It would be well to get the timelines aligned. The model 1 was of 1977
vintage. The model -3 was worked up in the late '70's before Apple got its
juggernaut rolling. Radio Shack had a real chance to make the microcomputer
market its own. No one had a decent sales and service network, not to
suggest that Radio Shack's was really decent, but at least it was there.
The Model 3 was out in '81? by which time double density was "old hat" and
by 1982-1983, Apple had the door closed. Having turned out two (if not
more) pieces of relative rubbish, the RS people had no chance after 1983.
IBM was gaining acceptance (nobody ever got fired for buying IBM, right?)
and ultimately legitimized the PC for "respectable" business use. By mid
'84, the 8-bitters were in the "Komputerdaemmerung."
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, April 09, 1999 5:09 PM
Subject: Re: What if,... early PCs (was: stepping machanism
><The RCA TV set design that RS used for a monitor for the model 1 was NOT
><really adequate for 80x24 display. (YES, I've done it.)
>
>It could but the opto isolator used to keep the hot chassis and the video
>seperate wasn't up to the task. Bypassed and of course using an isolation
>transformer it was much crisper even at 80 cols.
>
><Double density was NOT readily achievable in 1978. And the poor quality
>
>My dog, don't tell DEC that or intel.
>
><> was SLOW. The Z-80-card in the Apple was significantly (and noticeably)
><> faster. The two machines otherwise occupied about the same desk space,
a
>
>Than the TRS80, every thing was faster. Next to my S100 CPM crate with a
>real 4mhz z80 and no wait state memory they were both slow.
>
><> aside from the stupid, Stupid, STUPID choice to leave the Tandy machine'
><> display at 16 lines of 64 characters (about half of what was on a 24x80,
>
>As it works 64wide was more useful for word processing than 32 or 40.
>
>Allison
>
Received on Sat Apr 10 1999 - 03:25:52 BST