ZX Format #04 14 июня 1996

Железо

Iron - Nemo responds to users' questions.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM USERS.


________________________________


  - Is it possible to use KAY -
bus to other computers?


  - Ill-posed
question. Splits into two. If
You try to build the tire
an existing computer, the bugs that you catch will be
you do not like and can not afford.

  If you try to design
computer with a bus, you get either KAY, or something obviously 
the worst. Sending to the design of a conceptual ring, ie a set 
of new ideas, mutual realization of which does not lead to 
contradictions in the structure. This ensures integrity of the 
property. If the implementation of the ring complete and 
correctly done constructively, ie, technically, what to do - or 
better in this ring is no longer possible. We need new 
concepts, new ideas. I do not see any conceptual rings in space

the opportunities that exist in
Currently the world's Spectrum.
There are new ideas, but close
ring impossible. If this
succeed, the public will
oschastlivlena system
Transformer.

  I'll note that some - or
Mulk can be added and some to the design at any time, it will 
be a good one-off output, but will result in

problems.



  - Why do not you cooperate with
INFORKOM'om?


  - It seems that these uncle from Moscow
consider themselves the only professionals in the world, 
Spectrum. Such snobbery is unacceptable. Sit for the company in 
the sandbox and do kulichiki uninteresting.


  This publishing house fans and
for the fans. "Conclusions
Experts' weakly pulled even at
"Review the reviewer." Status
Expert means the possession
some know - how, which
gives him the right to give informed
intuitive assessment. That estimate, rather than condescending 
preaching. I do not want to say that INFORKOM'e missing valuable

information or that the authors have no
brilliant ideas. Just what
seems to the reader, touted as clumsy,
As the proposed implementation
(At least on the equipment) - the typical kitchen
creativity.



  - What are your own, customized, branded features, which is 
usually implied by Brand Name?



  1. No one to feed "breakfast". If that - that is promised,
something called a specific date and
this is done the inevitable.

  2. Do not go on about the customer
- Long-term perspective
more important than momentary profit.

  3. The actual characteristics
Spectrum system is more important Moolack,
related to its proprietary origins.

  4. Preparation, cultivation
market before the introduction of new hardware (architectural) 
solutions. 

  5. Do not pull the blanket over himself,
ie support the firm - partners working in related fields and 
coordinate with them their activities, making the system

open.

  6. Lack of technical protection, creating problems for
user. Protection is, but
they technological, organizational and business plan.



  - What is a synchronous digital machine?


  - This is not a slogan, but
actual circuit design approach. Without going into technical
implementation details, we mention the
the main difference between synchronous and asynchronous 
machines. 

  Synchronous automaton converges in
time. Letting the clock frequency to infinity, and
delay logic element to zero, we obtain the continued operation 
of the algorithm. It is not very strictly formulated, but 
understandable. 



  - Why do not you do more
cheap cars, such as 48K?


  - You were misled prices
"Wheeled tank" Spectrum.
Cost of the production,
and hence the price of board
roughly proportional to the area. Relate the size and price
consider whether you wish to purchase them.



  - Do you sell blank boards?


  - No, for the following reasons.
In - the first, in order to finance the development machine, 
you need a complete turnover of money though at the level of 
finished boards. 

  In - the second sale of cards leads to loss of control over 
the project as it begins to accrete Mulk. 

  B - Third, the quality of "licensed" products very quickly
begins to discredit the project.

  In - fourth, can not recall
one "litsenzionista, which
would not have tried myself to set up production boards, 
thereby robbing company of the developer.




  - Why do not you sell separately controller drive?


  - Your desire to acquire
drive controller indicates
the fact that you're going to do a kitchen creativity. I have 
nothing against such an intention, however, participate in the 
no desire. Experience shows that the process of explaining what 
to do and as it turns on its costs significantly more than the 
profits derived from sale. 



  - Rumor has it that KAY suspiciously like a Scorpion?


  - Do you have outdated information.
Now they say, that
Scorpion is similar to KAY.



  - Explain why you need these
heavy epigraphs?


