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From: AUGUST%jpl-vlsi@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: COMMENTS ON THE RAINBOW 100
Message-ID: <16885@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 19:17:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.16885
Posted: Thu Feb 23 19:17:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Mar-84 14:38:38 EST
Lines: 36

From:  Richard B. August 

THESE COMMENTS WERE GIVEN TO ME BY AN ASOCIATE OF MINE (S.A. TOWNES):

	I HAVE HAD MY RAINBOW 100 FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS NOW AND I AM
VERY HAPPY WITH THE MACHINE FOR WHAT I DO WITH IT. I WOULDN'T
MIND HAVING THE 100+ WITH THE HARD DISK.


	AS A BASIC OFFICE COMPUTER THE RAINBOW IS FINE. THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF WORD PROCESSING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE ( I USE WORDSTAR)
AND THE ONES CONFIGURED FOR THE RAINBOW MAKE NICE USE OF THE EXTRA
FUNCTION KEYS. IT SEEMD TO WORK WELL WITH VARIOUS CP/M-80 AND -86
VERSIONS OF BASIC, FORTRAN, PASCAL, AND C THAT ARE
AROUND. FINALLY, IT MAKES A NICE VAX TERMINAL.

	THE ONE COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE IS THAT IT IS A DEC MACHINE.
DEC SUPPORT FOR THE RAINBOW WAS LOUSY AT THE START ESPECIALLY
DOCUMENTATION. THIS MADE IT HARD FOR ANYBODY OTHER THAT DEC TO
PROVIDE HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE. THIS SEEMS TO BE CHANGING BUT
DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH. IT YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED INSIDE THE
RAINBOW IT WOULD BE AN ENLIGHTING EXPERIENCE. COMPARE HOW EXTRA
BOARDS(MEMORY, ETC.) ARE ADDED WITH THE WAY ANYONE ELSE DOES
IT (TAKE IBM). WHY DID DEC DO THIS? WHY DID DEC MAKE IT
IMPOSSIBLE TO UPGRADE THE 100 TO 100+?

	IF I WERE GOING TO BUY A MACHINE TO USE AT HOME OF IN THE
LAB I WOULD PROBABLY GET AN IBM. THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS AT THIS
TIME IS THE SHEER VOLUME OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR
THE PC. THIS MAKES IT A MUCH MORE FLEXIBLE MACHINE.

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REGARDS RAUGUST

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