Re: //+ Video question

[toddpw@frappe.ugcs.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel)]

gerome@teleport.com (Gerome Manufacturing) writes:

>In <34nup4$sh2@mozo.cc.purdue.edu> poy@widget.ecn.purdue.edu (Alfred L Poy) writes:
>>the joystick port.  The //+ does not support lower case text (without
>>modification) so there was no way to sense the position of the shift
>>key for keys other than numbers/punctuation.  A program would have
>>to be specially written to look for this signal.

This is correct. Having done the mod myself and written programs to support it.

>	This appears to be the case.  Someone sent me a description of how
>the thing worked.  When I get some time i'll try it out.  However, with out
>the wire complete, some of the 80 column programs will display the lower
>case....

This is because the 80 column card has lower case support. Some 80 column cards
(AE Viewmaster-80, one of the best I thought) allowed you to type lower case
by interpreting ctrl-A as a shift-shift-lock key. Awkward, but it worked.
Later ][+ keyboards could have a real caps-lock switch added to them, which
worked much better. I did that mod as well (drilled a hole in the case to mount
the switch instead of letting it hang out).

>There is little that I can't make these ibm boxes do these days.  Too bad
>it's not quite as fun or inspiring as working with the II+ was...

Yep, it's sad that current generations are being weaned on cushy GUI fluff
that never gives you any clue as to how simple the raw machine concept is.
Someday I bet they will resurrect the ][+ and use it as a example to teach
computer fundamentals; it is simple enough to grasp yet contains enough
tricks to impart an appreciation for the art or design. Nowadays computer
hardware courses seem to be fixated on preparing people for the mess which
is the PC/x86 architecture, with no real time spent on exposing people to
what a _good_ design (given the available materials) looks like.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ ugcs.caltech.edu