• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Communications software

O

Ole Juul

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
3,982
Location
Coalmont, BC, Canada
I'm looking for a copy of SmartmodemII terminal emulation software from 1983 or earlier. This is to match my 5150, so anything newer would definately be out of the question. I'm having a hard time finding anything appropriate. What commprogs do other people use on these old boxes?
 
Ole Juul said:
I'm looking for a copy of SmartmodemII terminal emulation software from 1983 or earlier. This is to match my 5150, so anything newer would definately be out of the question. I'm having a hard time finding anything appropriate. What commprogs do other people use on these old boxes?
Click to expand...
Procomm, Telix, Fastlink, Bitcom, Mex...
 
Back in the day, I ran Crosstalk XVI.

Nowadays, I prefer Dale Gass' DGTERM (23k TSR)
 
I was just going to post about CrossTalk too .. I think that might have even been bundled with Hayes modems at the time.
 
I have an un-opened copy of CrossTalk in my Garage. Thing is, I'm the world's worst shipper. I pack everything well, it just takes me FOREVER to do it. Let me know if you want it and I'll verify that it includes 5.25" floppies.

Kelly
 
How could I forget Crosstalk... PC Anywhere/DOS also had a nice configurable terminal emulator, as well as the best remote host/client software IMHO.
 
MikeS said:
How could I forget Crosstalk... PC Anywhere/DOS also had a nice configurable terminal emulator, as well as the best remote host/client software IMHO.
Click to expand...

FWIW I used 'PC Anywhere' back in the 90's while working on some goverment communications projects. It was the successor to 'Banyan Vines' in our outfit until a decison was made to go with Outlook when our dial-ups finally gave way to the WAN's.
 
There were a host of them. A competitor for PC Anywhere was Carbon Copy.

I used Procomm Plus until the web. I never found any serious problems with it.
 
Chuck(G) said:
There were a host of them. A competitor for PC Anywhere was Carbon Copy.

I used Procomm Plus until the web. I never found any serious problems with it.
Click to expand...
I tried (and still have) Carbon Copy and Reachout, but I much prefer PCAnywhere (at least the DOS version, before Symantec got their hands on it); I still use it daily to log in, run and backup a client's DOS app remotely; never a problem and reasonably secure. I also still use Procomm plus for most simple DOS terminal stuff, but when I need Kermit I use Telix; not one of the options in PCAW or PCplus AFAIK.
 
Interesting to see what you are all using - but were these all available in 1983? I have lots of programs that are small (down to under 1K) and I have Procomm, BananaCom, MTE, and Telix. My favourite is Lync which is only 38K and very full featured, atleast compared to Procmmm which is my second choice. This stuff is all very functional but so far I have not been able to find any version that is 1983 or earlier. This is for a vintage project so to me using modern software is inappropriate.

According to an Info World review, the Hayes 1200b did come with SmartmodedII but there was no mention of anything else.

So far I have found PC dial from early '84 - close but no cigar. Also Kermit from Dec 83, but I don't know how to dial with it. That looks like a good choice with a bit of learning curve. The best find so far seems to be 1RD (1-RingyDingy) from August '83. That looks usable but I have to play with it to find out.

An early copy of Procomm would be very nice but I don't think there is any such thing. From what I can read it came out in '85. Telix didn't come out until '86 so it's better for the XT generation.

@kb2syd: That copy of Crosstalk sound interesting. Do you know what year it is from?
 
I'm not at home right now so can't check, but there were a number of terminal programs for CP/M that preceded the PC and were of course ported to DOS when it arrived (you had to log into all those BBSes with something after all); MEX is one that comes to mind, but by no means the only one, and of course pretty well every modem came with software right from the beginning, not just Hayes.
 
Last edited:
I've been continuing my search for early commprogs. Here is some of what I've found:

PC-Talk - originally written by Andrew Fluegelman, in late 1982.
Qmodem - developed by John Friel III in 1984.
Telix - 1986.
Crosstalk Mk.4 - late 80's. However, according to an InfoWorld Aug. '82 article Crosstalk was available from Microstuf, Inc., for both CP/M and DOS. I also found a relevant add from Personal Computing (1983) on Vintage Computing and Gaming. The ad says that "There is a CROSSTALK version for almost every CP/M , CP/M-86, or IBM DOS based microcomputer system. See your dealer or write for a brochure." I guess I'll write.

I also found a mailing list communication from 7-Dec-82: "Larry Hughes has written MITE which I am using now; this is marketed by MYCROFT Labs of Talahassee Fla."

