I threw away my computer certification books back in early 2005 so I have to buy new ones.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-10-15, 19:18:

I threw away my computer certification books back in early 2005 so I have to buy new ones.

I have the MS-DOS 6.2 version of the first book. Looks good sat between The MS-DOS Bible and the DOS Programmer's Reference on my bookshelf. Haven't read and of them in years, but might have to again now I'm getting set up for rebuilding several retro systems.

The mailman brought me these today:
1. Cirrus logic GD5424 with 1MB 80ns onboard. Upgradable to 2MB for higher resolutiond or more colours.

2. Cirrus logic GD5428 with 1MB 45ns onboard. Upgradable to 2MB for higher resolutiond or more colours.

Makes me wonder: the 5428 should be quite a bit faster than the 5424 if it can manage to utilize the faster memory. Would the speed difference be that great?

#2 will probably end up in my CX5x86-100 system. It now runs another 5424 with no possibility to upgrade to 2MB.

waterbeesje wrote on 2020-10-15, 20:37:

The mailman brought me these today: 1. Cirrus logic GD5424 with 1MB 80ns onboard. Upgradable to 2MB for higher resolutiond or mo […]
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The mailman brought me these today:
1. Cirrus logic GD5424 with 1MB 80ns onboard. Upgradable to 2MB for higher resolutiond or more colours.
2. Cirrus logic GD5428 with 1MB 45ns onboard. Upgradable to 2MB for higher resolutiond or more colours.
Makes me wonder: the 5428 should be quite a bit faster than the 5424 if it can manage to utilize the faster memory. Would the speed difference be that great?

You get neither more useful resolution modes nor more colours with 2MB upgrade (except for pointless 1280x1024/16 colours and 1024x768/64k interlaced modes on the GD5428).

The 5424 cannot be upgraded to 2MB. The sockets you see are there likely for alternative memory configuration options (so that they could fit either 256K×4 or 512Kx16 DRAMs whatever was cheaper at the time of assembly ). The 5428 is slightly faster in Windows in 256 colour modes (due to basic BitBlt acceleration), but they are both low-end cards.

Also both chips have maximum memory clock of 50 MHz so there is no benefit of faster memory. Even 70ns is fine for the maximum clock of GD5428. The card with 80ns will be likely running at 45 MHz.

Did I need another midi module? Hell no.

Did I want another midi module? Not really.

Did I go ahead and buy it anyway? You bet I did!

The price was OK so there.

Edit: tested it and it sounds great so happy anyway.

I found these amazing speakers at a goodwill type place. I couldn't believe how good they sound. They have a lot of BASS and they were marketed a MEGA BASS
Theyre also very heavy for how small they are.

Not my box but i cant be bothered to upload pics
Sony SRS-Z750
Sigma-type magnetic circuit reproduces powerful bass sound
Built in 15w Amplifier
Magnetically shielded design
Sony Mega Bass bass boost circuitry

I bought one of these network cardsformy486. They look to be best in slot.

Grabbed what I thought was a complete in box Creative Ensoniq AudioPCI card...but it was actually a SoundBlaster Vibra 16XV model CT4170 ISA sound card. And it came with the documentation and drivers for the Vibra card too! Not bad!

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2020-10-15, 19:18:

I threw away my computer certification books back in early 2005 so I have to buy new ones.

Wow good find ! I also just bought a couple of old books last week to replace some I had also donated away years ago. One is Peter Nortons PC Problem Solver second edition 1992 (covers thru DOS 5).

EvieSigma wrote on 2020-10-16, 22:47:

it was actually a SoundBlaster Vibra 16XV model CT4170 ISA sound card

I recently got two of the Vibra 16XV cards (they were installed in a pair of old Socket 7 machines that I bought). No issues at all using them for DOS games because the PNP BIOS had set them up with 'reasonable' IRQ and DMA choices.

