On 12 Apr 99 at 18:23, Derek Peschel wrote:
> > I just picked up an IBM 3270 Personal Computer Programmed Symbols Adapter
> > card in the box. The box says that it's "an option that provides the
> > storage and controls for displaying an APL font and six additional
> > programmable fonts." It's a full length 8 bit card with two sockets on the
> > to edge. There is also two jumpers in the box that I assume are used to
> > jumper this card to another card. I didn't get any instructions or
> > software with it. Does anyone know how to use it or have instructions etc
> > for it?
>
> It's possible you need a 3270 Personal Computer. (In other words, the 3270
> model number refers to the main product which your adapter "adapts", not the
> adapter card itself.)
>
> As I recall, the 3270PC consisted of one or more cards that went inside a
> regular PC. I forget what it did (there are a number of "big iron for small
> computers" products IBM made, and I can never keep track of them all, and I
> actually don't especially care). I think it turned your PC into a 3270
> terminal so you could talk to big iron, without providing any "big iron"
> capability on the PC itself. But it could have been an emulator -- there
> was a series of those, so you could actually run some of the VM family of
> OSs on your computer.
>
> I'm only providing these details because it's possible that the card won't
> work by itself. You not only would need exotic IBM equipment, you would
> need the _right_ exotic IBM equipment.
>
> -- Derek
>
There's a fairly good write-up in early Muellers UpGr&Rep PCs. It was able to
talk to BiG Iron and also function on it's own as a regular XT. Obviously
geared to the business environment when IBM was still hedging its bets.
ciao larry
lwalker_at_interlog.com
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Received on Mon Apr 12 1999 - 17:42:50 BST