Download ThePortablePaperV2N3_48pagesMay

THE PORTABLE PAPER
the Portable's serial port-a power-hungry device-the
Portable's battery will be conserved as compared to using
the WorldPort.
The Modem 1200 is about three times the size of the
WorldPort. But you have to add to the WorldPort's size a
modem cable and a spare 9-volt transistor battery and to
the Modem 1200's size a transformer and cable. Effectively,
the WorldPort is significantly smaller, although either will
fit in the Portable's carrying case if no AC adapters or
rechargers are carried. Part of the Modem 1200's larger size
can be accounted for by battery charger electronics. Unfortunately, the Modem 1200's transformer cable connector-and therefore, I assume, transformer-are not
compatible with the Portable, the 9114 disk drive, or the
ThinkJet printer, making power maintenance more difficult than it would be with a matching transformer.
USING CROSSTALK AS A HOST
If you are using Crosstalk as a host for file transfer, you can
easily check the Crosstalk display to get a report on blocks
retransmitted (errors). To do this send the following two
commands to the host:
Ctrl-C Picture filename.pb:
Ctrl-C TYpe filename. pix
Since Crosstalk reads only the first two letters of a
command, there is no need to type the part of the command shown in lower case. And of course substitute your
own filename. I use the .pix extension to identify files
created with the Crosstalk PIcture command.
baud model. This is not an unreasonable alternative since
it doubles my speed without increasing the excess baggage.
At this time I do not consider the Modem 1200 an option because it will not work with programs such as CISllO
and Kermit that address only the serial port and because
it lacks the accuracy of the WorldPort 1200. I like the idea
of an HP-IL compatible modem; 1 have wanted one ever
since J got the Yen-Tel modem. If Firmware can solve the
I/O and accuracy problems and if they would upgrade to
2400 baud to make the larger size worthwhile I would
consider it a real contender.
In a future issue I will discuss techniques for using an
external modem with an HPllO.
{Ed-The Modem 1200 can be ordered through Firmware
Corp., 605cNW Fifth St., Suite 2A, Corvallis, OR 97330,
503-753-9314 for $349. The WorldPort 1200 portable
modem is available for $199 from Touchbase Systems,
Inc., 16 Green Acre Lane, Northport, NY 11768,
516-261-0423. If you order from Touchbase Systems, you
will also need to buy an additional cable from a local
dealer to connect the WorldPort 1200 to your liP Portable
or Portable Plus.
The WorldPort 1200 is also available from Personalized Software. The package with adapter cable
retails for $235. The Portable Paper subscribers pay $199,
or $1 7 9 without the cable. Please use the order form in
back of this issue, or call 515-472-6330.]
Portable Plus Mouse
By Hal Goldstein
INTERNATIONAL DATA COMMUNICATIONS
The World Port supports CCITT protocol (international
data communications). Since I did not have available a host
modem supporting CCITT protocol, I did not evaluate this
option.
INSTRUCTION MANUALS
I was furnished with a preliminary manual with the test
WorldPort. It leaves something to be desired, but with it
and the information in this article I don't think anyone
should have a problem using the WorldPort 1200. I am
assured that a better manual is being prepared. Maybe it
will contain some of the information in this article.
The instruction manual furnished with the Modem
1200 was very nice. Since this modem was designed
primarily for use with HP41s, HP71s, and HP75s, it did not
really have enough information about using it with the
Portables. I don't know if a novice user would succeed in
using the Modem 1200 with the information in the
manual, but I had no difficulty.
WHICH ONE TO BUY?
At the present time, the WorldPort 1200 is the best 1200
baud solution for Portable users. I have not used a Plus and
therefore have not had the opportunity to test its internal
modem, but I think that if I had a Plus I would opt for the
HP internal modem. After all, we are only talking money,
and an internal modem has got to be more convenient than
any external modem.
Another option is to continue to use my Ven-1eJ external modem. I don't consider this a reasonable Portable
solution (except for the fact that I've already paid for it ... )
because the Yen-Tel is not portable!
I could also replace the 1200 baud Yen-Tel with a 2,400
Apple Macintosh owners and a growing number of IBM PC
owners attach a mouse to their computers. They use the
mouse to painlessly select menu options and traverse the
computer screen.
For the uninitiated, a mouse is a lightweight rectangular unit that attaches to the computer in a number of
possible ways connected by a cable. A mouse lets you control the cursor movement in an application in a most intuitive way: whatever direction you move the mouse on
desk-left, right, up, down, diagonally, in circles, whatever-the cursor moves on your screen. For example, if
you are in Lotus and want to move from B2 to H67, roll
your mouse on your desk in the appropriate direction and
you'll arrive at your destination in no time.
In addition, most mice have two or three buttons on
their top. Each button is assigned a key stroke. So, for example, on a three button mouse, in Lotus, you might define
button 1 as /, button 2 as the esc key, and button 3 as
Return. With a little practice you could easily traverse
through the Lotus menu with those three keys, moving the
cursor horizontally across the Lotus menu options to make
the desired choice.
I am writing this article using our word processing
product-The Editor-with a Microsoft Mouse attached via
the Plus's serial port (in back of the Plus). Bill Saltzstein
wrote a program (a device driver) that enables a Portable
Plus user to use a mouse with almost any application on
the Plus.
Unfortunately, the mouse won't work with the
original HPllO Portable. Bill told me that there is not
enough documentation on the HPllO serial port to write
the software.
Bill sent me his software for evaluation. He wanted
my comments and wanted to know whether I would be
MAY I JlTNE 1987
29