File transfers using the M102

Links:

5 April 98

This is the second installment of comments about the Model 102 protable computer that I have. I'm writing these comments on the Tandy while watching the news. How cool is this? I still can't get over it.

I was sitting out at Lake Artemisia today, reading up on information processing and connectionism (psycholgy contructs which might help me with my research in trying to make sense of how students come to understand wave physics), and every time that I wanted to make an electronic comment, I just turned this thing on for the 20 seconds I needed, and it was off again. I couldn't have done that with a laptop, and I wouldn't have wanted to drag a heavy laptop around, anyway.

So, what's the real detail that I want to throw in to this installment of the Model 102 update? File transfer.

After trying to make sense of the handbook which I downloaded and printed (from the Web100 site: dillernet.com, I believe...), I realized I wasn't going to figure this thing out. I was just thinking about it wrong. It turned out to be just like my first experience with a Mac after years of being on a PC. I was looking for the wrong thing.

What ended up being a solution was something pretty simple. On the Web100 site, I found a program called Laptap.exe. I installed it on my Winbook notebook (the PC at home), and just ran it. Connect a null modem between the RS-232 port on the Tandy and the serial port on the laptop, and the program tells you what to do next. I think it takes all of 25k on the laptop, too. Man, what a joy to come up with prograsm that run in a reasonable amount of space. I don't know, maybe I'm showing my age with that statement.

So file transfer is really easy. If you want a copy of laptap.exe. go to the Web100 site, at dillernet.com (it's existence is spotty, so good luck on finding it).

UPDATE: I have posted laptap.exe on my own web page, for you to grab. Hope the authors don't mind... Click here to get it. And someone tell me if the link goes bad for some reason... Thanks.

One more comment about file transfers. We have a Mac at home, and I would love to use it instead of the laptop. As it is, if I'm using the desktop, then I have a really tedious chore: put it on the windows machine, put it on a floppy, use the Macs built in PC Exchange capability, then write on the desktop. Why can't I use the Mac? Because I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't have the right Mac. It's a Performa 6300, a fine machine for most of what we need (it's got 64MB, making its Mhz and design shortcomings manageable), but without hardware handshaking and without the port needed for an easy connection to the Tandy. Bummer. I'll have to figure out how to get through the modem port or the serial port or whatever it is. Stupid stupid stupid design idiocies by Apple. Oh well. I'll tell you in the next installment what happens with that, as I try to figure out the connection bits.

Also, somewhere down the line, I'll figure out how to get a phone adaptor so that I can hook the machine with its (OH MY! SO FAST!) 300 baud modem connected to the internet. Hey, easy email? Why not? Maybe. I'll fill you in the next time around.

Update 8 apr 98: Tandy Model 102 file transfers to a Mac