Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cica!ctrsol!ginosko!uunet!cme!durham
From: durham@cme.nbs.gov (James H. Durham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Tandy memory upgrades
Message-ID: <1404@aws.cme.nbs.gov>
Date: 19 Jul 89 19:05:44 GMT
References: <1189@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU>
Distribution: usa
Organization: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Lines: 49

In article <1189@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU>, wordproc@ucf-cs.UCF.EDU (Gang of Three) writes:
> 
> Re: Specific references to Tandy in advertisements
> 
> I've noticed that quite a variety of add-on boards, hard cards and so forth
> are advertised as being for PC/XT/AT and then also for Tandy 1000A/SX/SL/TL/etc.
> 
> It's one of the reasons I didn't buy Tandy when I bought my 286/20MHz machine;
> I was concerned about availability of add-ons.  (Of course, price was a factor,
> especially since I wanted 2MB of memory).
> 
> Apparently Tandy's proprietary motherboards have different bus addressing or
> some other type of difference so that other companies either have to sell
> Tandy-compatible items separately or not serve the Tandy owners at all on the
> specialized hardware (hard cards, memory boards, etc.).
> 
> -- Marcus

This just isn't true.  Period.  Unless you REALLY know an answer, please do
not post anything.  The only difference between the SL/TL slots and standard
PC/XT slots is that maximum length of the card is about two inches shorter than
traditional machines.  Since the hardcard is designed to take the full space
it is alotted so that it can remain stable inside the computer, it would be
two inches too long for the tandy, so.... companies have to obviously shorten 
the card simply by moving the drive itself closer to the controller electronics.
The $20 added to the card is for this "service" which really doesn't cost
anything.  In fact, many places aren't charging extra for this.  Note that
this "shortening" isn't a modification... it occurs in manufacturing, so there
is _no_ extra labor except on the sales person's part explaining the differences.So.  That means the SL/TL can accept any, and I mean ANY card that does not
take up the full length of the PC/XT, which most cards don't.  In fact, I can
only think of one situation where you would have to specify that you have
a Tandy SL/TL, and that is with the hard drive/card.  Any 8-bit card will
go in there, including accelerators and music cards, IO cards, modems...
W H A T E V E R you want, except maybe the INTEL 386 accelerator, which
requires the full length.

Ahhhh yes, one other very important thing...  The TL, a 286 machine, is NOT
AT compatible in terms of hardware.  It is just a very souped-up XT compat.
that's it.  So you can't put 16-bit AT cards in there, only 8 bit.  Don't
get confused...

So as far as "different bus addressing" and "..or not serve Tandy owners at
all on the specialized hardware" ..... it is 99% untrue.  The only 
non-"standard" thing you'll ever have to buy is the hardcard. For $20 more.
And probably not even that.

Big deal.

.