So I'm reading the Synchronet wiki and it says Synchronet was sold commercially from 1992-1996. I remember seeing the ad for Synchronet BBS in PC mag and other computer mags.
What I want to know is was it available in
any computer stores in the US during those commercial years.?
Did it ever reach the big boy COMP_USA?
I had a lot of pops and mom computer stores here
on Long Island but I wasn't looking to run a BBS on a what we called an IBM compatable back then. I started with the C64 and from there went to the Amiga. I'm curious if I ever saw Synchronet BBS on the shelf at my local store or even Radio Shack. Radio Shack was a big seller of IBM compats in those years. They were waay out of my price range. LOL!
PC Magazine was out of my budget, but yeah, we advertised in:
- Boardwatch
- BBS Callers Digest (I think it was AKA BBS Magazine at one point)
- Online Access
- Sysop News and World Report
- and maybe one or two other even smaller mags I'm forgetting
Yeah, mine too. I also built my own PCs out of wholesale parts. Now, I do buy HPs or Dells or <gasp> Microsoft computers, especially since Fry's closed down. :-(
Re: Commercial Synchronet
By: Digital Man to HusTler on Tue Sep 20 2022 09:41 pm
PC Magazine was out of my budget, but yeah, we advertised in:
- Boardwatch
- BBS Callers Digest (I think it was AKA BBS Magazine at one point)
- Online Access
- Sysop News and World Report
- and maybe one or two other even smaller mags I'm forgetting
And if I called the support line I would have spoken to you?
I remember
talking to the guy from Searchlight. When I had trouble setting up Fidonet he would tell me he didn't support it but for a $100 fee he would.
Then the guys from Fidonet wanted money.
Geez when I think back I was really taken
for a ride. I'm wondering if that's why stores didn't carry a lot of BBS software. They didn't want the headache of people returning the software they couldn't get to work??
Re: Commercial Synchronet
By: Digital Man to HusTler on Tue Sep 20 2022 09:41 pm
Yeah, mine too. I also built my own PCs out of wholesale parts. Now, I do buy HPs or Dells or <gasp> Microsoft computers, especially since Fry's closed down. :-(
I'm currently working at a software consulting company, and a couple years ago, I was doing work for a company on-site and saw that they had some Microsoft Surface Studio all-in-one PCs, and I thought they looked like fairly nice machines. They're fairly expensive though..
The Microsoft Surface Pros were highly-recommended to me for students and now each of my daughters has one and they swear buy them for college school work. They use the stylus and tablet/rotation/touch features much more than I would have predicted. I think the next closest thing would be an iPad Pro, but my kids still need/use traditional Windows software, so the Surface Pros were the right buy. No regrets.
Re: Commercial Synchronet
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Wed Sep 21 2022 10:58 am
The Microsoft Surface Pros were highly-recommended to me for students and now each of my daughters has one and they swear buy them for college school work. They use the stylus and tablet/rotation/touch features much more than I would have predicted. I think the next closest thing would be an iPad Pro, but my kids still need/use traditional Windows software, so the Surface Pros were the right buy. No regrets.
I had a Surface Pro years ago, and I think it was a good tablet, but the thing I didn't like about it was that its keyboard attachment wasn't rigid like a laptop, so it didn't stay in position when it's picked up and moved. I felt like that became more of an annoyance over time. I didn't really use the stylus though. Maybe I wasn't the target market for that device..
Agreed. Microsoft also makes a Surface Laptop (with traditional/rigid keyboard), that looks pretty nice/slim, but I/we haven't owned one. For laptops, I've had really good luck with Lenovos.
Digital Man wrote to Nightfox <=-
I had a Surface Pro years ago, and I think it was a good tablet, but the thing I didn't like about it was that its keyboard attachment wasn't rigid like a laptop, so it didn't stay in position when it's picked up and moved. I felt like that became more of an annoyance over time. I didn't really use the stylus though. Maybe I wasn't the target market for that device..
Agreed. Microsoft also makes a Surface Laptop (with
traditional/rigid keyboard), that looks pretty nice/slim, but
I/we haven't owned one. For laptops, I've had really good luck
with Lenovos.
Re: Commercial Synchronet
By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Wed Sep 21 2022 10:58 am
The Microsoft Surface Pros were highly-recommended to me for students a now each of my daughters has one and they swear buy them for college school work. They use the stylus and tablet/rotation/touch features muc more than I would have predicted. I think the next closest thing would an iPad Pro, but my kids still need/use traditional Windows software, s the Surface Pros were the right buy. No regrets.
