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