Computer Answers BBS ==================== Also listed as: iNET2000.com / Kilroy's World / Prince Albert Echo 1 "This BBS has undergone MANY changes and revisions over the years. AFAIK, it's the oldest BBS in Saskatchewan, and most probably one of the oldest anywhere. It certainly was the first BBS in Prince Albert, the first to have multiple lines, the first to have online games, the first to offer HST & 56K, and the first to use an optional graphical terminal program. "When I was in grade 12 (1981) I got a Texas Instruments TI99/4A and began programing to beat the band. Later that year, I got a job at a Video store selling Vic 20's, and our company communications were done over 'DataPac' Packet service, where I was fasinated with the online services and games (Wumpus Hunt!!!) that were avaialble on DataPac connected computers. "Around Christmas 1982, I had one of the first Commodore 64's available, and the first order of business was to program a BBS program and to get it online. Within a few days, KILROY'S WORLD was online in a very primative form. Over the next couple years, I wrote what I modesly called TWFBBS (The Worlds Fastest BBS) plus I added 4 Disk Drives for the largest online file library and message base anywhere, 300 Baud modem, in all it's glory! "In 1985, I went to see my first Amiga 1000, and one look at the Boing Demo and I was sold. I bought an Amiga 1000, an Extra Disk Drive, the extra memory and a modem. My Commodore 64 BBS software was in BASIC, so it was relatively easy to translate to the Amiga, and within days, the faster more powerful Amiga BBS was online, complete with two 880K drives (WOW, over 1.7 MegaBytes!). Shortly thereafter, commercial Amiga BBS software came available, and I finally retired TWFBBS software in favour of DLG Pro, which in allowed me to add a second modem and to become Prince Albert's first multiline BBS, and the MultiTasking allowed another first - online games. "In 1987, I opened a retail computer store, Computer Answers, and with the introduction of the Amiga 2000, we could add a hard drive, and eventually Multi-Serial boards to support 8 modems. We also changed the name of the BBS from 'Kilroy's World' to 'Computer Answers BBS' to better reflect where the loot was coming from to finance the operation. The store also allowed us to expand the number of lines - we had 2 lines dedicated to the BBS (764-0088 and 764-0888) but after hours, we also added the three store business lines to have a five line BBS - unheard of at the time. We also constantly kept on the leading edge of modem technology, moving to 2400 baud, and 9600 baud Intel modems as soon as they were available. We also took advantage of USR's BBS/Sysop offer and moved to HST/Dual Standard modems to support both HST and V.32 standards as soon as they were available. "I should also give a nod to other BBS Pioneers from Prince Albert - Howard Weitzel, Ken Harrison, Glen Outlette, Mark Warner and Trevor Cook to name ome of the most notable. They ran the gambit - Howard worked was a middle aged man working for SaskTel, while Ken Harrison was a 12 year old with his Atari ST, but all with the same passion for computers and telecommunications that I had. "By 1997, we had 8 dedicated lines, with an automatic hunt group, and a 1 GigaByte SCSI Hard Drive. DLG Pro had served us very well, but there were a limited number of games available, and Boardwatch magazine had ads and reviews for WorldGroup and Wildcat software that caught my attention. We choose Wildcat, largely because they were supporting this new graphics protocal named 'HTML'. We just a feeling it was going to catch on. ;^) In January 1997, we moved to Windows and Wildcat software, again brining several more 1st to Saskatchewan - Graphic Terminal program and FidoNet communication. In July 1997, we added the Wildcat 'Internet Connectivity Package' to allow us to migrate from the BBS to the ISP World, and www.iNET2000.com was born. "Over it's lifetime, Kilroy's World / Computer Answers BBS had 1107 registered users and accepted 2,168,944 calls. Yes, I said 2 Million, 168 thousand, 944 calls. "Currently (as of March 2006) our ISP Business offers Internet Connectivity via Satellite and Wireless Internet accounts, but we still offer 64 dialup lines for 56K - V.92 modem users. Our Wildcat BBS software no longer answers the modems, this is now done on Total Control V.92 / PPP modem pools, however, we still run our Wildcat BBS / Telnet / Files / Message base at the center of it all. Of course, most new customers have no use for it, and no idea that it's even there, and with the advent of fle sharing and forums, the Wildcat file & message bases are no longer unique. However, every now and then when I walk into the server room, I look at my 64 port Modem Racks, network switches and firewalls, plus a dozen servers doing DNS, Mail and Hosting services, and I have to smile - Man! Now that's a Big BBS!" - Todd Chamberlain Phone : 306-764-0888 Place : Prince Albert, Sask Years : 1982 Sysop : Todd Chamberlain Software: DLG, Excelsior, Wildcat! Listed by telephone number, as they all were. A few of these boards did reach the web: see recoveries-002.txt. Source : bbslist.textfiles.com, compiled by Jason Scott ------------------------------------------------------------------ gopher://hp84.com/ | https://ge97.com/ .