1522 lines
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1522 lines
69 KiB
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# #
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# BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News #
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# #
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----------------------------------------------------------------
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COPYRIGHT 1993 ISSN 1055-4548
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Volume 7, Issue 9 Issue #72 October 1994
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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article title author
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Disclaimer/Statement of Policy.............................Staff
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From The Editor.................................Scott Hollifield
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PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT
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Submission Guidelines......................................Staff
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Letters To BTN.......................................BTN Readers
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What Do These Letters Mean?..........................Mark Maisel
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Review: Compaq Aero 4/25...........................Dean Costello
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Local Music in October..............................Judy Ranelli
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Shotgun..............................................Damion Furi
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SEC '94 Schedule......................................David Moss
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Special Interest Groups (SIGs).........................Eric Hunt
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Known BBS Numbers.......................................Tim Cook
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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DISCLAIMER
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AND STATEMENT OF POLICY
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FOR BTN
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We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
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information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
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due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its
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*editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
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etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
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even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
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of such damages occurring.
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With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
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policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
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monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
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publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time
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but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a
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particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a
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person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of
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the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their work and it
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is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles from BTN
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with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a reprint, in
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which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise,
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please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the
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source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
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article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
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please forward a copy of your publication to:
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Mark Maisel
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Publisher, BTN
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606 Twin Branch Terrace
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Birmingham, AL 35216
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(205) 823-3956
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We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
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you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
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all of this and not get too serious about it.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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FREEBIE!!!
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GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT! Systems That Offer Free BTN
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The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is
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with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
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ADAnet One Alter-Ego Bone Yard
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Bus System The Castle Channel 8250
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C.A.B. The Comfy Chair! Crunchy Frog
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DC Info Exchange Final Frontier The Guardian
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Hardware Hotline Homewood's Hell Hole Joker's Castle
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Leaping's Lounge Lemon Grove Lion's Den
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Martyrdom Again?! The MATRIX Milliways BBS
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The Outer Limits Owl's Nest Playground
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Safe Harbor Southern Stallion Starbase 12
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Thy Master's Dungeon Weekends BBS
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(This list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and
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therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.)
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If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
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me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as
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free BTN distributor. Thanks.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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NEWSFLASH!
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NEWSFLASH!
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NEWSFLASH!
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#############
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# BTN #
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!!!! # HALLOWEEN # !!!!
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# PARTY #
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#############
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See the ANNOUNCEMENT elsewhere
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in this issue for details.
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NEW BBS
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LISTMONGER!!
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Tim Cook takes over the
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Known BBS Numbers
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List this month.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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FROM
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THE EDITOR Scott Hollifield
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Well, we're running late this month, so all I have are a few
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content-related matters.
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First off, please welcome Tim Cook to these pages. As of this
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month, he bravely/foolishly takes over the duties behind the desk
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of the Known BBS Numbers list. We sincerely hope that Tim knows what
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he's getting into.
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Next, note the Halloween party announcement! A grand old BTN
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tradition returns: people getting together and making fools of
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themselves, usually in the flash of a camera lens. Trust me, we
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invented it before anyone else did.
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Judy Ranelli returns after a well-deserved vacation, with her
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superior recommendations for local music. If you're the type to see
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bands in clubs, (1) read her column and (2) obey her advice. If you're
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not the type, turn of the television set, put on some shoes, then follow
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(1) and (2).
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David Moss' SEC schedule was inadvertently left out of last month's
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issue. I know, the season is nearly half over now, but I thought I'd
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include it anyway. It's a short issue.
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That's it! See you at the party. I'll be the one dodging the
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camera.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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ANNOUNCING BY POPULAR DEMAND!!
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---===***>>> BTN HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY <<<***===---
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!!!!!!!
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Date: 10/29/94
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Time: 6:00 p.m.
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Place: Home of Mark and Kathy Maisel
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606 Twin Branch Terrace, Vestavia
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What: BTN Halloween Costume Party
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If you need further directions, please call (205)-823-3956. If you
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reach the answering service, do leave a message. Your call will be
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returned, provided you leave a valid phone number in the message.
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We will probably have some snack foods on hand and soft drinks. If you
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have a preference as to food, then be sure to bring it. If you are of
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legal age, you will be expected to bring your own alcoholic beverage,
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should you desire them. If you are not, then don't bring any as you will
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be asked to leave. Do not bring any illegal substances or items or you
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will also be asked to leave. The Vestavia Police are not known to be as
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forgiving as have been the Birmingham Police.
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Due to complications from the last party, I must ask that you remain on
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my property, preferably near or in the house. If you wander, are overly
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loud, or litter, especially while on the street or on other property, my
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neighbors have been advised to call the Vestavia Police since I cannot
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possibly police you. It is unfortunate that I must give such advice,
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but past experience and complaints demands it.
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A primitive map follows.
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MM, Pub
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The easiest route is to get on Columbiana Road via either US HWY 31 or I-65N
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exit to Vestavia/Hoover. Proceed up Columbiana to Tyler Road. Take Tyler
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Road to Twin Branch Drive. Take the left fork to Twin Branch Terrace. Our
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House is the next to last on the right side of the street. The "X"'s mark
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the location. The asterisks refer to traffic lights. The first is at the
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I-65N exit and goes directly onto Columbiana. The second is Columbiana³ ³
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and Tyler. The third is Hackberry/Southland and Tyler. ³ US ³
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³ HWY³
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This map is not drawn to scale! ³ 31 ³
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¿ ¿Columbiana ³ ³
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HackberryÀ¿ \ \ À¿Road ³ ³
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Lane À¿ \ I-65 \ À¿ ³ ³
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À¿ \ \ À¿ ³ ³
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__________Tyler Road____________________*3_______\_________\*2 ³ ³
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³ ³ ³ ³ \ ¿\ ³ ³
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³Twin Branch ³Donna ³Paden À¿ \ À¿ \ ³ ³
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³Drive ³Drive ³Drive À¿Southland \ À¿ \ ³ ³
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³ ³ ³ À¿Drive \ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ\ *1 ³
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³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ¿ \ \ ³
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³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ\ÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ \
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ÚÄÄÁ¿ \ ³ ³ \
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ÚÙ ³Twin Branch \³\ ³
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ÚÙ 606³Terrace ³ \³
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³ XXX³ ³ ³
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Á_____Á__________________Swiss Lane_____ ³ ³
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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I. ARTICLE LENGTH
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Right now, there's no strict enforcement of a length restriction,
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but if your submission is somewhat short, I may request that you make it
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longer. Anyone can sit down and type out a screen's worth of stuff. I
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have yet to encounter an article that was too *long*, so don't worry
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about that.
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II. SUBJECT MATTER
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Again, there's no hard-and-fast rules about subject matter. I'm
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interested in seeing material on a wide variety of topics. That
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includes BBSs, politics, music, books, or better yet, something that
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doesn't neatly fall into any one category. Next to that, my favorite
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articles are the ones that have something to do with BBSing, since that
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is supposedly what we're sort of about. Technical reviews are also
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good. I tend to kind of frown on fiction, but I'm willing to take a
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look at anything you've got. If it's interesting enough, your chances
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are good.
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Politics is fine, but try not to rant--and make whatever you have to
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say original. I can go out and find ten Rush Limbaughs if I want.
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Also refrain from "This Is What Happened To Me Today" slice-of-life
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articles unless it's leading somewhere good.
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Reviews should be both informative and opinionated. Don't be too
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objective, but still tell us about what you're reviewing.
