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-   -   TapCis in a New Computer? (http://www.tapcis.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6401)

BobKnepper June 20th, 2008 03:48 PM

TapCis in a New Computer?
 
I've been happily using TapCis for my email for many years. Runs in a DOS partition tho I switch to Windows for web browsing and some other programs.

In the next few months I expect to move to a new computer. I still want to run two or more old DOS programs so I will either have a DOS partition or some way to run DOS under ? Vista. I also expect to get DSL.

How practical will it be to continue to use TapCis in some form?

Thanks for any comments.

Bob - from Anaheim, Calif.

davidh June 21st, 2008 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobKnepper (Post 45157)
I've been happily using TapCis for my email for many years. Runs in a DOS partition tho I switch to Windows for web browsing and some other programs.

In the next few months I expect to move to a new computer. I still want to run two or more old DOS programs so I will either have a DOS partition or some way to run DOS under ? Vista. I also expect to get DSL.

How practical will it be to continue to use TapCis in some form?

Thanks for any comments.

Bob - from Anaheim, Calif.

The software that will allow you to run TAPCIS over DSL is here:

Quote:

COM/IP COM Port Redirector v4.8
Windows Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT4/9x, Windows Server 2008/2003
32 and 64-bit, Terminal Services, Citrix, Virtual Server and VMware

The COM/IP® COM Port Redirector creates virtual COM ports and software modems for modem applications to use TCP/IP networks (including the Internet) instead of modem hardware and telephone connections.

http://www.tacticalsoftware.com/products/comip.htm
Cost is $100.

It might be cheaper and simpler to buy a MS-DOS compatible serial COM port board and an external telephone modem if your broadband ISP allows dial up at no extra chare (some might allow up to 20 hours dial up free per month, in addition to your DSL).

Otherwise you might want to look into using a popular Windows email program such as Mozilla Thunderbird or Pegasus Mail (both of which probably have pretty good security and can handle standard format MBOX format email mailbox files).

Instructions for getting Compuserve Classic mail via Internet POP3 protocol should be available at http://community.netscape.com/cssoftware

I don't know if TAPCIS runs ok on Windows Vista. It may still be possible to order Windows XP computers from some hw mfgs , if you hurry up. I don't know if this option has expired yet.

BobKnepper June 21st, 2008 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidh (Post 45162)
The software that will allow you to run TAPCIS over DSL is here:...



Thank you, David, for the info.

I'm still hoping to find a consultant to assemble the new system but I'm trying to learn as much as possible.

Bob - from Anaheim, Calif.

Jeff June 21st, 2008 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobKnepper (Post 45157)
I've been happily using TapCis for my email for many years. Runs in a DOS partition tho I switch to Windows for web browsing and some other programs.

In the next few months I expect to move to a new computer. I still want to run two or more old DOS programs so I will either have a DOS partition or some way to run DOS under ? Vista. I also expect to get DSL.

How practical will it be to continue to use TapCis in some form?

Thanks for any comments.

Bob - from Anaheim, Calif.

Avoid Vista at all costs. I'm told that MS will discontinue XP next month, or at least by August, so demand that and get that computer now. Specifically XP PRO with SP3. I have that and T6 runs just fine as a shortcut in XP (no DOS partition, although a directory to hold T6 is needed) and any decent new computer should have a modem that uses a com port that DOS recognizes. T6 is using COM 3 on this IBM notebook. DSL is just a fancy phone line; it is not cable or satellite, so a modem should work. Ask the phone company. In any event, and at all costs, avoid Vista.

- Jeff

ps - I just looked at XP's desktop and I have shortcuts to 6 DOS pgms, including WP's Calendar pgm from 1988. Everything works, of course. I've never had a DOS partition, just individual directories for each DOS pgm.

davidh June 21st, 2008 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff (Post 45167)
Avoid Vista at all costs. I'm told that MS will discontinue XP next month, or at least by August, so demand that and get that computer now. Specifically XP PRO with SP3. I have that and T6 runs just fine as a shortcut in XP (no DOS partition, although a directory to hold T6 is needed) and any decent new computer should have a modem that uses a com port that DOS recognizes. T6 is using COM 3 on this IBM notebook. DSL is just a fancy phone line; it is not cable or satellite, so a modem should work. Ask the phone company. In any event, and at all costs, avoid Vista.

- Jeff

ps - I just looked at XP's desktop and I have shortcuts to 6 DOS pgms, including WP's Calendar pgm from 1988. Everything works, of course. I've never had a DOS partition, just individual directories for each DOS pgm.

"any decent new computer should have a modem that uses a com port that DOS recognizes."

I think that most home Windows computers with built-in telephone/fax modems sold at retail these days do NOT have a real MS-DOS compatible physical COM port. If modem support for MS-DOS is provided, it must be provided by a special MS-DOS compatible Windows drivers software based VIRTUAL modem driver. If the set of software drivers for the Windows modem (WinModem) does not include the required extra MS-DOS (TAPCIS) compatible VIRTUAL COM port driver, then one must purchase additional software and/or hardware separately.

The computer on which I am posting this now runs Win XP SP3 with absolutely no (serial) COM port or built-in modem whatsoever. The built-in Ethernet interface on the main board connects to an external DSL router/DSL modem via a regular Ethernet cable. Sometimes I need to fax things and I use my old computer for that. If my old computer breaks, I may have to buy a telephone/fax card for this computer (at about $10 or $20, I think) to do faxing.

