msewil@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles R. Ward) (04/26/89)
There are 3 things no computer buyer in his/her right mind would do.
1) Pay retail for Tandy stuff.
2) Buy hard disks from Tandy (too expensive even at discount).
3) Buy an IBM PS/2 -30/286 over a Tandy 3000NL.
Let me elaborate. Tandy equipment is available in EVERY computer
magazine from legitimate mail-order dealers offering discounts of
25-30%. When purchased by mail, the equipment can still be taken
into ANY Tandy outlet for service (part of the purchase price, even
at discount, goes to this nation-wide service feature). By the way,
my extensive experience dealing with dealers has shown that Tandy
sales reps are no less informed that the average shmoo in Computerland,
Entre, etc.
I think you guys that are comparing the IBM-PS/2 30 to the Tandy 1000TL
are making the wrong comparison. You should compare it too the Tandy
3000NL. You can buy this computer from dozens of mail-order dealers
for about $1000. It comes with:
a) 10MHz 80286
b) serial & parallel ports
c) 1.44M / 1.2M / 720K / 360K floppy controller
d) 1 - 1.44M floppy
e) hi speed RAM slot
f) accepts BOTH 5 1/4 AND 3 1/2 devices (up to 4 total)
g) will take ANYBODY's hard disk
h) 7 FULL-SIZE ISA slots (3-8 bit, 4-16 bit)
i) all of this in a box only marginally larger than the PS/2
This is more machine than the PS/2-50Z for a lot less money. It is well
built and very reliable. Now, you don't want to buy the peripherals
from Tandy. They are expensive because Tandy doesn't make them. Buy
your VGA and Seagate HD from CompuADD or elsewhere. Anyway you do it,
you'll wind up with a very nice computer for under $2200 (640K, analog
VGA, 40Meg Seagate ST251-1).
Another nice Tandy buy for the jet set is the Tandy 4000. This 80386
machine with 1Meg RAM can be had for $1890 (and serviced at over 6000
stores worldwide). You have to look hard to find even a Korean clone
that goes this cheap with the same standard features (1.44M floppy,
1Meg RAM, serial & parallel ports, true 32-bit Intel 80386 with socket
for 80387 or Weitek).
No, I'm not a Tandy rep. I direct an office that uses both IBM and
Tandy equipment. In our area (remote SE NC), we get better service
and performance from the Tandy equipment than from IBM. Sure, Tandy
can be bashed for a lot of things, but there are some excellent buys
out there if you look for them.ellisond@gtephx.UUCP (Dell Ellison) (04/28/89)
In article <6885@ecsvax.UUCP>, msewil@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles R. Ward) writes: > ... discount, goes to this nation-wide service feature). By the way, > my extensive experience dealing with dealers has shown that Tandy > sales reps are no less informed that the average shmoo in Computerland, > Entre, etc. How very, very true. It seems like they just memorize the spec sheets and they don't usually know much about computers.
jeffery@jsheese.FIDONET.ORG (Jeff Sheese) (04/28/89)
In an article of <27 Apr 89 20:15:47 GMT>, ellisond@gtephx.UUCP (Dell Ellison) writes: >In article <6885@ecsvax.UUCP>, msewil@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles R. Ward) >writes: >> ... discount, goes to this nation-wide service feature). By the way, >> my extensive experience dealing with dealers has shown that Tandy >> sales reps are no less informed that the average shmoo in Computerland, >> Entre, etc. > >How very, very true. >It seems like they just memorize the spec sheets and they don't usually >know much about computers. Those that can, do. Those that can't, sell. Jeff "send all flames to null@netsys!jsheese" Sheese -- Jeff Sheese - via FidoNet node 1:109/116 UUCP: ...!netsys!jsheese!jeffery (Send all replies to netsys!jsheese!jeffery)
nather@ut-emx.UUCP (Ed Nather) (04/28/89)
In article <42e370e4.190fc@gtephx.UUCP>, ellisond@gtephx.UUCP (Dell Ellison) writes: > In article <6885@ecsvax.UUCP>, msewil@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles R. Ward) writes: > > ... discount, goes to this nation-wide service feature). By the way, > > my extensive experience dealing with dealers has shown that Tandy > > sales reps are no less informed that the average shmoo in Computerland, > > Entre, etc. > > How very, very true. > It seems like they just memorize the spec sheets and they don't usually know > much about computers. Nonsense. The Entre salesmen (2 of them) I talked to didn't know what a spec sheet was ... they certainly hadn't memorized one. I made the mistake of going in there to try to get some information on Toshiba laptop accessories, and learn a bit about the Sparcstation 1. They had a price list for the accessories (it took them 15 minutes to find it) but didn't know what the items were. They had never heard of the Sparcstation 1 even though it was on the front cover of the latest Byte magazine. "Franchise? Doesn't that go along with myrrh?" -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin
