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From: paradis@maxzilla.Encore.COM (Jim Paradis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Questions on Unitech and Tandy
Message-ID: <4700@xenna.Encore.COM>
Date: 18 Jan 89 19:23:29 GMT
References: <149000025@inmet>
Sender: news@Encore.COM
Reply-To: paradis@maxzilla.UUCP (Jim Paradis)
Organization: Encore Computer Corp, Marlboro, MA
Lines: 51

>Can anyone in the Boston area give me any information about Unitech ?
>I am considering investing in a PC Compatible and they have what 
>appear to be some pretty good deals. Has anyone out there ever had any
>dealings with Unitech hardware wise ? Any problems ? Lemons ? Suggestions ?

I've done business with Unitech on several occasions; I find they're a
pleasure to do business with.  Their prices are quite reasonable (maybe,
oh, 5-15% higher than mail-order, but you pay for the convenience of 
shopping in a store), their salespeople are courteous and knowledgeable,
and they give no hassles about returns.  They're a real down-to-earth
operation, which I find infinitely easier to deal with than the 
slick-and-sleazy "business" computer stores.

They also have a cute gimmick for getting customers into the store;
they have a row of PCs set up in a corner of the store, with huge
PD/shareware libraries on them, and customers are welcome to sit
down, pop in a floppy, and copy what they want (I'm sure they also
sell a LOT of floppies this way 8-)  ).

>Also, what about Tandy computers? Are they any good? Are they really 
>'compatible'?

Ack!  Phphpht!
Actually, I think that more recent Tandy computers are much more
compatible than their earlier MS-DOS offerings.  Tandy just leaves
a bad taste in my mouth because I foolishly bought a Tandy 2000
back when they first came out.  Except for the fact that it ran
MS-DOS, that machine was completely proprietary!  And Tandy tried
to take advantage of that position by lowballing the price of the
base machine and making up for it by gouging you on the peripherals
and support (and even software -- so much MS-DOS software is
ill-behaved that you had to buy Tandy versions of most popular
applications like Lotus and Dbase).

Even the Tandy 1000, which was supposed to be a direct competitor
for the PC-XT, had a few bus glitches which made it a crap shoot
as to whether or not Brand X PC peripheral would work in it or
not.

I hear that some of the more recent Tandy offerings (the 3000,
the 4000, and a couple of the 1000 models) are 100% PC-compatible,
but I wouldn't stake the farm on it.

Not to mention that most Radio Shlock salesmen don't seem to
have two neurons to rub together.....

I tend to stay away from Radio Shlock except MAYBE to buy
christmas toys...

Jim Paradis (paradis@encore.UUCP) 508-460-0500
Devout Secular Humanist and Worshipper of Bacchus in Vintage Years