If NO IMAGES will be shown, use www.z80.eu/blog instead of blog.z80.eu

Please note also - THIS BLOG ENDS HERE WITH THE LAST ENTRY FROM NOVEMBER 9th 2021.

I have prepared a new blog with wordpress at https://vintagecomputing.info !!!

Thank you.

Meanwhile I have tried to replace my original Siemens PCD-2 graphics adapter with a (more modern) Genoa Super EGA (Modell 4880). Unfortunately even with a documentation of all dip switches and jumper, it was not possible to replace the original card, which is able to display color graphics card (CGA) and monochrome display adapter (MDA) on a monochrome monitor.
I thought I can configure the Genoa Super EGA...

... to use a monochrome monitor.

BUT NO it does not work :-(

I guess the Siemens Graphics Adapter is a very special (and rare) display adapter which is only designed to work with the Siemens Monitor. Look at the card, it has three crystal oscillators (!), which is totally unusual for dispplay adapter of 1988:


Ok, if anybody has additional suggestions how to work with that original monochrome monitor and the above mentioned Genoa Super EGA, let me know it. Switches & Jumper can be found at the "related link" below.

No, not only Microsoft is collecting data from all users. This is done also by Apple & Google.
But they didn't do it in such an amount until Windows 10 arrived....

All of the data which will be collected is just to improve your personal expirience. This means you will get tons of advertisments but these are more personalized. Or at least unwanted "suggestions". Ugly.
Many settings are present also to reduce this acquisitiveness, but most of the very new functions can't work without collecting data from you. Cortana, your new speech recognition for example. Hand writing recognition, which adds also new learned words.
Even your Wireless LAN passwords can be shared... you don't want this by accident, I guess.

See also these articles:
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... t-settings
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2489212,00.asp
http://www.wired.com/2015/08/windows-10 ... need-know/
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/07 ... -settings/

Meanwhile there are tools out there, which easily controls these settings, too.
If you're too careless, you get a new data collector installed instead.
http://pxc-coding.com/portfolio/donotspy10/ offers a tool like that, "DoNotSpy10".
This software is ok for public use, until you accept also some setup options at the time of installation - new, unwanted ad-ware or even new spy software.
So really take care and READ the options of the setup program, or do not use "DoNotSpy10".

Added a bit later: There is also a script/batch file, which can improve privacy. Please take a look inside the file (it's text, not a binary) first. See http://pastebin.com/K8Ww4j8z

Added again later: New bad news ... Windows 10 does not use certificate pinning, means someone can easily apply a man-in-the-middle-attack for each Microsoft cloud-access for example. Explanation for certificate pinning ? See >here<.

May be some of you still using (USB) floppy drives with Windows 7 ?

You want to upgrade to Windows 10 ?
May be this is interesting for you ...

Two driver files are necessary for it:
\windows\system32\drivers\sfloppy.sys and
\windows\system32\drivers\flpydisk.sys
extracted out of an existing/working Windows 7 installation (may work with Windows 8 also).

Additionally you need the description/installation files located in \windows\inf:
fdc.inf and
flpydisk.inf
(and perhaps also fdc.pnf and flpydisk.pnf).

These .inf files can be used to reinstall the fdc and floppy driver again, e.g. for a Windows 10 installation. At the moment I am not aware of offerings from Microsoft itself regarding the subject "floppy drive support". I've read they said only, go to your drive manufacturers pages and look for drivers.... good luck anyway for it.

Added a bit later: There is also a sample driver for a "super floppy", see https://github.com/Microsoft/Windows-driver-samples/tree/master/storage/sfloppy
To compile the driver, you need the Visual Studio Community 2015 and Windows Driver Kit (WDK) 10, offered at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/dn913721.aspx, also.

Don't miss it. You will see a lot of vintage computers and video game consoles from the eighties and beyond, many computer enthusiasts and lover of old but gold home computer equipment, starting with Amstrad, and stopping with Zenith.
Thionville is located in France, but it's really nearby Saarlouis in Germany, so enthusiasts from germany can visit it without conquering long distances too. See related link for more infos.

The Microbee was an Australian made Z80 based computer that was able to run CP/M 2.2 and 3.0 - and it even had already some pixel graphics capabilities.

Getting such a computer isn't simple, and I do not live in Australia (btw. wonderful country).
But working with real hardware and not "emulated on PC" is still a great idea.
On fpgabee.toptensoftware.com you will be able to read all about using a FPGA development board or even a selfmade pcb for it.
With it's version 2, even harddisk access and color graphics is implemented.
And it's working with a standard VGA monitor, a PS/2 keyboard and a SD card. That's all.

It looks like this (photo taken from the above mentioned web site):


So just go on and visit the web site above mentioned (or see related link also below).