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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxf!bryan
From: bryan@ihuxf.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: What home computer to buy
Message-ID: <1648@ihuxf.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Nov-83 10:48:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxf.1648
Posted: Tue Nov 22 10:48:39 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Nov-83 04:02:37 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 42

Since you want a HOME computer, I assume you mean a computer for
the whole family to use.  Therefore you don't want a business or
CP/M system. CP/M is great for a hobbiest but not for someone learn-
ing to use a computer. That leaves more or less the following:
Atari
Apple
Comodore
Radio Shack
TI (if you can still get them)
(forget about an Adam, this year anyway)

The Atari has a good amount of software, very user friendly
lower in price than an Apple, but a little more expensive than a C64.
It has very good customer support.  It has the best graphics
of the group.  But the Atari suffers from third party (cheap) 
hardware support; this might change with the new line. And it is 
also one of the most reliable home computers. (Very well built)
Don't let the game image fool you (Games are one of the most
diffuclt thing for a computer to do hardware wise). 

The Apple is the most expensive of the group but, has lots of 
software, can be used by the whole family and allows you to 
tiker around with hardware projects. But it is expensive.
It also can be used as a business computer.

The Comodore Vic 20 is in my opnion a toy that pretends to be
a computer. What are you going to do with 5k of ram and a 20
colum display? Answer, very little. It can be upgraded to a
computer but then you might as well buy something else.
But it is a cheap way to go if you don't want to spend much
money, and don't know if you want a computer.

The Comodore 64, This would be alot better choice than buying
a Vic 20. The 64 seemingly gives you the most computer for
the dollar, but it has two big drawbacks, it is unreliable and
has very poor customer support. 

The Radio Shack CoCo may not be a bad choice, but I don't
know enough about it to make any comments.

The TI might be a bargin but it is an M.D. product. Also it suffers
from software support and expensive add ons.