I had a Surface Pro years ago, and I think it was a good tablet, but the thi of an annoyance over time. I didn't really use the stylus though. Maybe I
Nightfox
Ah, I recall Frank being a really nice guy when I met it at ONE BBSCON.
The Microsoft Surface Pros were highly-recommended to me for students
and now each of my daughters has one and they swear buy them for college school work. They use the stylus and tablet/rotation/touch features much
I had a Surface Pro years ago, and I think it was a good tablet, but
the thi of an annoyance over time. I didn't really use the stylus
though. Maybe I
At a previous jobsite we deployed Surfaces with a protective rubberized sleeve with the keyboard integrated to act as a screen cover. It didn't come loose at all.
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole OS future on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo instead.. seems like they're just making up slowly for lost time.
Re: Re: Commercial Synchronet
By: fusion to Digital Man on Thu Sep 22 2022 11:36 am
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole OS fut on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo instead.. seems l they're just making up slowly for lost time.
Was Lenovo considering selling their PC business?
Nightfox
didn't stay in position when moved. If you picked it up, the keyboard
would flop down, so you had to also hold the keyboard when moving it,
or fold it up, and then put it back in place after you move it.
Not much of a problem, just a little more annoying to move than a laptop. Laptop keyboards/monitors don't flop around when
you move them.
D'Bridge was what Searchlight support recommended. I don't remember if Irex or Radius was free or paid back then. Maybe there were some shareware mailers?
D'Bridge was what Searchlight support recommended. I don't remember if Irex o
Radius was free or paid back then. Maybe there were some shareware mailers?
In the 90s, I used to use FrontDoor for my FTN mailer, which seemed like a good one. I think it was shareware. A lot of
RemoteAccess BBSes seemed to use FrontDoor, but I imagine it would work for any DOS-based BBS software.
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole
OS future on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo
instead.. seems likethey're just making up slowly for lost time.
Was Lenovo considering selling their PC business?
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole
OS future on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo
instead.. seems likethey're just making up slowly for lost time.
Was Lenovo considering selling their PC business?
IBM sold the PC segment to Lenovo, which afaik was doing most of the manufacturing anyways.
On 9/22/22 09:36, Nightfox wrote:
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole
OS future on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo
instead.. seems likethey're just making up slowly for lost time.
Was Lenovo considering selling their PC business?
IBM sold the PC segment to Lenovo, which afaik was doing most of the manufacturing anyways.
--
Michael J. Ryan - tracker1@roughneckbbs.com
On 9/23/22 16:21, MRO wrote:
so how is this a problem.
that's how it was designed.
I think he wants some form of tension, like from a spring loaded
hinge assembly on a standard laptop. A Surface needs a prop or
kickstand on the back to hold up the display.
my ex's father was at the house with us and he had a surface. I don't remember him having any issues. not sure if he had a special stand.
it didn't look like it.
There are Microsoft Surface tablets and laptop models... the tablets
have the plastic keyboard that attaches, some convertable models have a detaching tablet/display to a hard keyboard/stand and others have a
classic laptop layout.. varies by model.
--
Michael J. Ryan - tracker1@roughneckbbs.com
not that surprising considering Microsoft is banking their whole O on the concept. bit of a shame they didn't buy lenovo instead.. se they're just making up slowly for lost time.
Was Lenovo considering selling their PC business?
I doubt Lenovo is selling anything. They picked up IBM's Personal Computing Division in 2005. They've created a good following since then.
In the 90s, I used to use FrontDoor for my FTN mailer, which seemed
like a good one. I think it was shareware. A lot of RemoteAccess
BBSes seemed to use FrontDoor, but I imagine it would work for any DOS-based BBS software.
Daryl Stout wrote to Nightfox <=-
In the 90s, I used to use FrontDoor for my FTN mailer, which seemed
like a good one. I think it was shareware. A lot of RemoteAccess
BBSes seemed to use FrontDoor, but I imagine it would work for any DOS-based BBS software.
I first used FrontDoor and GEcho, but went to InterMail and
InterEcho, back when I ran GT Power under DOS 5.
I first used FrontDoor and GEcho, but went to InterMail and InterEcho, back when I ran GT Power under DOS 5. GT also required a separate tosser called FidoGate, to make things work.
Irex or Radius was free or paid back then. Maybe there were some
shareware mailers?
In the 90s, I used to use FrontDoor for my FTN mailer, which seemed like a g one. I think it was shareware. A lot of RemoteAccess BBSes seemed to use FrontDoor, but I imagine it would work for any DOS-based BBS software. Nightfox
Getting the mailer to work was more difficult then setting up the BBS software. I remember thinking everyone would want an email address to send messages over the internet. Boy was I wrong. ;-(
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