Msg: 5927 *Conference*
08-08-95 23:16:24
From: COUGAR ALLEN
To : ALL
Subj: INTRODUCTION
Hi! I've been using a Model 200 since last November -- it got me started in computing, and I still use it more than my 386 desktop. Who says it's obsolete -- it still works! I use mine mostly for word processing, but I've also had a lot of fun learning to program in Basic on it. Since it has a built-in modem, naturally I had to try it out, and I ended up making a lot of new friends in local cyberspace (Western Massachusetts, the BBS capital of the world). I couldn't call some BBSs at 300 baud, so I bought a 2400 baud external modem from a local sysop for $10. It took me a couple of hours to figure out why it wouldn't work, but eventually I tried dropping it down to 1200 baud, and at that speed it works fine. (My hardware guru tells me it's not actually because the CPU is too slow to keep up; it's because it uses polling rather than interrupts and just doesn't poll often enough. He says an XT couldn't keep up with 2400 baud by polling, and would be hard pressed at 1200.) Later I got an XT, and then a 386DX-25, but I still do most of my writing on the Model 200. It has the nearest thing to a perfect keyboard I've found yet; the LCD is easier on my eyes than a CRT, the batteries last damn near forever (I use the new rechargeable alkalines, and recommend them highly) -- and I can carry it anywhere! What more could I want? Well, I do want more. I want to check out the software in the file library here (and I'll start as soon as I get access). And I want a disk drive. The portable disk drives look pretty expensive, and I'm trying not to spend any money right now because I'm saving up to buy lawn flamingos. :) What are the "Chipmunk" and "Purple" drives I see in the consignment ads? Will either of them work with a Model 200?