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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihwpt!knudsen
From: knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari
Subject: K-Mart 520st's
Message-ID: <628@ihwpt.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 18:50:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ihwpt.628
Posted: Thu Jan  9 18:50:13 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 07:24:19 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 39

KMart (or whoever) can hardly be charged with undercutting
the computer stores by selling unbundled 520STs for $350-$400.
Last month after I first saw an ST, I mentally calculated the
price of the bare computer as follows:

System Price	$800	$1000 (color)
- Monitors	$150	$350	(reasonable guesstimates)
SUBTOTAL	$650	$650	(Same either way)
- Disk (SS)	$250		(price quoted for 2nd drive)
SUBTOTAL	$400		(for BARE machine w/ Mouse)
- Mouse		$ 50		(guesstimate)
BARE CPU	$350

So, $400 for CPU plus mouse is just "list" price.
$350 for them would be good buy but not "undercutting."
Of course, mail-order already has $100 off the system price.

I like to look at things in computer stores (quiet surroundings)
but would NEVER buy anything major there -- they all want
list prices (I remember $900 for an Atari 800 back in late '82)
and their salespeople, while better-mannered than at KMart,
are no more knowledgeable in some cases than at Radio Shack.

Trouble is, you can't hook any standard types of disk drives
or monitors to the ST (what military surplus depot sold them
all those Cannon connectors?!  Talk about DELIBERATE
incompatibility!  Try and buy one of those!).
Hopefully, the KMart version will allow not only a TV,
but standard mono and RGB monitors as well.

That raises another disturbing question: Can the KMart ST
also support the Atari monitors, especially the 70-Hz
non-interlaced mono job?  Sure hope they put ALL these options
in the GEM desktop.  In other words, I hope they don't rip
anything out of the current ST to go to KMart.
	mike k
PS:  Look at the Jan/86 BYTE photo of the ST board.
See that big blank area in upper center?
Room for a TV RF modulator?  Or a REAL power supply?