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From: japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Is there really no better value?
Keywords: TANDY PRICES
Message-ID: <1454@csm9a.UUCP>
Date: 22 Apr 89 21:32:38 GMT
Organization: Colorado School of Mines
Lines: 76

Tandy's latest motto has been developed to give the illusion that the
their computer products are the best value on the market... but is this
truth in advertising or just marketing hype... Let us examine Tandy's 
products in comparison to other vendors to determine if:

		"Is there really no better value?"

First let us look at the Tandy 1000 series, the latest incarnation being the
1000 SL and TL computers.

(These prices are based on the price at the CSM Bookstore and thus represent
an educational pricing... this is done SINCE I have no idea what the pricing
for these computers is outside of the educational market and most Usenet
readers are academics anyway!)

For aproximently $900 the Tandy SL
8088 - 8 Mhz.
1 5 1/4" 360K floppy
CGA graphics (ok... expanded CGA... whoopie)
Parallel / Serial ports (Tandy Standard)
384K Ram
3.2 (?) Dos IN ROM
DeskMate (which probably should count against it!) IN ROM

To make this a usable computer one needs:
CM-11 CGA Monitor - $399
upgade to 640K - $189
20 Meg HardDisk - $599

Total System: ~ $2100

Compare this with:
IBM PS/2 model 30 package:
8086 - 8 Mhz  (8086 has improved throughput over 8088)
VGA!!!
Analog Color Monitor
Parallel / Serial ports (industry standard)
640K Ram
1 3 1/2" 720K floppy
20 Meg Internal HD
Dos 4.01
MS Windows
MS Works (Not a whole lot better than Deskcrate but at least the communications
	  work with our VAX!)

Cost: $1800

Gee... there goes Tandy's value right out the window!

Why........?????
Tandy's peripherals are the most expensive in the industry... they sell their
computers at Kmart prices (and with Kmart quality I might add) and sell their
peripherals like they were Apple!

Lets look at another comparison:

Tandy 1000 TL vs. Model 30/286

While an equivelent system is impossible just on the basis of Tandy's CGA vs.
IBM's VGA the cost of the 286 package vs. Tandy is roughly the same $2100
(assuming a 20 meg. HD is added to the Tandy)...
But with the IBM you get Windows, Word, and Excel... and VGA graphics...
With the Tandy you get DeskMate... and Tandy's 16 color graphics for games!
need I say more!

The question is:

Why would anyone but a fool buy Tandy, seeing as how there are so many better
values?
 
And this is coming from a person who 4 years ago was a Tandy evangelist!

Joe Applegate
President - Colorado Color Computer Club
President - Denver Metro MSDOS Users Group
PC Coordinator - Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO