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<a NAME="top"></a><font color="#FFFFFF">.</font><font color="#666666"><font size=-1>The
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<address>
<font size=-1><font color="#666666"> from the</font> <b><font color="#009900">Gr</font><font color="#FF9900">o</font><font color="#FF0000">u</font><font color="#CC33CC">n</font><font color="#3366FF">d
</font></b><font color="#666666">Apple
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<br><b><tt><font color="#FFFFFF"><font size=-2>.</font></font><font color="#666666">Csa2
FAQs-on-Ground Resource file: R022TRKSTAR.htm</font></tt></b>
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<p><b><font face="Comic Sans MS"><font size=+3>TrackStar Questions &
Answers</font></font></b>
<br><font face="Comic Sans MS"> last revised: 24 February 2003</font>
<p><font face="Comic Sans MS"> by Bill Whitson, Michael Kelsey, Wayne
Stewart,</font>
<br><font face="Comic Sans MS"> Bryan
G. Villados, Richard A. Cini, Jr.,</font>
<br><font face="Comic Sans MS"> Bart
Prine, Jeff Hurlburt</font>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>What is a TrackStar?</font></font>
<br>
<p> A TrackStar is a single board Apple 2 computer
that plugs into a
<br>PC Clone with at least one ISA slot or into an IBM PS/2 computer. With
<br>this board (and an A2 disk drive) a PC can run Apple II software.
<br>
<p> Evidently, four Trackstars were produced:
<p><b>Trackstar 64</b>
<br><b>Trackstar 128</b> <font size=-1>(can upgrade to a Trackstar E via
a field upgrade kit)</font>
<br><b>Trackstar E</b>
<br><b>Trackstar Plus</b> <font size=-1>(for IBM PS/2 Models 25, 25/286,
30, 30/286)</font>
<br>
<p> Based upon an earlier Trackstar FAQs by Bill
Whitson, and some
<br>moderately ambiguous Diamond press releases, it appears that the '64
<br>mimics an unenhanced Apple IIe; whereas the '128 works like an unenhanced
<br>IIe with an extra 64k. The 'E and the 'Plus mimic an enhanced Apple
//e.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>From: TrackStar FAQ v1.3.1
(5/15/97) by Bill Whitson</font></font>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>How compatible is it?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>Given that I've not found any software that it won't run</tt>
<br><tt>I would have to say it's very compatible. It has a</tt>
<br><tt>strange bug that sometimes causes programs to display on</tt>
<br><tt>a slightly compressed screen.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>Can it transfer files Apple <-> PC</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>Yep. It works great for that. I used to use it to</tt>
<br><tt>make disk images of A2 disks on my PC.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>How much is it worth?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>How much do you want to pay? I saw one go for $50 US</tt>
<br><tt>not too long ago (in '93). They had a suggested retail</tt>
<br><tt>price of $445 when they were last sold back in 1988.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>What do I need to run a TrackStar?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>You need a PC or clone with a free 8bit ISA slot, a 360K</tt>
<br><tt>5.25" floppy drive, and a MGA, CGA, or Composite monitor.</tt>
<br><tt>The 8bit slot must allow for a full length card and the</tt>
<br><tt>motherboard under the front extension of the card must be</tt>
<br><tt>clear to within 3mm of the surface (the card extends down-</tt>
<br><tt>ward).</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>What do I need for a floppy drive?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>The TrackStar can use either a PC compatible 360K 5.25"</tt>
<br><tt>PC compatible floppy drive or an Apple Disk II (Unidisks</tt>
<br><tt>may work, but this has not been verified). If you're</tt>
<br><tt>using a PC floppy, the drive should be a TEAC for the most</tt>
<br><tt>reliable operation. Other brands will also work, but may</tt>
<br><tt>not be as reliable and some will not work at all.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>What operating systems will it work with?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>Seems to work well with MS DOS from v3.2 to v6.22. Later</tt>
<br><tt>versions require a setver entry set to 3.3. Will also</tt>
<br><tt>work with OS/2 2.x in DOS mode. Doesn't seem to work</tt>
