Ultrasound Daily Digest     Sat, 10 Apr 1993     Volume 3 : Issue  10 

Today's Topics:
						CheebA's OS/2 bashing
				 DIGEST ADMIN: New version of GUS FAQ
						  missed THE POINT??
							os2 bashing!!
							 Registration
						 sbos 2.04 and xwing
					  SBOS PROBLEM - NMI PROCED
						  Ultima7 with SBOS
		   Ultrasond 2.01 .zip files too big for a floppy?
				Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #9 (3 msgs)

	Information about the UltraSound Daily Digest (such as
mail addresses, request servers, ftp sites, etc., etc.) can be found
at the end of the Digest.

	*** HEY!!! *** 

	Before you ask a question, *** READ THE FAQ ***.  It's
available on the request server and the ftp sites, or check the
newsgroup archives.


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 09 Apr 1993 08:58:20 -0500 (EST)
From: DEATH BEFORE DISCO <JKS4675@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>
Subject: CheebA's OS/2 bashing
Message-ID: <01GWSV26CD9Q90OJH8@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>

Hey:

1) If you want to bitch about something that you know NOTHING AT ALL about,
   take it to the Windosw.advocacy group on netnews. Assuming you know
   waht that is. 

2) OS/2 has 256 color support on all video cards. As well as MMPM/2. In fact,
   your insistence on OS/2 using Windows 3.1 code has made IBM decide to
   support it. But now it runs FASTER than a similarly equipped DOS
   (Dumb Old @##$) machine. I hope you use a modem, so you can truly appreciate
   the lovely pseudo-multitasking Win 3.1 does.

3) As an owner of the GUS, you should realize IBM included Windows 3.1
   support for the same reason Forte/Gravis has SBOS. There's no software
   available for anything until a few months after it comes out.

4) I can't seriously believe anybody that uses a computer thinks Micro$oft
   makes good code. "Wow, a _DELTREE_ function in DOS 6.0!!" Yeah, that was
   only 10 years too late. Maybe if you use an OS other than DOS you'd open
   your eyes. There's still hope. 

5) Direct your replies to me. This flaming stuff is a waste of resources,
   especially if somebody using Windows decides to extract and download
   these digests.

6) Any more questions? Call 1-800-DOS-(last 4-letter-word deleted)


jks4675@ritvax.isc.rit.edu

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 17:44:36 MDT
From: ddebry@itchy (Dave DeBry)
Subject: DIGEST ADMIN: New version of GUS FAQ
Message-ID: <9304092344.AA13406@itchy>

	The GUS FAQ has been upped to version 1.25, and is now
available from the request server and the FTP sites.

	I added the following questions/answers:

		25] What are the pinouts for the CD Audio IN on the GUS?
		26] I'm having trouble with... GENERAL TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
		27] I can't seem to fit the new disks onto a floppy.

	Plus, I added information to several existing questions.

	The FAQ is now 77k in length.

	If you have a little time, please get a copy and read it over,
to see if you find any errors or things that need to be added or
removed.  Thanks!

-- 
Dave  ddebry@ debry@   \ "Rick VonSlonacker is tall, rich, good looking,
DeBry dsd.    peruvian. | stupid, dishonest, conceited, a bully, liar, 
	  es.     cs.utah.  | and thief, an egomaniac and probably a psychotic.
	  com     edu      /  In short, highly attractive to women."

------------------------------

Date: 09 Apr 1993 11:29:56 -0500 (EST)
From: CheebA <DMC5483@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>
Subject: missed THE POINT??
Message-ID: <01GWT0CWWP9E91WECE@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>

OK Im sorry if I affended anyone, I know that OS/2 only has the consumer
interest in mind with windows, and now I know that It does run 256 colors
, and that it is a GUI and all that..

BUT  The point was that this daily digest is for ultrasound, not
for how bad windows or os/2 is or isnt . 

I would like to comment though that some people can dish it out but
can't take it. funny huh???

-- thanx - dave

ps to lavcgoo@dmi.ushub.CA - "Next time you post something like this on
the digest I will make sure that the reply is send to the digest"(your quote)
---- GROW UP.......

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1993 09:27:18 -0500
From: ken@austin.ibm.com (Ken Goach IBM)
Subject: os2 bashing!!
Message-ID: <9304091427.AA16006@daedalus.austin.ibm.com>

>if windows 3.1 is sooo bad why is IBM so concerned about making windows 3.1
>work fully on OS2 2.1.

Can you say money? Can you say market share? If there are as many
Windoze users as Microsoft claims, then it is in IBM's best interest
to make OS/2 work with Wind-woes.

See, the de facto standard isn't always the best. As much as I hate
to admit it, Windows has developed into an industry standard, but
that doesn't make it the be-all, end-all. For a similar analogy,
consider the Sound Blaster.... 'nuff said.