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III. FILE FORMAT
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Plain and simple ASCII is preferred, but we can convert WordPerfect
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files if need be.
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Do not use ANSI characters or special graphics.
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IV. STYLE GUIDELINES
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1. Use a right margin of 72 columns.
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2. Indent paragraphs at the fifth column.
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3. Put two spaces after each sentence.
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4. Skip a line after each paragraph.
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5. Refrain from using BBS-specific devices like "<grin>" and ":-)".
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6. Be sure to give your article a title.
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7. Try to use correct grammar, spelling and capitalization! My staff
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proofread as best as we can, but a well-typed article makes our job
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easier.
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8. The dash is correctly typed as two hyphens, like "--". Use it to
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set apart phrases and clauses--as with this sentence.
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9. To emphasize a word, place a pair of asterisks around it, like
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*this*. This takes the place of italics (except for titles; see
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12).
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10. If you have to emphasize a group of words, use capitals, AS IN THIS
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EXAMPLE. I generally don't like the way that looks, so use it
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sparingly, if at all.
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11. If you're unsure whether to spell out a number or not, leave it in
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numeral form.
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12. Titles of books, films, plays, albums and works of art are
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surrounded by underlines, like: U2's _The Joshua Tree_. This takes
|
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the place of italics in this regard; I call it "title-cizing".
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On the other hand, television shows, songs, poems, article titles
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and short stories are surrounded by quotation marks.
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V. HOW DO I SUBMIT AN ARTICLE?
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The easiest way is to upload it as a private file on one of two
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systems: The Matrix and the Crunchy Frog. (Their phone numbers are
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listed at the end of this feature.) To upload a file privately, begin
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your file description with a slash ("/"). Then leave me (SCOTT
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HOLLIFIELD) a private message telling me what the file name is, so that
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I can have the sysop make it available for me.
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Another way is to leave me the article as a private message, or a
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series of private messages.
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If you become a regular contributor to BTN, you can get access to
|
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the private BTNWA conference, which is for BTN writers. There we
|
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discuss articles, policy, ideas, etc. The BTNWA conference also
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contains a private file directory which I can access more easily than a
|
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private file outside BTNWA.
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Finally, as an alternative, if you live outside of the local
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Birmingham area and you don't wish to call long distance, you can submit
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an article via Internet e-mail. My address is scotth@the-matrix.com.
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That's it!
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Get to work!
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
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LETTERS TO
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THE EDITOR From BTN Readers
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################################################################
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[Editor's note: This letter, from our own publisher, was intended to
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appear in last month's issues, but somehow slipped through the cracks.
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Sorry!]
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From: Mark Maisel
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BBS: Crunchy Frog
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Scott, I read issue 70 with great interest to see what you would
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say in regards to the delay in getting it out. I feel compelled to
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respond to some articles that caught my eye. I thought the entire issue
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was very good, though I will admit to having skipped Dean's review; my
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interest in cinema being what it is.
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re: Editorial
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" Oh, one final note. It has come to my attention that a certain
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publisher whose initials are the same as Marilyn Monroe may have placed
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BTN's name in a national, Internet-distributed catalog, where it sits"
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You really ought to ask about these things before you plant the seeds of
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innuendo. My participation on Internet consists of lots of e-mail, a
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few lists to which I subscribe, and a couple of bizarre news groups. I
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am excited to hear about requests for BTN over the network. I wish you
|
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had said something to me. I do not think it would be too difficult to
|
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set up a site for BTN.
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re: Gary Hasty
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" Ya know...I used to read BTN and the Frog's main board, and giggle
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(like a little party girwl) over the BBS-geek wars y'all seem to always
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have in Birmingham."
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They are cute. Cute like boils that are ripe. It is a pity that folks
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delight in pettiness. I have mixed feelings at hearing of other places
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similarly afflicted.
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re: OPPRESSION
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"no longer think for ourselves. Society has given us its standards and
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told us to conform to them or else. But I say forget conformity; it is"
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Society is a reflection of the individuals who share common traits
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and/or circumstances in a population. Part of that reflection is
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standards for our behavior. For good or bad, all societies reflect
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standards.
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There are any number of means you might employ to your benefit in
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regards to your stance toward the society in which you currently reside.
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Whining isn't one of them.
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Maisel
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[Editor's reply: Regarding the new interest in BTN over the Internet,
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I was under the mistaken impression that Mark had submitted BTN's name
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to a national Internet-distributed electronic publication list. I
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believe I misremembered something that was said to me at some point;
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however the error happened, I regret publishing it before verifying its
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accuracy. The list in question is edited by John Labovitz and is
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posted at regular intervals on nine different Usenet newsgroups,
|
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including alt.zines and alt.internet.services. John's email address
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is johnl@netcom.netcom.com. The list is also available via anonymous
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FTP as well as WorldWide Web.
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The description for BTN looks like this:
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"It is a nebulous zine that covers things from computer reviews to
|
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industry articles to general fiction to whatever the editor feels
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like putting in. It also contains the monthly BBS listing for the
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Birmingham metro area. BTN has been published for over 5 years."
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More or less accurate, I suppose. I'd appreciate it if whoever gave
|
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our name to the list would let me know, just to satisfy my curiosity.
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-s.h.]
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
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WHAT DO ALL THESE
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LETTERS MEAN? Mark Maisel
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################################################################
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"From: GEOFF TAYLOR
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To: ALL
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Subject: 486 chips..
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I have one of those universal questions floating in my head... What's
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the difference between 486DX, 486SLC, and 486DLC chips? Also, what
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about chips made by Cyrix and AMD? Are they really comparable to
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Intel?"
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I saw this one a while back and grabbed it and waited for an
|
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opportunity to expound. Here goes!
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I make no guarantees as to the completeness nor absolute accuracy of
|
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this article. It is solely based on what I have read, heard, and seen
|
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at trade shows, company literature, and at parties after the shows.
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Intel designed and produces the 486DX microprocessor. It is a true
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32 bit processor, that is, it is capable of sending and receiving 32 bit
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instructions and hunks of data. What this means for you, provided you
|
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aren't strapped by an antiquated peripheral bus, less than optimal
|
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support hardware, and an old 8 bit operating system, is that you can
|
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process data real fast. Even with the aforementioned handicaps, you can
|
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still work a useful pace. The 486DX has a number of useful features
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including 8 kilobytes of cache for pre-fetching data and instructions so
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as to speed up processing, a floating point processor, and compatibility
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with previous microprocessors of X86 vintage. That last may not be
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considered an advantage to some but it is for most desktop computer
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users.
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For completeness, I will describe the 486SX, also designed and
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produced by Intel. This microprocessor was introduced to fill a niche
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market, low end machines for the cost conscious consumer with little to
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spend. The primary difference, as I understand it, between the SX and
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DX series is that the SX lacks the floating point processor. This means
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that software requiring or preferring such a processor will either not
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run or run much more slowly.
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The SLC and DLC series were not designed by Intel, at least not
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exclusively. I understand that the SLC was designed in part by IBM.
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Its original and still most frequently used purpose is for notebook and
|
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laptop computers. The reason for this is that it consumes less power
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than the SX or DX chips designed by Intel. The SLC resembles the SX in
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many ways save that it, as I recall, has a smaller cache for pre-
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fetching instructions. The DLC was designed by IBM or Cyrix. Memory
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fails me. It is a low power chip that is similar to the SX. It is used
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in desktop machines at the low end as are the SLC and SX. These
|
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processors will not, as I understand it, operate with a true 32 bit
|
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operating system such as OS/2 or Windows NT. I don't think you'd want
|
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to try either, even if you could, as the speed would be impractical...as
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in lack of...
