@retrochallenge – Housekeeping

January 3, 2012Retrocosm Leave a comment

I’ve downloaded a few different software packages that I want to try and run on the PenMaster, however its 60 MB HDD seems strangely full. I’m not sure what a typical Windows 3.1 installation requires but given there’s little else on the HDD I’m surprised how little space there is left. For instance I attempted to install Internet Explorer 3.02 but it ran out of disk space. Anyway the upshot of this is that I’m going to try to clear some disk space, but before I possibly wreck what I should imagine is one of a very few working installations of Windows for Pen Computing I thought it wise to back up the HDD.

Backing Up The PenMaster

I used the ‘Copy Machine’ software that was installed as part of the Zip Tools suite and copied the entire contents of the HDD onto a single Zip Disk. The process took about 45 minutes and I then copied the copy via USB Zip onto my Mac Pro in roughly 20 seconds where I also burnt the files on to a CD. Now I’ve got the entire contents copied on to the Mac I can browse them quickly and easily find out what the installation consists of. I’m tempted to open up the Samsung and look at the possibility of swapping the HDD out for a CompactFlash card although if I meet too much resistance in the process I shall probably back off for fear of damaging the unit.

@retrochallenge – PenMaster Progress

January 1, 2012January 1, 2012Retrocosm Leave a comment

PenMaster FDD, Serial & Keyboard Ports

I’ve decided to take advantage of the few days of holiday I have left to get well and truly stuck into this year’s Winter Warmup as once back at work progress will no doubt slow considerably. My first task has been to find a way to transfer software onto the PenMaster, there are a number of ports on the device but nothing I can easily use. The FDD port is of a design I’ve not encountered before. Initially I thought an old Fujitsu FDD I had might fit, however although the connector looks the same it is on a much smaller scale. It then occurred to me I could use the parallel port Zip Drive that I’d recently connected to my Atari Portfolio. I’d still need drivers of course but if I could find them I thought I would at least be able to add them to my BBS (Nostromo) and then dial in and download them onto the Samsung.

Modem & Keyboard Attached

I searched for a while before finding some drivers for Windows 3.1 on Epson’s site here. I have to say I really like Epson as a company and the way it continues to support its old products. I downloaded them onto the Windows XP box that hosts Nostromo and added them to the file section. When I got home I dialled in with the PenMaster using Terminal and the built in modem and managed to connect. However the internal modem refused to connect at anything greater than 1200 baud which may be its limit but seems a bit poor. I made several attempts to download the Zip software but it kept failing.

Installing Zip Tools

So out came the trusty US Robotics Sportster which once connected to the solitary COM port on the PenMaster successfully connected at 19200 Baud and downloaded the Zip software in relatively quick fashion. I had to modify the config.sys slightly, changing the ‘Lastdrive=’ entry to free up a drive letter for the Zip drive. After digging through my Zip Disks I was able to find the original Zip Tools disk which allowed me to complete a full install of the Zip drivers and software.

Combined with my USB Zip drive I now have a pretty quick and painless way of downloading software on to one of my Mac’s, putting it onto Zip Disk and then loading it via the parallel port Zip onto the Samsung, first major hurdle hurdled.

I’ve also been trying to get acquainted with the pen input of the PenMaster, learning the gestures for space, return, delete etc. It’s not bad, I can imagine with some practice you could probably get proficient at entering stuff fairly quickly. Just to show how lacking in proficiency I currently am I thought I’d challenge myself to log on again to Nostromo and send a Tweet using just the stylus. I recorded the process and include the video below for those who are very patient. I have however also attached a keyboard and even managed to dig out serial mouse which still works which should offer more rapid progress. I rather like the fact that the Tweet was not perfect, speaks volumes for handwriting recognition.

Tweeted with the Samsung PenMaster

Retrochallenge – Samsung PenMaster

January 1, 2012Retrocosm 14 Comments

I recently acquired a Samsung PenMaster in really good condition and have decided as part of my Retrochallenge Winter Warmup to get it up and running and see what I can do with it. Now the best part of 20 years old, this 386 based tablet is rarely found in the wild as according to some sources it never made it to commercial distribution as a Samsung product. The design itself would however go on to be rebadged and sold as the GRiDPAD 2050SL. An earlier GRiDPad, the 1910 was the first of these new tablet computers and was also manufactured by Samsung for GRiD having been developed by IDE Inc. Against the backdrop of the current legal battles between Apple and Samsung I thought it might be amusing to photograph the PenMaster and iPad side by side.

PenMaster Post Screen

Back in the early 90’s pen and tablet computing was going to be the next big thing. With GRiD and the Go Corporation leading the charge, Microsoft, characteristically behind the curve, scrabbled to bring out suitable software for Windows, having been beaten to the market by the likes of PenPoint OS. Windows for Pen Computing was subsequently released in 1991. Many well known brands jumped on board and began to develop and release pen based computers but by 1993 it was becoming increasingly apparent that demand for this new approach to mobile computing was simply not strong enough. Early independent vendors either failed or were bought out by larger companies whilst the likes of HP, Compaq, IBM etc withdrew products or halted development. Incidentally it was around this time that Apple brought to market the ill-fated Newton.

Launching Windows for Pen Computing

The Samsung PenMaster I’ve been playing with has a 60 MB HDD, 4 MB of RAM and a 386/20 processor. There is a built in modem, a parallel port, one serial port, an FDD port, VGA out, a PS/2 keyboard input and a PC Card slot. The unit has a Phoenix BIOS and runs MS-DOS 5 and Windows for Pen Computing version 1. The first problem with getting the unit running was a lack of power supply. The DC in required is 17.5V and 1.5A.

For some time now I’ve been after a bench top power supply and I finally relented and ordered this model which came labelled as an Eagle EP-613. The power connector on the PenMaster is a four pin mini-DIN variety. Fortunately I had one of these on an old non-working power supply from a mini-ITX system that I’d built several years ago so I cut it off and wired it up to the new power supply. I took the battery out turned the PenMaster on, much to my relief the Samsung promptly sprung into life and ran a successful POST, however my heart briefly sank when the dreaded ‘No boot device available’ message appeared. Also displayed was ‘Invalid configuration Information – run SETUP program’ but I could see no obvious way of doing that.

PC Card Slot

I turned the machine off and on again and this time noticed it briefly displays another message, ‘To run SETUP, press F2 or tap the pen inside the box’. The message appears briefly and subsequently disappears. I grabbed the stylus and tapped in the box and was into the BIOS where I simply loaded the defaults and saved and exited.

This time the HDD whirred up and the screen was soon displaying the Windows for Pen Computing splash screen. A few moments later I was into what is essentially Windows 3.1 adapted for control by stylus. It appears to be a clean install with nothing else on the HDD and seems to be working well.

PenMaster & Stylus

The screen itself is showing its age, it’s quite uneven and seems to require constant fiddling with the contrast to maintain legibility. By default it turns itself off after 20 seconds of inactivity, it may be that if I amend this and allow the screen to warm up it will maintain a better image. I have a number of avenues to explore with the PenMaster, not least how to get more software onto it given that I don’t have a suitable FDD. I’ve already rather optimistically inserted a CompactFlash to PCMCIA adapter in the hope that I might be able to use CF cards with the unit but with no joy. Presumably additional drivers are required, chickens and eggs spring to mind.

The rear ports have soft plastic covers which bend up to allow access. They bend rather reluctantly and look as though they may perish and break after a few uses so I’ve removed them while I play with the unit. I’m going to try and connect up to my BBS, if this works I will at least be able to download some other software to try and I may look at building a new battery.