6.0135 Hardware: CPU Choices; Peripherals (2/75)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 14 Jul 1992 18:08:28 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0135. Tuesday, 14 Jul 1992.
(1) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 11:14:00 PDT (22 lines)
From: <DGH@pc01.divinity.yale.edu>
Subject: CPU choice
(2) Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 10:18:11 BST (53 lines)
From: Donald A Spaeth <GKHA13@CMS.GLASGOW.AC.UK>
Subject: Networks and peripherals corrected
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 11:14:00 PDT
From: <DGH@pc01.divinity.yale.edu>
Subject: CPU choice
A visiting professor has asked some advice on selecting a notebook
computer, and is concerned about whether he will get satisfactory results
with a 386 machine, or whether he should invest in a 486. Of course, there
are many factors which enter into system performance, however I thought I
would check and see if experience had produced any strong opinions.
He uses NOTA BENE primarily, and also uses the TLG database extensively. He
plans to use SEARCHER/PHAROS with TLG. He may also be considering Lbase.
In addition, if anyone has experience using the TLG CDROM with a notebook
computer, I would be interested in hearing about your hardware and how
dis/satisfied you are with it.
Thanks.
Duane Harbin
Information Services Librarian
Yale Divinity Library
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------62----
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 92 10:18:11 BST
From: Donald A Spaeth <GKHA13@CMS.GLASGOW.AC.UK>
Subject: Networks and peripherals corrected
My apologies to Humanist readers. I've re-read my submission and
found two errors, one of which is very misleading. This is my
reward for sloppy proofreading. Here is a revised copy of the message
(revised lines are marked by > in left margin, changed words by asterixes).
Sorry about that,
Don Spaeth
CTI Centre for History
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tops is a good solution for small networks, e.g. between an IBM and a
Mac, because it does not require a dedicated server. Any computer
on the network can publish any number of disks/volumes,
folders/directories and files. Once published, these can be read
> by *other* machines on the network. In theory, a volume could
just as easily be a CD-ROM as a hard disk, but you will have to check
with the makers of Tops to find out whether such theory works in
practice. PCs can also print to Mac printers via Tops; again, I don't
know whether the opposite is true.
Two caveats:
- Tops-PC requires that one buy an AppleTalk card for the PC. A few
years ago this had to be a card made by Tops; I don't know if this
is still true.
- Tops provides a mechanism for exchanging data (including text files),
not software. Ie, you will be reading files on remote computers
with the software on your own computer. You cannot run Word for
the Mac from your PC, just because TOPS has allowed you access
the file; it will need to be converted into a Word (DOS/Windows) file
(within Word for Mac/Windows) and into a PC format file (Apple File
Exchange).
The corollary for CD-ROM access is that Tops MAY allow you to access
a CD attached to a Mac, but only if you have the relevant software
> to read the *CD* (with a driver for the Apple CD player) running on
> your *PC*. This isn't unlikely as it sounds, since it is possible
to run an Apple CD from a PC with a SCSI card. But there are no
guarantees. There's many a slip 'twixt cup and slip, so they say,
and there are even more when networking comes into the calculation!
It may be simpler to get a SCSI card for the PC, and move
the CD between computers. ( Or, it occurs to me, it may be possible to
chain the Apple CD, PC, and Mac. Does anyone know if this would
work?)
Yours,
Donald Spaeth
CTI