Multi I/O / hardware










From: Michael Current (aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)

Date: 04/21/92-07:38:02 PM Z









From: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Subject: Multi I/O / hardware
Date: Tue Apr 21 19:38:02 1992


Reprinted from the A.C.E.C. BBS (614)-471-8559


ICD MIO
256K $199.95 1 MEG $349.95
MIO and SpartaDOS 2.3/3.2 are copyright ICD, Inc.

By Thomas Warren

It's tough owning a computer system, there's always someone bringing
out something trying to tempt you to part with your hard earned cash.
The new Multi- Input/Output Interface (MIO) from ICD is no exception.
Just what can you get for $199.95?  Unless you have been living under
a rock for the past few months, and haven't read the articles in both
Antic and Analog magazines praising the MIO, you'd know that it comes
with 256K or 1 MEG of internal, refreshed, RAM, a parallel printer
port, RS-232 port, video port, and a SASI/SCSI hard drive interface.
What the magazines don't go into detail about is how you can use the
MIO.  Other than the obvious use of the hard drive interface, what
good is the internal memory?  The 6502 can't access more than 64K,
so programs won't take advantage of it. And, 1 MEG! Can you imagine
loading it everytime you want to use it?  I have trouble loading my
256K upgraded ramdisk on my 130XE.  But, the MIO isn't like a normal
ramdisk.  It's more like a "soft" hard drive.  The memory is
constantly refreshed from the external power supply, so whatever you
put into it stays there unless you have a power failure.  So, you
can load up the MIO with your terminal software, utilities, word
processors, spreadsheet, or whatever, and call it up instantly.
Just think, no scrounging for your word processsor.  Why, the 1
MEG version could do away with diskettes!
All this sounds utopian, right?  Well, there is another side. The MIO
can't be accessed by any DOS except SpartaDOS 3.2. Oh, you can still
use 2.0, 2.5, SmartDos, and TOP DOS 1.5+, as long as you keep your
1050 as drive 1.  But SpartaDOS 2.3 won't work at all.  And, if you
configure the MIO to boot off itself, you'll lose access to the others.
However, most programs work with SpartaDOS 3.2, so no problem.
Now, another practical use.  Being a sysop, I was interested in the
possibility of running the system strictly off an MIO and a ramdisk.
It can be done on the 256K version, although the 1 MEG would be the
better choice.  Right now, I have all my message bases, passwords,
system help files, and some of the downloads in the MIO.  Unless a
black out occurs, they will stay there.  Even a system lockup won't
disturb them (I know, I've had several).  For you sysops, or would be,
the best program for the MIO is Keith Ledbetter's Express 1030/850
(I run the 850), since you can copy system individually. Remember to
do a KEY OFF command before running your bbs.
This is the best new product out.  Now for 80 columns and 300/1200.
MIO supplied by: Bookmans 1-602-325-5055 Tucson, AZ


-- 
 Michael Current, Cleveland Free-Net 8-bit Atari SIGOp   -->>  go atari8  <<--
   The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG is the Central Atari Information Network
      Internet: currentm@carleton.edu / UUCP: ...!umn-cs!ccnfld!currentm
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