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From: zlraa@iceman.jcu.oz (Ross Alford)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds,comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Portfolio serial comms
Keywords: Portfolio RS232 file transfer
Message-ID: <871@iceman.jcu.oz>
Date: 31 Jul 90 08:16:03 GMT
Organization: JCUNQ, Townsville, Qld, Australia
Lines: 18

I am seriously considering buying an Atari Portfolio, but have one
unresolved question:  If I buy the RS232 adapter for it, how do
I *initially* get a program into it that will do file transfers
through the RS232.  No software appears to come with it, the Portfolio
has no built-in programming language, so how do you bootstrap a serial
communication program into it in the first place.  Note:  no-one I
know nearby has one of the parallel file transfer packages, so I 
can't count on borrowing one of those.  

On the same subject, is the Portfolio's serial port compatible with
PC/XT?  Will programs that directly manipulate the hardaware work?  
Failing that, is the BIOS compatible enough that PC RS232 BIOS calls
function?  Anyone want to comment on the BIOS-level compatibility
of the Portfolio in general?

Ross Alford
zlraa@iceman.jcu.oz
zlraa@marlin.jcu.au.edu