Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!topaz!@RUTGERS.ARPA:LAVITSKY@RU-BLUE.ARPA From: @RUTGERS.ARPA:LAVITSKY@RU-BLUE.ARPA Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm Subject: Re: Commodore's Lorraine Message-ID: <773@topaz.ARPA> Date: Sun, 24-Feb-85 15:20:55 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.773 Posted: Sun Feb 24 15:20:55 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 04:21:03 EST Sender: R@ +!@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 71 From: Eric Well Doug Pardee replied about the Lorraine: >> 2) 8 Mhz 68000 cpu with expansion slots able to handle 7 Meg. I know >> the 68000 can address much more, and 7 Meg is a lot of memory, but why >> stop there? >I can't confirm/deny this. But even if it's so, I don't understand your >problem with it. At the current cost of memories, 7 Meg will cost the >manufacturer over $3000 in memory chips alone. What with the support >chips, board costs, and markups, you could expect to spend around >$15,000 to $20,000 for 7 Meg of memory. Even if the price of memory >drops by 2/3, you'ld still be spending over $5000 in memory for your >$700 computer. If you had that kind of bucks, you'ld probably buy a >more powerful machine to plug the memory into. Sure, you could expect tp pay that much from any *other* manafacturer. Don't forget, Commodore can make their own chips (MOS Technology) . I bet they could offer a 1 Meg upgrade for ~$300... that's only ~$1800 over the cost of the original machine (for 7 meg). Of course they would have to be really geared up for production of 256k RAMs. Just look at a chip like the SID - Commodore charges ~$20 to dealers for these chips seperately along with 6526s, and VIC IIs - if these chips really cost Commodore near that much the 64 would cost over $500 (it did at first, but when production picks up, blam goes the price). I'm not saying that they will offer memory at such low prices, but they are the ones who can do it. The 64 is 64k of memory ++ and it costs around $130 now. Strip off the support chips and processor etc. and how much do you think the RAM costs them? >Why stop? Each slot connector costs money. Address decoding chips cost >money. The more slots, the larger the PC board, and that means more >expensive board, bigger and more expensive housing, more problems with >board warpage. And bigger power supply (memory chips *love* power) and >more cooling fans (memory chips *dissipate* that power). Well, no one knows for sure what kind of scheme or design they're gonna use to house the thing... hopefully it'll be a sexy functional design. >Next question: what on earth would you *use* 7 Meg for? Certainly >you aren't going to be writing programs that large. And 7 Meg of >data is about 2000 typewritten pages worth. I mean, we're talking >about a *home* computer here, not something that Bank of America is >going to use to run a 500-terminal on-line database. >-- >Doug Pardee -- Terak Corp. -- !{hao,ihnp4,decvax}!noao!terak!doug What could you use 7 Meg for? - How about a Multi user system based on UN*X? Use it in the office, for data sampling, in a school... Picture as many RAM disks as you could ever need... running your favorite game in one window and your terminal program in another. The Lorraine is supposed to be Commodores' *High* end machine, they want to compete with Apple and IBM. No one says you have to dish out the money for 7 Meg either. Start with 512K, if you want more it's available. It can be personal, educational, business, industrial or scientific - If it starts with everything you need at under $700 (list - remember what can happen to the price after it hits the shelves) then expansion capabilities make it all the more attractive - It'll be nice to know the capability is there. Eric Lavitsky, Maintainer of Commodore 64 Kermit. ARPA: LAVITSKY@RUTGERS UUCP: ...{seismo,ut-sally,harvard,umcp-cs}!topaz!eric SNAIL: CPO 2765, CN 700 New Brunswick, NJ 08903 -------