Date   : Thu, 16 Aug 1984 05:36:00-EDT
From   : "Jerry E. Pournelle" <POURNE@mit-mc.ARPA>
Subject: Dimension 68000

Welcome to t he INvasion of the Product Snatchers...
    Date: Mon 13 Aug 84 11:34:03-CDT
    From: John Otken <CC.Otken at UTEXAS-20.ARPA>
    To:   info-cpm at BRL.ARPA
    Re:   Dimension 68000

    I am not absolutely positive that the machine was a Dimension 68000 but
    it was a machine quite similar (emulates apple, ibm, etc)..  Anyway the
    story goes:

    I went to a CP/M-UG meeting in Houston a few months back.  One of the
machines
    on demonstration was (probably) a Dimension 68000.  I listened to the rep.
    going through all of the various features of the machine.  At one point he
    was asked about mainframe communications.  He went into this claim that the
    machine could communicate with ANY machine using ANY protocol.  The rest of
    the conversation went something like:

    ME:        "I seriously doubt that."
    HIM:       "Sure it can."
    ME:        "How do you do it?"
    HIM:       "With translation tables."
    ME:        "WHAT?"
    HIM:       "Our machine uses THE [sic] standard serial protocol.  The secret is
        we use translation tables to handle the various protocols."
    ME:        "Could you give a more technical description?"
    HIM:       "Sure.  The table is at address C000.  The serial port is at 30."
    ME:        "Wait!  That is not what I was asking for."
    HIM:       "Look, you said you wanted a technical description.  If you want to
        be technical, I am going to have to talk HEX."
    ME:        "I don't think we are communicating..."
    HIM:       "Well, that's because we have an Engineer talking to a User."
    ME:        "Sure, if that makes you the User."
    HIM:       "NO!  I am the Engineer."
    ME:        "OK, can this machine communicate with an IBM 370?"
    HIM:       "Sure."
    ME:        "How?"
    HIM:       "Like I've been telling you -- over the standard serial protocol
        using a translation table."

    Fortunately, the place closed and I was saved from the intellectual torture
    of an extended conversation with this clown.  John.