<br><tt>with Windows 95 even in DOS mode.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>What did the TrackStar originally come with?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>Well, the 128 came with:</tt>
<p><tt>1 5.25" driver disk</tt>
<br><tt>1 manual</tt>
<br><tt>1 video cable</tt>
<br><tt>1 disk cable</tt>
<br><tt>1 keyboard overlay</tt>
<br><tt>1 resistor pack</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>What's the latest driver version?</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>For the 128 it appears to be v6.2.3. I assume the</tt>
<br><tt>other models use a different driver scheme but I've</tt>
<br><tt>only seen my 128 and 2 others.</tt>
<p><tt>I have tried for two years to get permission from</tt>
<br><tt>Diamond Multimedia to distribute TrackStar software and</tt>
<br><tt>documentation to people who need it. Since I have now</tt>
<br><tt>been told by them that they did not make the TrackStar</tt>
<br><tt>I've made the software and docs available by FTP at</tt>
<br><tt>140.142.225.27 in /pub/trackstar.</tt>
<p><tt><NOTE: The site mentioned above is no longer active. R/></tt>
<br>
<p><tt>The files for the Trackstar 128 are ...</tt>
<p><tt>TS128.621.zip
TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.1</tt>
<br><tt>TS128.622.zip
TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.2</tt>
<br><tt>TS128.623.zip
TrackStar 128 drivers v6.2.3</tt>
<br><tt>TS128.overlay.zip TrackStar
128 keyboard overlay</tt>
<br><tt>TS128.manual.zip TrackStar
128 manual for in .pdf</tt>
<br><tt>TS.faq
This FAQ</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt><font size=+1>I just got a Trackstar board with no accessories...</font></tt></b>
<p><tt>It would seem you're not alone. You'll also be missing</tt>
<br><tt>the manual, RGB monitor cable, and PC disk interface</tt>
<br><tt>cable. You don't need the RGB cable if you're going</tt>
<br><tt>to use the a composite monitor and you don't need the</tt>
<br><tt>PC disk interface cable if you're going to use an Apple</tt>
<br><tt>drive.</tt>
<br>
<p><b><tt>Posted on Csa2 by me@here.com !</tt></b>
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>What are the connections for a CGA
video cable</font></font>
<br><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>to the molex connector on the TrackStar
E?</font></font>
<p>The cable has an 8-pin female molex connector going to a 9-pin
<br>Dsub9 male plug.
<p><tt> -key- 1 2 3 4 5</tt>
<br><tt> ]oooooooo[ ' ' ' ' '</tt>
<br><tt> 87654321 ' ' ' '</tt>
<br><tt>
6 7 8 9</tt>
<p><font size=-1> (connectors viewed from front)</font>
<br>
<p> Molex
Dsub9
<br> <font size=-1>on TS
to PC CGA video output</font>
<br><tt> 1* - - - - - 1 Ground</tt>
<br><tt> 2 - - - - - - 7 Reserved</tt>
<br><tt> 3 - - - - - - 3 Red</tt>
<br><tt> 4 - - - - - - 4 Green</tt>
<br><tt> 5 - - - - - - 5 Blue</tt>
<br><tt> 6 - - - - - - 6 Intensity</tt>
<br><tt> 7 - - - - - - 8 Horizontal Drive</tt>
<br><tt> 8 - - - - - - 9 Vertical Drive</tt>
<p>*Pin 1 is usually marked "1" on the circuit board.
<p>Pin2 of the Dsub9 has no connection. There's also a ground wire that
<br>goes to the outside of the Dsub9 plug.
<br>
<p>Pins as viewed looking at the front (chip side) of the board:
<br><b><tt><font color="#009900"><font size=+1>_____________________________</font></font></tt></b>
<br><tt><font size=+1> --- keyway
--- <b><font color="#009900">|</font></b></font></tt>
<br><tt><font size=+1> <font color="#000000">.
. . . . . . .</font> <b><font color="#009900">|</font></b></font></tt>
<br><tt><font size=+1> 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 <b><font color="#009900">|</font></b></font></tt>
<br><tt><font size=+1>
<b><font color="#009900">|</font></b></font></tt>
<p>Wayne Stewart
<br>11 March 2001
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Where can I buy a Trackstar?</font></font>
<br>
<p>Emerald City Sales
<br><a href="http://www.ahhz.com/">http://www.ahhz.com/</a>
<p>eBay
<br><a href="http://www.ebay.com/">http://www.ebay.com/</a>
<p>Haggle
<br><a href="http://www.haggle.com/">http://www.haggle.com/</a>
<p>Comp.sys.apple2.marketplace newsgroup
<br><a href="news:comp.sys.apple2.marketplace">news:comp.sys.apple2.marketplace</a>
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Where can I find more info/documentation?</font></font>
<br>
<p>Contact Emerald City Sales ( <a href="http://www.ahhz.com/">http://www.ahhz.com/</a>
). In 1999 they were
<br>still selling a set of Xeroxed sheets from the Trackstar E manual for
<br>abound $10 - $15.
