<They'd be extremely handy as a diagnostic tool, especially when there's
To a point but it also required somethings to work and added things that
could break the system.
<problem with a video card or memory, and instead of having to count a
<bunch of stupid beeps to determine what the error code is, you can just
<read it off the front panel.
That's what POST-cards do.
<Those front panels had value that was overlooked when the modern machine
<were ushered in.
The altair had some 30 switches and as many leds all costing a bit never
mind a board full of logic. It's was an expensive solution to not using
Eproms even small ones. Systems like the POLY-88, SOL, SWTP 6800 got
along just fine without them. Most minicomputers were dispensing with
them by 1970s in favor of rom boots.
Allison
Received on Mon Feb 23 1998 - 06:06:14 GMT