Thanks again, Dave!

[Tony Duell]

> 
> > > > Heh.  There are three monitors on my desk,  four machines above it on the 
> > > > "second level" I built when things started getting tight,  and a 
> > > > (seldom-used) monitor sitting on top of those, 
> > > 
> > > I think I already mentioned "KVM".
> > 
> > Yes, but this is classiccmp :-). Exactly none of the 180+ machines I have 
> > here would work with a normal KVM switch (most don't have PC-like 
> > keyboard interfaces, none have VGA-type monitors). A KVM swtich will not 
> > help when the monintors taking up you desk belong to things like 
> > classic-PERQs. Or, indeed, when the monitor is built into the machine 
> 
> Not sure why this comment came out - the original conversation was specifically
> about machines capable of running ImageDisk, which would imply PCs. I'm


Simple : 

Several of us (including myself) don't have space to set up another 
machine, like a modern PC. You suggested a KVM switch. As I understand 
it, this is a device that switches a single keyboard, monitor and mouse 
between 2 machines.

But most, if not all, only work for machines which take PC-like keyboards 
and VGA monitors (forget about the mouse, OK :-)). Which means it 
wouldn't svce any space here becuase none of the machines on or around my 
desk use such peripherals. So a KVM switch couldn't be used to share one 
of the monitors and keyboards with the new PC that runs imagedisk.

> pretty sure the machines and monitors to which I made this comment were PCs
> (at least this was implied in the thread).
> 
> Besides Tony, I wouldn't expect you to buy an off the shelf KVM .. but couldn't
> you build one that could translate between proprietary keyboard interfaces if
> you wanted one?

Oh, I probalby could, but I like to use the original keyboards on my 
classics...

Anyewy, if I am going to go to all that work, I might as well design a 
disk imaging device, which certainly wouldn't use an 8272 controller. If 
I used a single chip, it would be one of the WD ones (which have a much 
more useful read track command). Or I might just make something like a 
Catweasel and grab the transitions on the read  data line from the drive 
an analuse them in software later.

-tony