Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!think.com!laird
From: laird@think.com (Laird Popkin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: What kind of a beast is the HP95?
Message-ID: <1991May1.232454.13753@Think.COM>
Date: 1 May 91 23:24:54 GMT
References: <590@lysator.liu.se> <25590152@hpcvra.cv.hp.com.>
Sender: news@Think.COM
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Lines: 58

In article <25590152@hpcvra.cv.hp.com.> everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com. (Everett Kaser) writes:
>laird@think.com (Laird Popkin) writes...
>>the 95LX (e.g. well behaved BIOS text programs will work, programs which
>>write directly to the screen don't).
>
>The 95LX display is an MDA (IBM Monochrome, text-only interface) compatible
>display.  The 40x16 LCD is a window on an 80x25 MDA display, that is scrollable
>about the full-size display.  This means that the 95 will run ANY PC compat-
>ible program that is "reasonably" well behaved, even if it writes directly
>to display memory (as long as it detects and uses the MDA display).  Admittedly
>the "scrolling window" doesn't work well on all programs, but does work
>reasonably well on many.  (The window is scrolled automatically to keep the
>cursor "on the display", so the most important part of the display is usually
>shown.)  "Reasonably" well behaved means that the program doesn't try talking
>to a disk interface card directly (INT 13 is supported), doesn't try to use
>a DMA controller (the 95 has none), and doesn't require a graphics mode (the
>95 graphics are non-standard, although a complete set of graphics routines
>are supplied via a software interrupt, so the software developer doesn't have
>to develop their own line, point, block-image, rectangle, replacement rule, etc
>routines).  There may be a few other minor points of in-compatibility, but the
>display is NOT just "BIOS text" compatible, but WILL work with direct screen
>writes.

Sounds a lot like what the PF does, actually.  I haven't found any
text-only DOS applications which fit into the PF that didn't run.  I
haven't tried too many, but WordPerfect runs on the PF (it's a tight
squeeze).  Like the 95LX, the PF offers a range of non-standard graphics
routines (boxes, lines, etc.)

>>>Laird also says that The PC
>>>Card Drive makes file transfers to the PF very easy.  Well, with the HP
>>>Filer, all you do is hook your 95 to your IBM and transfer by simply
>>>selecting what you want and it is moved over.  Since the 95 has a serial
>>>port, I'm sure that a third party hard-drive could come out, but it's not
>>>really needed with up to 1m of Ram, and ROm cards.
>>
>>You don't seem to understand what the PC Card drive _is_.  It is a RAM card
>>drive that connects to your PC.  You stick a Portfolio RAM card into the
>>drive and copy files onto it, and then stick the card in the Portfolio.
>>- Laird
>
>As noted in another response, the ThinCard drive from Databook is EXACTLY
>what you describe, and the HP 95LX's RAM cards are fully compatible with the
>Databook drive, allowing you to stick a 95 RAM card into the drive in your PC
>and copy files onto/off-of it, and then stick the card in the 95 and do the
>same.

I pretty much assumed that something like this had to exist somewhere.  I
was listing an available peripheral for the PF, not attacking the 95LX for
not having it, in case anyone was wondering.  I haven't bought _either_ a
PF or a 95LX (yet) and am quite impressed with both.

Thanks for the info.

- Laird Popkin, Thinking Machines

Connection Machine: Massively parallel supercomputer.  Also a cool black
cube with more blinking lights than you can shake a stick at.