What retro things have you done today?

Guest2 said:
It appears from the reading I have done that SSDs were never designed to run on other hardware and OS of the 90s.
If you want a machine to work as it did in the 90s, use authentic hardware! The downside of course is reduced disk speed

I do have a USB 2 hub card, even that conflicts sometimes in DOS causing Soundcard DMA conflicts and DOS apps to not launch at all sometimes. I disable it in device manager and all works perfectly. Its tempting to try another USB 2 hub as they are only a tenner but I think its will be exactly the same as the one I currently have
Click to expand...

Fair enough will just pick up a larger 3.5" IDE drive :)

The slow is part of the charm surely lol
 
Managed to get a pi2scart set up and running through a CRT recently. Really happy with it and feels like an improvement over the lcd with scanline generator I was running before.
 
Guest2 said:
It appears from the reading I have done that SSDs were never designed to run on other hardware and OS of the 90s.
If you want a machine to work as it did in the 90s, use authentic hardware! The downside of course is reduced disk speed

I do have a USB 2 hub card, even that conflicts sometimes in DOS causing Soundcard DMA conflicts and DOS apps to not launch at all sometimes. I disable it in device manager and all works perfectly. Its tempting to try another USB 2 hub as they are only a tenner but I think its will be exactly the same as the one I currently have
Click to expand...

This is my experience I had with Windows XP. I was working lovely on an SSD but over time it started to throw all sorts of gripes, just irritating. For next time, I will go for a traditional disk.
 
phatboy said:
Fair enough will just pick up a larger 3.5" IDE drive :)

The slow is part of the charm surely lol
Click to expand...

Ninco! said:
This is my experience I had with Windows XP. I was working lovely on an SSD but over time it started to throw all sorts of gripes, just irritating. For next time, I will go for a traditional disk.
Click to expand...

Both wise ideas. I have a WD 120GB Caviar IDE drive, easily enough for many many games and programs and very fast. No need for SSD IMO. The main problem is transfer from primary machine - USB 2.0 seems the best solution I can find but open to ideas. I have a 64GB USB stick which has loads of ISOs, drivers, software and games
 
LewisRaz said:
Is the DB50XG just a daughterboard version of the SW60XG?

I get what you are saying about some of the sounds. Theme hospital has this problem with a couple of instruments standing out and making it sound a bit odd.
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Yeah they are pretty much identical from a soundset pov. The SW60XG has the benefit of being the DB50XG on its own midi interface with its own audio output. Its perfect for pairing with cards like the SB16 as you avoid the bugged MPU on the SB16 but can have the 16-Bit Digital sound along with the awesome XG midi. I really like the XG synth and I really like how it sounds in the Descent games.

You will get some unbalanced instruments with most midi synths that aren't Sound Canvas. I have a Kawai XC-3 midi module and that thing is unbalanced as hell! The drums sound really good on it though. The Korg NS5R has a cool feature where you can mute certain instruments. I actually have my Dreamblaster S2 hosted inside the NS5R as it have a wavetable header and you can mix instruments from both synths!
 
If peeps are wanting to add a decent midi module to their machine for a fair price, keep an eye out for the Yamaha MU10. Its a DB50XG in an external box. Obviously your at the mercy of the MPU interface of your sound card, but for example, @phatboy, the MU10 would work great on your Labway YMF card. You could feed the line out of the Labway into the MU10 and mix the audio through that. The MU10 has a lovely clean output. It can even run off batteries!

I picked mine up for £30 delivered.

yPwusrwl.jpg
 
phatboy said:
So is the SSD configuration worth it then, I was assuming massive issues with the OS getting it to work and would burn the drive fast it out pretty fast because of the lack of TRIM? I have a spare SSD knocking about so is tempting
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Well its blisteringly fast for windows 98 pc , very responsive. will see how long the SSD lasts. i have Comact Flash to fall back on if needed.

  • Windows all installed and working with Nvidia & Soundblaster drivers.
  • Static IP, with direct LAN link to Windows 10 PC on its 2nd NIC card.
  • Shared folder on Win98 allows to copy files over. tried FTP couldnt get it to work.
  • Daemon Tools installed to mount the ISOs transfered, no longer need the machines DVD/CD (which is a bit flakey)
  • Microsoft Office 97 Installed (WHY!!! because i could)
  • Microsoft Golf 98 Installed (WHY!! umm because i could)
Next thing the, the stock CPU fan is deafening, would one of these be better (and fit)

b]My basket at Overclockers UK:[/b]
Total: £6.69 (includes shipping: £2.74)​
​


a4UOARi.jpg
 
Kurgen said:
Well its blisteringly fast for windows 98 pc , very responsive. will see how long the SSD lasts. i have Comact Flash to fall back on if needed.

  • Windows all installed and working with Nvidia & Soundblaster drivers.
  • Static IP, with direct LAN link to Windows 10 PC on its 2nd NIC card.
  • Shared folder on Win98 allows to copy files over. tried FTP couldnt get it to work.
  • Daemon Tools installed to mount the ISOs transfered, no longer need the machines DVD/CD (which is a bit flakey)
  • Microsoft Office 97 Installed (WHY!!! because i could)
  • Microsoft Golf 98 Installed (WHY!! umm because i could)
Next thing the, the stock CPU fan is deafening, would one of these be better (and fit)

b]My basket at Overclockers UK:[/b]
Total: £6.69 (includes shipping: £2.74)
​


a4UOARi.jpg
Click to expand...
Set up is looking great!

That fan will work if its the same size but you might need some longer screws to fit it. You could also get one of those adapters that slows fans down.
 
LewisRaz said:
Set up is looking great!

That fan will work if its the same size but you might need some longer screws to fit it. You could also get one of those adapters that slows fans down.
Click to expand...

adaptor sounds like a good idea. ive also noticed the space bar spring is gone, so i will try my luck for a refund
 
Checked that my SGI o2 was still working after our house move in November... it does!

Bit weary about the optical drive, need to check it out as didnt seem to be doing much :(

1o2.jpeg


2o2.jpeg
 
Tee Hee Johnson said:
Checked that my SGI o2 was still working after our house move in November... it does!

Bit weary about the optical drive, need to check it out as didnt seem to be doing much :(

1o2.jpeg


2o2.jpeg
Click to expand...
Damn!

Werent some of the SGI workstations (Onyx?) use to make the CGI effects in Terminator 2 for the T1000 liquid metal? I remember reading some of those machines cost hundreds of thousands in the mid-late 90s
 
Some of the big ones, including big servers, cost hundreds of thousands. Lots (of all generations) were used in special effects for TV and Film.

This was a baby machine, think it replaced the Indigo (?) etc. before SGI decided to moved to Itanium... which didnt go well. Lots of these wee o2's were arrarently used for overlays on tv shows, like weather chanells, etc. Mine seems to have came from a University in England.

I think I remember reading there SGI computers present in the Jurassic Park film!
 
Today is the first day in the office for a year and one week after working from home. I'm clearing out my locker because it's my last day in this job and, naturally, I find an ATI X600 PCI-e in there. No idea where it came from or what I was going to do with it!

PecMMzCh.jpg
 
Picked up a few things from ebay...
Simon the Sorcerer 1 & 2 big box releases for Windows 95
Box Protector for megadrive mini
Wizkid for Commodore Amiga
3D construction kit for Amiga - Had lots of fun with this back in the day, it was used to make thsoe early 3D games like castle master, Driller, Darkside and total eclipse. i think I used it to make a fire escape and a bridge :) Not sure why I bought it, just pure nostalgia.

Also put a new episode up on youtube with some Spectrum games for us oldies out there :P

 
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