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Xref: sserve comp.os.os2.programmer:11079 comp.os.coherent:9033 comp.os.linux:35573 comp.os.mach:2761 comp.os.minix:21911 comp.periphs:3520 comp.unix.bsd:11880 comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit:2450 comp.os.386bsd.development:530 Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.programmer,comp.os.coherent,comp.os.linux,comp.os.mach,comp.os.minix,comp.periphs,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.os.386bsd.development Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!pacbell.com!uop!csus.edu!netcom.com!pdh From: pdh@netcom.com (P D H) Subject: Re: QIC NEWS vol.1 Special Edition #1 Message-ID: <pdhC5x9Hp.3CF@netcom.com> Keywords: QIC FDC NEWS Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) References: <jmonroyC5py56.B85@netcom.com> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 05:49:01 GMT Lines: 65 jmonroy@netcom.com (Jesus Monroy Jr) posts: > -I tried to convince them to reconsider the issue of that cost vs. > -the profit of selling more drives. At least 2 people I talked > -to said they would bring it up when the chance arrived. I talked > -to them in terms of the LINUX system market potentials. I can't > -see how they can ignore the OS/2 market. > > We sell the .. for OS/2. > :: [deleted] :: Now LINUX, please. I've already abandoned OS/2, having found that it is not (yet) a true 32-bit protected mode system (I know, 32-bits apps, but that is not what I am taking about). > ->You can get all the specs you need from the QIC committee. > :: [deleted] :: > :: [see QIC NEWS vol.1 no.1] :: Not true. This is apparently the specs that CMS wants you to think you need. The "need" in this case seems to be that on the part of CMS; THEY need for us porgrammers to go hide somewhere and quit trying to make better software. Every time I hear that from them, it makes me SICK! I have the QIC specs. Ain't in there. > This goes back to the amount of support we can provide. The > software and communications are not as simple as they may appear. > The specs are also long and terse. Please don't baby me. Some of us a very good programmers that can understand complex subjects, and even understand hardware. So they are long and terse. That's only a sign of poor documentation anyway. I know the parallel port problem is not simple. It is difficult in part because the original design didn't expect it to be used for this. But then we can find tons of really bad designs in the PC architecture that people found working solutions around. > Our software group is quite active. They have to support new > hardware as it comes out while doing new software development. All the more reason to open the specs. Third party software developers might well surprise you in how innovative they can be. I believe a possible solution here is for the QIC group to adopt a standard for operating over the parallel interface. This standard really should be one that is very universal. It should not be specific to tape backup units, but rather, it should be one that will allow software on the PC, and hardware on the other side of the interface that plugs into the PC, to have a reliable and simple communications path. Then on top of that (an interface circuit and a driver on the PC) you can put any kind of connection application you want, like a backup tape. Then another standard should exist for how to command a tape backup unit through the above reliable simple raw data path. It should be workable as a modular standard, usable for tapes supporting any of the other QIC recording formats and data formats. -- | Phil Howard, pdh@netcom.com, KA9WGN Spell protection? "1(911)A1" | | Right wing conservative capitalists are out to separate you from your MONEY | | Left wing liberal do gooders are out to separate you from EVERYTHING ELSE!! | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+