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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!gummo!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!mel
From: mel@houxm.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: best home computer??
Message-ID: <549@houxm.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Sep-83 21:27:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: houxm.549
Posted: Mon Sep 19 21:27:45 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Sep-83 16:27:07 EDT
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 26

Sorry, Paul.  I don't agree with your choice (c64) or your wish (universal
compatibility).  I do however plead for more information on the killer faults.
I have let you in on what keeps a DEC Rainbow 100 from being a useful system
(too late for keeping me from making the several thousand dollar mistake, but
perhaps helping others), but how about the others?  Is the c64 worth the
hassle of returning them until you get one that works right?  Would you do the
same with a refrigerator or camera that cost that much?  Is it perfect
everafter?  I find the DEC keyboard hard to use, is the IBM PC keyboard fine?
How about the cost-performance of the various PC's (does any other consumer
product span the prices of PC's?)?

I have a VIC, which at $235 was a great bargain - at $80 unbelievable.  But,
with only 22 characters across by 23 lines hopeless for letter writing,
terminal use, or serious programming.  We had a Sinclair for a few weeks, but
the membrane keyboard made even the simplest programming tedious to the
extreme.  Are others better? how? perfect? if not, why not?  What should I
consider to replace the VIC?  the Rainbow?  Mike Cain gave a great review of
the Radio Shack 100, how about some others?

Paul, what would you freeze the universal PC to?  The c64?  Will that be a
good, useful collection of capabilities 10 years from now? 1 year?  Would I
have to run my super-duper RISC C machine VAX-and-a-half-on-a-chip with 16M
RAM plus micro-mini gigabyte harddisk 2Kx2K pixel display for $200 system with
your universal c64 software?  Would you run your c64 with the 4 deep stack
capabilities of the HP-35 (a $375 system of not so long ago)?
    Mel Haas  ,  houxm!mel