There's no hardware wavetable synth (has to be emulated in software), and the hardware FM synth is Creative's CQM clone of the OPL3. I'd never heard it before, but ugh it's rough when playing back Adlib Tracker tunes, lots of weird noises and glitches in the higher frequencies.

Anyway it's a reasonable card for playing late-era DOS games, which only use the sound card for 16-bit sampled audio.

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right?

...especially if that means getting a 21" Trinitron CRT with it :3c
what a massive hunk of 35kg, it's heavier than my 22" Mitsubishi by quite a bit.

Quite happy with this PCI version of M400 64MB, snagged it locally for around 5 euro's while buying a serial mouse, it was advertised as AGP 😀

Unfortunately my current board seems to refuse to work with it (probably needs 2.2 PCI) so it will have to wait for something stronger than my socket 7 200MMX, but tbh it would be a gross overkill to leave it in there anyway.

imi wrote on 2020-10-17, 14:41:

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right? […]
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Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right?

...especially if that means getting a 21" Trinitron CRT with it :3c
what a massive hunk of 35kg, it's heavier than my 22" Mitsubishi by quite a bit.

hardware39_67.jpg

They made 21" trinitron versions of the translucent colored mac range? That's so cool.

Khorne wrote on 2020-10-17, 18:42:

Quite happy with this PCI version of M400 64MB, snagged it locally for around 5 euro's while buying a serial mouse, it was advertised as AGP 😀

Unfortunately my current board seems to refuse to work with it (probably needs 2.2 PCI) so it will have to wait for something stronger than my socket 7 200MMX, but tbh it would be a gross overkill to leave it in there anyway.

Never thought I would hear Khorne talking about "gross overkill".. I thought it was blood for the blood god?

With 20y old hardware and that approach it's more likely to be white smoke and burned electronics smell hahaha

Skulls for the Skull Throne!

kolderman wrote on 2020-10-17, 18:50:

They made 21" trinitron versions of the translucent colored mac range? That's so cool.

sure seems like they did ^^

unfortunately there's not much to see inside like in the later flat CRT models, because the whole tube and electronics are covered in a metal shell inside. still looks very neat... very hard to carry though ^^

imi wrote on 2020-10-17, 14:41:

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right? […]
Show full quote

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right?

...especially if that means getting a 21" Trinitron CRT with it :3c
what a massive hunk of 35kg, it's heavier than my 22" Mitsubishi by quite a bit.

hardware39_67.jpg

I used to have one of those monitors too, got 1 from eBay 2nd hand in the mid 2000s. It was a fantastic monitor with a great picture and yes it weighed a tonne!

Some might cry sacrilegious here, but even though I did own several Macs we actually used the monitor primarily on the main family PC running Windows. 🤣

Don't have it anymore though, after about a year and a half of heavy use it died. Screen shrank 1 day and then switched off. Might have been fixable, but unfortunately due to lack of space it was disposed of.

imi wrote on 2020-10-17, 14:41:

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right? […]
Show full quote

Having at least one Mac in the collection can't hurt right?

...especially if that means getting a 21" Trinitron CRT with it :3c
what a massive hunk of 35kg, it's heavier than my 22" Mitsubishi by quite a bit.

hardware39_67.jpg

Ha these, the 17" had a on-screen menu, for this one the 21" it required you to plug it into a compatible Mac (see how the VGA cord has a USB cable coming out of it?).

There also exists a graphite grey version of this one, though it's a bit tougher to find than the blue one

Scored some free gems:

- Office 97 Small Business Edition (DE)
- Windows 95C (DE)
- AOL Diamond (DE)
- EPSON Creative Design Pack (Multilanguage, but the sticker on it is in Deutsch)
- Corel Draw 7 OEM (Multi)
- Aztech SC16-3D + ATI Rage Pro Turbo Driver CDs (EN)
- CD-R w/ bunch of pictures from the previous owner
- Acer 56K Modem Driver CD