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Xref: sserve comp.sys.laptops:12283 comp.os.386bsd.questions:7199 Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops,comp.os.386bsd.questions Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!constellation!paladin.american.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!super!becker From: becker@super.org (Donald J. Becker) Subject: Re: ZDS Z-NOTE+ laptop advice wanted Message-ID: <1993Nov29.214754.2362@super.org> Sender: news@super.org (USENET News System) Nntp-Posting-Host: descartes Organization: IDA Supercomputing Research Center References: <2d86hnINNhiq@rodan.uu.net> Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1993 21:47:54 GMT Lines: 53 In article <2d86hnINNhiq@rodan.uu.net>, Louis A. Mamakos <louie@uunet.uu.net> wrote: >I'm very close to picking up a Zenith Data Systems Z-NOTE 433Ln+ >laptop for my personal use, and am interested in hearing about any >experiences that folks have had with this box. This laptop comes with ... >Just recently the source for a packet driver was released for this >box, so writing an Ethernet driver would be possible if existing >drivers don't work. My experiences with the 386 version indicate that >the ethernet interface performs pretty well. See below. >Open questions are: > > - Is there something silly with this box which prevents it from running > some BSD-like OS? I've played with a Z-Note running Linux, and it worked pretty well. I don't think a BSD OS should any different. A minor issue is that the power suspend confuses the machine: the modem hangs (but doesn't hang up :-<) and the clock (obviously) loses time. > - Do any existing BSD-like OSs have ethernet driver support for the > built-in ethernet? I've been working on a Linux driver during the brief periods I have access to the machine. It uses the i82593 chip, which is quite uncommon. (It uses two DMA channels, so it's unlikely that an ISA bus implementation exists. Reportedly one of the IBM laptops uses the same design.) Intel's "documentation" for the '593 is thin booklet, with only about a page of programming information. (Example: the init-time configuration table isn't documented, but it's vital to the chip's operation. It appears to be similar to the i82586, but that's not enough to program the beast.) Oh, and don't forget that the network connection cable is $$$. Didn't expect that, eh? > - So what does that trackball look like? A bus mouse? MMMmm, I don't remember, but it's something common. Linux+XFree had no problem. -- Donald Becker becker@super.org IDA Supercomputing Research Center 17100 Science Drive, Bowie MD 20715 301-805-7482