  - This is really one of the
my aristocratic habits.
Epigraph - a treble clef,
who sets the tone
(Plane) of perception. Depth
text and its semantic capacity,
the definition of mathematics
Prigogine, is determined by the possible number of degrees of 
its reinterpretation. So, are of interest, not all power. Two 
weakly correlated to within the meaning of the text determine 
the desired vector of perception. Moreover, The more subtle 
association can not use the more clearly able to bring desired

meanings to the reader. You can go
and the classic way - purely inductive presentation, with 
minimal subjective component. In this case we tyagomotina type 
textbook algebra virtually indigestible. I

very pleased that the authors are published in ZX - Format'e, 
took it on board. 



  - Proper Do you have a floppy drive controller turbirovanie
for KAY'a?


  - This stupid question to me
ask for the second year. Really
such controllers have been sold
only two dozen, half were
exchanged. Still less than one hundred (up to
the moment was pererazvedena fee) sold in the mute turbo - the 
regime. This inevitable price to pay for the championship.

However, pleased that at the time
appearance of the correct layout
"Snot" on the boards of competitors,
properly made by the controller
on the seal is already on sale.



  - Do not you think that your club
User KAY'a looks
like - that breakaway? Well, like
that "... users of ATM
Pentagon, etc. Please do not
worry? "


  - For starters, it's not a club -
yet. It's just a weekly
consultation. To make it interesting, every time that - that
describes Spectrum'e general and KAY'e in particular. I
believe that such a relationship with
users are useful for both
parties. The public has bad
understands its benefits from such
possible, although worldwide
support taken for granted. People like to dance in the window 
on the Kazakova - so it is easier and more familiar.


  Admission is free and, of course, only for users
KAY'a. On the one hand, to take
money for support right now
unreal - the user does not understand that it is he needs. I
I think that it is necessary to
This should teach. If, before the
the public in the end comes
usefulness of activities, the maintenance costs will be
included in the price (and such expenses
there and they really can be
expressed in money). It is therefore not
very clear why you need to accompany the members that
who carried his money - that
another - let them there, and escorted.

  By the way, you can connect to
this kind of practice and other
producers, but so far - that
appropriate initiatives are not observed.


  - Where can I buy cards
KAY-256?


  - Layout can be purchased as
by mail (to wholesalers
discounts), and in
Store Logros (river embankment
Karpovka, 5). On the radio market in the
Kazakova boards can be purchased
sales representative, for example, a tray N10.



  - What better place to drive KAY-256?


  - Here is a brief description of different types of drives:

  - G5305. First of all, please
attention to the sign of the factory - manufacturer. If it 
looks like circle with the Greek letter gamma (lower case, it 
looks like a loop down), then such a drive should not buy in no

case. He has a weak power of reading and very badly
assembly. A typical defect - a progressive towards
spindle impairment of reading. So
as it is constructive (not even
Technology), marriage, eliminate
it is impossible.

  If the logo looks like
the letters TM or counter arrows with a bend, it's normal, it 
is workable drives.


  - 5305F - good Fryazino
drive, almost 5311, executed the license TEAC'ovskom
equipment. Subtlety of operation consists in the fact that the 
line of code - a marker to install condenser order

0.1 uF (in the controller Beta -
Turbo is already installed).

  - 5311 - a good drive
weak node which is
Castle - clamping door, and if gently, without effort, to close
door, you of the flaw will never know.

  - 5313 - a great drive
a similar weak spot with a lock - clamp. Obvaltsovany head, 
which increases the reliability operation - such head

harder to break.

  TEAC branded drives and
ROBOTRON.

  The author does not share that love, quivering, which 
undergoes audience for such drives.


  Firm has drive
very high reliability and quality, but even he is mortal. Who 
among you are safe from the installation

two floppy disk into the drive, hit a solid object in the area
heads (eg, sheet of heavy paper with a list of files) from the
strikes and power failures? If
such a catastrophe happens, the drive to repair the imported
You can not.

