Msg: 2221 *Conference*

04-02-92 06:41:51

From: LEX JENKINS

To : RICK LOPES

Subj: REPLY TO MSG #2220 (TANDY 1100 FD)

Hi, Rick,
 
Lemme see, the 1100 is an XT-compatible with 640K, right?  If it's the one I'm
thinking of, I liked it when I tried it - the fan was a bit noisy, though.
 
I use all kinds of computers - from my ancient Franklin ACE 1000 (an Apple II+
clone, the one that got Franklin sued into bankruptcy!), through Compugraphic
workstations to MS-DOS machines.
 
I like 'em all.  As a beginning newspaper reporter years ago I used an IBM
Selectric typewriter, with no correcting ribbon.  ANY computer looks good by
comparison (well, maybe not a Timex Sinclair, at least for word processing).
 
So, what's the point?  I'm still not sold on MS-DOS laptops!  Ironically, my
agency (I now work for the Dept. of Labor) has recently purchased 1,500 of the
AST 386-SX laptops and I'd still rather have two AT-compatible desktops for the
same money!  I do like my Model 100 & 102, but mainly because they're truly
portable, straightforward and, apparently, bulletproof because they've got no
moving parts.  In contrast I've seen our Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Zenith and AST
laptops all crash and burn.  I'm still not convinced that delicate mechanisms
like hard drives travel well.
 
So, obviously I'm not objective.  Is $450 a good deal for an 1100 FD?
Probably.  Radio Shack has a tent sale going on now in Fort Worth and has
scratch-'n'-dent demos selling for around $300 with no warranty or returns.
But my mom just bought a 1000 SL (XT-compatible) with 3.5" floppy, 10 meg hard
drive, 300 baud modem card and mono monitor for $150.  So a "good deal" is all
relative.
 
Ahh, I'm sounding like I just ate a bunch of sour grapes!  For now I'm going to
continue using my Model T's with LapDOS... but sure, I'm tempted by MS-DOS
laptops, too!
 
<Lex>