Conference akocoa::decpc_portables

    >>>>>>
    FLAME ON.. (as we used to say in the old days)
    And it is a shame that you never FORMALLY reported the problem to the
    service center, called for help or any other action that might have
    gotten you some useful information..
    FLAME OFF
    
    Many portables engineers read and respond to this notes files and
    notably, the man in charge of service is a frequent supplier of
    pointers, fixes and help. Gee how could you have missed that. 
    
    The problems that you are 'discussing' in this note are all related to
    the same issue. A failure of the KB BIOS (Mouse also) to maintain sync
    with the external device.
    
    In any case, the mouse problem was known, was resolved with drivers and
    re-appeared under NT4.0 and in some production units. We have addressed
    this problem and anyone calling to report mouse problems is asked to
    return their unit for a new veriosn of the KB BIOS. This is not a
    flashable item and must be physically changed at a service center.
    
    The latest version of the system BIOS is 1.05 (A or D) and the KB BIOS
    is V 1.04 (A or J). These 2 combined resolve the 'wild' mouse issue in
    ALL operating systems but there still exists an issue with Japanese
    Win95 under LOW LOW battery and other extreme conditions that is being
    addressed as we read this. 
    
    I do not know what product that Marc Bassine developed the keyboard
    driver for but I do not believe it was for the DEC HiNote VP 500.
    
    Incompatible KB and Mouse voltages and signal characteristics will
    definitely cause problems. This has not been identified as the problem
    here. Over running the buffer and losing one's place on the screen were
    resolved in the BIOS updates. Several users are happily using LK450
    keyboards on their VP systems but I am sure that there are one or two
    of the older ones (KB that is) that might have a problem. I will dig
    out mine again and try it on the system and in the prot Replicator. 
    
    If you have lost your pride in the DEC portables systems, I suggest that
    you take as good a look at our competition with the same 'additional'
    hardware that you are using on the DEC gear and let us know the
    results. I know for a fact that we have resolved many problems that
    other leading manufacturers are happy to ship with and tell the
    customer that 'it is not supported on this system'.
    
    Please take a better look at what we are accomplishing before you take
    such a critical attitude of the DEC engineers and Product Managers. I
    have never met any of them that would not stop what they are doing and
    help, listen or point you in the proper direction for resolution.
    
    Vin
    >>>>>>
    .-1
      Thanks for the advise. I have spoken with the former keyboard driver
    writer
      Marc Bassinne) and he explained that he had seen that problem before.
      It's typically related to poor compatibility of the ext keyboard port
    or 
      to extreme sensitivity to electromagnetic noise.
    
    So far I have experienced (with or without the docking bay) the
    following 
    glitches while working with this "jewel":
    
      1) on occasion (it can repeat every few seconds) the keyboard and 
         the mouse pointer lock. No input is taken from the keyboard, no 
         movement of the mouse affect the mouse pointer on the screen.
         The only workaround is to press <ALT> to unlock
      2) sudden movements (up to half the screen) of the mouse pointer even
    with 
         external mouse
     3) as in (2) combined with "unwanted" text selection (one such event 
         forced me to rewrite the text of this note)
      4) inability to reduce the volume of the loudspeakers when 
         a PCMCIA modem card is in use
      5) on occasions the LK450 keyboard generates two or more repeated
    characters
    
    Natural enough I have the latest version of the BIOS installed. 
    
    Who is in charge of supporting the HiNote VP 500?
    
    It's a shame that neither one of the engineers nor the product manager
    had 
    the guts so far to step in the discussion, but obviously I can
    understand why.
    
    Now in front of our customers I can not display anymore the technology
    pride 
    of the old good days!
    
    Little by little all the assets of this company are disappearing into 
    nothingness ... shame!
    
    

:    I do not know what product that Marc Bassine developed the keyboard
:    driver for but I do not believe it was for the DEC HiNote VP 500.

   Mark is/was one of the players involved with the LK450 keyword work,
   a popular keyboard for those with PCs that need to work with Digital
   gear...  See SUTRA::LK450.
    
:    If you have lost your pride in the DEC portables systems, I suggest that
:    you take as good a look at our competition with the same 'additional'
:    hardware that you are using on the DEC gear and let us know the
:    results. I know for a fact that we have resolved many problems that
:    other leading manufacturers are happy to ship with and tell the
:    customer that 'it is not supported on this system'.

   You just can't keep those users happy...  :-)

   Comparing to other vendors is useful -- to a point.  I'd rather see
   us trying to make our systems better than they are, *and* better than
   the competitors.
  
   Much of what is "expected" in the PC space *stinks*, but I've come to
   the realization that many PC users just don't recognize the odor.  :-)
   I'd rather see us learn from ourselves and for us to innovate, rather
   than continuing to emulate the industry-standard rotten designs.  This
   means we (Digital) need to continue to collect requirements and
   requests from the users, both external and internal, and to look at
   what other Digital platforms -- UNIX and OpenVMS -- have done...

   And when I think of things on a PC that are ripe for improvements and
   areas for product differentiation, I keep coming up with "BIOS", and
   with the generally poor low-level hardware-software integration.  (One
   seldom sees anything like the classic PC BIOS on the Macintosh, the
   parameter RAM scheme is a far better design.)  Part of this problem
   undoubtedly involves Microsoft...  But part is up to the vendor...

    I agree that MY ultimate PC is nothign like what we ship, or for that
    matter what anyone else ships. If it was ever built, today's pricing
    would make it way out of my reach and the same for most people. 
    
    If you have $100,000.00, I'm sure that any PC manufacturer would make
    anything you wanted and it probably 'would even mow lawns'. 
    
    In order to be a player in the field you have to balance features,
    price and performance. That isn't always as easy as it sounds. In the
    past year, I believe that DEC has established itself as 'in the game'
    and if we continue to provide the correct combination of the 3 and can
    provide timely service, we should have no problems in the future. DEC
    is finally getting good reviews in the magazines, yet to make Editor's
    Choice, but favorable reviews. THe one thing that we have going for us
    this time with MMX CPU's is that we are the ONLY one actually SHIPPING
    units. Yep, nobody else is yet shipping. That's an advantage. Next
    time, we get included in customers choices for a new model instead of
    "Huh, DEC, do they make portables? NO I never saw them in any
    magazine".
    
    Positive suggestions are always welcome. I could go on for hours about
    what is missing and ask why it isn't in there. I'd rather keep
    specifying my IDEAL system and hoping that more and more of the
    features I want start to show up. And all in the same system. It's
    beginning to work, more neat stuff is coming. Wait until you see the
    new products... That's all I can say. 
    
    Vin