Ken

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1993 14:23:22 +0800 (WST)
From: aboyt@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Adam Boyt)
Subject: Registration
Message-ID: <199304090623.AA11145@tartarus.uwa.edu.au>

Hey good people!  I am sending this from Perth Western Australia - there
are only a couple of GUS people in this city.  Were pretty isolated and
we've got bugger all info from Gravis (yes I have sent of my
registration - 2 months ago!).  I tried to use their internet address -
Gravis.com but FTP spits the dummy - "unknown host".  If this isn't
their address, what is it. HELP!. 

P.S.  Has anybody received any new installation disk and/or patches yet?

Ferrous

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 07:56:05 -0700
From: paladin@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Robin Yang)
Subject: sbos 2.04 and xwing
Message-ID: <9304091456.AA25320@ucscb.UCSC.EDU>

	 Sbos 2.04 is supposed to fix problems with xwing, right?  'Cause it
doesn't work for me except in adlib mode and now it won't let me change the
soundcard option to adlib.  For some reason when I select adlib it installs
soundblaster.  Help?

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 08 Apr 1993 11:30:00 -0800
From: john.smith@gravis.com (John Smith)
Subject: SBOS PROBLEM - NMI PROCED
Message-ID: <734352918.AA02092@ship.net>

ReprintFrom: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard

Here is an explanation of the NMI error.

NMI stands for Non Maskable Interrupt.  When an NMI is generated the PC
will finish executing its current instruction then go and handle
whatever called the NMI.  This is usually caused by the parity checking
circuitry of your PC when an ONBOARD PARITY ERROR has occured.

SBOS requires a way of latching onto the PC in such a way that games won't
interfere with it.  By hooking onto the NMI, SBOS has a chance to run.
This type of emulation works great for any games that don't try and do
something wierd with the NMI (F15 II for instance).

There was problems with older versions of SBOS (1.x) where the user would
get NO sound at all out of SBOS.  This was eventually narrowed down to an
NMI problem with a FEW motherboards.  It seems the NMI never got generated
on these PC's or if it did the CPU wasn't responding to them.  Hence, SBOS
never had a chance to run.

So instead of SBOS simply giving the user NO sound it gives users the
following message, "NMI procedure on this P.C. is disabled".  The only known
ways to correct this problem are to:

1) Make sure the parity circuitry on your PC is enabled.  This can usually
   be done by making sure PARITY is enabled in your extended CMOS

2) Replace the motherboard.  NOTE: You don't need to replace the CPU.
   A new motherboard will range from $100-400 on average.

Remember, there is nothing wrong with your GUS or SBOS.  SBOS is simply
reporting a problem which has always existed with your PC and is just
bringing it to light.

Hope this helps.

John

 ~ QMPro 1.01 05-8925 ~ Time flies like wind.  Fruit flies like pears.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 09 Apr 93 10:09:04 EDT
From: tmcreek@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject: Ultima7 with SBOS
Message-ID: <9304091409.AA17917@c00477-224wi.eos.ncsu.edu>

If you don't like the music from Ultima 7, put SBOS 1.22 back on your machine.
Before I put my SBPro back in, I had two versions of SBOS on my HD.
I wrote two batch files (one called sbos and the other sbos122).  Then
I put the 2.04 executables in the \ultrasound dir, and put the 1.22 execs
in the \ultrasound\sbos directory and had it's batch file explicitly 
specify the path.  Then I put all of the .sbs files in the sbos dir.

IMHO, 1.22 for most games has better music.  Prince of Persia and Ultima 7
(both) come to mind right away.  For X-Wing, you are better off with 2.04.

--
tmcreek@eos.ncsu.edu       \   These views respresent no one.   /   Now you 
creek-tm@aza.csc.ncsu.edu   \   Even I won't claim them.       /   are here
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include "std_funny_stuff.h"  /* This is where I include some witty tripe */

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1993 16:35:23 MST
From: "Dave Bakken" <bakken@cs.arizona.edu>
Subject: Ultrasond 2.01 .zip files too big for a floppy?
Message-ID: <199304092335.AA19759@centennial.cs.arizona.edu>

I ftp'd gus0017.zip through gus0021.zip but had
no success writing them to a floppy.   The error
message seemed to indicate that the floppy copying
program on my Sparcstation IPC felt that gus0018.zip
would fill up the empty floppy.  I then noticed the
size of gus0018.zip, about 1.45MB, which is a tad
bigger than what 3.5" floppies are supposed to hold.

Has anyone else had problems like this?  Any workarounds
besides the very laborious process of unzipping on my
workstation and then rezipping (with fewer files)  or
whatever to get them on my floppies?

Thanks for any help on this.   Maybe I'll get lucky
and get the disks in the mail.

Dave Bakken

------------------------------

Date: 9 Apr 93 20:11:17 U
From: "zz Paul Murgatroyd" <zz_paul_murgatroyd@macmail.bu.oz.au>
Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #9
Message-ID: <9304091012.AA05202@kirk.bu.oz.au>

To: Ralph
RE: Below

>Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1993 09:47:01 -0500
>From: graham@cs.utexas.edu (A student of life)
>Message-ID: <9304081447.AA05525@bovina.cs.utexas.edu>


>Matthew Spewak mentioned that one can send the original Chuch Yeager
>diskettes to EA to receive the GUS version for free.  If that is indeed

Actually, it wasn't Matthew, it was me.