<p>Richard A. Cini, Jr.'s Trackstar Page
<br><a href="http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/trackstar.htm">http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/trackstar.htm</a>
<br><a href="http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/zips/tstar_info.zip">http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/zips/tstar_info.zip</a>
<p>The Mac Geek ( Bryan G. Villados ) Trackstar Page
<br><a href="http://www.macgeek.org/museum/trackstarplus/">http://www.macgeek.org/museum/trackstarplus/</a>
<p>GS WorldView's archive
<br><a href="http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Docs/">http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Docs/</a>
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Where can I download Trackstar utility
software?</font></font>
<br>
<p>Emerald City Sales
<br><a href="http://www.ahhz.com/">http://www.ahhz.com/</a>
<p>GS WorldView's archive
<br><a href="http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Utils/">http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Utils/</a>
<p>Richard A. Cini, Jr.'s Trackstar Page
<br><a href="http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/zips/tstar_info.zip">http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/zips/tstar_info.zip</a>
<p>Also see Q/A "What is the status of TrackStar support software?"
<br>below.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>What kinds disks can a TrackStar
use?</font></font>
<br>
<p> TrackStar can use several kinds of disks and
virtual disks (files
<br>on your PC that TrackStar treats like disks). On most TrackStar
setups,
<br>a user will be able to access ...
<p>o- regular Apple II 5.25" diskettes via an attached Apple II disk drive
which can
<br>be set for Slot 6, Drive 1 or Slot 6, Drive 2 (using the tsutilit.com
utility).
<p>o- at least one virtual hard disk (up to 10MB in size) created via tsutilit.com
and
<br>assigned to Slot 7. The virtual hard disk will, typically have a name
ending with ".hd1".
<p>o- virtual "trackstore" disks. These are actually 260k files with names
ending
<br>in ".app", such as startup1.app. TrackStar can access trackstore files
as 140k DOS 3.3
<br>or ProDOS disks at Slot 6, Drive 1 and/or Slot 6, Drive 2.
<p>o- 5.25" diskettes in PC drives. This requires a special connector and,
generally,
<br>the presence of older PC 5.25" drives.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>How do I connect an Apple Disk][
drive to my Trackstar E?</font></font>
<p> Trackstar E can connect to a Disk ][ drive
having the ribbon type cable with
<br>a 20-pin connector block on the end. According to the Trackstar E manual,
you
<br>connect the cable to the pins at J4. The <b>colored stripe</b> on the
cable must be on the
<br><b>left</b> as you face the Trackstar board.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>How do I use trackstore 'disks'?</font></font>
<br>
<p> Here are some 'nice to know' things about trackstore
"disks":
<p>o- The terms "disk" and "drive" become a bit mixed up when talking about
<br>trackstore disks. Actually, TrackStar generally treats a trackstore
disk like a
<br>Disk ][ drive which has a 140k diskette inserted-- i.e. a drive + diskette.
<p>o- You can have any number of trackstore (.app) disk files. These can
be created
<br>using tsutilit.com or you can duplicate an .app file by copying and
renaming-- easy on
<br>your PC using a utility such as Xtree.
<p>o- All of the trackstore disks (.app files) which you want to be available
for use
<br>should be in the same PC drive and folder as your other TrackStar files.
Usually,
<br>this will be a folder named "TS", "TStar", etc. on your PC's C: hard
drive.
<p>o- The TrackStar 'Help' menu accessed by pressing F1 followed by ESC,
lets you
<br>freely swap in whatever trackstore disk you like as the Slot 6, Drive
1 or Slot 6,
<br>Drive 2 disk so long as the particular Slot 6 drive has already been
set up (via
<br>tsutilit.com) as a drive which uses trackstore disks.
<p>o- Tsutilit.com lets you set up your drives so that you can boot from
a trackstore disk.
