From: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!info-cpm
Newsgroups: fa.info-cpm
Title: VT180
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.521
Posted: Sun Dec 26 20:30:58 1982
Received: Mon Dec 27 04:11:31 1982

>From POURNE@Mit-Mc  Sun Dec 26 20:25:40 1982
To: coar.umass@Udel-Relay
Cc: info-cpm@BRL, info-cpm.umass@Udel-Relay
In-Reply-To: The message of 24 Dec 82 11:34-EDT (Fri) from the Golux <coar.umass at Udel-Relay>
Via:  Mit-Mc; 26 Dec 82 2:41-EST
Via:  UMASS-ECE; 26 Dec 82 19:30-EST
Via:  Mit-Mc; 26 Dec 82 20:45-EST
Via:  Brl; 26 Dec 82 21:43-EST
Via:  Brl-Bmd; 26 Dec 82 21:35-EST

	Digital (DEC , not Digital Research) sent me the
conversion kit for making a VT-100 into a VT-180.  We inst alled
it.  If you like Apples, you may like this; alas, the disk
drives don't seat wel, and you have mounting problems getting
the machin e to believe the disks are in there.  Once you have
them seated and moutned, all seems well, and it is a good
machine; but I never had a machine that had more problems
getting it booted.  The conversion is simple, (I don't recall
what it costs) and if you have a VT-100 it doesn't harm the
terminal capabilities, but rather enhances them; but I guarantee
you will go mad if you try using it long.
	They were supposed to have a FIX for that; some system
that would spin up the drives as you were closing the doors or
something; but if they do, I have not ever got it (and the
people at DEC I was dealing with seem no longer to be in that
division, but rather are now off with the rainbow and thus
uninterested in the VT-180.)  I get the impression that DEC
regarded the VT-180 as a thing to keep their name prominent
while they got out the Rinabow, and that they no longer care
about it.  That may be an uncharitable view, but I have no
evidence to the contrary.
JEP