Rumor has it that Ethan Dicks may have mentioned these words:
>That's quite true. The authors (and most of the readers) think that
>there are only 3.5" disks and this ancient format on 5.25".
Should I send 'em a picture of a 2.0" disk? ;-)
>The serial port _is_ disappearing. I am concerned. I have a number of
>serial-interfaces devices, and from what I've seen in the LCDproc
>user/developer community as well as the CBM-interface-devices-of-modern-
>manufacture like the C2N232 (Atmel processor that emulates CBM tape
>protocol on one end, RS-232 on the other), USB-to-serial dongles are
>_not_ a seamless solution. The two arenas this is cropping up are
>modern Macs and modern laptops. While these devices are not covered
>under the 10-year umbrella, they will be at some point, and when they
>are, they will _not_ have native serial ports and there will be many
>things that we do with ease now, with 5-year-old machines that we be
>hard five years from now.
Some are better than others, but you are right - they are rarely a
"seamless" solution by any means. I have a belkin adapter that so far has
done everything I ask of it - Winders & Linux. I've used it with my Tandy
200, a couple of routers, and with my Philips NeoPronto remote control. It
hasn't stranded me *yet* -> but I've not tested it under "strenuous"
conditions, either...
>ISTR that all the newer generation PDAs have USB, not serial, sync
>ports. I have no idea if it's possible to use an adapter on them
>to use them for portable terminals, etc., but I don't think so.
Altho it's not universal, quite a few of them will! Head over to Bitchin
100 (www.bitchin100.com) there are a lot of *active* projects for Model
100/102/200/NEC 8201A laptops there... on of which is by John R. Hogerhuis
- he's designing a Desklink-like emulator for palms, and I guess several
USB-based palmOS devices need only a special cable or cradle to achieve
RS232 output, and seem to work in a totally compatible manner to the older
palmOS serial interfaces.
So things aren't quite so dreary on that front... ;-)
Laterz,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers
Recycling is good, right??? Randomization is better!!!
If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.
Received on Sun Sep 19 2004 - 23:44:48 BST