I have a printer / scanner combo, but I've never tried a printer / scanner / fax combo. I think that in most cases combo equipment of these types would connect by USB to the PC.


"DSL is just a fancy phone line; it is not cable or satellite"

Normally your computer would connect to DSL (or Cable) by a DSL (or Cable) modem (external to the computer and supplied by the broadband DSL ISP). The computer connects to the DSL modem either by an Ethernet (board/card/motherboard chipset) cable or by a USB cable. Even though old fashioned telephone/fax modems use the same telephone line as the DSL modem does, the actual protocol of the physical electrical signal on the phone line is totally different therefore totally different incompatible physical modems are used.

Old fashioned telephone modems are nearly or completely useless for many users today unless they want to use their computer as 1. a fax machine, 2. telephone answering machine, 3. dial into some obsolete system that does not have Internet or TCP/IP access.

David H.

davidh June 21st, 2008 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobKnepper (Post 45165)
Thank you, David, for the info.

I'm still hoping to find a consultant to assemble the new system but I'm trying to learn as much as possible.

Bob - from Anaheim, Calif.

I would recommend taking a serious look at free Google email service:

1. you can read your email ON THE WEB (browser) when you are away from home or away from the office without your own computer (e.g. at a library, Internet kiosk, Internet cafe).

2. Google email can download your Compuserve Classic email by the standard POP3 email protocol.

3. instead you could tell Google to forward your Google email to Compuserve, so you could read your email addressed to you at Google either on Compuserve, or Google, or both.

4. Google spam protection is much better than Classic Compuserve

5. Google allows you 6,000+ megabyte of online storage for your email

6. Google's ability to search your online database of email is probably much more powerful and flexible than TAPCIS

Note that if you get DSL and still want to keep your Compuserve Classic email you may be able to go to a Pay As You Go Plan or Lite Plan on Compuserve Classic that are about $2.95/mo. and $4.95/mo. respectively (used to be anyway). However, doing so may require giving up TAPCIS for download and upload of email, unless you can keep TAPCIS online time under 60 mins or 3 hrs respectively per mo.

Whatever you do, definitely DO NOT change over to the new Compuserve system (CS2000 or whatever they call it)!

Jeff June 22nd, 2008 11:59 AM

Well, I grant you that this IBM notebook dates from May of '05, but it came with an RJ11 jack and the machine recognized a DOS call to COM 3 immediately. Tap was and still is calling the local CIS node with no trouble. As to DSL I've never met it in person, but my brother has it, and is using the same phones he had before he got it.

IAE, the real issue here is Vista. About everything can be worked around, except that abomination if it's installed.

- Jeff

earler June 22nd, 2008 04:38 PM

Adsl does use the copper pair, but not the lower frequency, below 4000 herz, but the higher frequencies, which permits broadband, i.e. high speed connections. So, it is like cable in that provides broadband access in the same way as cable access. Satellit access is possible, but it is usually expensive, and there is a high latency because of the distance between ones computer and the bird in the sky.

In the past cable companies usually supplied the modem, which implemented the version of docsis used. Adsl could be used with a combination router-modem or just a modem by itself. However, given the move to what is called triple play (internet, telephone [voip type], and television) providers now provide the box that handles this. Such a box has at least one rj45 connexion, a connexion to cable or adsl, and a connectioni for television reception. We've had these in france for years but the usa is just now moving toward this triple play.

As for faxing my provider in paris offers free fax for incoming or outgoing. Incoming comes through another number that is deposited in ones email in pdf format. Similarly, to send a fax one creates a pdf and uploads it for sending. Very nice for someone who doesn't have a lot of fax traffic.

There are a number of people knocking vista though it offers some real advantages over xp, especially security wise. I sometimes think vista bashing is in part orchestrated by apple fan boys.

As for gmail, I second davidh's recommendation. I use gmail's imapi feature with outlook. The advantage is that I can synchronize between computers quite easily since the messages sent or received are retained on the gmail servers.

davidh June 22nd, 2008 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff (Post 45185)
Well, I grant you that this IBM notebook dates from May of '05, but it came with an RJ11 jack and the machine recognized a DOS call to COM 3 immediately. Tap was and still is calling the local CIS node with no trouble. As to DSL I've never met it in person, but my brother has it, and is using the same phones he had before he got it.

IAE, the real issue here is Vista. About everything can be worked around, except that abomination if it's installed.

- Jeff

I suspect you are right about widespread software driver support to emulate legacy MS-DOS hardware serial COM I/O (e.g. for modeming). The mfg. of the modem hardware chipset used in the PC/laptop probably often supplies the extra MS-DOS hardware serial COM I/O driver software automatically along with the main Windows compatible modem driver software. I only mentioned that because of Murphy's Law :)

There was no physical change in my telephone landline when I got DSL AFAIK. I just went to the ISP web site and plugged in my phone number and the web site responded that my phone number was already DSL capable.

I did have to use a shorter wire between the DSL modem and the telephone wall socket than I used to have between my old telephone/fax modem and the wall socket, though.

And as you say, from all I've heard, I'd be very leery of installing Vista unless I was 100% of compatibility with all programs I intend to use :(


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