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From: PEARSON@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: IBM-PC Cost
Message-ID: <13898@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Nov-83 10:41:20 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13898
Posted: Tue Nov 22 10:41:20 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Nov-83 06:04:57 EST
Lines: 57

From:  William Pearson <PEARSON@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>


	There seems to be a pretty general impression out there that
although the IBM-PC is good machine, it is overpriced.  If you are
willing to treat the PC as a kit, prices are quite competitive.  To buy a
cheap PC do the following:

	Buy an IBM-PC with floppy disk controller but no drives.
	List: $1575		(many stores will sell this because
				IBM drives have been in short supply
				and they can sell the drive)

	Get the color graphics adapter : $244.

	Buy two Tandon TM100-2 drives from a mail order house.
	Prices range from $240 - $260.  A small mail order place
	that doesn't take out full page ads in Byte may be a little
	cheaper.

	Buy 2 - 3 sets of 9 4164 64K RAM chips ($55 from PC mail order
	houses,  sometimes less from chip mail order houses).

	Buy a B/W monitor $130-150.

You now have a 192K, 2 - 320K floppy system for: $2569.  Add $135 for
serial port and clock/calendar (AST I/O Plus).  Add DOS for $40.

There is no cheaper machine with similar capabilities (memory, graphics,
communications, software support).  In addition, some store will discount the
IBM prices, especially if you work for a company or school that is getting
an IBM discount (which range past 25%, but discount the list price
of disk drives.)  If you wand a cheaper machine, try the Heath Z-100 kit,
(All in one) for $2000 + $250 for the second drive, or $1900 + $250
+$150 for the low profile (requires the $150 monitor).  The graphics on the
Z-10 are better, (higher resolution, no flashing), but not IBM compatible
when I last looked.  Z-100's wired are selling for around $2500 at discount,
which includes CPM85 (standard 8 bit CP/M), MS-DOS, some BASICs, and for
a short time Lotus 1-2-3.  The Z-100 also inclues a parallel and two serial
ports.  The only problem with it is its not an IBM-PC, and Heath/Zenith
are very slow releasing software.  It has 192K max on the board, additional
256K for $600. (You can get 512K for an IBM at that price).

	One last comment - putting an IBM-PC together yourself is very
easy.  I have told several non-computer/hacker/EE types to try it, and
they have had no trouble.  The PC comes with a diagnostics disk, which
you can run for several hours to test the disk drives, the only thing
that might be flakey.

	I have been very surprised that the IBM-PC is both an IBM product,
the most popular computer on the market, and very price competitive.  Why
buy and Eagle or Corona or Columbia when you can build an IBM for the
same price.

Bill Pearson

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