Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!caen.engin.umich.edu!dmuntz From: dmuntz@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan Muntz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy Subject: Re: Tandy hardware Message-ID: <4337dbff.14e20@atrans.engin.umich.edu> Date: 14 May 89 15:07:00 GMT References: <2520@csd4.milw.wisc.edu> <1535@csm9a.UUCP> Reply-To: dmuntz@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan Muntz) Distribution: na Organization: caen Lines: 97 In article <1535@csm9a.UUCP> japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: >In article <2520@csd4.milw.wisc.edu>, chaz@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Charles D Lembach) writes: >> >> I am considering purchasing a Tandy computer, probally one of thier >> 1000 series. I know of thier three models, not sure of the specific >> intials, maybe SL, TL, TX? I do know that two are 286 based, and the >> third is not. I have a few questions if someone would be kind enough >> to answer them. >> >> I'm telling ya, its easier buying a car than shopping for a reliable >> computer! > >I'm glad you had the sense to ask for opinions... I'm sure their are many >who will tell you how happy they are with their Tandy 1000's but if you've >read this newsgroup for long their are quite a few disgruntled owners... > >First of all I am not fully qualified to comment on the new computers >but I can comment on the 1000A that I have and the 1000 SX that many >members of my user group have > >1. Tandy has a very bad history of designing computers that require Tandy >peripherals and parts... and Tandy's peripherals are usually 50 to 100% >higher than IBM compatible peripherals... lately other vendors have begun >selling Tandy compatible parts mail order BUT the parts still tend to be >higher than IBM compatible mail order parts... Yeah, a hardisk for the SL costs all of $20 more than one for the IBM. The SX will take standard IBM harddisks. > >The new computers are of course touted by Tandy as IBM compatible but then >so was the Tandy 1000A that I bought and so was the Tandy 1000 SX... I see >no reason Tandy should change their deceptive marketing schemes... I owned a 1000 SX for over a year (upgraded to a 4000 for speed) and the only software I found which wouldn't run on it was Minix (and I ran a he** of a lot of software on it) >Based on prior experiance the following incompatibilities with a true clone >will be found: > >A. non compatible monitor required or patch to DOS required >B. non standard floppy disk cable >C. non standard hard disk interrupt (fixed on the SX) >D. poor wattage power supply (I had to use an external PS to run 2 hard drives! >E. non standard joystick interface >F. non standard parallel interface (requires a special cable which must be >cut to use with industry standard printers like the Epson or HP laser!) >G. non standard keyboard (supposedly fixed in the SL and TL but time will tell) A. I have no idea what you mean by this. The SL does require an RGB monitor if you don't use your own video card. The SX could take a standard composite or RGB monitor. B. Maybe on the 1000A, but not the SX or SL. C. And supposedly fixed on the SL. D. (if you need 2 harddrives) E. Never had any problems with software not liking the joystick on the SL or SX F. Same cable as the Model III/IV (easy to find) G. SL and TL do, in fact, have a standard keyboard. > >Based on my experience the 1000 series IS NOT IBM compatible! > Read: limited experience. >2 & 3: probably neither! If you really want a Tandy you need to look at >the 3000... it is at least as compatible as most clones... none of the 1000 >series are compatible. > The 1000 SL is as close to 100% compatible software-wise as I have seen (it runs everything the SX does + minix) As for hardware, spend an extra $20 for a harddrive and buy the correct RAM chips to go up to 640K and you're all set. >BTW) there really is only 2 machines... the TX is the old model... the new >computers are the SL, which is an 8086 machine and the TL which is a 80286 >machine with an 8086 bus. > >4. The prices are so low because Tandy knows that you will return to buy >their overpriced peripherals! Price the ENTIRE SYSTEM from Tandy when >comparing because if you buy the machine cheap from them and expect to >but cheap peripherals elsewhere you will join the rest of us disgruntled >Tandy owners... > FOR NO REASON SHOULD *ANYONE* BUY PERIPHERALS FROM RS! They are extremely overpriced. Even the computer itself should be purchased from a mail-order house (SL's for approx. $550) >Tandy, There are so many better values! > Only if you buy directly from tandy, otherwise tandy computers are one of the best values on the market. -Dan M.