41: Worth getting a card reader?

[rprosperi]

(02-19-2021 10:53 PM)Dave Britten Wrote:  

(02-19-2021 08:28 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  Consider HP-IL with virtual storage and access to the files in the LIF disc archive.

Oh I'm most definitely considering that too, though I'd be in for at least 2-3x as much money as a card reader.

What are the best options for HP-IL virtual storage these days? PIL Box + PC, or is there something simple and self-contained?

All you need is the PIL-Box, the PC provides a virtual printer and virtual drives, and with pyILPer, you can also have a virtual monitor and plotter. With a 71B you can also use the PC keyboard and monitor; today that would be sold as 'remote operation'. On the PC, you 'mount' .lif disk images into the virtual drive, equivalent to inserting a floppy or tape into a drive. But you can have multiple virtual drives all for the same price.

I don't recall the price of the PIL-Box, but it is easily worth every cent (what is 1/100 of a Euro called?). Although it is undeniably cool and satisfying to use the Card Reader, save that money and put it towards a PIL-Box.

Also, as time and budgets allow, you can also add physical HP-IL peripherals into your Loop, so you can do the 'opposite' of what one normally imagines, by using a a virtual 41/71 with physical peripherals connected.