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From: jjc@sdiris1.UUCP (Jim J. Carter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Anyone got a Tandy 1000?
Message-ID: <590@sdiris1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jul-87 14:06:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdiris1.590
Posted: Tue Jul 28 14:06:59 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Jul-87 01:33:52 EDT
References: <14046@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: Control Data Corp.(CIM), San Diego
Lines: 74

in article <14046@watmath.waterloo.edu>, mdharding@watmath.UUCP says:
> 
> As to compatibility, I have found several things that barf on my 1000. The 
> majority of them are graphics/game programs that some knowledgeable person
> told me use different memory scan routines, and also look for a DMA on the
> mother- board. (Thanks Tom, if you're out there). But also to my
> surprise, I purchased a couple of games from Radio Shack stores
> designed especially for the 1000 (the more notable of the two being
> Demon Attack) which presumably are optimized for a1000, yet don't even
> want to begin to work on IBM PC's.  My opinion is that Tandyare
> stressing the idea that their 1000's (and others) are not just PC
> compat.'s,but a whole different breed, so to speak.
> 

I just purchased a Tech. ref manual on the tandy 1000A (the old 1000) .  
I have also been trying to play with MINIX on the 1000.  That has
opened up a whole can of worms.  The tandy 1000A as far as I can tell
is a pc-jr.

MINIX (A unix Version-7 for pc-compats) doesn't use the BIOS, and as a result
shows just how compatible each pc is.  Anyway, its fun to figure out the
differences and fix up an opperating system.

> 
> As to Deskmate software - no phlames intended, but I personally found it to be
> practically worthless. About the only redeeming quality it has is that it fits
> on a single disk, as opposed to integrated packages that need megs of space.

I must agree.  The software is slow(in my opinion). Although deskmate
is a nice integrated package, it lacks features I can get from single
programs which I would not sacrifice for the integrated package. 

> 
> My next question: does anyone have a good explanation of what the
> HOLD key does on the 1000? Does it freeze output, or halt the cpu, or
> am I not even close? As far as I'm concerned it's just great. I have
> been able to stop every single program I've ever run (bar _one_
> exception) instantaneously, frozen. It's great for real-time games (of
> which I'm a real fan), the programs don't even know about it and
> therefore can't protect against it when writing the code.

I looked in the ref manual under Keyboard section and found that the
key number = 48 and the scan code = 0x46.  as far as the hardware goes,
there is nothing special about the HOLD key.  It must be handled in the
BIOS.  Also, I noticed that the HOLD key doesn't have the same effect
when MINIX is running.  From these two observations, I would have to 
conclude that the bios does something special when you press 

My question, 
I purchased a multi function board from Advanced Transducer Devices
(alias Zucker boards), and I have been trying to figure out how to
set/get the time from the clock chip from assembly.  

If someone had a program that did this, it would be nice if you could
mail me a copy, or I would send a disk.
Every time I call ATD they say :
  I don't even know how to program the clock, ... We don't even have
  the source for that program.

A real cop-out as far as service goes.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

> Let's hear from the Tandy 1000 owners amongst us!!!!!!!!

O.K. let's here from someone else !!!

> 
> Matt. (mdharding@watmath.UUCP, I think)

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