Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!sgi!shinobu!odin!odin.corp.sgi.com!portuesi From: portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops Subject: Re: copy protection and laptops without floppies Message-ID: Date: 25 Jul 90 09:40:00 GMT References: <490@eng3.UUCP> Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com Reply-To: portuesi@sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mtn. View, CA Lines: 70 In-reply-to: felton@eng3.UUCP's message of 24 Jul 90 14:50:47 GMT >>>>> On 24 Jul 90 14:50:47 GMT, felton@eng3.UUCP (Ed Felton | Sci Systems | Huntsville, AL, USA, Planet Earth, Sol System) said: You forgot Milky Way Galaxy :-) > In article , portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes: >> >> I have just inherited a legal copy of Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01, along >> with documentation and original system disks. >> >> I would like to use this software on a Toshiba T1000XE, a machine with >> a hard disk but with no floppy drive. Even if it did have a floppy >> drive, the software is distributed on 5" disks. >> > Mike, I know this may sound rather strange, but the XE does have an external > floppy port... See if the dealer (assuming local) or another user (again local) > has an appropriate drive, and use it to do the install to the laptop... > remove the drive when you are done, and -- Presto, installed 1-2-3.. Yes, that would work, but I don't know anybody with a Toshiba and an external 5" disk drive, and I don't feel okay about taking advantage of a dealer from whom I have no intent to buy merchandise (I purchased my T1000XE via mail-order). There is nothing wrong with my computer. At the risk of starting a flame war on copy protection, I look upon it as a bug. I'm merely asking for a bug fix so that I can make the software work on my computer. I do not want special key-disk files on my hard drive. Besides the principle of the matter (I don't want fascism encoded in software on *my* machine), they merely invite problems in the event of media errors, and inhibit the functioning of other software such as disk optimizer programs. > Ok, Now for the down side: I am not sure that the external floppy drive for > the XE is a 5 1/4 inch drive, or if you can use one there... but, if you can > that would sound like a winner to me. The T1000XE has two floppy drive ports. There is a port on the side for connecting a 3.5" 1.44MB drive. In addition, the parallel port may be used to connect a 5" floppy drive. I forget the density of the 5" drive, but believe it is the 1.2 MB type. > Also, let me know how it works, as I am > considering a Tosh and am in a toss-up between the SE and XE. If you can't > put real software (I know, Iknow) on to it without pain and suffering, the > XE might get knocked down a peg or 2. This is the first time I have had any difficulty getting something on to my XE. Laplink generally works so well that I don't miss having the floppy drive. I especially don't miss carrying the extra weight of the floppy around. I don't consider the difficulty of installing copy-protected software a fault with the T1000XE in any way; rather, I consider it a fault with the software. The only reason I'm trying to use this software is that I got it for free -- someone else had thrown it away. It's not worth a lot of my time or anything other than a small amount of money to make it work -- I use a spreadsheet for my budget, but other than that I have few uses for it. If I can't get this to work, I'll simply buy a copy of Microsoft Works, which has a spreadsheet good enough for my needs. > Ed Felton | When you wish to produce a result by means of an --M -- __ \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics, Inc. portuesi@sgi.com "man, this is weak."