>They told me that only Advanced Gravis was handling the GUS version and
>I had to buy it from them.  I replied that I had been told at the outset
>that the GUS version would be a free upgrade and that s the sole reason
>I purchased Yeager to begin with.  EA told me I had been misinformed and
>repeated that I needed to purchase it from Advanced Gravis (and that it was
>not free).  So I ordered it from Advanced Gravis, paid the $15US and the $5US
>shipping and received the game about 2 weeks ago.  I now have paid for both
>versions of the same game.  Is is true that EA is now offering the free
>upgrade?  Can anyone confirm this?  If so, can anyone suggest a possible
>recourse for me to get a refund?

I was not aware of the GUS version of Chuck Yeager until I saw it appear in the
"GUS Native Support" part of the SBOS Parameter list. Being an owner of the
previous version (I had a SoundBlaster at that stage), I gave EA a call and
asked what the deal was. They said that there was indeed a GUS version, and
that upgrade was free. All I had to was mail them my original disks. I had the
free upgrade in 4 days. Shipping was free as well. I can only say from my
experienc that the upgrade is indeed free, but take a look at my e-mail
address. I am in Australia, and perhaps by coincidence, EA is the Australian
distributor for the GUS (and all Gravis products in fact). Still, I was not
charged for the upgrade, so either way you look at it, it cost me nothing at
all.

------------------------------

Date: 9 Apr 93 20:25:55 U
From: "zz Paul Murgatroyd" <zz_paul_murgatroyd@macmail.bu.oz.au>
Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #9
Message-ID: <9304091026.AA06259@kirk.bu.oz.au>

>My config.

>486 33MHz, 256KB, 20MB RAM, AMI Bios, C&T chipset.
>Adaptec 1542B on IRQ9, DMA 5
>Ultrasnd (rev 2) on 250, IRQ 11, 12, DMA 7
>Soundblaster 2.0 on 220, IRQ 5, DMA 1



Wayne, 
	 Do you still have problems if you remove the SoundBlaster? When I first
got my GUS, I also left my SoundBlaster installed (against the instructions in
the manual). The SoundBlaster caused me all sorts of trouble once the GUS was
installed, even when both boards were assigned completely different Base
Address, DMA and IRQ numbers. This may be the source of your problem. Running
SBOS with a SoundBlaster installed seems pointless, and was the major cause of
my problems.


>On another point. When the GUS came out last year I rushed out and bought one
>(got it sent over from Canada) thinking "Wow, this is going to be great for
>games".

That sounds very familiar :-)

>I hope that by August or September more
>software support appears for the GUS, otherwise I'm going to have a LOT of
>people pissed off at me. I'm sure it will come but slower than we had all
>hoped. I won't be buying any software (which uses sound cards) which has
>no GUS support. On the other hand, I won't be advocating the GUS so loudly
>either till the support is there...

In all fairness to Gravis, the GUS has not been around for very long. I bought
mine in mid November, and was surprised to find that the readme files were only
a week old. You have to keep in mind that games are usually in development for
1 year or more, and with the GUS being as new as it is, you have to allow a
decent amount of time for the GUS to be included in a game during development.
The Pro Audio Spectrum boards have only just started getting decent support
over the last few month, and support for the SoundBlaster Pro is still minimal.
Hopefully the GUS will not be far behind these. I will not be buying any more
games unless they have direct GUS support. If we all do that, and we have a
wide user base, games makers will have a choice to make: support the GUS, or
kiss goodbye to one segment of the games market. 

------------------------------

Date: 9-APR-1993 12:29:01.06
From: Richard Wyckoff <RWYCKOFF@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #9
Message-ID: <01GWT2YUM5K08Y5D31@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>

> Date: 08 Apr 1993 09:14:48 -0500 (EST)
> From: CheebA <DMC5483@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>
> Subject: os2 bashing!!
> Message-ID: <01GWRHIXSF5I91W5SX@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>
Dave "Id [sic] rather die than install OS2" flames:

> Just to even out for all the window bashing that someone(s) on the Daily
> digest insists on doing...
> and when OS2 can handle more than 16 colors, well start calling it a 
> GUI.!!!
	Just a reminder to all those on this list who would start petty 
flamewars (especially when they are as uninformed as this one):
	The GUS digest is for information and questions about the GUS *only*.
(Bad enough that we get 2-3 "unsubscribe" messages a week.)
--
 Multimedia: You mean I could fill up my hard disk annotating spreadsheets 
 with digitized voice when I'd been foolishly conserving space by using text?
 Why didn't *I* think of that!  Bill Gates, my hero!
			   **Richard Wyckoff**RWYCKOFF@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU**

------------------------------

End of Ultrasound Daily Digest V3 #10
*************************************
