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Author: Peter Firefly LundPeter Firefly Lund
Date: Aug 31, 2006 23:45
Did any of the early VAX machines use a switchmode power supply?
Or were they "traditional" power supplies?
As far as I know, the Apple ][ from 1977 was the first microcomputer to
use such a power supply but who used them first in "real" computers?
IBM? DEC? DG?
Wouldn't it have been worth it to use a switched mode power supply because
of their higher efficiency, leading to less heat to remove from the
machine room and smaller power bills?
-Peter
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9 Comments |
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Author: tobytoby
Date: Aug 29, 2006 22:40
Brian Inglis wrote:
>>Brian Inglis wrote:
>>
>>> Shouldn't there be a fascicle by Knuth called:
>>> "Arial Considered Harmful!"?
>
> Yes, it was old even before it became popular.
> My personal preference is for typefaces with variable stroke thickness
> and for sans Zapf Optima is the nicest (Zapf Humanist is close:
Bitstream's cut is indeed very good. Adobe's first attempt was
terrible; the Linotype cuts[1] should be good; I wonder how Optima
nova[2] fares in battle.
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6 Comments |
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Author: tobytoby
Date: Aug 29, 2006 19:43
toby wrote:
> Steve Richfie1d wrote:
>> Brian,
>>
>> OK, now for the REST of the story:
>>
>> There are only 4 fonts that are absolutely guaranteed to be on EVERY
>> computer that is used on the Internet, with Comic Sans being one of them.
>> ...
>> I have little doubt that there may be other better fonts, but NOT among
>> the other three that are guaranteed to be there.
>
> Speaking as a typographer, it's execrable. One of the signs, if not of
> the apocalypse, then at least declining civilisation.
>
>> ...
>> BTW, if there is anyone here who DOES want to go through the RFC process
>> to provide some good alternatives to Comic Sans,
>
> The Lucida family is a great start. (Also see free families such as ...
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Author: tobytoby
Date: Aug 27, 2006 16:03
Brian Inglis wrote:
>>Brian Inglis wrote:
>>> On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 19:26:52 -0600 in alt.folklore.computers, Steve
>>> Richfie1d NOSPAM.smart-life.net> wrote:
>>> ...>>>>I have little doubt that there may be other better fonts, but NOT among
>>>>the other three that are guaranteed to be there.
>>>
>>> OCR-B is probably the very best there is; Letter Gothic probably comes
>>> second, as it remains very readable at small sizes.
>>
>>Both OK, if you're talking purely about monospaced fonts - which are
>>not in general as readable as proportional fonts, and are just one
>>component of a complete family. Most text should be in proportional
>>setting. Again, I'd mention the Lucida family.
>
> The readability criterion you snipped was: ...
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42 Comments |
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Author: tobytoby
Date: Aug 27, 2006 14:12
Peter Flass wrote:
> Steve Richfie1d wrote:
>
>> Steve,
>>
>>>> There are only 4 fonts that are absolutely guaranteed to be on EVERY
>>>> computer that is used on the Internet, with Comic Sans being one of
>>>> them.
>>
>>
>>> *False* Comic Sans is *not* on this computer.
>>
>>
>> I can't imagine any Internet-capable computer NOT installing the 4 basic
>> fonts, so I presume that you removed Comic Sans. Being removed, you will
>> be unable to see my article as it was written, as your browser will
>> simply substitute something else, see below.
>>
>>> Now what are the other three ?
>> ...
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1 Comment |
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Author:
Date: Aug 27, 2006 10:30
For Sale: A Shugart SA800-2 8-Inch Floppy Drive from the Altair and
IMSAI 70's Microcomputer Era.
115 volt 60 Hz operation. Excellent condition. Believed to be
refurbished and working but I have no way to verify and thus will be
sold as-is.
Picture: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mnowlen/shugart-sa800-2.html
$20 plus shipping.
Packaged weight will be around 18 pounds.
Email reply please,
Mike Nowlen
mnowlen@ comcast.net
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Author:
Date: Aug 27, 2006 10:25
FS: MultiBus II Boards and Equipment
ETI MultiBus II Chassis 9 Slot with Power Supply $50
Intel PWA 1000515 MultiBus II Aux Bus Dual (2 Slot) Auxillary
Connector Backplane/Jumper with Hardware, NEW: $5 Ea (4 Avail)
Electronics Soutions PR0100A MultiBus II Prototyping Board with
Interface Circuitry, NEW: $50
Intel PWA 1000402 MultiBus II Prototyping Board: $25
OSI Brand PC0046B MultiBus II Prototyping Board: $20 Ea (4 Avail)
Intel PWA 1000281-01 MultiBus II Extender Card: $40
+ Actual Shipping Costs
Please Email, Thanks
Mike Nowlen
mnowlen@ comcast.net
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2 Comments |
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Author:
Date: Aug 27, 2006 10:23
Original VGA Monitor, working, $20 + ship
Please email
mnowlen@ comcast.net
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Author: Andy GlewAndy Glew
Date: Aug 24, 2006 10:09
> Message passing back then was a dirty joke because of DEIMOS.
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Author: Steve Richfie1dSteve Richfie1d
Date: Aug 24, 2006 09:16
Lynn,
>>The REALLY interesting comparison is between the Itanium and the early
>>Project Stretch (7030) computers. These are SO nearly identical it is
>>unbelievable - right down to each making the landmark use of a Floating
>>Multiply Accumulate instruction with the same FMA mnemonic!
There are other major points where they were identical, like each claims
to make new use of 64-bit data paths. The only thing that the Itanium
has going for it is that it's memory modules aren't 2 cubic feet of core
memory submerged in transformer oil for cooling!
>>Obviously,
>>the folks at Intel didn't read any of the several accounts of the failed
>>7030 that detailed its architectural problems so that they could design
>>an Itanium that avoided these problems. Those who don't learn from
>>hisory are doomed to repeat it. There is more about this on
>>< http://www.smart-life.net/ComputerArchitecture/>.
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