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At 9:25 AM -0700 5/8/02, Dave Falkenburg wrote:

Also it is important to note that you really need to be running OS X for
Java to work decently well on a Mac- the version on Mac OS 9 really
sucks.

I do keep DecoderPro running on MacOS 8.1 through 9, but I agree that it's really a dog. Startup performance is particularly slow; on my 90MHz test machine, it can take 20+ seconds for the program to load and start. That seems like forever. During programming operations, it doesn't seem so bad, as you're just clicking controls and waiting for the command station to do its thing.

But it does work, and I intend to keep it working so that people with older Macintosh hardware have something they can use to program decoders.

The layout-control half of the code is much more problematic on earlier Macs. They have trouble keeping up with mid-size layouts.

Bob
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Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)

As far as PCs go, I managed to pick up a Shuttle SV24 barebones system +
1.1GHz Celeron at Fry's electronics for $250 a few months ago. (I think
it is now obsolete & discontinued)

I had some extra RAM, an old HD, and a CD-ROM laying around. Adding
those things brings the price up another couple hundred bucks.

It is a very nice small box-- I need it for microcontroller
development. At work I'm buried up to my ears in iBooks (I work at
Apple) and Keyspan serial adapters (we use them for kernel debugging)


On the Macintosh front:

If you are interested in a NEW nice small laptop that runs Linux/Mac OS
X well, the most recent iBooks are now being sold for about $999 at
ComputerWare/Elite Computers here in the valley.

Older CRT iMacs are available for about $599 in some places as well.

You need to add a Keyspan PDA Adapter for about $39 to get a 9-pin COM
port.

Also it is important to note that you really need to be running OS X for
Java to work decently well on a Mac— the version on Mac OS 9 really
sucks.

-Dave Falkenburg

Jim,
What I did was go to my local PC guy and told him I wanted the cheapest
one available to connected to my trains. He went to his old parts and put
one together for $150, Win98, 128M, 233M mem, Intel chip, CD, extra ports,
etc. With some states charging disposal fees for tubes it might be possible
to get one of those free for the taking.
The only problem with this idea is, of course, room!

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax DCC owner, Chief system
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

To Our New Group:

Thanks for your input on my recent question RE: laptops. I think your ideas about getting a used PC instead of a laptop really is the best solution to the situation. I have plenty of room under the layout for storage of the PC when not in use...why didn't I think of this!!!???

Thanks again to all,

Jim Hanna
El Cajon, CA

Well what about an old Desktop P100 with 32/64MB RAM and dedicate it to the
layout permanently.

That will definitely be cheaper than an equivalent laptop so you have more
money to spend on trains...

Cheers

Alex

Bob weighed in as the Mac bigot so I guess it's up to me to provide the Linux
bigot viewpoint. I have a Sony Viao 505TR (value less than $500 now) that
runs DecoderPro pretty well. I say 'pretty well' because this machine doesn't
have much memory and is slow. Everything works correctly, but some actions
are slow. For example, there is a 10-20 delay to open the programmer window.
The point: one can buy a low-end PC laptop, run Linux and run DecoderPro.

Be sure you include the cost of a serial port when looking at a PC laptop
that you intend to use with a DCC command station. Some newer laptops don't
include serial ports so you'd need one of those USB-RS232 converters (I'm
guesssing they would work) or some additional proprietary hardware. My Sony
came with a 'port replicator' that has all the old bulky ports, but newer
Sonys do not include this so you'd have to spend another $75-100 to get a
serial port.

cheers,
Mike


On Tuesday 07 May 2002 08:08 pm, Jim Hanna wrote:

Hi Bob:

I have the program in my PC but it is far from the train room so I don't

get to use it except when one of my operators brings over a laptop.

My question is sort of basic(dumb)but I would like some information on what

to look for in a laptop if I were to go out and buy one. Most models I have
seen on the internet start at about $1500 and go up from there. I can
probably equip my entire fleet of engines with Soundtraxx decoders for that
kind of money so I need info on the very most basic laptop that I can expect
to use successfully with Decoder Pro and not have it cost an "arm & a
leg"...am I just dreaming or is this a possibility? I am probably talking
about a used instrument and also wonder if this is a reasonable possibility?

