Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpfcso!hplisa!hplvli!drick From: drick@hplvli.HP.COM (David Rick) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: Re: HP Vectra PC/AT compatibility Message-ID: <28090002@hplvli.HP.COM> Date: 20 Sep 90 16:19:50 GMT References: <955@bbt.UUCP> Organization: Loveland Inst. Div Lines: 93 [advice sought on "classic" Vectra] Sorry to post this, but email attempts bounced. From MAILER-DAEMON@hp-sde.sde.hp.com Thu Sep 20 10:14 MDT 1990 Received: from hplvla by hplvdo.HP.COM; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:14:22 mdt Received: from hplisa.lvld.hp.com by hplvla.HP.COM; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:13:32 mdt Received: from hp-sde.sde.hp.com by hplisa.lvld.hp.com; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:12:40 mdt Received: from hplisa.lvld.hp.com by hp-sde.sde.hp.com with SMTP (16.3/15.5+IOS 3.13) id AA14414; Thu, 20 Sep 90 09:11:05 -0700 Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:12:39 mdt From: Mail Delivery Subsystem Subject: Returned mail: Host unknown Message-Id: <9009201611.AA14414@hp-sde.sde.hp.com> To: Status: R ----- Transcript of session follows ----- 550 ... Host unknown: No such file or directory ----- Unsent message follows ----- Received: from hplisa.lvld.hp.com by hp-sde.sde.hp.com with SMTP (16.3/15.5+IOS 3.13) id AA14409; Thu, 20 Sep 90 09:11:05 -0700 Return-Path: Received: from hplvla.HP.COM by hplisa.lvld.hp.com; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:11:56 mdt Received: from hplvli.HP.COM by hplvla.HP.COM; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:12:40 mdt Received: by hplvli.HP.COM; Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:12:39 mdt Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 10:12:39 mdt From: David Rick Full-Name: David Rick Message-Id: <9009201612.AA24416@hplvli.HP.COM> To: bbt!rlr Subject: Re: HP Vectra PC/AT compatibility Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.hp In-Reply-To: article <955@bbt.UUCP> of Wed, 19 Sep 1990 17:21:40 GMT I assume you mean the "classic" Vectra (8MHz 286). I have one of these, and there are some potential gotchas, but none that have been a problem for me. Here are some things to consider: 1) The original HP "multimode" video adapter was nonstandard. It acted like a color adapter in graphics mode and a monochrome adapter in text mode. It used a unique monitor. If this is a problem, use a different display system -- the box will work with anything. I use a Herculese clone. 2) The original hard disk was an HP proprietary 3.5" ruggedized drive. This was very reliable, but rather slow (65 mS) and used a non-standard controller. Later, a standard controller was used, and the box shipped with a Seagate drive. If you have the original setup, and something breaks, it will be cheaper to replace the controller and drive with third-party components. Mounting a third-party drive properly requires a pair of HP drive "slides," which you can buy from a sympathetic HP dealer. 3) The keyboard interface used is HP "Human Interface Loop" instead of AT standard. This is no problem unless the keyboard breaks. It allows a HP mouse to be plugged into the HIL, but I don't recommend that; just use a Microsoft mouse. 4) There is a third interrupt controller chip on the motherboard, daisychained from the first two. This supports HIL, etc. In theory, it could confuse some programs that initialize interrupts, but I have never had a problem, even with interrupt driven modems and MIDI cards installed. 5) HP used an "oversize" BIOS, and the excess takes up some room near the top of the 640k address space. As a result, some software thinks there is 640k and some sees 636k. There have been reports that some RAM-disk software had problems with this originally, but it has likely been resolved by now. That's about all I can think of. Note that most of these issues have been resolved in later generation Vectras. Still, I like my "classic," and it has never, ever failed me. P.S. You might find out what ROM revision it has, and investigate the cost of upgrading to current ROMS. Perhaps the seller will discount it by this amount. David L. Rick Hewlett-Packard Company Loveland Instrument Div (we make _voltmeters_ here) Loveland CO drick@hplvdo@hplvla.HP.COM Of _course_ I'm biased. I _hate_ things that break! Disclaimer: I posted this as an individual, not as a representative of HP. I bought the machine described above with my own money, but got a discount.