                     Apr  8, 1990

In this issue:
  RAINBOW RAM                    (2 messages)
  RE: SCHEMATICS FOR 100B
  RE: DOWNLOADING
  rainbow communication sof      (2 messages)


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Date:     04-05-90 (11:51)
To:       ALL
Subject:  RAINBOW RAM
From:     RICK MELLON

There's been a lot of talk in the Windows Conference about the MS-DOS
640K barrier, and how "paging" 64K pieces of extended memory (or
expanded memory; I can never remember which is which) is inefficient.

I've noticed that, on the Rainbow, CHKDSK reports the full 917504
bytes of RAM (896K), where every IBM-compatible machine I've ever used
reports 655360 (640K), even when a full Meg is present.

What's happening here?  Yet another reason to hang onto the Rainbow --
better memory management?  BTW, I downloaded RBGIF.ARC from CompuServe
and have been very pleased with the results.  Even my roommate, who's
been a DEC Systems Analyst for years, thought I had bought some kind of
new fancy monitor.  Nope.  Just the ol' original monochrome.

My 'bow.......I think I'll keep her.

-- Rick


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* Origin: The Rising MoonStar (Opus 1:142/723)

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Date:     04-05-90 (17:18)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  RE: SCHEMATICS FOR 100B
From:     DANIEL O'REILLY

In a message to FIDONET <03-31-90 17:21> GEORGE THEALL wrote:

> I would like to know if anyone has schematics or a troubleshooting
> guide for the Rainbow 100B.  Does something like this exist and
> is it available to the general public?  If you have

You used to be able to get the complete hardware doc set from DEC for
about $35.00 a couple of years back.  I just sold my set about 6 months
ago...

DanO

--- QECHO/Ommm with QuickBBS V2.64
* Origin: Not "over the Rainbow" at the DEPOT (719)550-9305 (1:128/58)

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Date:     04-05-90 (17:20)
To:       RODNEY LEMIEUX
Subject:  RE: DOWNLOADING
From:     DANIEL O'REILLY

The only time I've seen LCTERM have problems is if you're using
V3.34 and trying to use Xmodem.  I've got the 3.35 version of it
here on this board, that seems to fix any and all Xmodem xfer problems.

DanO

--- QECHO/Ommm with QuickBBS V2.64
* Origin: Not "over the Rainbow" at the DEPOT (719)550-9305 (1:128/58)

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Date:     04-06-90 (15:24)
To:       ALL
Subject:  rainbow communication sof
From:     RISHI SINGH

Re: rainbow communication software

Hi, I'm sort of new tothese BBS and I was wondering if you could help me
out.  I have a rainbow 100+ with a Scholar Digital 2400 baud modem. In order
for me to use the modem, I type T for terminal at the main menu when I turn
my computer on.  Then I follow my handbook on the modem from there.  Now,
here is the problem:  When I want to download something, what kind of software
do I say that I have?  An example is Kermit or X modem.


---
* Origin: M'Cycle_Bytes, Amherst, NH; (603)889-3366 (Opus 1:132/107)

--- Via XNet v1.33
==============================================================================
Date: 04-08-90 (07:24)           Number: 157                     SATALINK
  To: RISHI SINGH                Refer#: 305
From: GEORGE THEALL                Read: YES
Subj: rainbow communication sof    Conf: (157) fRAINBOW
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RS>Hi, I'm sort of new tothese BBS and I was wondering if you could help
RS>out.  I have a rainbow 100+ with a Scholar Digital 2400 baud modem. I
RS>for me to use the modem, I type T for terminal at the main menu when
RS>my computer on.  Then I follow my handbook on the modem from there.
RS>here is the problem:  When I want to download something, what kind of
RS>do I say that I have?  An example is Kermit or X modem.

    Well, Rishi, it sounds like you're using the Rainbow in terminal
mode. That is, you're not loading CP/M or MS-DOS but simply taking
advantage of the Rainbow's built-in VT102 emulation.

    In order to download, though, you will need to load one of the
operating systems first. This enables you to make use of the disk
drives in your system. Then, you must determine what communications
protocol the other board/computer is using. Think of this as a secret
language which the two computers must use to transfer files. Commonly
used protocols are Kermit, Xmodem, and Zmodem. Given a choice, go with
Zmodem over Xmodem, and Xmodem over Kermit - this is based on speed.

    Which protocol you select will affect your choice of
communications software. For instance, I generally communicate with
various mainframe computers around campus, all of which support only
Kermit for file transfers. My choice, then, is the program Kermit
(yeah, there's both a program and a protocol called Kermit) because of
its excellent terminal emulation. Some bbses, though, do *not* support
Kermit at all, meaning if you also communicate with them you will need
another comm program. LC-Term, BinkleyTerm, PIB-Term, DEC-Mini, ...
are various other programs which support at least Xmodem and will
therefore be useful on electronic bbses. At least one of these should
be available locally. Ask your sysop if s/he can let you copy one onto
a floppy disk.

    Enjoy,

George
---
 ~ EZ 1.26 #263 ~ Unrecognized faults lead to wasted efforts

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Date:     04-08-90 (07:40)
To:       RICK MELLON
Subject:  RAINBOW RAM
From:     GEORGE THEALL

RM>There's been a lot of talk in the Windows Conference about the MS-DOS
RM>640K barrier,

    It's not a barrier imposed by MS-DOS. As you've noticed, DOS on a
Rainbow supports up to 896K of RAM. Any it's all available to program
without the need to play tricks with page swapping, like on an XT.

    The problem is that, when they were laying out the PC's memory
map, IBM engineers decided to reserve the area between 640K and 1M for
themselves. It's used for video RAM, network cards, the PC's BIOS,
etc... anything *but* available for general usage. :-(

    Recently Quarterdeck (the folks who make DESQview for PCs) has
released a product called QRAM which, under certain conditions, allows
XT and AT-class PCs to take advantage of this area. It's a nice way to
load programs "high", getting them out of the lower 640K of RAM.
Unfortunately, programs still must fit into the first 640K of RAM to
run on PCs unless they play special tricks.

George

---
 ~ EZ 1.26 #263 ~ Without waves there would be no change

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