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From: ralph@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Ralph Hightower)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Questions about 128 Reliability (Considering upgrade from C64)
Keywords: 128 vs. 64 reliability
Message-ID: <3750@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM>
Date: 19 Sep 88 18:57:21 GMT
Reply-To: ralph@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM (Ralph Hightower, x6758)
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Corp., Engineering & Manufacturing - Columbia, SC
Lines: 30


This past weekend, my C64 bit the dust.  I went to turn it on and I did not
get that familiar lt. blue/blue screen.  I verified that it wasn't the 1702
monitor by hooking my VCR up to the VIDEO/AUDIO IN.

Turning the 64 on, the disk drive is initialized; I tried blindly typing
'load "0:*",8' and got no results from the disk drive.

Taking the C64 and power supply to a repair shop: the repair shop said that
the C64 AND the power supply were bad.  The repair "could cost $88".  I
asked what the price of the 128 was (thinking that this would be a good
time to upgrade) and the repair shop mentioned that the 128 was less
reliable than the 64 (they mentioned about the 3 systems, 64, 128, CP/M,
competing among themselves; sort of "Dueling Systems").

Can anybody refute the shop's argument that the C128 is less reliable than
the C64?  I would use 64 mode compatibility primarily for my two workhorse
applications, Multiplan, and Consultant; but I probably could use the CP/M
mode also (if it is a "true" CP/M implementation).

As a note, I have not had near the problems that I have heard other people
have with their C64 and 1541 disk drives.  My first 1541 had been in
service for 3 years before it needed its guts replaced (I think it needed a
new card and new motor drive).  The C64 died after 5 years of service.
(It costs $50 to replace a burned-out resister in my 1702 a short while
after warranty expiration).
-- 
            ralph@ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM   
            NCR Corp., Engineering & Manufacturing - Columbia, SC
                               Home of THE USC!
    South Carolina had a University 49 years before California was a state.