Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site sesame.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!sesame!slerner From: slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner) Newsgroups: net.micro.pc,net.micro.trs-80 Subject: Re: TANDY 1000: Request for Info Message-ID: <265@sesame.UUCP> Date: Sun, 11-Aug-85 03:30:09 EDT Article-I.D.: sesame.265 Posted: Sun Aug 11 03:30:09 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 03:23:20 EDT References: <6470@ucla-cs.ARPA> Organization: Lotus Development Corp Lines: 38 Xref: linus net.micro.pc:4653 net.micro.trs-80:262 > I'm thinking on buying one of these, but I wonder > how compatible it is with an IBM/PC. > > Can you buy expansion cards and plug them in? > Can you put an 8087? What about software: would > it run DBase III, Symphony, etc? The machine is a cross between the PC and the jr. One BIG compat. problem has to do with DMA. The base machine has none, but the memory cards add DMA circuitry. The as a result, you can not use any add-in cards with memory unless you have first added a tandy memory card. since the machine only has 3 slots, this is a pain (tandy has no multi-function card for this beast last time I checked.) The keyboard is a bit different. (BTW - they don't have a scroll lock key, which some packages want (like 1-2-3), but there is a key combo that emulate it, I forget which). As a guide to compatibility, Lotus 1-2-3's IBM version can be made to run on the machine (not well, but functional). However, the hassles/ problems were significant enough that a migration for the tandy was done. With the current price trends for the IBM PC, why not wait until the next round of price cuts (this fall?? if you believe S.Katt) and get a 'fully compatible unit' :-). -- Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus Development Corp. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA