Nicron #92 04 июня 1998

Будущее Спектрума

Projects - Power Spectrum. Considerations about the direction of the Spectrum as a network computer.

        Network Spectrum:
          new project


(C) Artur Alexandrov


    Hi, ALL!


  I want to share some thoughts on the possible direction of 
development of the Spectrum as a network computer. By my 
calculations, Spec with the modem without the drive can drop 
down to 150-200 rubles, and that's real money for many families.


  Develop your own modem and protocol has been completed. They
have nothing to do with existing ones. The case rose to the 
choice platform. Requirements to it:

- The ability to connect IBM-keyboards;
- The ability to connect up to 1 MB of RAM;
- High degree of "foolproof" and fault tolerance;
- Ease of stream (industrial) production;
- Price - less than 150 - 200 rubles.
Maintainability is not obligatory - payment is expected simply
change.
Very attractive ULA, at what is called "Quantum" (h-d Quantum) 
and "Master" (d-d component), but how they are capricious - I 
do not know. I would appreciate any information on the choice 
of model. From offering the best option - a contract to further 
develop.     Also needed:

- Platform (Speccy), and software allow you to communicate with 
the PC to the COM port to be increased to 4 MB of RAM, with 
clock, IBM-keyboard. Presumably, this is - corpion but there 
may be other options; - The program (on request), allowing to 
exchange data with Speccy a multiport serial boards at the 
request of the latter; - Interface Shell (technical task will 
send on request) for a terminal program; - A simple email 
program with built-in editor and archiver. 


  Deploy large-scale network is scheduled for October 1998
in August and September - the test in real time.

  I would really appreciate any ideas, comments and suggestions
for this project.

From the author of the project can be contacted at:
E-mail: arkt@orc.ru (preferred).
Tel. Work: (095) 230-60-57 (not the fact that on-site);
Pager: (095) 232-0000 48503 subscribers.

                Sincerely,
                    Artur Alexandrov.

m Editorial

(C) Wlodek Black


  Sending me a copy of the article for publication, Arthur V.
also requested to give a brief comment to this article.

  Arthur V. Alexandrov - highly skilled in computer technology, 
including in public education. I met him in the PCC, "Computers 
for the public" in the Polytechnical Museum, where Arthur V. 
taught in courses of computer literacy and even then nurtured 
the idea of ​​"spektrumizatsii" of Russia. This idea is briefly 
as follows: Based on the Spectrum as a very low-cost base to 
create a simple working station to work in a specially crafted 
network-oriented mainly on family, home schooled children, and 
in passing - to meet the informational "hunger" in the domestic 
sphere, that is for everyday, banal information such as

that which we are accustomed to getting from the newspapers, on 
radio and on outdoor benches for the ads (the buying and 
selling, looking for / offering job weather forecast, course 
"green" neighborhood news and so on. etc.). Great importance 
was attached to ensure that such work stations for families 
with children deprived of hearing and speech - deaf people 
would be able to communicate by telephone. And all this at 
prices not comparable with prices on the PC, modems, Internet 
services, etc. that is, the network would be able to reach 
users with even a very modest means, that in Russia today more 
than surprising. From the existing Spectrum networks (also in 
large degree of satisfying the above principles, but have other 
objectives), the new massive network (it even called "MassNet") 
would differ in that it would not spektrumistov, and for all. 
Minimum set of workstation provides a simple device with a 
keyboard that connects to a telephone line and a TV (via 
antenna or video input, as the game console). The modem is an 
integral part of the device, is integrated into the overall 
building, and programmatic support sewn into the ROM. Even 
without a floppy drive Minimum workstation will communicate in 
the terminal mode, and read on the TV electronic news and 
announcements. With the FDD will be available and distance 
education and e-mail, and simple machine become a disc 
Spectrum, where you can do everything what you can do on this 
remarkable machine. Diskovodny option probably would satisfy 
the present and spektrumistov so the present situation with the 
production of new hardware, most appear to be expressed only in 
one word - "Scorpion", which turns on one or another "Soup" 
stretched on for months (recently one Moscow user received a 
response from Peter - application adopted in the fall). Of 
course, on the one hand, it is good that the Spectrum is still 
so popular that people are willing to pay good money for it, 
but on the other - users can still be greater, the market is 
not saturated. (By the way, is rather "funny" situation in 
Mitinskoe radio market in Moscow: floppy DS / DD, as 5.25 'and 
3.5', we have to literally "catch" on sale when they 
occasionally appear, and the sellers say: "There is no demand! 
However, imported batch floppy "go" for a Saturday!). AV 
Aleksandrov, sees an opportunity to rely on the Scorpion as 
basis for future workstation and the modem for it, I emphasize, 
ready. Perhaps the proposed project would infuse another 
servings of fresh breath in the Spectrum modern life? Unlikely 
to cause doubt that the new Spectrum-compatible computer able 
to perform the functions of the networked computers, which we 
use now - could, and it is not excluded, even better, since 
modem, it will be very "serious." The author of the article and 
the project specifically requests about writing (and maybe even

simple adaptation) software - please re-read again
article! But for someone new project can be a springboard to 
notoriety, and to obtain material goods - well, too. Address 
for communication has been published!