bill@bilver.UUCP (bill vermillion) (04/30/89)
In article <6885@ecsvax.UUCP> msewil@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles R. Ward) writes: > >No, I'm not a Tandy rep. I direct an office that uses both IBM and >Tandy equipment. In our area (remote SE NC), we get better service >and performance from the Tandy equipment than from IBM. Sure, Tandy >can be bashed for a lot of things, but there are some excellent buys >out there if you look for them. The Tandy equipment (that I have used) isn't that bad. I have had a variety off problems, but in the past two years the service is SO BAD, that is is non-existant. eg - I have a client who has a pair of 6000's. He also has an ON-SITE SERVICE CONTRACT. About 2 months ago the primary drive started acting up. Lots of bad tracks, etc. This is on a Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday Tandy comes out, runs diagnostics on the drive, says it is fine, reformats. I install the software for the client Wednesday afternoon. As the data is being loaded in from the Bernouli box, - BAD TRACKS. Tandy is called back. They come out, decide they must order the drive (15 meg primary). Next Tuesday it is installed. FULL SEVEN DAY. Now the system start getting sporadic drive 0 not ready messages. Then one day it starts getting lots of drive 0 not ready. Half the time it can't find the proper program on shutdown so the seconday isn't mounted. Other times on boot up it won't mount. Have to manually type mount commands 6 to 10 times. (Alos happend on a Tuesday). Wednesday morning out they come. Run diagnostics. Says it is fine. Leaves. System is just as bad as ever. Tech tracks me down at another client site as he gets a call from the t6k client. I tell him it sounds like the disk controller card. He says he is busy, will have to get there Monday. He shows up Tuesday. Replaces drive (not neccesary) and controller (the culprit in my opinion). This is with an ONSITE SERVICE CONTRACT. Another example. I work for a local community college 2 days a week keeping about 11 Xenix system up and running. 7 are Tandy 3000's. My development machine started dying. Panic and a halt. Turns out the fan doesnt run and it overheats. Machine goes to repair. They keep it 4 days and return it. Same thing. Goes back. Stays THIRTEEN DAYS. They replace the fan and the power supply. Guess what. Same problem. Now we turn it on, see if the fan runs, if not, turn off try again. I have never seen so many non-repairs in my life. And computer techs who are not really competent. Now - at the same community college, we just installed our 3rd IBM-80, with another in the pipe-line. These machines have a ONE YEAR WARRANTY. For $25 extra is becomes ON SITE. Additonal years are $300 per year (that's about $1000 less than Tandy). Had a floppy go bad. Called in the morning. It was replaced in the afternoon. And IBM service is open more than just 9-5 Monday thru Friday. All the problems Joe relates were known locally at the RS stores. I have never had problems with their printers, or non-compatibility. I just can't get them serviced in a reasonable amount of time. Ten days may be okay for a home/hobby machine. But take a 3000 with Xenix and 8 users. Every day it is down is 64 productive hours GONE. One week is 320 hours (assuming you are 9-5 M-F). That can't happen in this day an age. I now stick with companies that can offer 7 day service on their machines. That includes people such as AT&T, NCR, and IBM. I'm not a new comer to Tandy machines. My Model I was my introduction to computers in late 77. And I have worked on most, and taken apart many since then. At one time I had about 8 clients on t6ks alone. Down to ONE now, and he will be out of that shortly. (I still have a pair - one is a usenet node - and the other is a spare!) Until/unless they make a major turn-around in service I won't recommend one of their machines unless it is for a home/hobby environment. -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!rtmvax!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP