From Steno: Jennifer Marlowe Date: 02/26/89 Time: 22:35EST Attendees: [[Howard/SysOp] HORO] [[Bill J.] C128.CPM] [[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST] [[Dave] THX1138] [[Sam] S.LEWIT] [[Bear] C.BRYANT3] [[Ted,Sysop] DO-RAE-MI] [[Nick Boyce] MERIDIAN] [C.MURPHY] [[Walt] W.WEST] [B.LANDMAN] Minutes: <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Thanks for coming ... I suspect you all know Lloyd already, so I'm gonna <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> turn the floor over to him for an intro, if he wants! <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Hi, I'm Lloyd Sponenburgh, hardware designer of the Lt. Kernal... I'm part of a team... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> but my partner Roy Southwick is net-burned for now, so I'm alone tonight. ga <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Thanks, Lloyd, short and sweet! <[Dave] THX1138> Ok I have three questions... <[Dave] THX1138> Is there any possiblity of the getting SW publishers to sell installable programs for the Lt. Kernal <[Dave] THX1138> You know the CP'd type programs <[Dave] THX1138> ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> I've seen several inquirys begun by software vendors... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> One was from a BIG <but requested unnamed> gameware company.. several from smaller productivity software houses, and a cou ple from some Unnamed NET you don't want to hear about here!! ;) ga <[Dave] THX1138> ;]) ok thanks.... <[Dave] THX1138> What Kind of staff do you have support wise at xetec? <[Dave] THX1138> ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Actually, I'm not with XETEC, but rather Fiscal Information, Inc... We build big hospital and medical systems for a living .... <[Dave] THX1138> Opps <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Xetec has several full-time support people, and lots of behind the scene technical know how... sufficient that they can tu rn almost any repair around in 48 hours.. Usually they are even quicker, unless the load is heavy... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> They also have studied carefully with Roy and me, and are very knowlegeable in the internal workings of the Lt. Kernal DOS , so they really do know their stuff. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> gaa <[Dave] THX1138> Ok, and one last question for the none owners Where does it plug in? <[Dave] THX1138> ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> It plugs into the EXPANSION port.. It occupies either i/o page, by your selection, and allows other cartridges to be activ e at the same time. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> It does not interfere with the modem port's use... ga <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> How many different Hard drives do you mfg, and will they be upward compatible.. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> to the Amiga or MSDOS machines sometime in the future?? <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> G/A <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> XETEC currently manufactures two standard models of the Lt. Kernal... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> 20 Meg, and 40 Meg.. and they also make the FASTRAK drives for the AMIGA... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> already, they are releasing interfaces to upgrade/temp use Lt. Kernals on Amigas... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Theoretically, you could use one drive for both computers, but I don't know anyone who's actually doing that yet. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> ga <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> OK, Thanks LLoyd. G/A <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Ok. I have two questions...... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> My first. About this Amiga interface you just talked about.... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> who do we contact about this? Would this be Xetec? Ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> XETEC in Salina KS... I KNEW I shoulda gotten their tel# handy!! ;) ga <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Ok, I have the number....second question... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Technical manual... any ideas on when we might expect to see one? ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> I keep hoping... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Roy has been knee-deep in solving some sticky problems with the increasing size of our larger systems, so he's been off do ing other things for a while... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> As of about three weeks ago, he had 3/4 of the docs done, subject to simple rewriting into lay english!! ga <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Thanks! Thats all I wanted to know. Next? <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> The subject of CP/M support comes to mind <grin>... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> <groan> <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> <laugh> <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> Any chances for the 28MAY87 system support, yet?? <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> I'm working on THAT in my personal spare time... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> it's NOT considered a top-priority company project, because the 1581 just isn't getting a very cheerful reception from the rest of the CBM software world, either. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> So the Lt Kernal is also compatible with the QBB cart in CP/M mode, too? <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> g/a <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> We still are talking, on and off, with the Berkley folks, but no detente, much less agreement has been reached yet. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> My mind just slipped... QBB? <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Quick Brown Box ... battery backed RAM cartridge. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> Quick Brown Box battery backed ram. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Oh, yeah... Well, I haven't tried it myself... don't NEED such hoopla with a Lt. Kernal, but I understand it does. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> Uses Q-Disk as a driver in CP/M mode. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> Great! Thank you. <[Bill J.] C128.CPM> g/a <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> C'mon... The Lt. Kernal is 102% the speed of RAM DISK.. so why burden your budget? <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Just to clarify Lloyd, the LT. Kernal is NOT compatible with GEOS right now, <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> right? <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> The Lt. Kernal is not GEOS compatible NOW... but we're working on it... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> I talked with a programmer last month who's attempting a 'sample' port of it now. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> ga <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Ok.... As far as a new DOS update.... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Any plans for that soon? And if so, what kind of things would YOU Lloyd love to see in it? Ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> The next MAJOR version of the DOS is going to contain something I dearly love.. <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> ALL the patches re-assembled into linear code!! After that, we have some projects we will attempt to include, like double -sidedd 1571 FASTCOPY, and some gimmicks we like to play with for text-editing and file-handling... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> GA <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Ok. Can I ask one more? <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Ok, is it JUST ME, or can I NOT dissolve an .sda file on my LtK, or even my 1541 with the LtK active? ga <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> I have no problem .... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> It's just you... I dissolve SDA's almost daily on mine. ga <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Hmm I've tried several timess.... <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Any other hardware mods, Sam? <[Sam] S.LEWIT> All the DOS patches.. I know others too... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Nodda. Just the LtK and a 1541 <[Howard/SysOp] HORO> Hmm ... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> You better check down on LU 0 user 0 and see if they haven't actually been going THERE!! ga <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Strange. Screen turns colors, and locks up. Have to LKOFF to do it. ALWAYS! <B.LANDMAN> Hi Lloyd, I was curious about The Power Developer's kit...<grin> <B.LANDMAN> also I was curious about the tape streaming back-up hardware?? <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> That IS coming, but I've got to rely on the DOS Wizard, Roy for the docs... The tape thing is a different story.... let me expound... <B.LANDMAN> and lastly about the 3 port UART if you have some time...very interesting stuff. gaa <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> We have exhausted ten different approaches to the tape-streamer in an attempt <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> to come up with something cost-effective enough to market in the CBM marketplace... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> It just isn't going to happen with the CURRENT run of products available... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> however, I constantly look for new ways.... One might be VIDEO backup, and I'm working on that now... The multi-port rs23 2 device is now in the hands... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> of three different developers, all of whom report products underway. ga <[Dave] THX1138> <[Dave] THX1138> Ok, I heard someone mention GEOS... <[Dave] THX1138> How far away are we from having compatability <[Dave] THX1138> ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> Unless someone ports an unauthorized copy to the Lt. Kernal, it may be a while... <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> We have had no positive negotiations... not even receptiveness from Berkley yet... but we DO keep hoping. ga <[Dave] THX1138> Ok, thanks again! GA <[Sam] S.LEWIT> My question is this.... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> I've mentioned this on your board Lloyd.... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> Is there ANY possibility <in the world> that we may someday be able to transfer.... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> "easily" on a multiplexed system <a.k.a. Chat mode for us multi-line BBS users>? Ga <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> HA!! GOTCHA!! One very avid user, Bill Brier <author and computer nut> has already done just that... <[Sam] S.LEWIT> On the 64? <[LSponenburgh] DEBS-GUEST> He has 7 stations ...
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