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From: stevev@uoregon.UUCP (Steve VanDevender)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp,comp.sys.ibm.pc,misc.wanted
Subject: Re: How IBM-compatible is the HP 150?
Message-ID: <776@uoregon.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Oct-87 16:21:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: uoregon.776
Posted: Fri Oct  9 16:21:28 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Oct-87 00:48:39 EDT
References: <1768@ho95e.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: stevev@drizzle.UUCP (Steve VanDevender)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Oregon, Computer Science, Eugene OR
Lines: 35
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.hp:274 comp.sys.ibm.pc:8890 misc.wanted:1479

In article <1768@ho95e.ATT.COM> wcs@ho95e.UUCP (46133-Bill.Stewart,2G218,x0705,) writes:
>We have a couple of ancient HP-150 PCs lying around (mainly bought as
>terminals), and I'd like to try using one for DOS.  I realize the disk
>drives are different, but can work around that.
>
>- Are file systems the 3.5" disks compatible with the 
>	current 3.5" file systems used for laptops?
	The file systems are compatible with other HP drives.  They
	probably aren't compatible with IBM 720K disks.
>- Is the system BIOS compatible?  90%?  etc?
	The HP 150 has no IBM PC BIOS emulation whatsoever.  The built-in
	ROMS and the AGIOS provide lots of wonderful features but are 
	in no way compatible with the PC BIOS.  I have heard of BIOS
	emulators for the 150, and if anyone out there knows more I'd
	love to hear about it.
>- Is the display CGA or MDA compatible, or neither?
>	(hardware-level would be nice, BIOS-level good, DOS-only boring.)
	Neither.  The graphics are nice (and the built-in graphics primitives
	are quite nifty) but once again incompatible.
>- What else should I know?
	I own a 150 and find it quite adequate for my needs, but I don't
	need PC compatibility and I have all the software I'm likely to ever
	use on it, either purchased through HP or obtained from PD sources
	(although once again, it's hard to find things that don't use the
	PC BIOS).
>-- 
>#				Thanks;
># Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G218, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs


-- 
Steve VanDevender	uoregon!drizzle!stevev	stevev@oregon1.BITNET
"Bipedalism--an unrecognized disease affecting over 99% of the population.
Symptoms include lack of traffic sense, slow rate of travel, and the
classic, easily recognized behavior known as walking."