Minutes of the FIGGY BAR RT Conference.
 
 Date: 11/17/88   Time: 21:48EST
Attendees:
[[Gary] GARY-S]
[[Dave] DWEINSTEIN]
[[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS]
[BJENNER]
 
Items discussed: SigForth ACM is official, Unix and Forth, making big 
                 cardboard boxes with NMI's little box
Minutes:
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> It's Official! It's official!
<[Gary] GARY-S> How long before I get my card !
<[Gary] GARY-S> They cashed my check
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> 6-8 weeks
<[Gary] GARY-S> I can stand that
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> They announced it!
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (dances about the room)
<[Gary] GARY-S> Wonder if ACM will retro a few CACM's ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (realizes has enormous program do tomorrow that will not 
get done...stoips dancing...frowns)
<[Gary] GARY-S> I'd like the copy with the anouncement
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> It's only a paragraph or two, but it is the thought that 
counts.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Dave - explain for those who will be reading this in 1990
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Someone will be reading *this* in 1990?
<[Gary] GARY-S> What the hack - Jan 1989
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (adopts narrator bass overtone) The ACM has formally 
adopted SigFORTH as an official Special Interest Group, with all the powers,
 benefits, and funny logos such as go with such a title. (legalese mode off)
<[Gary] GARY-S> Think George would like to guest conference here to spread the 
word ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Ask him.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Are you in communication with him ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Not much.
<[Gary] GARY-S> got a working number?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Send him a GEnie letter... g.shaw1
<[Gary] GARY-S> still need the number if you've got it ...
<[Gary] GARY-S> e-mail me
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> It's in the new CACM
<[Gary] GARY-S> Which I don't have
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> It should be in a Library somewhere in Little Rock
<[Gary] GARY-S> sigh
<[Gary] GARY-S> You running under Unix ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Or did they spend all the money on a football game?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> err...team
<[Gary] GARY-S> No - just that UALR is not that convenient to my home
<[Gary] GARY-S> I thought you had the new CACM there - handy like
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Naw, it's in my office.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> On display...heh
<[Gary] GARY-S> well - if you think about it e-mail me
<[Gary] GARY-S> back to my Unix question
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Shoot
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (pulls on wizard's cap)
<[Gary] GARY-S> do you use it on your home PC
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> No. I have a little Model 100, and an orphaned QL, neither 
of which can run Unix (although the QL does Multitask)
<[Gary] GARY-S> Interesting micros
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (resists urge)
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (awww....what the helll...you'll have to edit *anyway*)
<[Gary] GARY-S> You know the ZX and 2068 had their OS's written in Forth, but I 
don't think the QL does
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> I hate this assignment!
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Nope, the QL is 32k of unbelievably tight hand optimized 
assembly.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Most don't know the others were written in Forth - by Steven 
Vickers
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Uhhh...considering Sincalir's reputation, I wouldn't use 
that as a selling point for Forth... :-)
<[Gary] GARY-S> There's a pretty neat Forth package for the QL - from the UK
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> This is an unbelievably weird assignment.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Yeah. But I may get a real machine next year. (I saw an 
Amiga with 2.5 meg, monitor, two drives, for $800, but I didn't have the
cash...it was used)
<[Gary] GARY-S> Then it should be a natural for you ! :-)
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Then I can get JForth
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> And the specs suck.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Sigh.
<[Gary] GARY-S> I ask because Uni-Ops Books is selling some pretty powerful 
Unix machines for good prices
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> sigh
<[Gary] GARY-S> I wouldn't want to roll my own Forth on it (them) though
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Naw. But if you have C, you can get Mitch Bradleys's Forth 
written in C (ask Jax about it)
<[Gary] GARY-S> why all the sighs ???
<FIGCHAPTERS> is here.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> This prgogram
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Hulo...you keep finding new accounts Jax.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> "program" ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> How is JForth 2.0?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Silly assignment that probably won't get done.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> haven't seen it. Have Beta version, 1.3
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Yes, I'm a one-man RT Support Network.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Jax - tell me about Bradley's Forth under Unix
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Where to begin ... :-)
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> What about Bradley's Forth under Unix? It is good.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (the beginning is a good spot Jax, it's traditional)
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> It reminds one more of an "emulator of the Forth 
virtual machine" than Forth as We Know It, but it is a ...
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> heck of a shell!
<[Gary] GARY-S> Chip dependent ? 68K I assume ?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> nyet, tovarishch!
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Nope. C code runs on anything with a C compiler.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> is good portable (C)apitalist code.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I have it running on VAX 11/750.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> (raises glass in toast to ACM)
<[Gary] GARY-S> Well - I ask because someone is selling Unix machines fairly 
reasonable
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Be careful, see what it comes with. For example the AT&T 
7300 does not even have a C compiler! You can get burned badly!
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> OH HEAVVINNS! THE UNIX "DEAL" from the SouthEast. 
Somebody hold this guy's wallet till he calms down.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Naw - I don't get in those dances
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> DO NOT buy it without the full backup for Unix & the 
C Compiler. That should only set you back $1495
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I looked into that. It was temptin.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> but no.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> PHBBBLLT!!!
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> !!!TLLBBBHP
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> You got it backwards as usual, Dave.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> And, as usual, Jax, you can never look at anything from a 
different point of view.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> (-: oh yeah?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> :-) see?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ^^^^^^^ More "Food Fight of Ideas"
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Gary must have had a heart attack when i said 
"$1495".