  In addition, these drives
types are used, a very ancient and
not uncommon for a large physical deterioration. It was noted
few cases where such
drives to work is bad for the banal reason - head cut down to 
the ground. 

  According to the author, if we talk about the consumer as
these drives, it is about
media drive 5313.

  - Iso-5323.01 - Bulgarian
drive, of poor quality. Not
going into details, we note
that is a cross between Armenian 5305 and his brother 
Zelenograd, also 5305. 

  - 5350 - Drive "weirdo". If it works, it works well, but can 
in 15 minutes of refuse at all: no

read or write, if at all to say: "I am not at home"
Do Not Disturb, etc. (Message "No disk"). The problem is
that such problems
not diagnosed and therefore not
repaired. Repairers believe that this consequence of poor
assembly, namely, cold rations,
but this is debatable. It becomes a systemic problem
because the diagnosis is not block by block
pass - the drive to another
computer can make as
nothing happened.


           __________


       NEWS FROM Nemo

              ____


     Disk drive controller card

Date of the sale: the end of June.

Completeness: page-description,
floppy disk with the OS iS-DOS, the controller.

Warranties: Manufacturer Nemo meets
for the serviceability of the hardware
(Controller), the firm IskraSoft -
for software support. When
any matters
claim is considered jointly. Are committed to guarantee valid 
for 6 months.


  Explanation: Guarantees for the hardware, if you do not
KAY-256, reduced to checking
controller, and, if necessary, in its repair (replacement:
at the discretion of the firm Nemo).
Subscription and verification of its correctness, and the 
search for defects in system as a whole lies entirely on

client.


  When installing a card into a computer KAY-256 no alterations 
NOT REQUIRED. Nemo Company guarantees the work of the hardware 
on board level of its production.


  Note: In versions of boards
v1.1, v1.2 and v1.3 check the type of
CPU (marking given by
connector PERIPHERIALS '& CENTRONICS). CPU is desirable to have 
no less than 8 MHz (better 10MHz). Over the acquisition of CPU 
- if you not be able to purchase it, please contact us on 10 
tray (Michael), or by phone. (See box details above).


Software: The package
Software includes: OS iS-DOS (if you
Already a OFFICIAL
user-provided
discount upon presentation of the disc
OS), software provisioning and
text file type HELP.

  Explanation: The controller and
Software to it only supports
Program IS-DOS. Winchester is a complex perifiriynym
device and its operation without OS
virtually impossible.


  What you need to buy your own:

1. Loop (it is not worth saving, or create a lot of
problems themselves and the people).

2.Zhgut power connector.

3.Vinchester.

  Explanation: When buying a hard drive require predostavlvniya 
week as a minimum guarantee to the opportunity to return if the 
hard drive will not work. (It is possible that the defective 
hard drive refuses to work system). List of "unreliable" hard 
disks is expected placed in the file HELP, as

accumulation of information. Also need to know the parameters 
of power (usually = 10W), the parameters of the number of 
sectors, cylinders and heads. Only fit HDD IDE (AT) up to 
80MBayt (larger volume will simply ignore). 


  Before connecting the hard drive
need to ensure an adequate supply of current supply.


             ______


             REPAIR


   Nemo announces increase
the price of repairs - from 01/06/1996 to repair your computer 
drive will cost 150 thousand, while:

1.snyata performance guarantee
2.srok repair increased to 2 weeks
3.srok warranty on a refurbished computer is reduced to 3 
months. 

ostoyatelnogo manufacturing
(Usually from scrap materials) and manufactured not
St. Petersburg, recognized Non-Repair.



           Drives.


  More beneficial for both the workshop and for the client
is repair disk drives. The price for 01/06/1996 - 51 th

  Repairs carried out within 2 weeks (actually bysree -
it's guaranteed maximum
term), given 3 months.
warranty repair drives only domestic producer of types 5305 
(not Armenian!), 5311, 5313. 

  Instead of urgent repair practiced replacement drives: price
services - 80 thousand This is convenient
as need to come all
only once, and the term
repair turns out to zero.