knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen) (01/10/86)
KMart (or whoever) can hardly be charged with undercutting the computer stores by selling unbundled 520STs for $350-$400. Last month after I first saw an ST, I mentally calculated the price of the bare computer as follows: System Price $800 $1000 (color) - Monitors $150 $350 (reasonable guesstimates) SUBTOTAL $650 $650 (Same either way) - Disk (SS) $250 (price quoted for 2nd drive) SUBTOTAL $400 (for BARE machine w/ Mouse) - Mouse $ 50 (guesstimate) BARE CPU $350 So, $400 for CPU plus mouse is just "list" price. $350 for them would be good buy but not "undercutting." Of course, mail-order already has $100 off the system price. I like to look at things in computer stores (quiet surroundings) but would NEVER buy anything major there -- they all want list prices (I remember $900 for an Atari 800 back in late '82) and their salespeople, while better-mannered than at KMart, are no more knowledgeable in some cases than at Radio Shack. Trouble is, you can't hook any standard types of disk drives or monitors to the ST (what military surplus depot sold them all those Cannon connectors?! Talk about DELIBERATE incompatibility! Try and buy one of those!). Hopefully, the KMart version will allow not only a TV, but standard mono and RGB monitors as well. That raises another disturbing question: Can the KMart ST also support the Atari monitors, especially the 70-Hz non-interlaced mono job? Sure hope they put ALL these options in the GEM desktop. In other words, I hope they don't rip anything out of the current ST to go to KMart. mike k PS: Look at the Jan/86 BYTE photo of the ST board. See that big blank area in upper center? Room for a TV RF modulator? Or a REAL power supply?
info-atari@ucbvax.UUCP (01/13/86)
Come to think of it, I am probably going to buy the K-Mart Special, since it obviously has been modified to scan at 60 Hz. It will be MUCH easier to add a Composite or RGB output to this version than the 70-Hz version! The composite monitor output may even be provided, a la 800XL. If anybody knows or finds out what other options are included e.g. RS-232 port, etc., please post this info to the net! John Sangster jhs at mitre-bedford.arpa
lbl@druhi.UUCP (LocklearLB) (01/15/86)
>Come to think of it, I am probably going to buy the K-Mart Special, since >it obviously has been modified to scan at 60 Hz. It will be MUCH easier to >add a Composite or RGB output to this version than the 70-Hz version! The >composite monitor output may even be provided, a la 800XL. If anybody knows >or finds out what other options are included e.g. RS-232 port, etc., please >post this info to the net! > > John Sangster > jhs at mitre-bedford.arpa The current 520ST already scans at 60Hz for RGB. The 70Hz scan rate is only used for the mono-chrome monitor. After looking at the mother board, the only probable difference between current 520 and the one to be introduced is the addition of an RF modulator. There is already a space for one on the mother board. Barry Locklear AT&T Information Systems Labs Denver, CO (303) 538-4954 ihnp4!druhi!lbl