Re: Commentary: I Hate to Leave Like This

[valthoff@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Victoria M Althoff)]

Actually, this is kind of related to the recent post about the PowerPC.

I work at a local NPR/APR public radio station.  We just obtained a pair of AST
486 PC-compatibles.  Each came with Windows software preloaded, one came with 
an internal FAX modem.  So, according to the supplier, we should have been able
to plug in and go.

First of all, I confess that we recently upgraded to MS-DOS 6.2, and the new 
machines came preloaded with 6.0, so we did upgrade the DOS.  We also use a 
pair of memory resident programs which capture NPR programming and operations 
messages on COM2:, and Associated Press news reports on COM1:.  But those are 
fairly straightforward applications.  I was even able to (without too much 
trouble) get them to show up as Windows application icons.

With that in mind, I set about trying to get these machines up and running.  I 
spent over 20 hours over two days trying to get results.  One machine refused 
to properly load software, I had to solve interrupt conflicts, rewire the lines
feeding the serial ports, and completely rewrite - from scratch - the 
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files.  Getting the proper assortment of 
applications transferred in was bad enough (using Sneakernet, I think I wore 
out a path in the carpeting between computers!).  And if I had a nickel for 
each "three-fingered salute" (CTRL-ALT-DEL), I would be a rich man.  Not to 
mention waiting for those endless startup diagnostic tests!

On the other computer, I spent a day and a half trying to figure out why the 
printer wouldn't work, only to discover that the cable from the motherboard to 
the printer port (this is an internal, factory-installed cable) had been 
installed BACKWARDS.  All those fancy diagnostics couldn't detect THAT problem!
Then, I found out that the COM2: port was disabled by the modem board, and that
the modem board didn't work anyway.  So I spent many more hours resetting the 
unlabelled jumpers on the modem card until I finally got it to work as COM4:.

I kept thinking of that Macintosh commercial with the two guys working on 
trying to make the computer 'easier to use'...

And why in the hell can't I just tell the computer, "THE INTERNAL MODEM IS 
INSTALLED IN SLOT #3" and let IT figure out how to use it?  Instead, I have to 
make the modem tell the bus which port it is taking over.  For a die-hard Apple
][ specialist, this is really NUTS!

So far, the ONLY reason I see to buy a PC-compatible (aside from the fact that 
NPR and AP don't provide Macintosh software, to my knowledge), is because 
Disney Software has not released their "COASTER" program for the Mac.

When I finally buy my own computer, it will be a Mac, with a ][e board 
installed.  Possibly something in the Centris line...

(trouble is, cash is a little tight... 8-))
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
(Apple ][ ad nauseum.  Happy New Year!)