[ros-general] ros chatter

[Rick Parrish]

Mark Grosberg wrote:

>However, I tend to use the term PC as only "IBM PC" and the
>term computer for everything else. 
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Yeah - that's what I was objecting to - our opions differ - no big deal. 
I think now a-days "PC" means an Intel/Windows compatible computer as 
opposed to "the" IBM PC.

>I dunno. It may have been open, but it certainly wasn't good. Electrically the ISA bus had problems (which don't show up at 8MHz -- 
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I've had to resort to "Master Thevenin" on a few passive ISA bus 
backplane projects.

>but the layout of the signals on the connector sure cause problems); the BIOS is pretty dumb. Had it been designed correctly we could have had multi-tasking in 8086 real mode... The DMA hacks on a PC are only now being somewhat removed.
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Hey, at least it *had* DMA.

>The flaws in that system architecture have been kept around far too long.
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Compatibility is a PITA - sort of an ironic footnote on the ROS list.

>But the IBM Boca Plant housed many other projects besides the PC. In
>particular I happen to posess the sign that was at the front hallway: "The Home of OS/2" -- I passed on the "Birthplace of the PC" sign below it. ;-)
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Thanks Mark. At one point, I thought OS/2 was going to be "it" - boy was 
I wrong. It's tough to be in the hardware and software markets while 
trying to get other h/w makers to adopt your software.

Regards,
Rick