Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!uw-june!uw-entropy!bones!fetrow
From: fetrow@bones.stat.washington.edu (Dave Fetrow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Questions on Unitech and Tandy
Message-ID: <1185@uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu>
Date: 19 Jan 89 00:37:03 GMT
References: <149000025@inmet> <4700@xenna.Encore.COM>
Sender: news@uw-entropy.ms.washington.edu
Reply-To: fetrow@bones.UUCP ()
Organization: UW Statistics, Seattle
Lines: 53

In article <4700@xenna.Encore.COM> paradis@maxzilla.UUCP (Jim Paradis) writes:
>
>>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!
>
>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.....
>
>Jim Paradis (paradis@encore.UUCP) 508-460-0500
>Devout Secular Humanist and Worshipper of Bacchus in Vintage Years

 Tandys' quality has often been all over the place but the recent machines we've bought
(in quantity): the 3000's and 4000's have been very good indeed both in repair and
in compatability. We even get reasonably priced upgrades (the original 4000 [like
the original Compaq 386] didn't have an 80387 socket).

 As with most computer places you NEED to find the knowledgeable people in the
store (in the case of Tandy you may need to look at a lot of stores) and deal
exclusively with that person. The Computer Store version of Radio Shack is a
good place to start. Ask questions you know the answer to in order to find out
what they know.

 If you can find such a person(s) then Tandy can be a really satisfying company
to deal with. As usual, it's best to stay away from the stuff with small serial
numbers.....from anybody.

 As for us, we have a very good guy here in Seattle and the fellow before him was
also very good and we've had very nice experiences. They knew enough and were good
enough to steer us away from stuff that is iffy, suggested what peripherals were
best bought from someone else as well as giving good service. That's why they have
our repeat business.


BITNET:   dfetrow@uwarita                            -- david d. fetrow --
UUCP:     uw-beaver!hilbert!fetrow 
INTERNET: fetrow@bones.biostat.washington.edu
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