Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!killer!igloo!andyross
From: andyross@igloo.Scum.COM (Andrew Rossmann)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Tandy Printer + PC Compatible Query
Message-ID: <1333@igloo.Scum.COM>
Date: 11 Apr 89 01:24:02 GMT
References: <1370@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> <136500014@cpe> <1407@csm9a.UUCP> <3254@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <1411@csm9a.UUCP>
Reply-To: andyross@igloo.UUCP (Andrew Rossmann)
Organization: igloo, Northbrook, IL
Lines: 83

In article <1411@csm9a.UUCP> japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes:
!In article <3254@ddsw1.MCS.COM>, andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Andrew Rossmann) writes:
!! !The real facts are that Tandy has designs their peripherals and
!! !computers to NOT use industry standards in order to force their customers
!! !to ALWAYS BUY TANDY...
!! !
!! !Case in point:  The Tandy 1000
!! !Non-Compatible hard disk interrupt
!!   The SX/TX can use standard PC hard disk controllers after flipping a DIP
!! switch. The SL/TL only use the IBM PC standard.
!
!gee, thats nice.... I'll gladly trade you my 1000A for an SX or whatever....
!The salesman that sold it guarenteed that it would work with a standard
!hard drive... however by the time I bought one 3 months later he no longer
 ^^^^ ^^^^^
!worked for Dandy Tandy... I know shoe stores that don't turn their personel
!around as fast as Tandy.... and they know more about computers!
  
  Notice he said drive, not controller.

!! !Non-standard JoyStick
!!   Who uses joysticks???
!
!I do!  Most games do!
!AND I HAVE TO FOR WINDOWS... THE JUNK MOUSE THAT TANDY SELLS IS NOT MS 
!COMPATIBLE! (Digi-Mouse)... of course the salesjerk that sold it said it
!was!

  The salesjerk was obviously wrong. The DigiMouse was out before a true
standard for mice was around. Many famous mice (such as PCMouse) were not
Microsoft compatible at the time. Tandy's latest serial mouse is not only
compatible with Microsoft, you are expected to use the Microsoft drivers!

!! !Uses Tandy Specific 8087 (won't use IBM chip)
!!   BULL: I'm using a stock 8087 in my SX.
!
!Like I said... I'll trade any day... I'd even buy an upgrade from Tandy...
!seeing they got my money in the first place....
!I bought an 8087-3 for an IBM PC... put it in my 1000A and AutoCad went crazy
!testing confirmed that double precision reals were random numbers!
!Replaced it 3 times... finally I had to buy Tandy's chip... I tried for
!3 months... made numerous calls to Ft. Worthless... no one would tell me 
!what the Tandy required other than TANDY's CHIP... so I paid ~$250 in advance
!(the 8087-3 cost $100)... My 1000 required an 80C87... this is not a laptop???
!The only reason to require a CMOS chip is to force users to buy your over-
!pricced product!
  
  This is the first time I ever heard of this. But then, the 1000A went out
of production several years ago.

!! !Very Non-Standard - Not replacible keyboard!
!!   Northgate offers a replacement keyboard. 
!
!Where.... and does it only work on the SX and later?????
!Tandy also has a replacement... but it requires a software driver and
!so does not work with all software and definately not with Minix!

  The Northgate is supposed to be compatible with all, although I haven't
seen one personally (but would like to know of others who have tried it.)
The key layout may be non-standard, but it is highly-compatible. With a
small program, I can emulate, fairly well, an extended keyboard.

!!   The 1000 was originally designed to be a PCjr compatible, and was
!! brought out in 1984, not 1986.
!
!I bought the 1000A which was advertised and sold as a redesign to by IBM
!PC compatible.  The salesjerk who I bought it from guarenteed 100% IBM
!Compatiblility...

  The 1000A was in truth a minor upgrade, reducing the parts count
required, and adding the 8087 socket.

!Now who are we to believe... the administrators or the shoe salemen they
!hire to sell, sell, and sell...
!                          - Joe Applegate -

  I doubt if many 'big name' sellers are all that much better. Not all
salesmen are total dolts. Some few are surprisingly good. The person I
bought my Model III from in '83 was extremely knowledgable. Like anything
else, you have shop around.


  andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM, andyross@igloo.UUCP