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The chips that Cyrix sells are, for all practical purposes,
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compatible enough with Intel's 486 series to run MS-DOS and MS-Windows,
|
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and applications for both. In the case of AMD, the chips I've seen and
|
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used, 486SX and 486DX models, are completely compatible with those made
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by Intel. They also run faster and at lower temperature. As machines
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using these microprocessors are generally less expensive than comparable
|
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machines using Intel microprocessors, I consider them a better buy. It
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is for these reasons that Intel has taken AMD to court repeatedly in an
|
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effort to stop them from making their microprocessors. Each time, they
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have been thwarted. Many years ago, Intel and AMD signed a licensing
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agreement and that agreement gives AMD access to much of Intel's
|
|
technology. That they have exploited it so well is what angers Intel.
|
|
It also forces Intel to lower their prices much more quickly than they'd
|
|
like. I hope this helps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
|
|
################################################################
|
|
REVIEW: Compaq Aero 4/25
|
|
(plus a personal history
|
|
of personal computers) Dean Costello
|
|
################################################################
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have been involved with computers since about 1978, when I saw my
|
|
first real computer. I had always been an afficionando of a Radio
|
|
Shack : vaguely cool electronic stuff, digital watches, calculators; the
|
|
kinds of things that lead to wet dreams for the pre-adolescent coming of
|
|
age in the late '70s/early '80s. One fine day, I noted that the local
|
|
Radio Shack had a new display in its front window, with a big sign
|
|
saying "Home Computer!" What was this marvel? I pressed an oily nose
|
|
to the display window, and noted The Computer : A TRS-80 microcomputer
|
|
with a whopping 4k of ram. Entranced with the concept of "computer", I
|
|
strode into the Shack with the most aplomb that I could gather in my
|
|
twelve-year old personality, and asked to try using The Computer. And I
|
|
tried using the computer, and found out that it used Basic to do, well,
|
|
anything. I started paging through the manual that was next to the
|
|
computer and found little to help me with the computer, except for a
|
|
simple program that went something like:
|
|
|
|
10 PRINT "HI!"
|
|
20 GOTO 10
|
|
|
|
The pages of "HI!" that I got from my programming effort were, to
|
|
say the least, a tad underwhelming. You see, I was weened on such
|
|
computer-heavy things as _Colossus: The Forbin Project_, "Star Trek",
|
|
and _2001: A Space Odyssey_. Hell, I remember in 1974 when _2001_ was
|
|
re-released, my father came and took my brother and I out of fourth and
|
|
second grade (respectively) to go down to the Cumberland Mall and see
|
|
it. Computers were supposed to be these big lumbering beasts, lots of
|
|
lights, switches, and buttons, maybe a tape drive or two cranking away
|
|
in the background; steel as far as the eye can see. This is a computer,
|
|
and the TRS-80 wasn't exactly what I was expecting.
|
|
|
|
In my senior year of high school, I took a computer science-like
|
|
class that was being offered by the local high school. We worked on
|
|
TRS-80s with...<drum roll>...floppy drives. It was a very good time for
|
|
technology. The only thing that I really got from this class is that
|
|
there is some kind of 'language' that controls the computer, from which
|
|
you can run stuff or do stuff like run the interactive Basic
|
|
application. This was called a disk operating system, or in this
|
|
particular case, TRS-DOS [phonetic spelling].
|
|
|
|
Those were heady times, when the big microcomputer competition was
|
|
between the mighty TRS-80 (black and white screen attached to keyboard,
|
|
crappy applications, but with a more Science-like sensation) and the
|
|
Apple II (better graphics, but you had to dick around with something
|
|
called a shape table). For more than $1500, neither of these options
|
|
really appealed to me, so I choose to wait.
|
|
|
|
I soon had something better, though. My father got caught up in the
|
|
"Every Home Needs a Computer" craze, as well as a finely orchestrated
|
|
advertising campaign helmed by Bill Cosby, and he bought a TI-99. For
|
|
Christmas 1982, I got the Peripheral Expansion Box. Goddammit, this
|
|
looked like a computer. Burnished metal finish, a deep, throaty hum,
|
|
large slot-like things. This thing said "TECHNOLOGY" in no uncertain
|
|
terms. This device contained the floppy drive, a mighty 32K memory
|
|
expansion card, disk controller card, communications card (sounding
|
|
familiar to you IBM jox yet?). Wonderful little computer, but
|
|
unfortunately, the keyboard was about 1/4 smaller than average, and
|
|
typing on it became a bitch. It was at about this time that programming
|
|
and fun became on oxymoron for me.
|
|
|
|
We fast-forward to college. The school I attended had just bought a
|
|
brand-new mainframe, an upgrade from the PDP-11 that had served so well
|
|
for so many years, more or less. It was a DEC VAX 11/780 (the first or
|
|
second year they were released, I believe). This was my "home computer"
|
|
for several years. Now this looked like a computer. Many large metal
|
|
boxes containing Computer Equipment: tape drives, large banks of
|
|
blinking lights that I don't think really did anything. The computer
|
|
was placed in an glass-encased computer center that was smack in the
|
|
middle of my campus. On cold winter Central Pennsylvania evenings, it
|
|
was neat to see the technological glow of the Vax eminating from the
|
|
across the campus. Now this was a computer.
|
|
|
|
There were several IBM microcomputers floating around the campus,
|
|
but they were judged to be little more than toys, to be used very
|
|
infrequently, and only when absolutely necessary. I tried my hand on
|
|
the great beige beast with the very manly red power switch, using a
|
|
small word processor called Volkswriter, which struck me as silly and
|
|
user-hostile. And as a result, I didn't really fool around with IBMs
|
|
at the time.
|
|
|
|
Sometime around my junior year, the college decided that micro-
|
|
computers were Good Things, and since they were satisfied with the
|
|
Mighty Vax, they figured that the people at DEC would make a pretty good
|
|
microcomputer. It was called the DEC Rainbow, and the school bought
|
|
about fifty of them. Another of the beige brand of computer, it was
|
|
unique in that it had a blue monochrome monitor, and twin floppy drives
|
|
that were reversed in respect to each other. Two weeks after the
|
|
purchase was completed, and we accepted delivery, DEC called a news
|
|
conference that stated that they would no longer support the Rainbow.
|
|
There was a lot of wailing/gnashing of teeth in the Mathematics
|
|
department that evening (yes, the days when the computer geeks were in
|
|
the Math department, and not vice versa). This was my first experience
|
|
with a company killing a product, and it made me wary.
|
|
|
|
I graduated from college in 1987 with a molecular biology-kind of
|
|
degree. My grandmother gave me $1000, and I knew I was going to buy a
|
|
computer. My brother bought an Atari 520ST, and I liked what I saw. So,
|
|
a year after my brother bought his, I bought the upper-end model: The
|
|
1040ST, packing an entire meg of memory, an internal 720K floppy drive,
|
|
a mouse (Mouse? What's a mouse?), a combined CPU/keyboard console
|
|
encased in a tasteful beige plastic container, and nice software right
|
|
out of the box. What a nice computer, and it kept me satisfied until
|
|
about 1993 or so.
|
|
|
|
People at the office were mocking me for continuing to use my Atari.
