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From: jim@rwsys.lonestar.org (James Wyatt KA5VJL)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy,comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Tandy produces a winner?
Summary: Another pseudo-expert with another factoid...
Keywords: Tandy Panasonic Grid Laptops Fort Worth
Message-ID: <14927@rwsys.lonestar.org>
Date: 13 May 91 05:45:42 GMT
References: <91131.224709RFM@psuvm.psu.edu> <12082@uwm.edu>
Reply-To: jim@rwsys.lonestar.org (James Wyatt KA5VJL)
Followup-To: comp.sys.tandy
Organization: R/W Systems, Richland Hills, Texas, 76118-5849 (817) 595-0571
Lines: 51

In article <91131.224709RFM@psuvm.psu.edu> RFM@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>got high ratings were the Grid 1720 and the Panasonic 270, both of
>which are Tandys under their skin. Wonders never cease!

And in <12082@uwm.edu> anthony@convex.csd.uwm.edu (Anthony J Stieber) answers:
>Actually, just about every single MS-DOS machine that Tandy sells right
>now is actually a Pansonic.  Sometimes the Tandy version is a bit
>different, like DeskMate in ROM.  The Tandy 2810 is actually the
>Panasonic 270, just like the Tandy 1100FD is a Pansonic 150B, minus the
>backlight, and RAM expansion, but with DeskMate.
>The GRiD 1720 is really a GRiD, the company was bought out by Tandy
>some time ago.  Basicly, Tandy just bought the right hardware.  Tandy
>hasn't made original equipment for some time now,  I think the Tandy
>6000 was one of the last.  I'm not even sure the CoCo was entirely
>developed by them.  Still, it's good equipment.  My TRS-80 M100 (custom
>manufactured by Kyocera for Tandy) is still working fine, after five
>years.

Since Anthony knows *so much* about what Tandy manufactures and what they buy,
maybe he should look *inside* the Panasonic machines for a change... 
Tandy has several nice highly-automated, high-yield computer production lines
here in Fort Worth. (It's nice to find repairable reject motherboards at the
outlet stores here and roll-your-own machine!) Tandy has made many other
computers since the 6000 for sale to Radio Shack (of course), Grid, Panasonic,
Digital Equipment, and others. I've seen the press releases in the Wall Street
Journal (for Panasonic) and EE Times (for DEC). The machines for Panasonic are
interesting because the machines are made in Fort Worth, Texas, USA and sold
to a *Japanese* company.

Most of the custom ASICs used in Tandy's machines were designed by Tandy for
cost/size/power reduction here in FW at Tandy's R&D department. The designs
have come a long way from the old 3000HD to the 2500XL2, but they designed
and *built* them both, they didn't '...just buy the right hardware.'! Since
Tandy has so much invested in product design and manufacturing, they can make
zillions of machines, label and bundle them however anyone wants, and deliver
them for less than others can make their own. DEC makes minis, needs powerful
PCs to network to them, and doesn't want to buy IBM PS/2s ( 1/2 8{), so they
buy Tandy's. We know they can't make their own from the last time they tried.
(I owned a Rainbow 250 for several weeks, okay?)

Sorry for the diatribe, but I *hate* seeing a load of (pick one: crap,
hogwash, rubbish, counter-truths, baseless idiocy, etc...) like that go
uncontested, especially after working with the department being derated.
I did notice, the first guy got it right. Most others in this group likely
know the truth, right? (except Joe Applegate 8{)

NOTE: I do software work (not DeskMate in ROM either! 8{) and (above all)
I speak about, not *for* Tandy. I don't even make many decisions for them...
----
 James Wyatt (KA5VJL) - Why is my life so much HARDER than everyone else's?
 jim@rwsys.lonestar.org or utacfd!letni!rwsys!jim           (H)817-595-0571