8-Nov-89 10:36:04-MST,1043;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Wed, 8 Nov 89 10:35:51 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.39) id AA25666; Wed, 8 Nov 89 05:29:45 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 7 Nov 89 17:02:43 GMT From: mcsun!ukc!dcl-cs!gdt!gdr!mapdjch@uunet.uu.net (Dave J C Hutchinson) Organization: University of Bath, England Subject: zcpr3 wanted on advantage Message-Id: <1989Nov7.170243.7203@gdt.bath.ac.uk> Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil I'm thinking of installing zcpr3 on an advantage. Has anyone already done this ? If you'd be willing to send me a copy of your system or any experiences you've had with zcpr, please send e-mail to me. Thanks in advance David Hutchinson 29-Nov-89 18:41:39-MST,1084;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Wed, 29 Nov 89 18:41:10 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.40) id AA13658; Wed, 29 Nov 89 17:32:58 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 30 Nov 89 01:26:13 GMT From: deimos.cis.ksu.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!mandel@uunet.uu.net Subject: CPM2.2 Comm Prog Message-Id: <18700001@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil I have a couple of old Northstar Advantages which I would like to put to use as communications terminals. Can someone out there provide me with a DS/DD diskette (CPM2.2 format) with a PD communications program like Kermit or something. I'll send you a diskette and postage! Please reply through e-mail. Thanks. h-mandel@uiuc.edu 29-Nov-89 19:34:51-MST,934;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Wed, 29 Nov 89 19:34:43 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.40) id AA17327; Wed, 29 Nov 89 18:25:23 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 30 Nov 89 02:12:16 GMT From: bridge2!mips!vaso@apple.com (Vaso Bovan) Subject: Terminate Newsgroup Message-Id: <32423@buckaroo.mips.COM> Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil Ten postings total. Time to terminate this newsgroup. Comp.sys.northstar, like the parent company, has had its day. I would like to see some discussion, before the curtain comes down, on what went wrong for Northstar. 29-Nov-89 23:05:20-MST,1856;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Wed, 29 Nov 89 23:05:05 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.40) id AA29250; Wed, 29 Nov 89 21:40:01 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 30 Nov 89 05:40:20 GMT From: toto.cis.ohio-state.edu!pollack@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jordan B Pollack) Organization: Ohio State Computer Science Subject: Re: Terminate Newsgroup Message-Id: References: <32423@buckaroo.mips.COM> Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil I suppose it is a good time for a discussion like this. Maybe we'll double the number of postings real quick. Sadly, I finally got rid of all my northstar and cromemco equipment by donation and firesale ($100 for Hazeltine terminal and paper tiger printer, NShorizon thrown in). Why not discuss Northstar's fading along with all of the other S-100/CpM businesses that started the engine of the IBM PC steamroller, but failed to jump on or out of the way. So many names spring to mind from my hobby of 13-14 years ago: Computer Associates, Cromemco, Tech Design Labs, Ohio Scientific, Leading Edge, IDS, Digital Group, and so on. I imagine the talented engineers are anonymously employed in larger computer companies or newer start-ups, and the best software, like Wordstar, was quickly ported to the PC. I have heard various rumors of these happenings: For example, can anyone verify if Northstar Basic evolved into Gee Whiz Basic? Or if TDL turned into Phoenix Systems? Jordan 30-Nov-89 00:05:07-MST,1860;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 30 Nov 89 00:04:59 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.40) id AA03796; Wed, 29 Nov 89 22:59:05 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 30 Nov 89 06:37:25 GMT From: uokmax!mcmiller@apple.com (Michael C Miller) Organization: University of Oklahoma, Engineering Computer Network, Norman, OK Subject: Re: Terminate Newsgroup Message-Id: <1989Nov30.063725.28278@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu> References: <32423@buckaroo.mips.COM>, Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil HA! Finally some traffic here. I'd forgotten that this group even existed. I am still running a Northstar controller with that awful thing they call an (called ) operating system. Oh,well... Is any one interested in letting go of old software that may be collecting dust? I have the single sided controller but most of you probably are running Advantages anyway. Has any one ported CPM to the old beast? That is one tough project as the Northstar documentation that I have is sketchy at best in regards to controller interfacing. Also, every different version of NSDOS that I have refuses to run to compact command..Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a patch or did the thing simply never work? Well, I guess I'll go back to sleep now :-). ....sans.... -- < sans => mcmiller@uokmax.UUCP or mcmiller@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu > < '..this one goes up to eleven. Its ONE louder.' > 30-Nov-89 04:53:49-MST,1223;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 30 Nov 89 04:53:44 MST Received: by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (5.61/1.40) id AA16079; Thu, 30 Nov 89 03:31:07 -0800 Received: from USENET by ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU with netnews for northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil (northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) (contact usenet@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU if you have questions) Date: 30 Nov 89 09:59:23 GMT From: brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!vaso@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu (Vaso Bovan) Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA Subject: Re: Terminate Newsgroup Message-Id: <32441@buckaroo.mips.COM> References: <32423@buckaroo.mips.COM>, Sender: northstar-users-request@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil To: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil So what's the current status of Northstar Corp. ? Are there any current employees monitoring this newsgroup ? I understand Northstar is still around. Does it manufacture DOS machines exclusively now ? Who owns Northstar ? -Vaso (employee, 1981, before the Great Layoff) 30-Nov-89 07:55:55-MST,1198;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from p.lanl.gov by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 30 Nov 89 07:55:51 MST Received: by p.lanl.gov (5.54/1.14) id AA13499; Thu, 30 Nov 89 07:55:44 MST Received: by studguppy.lanl.gov (4.0/SMI-4.0) id AA05191; Thu, 30 Nov 89 07:56:48 MST Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 07:56:48 MST From: roberts%studguppy@LANL.GOV (Doug Roberts @ Los Alamos National Laboratory) Message-Id: <8911301456.AA05191@studguppy.lanl.gov> To: bridge2!mips!vaso@apple.com Cc: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil In-Reply-To: (Vaso Bovan's message of 30 Nov 89 02:12:16 GMT <32423@buckaroo.mips.COM> Subject: Terminate Newsgroup In my opinion, Big Blue (& it's MS-DOS) is what went wrong with NorthStar. Too bad NS couldn't keep up with the market. --Doug ================================================================ Douglas Roberts | Los Alamos National Laboratory |I can resist anything Box 1663, MS F-602 | except temptation. Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 | ... (505)667-4569 |Oscar Wilde dzzr@lanl.gov | ================================================================ 30-Nov-89 09:40:51-MST,2048;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from mips.com by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 30 Nov 89 09:40:21 MST Received: from buckaroo.mips.com by mips.com (5.61.14/1.7) id AA19352; Thu, 30 Nov 89 08:12:50 -0800 Received: by buckaroo.mips.com (5.52/4.7) id AA05502; Thu, 30 Nov 89 08:12:48 PST Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 08:12:48 PST From: vaso@mips.com (Vaso Bovan) Message-Id: <8911301612.AA05502@buckaroo.mips.com> To: uucp@mips.com, vaso%mips%bridge2@apple.com Subject: Re: Terminate Newsgroup Cc: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil From uucp@mips.com Thu Nov 30 07:17 PST 1989 From: roberts%studguppy@LANL.GOV (Doug Roberts @ Los Alamos National Laboratory) To: vaso%mips%bridge2@apple.com Cc: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil Subject: Terminate Newsgroup In my opinion, Big Blue (& it's MS-DOS) is what went wrong with NorthStar. Too bad NS couldn't keep up with the market. --Doug I was a NorthStar employee at the time the IBM PC was coming out. It seems to be, in retrospect, the problem was gross mismanagement at the top (of Northstar). The founders just didn't know what they were doing, and failed to address the IBM threat adequately. We were working on boards that would allow Horizon/Advantage to "emulate" the PC. This drained a lot of engineering talent that should have been utilized in other ways. It is not clear whether Northstar should have joined the switch to DOS and IMB-PC architectures, or whether Northstar had enough momentum to establish its own technology a la Apple/Amiga, but certainly it was clear to all observers that Northstar was doing neither adequately. I should mention however, that the founders were decent employers. They gave those of us that were laid off (25% of total staff) that day of the long knives, two or more weeks paid compensation, and help in finding new jobs. Those who were laid off probably ended up better off that those who stayed with the company in its long decline. -Vaso 30-Nov-89 18:37:05-MST,1979;000000000000 Return-Path: Received: from lcs.mit.edu by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 30 Nov 89 18:36:53 MST Received: from ai.ai.mit.edu by mintaka.lcs.mit.edu id aa24312; 30 Nov 89 20:31 EST Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 20:31:37 EST From: Devon Sean McCullough Subject: Terminate Newsgroup To: uokmax!mcmiller@apple.com cc: northstar-users@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil In-reply-to: Msg of 30 Nov 89 06:37:25 GMT from Michael C Miller Message-ID: <674688.891130.DEVON@AI.AI.MIT.EDU> So what's a "newsgroup" already? You unix weenies sure talk funny. Advantages? I used to be a Horizon dealer. North*Star would tell me on the phone that my order would be shipped in "two weeks," all lies intended to stall me without provoking me to take my business elsewhere. That DOS was *wonderful* because it was fast and small enough that you could understand all the code without much effort. North*Star CP/M was available for years from Lifeboat, or somebody. I have tons of old disks, with lots of stuff. An emacs-like editor which I wrote using the ALS-8 assembler, for instance! The COMPACT command was removed from later versions of NSDOS to save space, and distributed as a separate program. My customized NSDOS I/O drivers had a serial driver wired into the disk wait-for-sector routine, so it could do disk I/O without losing stuff coming in from the modem, but 40 sectors per second is too slow for anything over 30 chr/sec. Naturally when I disassembled Wozniak's Apple disk controller I was thoroughly disgusted that I had been using and paying for a 40-chip disk controller instead of an 8-chip IWM but I guess that's why Woz is considered a design whiz, and his company prospered while others fell by the wayside. Ever wonder why Processor Technology left the scene? Where is Steven Dompier now, or Lee Felsenstein? Old time. --Devon