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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihwpt.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihwpt!knudsen
From: knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen)
Newsgroups: net.micro.6809
Subject: WordPak-II and OS9 2.0
Message-ID: <827@ihwpt.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Apr-86 12:25:23 EST
Article-I.D.: ihwpt.827
Posted: Tue Apr 22 12:25:23 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Apr-86 23:36:34 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 44

Some questions and comments about WordPak-II:

Is it really true that the Wordpak-II driver won't work
with 2.0?  Why not?  What happened to our elegant "modular"
operating system (can you say "it got Shacked Up"?)?

Is a WP-II driver likely to be available at the May 24
Rainbowfest?  From whom?
Or is it easy to patch the old 1.1 driver?

The new Wordpak-RS lacks the video relay, but on WP-II
it is easy to "poke" it on/off.  I'll post the addres
and bits if anyone's interested; the info is at home.

I'd like to use 2.0 such that graphics goes thru CCIO
and text thru WordPak -- supposedly that can be done.

Some complaints about PBJ's Worpak construction:
--The cheesy plastic case is too thin, so it wobbles
a lot in the connector slot.  I may glue pieces of cardboard
to build it up to correct thickness.

--The lack of grounding ears on the Wordpak edge connector
contributes to the wobble problem, and the poor grounding
causes electrical problems sometimes (monitor briteness
varies when you jiggle the Wordpak; sometimes wordpak
loses synch altogether; sometimes the video "sparkles",
implying some chips are being run past their speed limits).
	All of RS' peripeheral packs have ground ears;
3rd-party manufacturers should wise up and clean up.

--Wordpak-II's relay doesn't cut out on on Reset.
Sometimes it cuts in on a non-wordpak boot-up.
Both of these bugs led me to install a manual reset
button on my Wordpak.  Some DEBUG commands in STARTUP
would also do the job I guess.

--the WordPak-II OS9 keyboard driver is nice (auto-repeat),
but sometimes adds/drops characters.

In short, WordPak is a godsend, but was clearly made by
mere mortals.
Think RS will ever include a CCDISK that isn't "shacked up"?
	mike k