<br>This is very handy for getting a TrackStar system 'up' and going when
little useful
<br>software is available on regular Apple II diskette. Trackstore disk
files with good file
<br>handling utilities, etc. can be downloaded, unzipped and moved into
your TrackStar stuff
<br>folder. These 'disks' can be booted or used to get programs onto your
TrackStar's virtual
<br>hard disk (or moved to an actual Apple II diskette).
<p>o- By default, when you start Trackstar it will try to boot a trackstore
disk (.app file)
<br>named "startup" something-- e.g. "startup1.app". To have a choice of
trackstore disks to
<br>boot from after starting star.com, you must remove trackstore (.app)
files named "startup1",
<br>etc.. from your TrackStar stuff folder. (You can move them to some
other folder or rename
<br>them to some name besides "startup".
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Where can I get ready-to-go trackstore
'disks'?</font></font>
<p> You can find a couple Trackstore images in
.zip form on some
<br>popular Apple II archives. One, dosutils.app, is a bootable 'DOS 3.3'
<br>diskette with several utilities. The other, pdutils.app is a bootable
<br>ProDOS diskette with DSK2FILE v4.3, Block Warden, Shrinkit v3.4, and
<br>Copy II Plus. Look for the files at ...
<p>GS WorldView's archive
<br><a href="http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Utils/">http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Utils/</a>
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>What is the status of TrackStar
support software?</font></font>
<br>
<p><b>Emerald City Sales package</b>
<p> For at least the Trackstar E and, possibly,
earlier Trackstars,
<br>the utilities made available by Emerald City Sales (870-743-3872;
<br><a href="http://www.ahhz.com/">http://www.ahhz.com/</a> ) work reasonably
well.
<p> One problem (for 'E' board users) is that the
chief config utility,
<br>tsutilit.com, is for the Plus version TrackStar. This may affect having
a
<br>second virtual hard disk and possibly affect the color/mono option.
<p> Otherwise, this tsutilit.com has worked fine
for setting up drives,
<br>creating trackstore disks, and other important tasks on the TrackStar
E
<br>boards everyone seems to be experimenting with. Star.com seems to
<br>work fine, too.
<p> The startup1 trackstore disk you get from EC
is, evidently, totally
<br>empty-- in fact, it is not even formatted. A bootable startup1-- file
<br>startup1.app-- has been sent to EC; so, maybe this has changed. (You
do
<br>not need to have a startup1 disk in order to use your Trackstar.)
<p> The File Transfer utility is used for transferring
files to-from
<br>the PC part of your system and the Apple II part. It seems to
work
<br>fine.
<br>
<p><b>Trackstar E v1.3 (1988) package</b>
<p> This was made available by Art Luna. It includes
an improved
<br>tsutilit.com which makes more options available at startup.
<br>
<p><b>Trackstar 128 package</b>
<p> This was made available by Mike "Moose" O'Malley.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
<p><i><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a href="#top">_______to top of page________</a></font></i>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Someone said I need to add a video
output adjustment. How do I do this?</font></font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">I got a TrackStar E and plugged it into our old
PC. It seems to</font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">be booting a diskette okay from an attacked Disk
][ drive; but,</font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">the composite video doesn't give any kind of
display on a</font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">monitor I know is good.</font>
<br>
<p> When installing a TrackStar E, it was a chap
to discover that
<br>composite video from the board would not work with either of our
<br>composite monitors-- i.e. an Amdek Color-1 and a surplus B/W monitor.
<br>The monitor displays indicated that the video level from TrackStar's
<br>composite output was probably too high.
<p> On an Apple II+, this would be no special problem
because there
<br>is a mini-pot to adjust the video output level. If either monitor had
<br>an adjustment for video level input, it would not be a problem, either.
<br>
<p> A check of the TrackStar board revealed that
composite video comes
<br>from the emitter of a transistor connected to ground via a 75 Ohm
<br>resistor. So; the level is fixed. This output goes through a small
RF
<br>choke to the RCA socket on the back of the board.
<p> The cure is to replace the 75 Ohm resistor
with a pot. If you run
<br>into a similar problem using a composite monitor with your TrackStar
E,
<br>here are step-by-step directions for swapping in a Video Output
<br>adjustment ...