|
|
"Hey, I saw a good game of "Asteroids" for your computer a couple of
|
|
days ago", one of my colleagues would say [like there's no "Asteroids
|
|
knock-offs for the PC]; "How can you type so fast on a membrane
|
|
keyboard?" another would ask [that's the Atari 400]; "Where does the
|
|
game cartridge fit?" said a third [Confusing my computer with a 2600
|
|
game machine]. Basically, they were mocking my machine, for no good
|
|
reason.
|
|
|
|
"It does everything I want it to do," I would whine back to them,
|
|
knowing deep in my heart-of-hearts that technology had left the ST
|
|
behind. I had to get a new computer, but what kind?
|
|
|
|
PC: I had lead so many attacks against the PC-slaves that it would
|
|
hypocritical to use one of those bastards at this stage of the game.
|
|
There sure was a lot of software for them, though, and at reasonable
|
|
prices. But what about those expansion slots? Or system interrupts?
|
|
Or the interleave questions? The above scared me, especially since I
|
|
could only think of one person (Chris Mohney) who has owned a PC
|
|
without it crash-and-burning on him.
|
|
|
|
Mac: Very smug owners. Reading Mac magazines was like reading "Spy"
|
|
magazine and not living in New York City : A lot of in-jokes, and a
|
|
feeling of "eventually, you will choose the right machine, the
|
|
Macintosh". Basically, a creepy sensation. The software was god-awful
|
|
expensive, and it was a bitch to find it. The mouse is nice, though. A
|
|
damned sight better than Windows.
|
|
|
|
So what did I do? I kept the Atari for about two years longer than
|
|
necessary. Eventually, I did pick up a PC. It was a Compaq Aero 4/25.
|
|
What necessitated it is unclear even now. Look, whenever I decided to
|
|
buy what is generally considered to be a big-ticket item (more than
|
|
about $200, in my terms), I usually dilly-dally about it for about a
|
|
month, then decide I don't want it after all. One day I called Mark
|
|
Maisel and said, "This is it. Find me a portable. Make it cheap. Get
|
|
back to me." He recommended the Compaq.
|
|
|
|
The company I work for has a plan through which you can get a
|
|
no-interest loan for a computer and peripherals. I had debated for
|
|
several years in buying about $3500 worth of computer paraphenalia since
|
|
if you go over $3000, the cost is spread out over 2 years. I
|
|
discovered, though, that once I started on the road to More Things (ie.
|
|
more and more peripherals, faster microprocessor, more memory than the
|
|
NSA requires), it will never end. I ended up with Mac systems that were
|
|
running in the $5000 range. Hell, for a stretch there, I was debating
|
|
getting a Silicon Graphics Indy work station (base price $5000). This
|
|
was just getting silly. One of the Artificial Intelligence people at
|
|
the office, after I told him I was getting a computer, said, "Look,
|
|
Dean, I have been hearing this for three years now. Show me the owners
|
|
manual, and we'll talk. Until then, don't say a fucking word."
|
|
|
|
So I didn't. I did wander down to a place called Microcenter near
|
|
my apartment. Nice enough place; kind of the like the K-mart of the
|
|
computer crowd : Pretty good prices, pretty good selection of stuff. I
|
|
ambled into the portable department, and saw one of the Aeros that Mark
|
|
recommended. Sat down at it. Keyboard felt nice. Matte-black plastic
|
|
container that matches my stereo equipment. Trackball a tad silly, no
|
|
buttons on it to make it do anything. "They're on the side," said a
|
|
tired salesperson. I didn't know she was talking to me, so I kept
|
|
fiddling around, trying to imitate a button-push action, and she got up
|
|
closer and repeated herself. Realizing that she was indeed talking to
|
|
me, I found the buttons, and immediately realized that it was an
|
|
ergonomic disaster. Alas, I thought, for $1000, what do you expect?
|
|
Perfection? On the whole, I like the way it worked. The screen was
|
|
nice and clear, bright enough to read under the unrelenting fluorescent
|
|
bulbs of your typical showroom. This would do.
|
|
|
|
You see, I wasn't looking for the end-all, be-all of computers. I
|
|
was looking for something to serve me right now. I cannot personally
|
|
justify having a portable computer that has a 486 microprocessor, or a
|
|
gigabyte drive, or 30-odd megs of memory. I just need a computer that
|
|
can do word processing so I can write, a nice communications package,
|
|
and maybe a game or two. As a result, the Aero was just about perfect
|
|
for my purposes.
|
|
|
|
So, I got up the gumption to buy the bloody thing. They gave me a
|
|
quote of $999 for the computer, and $149 or so for the external floppy
|
|
drive (I have been amazed at how little I really need a floppy disk). I
|
|
took the quote back to the office and got the loan paperwork in motion.
|
|
The money in hand, I called the nice people at MicroCenter and asked
|
|
whether or not they had any computers. For two weeks they played coy
|
|
with me. Two weeks! I finally called them once again and begged for
|
|
something, anything; I was no longer proud. They told me that there was
|
|
a computer that was brought back to the store. Hold that bitch for me,
|
|
I'll be there at about 6 p.m.
|
|
|
|
Well, to make a very long story just long, I got the computer at
|
|
home, and played with it. Wasn't too bad, except it defaulted to
|
|
Windows. I fixed that problem, and noted that the 81 meg harddrive only
|
|
had about 20 megs free. Hmmm, things will have to die. I have, in the
|
|
meantime, ravaged an awful lot of the "productivity software" that came
|
|
with the computer. Lotus Organizer died early on. Microsoft
|
|
Entertainment Pack 4 died as well. Microsoft's shell for Windows has
|
|
gone to meet its electronic maker. It was brutal, but room had to be
|
|
made for the hometown software.
|
|
|
|
So, now I have Qedit and Telix, Norton Utilities and Word Perfect
|
|
(long story, so be quiet), Doom and Boloball. Good software. Useful
|
|
software.
|
|
|
|
Complaints: Though the customer service is pretty good, it took me
|
|
over 50 minutes to get through to a human. I spent over two hours on
|
|
the phone determining that a video text accelerator I found doesn't
|
|
want to play with the video drivers onboard the Compaq. I also am not
|
|
getting the battery life that the advertisement claims I am getting (I
|
|
have the setting at pretty much maximum power saving, but I am getting
|
|
little more than 2 hours out of it).
|
|
|
|
Praise: It has a very nice keyboard. Not quite as good as some of
|
|
them, but it feels similar to my Atari, and I have clocked myself at the
|
|
low 80s cps. There is a clever function called "Hibernate". Basically,
|
|
it shuts the power to the computer down, and at the same times saves the
|
|
place you are so that when you turn the power back on the computer
|
|
doesn't have to reboot. It comes with MS-DOS 6.2 (which I upgraded to
|
|
6.22), and it appears to be pretty bulletproof (I have heard Bad Things
|
|
about the disk doubler thing).
|
|
|
|
Bottom line: Go forth and buy it. It is a useful beast for being on
|
|
the road. It is pretty inexpensive, and the screen is pretty sharp.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
|
|
################################################################
|
|
LOCAL MUSIC
|
|
IN OCTOBER Judy Ranelli
|
|
################################################################
|
|
|
|
|
|
This month I have decided to actually deliver a column on time. M.