So far it looks like PC-Talk, Crosstalk, MITE, and the elusive Smartmodem II software were good choices in 1983. Hopefully something will show up.
 
I'm a Telix junkie myself... sooo many hours on my Dad's Tandy 1000RL & 1200bp/s modem. We always upgraded in rather large leaps, and went from a 1200bps straight to a 14.4Kbp/s modem. It was during my BBS days I developed my axiom that one's available HD space is inversely proportional to the speed of one's modem (later internet connection).

My little axiom hasn't kept up lately, as I have a 15Mbp/s connection that bursts to 30Mbp/s (on a 24 port gigabit smart switch in the house) and have over 10TB online and less than 3TB used... but I still like the sound of it =)

On more modern unix based systems, Minicom is a Telix clone that brings back all the memories. I'm pretty sure there is a Windows port and possible a dos port.
__
Trevor
 
Okay, here's a short list of 80's comms software that hasn't been mentioned:

Intellicom (Computer Toolbox Inc.)
PC-Term (Crystal Point Software)
Impersonator (Direct*Aid)
Modem86 (Hersey Micro)
PC/Terminal (Honeywell Bull)
PC-Partner (Infoservices)
Maxi-Mite Plus (Mycroft Software)
SmarTerm ( Persoft)
K-Comm2 (Scanam Enterprises)
Softerm PC (Softronics)
Teleterm (Telexpress)
TEFT (Vorkoetter Software)
Reflection (Walker Richer and Quinn)

And there were many, many more. Chances are, if you bought a modem retail, it had someone's comm software with it.

The number of vendors for other protocols, such as SNA, SDLC, Bisync, 3270, etc. was much larger.
 
Lord Moz said:
ATDT ? __
Trevor
Click to expand...
Yep, that works just fine. I wasn't thinking. Of course all those commands are talking to the modem and that is where that functionality lies.

Just before writing this, I ran that version of of Kermit on my modern DOS machine. It went online, logged on to my ISP, gave me the PPP squiggles. Now what? I'm no longer talking to the modem and can't hang up. Hmm, I guess I'll have to look at some Kermit docs. :)

Chuck(G): . . .Chances are, if you bought a modem retail, it had someone's comm software with it.
Click to expand...

Yep, I bet it did too. Where is that software now? From my searching, it looks like everybody threw out the disks - there's almost no software from 1982-3 on the net.
 
Ole Juul said:
Yep, that works just fine. I wasn't thinking. Of course all those commands are talking to the modem and that is where that functionality lies.

Just before writing this, I ran that version of of Kermit on my modern DOS machine. It went online, logged on to my ISP, gave me the PPP squiggles. Now what? I'm no longer talking to the modem and can't hang up. Hmm, I guess I'll have to look at some Kermit docs. :)
Click to expand...

Hayes Command Set

If you type +++, wait for an OK, and then type ATH, the modem should disconnect and drop carrier.
+++ is the Hayes escape sequence that puts the modem back into command mode. The sequence was chosen based on stastical unlikeliness of its occurrance in normal communications, but is configurable in many modems by setting one of the S registers.

More information is available at http://nemesis.lonestar.org/reference/telecom/modems/at/plain-at.html

My very first modem experience was at 300bps between two Color Computer 2s with Tandy's direct connect modems. No AT commands there :p
By the time we were on the PC with the 1200bps modem, it was ~92 I think so the telcom software was pretty decent already.
ZMODEM ftw! :D (ymodem-g if using an MNP capable modem/link as a standby heh)
__
Trevor
 
Last edited:
I'm a zmodem fan too. My initiation was with a 2400 baud with no docs. It wasn't long though before we became friends. :) Later, when I got a USRobotics I got to appreciate the multiple profiles and especially the S registers.

Lord Moz: +++ is the Hayes escape sequence that puts the modem back into command mode.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'd forgotten that too. (blush) I'll try it in a minute. The command I was needing from the Kermit docs turns out to be Ctrl- ] C (control right-bracket followed by C). I had tried Ctrl-C of course, but had no idea about the right bracket, double command. The version I have is from 1983 and called "CUCCA IBM-PC Kermit-86 ver. 1.20".
 
Last edited:
I've been working on this, and so far I've got:

Kermit-86 v1.2 dated Nov. 30 1983
PC-Talk III dated May 07 1983
1-RingyDingy v.1.2 dated Aug. 01 1983

I'm quite happy with that selection for now. I still hope to someday find a copy of Crosstalk or Smartmodem II. I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to find suitable software for a 5150, but then, of course, DOS had just been invented so it wasn't really until after it had been around for a couple of years that things started taking off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top