Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!sun-arpa!male!pitstop!texsun!texbell!merch!cpe!hal6000!trsvax!uhclem From: uhclem@trsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy Subject: Re: Is there really no better value? Message-ID: <193300126@trsvax> Date: 24 Apr 89 16:19:00 GMT References: <1454@csm9a.UUCP> Lines: 120 Nf-ID: #R:csm9a.UUCP:1454:trsvax:193300126:000:5731 Nf-From: trsvax.UUCP!uhclem Apr 24 11:19:00 1989 B>First let us look at the Tandy 1000 series, the latest incarnation being the B>1000 SL and TL computers. You know, I am getting tired of having to do this, but here goes... B>For aproximently $900 the Tandy SL Uh, this is the LIST price for just the computer. If this is the price your educational institution is offering, they must have a kick-back to the football program or something. Last flyer I saw had the "normal-people" price at $699.... B>8088 - 8 Mhz. Wrong. The SL uses an 8086, with 16 bit data paths throughout, including in video memory. And it is 8MHz. B>1 5 1/4" 360K floppy True, expandable to 2 drives. Second may be 5.25 or 3.5. You can buy the second drive from anybody, and get it as cheap as $80. You really want a 3.5" drive? More capacity, but slower access than a 5.25". B>CGA graphics (ok... expanded CGA... whoopie) Also MDA and Hercules in addition to enhanced CGA with 640x200x16 Will your true-blue IBM VGA handle programs that expect Hercules? B>Parallel / Serial ports (Tandy Standard) Standard? The RS-232C hardware *is* standard, right down to the non-RS-232C- standard DB9 connector that IBM forced on everyone. The SL/TL use a mega- cell equivalent to the 8250A/16450, the same part IBM (and everybody else uses.) As to the parallel adapter, apart from having an edge connector, it *IS* identical to the one that IBM used on the PC's. And you can always stick a serial/parallel board in the machine and have a DB-25 if that is the problem. B>384K Ram Remember what the price of memory was last summer when that catalog was printed? 256Kx1 for $14! 256Kx1 can now be had for $6 each as of last week from several outfits advertising in PC Week. Yes, it would be nice if the base config had more. Now that prices are coming down, perhaps that will change. Since DOS is in ROM, you may not need as much as you would otherwise. B>3.2 (?) Dos IN ROM You don't read the catalogs do you? See 1989 Computer Catalog, page 19. There, down in the specifications, "MS-DOS 3.3 (in ROM)". And how fast does that Model 30 boot from hard disk? Our stock IBM Model 60 takes 45 seconds to get to the point where it asks if you want to run OS/2 or DOS. Then it actually starts to boot DOS. In the time it took me to type the first word of this sentence, the SL/TL booted and was ready for action. That is an incompatibility that I think some people might be able to live with. B>DeskMate (which probably should count against it!) IN ROM So? The IBM PC had some of BASICA in ROM!!! Did it help when you ran GWBASIC or QUICKBASIC or TURBOBASIC? Nooooo! You just ignored it and Microsoft got their royalty for code that was never touched. If you don't like Deskmate, you can ignore it too and it will just sit there quietly, not taking up any space on your disks or in your memory map. B>To make this a usable computer one needs: B>CM-11 CGA Monitor - $399 Watch the junk-mail flyers and the color supplements - a monitor is frequently available bundled with the SL or TL for some price below last years catalog price. They usually allow you to substitute for a CM-11. OR, pop down to Sams Wholesale Club and get a Magnavox RGBI monitor that will do the same job for $230. B>upgade to 640K - $189 Uh, where are you buying these parts? You can pay closer to $96 for the RAM you require, if you are willing to get it mail order. From Radio Shack, see Page 25, $139.90. And that was the price as of August when RAM prices were so high. B>20 Meg HardDisk - $599 I would suggest you get this from someone else. A 20 meg hardcard goes for $350 from most component dealers. B>Total System: ~ $2100 Buying it all from RS, that actually comes to $699+$399+$139+$599 = $1836. Of course, if you buy through a franchise dealer, expect up to 40% off these prices. If you assume just 25% average off, you get $1377 for the above system. There are always ways to get it cheaper than list. And your eductional outfit should be able to get even lower prices. And if you buy the hard disk and extra memory elsewhere, you drop even lower. Your IBM price was $1800 - I want to know where you got that quote. Their cheapest VGA monitor (8514) is about $400 at educational discounts. I'll skip the rest of the posting and just say this. Tandy markets these machines more for the items you failed to mention, probably because IBM does not have them. Things like sound generators and DAC and ADC hardware for digitizing sound. If the machine had no features above those IBM or anyone else provides, the only remaining factors are the mechanical (keyboard feel, cabinet, etc) and price. However, when talking about the base machine, try to keep comparisons on even keel. Look at the specifications BEFORE claiming a machine has x processor or y problem. Yes, I also feel that company-owned Radio Shack stores are usually overpriced, so franchise outlets should be used. Eventually perhaps it will sink in that the pricing is out of line when the frachisers can move it and the company stores can't. "Thank you, Uh Clem." Frank Durda IV @ Senior Software Project Engineer Computer Architecture Instructor, TCJC Usher at Casa Manana Catcher on Sundays Archvist on Fridays and Saturdays Can recite nearly every Monty Python episode ... ...decvax!microsoft!trsvax!uhclem ...sys1!hal6000!trsvax!uhclem "Yes, nine out of ten British housewives can't tell the difference between Wizzo butter and a dead crab." "I can't tell the difference between Wizzo butter and this dead crab."