Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU!GTHEALL From: GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (George A. Theall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro Subject: Rainbow EchoMail Digest Message-ID: <9007132347.AA00574@remote.dccs.upenn.edu> Date: 14 Jul 90 00:49:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 140 Rainbow EchoMail Digest Jul 13, 1990 In this issue: TECO FOR RAINBOW? JUST GOT A RAINBOW! (2 messages) Articles posted to either INFO-DEC-MICRO or comp.sys.dec.micro are currently gatewayed to the Rainbow Echo on FidoNet. You do not need to take special action to respond to articles in these digests. Please send reports of problems or suggestions for improvement of this digest to GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (Internet). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: 07-10-90 (14:12) To: ALL Subject: TECO FOR RAINBOW? From: BRIAN TREADWAY I posted the following query once before, but was unable to check for responses. Answer it again! My favorite text editor, TECO, has been available on every |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| machine I've ever used till now (various PDP-11's and VAXes). Usually it wasn't officially supported, but it was sure fast and handy. Is there a TECO editor that runs on a Rainbow? I'm not looking for the VT52/VT100 screen "macro," but the TECO editor itself, with "< >" iterations, "q" registers, and conditional transfers. Any clues anyone can give me will be appreciated. Brian Treadway - --- * Origin: Midnight DEC - The BBS for DEC sales & information (Opus ------------------------------ Date: 07-12-90 (08:52) To: ALL Subject: JUST GOT A RAINBOW! From: CHRISTOPHER WROTEN I am treasurer for a non-profit tax-exempt choral society located in Walpole, Mass. I just acquired a Rainbow 100. I know almost *nothing* about it and am looking for some guidance. Once I get an exact listing of the machine's hardware and software, I'll post that to those who would like to help me out. My questions right now are: 1. Accounting software. Does anyone have PeachTree accounting package? Is it available anywhere? I've got Peachtree WordProcessor, so I would think the accounting software is available. 2. Hard disk. System currently has 2 floppies. I'd like to get a 10 or 20mb hard disk. What are the possibilities & general costs? 3. Memory. I think it's currently got 384K but am not sure. Again, what are the possibilities and general costs of more memory? 4. Printer. Possibilities/costs? If anyone has Rainbow equipment that they'd like to donate to our non-profit choral society corporation (Neponset Choral Society Inc., P.O. Box 202, East Walpole, Ma. 02032) please contact me. Thanks!! Christopher Wroten, Treasurer 140 Lovering Street Medway, Ma. 02053-2303 Internet: CFW@RES-C4.PRIME.COM Voice: 508-879-2960 x4336 (Prime Computer) - --- QM v1.00 ------------------------------ Date: 07-13-90 (09:48) To: CHRISTOPHER WROTEN Subject: JUST GOT A RAINBOW! From: GEORGE THEALL CW> 2. Hard disk. System currently has 2 floppies. I'd CW> like to get a 10 or 20mb hard disk. What are the CW> possibilities & general costs? *If* you can get a hard disk controller for your machine, you can install in your system almost any hard disk that uses MFM or RLL encoding. [Note, however, the Rainbow only handles the MFM format; if you choose a drive with RLL encoding expect to have it format out to only 2/3 its capacity.] The Seagate ST225 20MB drive, for example, that's sold for PC compatible systems will work fine. So too will the ST241 40MB drive. The June 1988 issue of _Rainbow News_ had an excellent article about this. I would highly recommend you read it if you're thinking of "doing it yourself". Hard disk controller cards for Rainbows have become scarce since Suitable Solutions stopped supporting the machine. You might try calling either Caroline Mack (editor of _Rainbow News_, +1 618 632 1143), Jim Greely (+1 800 446 3074), Eustace Enterprises (+1 407 433 0846), or some other retailer specializing in DEC systems. DEC itself might have something lying around which they'd sell you, but its prices are usually exorbitant. I'm not aware of pricing these days. As a *rough* guess, I'd say $250 for the drive itself and $200 for the controller card. BTW: Unless you buy from DEC, you'll probably need to obtain a program called WUTIL to do a low-level format of the ahrd disk. The latest version (that I know about) is v3.2, available via anonymous FTP DRYCAS.CLUB.CC.CMU.EDU in [.INFO-DEC-MICRO.UPLOADS] or on Penn's Landing bbs here in Phila (+1 215 898 8511, 8N1). CW> 3. Memory. I think it's currently got 384K but am not CW> sure. Again, what are the possibilities and general CW> costs of more memory? Rainbows came with either 64 or 128K on the motherboard. Since you have more than that in your system there must be some type of expansion module. Now if I've done my math correctly and you really do have 384K on board, then you have only one set (of 3) of slots filled up on this module (9 chips of 256K-bit DRAM per set). You can add another 512K of RAM to the system simply by plugging it in to the empty slots. [Please open up your system unit and verify this *before* ordering any chips.] Any 256K-bit DRAM should work; chips rated at 150ns will be fine. Look in something like _Computer Shopper_ for ads. The upgrade should cost you less than $50 should you do it yourself. CW> 4. Printer. Possibilities/costs? The Rainbow has a serial port available for a printer. You can use anything you want there - just make sure (1) it has a serial interface and (2) it comes with drivers for the software you are planning to use. In my case I bought a Panasonic 1091i printer and an optional serial interface. Total cost was about $300 ($100 for the interface itself :-(. This is a 9-pin dot matrix printer with Epson and IBM Proprinter emulation modes. Quite a good deal, I think. George - --- ------------------------------