<br>
<p>1. On the back of the board, find the trace going to the 75 Ohm resistor
<br>and the choke. (The choke is close to the RCA socket. The 75 Ohm
<br>resistor is near the choke.) Cut the portion of the trace going
to
<br>the choke.
<p>2. De-solder and remove the 75 Ohm resistor. (You can snip it off if
<br>you like.)
<p>3. On a 200-300 Ohm potentiometer-- I used a, roughly, 250 Ohm mini-pot--
<br>connect three leads. (The length of the leads depends upon whether
you
<br>have some place on the back of the PC to mount the pot or just plan
to
<br>put some tape around the pot and let it flop around near the board.
I
<br>don't know how long the leads can be before noise pickup is a problem.
<br>It seems like a good idea to keep length within about 8" or so.)
<p>Use three different color wires-- say White, Green, Black. Viewing the
<br>pot from the back, connect White to the Left tab, Green to the middle
<br>tab, and Black to the right tab. (Mainly, the Green wire needs to be
<br>on the middle tab.)
<p>4. Solder the Green wire to the end of the choke which used to be
<br>connected to the 75 Ohm resistor-- i.e. the end _not_ going to the
<br>RCA socket.
<p>Solder the White wire to the place the 75 Ohm resistor used to be
<br>connected which used to connect to the choke before the trace to
<br>the choke was cut-- i.e. this is the point which goes to the emitter
<br>of a nearby transistor.
<p>Solder the Black wire to the other place the 75 Ohm resistor used to
be
<br>connected. This is the Ground end.
<p>Note: Mixing up the White and Black leads is okay. The only reason for
<br>connecting them a certain way is so that a clockwise turn of the
<br>pot = increased Video Output.
<p>The circuit you end up with looks like this ...
<br>
<p><tt>
|----</tt>
<br><tt> Pot
/</tt>
<br><tt> _______ White_____________/ emitter of transistor</tt>
<br><tt> Z</tt>
<br><tt> Z</tt>
<br><tt> Z <----- Green -----------UUUUUUUUU-------- to RCA socket
center pin</tt>
<br><tt> Z
Choke
Composite Video Output</tt>
<br><tt> Z_______ Black____</tt>
<br><tt>
|</tt>
<br><tt>
_|_</tt>
<br><tt>
Ground</tt>
<br>
<p>5. Insert the board. Find some place safe to mount the pot or let it
sit
<br>so no leads or metal parts touch any circuit. Connect the monitor and
<br>power up the computer. Start TrackStar and adjust the pot and monitor
<br>for a good display.
<br>
<p>Note: This gives a good B/W display. So far, I have not gotten any color
<br>output from our Trackstar E.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
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<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Ref. Pentium-class workstation internal
cache and</font></font>
<br><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>ThunderClock emulation</font></font>
<br>
<p> Some more news on the TrackStar E front.
If you have a Pentium
<br>class workstation or faster, disable the internal cache. I now
get video
<br>and the Apple drive "clatters" on Apple reboot.
<p> The ThunderClock emulation is fully ThunderClock
Plus compatible.
<br>I ran my utility disk and, guess what, IT CONFIGURED MY PC'S TIME AND
<br>DATE! ALT-ESC toggles between DOS and //e emulation. In
DOS mode, I set
<br>the time and date correctly and switced back. The ThunderClock
Plus
<br>software immediately recognized the changes and sync'd to it.
<br>
<p>Michael Kelsey
<br>20 February 1999
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<br>
<p><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Ref. Using a composite color monitor
and and using a PC CGA monitor</font></font>
<br>
<p> It seems to be quite common that several TrackStar
E's output a bit
<br>different composite signal than a typical composite monitor expects.
I
<br>just tested with a composite monitor this last Friday (an Amiga model)
and
<br>nothing appeared. Everything remains consistent on the CGA front,
though.
<br>It would appear the ideal setup is to retain a CGA monitor for the
<br>TrackStar E, at least until we have an opportunity to test the true
<br>TrackStar E software.
<br>
<p>Michael Kelsey
<br>7 March 1999
<br>
<p> This fits with the info listed in a Trackstar
E press release. The 'E
<br>is supposed to support IBM MDA, Hercules, and CGA-compatible monitors
as
<br>well as EGA and TTL VGA when used with a multisync monitor.
<br>
<p>Rubywand
<br>
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