Thanks in advance for any pointers you can give me.

Jim Hanna
El Cajon, CA







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At 8:08 PM -0700 5/7/02, Jim Hanna wrote:

I would like some information on what to look for in a laptop if I were
to go out and buy one.

...

I need info on the very most basic laptop that I can expect to use
successfully with Decoder Pro and not have it cost an "arm & a leg"...am
I just dreaming or is this a possibility? I am probably talking about a
used instrument and also wonder if this is a reasonable possibility?

Although I'm a Macintosh bigot, you can probably get a better deal on a PC laptop.

I'd look for something with 48MB of memory, Windows95, at least one serial port, and a 180MHz CPU or better. That's not much, so it should be possible to find something like that used for less than $500, perhaps much less. More memory, more speed might be good if you want to use a more recent Windows version.

But, it might make more financial sense to pick up a used command station for your existing PC instead. I've seen used SystemOne units for much less than a laptop would cost.

And running a long cable can be really cost-effective! That does leave you with the hassle of walking to the train room when you want to change the loco on the programming track, unfortunately.

Bob

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Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)

Hi Bob:

I have the program in my PC but it is far from the train room so I don't get to use it except when one of my operators brings over a laptop.

My question is sort of basic(dumb)but I would like some information on what to look for in a laptop if I were to go out and buy one. Most models I have seen on the internet start at about $1500 and go up from there. I can probably equip my entire fleet of engines with Soundtraxx decoders for that kind of money so I need info on the very most basic laptop that I can expect to use successfully with Decoder Pro and not have it cost an "arm & a leg"...am I just dreaming or is this a possibility? I am probably talking about a used instrument and also wonder if this is a reasonable possibility?

Thanks in advance for any pointers you can give me.

Jim Hanna
El Cajon, CA

I'm here, Bob. I am not currently using jmri stuff, but am interested in
following the progress. Count me in.

Jerry Drews

i got a couple questions and was wondering if anyone was actually
there.

I'm happy to help with questions, and there are other members who can help too. This Yahoo group is still pretty young, so hasn't gotten a lot of traffic yet.

Note that there's a short delay in posting (perhaps as much as 12 hours, but usually shorter) because I've got this group set on "moderate new members". That's because other Yahoo groups have been being spammed recently. Once I'm convinced somebody is a real email address, I remove them from moderated status.

Bob
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Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)

I'm here.. as is Bob...

-Dave Falkenburg

i got a couple questions and was wondering if anyone was actually
there.

The 0.9.2 update to the DecoderPro program and JMRI libraries is available for download.

The update file is in .zip format, and should be usable on Macintosh, Windows, Linux and OS/2. You can download it from SourceForge by following this
link:
<>

This update contains only updated files; you need the entire 0.9 distribution
to use the program. If you don't have that, please see the JMRI and DecoderPro
README files for how to download and install it:





To install this update, copy the "jmri.jar" file and the "xml" directory
to your existing DecoderPro or JmriDemo directory. That's all that's needed!

New features in this update:

Updated Soundtraxx DSD/DSX Diesel definitions to fix a programming error

Cleaned up LocoIO programmer interface

New features in the 0.9.1 update, also included here:

Additional decoder definitions:
Many Lenz decoders, courtesy Debbie Ames and Lenz USA
Updates to Soundtraxx decoders, additional types

New EasyDCC support in DecoderPro and the JMRI tools

LocoIO programmer for both early (1.3.2) and later (1.3.4) LocoIO PIC code.

Initial support in JMRI libraries for:
Remote LocoNet server and client
CTC panel edit, store, load
C/MRI serial attachment
Note that these are still in development, and should not be considered
ready for general use.

Various minor bug fixes and updates, including reduced memory usage and
improved error logging.


--
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Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)

Welcome to the JMRI user's discussion group. This the place to ask questions, make suggestions, complain and complement.

There's more information available on the main JMRI web page:



and the main page for DecoderPro:



Decoder Pro is a program to make it easier to program DCC decoders.
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Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)