On Jan 10, 2012, at 10:09 PM, Jack Brindle <[email protected]> wrote:
> This is actually not quite true. The original Mac had some of the library > code in ROM - Quickdraw, the file system, and various IO drivers come to > mind, but the OS was most definitely supplied on floppy disk, and the disk > was absolutely required for the Mac to boot and run. Updates to the OS were > applied on mini floppies for quite some time. Also, over time things like the > file system (going from MFS to HFS), drivers, and most other items were moved > to disk. There was a 2x speed advantage to running from ROM instead of RAM, > but that quickly disappeared as the Mac hardware evolved. By the time the Mac > II was introduced, everything was on disk except for the boot code. > > Yes, I have been programming Macs since the original 128K Mac. I still have > two of those around here, and both booted last time I tried. Still have the > original loose-leaf version of "Inside Macintosh" also… Oh, I remember it well. I think I have two later editions from A-W, now horribly obsolete. > Now I feel old… Beats the alternative. > Jack B, W6FB > > p.s., I can't think of anyone who would even consider supporting products > that have had the firmware modified by non-company programmers… > Your assessment is right-on in that respect! Embedded control systems > (especially radios) are kept very tight for a reason. As I remember, there were a lot of developers who ended up doing things they shouldn't, such as tail-patching A-line traps, who later found out the hard way that their software was broken. Not a great model to follow, IMHO. Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: [email protected] Web: http://boringhamradiopart.blogspot.com Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!" -- Wilbur Wright, 1901 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