|
|
Hollifield can take credit for ahem, reminding me a few times to Get
|
|
Finished. A lot happened during my "break". I had the honor of being
|
|
one of three lonely acts to NOT get rained out at the Southside
|
|
Festival, and The Ticks got a song played on the Bear's local show (on
|
|
(Sunday evenings). I didn't attend Bearstock '94 but understand it was
|
|
a popular event, with lots of bikers showing up. I am very glad for the
|
|
existence of the Bear--give me Cygnus X-1 over Phil Collins any day--and
|
|
the alternative offerings are most welcome. Eight years ago, I knew a
|
|
bunch of folks who tried to do something about the lack of alternative
|
|
radio here, a lack I myself whined about countless times. Well, they
|
|
never did anything, and out of the blue comes the Bear. While their
|
|
format has occasional comedic overtones, like playing "Children of the
|
|
Sun" or mid-eighties soft metal, I enjoy hearing songs that aren't on
|
|
mainstream playlists for a change.
|
|
|
|
Wed. 10/5
|
|
COLD GIN at Louie Louie
|
|
There are two Kiss cover bands, and this is one of them. I don't
|
|
know if they wear makeup or are becostumed, but I'm sure if you go,
|
|
you'll hear Kiss songs you forgot back in '82. Of course, that might
|
|
have been on purpose.
|
|
|
|
Thu. 10/6
|
|
Battle of the Bands at the Rockinghorse
|
|
Ever been to one of these? They can be awful or awfully funny or
|
|
good. If I could afford the $1.50 fountain drinks, like I was served
|
|
there recently, I'd go.
|
|
|
|
Fri. 10/7
|
|
AUTUMN LORDS at The Nick
|
|
Gosh, I can't believe it, but their stage names are sticking. They
|
|
answer to them and everything. They are all nice fellas and fit the
|
|
metal-ish genre. If you enjoy the company of people who try to look and
|
|
live like "rock stars", here's your band.
|
|
|
|
Sat. 10/8
|
|
SHALLOW/THE TICKS at Zydeco
|
|
Yee Haw!
|
|
|
|
Sun. 10/9
|
|
Country Night at the Oasis
|
|
?????
|
|
|
|
Wed. 10/12
|
|
##### SHOW OF THE MONTH #####
|
|
THE DICKEYS at The Nick
|
|
GO to this show and you'll have a recharge on your cool-o-meter to
|
|
last until December. I am quite stunned that they are touring and are
|
|
gonna play our humble town.
|
|
|
|
Fri. 10/14
|
|
SHAME IDOLS at The Nick
|
|
Haven't seen them in awhile, but I know they're grrreat. Also, at
|
|
Zydeco it's Col. Bruce Hampton with a new band. He's a nutty guy. At
|
|
Louie it's the Back Doors, which I think is a Doors coverband. What is
|
|
this with these Tribute Bands?
|
|
|
|
Sat. 10/15
|
|
Avoid Phish at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, because your coolness
|
|
might never recover; go see anything else, maybe Labrea Stompers at
|
|
the Nick or drink homebrew at the Mill and see Roger Moore and Those
|
|
Wildcats, not these, THOSE I said.
|
|
|
|
Thu. 10/20
|
|
ZEN COWBOYS/ALLIGATOR GUN at The Nick
|
|
Zen Cowboys were named one of the best bands in the U.S. by
|
|
_Musician_ magazine in a contest. Thus they decided to reform (they had
|
|
changed members and formed a different band) and I think they have a
|
|
showcase soon. Also on the 20th is Henri's Notion at the 22nd St. Jazz
|
|
Cafe--Irish music and poetry too.
|
|
|
|
Fri. 10/21
|
|
STRUTTER at Louie Louie
|
|
I haven't washed out the blood that the Gene Simmons guy spit on my
|
|
backpack yet, not out of any sort of homage, but because I'm lazy.
|
|
Funny, loud, club-sized Kiss, with pyro, elevator shoes, proper
|
|
grimaces and puckers, even a drum solo and an acoustic "Beth".
|
|
|
|
Sat. 10/22
|
|
THE PRIMITONS at Zydeco
|
|
Another reunion by the progenitors of the Sugar La La's, and, in my
|
|
opinion, a better band. Hope Don Tinsley is playing bass.
|
|
|
|
Sun. 10/23
|
|
MICHAEL HEDGES at the Five Points South Music Hall
|
|
Grab yer granola. I found him to be rather rude when I gave him a
|
|
ride from the airport for Center Stage Productions back in 1990, but
|
|
he's nevertheless a great, fantastic guitarist. Ecologically profound,
|
|
too.
|
|
|
|
Thu. 10/27
|
|
SEATTLE at Louie Louie
|
|
I include this because they are a SEATTLE "scene" Tribute Band.
|
|
Surely no comment is necessary.
|
|
|
|
Fri. 10/28
|
|
Don't go out. Instead, do as I'm planning, and serve fondue while
|
|
watching Easy Rider. Also, this could be a great inspiration for
|
|
costumes. Stock up on candy for impish visitors, make buckets of stage
|
|
blood with Karo Syrup and red food coloring, get brain-shaped Jello molds
|
|
at Toyss 'R' Us, and make jello shooters. Prepare for winter, replace
|
|
batteries in your smoke alarms. Whatever.
|
|
|
|
Sat. 10/29
|
|
SHALLOW/THE TICKS/PHANTOM 5 at The Nick
|
|
Hopefully, you're at some halloween parties. Plural, yes. Also
|
|
Shallow and us Ticks and Phantom 5 will be at the Nick, lotsa costumes
|
|
for sure there. Don't forget to track down Katherine Tucker Windham this
|
|
October! I've still got to think of a costume... shall I be Bride of
|
|
Sulu yet again?
|
|
|
|
Mon. 10/31
|
|
Zydeco Halloween Party
|
|
Hey, here's one on a Monday! Dress up some more. Bye!
|
|
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
|
|
|
|
|
################################################################
|
|
SHOTGUN
|
|
(Song lyrics) Damion Furi
|
|
################################################################
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've stared down a shotgun,
|
|
I managed to survive,
|
|
But the man that came to kill,
|
|
Didn't make it out alive,
|
|
|
|
When the cops came,
|
|
They said it was murder, self-defense,
|
|
I said the man forced my hand,
|
|
A cure for his offense,
|
|
They took the body away,
|
|
Victim of a brawl,
|
|
Left me to my conscience,
|
|
And the blood on the walls,
|
|
|
|
It's eight years later,
|
|
And I'm feeling no better,
|
|
Had nothin' better to do,
|
|
So I wrote the dead man's mother a letter,
|
|
|
|
I said, I'm sorry about your son,
|
|
There was really nothin' you could've done,
|
|
He was mad and had a gun,
|
|
And he gave me no place to run,
|
|
|
|
His head shattered like a melon,
|
|
Fallen to the street,
|
|
Blood dripped off the ceiling,
|
|
To a standard beat,
|
|
|
|
And the stains on the walls,
|
|
Have never quite gone away,
|
|
Your son was a bastard,
|
|
He's better off dead,
|
|
Though I know you'd be much happier,
|
|
If it had been me instead,
|
|
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it better,
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it deader,
|
|
Shotgun...shotgun...shotgun...
|
|
|
|
I've still got the gun,
|
|
I've still got the shell,
|
|
That sent your crazy fucking son,
|
|
Straight to bloody hell,
|
|
|
|
I signed it most sincerely,
|
|
Posted it in haste,
|
|
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it better,
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it deader,
|
|
Shotgun...shotgun...shotgun...
