DECUS 12 BIT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWSLETTER Number 36 September 1979

This DECUS 12-Bit SIG Newsletter (Number 36, September 1979) provides updates on various topics relevant to 12-Bit system users, including symposium information, hardware, software, and community news.

The Fall DECUS Symposium is announced for December 10-13 in San Diego, featuring sessions on PDP-8, Word Processing, COS-310/DIBOL, and TECO. The newsletter solicits contributions and program hints from members.

A significant portion addresses the future of the PDP-8 family. A "Whither the 8?" commentary discusses declining sales impacting software support, while a response from DEC's Traditional Products Group, "Long Live the PDP-8," reassures users of continued manufacturing, enhancement, and support for the PDP-8, including reconditioned systems.

Technical articles detail experiences with multi-user OS/8 environments like MULTI-8, ETOS, MULTOS/8, DUAL-OS, and OMNI-8, highlighting their features and compatibility. Discussions also cover dual-density floppy disk systems (DSD-440, AED 3100P, RX01/RX02), addressing compatibility issues, performance, and OS/8 block size challenges, with a table comparing various floppy handler speeds.

Software-related content includes a call for a new maintainer for PDP-8 TECO, a bug report for the OS/8 FORTRAN II I/O package with a proposed fix, and a review of FORTX (Extended FORTRAN II) as a valuable language enhancement.

The newsletter provides important patches: a DATE PATCH for COS-310 Version 6.05 to extend its date functionality beyond 1979 (with installation caveats), and PATCH PT02 for Version 8.01 to fix RX01 drive access problems. Programming tips include strategies for sorting large files when memory is limited and a caution regarding the misinterpretation of "K BYTES" as "K WORDS" in COS-310 documentation. Additionally, a faster WPS to COS conversion program is announced.

Miscellaneous notes cover the availability of reconditioned equipment from DEC's Traditional Product Line and information about a market for used disk packs. Contact information for various committee members and contributors is also provided.