Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!ncar!gatech!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!merch!cpe!hal6000!trsvax!earl From: earl@trsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy Subject: Re: What sort of support is there for T Message-ID: <193300091@trsvax> Date: 16 Jan 89 16:05:00 GMT References: <14171447@stormy.atmos.washington.edu> Lines: 107 Nf-ID: #R:stormy.atmos.washington.edu:14171447:trsvax:193300091:000:4913 Nf-From: trsvax.UUCP!earl Jan 16 10:05:00 1989 /* ---------- "What sort of support is there for T6000" ---------- */ Do they still make/sell them? I'm asking because a friend of mine can pick one up cheap ($100-200) and we're trying to figure out how much work it will be to bring it up as a BBS or USENET node. It comes with Xenix, (I didn't make a note of the version, unfortunately) 1MB RAM, 15MB hard disk, and BASIC. I was amazed to find that it doesn't come with a C compiler. I was even more amazed when the Tandy dealer we went to showed us a list of software we could order which include F77, COBOL, Pascal and BASIC but not C. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ First: The 'C' compiler comes with the Xenix Development System software set. The development system is sold separately from the Xenix Core package. A lot of people (users) don't do development thus they didn't want all that extra software using up precious disk space. So the development system is offered separately. -------------------------------------- 1) Has anyone ported GNU C to the 6000? If so how can we get executables for it? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A number of people have ported and run GNU 'C' on the 6000's but from my understanding, you need more than 1 meg to use it. There are a couple of other types of C compilers running around out there, but I simply use what comes with the development system. 2) How difficult/expensive is it to add more mass storage? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The newer 15 Meg Internal HD 6000's have a hard disk controller that supports 2 hard disk drives. One internal and one external. The older 16B's have a HD controller that supports up to 4 external hard disk drives. A lot of people have replaced the 15 meg HD's internal or external with 70 or 80 meg Hard disk drives. It only takes money. 3) How difficult/expensive is it to add more memory? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ A couple of companies outside of Tandy make and sell memory expansion for the 6000's. These will allow you to expand from 1 meg on up to three or 4 meg's worth of extra memory. Considering the price of memory chips nowadays, it's pretty expensive to expand RAM. The boards aren't that bad in price but the RAM is. Of course at 8 Mhz, you only need 150 ns 256k chips. But those are starting to get scarce nowadays. 4) What version of Xenix is considered minimal to be used as a USENET node? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Versions 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2 all ran USENET stuff OK. 5) Is it possible to add more RS232 ports to it? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tandy used to sell a special 3 serial port expansion board for 6000's. 6) Is it a good deal at $100? $200? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I thought so, I got one myself. My personal opinion is that the Tandy 6000 Xenix has one of the best 'C' compilers around. It works. Many things that don't work on other 'C' compilers work great on the 6000's version. Plus it's remarkably DEC-VAX compatible as far as C compiler etc. go. On my 6000, I installed the Model II graphics board. Xenix 3.2 supports graphics with a 'C' library. I also installed a 10 meg Bournelli removable cartridge drive board. I am also running three hard disks off of it too. By looking around and scrounging, hunting etc. you can get or run on a Tandy 6000: 1 - A MMU memory board to support more than 1 meg of memory (Not from Tandy though, I forget who's selling it) 2 - A Model II graphics board. 3 - A Bournelli 10 meg cartridge adapter board. 4 - A 3 serial port Rs-232 expansion board 5 - A 2 HD or 4 HD hard disk controller board 6 - Model II, 12 or 16 ARCNET board, no software though for these, but that never stopped anyone before. 7 - They're are even some Tape cartridge adapter boards too. 8 - For the fanatics, some people have even modified their machines to use hi-density 1.2 meg 5.25" floppy disk drives in place of or in addition to the 8" ones. Much of this stuff nowadays, is used, lease returns, etc. You may be able to find this stuff at the Tandy/Radio Shack Outlet Store in Fort Worth, phone number 817-654-0337. *********************************************************************** Earl W. Bollinger @ "You were in the Clone Wars!", said Luke excitedly. "Yes", replied Obi Wan, "I was a DOS programmer. But that was before the dark times, before OS2."