|
|
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it better,
|
|
Shotgun,
|
|
Kiss it, make it deader,
|
|
Shotgun...shotgun...shotgun...
|
|
|
|
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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Copyright 1991 Damion Furi All Rights Reserved
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
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1994 SEC
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FOOTBALL SCHEDULE David Moss
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################################################################
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Alabama
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Date Opponent Site
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Sept. 3 UT Chattanooga Legion Field
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Sept. 10 Vanderbilt Tuscaloosa
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Sept. 17 Arkansas Tuscaloosa
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Sept. 25 Louisiana Tech. Legion Field
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Oct. 2 South Carolina Columbia
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Oct. 9 ( Open )
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Oct. 16 Tennessee Legion Field
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Oct. 23 Ole Miss Oxford
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Oct. 30 ( Home Coming ) Southern Miss Tuscaloosa
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Nov. 6 LSU Tuscaloosa
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Nov. 13 Mississippi St. Tuscaloosa
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Nov. 20 Auburn Auburn
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Arkansas
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Sept. 4 SMU Dallas
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Sept. 11 So. Carolina Fayetteville
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Sept. 18 Alabama Tuscaloosa
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Sept. 25 Memphis State Little Rock
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Oct. 2 Georgia Athens
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Oct. 9 Tennessee Little Rock
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Oct. 16 Ole Miss Jackson
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Oct. 23 ( Open )
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Oct. 30 ( Home Coming ) Auburn Fayetteville
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Nov. 6 Miss State Little Rock
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Nov. 13 Tulsa Fayetteville
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Nov. 20 ( Open )
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Nov. 27 LSU Baton Rouge
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Auburn
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Sept 2 ESPN Ole Miss Auburn
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Sept. 11 Samford Auburn
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Sept. 18 LSU Baton Rouge
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Sept. 25 So. Miss Auburn
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Oct. 2 Vanderbilt Nashville
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Oct. 9 Miss State Auburn
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Oct. 16 Florida Auburn
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Oct. 23 ( Open )
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Oct. 30 Arkansas Fayetteville
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Nov. 6 ( Home Coming ) N. Mex. State Auburn
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Nov. 13 Georgia Athens
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Nov. 20 Alabama Auburn
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Florida
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Arkansas St. Gainesville
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Sept. 11 Kentucky Lexington
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Sept. 18 Tennessee Gainesville
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Sept. 25 ( Open )
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Oct. 2 LSU Baton Rouge
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Oct. 16 Auburn Auburn
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Oct. 23 ( Open )
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Oct. 30 Georgia Jacksonville
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Nov. 6 ( Home Coming ) SW Louisiana Gainesville
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Nov. 13 So. Carolina Columbia
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Nov. 20 Vanderbilt Gainesville
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Nov. 27 Fla. State Gainesville
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Georgia
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Sept. 4 So. Carolina Athens
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Sept. 11 Tennessee Knoxville
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Sept. 18 Texas Tech. Athens
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Sept. 25 Ole Miss Oxford
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Oct. 2 Arkansas Athens
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Oct. 9 So. Miss Athens
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Oct. 16 Vanderbilt Nashville
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Oct. 23 ( Home Coming ) Kentucky Athens
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Oct. 30 Florida Jacksonville
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Nov. 6 ( Open )
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Nov. 13 Auburn Athens
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Nov. 20 ( Open )
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Nov. 25 ABC Ga. Tech Athens
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Kentucky
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Kent State Lexington
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Sept. 11 Florida Lexington
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Sept. 18 Indiana Bloomington
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Sept. 23 ESPN So. Carolina Columbia
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Oct. 2 ( Home Coming ) Ole Miss Lexington
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Oct. 9 ( Open )
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Oct. 16 LSU Lexington
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Oct. 23 Georgia Athens
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Oct. 30 Miss State Starkville
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Nov. 6 Vanderbilt Nashville
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Nov. 13 East Carolina Lexington
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Nov. 20 Tennessee Lexington
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------------------------------------------------------------
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LSU
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Texas A&M Coll. Station
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Sept. 11 Miss State Starkville
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Sept. 18 Auburn Baton Rouge
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Sept. 25 Tennessee Knoxville
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Oct. 2 ( Home Coming ) Utah State Baton Rouge
|
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Oct. 9 Florida Baton Rouge
|
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Oct. 16 Kentucky Lexington
|
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Oct. 23 ( Open )
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Oct. 30 Ole Miss Baton Rouge
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Nov. 6 Alabama Tuscaloosa
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Nov. 13 ( Open )
|
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Nov. 20 Tulane Baton Rouge
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Nov. 27 Arkansas Baton Rouge
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Ole Miss
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 2 ESPN Auburn Auburn
|
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Sept. 11 UT Chattanooga Oxford
|
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Sept. 18 Vanderbilt Oxford
|
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Sept. 25 Georgia Oxford
|
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Oct. 2 Kentucky Lexington
|
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Oct. 9 ( Open )
|
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Oct. 16 Arkansas Jackson
|
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Oct. 23 Alabama Oxford
|
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Oct. 30 LSU Baton Rouge
|
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Nov. 6 Memphis State Memphis
|
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Nov. 13 ( Home Coming ) N. Illinois Oxford
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Nov. 20 ( Open )
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Nov. 27 Miss State Starkville
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Miss State
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Memphis State Starkville
|
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Sept. 11 LSU Starkville
|
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Sept. 18 ( Open )
|
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Sept. 25 Tulane New Orleans
|
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Oct. 2 Florida Gainesville
|
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Oct. 9 Auburn Auburn
|
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Oct. 16 So. Carolina Starkville
|
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Oct. 23 ( Home Coming ) Arkansas St. Starkville
|
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Oct. 30 Kentucky Starkville
|
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Nov. 6 Arkansas Little Rock
|
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Nov. 13 Alabama Tuscaloosa
|
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Nov. 20 ( Open )
|
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Nov. 27 Ole Miss Starkville
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------------------------------------------------------------
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So. Carolina
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Georgia Athens
|
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Sept. 11 Arkansas Fayetteville
|
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Sept. 18 Louisiana Tech. Columbia
|
|
Sept. 23 ESPN Kentucky Columbia
|
|
Oct. 2 Alabama Columbia
|
|
Oct. 9 ( Home Coming ) E. Carolina Columbia
|
|
Oct. 16 Miss State Starkville
|
|
Oct. 23 Vanderbilt Columbia
|
|
Oct. 30 Tennessee Knoxville
|
|
Nov. 6 ( Open )
|
|
Nov. 13 Florida Columbia
|
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Nov. 20 Clemson Columbia
|
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Tennessee
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Louisiana Tech Knoxville
|
|
Sept. 11 Georgia Knoxville
|
|
Sept. 18 Florida Gainesville
|
|
Sept. 25 LSU Knoxville
|
|
Oct. 2 ( Home Coming ) Duke Knoxville
|
|
Oct. 9 Arkansas Little Rock
|
|
Oct. 16 Alabama Legion Field
|
|
Oct. 23 ( Open )
|
|
Oct. 30 So. Carolina Knoxville
|
|
Nov. 6 Louisville Knoxville
|
|
Nov. 13 ( Open )
|
|
Nov. 20 Kentucky Lexington
|
|
Nov. 27 Vanderbilt Knoxville
|
|
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Vanderbilt
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
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Sept. 4 Wake Forest Winston-Salem
|
|
Sept. 11 Alabama Nashville
|
|
Sept. 18 Ole Miss Oxford
|
|
Sept. 25 ( Open )
|
|
Oct. 2 Auburn Nashville
|
|
Oct. 9 Cincinnati Nashville
|
|
Oct. 16 ( Home Coming ) Georgia Nashville
|
|
Oct. 23 So. Carolina Columbia
|
|
Oct. 30 ( Open )
|
|
Nov. 6 Kentucky Nashville
|
|
Nov. 13 Navy Nashville
|
|
Nov. 20 Florida Gainesville
|
|
Nov. 27 Tennessee Knoxville
|
|
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
|
|
SPECIAL INTEREST
|
|
GROUPS (SIG's)
|
|
[COMPUTER RELATED] compiled by Eric Hunt
|
|
################################################################
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|
|
|
|
BIPUG Alabama UniForum
|
|
Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group Homewood Public Library
|
|
UAB Nutrition Science Blg 1st Tuesday
|
|
RM 535/541 Shawn Cleary 870-6130
|
|
1st Sunday (delayed one week
|
|
if meeting is a holiday)
|
|
Marty Schulman 967-5883
|
|
|
|
Birmingham Apple Core
|
|
Informal breakfast meeting every Saturday, 9am - 11am
|
|
@ Kopper Kettle, lower level Brookwood Village Mall
|
|
Formal meeting held second Saturday of each month, location
|
|
variable (to be announced at breakfast meetings and in the
|
|
user group's newsletter "The PEEL".)