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Hello?
<[Gary] GARY-S> $595 for B
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> "B" ? no, BS.
<[Gary] GARY-S> No - I'm reading ...
<[Gary] GARY-S> get this...
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I have got it.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> That flyer.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I read it three months ago.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> They still haven't sold them.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Makes you think, huh?
<[Gary] GARY-S> $1150 for 7300, $595 for 10MB workstation, $495 for 'C'
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> right,,,, more like 2300
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Without the C you have a useless machine.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> you can get the thing w/ C for about 1495 I think, 
if you get the right package.
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> And of course you cannot compile GCC without C.
<[Gary] GARY-S> the workstation is NOT part of the 7300 deal - it's another 
horse
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> The AT7300 is a great machine.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> It should have sold better, except they saddled it 
with Unix.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> If it was easier to get docs for the ROM,
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> I know someone who has one and hates it.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> It would be great JSR ForthStation.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Put JForth on it and F-L-Y.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ( 68010 ).
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Woof!
<[Gary] GARY-S> yes
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> It was a marketing mistake by AT&T
<[Gary] GARY-S> this same place sells a 386 Unix machine
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Huhuh...how much?
<[Gary] GARY-S> Depends on the bundeling... yes they bundle
<[Gary] GARY-S> Hell - get the catalog
<[Gary] GARY-S> want the address ?
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Naah...I don't hve the cash anyway
<[Gary] GARY-S> Uni-Ops, 195 Mountain View Rd, Boonville, CA  95415-0650
<[Gary] GARY-S> ph : 707/895-2050
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> Those two words pop up everywhere.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ????? The place in Georgia was cheaper.
<[Gary] GARY-S> Who in GA -
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> #4C
<[Dave] DHWEINSTEIN> disconnected.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> What was their name, Dave? They are the people who 
started that
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> oops.
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I should have known.,
<[Gary] GARY-S> Wonder what #4C means ?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Dave turns into a pumpkin every thrusday around this 
time
<[Gary] GARY-S> He came on early to puff about sigForth ACM
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Oh, well, the people in GA wanted $595 for the 
AT&T7300 + Unix, no backups
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ~$1495 for a *real* system.
<[Gary] GARY-S> No software, though
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> hmmm ... I may have their name @ work
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> foo.
<[Gary] GARY-S> what did you just foo
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> Well, I guess that this has wound down early. Want 
to turn the steno off ( that was just a general-purpose foo).
<BJENNER> hi
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> what's hopping tonite, BJ?
<[Gary] GARY-S> What's up Bjenner
<BJENNER> just browsing, first time here
<[Gary] GARY-S> You use Forth any ?
<BJENNER> bread and butter
<BJENNER> and you
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> what hardware/dialect
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ..?
<[Gary] GARY-S> B J - doin' what ? and welcome home
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> <<< real time control
<BJENNER> pc/std bus/lmi/68hc11
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> sounds like a load of laughs. What Company?
<BJENNER> solo
<[Gary] GARY-S> What do you Simple To Design bus up to in ME ?
<BJENNER> been fortunate; lots of things.  lately, a cardboard carton folder
<BJENNER> which has been fun.  now 3 connected cpus and headed for 6
<BJENNER> how about you ?
<BJENNER> going to the rtc programmers' contest?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> how did you settle on MC68HC11? Because there was an 
STD board for that chip + Forth?
<BJENNER> oh - nope.  the hc11 i'm using is on a single board, from new micros, 
with
<BJENNER> their forth onboard.  it's a handy little package for embedded 
controller
<[Gary] GARY-S> This for H Int'l ?
<BJENNER> no, it's a chemical analyzer for a company in boston.
<BJENNER> combo job; database / user interface on the pc,
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> I work at VESTA TECHNOLOGY in Denver. We make SBC's 
based on 8088, 80188, 68000.
<BJENNER> talking to the hc11 board in the analyzer
<[Gary] GARY-S> I ask because there are some pretty serious paper handling 
companies in Maine
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ...& program same if customer so desires.
<BJENNER> hello, vesta; i get mail and ads from you guys.  havn't bought yet, tho
<BJENNER> yup, lots of paper companies; this box folder
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> yo! try our BBS @ 303 278 0364
<BJENNER> is made by a company in nh,tho.  they ship int'l, which is fun
<BJENNER> say again bbs #, please
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> <<< fingers under control now ....
<[Gary] GARY-S> Well - it's good to have you here on GEnie -...
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> RCFB (303) 278-0364 300/1200 8-n-1
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> 24 hrs running PCBOARD
<BJENNER> thanks.  nice being here.
<[Gary] GARY-S> try to upload any non-proprietary goodies into the library...
<[Gary] GARY-S> uploads are free time
<BJENNER> bye for now; actually we're just browsing through
<BJENNER> and the other here wants to look around.
<BJENNER> i'll be back...
<[Gary] GARY-S> well you are more than welcome - thanks for stopping by
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> later!
<BJENNER> i'll look at the library here.
<[Gary] GARY-S> please do
<BJENNER> i usually check into the lmi bbs, though
<BJENNER> bye for now
<[Gary] GARY-S> Hi to Ray and Ron for me
<[Gary] GARY-S> nice to get a new face occassionally - right ?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> well, are we closing early tonite?
<[Jack Woehr] FIGCHAPTERS> ( new face? you mean new font? :-)
<[Gary] GARY-S> yes - before Genie screws the notes
=== End of Steno notes. ===