|
|
President: Sam Johnston - 322-5379
|
|
Vice-Prez: Marie Prater - 822-8135
|
|
|
|
The SIG listing is being re-verified. If you know of an active
|
|
Computer Related user's group, please let me know.
|
|
|
|
I can be reached via Internet email at
|
|
eric.hunt@the-matrix.com or drop me a note directly on the
|
|
MATRIX.
|
|
|
|
|
|
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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################################################################
|
|
KNOWN BBS NUMBERS
|
|
FOR THE
|
|
BIRMINGHAM AREA
|
|
################################################################
|
|
|
|
Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is
|
|
correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed
|
|
to Tim Cook or Scott Hollifield, on the Matrix or Crunchy Frog.
|
|
(Tim Cook can also be reached via e-mail on Birmingham Online
|
|
under the name "Prophet".)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 and 1/2 Dimension 853-4485 2400-14400 VBBS 6.1
|
|
[vi]
|
|
ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3) 250-0013 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, fi, ad]
|
|
ADAnet One (Node 4) 254-6050 2400-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, fi, ad]
|
|
Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 1200-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[alt, ez, mn]
|
|
Batcave, The 744-0134 2400-14400 VBBS 6.14
|
|
[am, co, cr, fn, ho, hu, vi]
|
|
Baudville (Nodes 1-7) 995-0013 300-2400 Major BBS 6.12
|
|
[none]
|
|
Birmingham Online 870-0305 300-2400 Major BBS 6.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
Birmingham Online 870-5400 300-19200 Major BBS 6.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
BulletProof 668-1624 300-19200 ZyXEL Wildcat 3.90 *RIP*
|
|
[none]
|
|
Bus System 987-5419 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 V.32 WWIV 4.12
|
|
[none]
|
|
Castle, The 841-7618 300-2400 Image 1.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
Cherry Tree 681-1710 1200-14400 TriBBS 4.01
|
|
[wm, ca]
|
|
Christian Apologetic 808-0763 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 4.00
|
|
[ez, cp]
|
|
CompuNet 833-3335 2400-14400 Major BBS 6.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
CompuNet (new users) 833-6221 2400-14400 Major BBS 6.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
Computer Addicts BBS 933-5360 300-14400 RoboBoard 1.04
|
|
[none]
|
|
Crunchy Frog (Node 1) 823-3957 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, mn, lu, ll]
|
|
Crunchy Frog (Node 2) 823-3958 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, mn, lu, ll]
|
|
Crystal Village 856-3749 1200-2400 VBBS 6.10
|
|
[cr, cs, al, ho, fn, vi]
|
|
Den, The 933-8744 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.1
|
|
[ez, mn, il]
|
|
Digital Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.60
|
|
[pl]
|
|
Dog Patch BBS 669-1705 300-38400 USR DS PCBoard 15.5
|
|
[none]
|
|
Drawing Room, The 951-2391 300=14400 V.32/42 Wildcat! 3.90
|
|
[none]
|
|
Electro-BBS 491-8402 300-14400 V.32/42 Maximus 2.01
|
|
[fi]
|
|
Enigma 678-6367 300-28800 VBBS/2 6.14
|
|
[br, cr, fi, fn, ho, vi]
|
|
Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, ve, ad, wg, pt, ed, gn]
|
|
Final Frontier 838-5634 300-14400 VBBS 6.11 *RIP*
|
|
[co, hu, ho, fn, vi]
|
|
Free Enterprise 856-9809 300-14400 V.32/42 Synchronet
|
|
[fi, sz, br, tr, dv]
|
|
GenesisOnline (sign-up) 620-9076 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
|
|
[mr]
|
|
GenesisOnline (Nds 1-8) 620-4150 300-2400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
|
|
[mr]
|
|
GenesisOnline (Nds 9-16) 620-9076 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
|
|
[mr]
|
|
Guardian, The (Node 1) 425-1951 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
|
|
[dv, sp]
|
|
Guardian, The (Node 2) 425-1956 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
|
|
[dv, sp]
|
|
Guardian, The (Node 3) 424-8273 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
|
|
[dv, sp]
|
|
Guardian, The (Node 4) 428-0805 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
|
|
[dv, sp]
|
|
Hump Files, The 987-0235 2400-14400 VBBS 6.14
|
|
[co, fn, ho, hu, vi]
|
|
Island BBS, The 631-0184 300-2400 WWIV 4.23
|
|
[none]
|
|
KickAxis BBS (Node 1) 733-0253 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0
|
|
[he]
|
|
KickAxis BBS (Node 2) 733-0299 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0
|
|
[he]
|
|
Knight's Castle 631-6668 300-14400 WWIV 4.23
|
|
[qu, dd]
|
|
Leaping's Lounge 856-2521 1200-14400 GTPower 18.00
|
|
[gt, ez, mn, wm, di]
|
|
Lions Den 871-9668 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 3.90
|
|
[wi, fi]
|
|
Lumby's Palace 520-0041 300-14400 VBBS 6.12
|
|
[he]
|
|
Magic City (Node 1) 664-9883 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 4.0
|
|
[di, wm, wi, ca, cm]
|
|
Magic City (Node 2) 664-0435 300-1400 Wildcat! 4.0
|
|
[di, wm, wi, ca, sk, yr, ms]
|
|
MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-10) 252-9888 300-2400 Major BBS *RIP*
|
|
[ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
|
|
MATRIX, The (Nodes 11-25) 252-5566 9600-14400 USR DS Major BBS *RIP*
|
|
[ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
|
|
MetaBoard 854-4814 300-14400 USR DS Opus CBCS 1.73
|
|
[fi, ad]
|
|
MetroMac BBS (Node 1) 323-6306 1200-28800 V.FC TeleFinder 3.1
|
|
[none]
|
|
MetroMac BBS (Node 2) 252-0582 1200-28800 V.FC TeleFinder 3.1
|
|
[none]
|
|
Missing Link 853-1257 300-16800 USR DS C-Net Amiga 2.63
|
|
[cl, cn]
|
|
Neon Moon (Node 1) 477-9352 9600-14400 TriBBS 4.0
|
|
[none]
|
|
Neon Moon (Node 2) 477-5894 300-2400 TriBBS 4.0
|
|
[none]
|
|
Outer Limits 985-1078 300-16800 Wildcat 4.0
|
|
[fi, pn, it]
|
|
Owl's Nest, The 854-4852 300-38400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
[ez, mn]
|
|
Parthenon, The 678-9676 1200-28800 Wildcat 3.9
|
|
[fi, un, wi, ru, me]
|
|
Party Line 856-1336 300-14000 V.32bis TriBBS 4.0
|
|
[cc, wm, di]
|
|
Pirate's Cove 665-7924 300-14000 PowerBBS
|
|
[us]
|
|
Playground 681-5070 1200-14000 V.32 TriBBS 5.0
|
|
[wm, di, al, ez]
|
|
Posys BBS 854-5131 300-9600 V.32 PCBoard
|
|
[none]
|
|
Programmer's Shack 988-4695 2400-14400 HST DS Renegade
|
|
[ws, fi, it]
|
|
Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNet
|
|
[none]
|
|
Safe Harbor (Node 1) 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 18.00
|
|
[gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
|
|
Safe Harbor (Node 2) 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 18.00
|
|
[gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
|
|
Sam's Domain 956-2757 1200-14400 SL. 3.50
|
|
[da, he]
|
|
Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC 17.4
|
|
[none]
|
|
Southern Stallion (1) 322-3816 300-16800 ZyXEL PCBoard 15.1 *RIP*
|
|
[alt, ez, lu, th, rs, un]
|
|
Southern Stallion (2) 324-6924 300-16800 ZyXEL PCBoard 15.1 *RIP*
|
|
[alt, ez, lu, th, rs, un]
|
|
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 V.32/42b PCBoard 15.0
|
|
[none]
|
|
StarBase 12 647-7184 1200-14400 TriBBS 5.02 *RIP*
|
|
[ez, mn, wm, sx]
|
|
Torch Song 328-1517 1200-14400 V.32/42b Wildcat 3.90
|
|
[pr, st, gn]
|
|
Travelog BBS 491-3898 2400-14400 Wildcat 3.90
|
|
[none]
|
|
Unknown World, The 853-9359 2400-14400 Renegade
|
|
[it, ws]
|
|
Virtual Football 823-2029 300-2400 Hermes II v.3.0.2
|
|
[none]
|
|
Weekends BBS 841-8583 2400-16800 USR DS Wildcat! 3.9
|
|
[ca]
|
|
Willie's DYM (Node 1) 664-9902 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
[or]
|
|
Willie's DYM (Node 2) 664-9903 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
[or]
|
|
Willie's DYM (Node 3) 664-9895 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
[or]
|
|
Willie's DYM (Node 4) 664-9896 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
[or]
|
|
Ziggy Unix BBS 991-5696 300-1200 UNaXess
|
|
[none]
|
|
|
|
*RIP* = BBS Software is RIP Graphics capable. You must be using a RIP
|
|
compatible term software to view them. RIPTerm or QmodemPro v1.50 are
|
|
the only two I know of that support it at this time. RIPTerm is shareware
|
|
and can be downloaded from most BBS's. QmodemPro is a commercial product.
|
|
|
|
The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below the names of
|
|
many of the bbs' in the list signify that they are members of one or
|
|
more networks that exchange or echo mail to each other in some organized
|
|
fashion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
ad = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
|
|
ae = Arts & Entertainment, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
ag = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
|
|
al = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic
|
|
alt = AlterNet, a local network, multi-topic
|
|
am = AmateurNet, a local network dedicated to HAM operators
|
|
an = The Annex, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
at = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented
|
|
bc = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented
|
|
bh = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic
|
|
bi = BitchNet, uncertain at press time
|
|
br = BreezeNet, National network, multitopic
|
|
ca = CafeNet, a local network, restaurant/dining, recipes, etc.
|
|
cc = Coast2Coast, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
cd = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution
|
|
cf = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic
|
|
ch = ChristNet, a national Christian network
|
|
cl = CLink, uncertain at press time
|
|
cm = CompuLink, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
cn = CNet, multi-topic
|
|
co = Collective,a national network, multi-topic
|
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cp = CAPNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
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cr = CrystalNet, uncertain at press time
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cs = ChaosNet, uncertain at press time
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cy = Cybernet, uncertain at press time
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da = DateNet, uncertain at press time
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dd = DeadNet, uncertain at press time
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de = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers
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di = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south
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eastern United States
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do = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors
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dv = DoveNet, uncertain at press time
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ec = EchoNet, an international network, multi-topic
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ed = EduNet, a national network devoted to homeschooling and Christian
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education
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er = ErosNet, an international network, adult oriented, files & messages
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ez = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
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fa = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic
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fi = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
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fn = FrontierNet, a local network, multi-topic
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fr = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion
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fs = FSNet, uncertain at press time
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ga = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time
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gl = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic
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gm = GayCom, an international network, homosexually oriented
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gn = GlobeNet, an international network, multi-topic
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gt = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic
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gy = GayNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
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he = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic
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|
ho = HobbyNet, a local network for hobbyists
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|
hu = HumpNet, a local network, multi-topic
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ic = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic
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ie = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic
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il = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
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in = InterNet, an international network of mail, linking businesses,
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|
universities, and bbs', multi-topic
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it = ITCNet, a national network, multi-topic
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lg = Local GT Net, a local network, connecting GT Power systems
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ll = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence
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lo = LocalNet, uncertain at press time
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lu = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented
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ma = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems
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|
me = Medieval-Net, uncertain at press time
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mj = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews
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mn = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic
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|
mr = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic
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|
ms = MSI SupportNet
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nl = NewLife, uncertain at press time
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|
np = NPN, a national network for new parents
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|
or = OraNet, a national E-mail network
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|
pe = Planet Earth Network, a national network, multi-topic
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|
pl = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic
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|
pn = PoliceNet, an international network, law-enforcement only
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|
pr = PrideNet, a national homosexually oriented network
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|
pt = PRNet, a national network devoted to 2nd amendment rights
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|
qu = QuadNet, uncertain at press time
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|
rf = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists
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|
ri = RIME, an international network, multi-topic
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|
rb = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic
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|
re = RealityNet, uncertain at press time
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|
rp = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games
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|
rs = RoseNet, a national network, technically orient*ed
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|
ru = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans
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|
sc = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology
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|
oriented
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|
se = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the
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|
southeastern United States
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|
sh = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games
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|
sk = SeekNet, uncertain at press time
|
|
sl = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic
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|
sm = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic
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|
sn = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games
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|
sp = Sub-SpaceNet, uncertain at press time
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|
ss = SexSations!, a national network, adult-oriented
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|
sx = SeXXXnet, an national network, adult-oriented
|
|
st = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
|
|
sz = SCN-Net, uncertain at press time
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|
te = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented
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|
th = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
|
|
tr = TrekNet, a national network for Star Trek fans
|
|
un = U'NI-Net, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
us = Usenet, an international network existing on the Internet, multi-
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|
topic
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|
ve = VETLink, a national network for military veterans
|
|
vi = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
wg = WGA, an international network devoted to genealogy research
|
|
wi = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
wm = World Message Exchange, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
ws = WishNet, uncertain at press time
|
|
ww = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
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|
yr = YourNet, uncertain at press time
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